Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, retold by Terry Deary
Terry Deary's Shakespeare's tales series. Bloomsbury, 2016.
ISBN 9781472917867
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Romeo and Juliet. Another in this series
taking Shakespeare's stories to a wider audience, offers Romeo and
Juliet as seen by the boy who plays Juliet as well as general
dogsbody behind the scenes. Through Sam's eyes we see the company
put on this wellknown play, donning his costume, helping others
with theirs, fetching actors to appear on stage, and watching the
audience. Through his eyes, Deary is able to breathe a different
perspective into the play, offering readers a look by someone their
own age, marvelling at the writing, acting and general demeanor of
the stage craft. The play itself is outlined from beginning to end
so that the reader gains a good coverage of what happens and why.
Stage directions, chats with the actors, illustrations of the Globe
theatre and London at the time all add to the background presented
in this series, making Shakespeare accessible to a younger audience.
And with the plague at London's door and in people's minds, the hint
of someone coughing is enough to divert the audience's attention,
but not for long.
Fran Knight
Up, up and away by Tom McLaughlin
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN: 9781408870150.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Experimentation. Science. Space. This picture book will initiate lots of discussions about what makes up a planet, how they are made, what we can see in the night sky and so on, as Orson makes his own planet, but then has to make a tough decision. Orson loves to make things and one day decides to make something quite out of the ordinary: a planet. He collects together some rocks with some water and metal, and gathers as much empty space as he can. His next quest is for a big bang so he gathers some balloons and finds it makes the planet with ease. So there it is right in his bedroom, but it looks unhappy, so Orson tries to do things with his planet to make it happy. He reads all he can about it and so begins work cleaning it, feeding it, dusting it and tidying the oceans. But then it is so happy it begins to grow, and attracts a whole lot of things to its surface. Orson notices that the planet has become sad again, so decides that the best thing to do is to let it go. Sometimes this is a hard decision to make, but readers will empathise with Orson and his decision, comparing it with some they have had to make themselves. Another theme touched on in the story is that of the environment and how it can be protected. Orson's regime of cleaning his planet will touch a nerve with some children, understanding that we have not been good custodians of our planet and there is a need for more effort to ensure its preservation. Fran Knight
Snow White: a graphic novel by Matt Phelan
Walker Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780763672331 (Age: Secondary)
Traditional fairytales continue as such a rich source for
adaptations, retellings and reworkings that one is often amazed that
anyone can come up with a new approach.
Acclaimed graphic novel creator Matt Phelan has proven that it is
very possible to revitalise such stories with this interpretation of
Snow White.
With a dark and brooding style reminiscent of film noir, Phelan has
taken 1930s Manhattan as his setting for this evocative rendering of
the favourite tale.
A wealthy man loses his wife but holds onto his fortune despite the
relentless and ominous rat-a-tat-tat of the stock ticker. While the
rest of New York reels under the collapse of Wall Street the man
remarries a glamorous and wellknown Ziegfield Follies star who
swiftly ensures the pretty little daughter, Samantha, known as Snow,
is removed to a boarding school. Before too long, the wicked new
wife decides she cannot be certain that her husband's good fortune
will continue so she cold-bloodedly removes him from the scene via a
poisoned cocktail. Her wrath when she discovers that the canny man
has altered his will in favour of his beloved daughter is ugly and
malicious. However, if anything should happen to Snow, then she
would inherit it all and she is completely prepared to make that a
reality.
She engages a thug to do the dirty work but he cannot bring himself
to do away with the sweet girl and tells her to run. But the seedy
alleys of New York are no safe place for a young woman on her own
and she is pursued by two street hoods. In the nick of time she is
rescued by some small men - in fact, they are just boys who take her
to their hideout.
And so the story goes on - with a wonderfully satisfactory happy
ending.
The amazing illustrations done throughout in grey tones (until the
last few pages) have been done in ink, pencil and watercolour with
some digital adjustments and would be a rich resource to inspire
young artists. It is these illustrations which tell the story with
very little text and make for a sombre and gripping retell of this
classic.
A beautiful addition to your collection for secondary students
particularly those interested in creative writing and illustrating.
