ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733334634
(Age: 4-7) Recommended for those who like funny books about body
functions! A story about dinosaurs from the authors of The fart
monster, Dinosaur dump is another humorous book that
is sure to appeal to young children who will love the funny verses
and wide-eyed dinosaur characters that all use a giant loo with
disastrous consequences.
The story is written in funny verse, in bold black type that is easy
to read and will stay in children's minds as they re-read the book: It was a simple life,
But they had a GIANT loo.
It was way up on the hilltop
And today it had a queue. . .
Miller and Stanton are on a winning formula with this book. The
verse is great for adults to read aloud and for children to chant
along with them, predicting the text, and of course the toilet
humour is just what this age group, especially boys, love.
The illustrations are a great accompaniment to the story making the
different dinosaurs quite distinct, but also very amusing. I loved
the illustration of Tash the pterodactyl who dive-bombed the
mountain loo with a disastrous splashback!
Pat Pledger
Santa Baby by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408849484
(Ages: 4-8) Recommended. Children cannot get enough of Christmas
themed books, and despite it being outside of their reality,
Australian children seem to love reading stories about white, wintry
Christmases. Bloomsbury is good at these heart-warming, feel-good
tales and this one is no exception. A glittery front cover and fun,
bold illustrations will draw children in and the warmth and magical
quality of the narrative will keep them engaged. Christmas books can
often be predictable or lack originality but this one gives us
something a little unique - Santa has a son! The effortless rhyming
text tells the story of Santa Baby and his baby reindeer friend Roo.
They are too small to ride in the sleigh on Christmas Eve, but when
Santa leaves some gifts behind they embark on a mission to save the
day and deliver them. A few distractions and a sleigh mishap later,
Santa Baby realises he isn't quite big enough to help his dad with
delivering presents yet.
There are plenty of fun moments with magical sleigh rides, snowball
fights, slippy sliding with the penguins and Christmas morning joy.
Children will love escaping into this joyful world; a simple problem
is easily solved and then everyone returns home to a warm house
filled with love and presents. It truly evokes the warm feeling of
being a child at Christmas time.
Nicole Nelson
Monster Max's shark spaghetti by Claire Freedman
Ill. by Sue Hendra. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408851555
(Age: 5+) Warmly recommended, Monsters, Holidays, Poetry.
Another in the series including Dragon jelly and Spider sandwiches,
this will tickle to he funny bones of young children obsessed with
monsters and grisly words describing their habits, particularly
about food and eating.
Max and his friends decide to go on a holiday, travelling with
Queasy Air, of course. On board they are served moth mash and
tapeworm sausages, while at the hotel festooned with spiders, they
are served caterpillar croissants. Each four line rhyming stanza
will entreat the young to say yuck and erk and other words
describing the gross food served up. But it is not only the food
that deserves the response. Max dons sunscreen so smelly that bugs
come from miles away, and when they get on the Loop the Loop, now
called Gloop the Loop, the oddest things happen with gloop engulfing
them all. On their final night they are served shark spaghetti, and
the animal bites Max on the bottom leaving his tooth embedded.
The laugh out loud words are accompanied by bright breezy
illustrations sure to please the younger audience and their passion
for slime and slugs, and deliciously sounding words describing the
not so pleasant aspects of food.
Fran Knight
The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Magisterium series, bk 2. Corgi Books, 2015. ISBN
9780552567718
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Fantasy. Coming of age. This is the second
book in the series, following The Iron Trial and the reader
is re-introduced to Callum Hunt, who is on his summer break from The
Magisterium. His father doesn't like his Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc
and when both are threatened with destruction, Cal runs away to
Tamara's house where he discovers his friend Aaron being feted as
the Makar. But Cal has secrets to hide and things become very
difficult for him back at the Magisterium when his father is
suspected of the theft of a copper gauntlet called the Alkhahest,
which could destroy the power of the Magisterium. Cal and his
friends set out to find his father, having many exciting adventures
on the way, encountering dangerous enemies and uncovering some of
the truth about Cal and his origins.
This is an exciting sequel to The Iron Trial, and builds on
the reader's knowledge of the world of the Magisterium, and the way
Chaos operates. There is plenty of action as Cal and his friends
follow the trail his father has left and the final showdown is
action packed and thrilling, with an unexpected twist that will
delight readers.
Cal is a very conflicted young man. He is desperately trying not to
be an Evil Overlord and contain his chaos tendencies, while trying
to hide his nature from his teachers and his friends. He is loyal to
his friends and determined to do the right thing as well as use his
native intelligence to come up with workable solutions to very
desperate situations.
