Jefferson Hinkley Bk 3. Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN
9781471155482
(Age: 15+) Crime. Mystery. Horse racing. Jeff Hinkley is back, this
time taking the reader on a ride to the US, behind the scenes in the
American racing industry. Jeff Hinkley has been seconded by the US
Federal Anti-Corruption in Sports Agency (FACSA) as an outsider to
see if he can find the mole in the organisation, who is letting
corrupt trainers know when they will be raided. He is able to set up
some structures for this to happen, but on a raid at the Kentucky
Derby, things go wrong and a trainer is shot dead. Going undercover
as a groom, Jeff faces danger as trainers go for broke, in the hope of
winning the coveted Triple Crown.
The theme of drugs in sport came to the fore in this novel, and it
was fascinating to read how Jeff had to contend with the problem of
new ways of drugging horses. There were a few surprises and some
thrilling action in the last part of the book that kept me reading
to the end.
I have been a big fan of the novels by Dick Francis and enjoyed Refusaland Damage
by Felix Francis, but this one fell a little flat for me. Even
though the information about the American racing scene and life as a
groom was interesting, at times it felt as if it was more important
than the mystery and suspense, for which both Felix and his father
Dick Francis have been known. Nevertheless, as I did really enjoy Damage,
I will pick up any Jeff Hinkley novels in the future, hoping that
there is more character development and a faster paced plot for him
then.
Pat Pledger
Junior illustrated English dictionary and thesaurus by Felicity Brooks
Ill. by Nikki Dyson. Usborne, 2016. ISBN 9781474924481
This new release from Usborne, who are masters at putting together
quality education resources, comes in perfect time for sharing with
parents who are looking for something special for the Christmas
stocking for that between group who are a little old for toys but
not quite ready for all the trappings of being a young adult.
Grandparents will LOVE it as a suggestion!
With so many thesauri and dictionaries on the market for this age
group, there has to be a point of difference to make a new one stand
out and having seen and used so many over my 40+ years of teaching,
it's hard to think what that might be. However, Usborne have
discovered it - scattered throughout the 480 pages amongst the 6000+
words are text boxes with all sorts of information about the words
including spelling tips, word families, word origins and so on - each
of which helps the child build their vocabulary and their knowledge
of how words and English work so they can build on what they know to
be even more proficient. There are explanations about the s/z
conflict in British and American English as well as things like the
t/ed endings and who uses which. (Australian standards use 't' but
either is acceptable where there is a choice and the context and
meaning is not changed).
There is a comprehensive 'how to' introductory section which
explains the features and layout of the book including how to use a
dictionary generally, the different word classes such as nouns,
adjectives and verbs and links to further explanations, activities
and games for both the dictionary and the thesaurus which will
extend the user's knowledge and skills even further. In between the
dictionary and thesaurus sections are pages about how to make
plurals, and prefixes and suffixes, all serving to make this more
than just a word finder. The plentiful, colourful illustrations are
really useful and would serve someone learning English for the first
time very well, particularly older students who prefer something a
little more grown-up than basic alphabet books.
If you are looking for a new class set of this sort of reference
text for the library, this one really deserves serious consideration
- in the meantime, this copy will find its way to Miss
Almost-Year-5. It will be the perfect present for her.
Barbara Braxton
The great sock secret by Susan Whelan
Ill. by Gwyneth Jones. EK Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925335248
It is one of the great mysteries of our times. Ever since washing
machines were automated and readily available, pairs of socks have
been forever separated, never to meet their match again. And Sarah's
house is no different - there is a basket full of odd socks and her
mum is on a mission to find their partners.
But Sarah knows where they are - the fairy families that live in her
house are masters at repurposing them for all sorts of fun and games
- and she is desperate that her mother not discover the truth. She
even suggests that they take Max the puppy for a walk instead but
her mother is not to be deterred or distracted and so the great sock
hunt begins. However, even though she searches high and low, in
cupboards, behind doors, in the bathroom, under the furniture, and
in brother Thomas's bedroom, her mother's eyes are not as sharp as
Sarah's and she does not see what is really happening with the
socks. But when she is satisfied with the two she does find Sarah
breathes a sigh of relief - until her mother suggests that they now
start searching for lost pens...
