Coco Banjo series. Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780857987358
(Age: 7+) Recommended. School. Friendship. Bullying. Canberra. Coco
is thrilled to be going on an excursion to Canberra with her best
friend and the rest of her class. But Coco is blamed by her teacher
for a series of incidents on the trip, making her friend unfriend
her. The cool group on the bus trip claim her friend and Coco is
devastated. She must do something to overcome the bullies and get
back her friend.
At time Coco is a little too good to be true, trying to think only
the best of people, but common sense takes hold and she is able to
show the bullies up for what they really are.
In between times, the book deals with nits, a hidden pet rat, the
Prime Minister and a touch of feminism. And a tour around Canberra
is an added bonus. All in all an easy but entertaining read for mid
to upper primary girls. This is the second book in the series.
Fran Knight
Finding Winnie: The true story of the world's most famous bear by Lindsay Mattick
Ill. by Sophie Blackall. Little Brown, 2015. ISBN 9780316324908
Cole asks his mother for a bedtime story - a true one about a bear.
And it just so happens that his mother, Lindsay Mattick, is the
great-great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn, a Canadian vet who, in
1914, was conscripted to join the war effort to look after the
soldiers' horses. On his way to the training ground far from his
native Winnipeg, the train pulls into a station and Harry spies a
baby bear on a rope held by a trapper who is unlikely to raise him
and love him as Harry did all animals. After a lot of thought,
twenty dollars changes hands and Harry finds himself back on the
train with the bear cub and a lot of curious mates and one
astonished colonel. But the bear whom Harry has named Winnie after
his home town, wins over the troops and she soon establishes herself
as the regiment's mascot. Winnie travels with the soldiers to
England, but when it is time for them to embark for France, Harry
knows Winnie cannot go with them. So he leaves Winnie at The London
Zoo where she is loved by hundreds of children including a certain
little boy named Christopher Robin Milne - and from there a whole
other story begins.
2016 winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most
distinguished American picture book for children, this is a charming
story that has that intimacy of a story shared between mother and
child. Beautifully illustrated by Sophie Blackall with meticulously
researched details in muted watercolour and ink colours which
reflect the mood and emotions, it also contains photos of Harry with
Winnie and other memorabilia that demonstrate the authenticity of
the tale. The conversations between the narrator and her son which
are interspersed throughout the story not only add to its reality
but also make it more than just a non-fiction recount. With its
undertones of A. A. Milne's writing, and the final pages that trace
the lineage of Harry Colebourn to Cole, this is a very personal
account that is as engaging as it is interesting.
Because she is telling the story to her own young son, there are
several occasions where she chooses her words very carefully so he
will not be upset and this then makes it suitable as a read-aloud
for even the youngest of listeners. As the centenary of World War 1
continues, there are many stories commemorating the contribution
that a whole range of creatures made to the conflict, but this one
with its direct ties to the beloved character of Winnie-the-Pooh
which all children know, is one that will linger in the mind for a
long time.
A first-class addition to your collection commemorating World War 1,
and, if you are lucky, you might also be able to pair it with the
movie A bear named
Winnie with Stephen Fry and Michael Fassender.
Barbara Braxton
What pet should I get? by Dr Seuss
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008170783
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Humour, Pets, Decision making, Families.
Children will be surprised at seeing an unfamiliar Dr Seuss and
adults will wonder whether they remember this book from their
childhood. This is a new publication of a story found long after Dr
Seuss' death in 1991. Originally put aside by his wife, it was
rediscovered by his former secretary and taken to a publisher who
saw the links between this and several others of similar quality and
theme. So it is now published for a new generation of children
excited by the idea of looking for a pet, wondering through the text
what sort of pet would suit them and making a decision about what to
get. All of this is envisaged by the sparse rhyming text so familiar
to generations of children.
The rhyming lines lead the children to predict the word which will
rhyme, to learn some of the lines to repeat when the book is read
again, which will happen often. The energetic illustrations sweep
the story along, with the siblings looking at all the animals in the
pet shop. A myriad of animals is presented to the children, each
having different qualities and things to consider, until they come
to being called out of the shop by their parents and must make up
their minds. The cliff edge question is left up to the reader, and
will engender lots of discussion amongst classes, or at home.
On the last few pages, an outline of Dr Seuss' life and body of work
is given, as well as a summary of how this book came to be. It adds
a level of information to the book and gives background information
which may inspire others to let their imaginations soar.
