Doubleday, 2015. ISBN 9780552573542
(Ages: 10+) Recommended. The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
follows protagonist Pierrot, a young boy who is sent to live with
his aunt Beatrix in Germany during World War II. Hailing from Paris
and being only seven years old, Pierrot knows little to nothing
about the Nazis, but this all changes once he discovers that his
aunt is a servant for Adolf Hitler, and his new home is the Berghof.
Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's guidance, and Pierrot must
decide not only whether he agrees with Hitler's motives, but whether
he is strong enough to reject them.
When Pierrot arrives at the Berghof, he is stripped of everything he
has ever known. He is told not to think of his old life, of his best
friend that he left behind . . . he is even stripped of his name.
All that remains with him is a single storybook and his memories.
Boyne has weaved together a powerful, heartbreaking and disturbing
tale. Reading about Pierrot as he is growing up under Hitler's
watchful eye, reading about his confusion as he struggles to make
friends because of where he resides, and reading about his eventual
choosing of which side he is truly on is hard to read due to both
his naivety and his age (Pierrot ages from 7-16 during the course of
the novel).
The only faults of the novel were that it was hard to connect with
Pierrot as he sometimes seemed distant from the reader. Often, his
voice at seven sounded more like he was of age thirteen, and this
made it hard to believe the story at some points.
Boyne took many risks with this novel, and they certainly paid off.
Pierrot is not a particularly likeable character, but the reader is
compelled to continue the book nonetheless. The Boy at the Top
of the Mountain is no doubt a spectacular read for children
aged 10 and above who are beginning to learn about world history.
Breanne Foster (Student)
I'll never let you go by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Ill. by Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408839010
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Bedtime, Love, Family. Reassurance comes with
every page as the mother tells her offspring that she will always be
there. In simple rhyming sentences, the message is clear: that no
matter what happens the mother will be around. Turning the pages the
young child will see a variety of animals in different settings with
their babies. In one the pair of bears are on a swing, in another
over the page, picking brambles. These are followed by a pair of
dogs in a house where the pup has drawn on the walls with crayon,
but the mother dog does not scold, simply tells the pup that he
knows what to do. Over the page a mother crocodile watches as her
baby has a small tantrum, but he is reassured that she will wait for
him to finish. An excited kangaroo leaps around with Mum there by
his side, while a mother koala brushes away her baby's tears. At the
end each of the mothers and babies are shown together on one double
page with the line of the title, 'I'll never let you go'. This is a
wholly comforting story, one that will reassure younger readers that
someone is there to watch over them no matter what they do.
The simple rhyming sentences will be easily repeated by the reader,
and the illustrations of the animals and their environment will be
recognised by many.
Fran Knight
Game on! 2016
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9780545850315
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Game On! 2016 is a book by
gamers for gamers. This means it should be enjoyed by all gamers and
is highly recommended for game fans aged 8+. Readers can find out
the facts behind the most popular games, the top hoaxes and the
coolest secrets. Read about MarioKart and how many were sold or how
Al in Minecraft glitches sometimes (and why). Gamers can also read
about the top 10 game bosses and the hardest achievements and
trophies to win.
The book is bright and colourful, relying on the well-known game
images and small segments of texts to engage its readers. Game
On! can be read a few pages (or a topic) at a time and would
be a great book for children to keep in their tray at school or to
read in the car. Readers will need to be independent to read the
text but they can also look at the images for enjoyment.
Kylie Kempster
Quentin Blake's A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ill. by Quentin Blake. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9781843653035 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the most
enduring Christmas stories of all time. It has been described as
"the book that defines the Christmas spirit" as Ebenezer Scrooge, a
mean-spirited miser, is visited by three ghosts one Christmas Eve.
They show Scrooge the true value of Christmas: charity, good humour
and love for his fellow man and turn his attitude around.
Since its publication in 1843, it has been available in many
different editions and formats that it would seem superfluous for
there to be yet another one. But - while this one is an unabridged
version it has been illustrated by Quentin Blake and that is the
special drawcard. When Miss 9 was here recently, she saw it in the
pile and immediately recognised his unique style through her
familiarity with the Roald Dahl stories she loves and sat down to
read it, even though Christmas was well past.