This is an utterly charming story from the team that created the
outstanding Don't
think about purple elephants that reminded me of The
borrowers by Mary Norton (and which would be a great
read-together serial as a follow-on.) Like Sarah, the reader has to
have sharp eyes to find what has happened to the socks because so
much of the story is in the wonderful illustrations - a trait of
perfect picture books in my opinion.
Young children will take great delight in seeing what adults can't
as they try to spot all the fairies as well as suggesting what else
they might use the socks for. Maybe that is where all the missing
socks in their homes have disappeared to - watch them go searching
but don't let them tell! Miss 5 loved this - we read it over and
over during a recent visit and there was something new to discover
each time! And yes, The borrowers will be the next family
serial.
Barbara Braxton
Willy and the cloud by Anthony Browne
Walker, 2016. ISBN 9781406366969
(Age 4+) Highly recommended. One of my favourite authors, Anthony
Browne, has done it again with another wonderful book starring
Willy. This time Willy has a dark cloud that seems to be following
him, no matter what he does to try and get rid of it. When he goes
to the park, everyone else is sitting in the sun and enjoying
themselves but he shivers under the cloud feeling miserable. The
cloud follows him home and he is very unhappy. He tries to work out
how to make it leave, but nothing works until he comes up with a
solution to banish it and he can then be happy.
Browne's signature illustrations are as captivating as ever. The
misery on Willy's face will ensure that readers will empathise with
Willy as he does his best to overcome his unhappiness. The drama of
the moment when Willy shouts at the cloud and makes it go away with
resonate with readers, who will be thrilled to find that Willy can
be happy in the rain and the sun.
This is sure to be a perfect book to discuss feelings with children
at home and in the classroom. It could lead to an understanding that
everyone can feel depressed, anxious and lonely and Willy has one
solution to make his cloud go away. Children may be able to come up
with other ways of combating depression and loneliness. Willy and the cloud is a keeper.
Pat Pledger
Goodnight everyone by Chris Haughton
Walker, 2016. ISBN 9781406352320
(Age: 6 months - 6) Highly recommended.
'No dreamer is ever too small, no dream is ever too big'.
Chris Haughton's Goodnight Everyone is a simply told bedtime
story, starting with a small yawn, that grows bigger and bigger
until all the forest creatures fall asleep. Each turn of the page
reveals the mice, hares, deer even Great Big Bear, and they are
covered up and almost tucked into bed by the movement of the page.
Of course Little Bear will not give, however all the animals are too
tired and he too falls fast asleep.
Haughton's mastery of colour saturation, shape manipulation,
composition and layout are key elements. Multi-layered digital
images in vibrant, rainbow tones encapsulate and enliven this
bedtime story. Engagement with the actions from small yawns, to
gentle snores and a goodnight kiss opens up the simple, soothing
narrative to a young baby.
The front and endpapers show the Southern and Northern night skies
with the planets in order from the sun. The Little Bear and Big Bear
constellations are highlighted and their shapes transform into the
main characters. As the story is shared, look for the dandelion seed
blown by one of the mice; it floats through the pages like the
circle of life.
The easy to recite responsive text and bold illustrations make Goodnight
Everyone by Chris Haughton a fantastic picture book for
families to share. He writes about the inspiration for the book here.