Fran Knight
Room 13 by Robert Swindells
Rollercoasters . Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN
9780198328933
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Horror, School trip, Holiday, Friendship. A
reprint of Swindell's award winning book first published in 1989, Room
13 is scary enough to enthuse any younger reader, having a
class group going on a school camp to a seaside hotel. Swindells, a
former teacher has written a wonderful tale, the horror story aside,
of teachers herding their charges onto the bus, fussing about rules
and dormitories and suitcases, until I breathed a sigh of relief
that school excursions are a thing of the distant past for me.
Swindells has written a background that is just so real, I sweated
for the staff.
The students are all allocated to different rooms on the three
floors of the hotel ('but I wanted to be with...') and odd things
happen right from the start. Fliss in Room 12 sees that there is no
Room 13 but a door marked with that number is only a closet, and
wonders. But at the stroke of midnight on their first night there,
Fliss sees her friend, Ellie-May wandering the corridors and going
through the door marked Room 13. The next day Ellie-May denies this
but is acting very strangely. So Swindells builds the tension in
this little horror tale sure to intrigue upper primary and lower
secondary readers.
This is one in a series of books called Rollercoasters, aimed for
children between 11 and 14 with more challenging subject matter,
written by well known authors and suitable for class texts. They are
supported with free and down loadable teacher
and student notes which are comprehensive and extensive.
Fran Knight
Glass sword by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen Book 2
Orion, 2016. ISBN 9781409159353.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. If there is one thing that Mare
Barrow knows, it's that she's different. And that she's not the only
one. Her blood is red - just like the common folk - but has an
ability that should only be possible to the Silver blood. Her power
to control Lightning has turned her into a weapon that the royal
Court wants to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a
fake, and she's on the run being pursued by the Silver King, her
friend who betrayed her. Mare sets out on a mission to find and
recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join the cause and fight
against her oppressors.
Victoria Aveyard captivates her audience with the action packed
adventure that Mare and her group face. I couldn't put it down and
when I did I could not stop thinking about the book, even after I
finished the book. Glass sword runs on a crazy roller
coaster of emotions. Aveyard writes in such a way that you feel all
the emotions that Mare deals with and understand her anger and pain.
I definitely recommend this series to anyone, and it is definitely a
series for those who enjoyed The hunger games or Divergent.
Cecilia Richards
Lulu Bell series by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Random House, 2016. Lulu Bell's fantastic holiday fun by Belinda Murrell. ISBN
9781925324372 Lulu Bell's amazing animal adventures by Belinda Murrell.
ISBN 9781925324358
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Humour. Family. Adventure. The Lulu Bell
books, a most popular series of books about Lulu and her family and
the adventures they get up to, are now published in two volumes of
four stories, ready for readers to take a bundle of them away for
their holidays or have a glorious weekend of reading about their
hero. Lulu Bell's amazing animal adventures has four stories, Lulu
Bell and the birthday unicorn, Lulu Bell and the cubby
fort, Lulu Bell and the pyjama party, and Lulu
Bell and the tiger cub, while Lulu Bell's fantastic
holiday fun includes four other stories, Lulu Bell and the
koala joey, Lulu Bell and the pirate fun, Lulu Bell
and the sea turtle, and Lulu Bell and the circus pup.
Each story has a straightforward plot, easy to remember characters,
Lulu Bell as its main character, an engaging heroine, and familiar
settings. Each is about ninety pages long and has copious
illustrations and larger than usual print, making them ideal for
middle primary girls. Putting four stories into one volume makes for
a large tome, but fans of this character will not mind, and it may
be a draw card for those wanting something which looks more
substantial. Single titles have already been most favourably
reviewed on Readplus.
Fran Knight
It's a little baby by Julia Donaldson
Ill. by Rebecca Cobb. Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781447251811
(Age: 0-3) This is a lift-the-flap rhyming story/song aimed at very
young children. The hardy board book with thick flaps perfect for
little fingers will withstand some rough treatment. Unlike many
other song/story publications, this one works well both read and
sung because of its simplicity and its ability to be sung with
multiple tunes. It is about babies and for babies and encourages the
reader to find the baby on each page by lifting the flaps. In
addition, it speaks directly to the child and gives them an active
part in the story by asking them to do the actions (point, clap,
wave, etc). Don't expect a long Julia Donaldson rhyming story; this
is a predictable, repetitive text ('Somebody's hiding. I wonder who.
It's a little baby and she's... at you. Can you... ? Can you... ?
Can you... too?'). The illustrations are soft and almost childlike
in their scribbly-ness and show babies hiding in places familiar to
most children (in the washing basket, in the shopping bags, in the
toys, behind the tall grass, behind the sandcastle). At the end the
entire song is printed on one page and another page says 'it's your
turn!' and again encourages the reader to do the actions. This is
great for young babies as it includes some of the first visual
language they engage in. The song, also performed by Julia
Donaldson, is easy to access via the QR code printed on the cover of
the book or by going to the website,
but it is also easy enough to make up a tune and sing along.