Suddenly the story that I've had in a leather-bound, tissue-paper
tome given to my grandmother over 100 years ago became accessible to
this current generation of the family. When there were questions to
be asked because at that stage she was unfamiliar with the England
it was set in, we had fun exploring the answers and her reading
repertoire expanded to historical fiction! Now, as her school
studies open up the world of the England that spawned the First
Fleet and Australia's early European settlers, she has a basic
understanding that is making it all make so much more sense to her.
Last Christmas I was in a school library and I instituted the
Christmas Countdown which involved a guest reader sharing a new
Christmas-based book each day, an activity which proved to be a very
popular lunchtime focus. But this version of this classic, read as a
chapter or two a day, would prove a worthy alternative. Or you could
suggest it to a teacher to share with their class on a similar
basis.
Christmas is abound with stories to share but there is a reason that
A Christmas Carol has stood the test of time. Well-written
and now perfectly illustrated in a style that is familiar to many,
there is a whole new generation able to appreciate it.
Barbara Braxton
The expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee
Little, Brown, 2016. ISBN 9781408706862
(Age: Adult - Mature YA readers) Recommended. Dislocation.
Relationships. Hong Kong. Identity. Maternal role. Family. Like the
central characters in this book, the reader becomes a traveller into
another land as the author deftly deposits us in the experience of
the contemporary expatriate living in Hong Kong as we eavesdrop on
the internal dialogue and emotional state of three women. The main
characters have left America and are in Hong Kong - for a time. This
dislocation and temporary residence state impacts their
relationships and their identity. For the married expat women this
means an almost 1950s blissful experience of domestic and social
life, with the added bonus of hired help, while their husbands climb
the ladder of success. Margaret though suffers from a heart-breaking
loss and grief response that impacts both her family and Mercy, a
young Korean-American woman who has her own personal identity
issues. Another of the women, Hilary, is saddened by the loss of
identity and family because of infertility. In the unique social
setting of the expatriate woman, this too brings amplified
heartache.
The poignant journey of relationships that are put under pressure by
isolation and also enriched by the expatriate experience is the
basis of this intriguing and captivating narrative. It also
highlights the bizarrely unique nature of cross-cultural experience
from the perspective of the wealthy expats. The author manages to
communicate the sense of loneliness and the false connectedness that
occurs as people are enmeshed, for no other reason than that their
journeys began from a similar first-world experience.
This book can be recommended for its ability to move the reader, and
the gentle and yet profound way it deals with the emotional
struggles of the main characters. Lee stirs empathy as we watch
these women and get inside their skin to view a different world,
forever changed by their expat experience. This is essentially an
adult story, but mature Young Adult readers could also connect to
the postgraduate world of work far from home. For anyone who has
ever felt like they didn't belong, or has had to reimagine
themselves in a new context, this story will resonate powerfully.
Carolyn Hull
A beginner's guide to bear spotting by Michelle Robinson and David Roberts
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408845554
Picture book. If, like the child in the story, you are planning on
going on a bear-spotting adventure, then this is definitely the
must-have guide to have with you. You mustn't venture into bear
country without knowing the difference between the black bear (ursus
americanus) and the brown bear (ursus horribilis); your backpack
full of anti-bear gear such as pepper spray and bubble gum; and your
trusty teddy for company. And as you are repeatedly told throughout
the story, you need to pay attention, focus, take note and heed the
advice. For only with it will you be safe.
Even though the chances of coming across either one or the other is
pretty unlikely, nevertheless it can happen and the strategies to be
applied vary depending on the species. Don't climb a tree if it's a
black bear because it can follow you, whereas a brown one can't.
Play dead if it's a brown one, although that might be an invitation
to dinner if you've confused them because black bears can be a
little bit brown and brown bears can be a little bit black.
This is a heart-warming adventure with beautiful illustrations with
exquisite line-work that bring all the characters to life and add
lots of humour so the reader can be brave and safe at the same time.
Little children love stories about bears, real or not, and this is
another one to add to the collection that will bring delight and
pleasure and reinforce the idea that stories and reading them are
fun. And the next time they go on a bear hunt they will be
well-prepared!