Rhyllis Bignell
Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell
Ottoline, book 4. Macmillan Children's Books, 2016. ISBN
9781447277927
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Ottoline and the Purple Fox is a
dazzling new story from UK's Children's Laureate, Chris Riddell. It
was the first that I had read about Ottoline, but I had no problems
with the characters or the plot as it read beautifully as a
stand-alone story. Fans of Ottoline will no doubt be thrilled to
read another story about this independent little girl and the
strange hairy Mr Munroe. In this story the pair meet a purple fox
who takes them on an urban safari where they discover all the
animals who live in the city. While Ottoline takes notes about the
animals, Mr Munroe is intrigued by the poems left on the lamp post
and they both want to help the lonely poet find true love. The pair
organise a dinner party for all their friends and hope to help out
the anonymous poet.
This is a whimsical, humorous story that delights the senses with
its wacky ideas and fabulous illustrations. Ottoline is a wonderful
girl and the introduction of a new friend, Myrrh, who looks just
like Ottoline adds a twist that has the reader thinking about where
she fits into Ottoline's life. The purple fox grabs the reader's
attention and the journey through the city that he takes Ottoline
and Mr Munroe on is fascinating as various animals are shown in
amazing habitats.
Each page has something for the reader to linger over and smile
about and young readers will be pleased to be sent to other pages
for more information. There is a nod to the stories about Goth Girl
by Riddell - a subtle hint to the reader that there are other books
by this author! At the back is a fancy dress fortune teller that
children will love to make and use.
This is a series that is a feast for the imagination for all ages
and will richly reward those who are prepared to spend time perusing
the illustrations.
Pat Pledger
Hester and Harriet by Hilary Spiers
Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781925266412
(Age: Secondary-adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction. Humour.
Asylum seekers. England. Two widowed sisters, Harriet and Hester,
live together in a small cottage in an equally small village in the
south of England. When one night they see their local homeless man,
Finbar in some distress they find that there is a young woman and a
baby in his living quarters, the local bus shelter. They take the
girl in, keeping her warm, and feeding her, finding that she has a
limited grasp of English and is very scared. At the same time, their
nephew Ben, lands on their door step, having run away from home.
They must give shelter to all three guests and find that the wayward
and taciturn Ben, who in the past has caused some upset within the
family, has skills never before known. He is able to talk to Daria,
and look after her son, Milo, and even more surprising, finds a
talent for cooking.
Problems compound when the women realise that someone has been in
their house and Finbar attacked, while a strange man has knocked at
their door, asking awkward questions.
The characters are a treat: each pedantic about the use of their
language, correcting Ben without a second thought, while homeless
Finbar is a classically educated man using Latin phrases. All three
have a wonderful grasp of language adding to the pleasure gained in
reading. When the women find that their houseguest has no passport
and has run away from where she was working in London, only to be
taken in by another couple with suspect motives, their impetus to
get in touch with the police is stalled by Ben's revelations.
They begin to be aware of Daria's untenable status in this country
and resolve to protect her, while at the same time keeping
themselves safe.
This is a beguiling read but beneath the word play, humour and
mocking tone lies a plea for refugees, asylum seekers, displaced
people and those for whom home is no longer a safe place. Through
finding out more of Daria's situation in England her legal rights
are brought to the fore, giving the readers a firm basis of fact,
enlisting their sympathy for people in this position.
Fran Knight
Timmy Failure: The book you're not supposed to have by Stephan Pastis
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406369762
(Age: 8+) Humour. Detectives. This is the kind of book
written for kids who like silly humour, impossible logic and
exceptionally odd and quirky characters who like to solve problems
(even if the problems don't really exist). Timmy Failure is a legend
in his own mind, and he considers himself to be the world's best
young private detective, however his definition of genius and his
tendency to see the world from a very warped perspective seem to get
him into trouble. With the looming wedding of his mother to Doorman
Dave (a man Timmy loathes), and with the punishment of NO detective
work until school is over, Timmy takes unusual routes to hide his
devious detective agency from her attention, and to avoid
participation in the wedding. Failure is intensely awful at
detective work, but he does not realise this. He also ropes in
classmates with equally dreadful deductive reasoning and manages to
just create mayhem wherever he goes.