Overall, this is a simple and enjoyable high-quality production.
Nicole Nelson
Angel of Storms by Trudi Canavan
Millennium's Rule :Book 2. Orbit Books, 2015. ISBN: 9780356501147
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Following Thief's Magic and with
years between, Angel of Storms follows the increasingly
dangerous adventures of both Rielle and Tyen throughout the many
worlds. Despite their paths finally crossing at the very end of the
novel, Canavan has woven their lives together well through shared
events and common relationships such as those with Raen and
Traveller run-away Baluka.
With the return of the Raen, the worlds are thrown into turmoil as
the dangers of magical communities increase. Setting off from his
school, Tyen warns his friends of the Raen's return. There is
already a resistance forming. Tyen is lost. With a magically poor
home world, he has little choice but to join the resistance or the
Raen. When Raen catches him between worlds, he discovers Tyen's long
kept secret, he intends to free a Vella, a woman who was trapped
inside a book by a previous ruler of the worlds. Raen offers to help
Tyen, in exchange for his services as a spy within the resistance,
thinking that he can use his position to prevent conflict between
the two parties.
Meanwhile, Rielle's work as a tapestry maker is interrupted by the
arrival of the angel, Valhan, come to take her to his heavenly
realm. Overcome by awe, Rielle does not question the angels she
meets, even when thrown into the desolate desert of a dead world.
Fortunately, before she can die of dehydration, she is discovered by
Baluka, a traveller with marriage on his mind. Things go array
however when the Raen discovers she is alive. He steals her away
leaving Baluka heartbroken and furious.
While the separation of the two main characters, Rielle and Tyen, is
at first confusing, Angel of Storms provides the perfect
melding of two stories. Both highly moral characters, Rielle and
Tyen present excellent role models for young adults; they are both
smart, independent and always do what they feel is right. I would
recommend this novel for young people aged twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell, (University student, aged 20 )
Curiosity house by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester
Hodder & Stoughton, 2015. ISBN 9781444777192
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Welcome to Dumfrey's Dime Museum of
Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders where mysteries, oddities, freaks,
adventures and creepy stuff abound! Orphans Philippa, Sam and Thomas
have grown up in this strange and extraordinary place looked after
by Mr Dumfrey, owner and proprietor of New York's strangest house of
wonders. Each of these children is gifted with a peculiar talent.
Philippa is a mentalist, Sam is so strong he needs to take care
opening doors and Thomas can fold himself up into amazingly small
spaces. Together with assorted helpers and other 'acts' they all
struggle to keep the Dime Museum open.
Then the arrival of a marvellous Amazonian shrunken head lifts the
attendance of the strange museum but not without accompanying dramas
of thefts, mysterious deaths and a creepy stranger stalking the
children. The appearance of a fourth child, Max, a street urchin
with an uncanny ability to throw knives so accurately they can split
a hair completes the cast.
After the audacious theft of the shrunken head the four children are
determined to retrieve and save their home despite some serious
opposition. In the process they encounter murder and mayhem and a
startling revelation about their pasts.
For readers who love the quirkiness of Lemony Snicket and similar
books, this is a great read which moves along at a rattling pace
with some wonderful characterisations and wonderfully spooky
settings.
Sue Warren
Alphonse, that is not ok to do by Daisy Hirst
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406354317
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Families. Siblings. When Alphonse eats
Natalie's book she is cross with him. He offers to mend her book,
but she puts her fingers in her ears so she cannot hear him. They
had been good friends, doing a lot of things together, naming birds
they see out of the window, hearing stories, bouncing things off the
bunk beds and making things together. So Alphonse is upset. Natalie
goes to have a bath by herself, but while there she hears enormous
noises. A tornado, screaming beasts and thousands of glass peas
falling down from the sky seem to be happening outside the room. She
becomes afraid for her brother and calls out to him, wrapping
herself in a towel to go and investigate. She opens the door to find
an appalling mess and he explains how the room came to be so untidy.
All Natalie can think about is her brother and keenly asks if he is
alright.
This is a charming tale of siblings not seeing eye to eye, of
falling out over a possession that the other has destroyed. But when
the possibility of something happening to her brother occurs she is
the first to investigate and all is put back to normal, with the two
getting along just as they did before. Children will love reading of
the trouble between them and be soothed by the resolution of their
problem. It is a situation many will have been in themselves, and so
seeing it resolved will give them the skills to draw some lessons
for their own situation. The block colour illustrations are
charming, with expressions given by the simplest of lines.