Barbara Braxton
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Rebel of the Sands bk 1. Faber and Faber, 2016. ISBN
9780571325252
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fantasy. Desert. Western. Amani lives in the
desolate town of Dustwalk and she loves the desert sands. She is
convinced that there is more to life than the stifling attitudes to
women and marriage that her family practises and decides to enter a
shooting contest, disguised as a young man. When the contest falls
into chaos, she has the chance to run with a foreigner, but life is
full of danger and the Sultan's soldiers are on the prowl.
Hamilton has used an intriguing combination of the Western genre,
with its sharp shooting and wild frontier and desert life, where
nomads struggle to bring camel laden supplies across the desert. Add
mythical half human and half magic people with amazing powers, a
rebel prince who is trying to bring peace and prosperity to his
people and some amazing adventures and the book is a winner.
Amani is a wonderful protagonist. Told in the first person she
brings a wry commentary and vivid descriptions of the landscape and
the main characters. Her wry sense of humour is very engaging and
her amazing skill as a sharpshooter grabs the reader as she
struggles to better her life, while engaging in thrilling adventures
- including a battle on a moving train and fights against a magical
creature. Jin, the foreigner, is also very appealing, and the slow
burning romance is sure to be popular. Rebel of the sands ends with a satisfying conclusion, but
there is plenty of scope left for more in the series, and I look
forward to reading them.
Pat Pledger
The Fairy Tale Matchmaker by E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781619638006
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Themes: Fairy Tales; Adventure;
Relationships. This is a delightful and simple Fairy tale for older
readers who like the addition of a little 'essence of romance' in a
magical story that has fairy tale characters that are beyond school
age and finding their way in the world. The story begins with Cory
recognising that she cannot continue in her work role as Tooth Fairy
any longer as it brings her no joy, and not much income! She thinks
that any job is better than a job she despises, despite being raised
and trained to fulfil the role. The family tension this creates is
nothing compared to the forces that are unleashed by the Tooth Fairy
Guild as they seek to return her to their fold. Cory has a wonderful
cohort of interesting friends, and as she seeks to explore new
career directions she meets an abundance of quirky and recognisable
characters from the world of fairy tale and nursery rhyme. She also
moonlights as a drummer in a band that is experiencing growing
success! The increasing attempts of the Tooth Fairy Guild to return
her to the role from which she has resigned unleash a flurry of
disastrous events. Amidst this drama, she also begins to take on the
role of Matchmaker for her friends and acquaintances, attempting to
fix their dating life while also discovering her own future and the
power of a kiss.
This can be recommended for readers who like more grown-up Fairy
Stories. Suited for readers aged 11 - 14. This is an exciting, but
gentle adventure that allows the reader to rediscover affection for
Fairy tale characters in an uncomplicated narrative. In some ways
this is not unlike Emily Rodda's Rondo series in the way it weaves
the back stories of traditional fairy tale and Nursery Rhyme
characters into an adventure. The cover image tends to suggest this
book is for a child, yet the inferred age of the characters is that
they are post-school age. The simplicity of the narrative though
will make it accessible for readers who are just beginning to
consider a future beyond childhood.
Carolyn Hull
Yogscast: The Diggy Diggy Book
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781407163994
(Ages: 9-12) For those unfamiliar with the gaming world, Yogscast
create and broadcast videogame walkthroughs via their YouTube
channel. They have a huge worldwide following. This book is not
about a certain videogame, nor does it give game tutorials. It is
about the Yogscast itself (profiles of each creator) and includes
funny content based on their popular videos. This book is not likely
to be understandable to anyone who is not a Yogscast fan (don't be
misled by the Minecraft references). It has a very specific target
audience but based on their large following, that target audience is
probably very large. While the Yogscast videos are not targeted
specifically at children, the book definitely is and so it is child
friendly in content and appeal. It contains lots of colourful
artwork with textual elements often on the minimal side. There are
also a few activities for children to complete. Young fans of
Yogscast will love this, but it is most definitely a fad book with a
time limit on its popularity.
Nicole Nelson
Witch Switch by Sibeal Pounder
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408852675
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Witch Switch is book 2 in the
Witch Wars Adventure series. It starts with a recap of the
previous stores so readers who are new to the series can catch up.