You can access teaching
notes and watch a terrific trailer.
Sue Warren
The ballad of Henry Hoplingsea by Julia Hubery
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Little Hare, 2016. ISBN 9781760121259
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour. Aspirations. Medieval times.
Love and friendship. When farmer Henry proposes marriage to his
girlfriend, Carmelita, she declines his offer with tears in her
eyes. She has never imagined herself as a farmer's wife, but longs
to be a princess, waited on hand and foot, with long flowing tresses
and a brave heroic knight who will fight dragons for her.
Undeterred, Henry goes off in the dead of night to join a Knight
School, where he will learn all the attributes Carmelita craves.
Told in verse, each pair of lines begs the reader to predict the
rhyming word, encouraging them to be more involved in the story of
Henry trying to win Carmelita's hand. Predicting the rhyming word
will cause lots of fun as will the story itself, along with
recognising the allusions to fairy tales which children will elicit
in the illustrations as well as the text.
The wonderfully energetic illustrations will have readers looking
for the scatter of things on each page, laughing at the view of
Henry on his majestic steed, his cow, with his rooster tagging along
as his squire.
The humour behind the farmer on his quest begs the readers to look
further at books presenting a view of Medieval life and perhaps
discuss the role of men and women in our society, and Carmelita's
aspirations could be considered when looking at the reality behind
what she wishes for. The old adage, 'be careful what you wish for'
may be a handy dictum for discussion.
Fran Knight
Friday Barnes: The plot thickens by R.A. Spratt
Penguin Random House, 2016. Friday Barnes series, bk. 5 ISBN 9780857989932
(Ages: 8+) Recommended. The fifth Friday Barnes book, finds Friday
embroiled in a prank battle with her former friend Ian Wainscott who
is none too pleased to find out that Friday's deductions are correct
yet again. The PE teacher is also out to get Friday as he ramps up
his fitness crusade. Then there is also the mystery of the defaced
artwork appearing around the school, attempted kidnappings and the
list goes on, with the consummate schoolgirl detective solving many
smaller mysteries throughout the book to keep readers enthralled.
The smaller puzzling occurrences lead Friday to solve the major
mystery of what the newly appointed, world-renowned artist come
teacher is up to at Highcrest Academy. Friday Barnes: The plot thickens is a great way to break into
the detective story genre for younger readers. The multitude of mini
mysteries makes this a high interest book while a more complex
over-arching mystery adds more depth. The narrative style is clear
and accessible and the school setting will engage primary student
readers easily.
This book is recommended for young mystery lovers.
Annette Mesecke
Damage by Felix Francis
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780718178833
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Mystery. Horse racing. Felix Francis follows
in his father's footsteps with an engrossing mystery set in the
horse racing industry and fans of the original Dick Francis novels
will be sure to enjoy this one as well. Jeff Hinkley is an
undercover investigator for the British Horse-racing Authority and
when asked to look into the activities of a trainer, finds himself
embroiled in a murder, illegal drug use and blackmail demands.
The action speeds along with Jeff using all his skills to find the
perpetrator. In the meantime he is facing the thought of his sister
fighting cancer and wondering where his long term romance is going.
He is also investigating the drug charge against the son of his
sister's husband and manages to solve this as a small subplot that
demonstrates his expertise as an investigator. Damage has the same feel that brought the Dick Francis books
such a popular following. An intimate knowledge of horses and the
racing industry, an interesting investigator who is intelligent and
a dire blackmailer who could bring the horse-racing industry to its
knees ensures that once again Felix Francis has produced a very
readable and satisfying mystery.
Pat Pledger
Mango and Bambang: Tiny tapir trouble by Polly Faber
Ill. by Clara Vulliamy. Mango and Bambang series, bk. 3.
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406361483
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. The third in the series about Mango
and Bambang will be an instant hit with fans and new readers alike.
The pair have a wonderful adventure at the seaside, and when Bambang
gets sick they discover just the sort of medicine a tapir needs to
recover. Then a parcel arrives for them and inside is a tiny tapir,
Guntur, who is rather naughty and causes trouble for Bambang.