Fran Knight
Lenny and Lucy by Philip C Stead
Ill. by Erin E. Stead. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760292119
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Moving home, Friendship, Family life,
Overcoming fear, Loneliness. What a delight! A car piled high with
belongings makes its way through a forest of tall trees. Dad
driving, a young wide eyed boy and his dog sit in the back seat. The
cover says so much. The boy and his Dad are moving house, but just
the two, with a dog, inviting all sorts of questions from
readers. The trees crowd the little car but as the trees thin out
their destination is reached, and the car trundles over a wooden
bridge to their new home. Harold and Peter stare out over the bridge
at night and are frightened by what they see. The forest could hide
anything. The next day they take a pile of pillows and blankets to
the bridge and build Lenny, the Guardian of the Bridge. He guards
the bridge well, but Peter sees that he needs company, so the next
day he and Harold build a companion for Lenny. Peter and Harold play
marbles with the two guardians, and eat their vegetables together,
aware that they are now safe.
One day Millie from next door comes over to show Peter the owl. The
group now consists of five and together they watch the owl. The
woods no longer seem fearful.
Beautifully illustrated, the tale of a young boy coming to terms
with change, of learning to cope with fear, of being resilient, will
appeal to all readers, as they recognise situations they have all
experienced, and learn from Peter's behaviour, that fear can be
managed.
This pair wrote and illustrated one of my favourite books, A
sick day for Amos McGee, a Caldecott Medal winner, and Erin's
illustrative technique is deceptively simple. The few colours used
against a mainly white and sometimes grey backdrop, suit the story
beautifully, adding to the threatening feel of the forest with those
tall straight trunked trees. Fascinatingly the trees are almost like
prison bars when Peter looks out of the window, but with overcoming
his fear, the trees take less and less space on the page, until on
the last page they are almost all gone. I could go on, as the
illustrations are to be looked at over and over again, supporting
and extending the sparse text.
Fran Knight
Beastly bones by William Ritter
Jackaby bk 2. Algonquin Young Readers, 2015. ISBN
9781616203542
(Age; 12+) Recommended. Mystery. Paranormal. Following Jackaby
(YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults) comes another
exciting mystery story set in 1892, New Fiddleham, New England. This
time Abigail Rook and Jackaby not only have to face shape-shifters
disguising themselves as kittens but an unidentifiable beast has
starting attacking humans and animals in Gad's Valley, where bones
have been unearthed in a recent dig. Charlie Cane, police detective
is now living in Gad's Valley and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on
the trail of a monster and a murderer.
Fans of the first in the series will be very pleased to see this
sequel, with its exciting action and feisty detectives. Some new
characters are introduced and add depth to the story: Nellie Fuller
is a clever reporter on the trail of both the murders and the
mysterious bones, and Hank Hudson an intriguing trapper who
threatens Charlie's secret. The competition between two
archaeologists over the rights to the dig also add some tension as
Abigail and Jackaby race to find out how the beast is growing in
strength and size. The romance between Abigail and Charlie is only
very lightly touched on, but is compelling too, as the reader wants
to find out if shy Charlie will be able to get enough courage to woo
Abigail.
Readers who have enjoyed the Lockwood & Co. series by
Jonathan Stroud and The city of orphans series by Catherine
Jinks will welcome this series and the slight cliff-hanger at its
conclusion indicates another book to come.
Pat Pledger
Mr Chicken lands on London by Leigh Hobbs
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760290054
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Travel. London. Humour. I
reviewed this book two years ago when it was published in a large
hard back book. The 2015 edition is a smaller hand comfy sized for
younger readers who will laugh out loud at the antics of Mr Chicken
in London.
Mr Chicken lands on London with a list of places he wants to visit.
The large, yellow, ovoid figure of Mr Chicken graces each page as we
see him at various sights around the city. He lands, of course,
hanging from a Union Jack parachute and checks in at the Savoy Hotel
where he enjoys his breakfast in bed, contemplating his list. From
there he ventures to an amazing array of known sights: Buckingham
Palace for tea with the Queen, a ride on the red bus, and the
Underground; he climbs Nelson's Column and perches on top, visits
the National Gallery and the London Eye, each time making a grand
entrance amid the crowds of tourists. He perches on top of the Eros
statue in Piccadilly Square and then retires to his hotel room for
an afternoon nap. Starting again he has dinner in the crypt at St
Martin's in the Field, goes to the Opera, and leaves early to get to
Big Ben in time to climb the stairs and be inside the clock when it
strikes nine fifteen, his eyes being the clock hands.