In book 2, readers will find the main characters, Tiga and
Fluffanora, holidaying until they hear about Peggy, the ruling
witch, leaving her position and leaving two gruesome witches in
charge instead. Surely Peggy would not abandon her witch friends.
Did she really go away with the fairies? Tiga and Fluffanora try to
sneak into the capital city but due to unforseen circumstances and
the appearance of gruesome witches, they are discovered. As the
witches find shelter, they discover other witches are also starting
to disappear. Why are these witches disappearing? Who would need
them? It is up to Tiga and Fluffanora to discover the truth. Witch Switch is a quirky novel about an amazing make believe
world of witches. It is highly recommended for girls aged 9+. They
will giggle at the spells and behaviours of Fluffanora and enjoy the
adventure as the truth is uncovered. The text is descriptive and
easy to read, encouraging readers who are new to novels. The
chapters are also short and quick moving and the black and white
cartoon-style illustrations only add to the quirkiness of the
characters in this witch world.
Kylie Kempster
A tangle of gold by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Colours of Madeleine bk 3. Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN
9781743533239
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Magic. Colour. Coming of
age. After a short stay of only two weeks in Cambridge, Elliot is
swept back into the Kingdom of Cello with his father. He is taken
prisoner by the Hostiles and Princess Ko and Samuel and Sergio have
been arrested and face execution. Cello is facing a crisis and
bitter colour storms are raging through the land.
Back in Cambridge, Madeleine is increasingly lonely. Her nose bleeds
often and her mother is not well. She has lost communication with
Elliot and fears that when the remaining Royals are sent back to
Cello she will lose him forever.
This is a stunning conclusion to a truly unique, clever and
memorable trilogy. There are many unexpected surprises and twists
and turns as Madeleine and Elliot try to work out the mysteries in
Cello and bring back equilibrium to their country. Ably assisted by
Keira, Princess Ko and the other fully realised protagonists, the
reader is swept along on a mighty adventure that is sprinkled with
references to Isaac Newton, the science of colour and the poetry of
Lord Byron. Some philosophical ideas and some heartbreak all made an
appearance to complete a wonderful story.
This is an outstanding series with a superb final book that weaves
all the tangles together in a creative, complex and utterly
satisfying way. I highly recommend all three books for both upper
primary and secondary readers and all who love fantasy.
Pat Pledger
Little lunch: triple the treats by Danny Katz
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Black Dog Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925126907
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Humour, School, Recess time. Three
stories in one volume is what awaits those kids hooked on the
television series, Little lunch, along with those already
familiar with the books released since 2001.
This volume includes The milk bar, The cake stall
and The grandparents day, all concerned with the six
students in Mrs Gonsha's class pictured on the cover. The hilarious
stories will bring gales of laughter as recognition sets in. Each is
simply based around everyday happenings of children at school:
forgetting to pack your lunch, having to invite your grandparents to
school or being concerned about homeless animals. Each story is easy
to read, about forty pages long and copiously illustrated by Mitch
Vane and designed to bring a smile and laugh to every reader.
Photographs of each of the students and teacher at various positions
around the school add to the fun of reading the tales. The milk bar
across the road from the school beckons when Atticus again, forgets
to pack his lunch. Of course the milk bar is out of bounds but he
and his friends develop ingenious methods of getting there
un-noticed, that is unless Deborah the dobber doesn't dob. Grandparents day is an annual day in the life of this school,
one that last year turned out to be a disaster. This year Battie has
a huge problem. His grandfather is not coming but Mrs Gonsha has
knitted the man a lime green scarf. He devises a series of plans all
of which come to nothing and he must confess. The cake stall shows Melanie baking cakes for a cake stall to
raise money and awareness of the plight of homeless puppies. Each
story is well illustrated and uses different fonts and print size to
emphasise main points, while the stories, although brief always have
a neat resolution which can teach the readers something about how
they interact with other people. All in all a very satisfying group
of stories, nicely presented which will have wide appeal.
Fran Knight
Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
Trans. by Annie Prime. The Red Abbey Chronicles bk 1.
Pushkin Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781782690917
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Finlandia Junior Award 2014. Fantasy. Women.
Nuns. Abbeys. After the Hunger Winter, Maresi came to the Red Abbey
to escape death from malnutrition. In the Red Abbey she is safe and
has ample food to eat and a treasure chamber of books to learn from.