Pastis has created a series that kids will like, but this is
certainly not great literature. With a crazy plot, scattered comedic
caricatures throughout the book and silly chapter headings, there
are plenty of places to tickle the funny bone of readers aged 8+.
But don't expect that they will grow in their maturity and empathy
by reading this book... it is more likely that they will giggle
at inappropriate moments!
Carolyn Hull
The Legends series by Michael Panckridge
Ford St, 2016. Chasing the break. ISBN 9781925272482 Against the spin. ISBN 9781925272499
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Sports. School. With the upper
primary reading group such a hard batch to satisfy with good books,
it is great to see the republishing of Michael Panckridge's exciting
series, The Legends. This is most welcome, with the series
repackaged with an up to date cover and blurb, designed to appeal to
this difficult group of the reading public. Each of the eight novels
in The Legends series are very school based using day to day
encounters to develop the plots, involving sports which are part of
the school's competitions. Chasing the break involves a surfing competition at Sandhurst
Primary School. One boy, Travis Fisk, won the competition at last
year's annual beach camp and intends to win again, but he is
challenged by the new boy at school, Mitchell Grady. Told in short,
easy to read chapters, the characters are well developed and
identifiable, and the integrity underlining the story is easily in
reach of every reader. They will cheer the hero as he strives to win
despite the odds, overcoming the antagonism of the antihero of the
story. Against the spin has a similar plot line, with Travis nursing
his wounds and Mitchell shining on the cricket field as well. But
this involves more of Travis' undesirable bullying coming to the
fore, and Mitchell and his friends having to deal with his antics
both on and off the sporting field.
Exciting, fast paced and easy to read, each of these stories is
about one hundred pages long with scores and quizzes at the end for
further excitement. The whole set will rarely be left on the shelf.
Fran Knight
Animalia by Graeme Base
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780670079131
Thirty years ago in 1986 an armoured armadillo avoiding an angry
alligator appeared from the pen of one of Australia's most iconic
illustrators. It was followed by beautiful blue butterflies basking
by a babbling brook and a host of other creatures including eight
enormous elephants expertly eating Easter eggs; horrible hairy hogs
hurrying homeward on heavily harnessed horses; meticulous mice
monitoring mysterious mathematical messages; and even zany sabras
zigzagging in zinc zeppelins.
For this was the magical, mystical, marvellous Animalia - an
alliterative alphabet book and which, after selling more than three
million copies worldwide and spawning a television
series, is now celebrating its 30th birthday and a whole new
audience is set to wonder at its creativity, its detail, its colour
and try to spot the tiny Graeme on each page. It is indeed a feast
of vivid visual literacy. And underneath the familiar dust cover
which so cleverly hints at what is inside is a glamorous golden
cover AND a fabulous poster of the lazy lions lounging in the local
library. (Great role models for reading!!!)
Since Animalia's original publication we have come to
associate Graeme Base with intriguing stories woven around the most
scintillating illustrations and if this is your first introduction
to his work, you will be on the lookout for his other works.
Congratulations Graeme - thank you for bringing us these superb
creatures and creating such riches for our young readers.
Barbara Braxton
His Bloody Project. Documents relating to the case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Text, 2016. ISBN 9781925498257
(Age: Capable senior students) Recommended. Shortlisted for the Man
Booker prize 2016. His Bloody Project is clearly subtitled
as a novel, which is a useful guide as the book has the authenticity
of a historical investigation. It has also been described as a
'crime story', that is, a story about a crime and not a 'crime
novel'. The text is comprised of a number of sets of documents,
including reports from the crime scene, the accused's thoughts
written in prison, an account from a psychiatrist engaged to assess
the accused and press reports written during and after the trial.