Finally in the last section Bambang helps ensure that Mango wins the
chess competition.
The book is divided into four sections, with a contents page giving
the title of each of the little stories. The narratives are very
interesting with vocabulary that will entice children to learn new
words. There is the familiar beach scene where Bambang proves that
he is a hero and not a monster. When Bambang get sick the reader
learns along with Mango what a tapir eats and the habitat that it
likes. There is much humour as Guntur wreaks havoc at home before
become a handbag tapir for a celebrity and finally Bambang proves
how intelligent and observant he is when he discovers what is
happening at the chess tournament.
These fabulous episodes are illustrated with lots of attractive
black and teal pictures that will help emerging readers with the
story.
Themes of fitting in, being brave, worry about friendship and making
sure that friends are being cared for, are all things that young
readers will relate to and which make the book such a wonderful
read.
A book trailer from the
authors gives details about tapirs and the main characters.
Pat Pledger
The book that made me ed. by Judith Ridge
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781922244888
(Age: Mature upper primary - Secondary, Adult) Most avid readers
will understand how special it is to share a book with someone. This
may be through encouraging others to read a title, or from
discussion in study, book clubs or impromptu conversation.
This publication compiles submissions by authors who explain how
they were moved, comforted, inspired and influenced by books and it
differs from others in that the authors don't have pretensions and
make no effort to impress with a taste for high brow literature.
Originally I thought it might be a clever way to engage reluctant
readers, however I soon realised that this is a book for people who
love reading, those who want to cheer when someone else voices
exactly what they felt about scenes from their favourite childhood
tale or who want to feel cross that someone just didn't 'get' the
book which meant the most to them in their teens.
It meant a lot to me that different authors voiced similar thoughts
about titles. For example, Fiona Wood first encountered notions of
feminism from the strong, decent and very human main character in Anne
of Green Gables. Rachel Craw also recalls Anne as a powerful
female character yet notes that Trixie Belden was her first.
Benjamin Law fondly remembers the works of Roald Dahl, as does
Bernard Beckett who also experienced the joy of sharing this author
with his own boys via an audio book on a long car journey.
In many of the entries is a sense of yearning for happy, simple
moments from childhood, framed within the familiar setting of
favourite books. For some, it is clear that books helped the
endurance of difficult times, such as family disintegration and
isolation in remote locations.
I was transported by the authors who recalled the excitement of the
weekly visit to a public library, to select three books which would
be devoured, some several times, before the next visit. It was also
interesting to read the opinions of individuals from an array of
cultural backgrounds, to appreciate the value of different forms,
such as spoken narrative, comics and graphic novels. Clearly some
stories had almost universal appeal whilst others may have reflected
blinkered attitudes from their time.
Some secondary and a few advanced primary students will enjoy
reading the views and experiences of these authors, however many
contributors will be unfamiliar. Similarly, with some exceptions, a
lot of the titles discussed are so dated that they are unlikely to
be known. However, I'd be delighted if this book prompts readers to
search out these treasured favourites which they might otherwise not
have come across.
Rob Welsh
Bad bones by Graham Marks
Red eye series. Stripes Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781847154545
(Age: 14+) Horror. Warning on back cover: Not for younger readers.
Gabe is under pressure - his father has lost his job and money is in
short supply. On a ride in the hills around LA, he comes across a
grave and finds not only a skeleton but a gold bracelet. He thinks
that will end his money troubles but it is only the beginning of his
misfortune. He has awakened more than he bargained for. With his new
friend Stella, he investigates the background of the gold artefacts
while he is stalked by Raphael, a sinister figure from the past, who
is accompanied by coyote and owl companions.
Those who have read quite a few books in this genre like me will
find that the rather strange mixture of wicked priest taking hearts
from his victims in an Aztec like ritual, gold artefacts that have a
hypnotic effect, and good versus evil, has a familiar feel. However
this may not affect readers new to the genre as the action is fast
paced and the plot quite chilling. There are some scary moments as
Raphael goes on a killing spree, leaving Gabe to stumble along
hoping that people survive this monster.
Reluctant readers may enjoy this as it is easy to read with lots of
action and tension.