Then Jai arrives on a ship. She has scars on her back and has been
cruelly treated by a father who considers his wives and daughters to
be worthless. Jai knows that his honour has been threatened by her
escape and believes that he will pursue her, harming everyone at the
Abbey. Maresi and the other women must call on the powers of the
Mother in all her forms to save Jai and the other women and
children.
This is a gripping story in many ways. The setting of the Red Abbey,
where men are forbidden and women grow strong in body and mind is
beautifully described as are the inhabitants of the island. Maresi
is a wonderfully caring young girl, who looks after the youngest
children, and takes the terror stricken Jai under her wing, helping
her to heal and gain confidence. Sister O looks on Maresi as her
protege and teaches her how to read the stories of the seven women
who originally came to the island. Mother, the nun in charge is wise
and tolerant and other characters are also fully developed so the
the reader gets a great sense of the community spirit that pervades
the Abbey.
Jai's ordeal and the way that women are treated in the society that
she flees has a familiar feel, reminiscent of some modern day
countries. There is a calm sense of underlying feminism, with women
and girls being empowered at the Red Abbey, but it is never
strident, and the themes of friendship, of sacrifice and of terror
and magic are the ones that captivate the reader as the tale of
whether Jai and Maresi can survive the wrath of Jai's father takes
over.
Maresi's story seems complete and comes to a satisfying conclusion,
so it will be interesting to see where the next in the series, Naodel,
takes the reader. Maresi is a book that will appeal to
lovers of fantasy, who want something a little more than a dystopian
quest. Its themes of coming of age, women's rights and community
living could make for a interesting book to discuss in a literature
circle.
Pat Pledger
Near, far by Silvia Borando
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406363180
(Ages: 3-7) Wordless, Perspective, Near and Far, Animals,
Imagination. This is an English translation of a 2013 Italian
publication and part of the Minibombo series (little book
buzzing with a big idea). The website www.minibombo.com has
information, activities and games related to the books that could be
used or adapted for the classroom. The big idea in this book is
perspective. We see bits of an animal from close up: two green
mounds. Children might start guessing now what it is they are
seeing, (grassy hills or the ears of a frog?), then we get another
view zoomed out a little more and we see many spiky ridges. Then it
zooms right out and we see that it is a crocodile and we were
looking at the spiky ridges of its back. Children will love trying
to guess which animal is being shown before they see it in its
entirety and it will encourage and stimulate imagination. It will
also be a challenge for many children to work out which zoomed in
part of the animal was being shown. One of the concepts of the
minibombo books is using simple shapes to create animals and the
books in the series use the same animals (a lot of the animals in
this title are the same as in Now You See Me, Now You Don't).
While the book may have limited scope and children might not want to
go back for repeated readings, it is a useful concept book for
teachers working on perspective and near/far. It could be used as a
starting point for perspective activities and artwork and to kick
start discussions about how different people can see different
things when looking at the same thing.
Nicole Nelson
Hacks for Minecrafters series by Megan Miller
Bloomsbury, 2015 Hacks For Minecrafters: Combat/Builder. ISBN 9781408869635 Hacks for minecrafters: Master builder. ISBN 9781408869628 Hacks for Minecrafters: The Unofficial Guide to Tips and Tricks
That Other Guides Won't Teach You. ISBN 9781632204400
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Themes: Gaming, Survival, Building. These
books would be enjoyed by all people who enjoy playing computer
games and in particular Minecraft. The three books are about 'Hacks
and Tips', 'Combat' and 'Building' in Minecraft. The books have tips
from: how to build glass domes, to how many times you have to hit a
creeper with an iron sword to kill it.
The books are titled Hacks For Minecrafters yet after
reading all three I discovered that there is only one hack between
all the books, and that hack is common knowledge to most PC
Minecrafters. Although there are no hacks in the books almost every
piece of information they contain is very helpful. I may not be an
avid Minecrafter but I found the books very interesting. These books
would not make very good gifts but for people new to Minecraft they
would be very helpful given the amount of information they contain.
I would recommend the books for people who play Minecraft at about
9-12 year olds. For those who struggle to read, they may be a little
difficult as they contain a few complex words.
Reuben Schumacher (Student, aged 13)