After his full English breakfast he sheds a tear saying goodbye from
Waterloo Bridge and heads off in his balloon, promising to return.
Following Mr Chicken through London, as with Paris, allows the
reader to assimilate the main attractions of these cities, while
engaged in a humorous story of the affable Mr Chicken. He meanders
through the crowds, taking the readers with him on his travels.
Younger readers will get to know the tourist sights and the look of
a great city with its hordes of people, network of transport
facilities and maze of streets and buildings. They will enjoy the
fact of making a list, and sticking to that list to get everything
done within the time allowed. They will be able to discuss the
things needed to have an enjoyable holiday.
The illustrations are just wonderful, showing this oversized tourist
enjoying himself while taking up so much room. The drawings of
London's main attractions are a delight and the endpapers add
another dimension to the story, with a map at the start and thank
you letters and postcards at the end. All will add meaning to the
story to discuss with readers.
Fran Knight
Little one by Jo Weaver
Hodder Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781561459247
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Bears. Mothers. Relationships.
Survival. The beautifully rendered images of a mother bear and her
cub will have all readers sighing over this book, as they turn the
pages and are taken into the intimate world of the pair living
through the warmer months before returning to hibernate in the
winter. They wake to spring, and fresh out of the den where she has
given birth over the winter months, she begins to show her cub what
it needs to survive. They wander around their environment, smelling
the flowers, looking at some of the animals, fishing in the stream,
swimming in the lake. She shows him the night sky, the berries to
eat, until she notices that the days are getting shorter, the leaves
are blowing around them and winter is approaching. They then go back
to their den to sleep over the long cold winter.
Children will love having this read to them, snuggled against their
mother's warmth, feeling the comfort of the mother bear as she
teaches her cub how to explore and live.
This will be a delightful book to share with a class, reiterating
how mothers teach their children, exposing them to the variety of
things done in a day, helping them learn to adapt to their
environment, keeping them safe and happy.
The soft black and white illustrations suit the story admirably,
making the eyes focus on the bear and her cub, giving clues as to
their environment with deft images of their world.
I love this work and can see classes using it as a foundation for
talk about mother's role in the family, or how families operate, or
to look more closely at animals and the way they learn about their
environment, and in particular, of course, bears.
Fran Knight
The snow sister by Emma Carroll
Ill. by Julian de Narvaez. Faber Children's, 2015. ISBN
9780571317639
It is Christmas Eve in Victorian England and Pearl Granger has just
got into trouble for using her sister's beautiful red and gold
paisley shawl to adorn the 'snow sister' she has made to honour and
remember Agnes who died from fever three years ago. Since her death,
Christmas has meant little to the family so Pearl is more concerned
about the scolding she is going to get but it will be worth it
because each year she builds herself a snow sister and each year she
misses Agnes a little less. Living in poverty means there is not a
lot of extras for Christmas - even taking the two pieces of coal for
her snow sister's eyes means that the fire will burn a little lower
that night despite the blizzard that is approaching.
As she trudges inside to face her due, she is met by the postman
whose sack is weighed down by 'these new Christmas cards' and he
gives her a letter that she is to give her father immediately. It is
a letter that would seem to change the Grangers' lives forever as Pa
has been summoned to a solicitor's office in Bath to hear the
reading of his rich brother's will - a will of which he is the 'main
beneficiary'. Imagining new wealth beyond their dreams, Pearl is
sent to beg some more credit from Nobel's Grocery so the family can
have the ingredients for their first Christmas pudding since Agnes
died but a series of circumstances see her getting to see the rich
side of life that she fantasises about and helps her understand that
all may not be what it seems. Life is not necessarily about how many
sugar plums you can eat.
As its cover hints, this is a poignant, heart-warming short story,
beautifully written and illustrated with monochrome pictures
evocative of the period, that not only paints a picture of the poor
in Victorian England but also teaches lessons about the true meaning
of Christmas and the power and importance of family love. The
rich-poor, upstairs-downstairs nature of society where wealth
determines status is very apparent and readers will engage with
Pearl's almost Cinderella-like character in comparison to the
snooty, spoiled Lockwood girls.
This would be a wonderful choice for a family read-aloud over a few
nights or for the newly independent reader who is looking for more
than a picture book story about Christmas. Reviews of other books by
Emma Carroll have suggested that she is an author on the rise and if
The snow sister is a sample of the quality of her writing, she is
one I will look for again. Definitely one for the Christmas
collection.
Barbara Braxton