The accused is Roderick Macrae, the son of a poor crofter living in
a remote village in the Scottish Highlands in 1869. The reader
learns that Roderick, aged 16, has admitted to brutally murdering
the constable of the village. The crime scene documents detail
events seen by a number of villagers who are all shocked and some of
whom are sympathetic to Roderick. They agree that he was seen
walking to the constable's house with several agricultural
implements and returning covered in blood. However, attitudes to the
boy differ. The school teacher attests that Roderick was a clever
student, a neighbour that he was treated too severely by his father,
but the minister that he was wicked and retarded. Roderick's
statement is written in gaol at the behest of his lawyer. The reader
is given a clear picture of the hardship and deprivation that was
part of Roderick's life, though Roderick does not acknowledge that
his own circumstances are any more difficult than anyone else's.
Roderick's father is a dour, punitive man who seems to accept and
administer hardship with a religious zeal. He is a poor farmer and
father, and sends Roderick to work for the laird despite the teacher
recommending further education. Roderick is dismissed as unsuitable
and so is unable to help with the family's finances. Motivation for
the murder is provided when the constable harasses the family and
finally deprives them of their land. Roderick's lawyer is moved by
the statement and hoping for a verdict of insanity engages a
psychiatrist. The psychiatrist's report illustrates the nature of
psychiatry at that time more than the character of Roderick. Doctor
Thompson is supposedly an expert in the criminal mind. He has no
interest in Roderick himself and little in justice but rather is
concerned with proving his own theories about the criminal
physiognomy and the criminal class. He is unimpressed by Roddy's
writing though to the reader it seems thoughtful and humble. Doctor
Thompson travels to Roddy's village and reinforces his theories by
categorizing the villagers as stereotypes of the lowest class.
Finally, the newspaper accounts relay the trial and its unsurprising
conclusion.
The book is convincing and is a disturbing look at poverty and
victimisation. It also, with its use of multiple voices and
viewpoints, powerfully illustrates the impossibility of truly
understanding the minds of others. It is recommended for capable
senior readers.
Jenny Hamilton
Three sisters, three queens by Philippa Gregory
Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781471133022
(Age: secondary) Recommended. English history, Tudors, Henry VIII,
Status of women, Scottish history. When Katherine of Aragon comes to
the Tudor court to marry Arthur, his younger sister, Margaret looks
on with petulant disdain. This woman will be her sister in law, but
Margaret is in no mood to be charitable. She will have to take
second place to this foreigner who cannot speak English, and
Margaret above all else, wants to be first.
However, she must be on her best behaviour at their wedding, as an
ambassador is there to confirm her as the wife to be of James IV of
Scotland. She is thrilled to be betrothed at twelve hardly able to
wait until she marries at fourteen to be a queen.
Her younger sister, Mary is initially betrothed to the Spanish
emperor, so the three sisters are to become queens and are all
related through Henry. Katherine of Aragon becomes Queen of England
when she marries Arthur's brother, the future Henry the Eighth,
Margaret is Queen of Scotland and Mary, Queen of France, and their
fictionalised lives make fascinating reading. Gregory's research is
obvious in the huge amount of detail providing a solid background to
these women's imagined lives. Details like James' metal belt worn
next to his skin to remind him of his killing his father or
Katherine's pregnancies and hair shirt, the progress made by the
kings surveying their lands, the clothing and jewelry and
extravagance of Henry's court are intoxicating. And the details of
court behaviour, the differences between the three courts, the
intrigues behind the decisions to declare war and the hapless lives
of these women dependent upon the men in their lives, are absorbing
to read. Margaret's petulance does not subside, she is ever
comparing herself with the other queens, sometimes their solicitous
friend, other times disgruntled and critical.
Her life going between Linlithgow, Holyrood, Edinburgh and Stirling
Castles, carrying six children and losing all but one, is
magnificently retold, ensuring the reader knows all there is to know
about Margaret of Scotland and her part in the Stuart succession to
the throne of England two generations hence.
She is self absorbed, but her life, always bound but her brother's
ambition and political game playing, or that of her husbands and any
people currying her favour, made her a more sympathetic creature,
tossed around in a world where a woman's voice was seldom given
credence.