Pat Pledger
The misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker hero by Rachel Renee Russell
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471144615
(Age: 11+)Recommended. The writer of the very popular Dork
Diaries has done it again - and this time male readers will be
able to engage with her books (perhaps competing with the girls to
get their hands on the books)!
In the same style as Dork Diaries with comic-like
illustrations and journal entries, Russell has introduced us to Max
Crumbly, a less than inspiring Middle-School student who gets caught
in rather bizarre and hilarious circumstances. Poor Max has escaped
home-schooling by his grandmother only to discover that he is now
the year 8 victim of the school bully. Being rescued from the
claustrophobic locker by the lovely Erin does not actually mean that
his life has gone to great heights. He just seems to keep getting
into one twisted problem after another. Misadventures just keep
following every step of his new Middle School life. And this is
obviously only the first in the series as we are left in a graphic
comic-style cliffhanger at the end of the book.
For those who have loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other
similar humorous tales there is now another series to recommend.
Readers who are happy to be amused rather than challenged will enjoy
this book.
Carolyn Hull
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290023
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Wendy Orr has woven her passion for the
mysteries of the Bronze Age centred around the Mediterranean islands
into a wonderful mythical fantasy that links known history and its
mythical beliefs and archaeological stories into a lyrical and
heart-wrenching narrative.
In this old and mythical world, gods have power that invoke worship,
sacrifice and honour; power that can sing and manipulate wild
animals, and upset the natural world and power that drives
communities to order their lives in fear and reverence in order to
fend off disaster. The central character Aissa is born with features
that defy the god-like need for perfection of her High Priestess
mother. She is cruelly damaged, disowned and discarded, and yet
survives. Her fate seems to defy the goddess that 'rules' the island
of her birth and yet she is hidden and loved, until another disaster
leaves her as the mute, cruelly targeted unlucky slave-girl called
'No-Name' that no-one values. The constant emotional attacks and the
ignoble role she plays in society are so cruel that it is easy to
believe that she has wronged the gods in some way. An unexpected
role to pay tribute to the Bull King from a neighbouring island
looms as a possible way for her to rise above her lowly and unlucky
position . . . or face death as a permanent escape from her misery.
The pain and suffering she experiences and the small glimpses of
hope that she clings to with incredible humility (despite the rise
of hidden goddess-inspired powers) are mixed with an immensely
strong resilience and spirit. The effect is awe-inspiring!
Orr has written this with deft mastery, mingling prose poetry style
sections with more standard narrative in a beautiful tapestry. It is
powerful and compelling reading, even though the mythology and magic
of these times is likely to be unknown to many young readers.
Fantasy lovers will engage with the unusual world, and those who
have a heart for the down-trodden and bullied in contemporary
culture will see the enormous strength of character of Aissa despite
her circumstances. This is definitely not like Orr's Nim's
Island stories or her teen drama Peeling the Onion,
but it is certainly to be recommended for those who might enjoy a
different kind of lyrical fantasy adventure.
Carolyn Hull
Mister Cleghorn's seal by Judith Kerr
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780008157302
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Seals, pets, Zoos. This charming tale
based in part on a story the author's father told her as a child,
asks readers to think about their place within the environment, how
things humans do impact on animals around them and how one person
can make a difference.
Mr Cheghorn has sold his shop and now lives alone, wondering what
the day will bring. A letter from his cousin who lives at a seaside
town invites him to join his family for a holiday. Mr Cleghorn can
now accept and packs his bag to venture on the train to the town.
Here he is greeted heartily by his younger cousins, and one boy,
Tommy becomes a special friend. They row out each day to watch a
baby seal left on a rock while its mother fishes, returning to feed
her offspring in the evening. But one day she does not return,
probably shot by fishermen down the coast, and Mr Cleghorn's cousin
decides it must be killed rather than dying a slow hungry death. But
Mr Cleghorn decides to take the animal home, and an adventure begins
as he must find ways to keep it fed, along with how to keep it in
his small flat. The decisions he makes in keeping this animal crowd
in as he succeeds in eventually finding a home for the seal, but not
before he angers the janitor at the flat, has fish land on some
people beneath his balcony, find a loving relationship with the
woman downstairs and takes over a zoo. This lovely story will have
wide appeal, especially to animal loving children in middle primary
school.