A wonderful historical novel for those who love reading of Tudor
times, and are particularly interested in the role of women in this
society.
Fran Knight
Ida, always by Caron Levis
Ill. by Charles Santosa. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781742761909
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Polar bears, Zoos, Cities, Death and
grieving, New York, Friendship. Based on the true story of two polar
bears at New York's Central Park Zoo, this emotional story will have
all readers sniffling by the end of the tale. Ida and Gus have lived
a long while at the zoo, where they are seen by the many visitors,
and are looked after by the keeper, Sonya.
The two bears wait for each other in the morning, ready to feed
together, swim together, play with the ball, sit on their island and
watch the city around them. They listen to its sounds, and watch the
skyscrapers reach into the cloudy sky. They are inseparable, and
always there to be with each other. But one day Ida does not appear,
and Gus must do all the things they did together, by himself. Sonya
comes to tell him that Ida is unwell, and so the keeper and Gus look
after her, making sure she is comfortable and in no pain. They
remember the things they did together, reminding each other that
they will always be there, always. She eventually dies and Gus
misses her, all alone doing the things they did together. But when
he listen to the sounds of the city, he knows she is with him,
always.
This wonderful story of death and grieving will have resonance for
many children who have had a death in the family. They will
recognise the process of death, some times knowing that it is
imminent, and see the way people deal with the process of dying.
They will see too that although that person has died, things live on
to remind them of that person, there will be memories that keep that
person alive.
The soft illustrations will entrance the younger readers who will
look at the bears and their lives in the zoo with fresh eyes. They
will see the images in the clouds, and the skyline of New York, the
depiction of what these huge animals get up to in a zoo, and perhaps
ponder how different their lives would be in the wild. This will be
a lovely read aloud, but have the tissues handy.
Fran Knight
Space: Seek and find activity book ill. by Emiliano Magliardo
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408870037
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Themes: Space; Seek and Find. This is a
simple 'Seek and Find' concept book with a Space theme. Each double
page contains a simple factual paragraph and then humourous
cartoon-style illustrations which are crowded with fun and sometimes
ridiculous detail for a young reader to search and investigate. A
single text question on the featured page gives instructions for
something to find, but also each double page includes 10 smaller
pictures to locate from within the larger complex illustration.
Recommended - as a book to share with pre-readers or for early
independent readers. It will fill those moments when adults need a
bit of focused quiet time!
Carolyn Hull
An artist's alphabet by Norman Messenger
Walker Studio, 2016. ISBN 9781406346763
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Aptly named An artist's alphabet,
the stunning illustrations make this a stand-out picture book.
Ranging from drawings of fabulous animals, beautiful flowers and
stylish buildings the reader is taken through the upper and lower
case letters of the alphabet each on a double page spread. Starting
with Aa, there is a wonderful acrobat standing on top of a horse and
another curled up to make the small letter a. The illustrations for
the letter Bb are a little more difficult to work out, but beetles
and a butterfly can be seen. From this beginning the reader would
expect to see a traditional alphabet book, with the pictures
matching the letters - but this is not always so. When the page is
turned to the letter Cc, beautiful waves are drawn, but the reader
is left wondering how the waves represent a Cc. This trend continues
throughout the book - a very round grey cat is on the Dd page, but
the Gg page has subtly patterned goldfish. Hh is easy to identify
with its wondrous multi-storied houses with archways and bridges,
but the trees and tree trunk for Rr is much more difficult to work
out.
The strange and fantastic drawings will also pull the individual
into the wonderful world of the imagination, providing so many
stimulating pictures that the reader will want to look at again and
again, not just to try and work out the associations with the
letters, but for their beauty and delicacy of colour. It is a book
that begs to be shared with other people, leading to discussions of
what the illustralions could refer to and coming up with different
solutions.
This is a book that I can see becoming a classic, one that people
who appreciate the surreal and beautiful will want to keep on their
book shelves.
Pat Pledger