Lovely pencil illustrations accompany this story adding a nostalgic
ambience.
Fran Knight
Nothing! by Yasmeen Ismail
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408873366
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Imagination. When Lila is asked a question
about what she is doing, she replies 'Nothing!' twirling a piece of
paper, or eating a crumbly biscuit, but the illustrations belie what
she has said. Turning the page we see the wildest of images, as she
turns the thing she is playing with into the most imaginative of
quests, facing a fearsome beastie, tumbling over an elephant's back
in a circus or climbing the Eiffel Tower with a young girl in her
arms. Each image is extreme in its depiction as she conquers one
thing after another, finally meeting her grandfather and telling him
about the wonderful adventures she has been having and inviting him
along. And just like all good grandpas, he follows her into one of
her adventures.
A delightful story of imagination and adventure, Lila does things
that are out of the ordinary, turning small things into brave
adventures, risking life and limb to take more risks, taking a road
into uncertainty. With bright, swirling illustrations to attract the
reader, Lila's story is a wonderful homage to imagination and taking
a risk, even if only in thought. Turning the ordinary into something
fabulous, the little mundane things into tall towers and circus
animals, all are designed to capture a reader's imagination. The water
colour swirls are wonderful, capturing Lila's excitement as she lets
her imagination soar.
Fran Knight
Get coding by David Whitney (Young Rewired State)
Walker Books,2016. ISBN 9781406366846
(Ages: 9+) Non Fiction. Get coding is an engaging
introduction to creating your own webpages, apps and games online.
It covers a basic introduction to HTML, CSS and JavaScript, some of
the main web based programming languages. It takes the reader
through six missions and tasks created around the disappearance of
the famous Monk Diamond, a fictional scenario developed for the
purpose of coding experiences. The book was produced by Young
Rewired State which is a worldwide group of eighteen and under
digital makers. Get coding utilises Duncan Beedie's cartoon-like characters, speech
bubbles, 'Did you notice?' boxes and colour coding of chapters, to
draw the reader into the concepts covered. Each mission is clearly
stated and supported with step by step instructions before launching
into do it yourself tasks. Readers are directed to weblinks such as
the Get coding kids website
for further help and are encouraged at the end of the book to
continue to develop their skills through other websites.
First steps into any programming language can be daunting, but
provided younger coders are supported with adult help when needed,
they can work through this book to successfully create their first
web content.
Annette Mesecke
The unexpected everything by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471146145
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Romance. Family relations. Friendship. A
perfect holiday read filled with likeable characters and funny
moments, Matson has written an enjoyable romance that is sure to
engage its readers. Andie has her future all planned out - a top
medical school, no serious relationships and avoiding her
Congressman father. All that falls through when a political crisis
sees her father at home and her summer internship cancelled.
Desperate, she takes on a dog walking job, gets to know the nerdy
Clark and hangs out with her friends, Palmer, Bri, Toby and Tom.
Matson's flowing narrative and snappy dialogue made this an
addictive read. Andie's plight of finding her summer plans in chaos
because of the scandal surrounding her father provide the impetus
for her to find another job - dog walking - and this is not what she
had wanted at all. However when she starts to walk Clark's dog
things begin to look up. Clark is the author of a best-selling
fantasy series, living alone in his publisher's house and fighting
writer's block. Home-schooled, he is fascinated by Andie and the
dynamics of her friendship group and the fun that they have
together, swimming in his pool and going on a scavenger hunt.
Andie also has to come to grips with her father, at home for a
lengthy period for the first time since the death of her mother from
cancer. Andie has been used to living her own life, with an odd
assorted of relatives to look after her and no set curfew so it is a
shock to have her father looking out for her. The growth of their
relationship is a feel good aspect of the book.
Filled with lots of funny moments, a heart wrenching look at
friendship between girls, and a moving romance The unexpected
everything is sure to be a winner.
Pat Pledger