Black and Clare, two best-selling authors, have created a thrilling
fantasy series, with very likeable characters and lots of action.
The conclusion to The copper Gauntlet sets more obstacles to
be faced by the friends and will encourage kids to read the next in
the series.
Pat Pledger
The boy with two lives by Abbas Kazerooni
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN: 9781743314838
Highly recommended. A moving memoir, The Boy With Two Lives
is a tale of struggle and overcoming even the most dire of
circumstances. A sequel to On two feet and wings, it follows
Abbas through his English education after escaping conscription into
the Iranian army. He travelled alone through Istanbul and to England
where his immigration status would be dependent on his having a
legal guardian. Unfortunately his new life is not anything that he
could have expected.
The story starts on Abbas' first day at boarding school where
everything is unfamiliar and strange. Abbas learns quickly to do as
he's told else he'll quickly fall behind. While excelling at school,
Abbas' time away from Aymestrey is spent in misery and isolation.
While his English improves rapidly, he is forced to work in Mehdi's
kitchen illegally to pay Mehdi back for his education.
As Abbas gets older it seems that the whole world is set against
him. He loses his mother and soon after, Kate's mother, Nancy, the
next best thing. Abbas finds himself again, completely alone, in a
foreign country. With nothing to his name, he finds himself
spiralling deeper and deeper into depression. But the hardest times
are yet to come as he finishes with Aymestrey and gains an assisted
place at King's School as a day student. He soon ends up broke,
broken and living on the streets, the ever-present threat of
deportation looming overhead like his own personal rain-cloud.
This book made me laugh at times, but mostly cry. That this is a
memoir is only more hard-hitting. I would highly recommend this
novel to anyone as it demonstrates the hard-ships that some refugees
have to face and the struggle of coming into a completely foreign
world. It is both eye opening and heartbreaking to see both Abbas'
pride and courage at work as he tries to make the most of his new
life.
Kayla Gaskell (age 19)
The Double Cross (and other skills I learned as a Superspy) by Jackson Pearce
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781619634145
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Themes: Espionage; Children's
abilities; Adventure. This is the book I would have wanted to read
as a young reader - it is a spy novel with young spies that manage
to outsmart older spies, while coping with the normal problems of
life. The main character, Hale Jordan, is an overweight and
un-athletic Spy School trainee. His training involves dangerous and
clever skills that would prepare him for his life of espionage -
telling lies without detection, costumery and camouflage disguises,
and many more intense skills. However his inability to pass the
physical training component of his schooling proves to be a constant
problem and the teasing that he suffers as a result acts as a
constant thorn in his side. His parents are senior agents who live
dangerous lives, but then disappear in a cloud of mystery. Hale uses
his espionage training to give hope to his acrobatic younger sister,
Kennedy, and himself of the return of their parents. Their attempt
to uncover truths leads them to become Double agents and rescue
other young people from a tangle of lies. Along the way they meet
twins, Ben and Beatrix, who work for the 'other side' and are
self-taught as a hacker and an inventor (in the style of 'Q' from
James Bond feature movies from the past). The adult characters are
humorously portrayed and their quirky traits are revealed with a
light touch.
This is a book I will highly recommend to young male and female
readers aged 9+. It is targeted well at this age group, and is
exciting and written well. There are no dry or slow moments - it
moves along at a good pace for a younger reader. International
espionage with young spies - an accomplished author has made this
work.
[Note: Jackson Pearce is a young American, female author who has
obviously left room for a sequel to this endearing book.]
Carolyn Hull
Fright Club by Ethan Long
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408867549
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Halloween. Monsters. In the midnight hour,
Vlad has called a meeting of all the scariest creatures including
Frank K. Stein, Sandy Witch, Virginia Wolf and Mumford the Mummy. It
is the night before Halloween and they need to practise their
ghoulish faces, scary moves and chilling sounds. Unfortunately,
their faces wouldn't even scare a daddy long legs spider and Vlad is
extremely disappointed. Just as Mumford's eyes are popping out of
his head, there's a knock at the door and a cute white rabbit and
her lawyer Frances Foxx appears. Vlad shuts the door in their faces
and tries to get his monster friends to focus. When all of the
rabbit's critter friends pound on the door and show their amazing,
scary steps and frightening screams, Operation Kiddy Scare is set to
be the best Halloween yet.
A delightfully, dark and spooky picture book, Fright Club is
an exciting story to share, seen from a different point of view.
This is a scarily good Halloween read-aloud story.
Rhyllis Bignell
Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780141349176
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Short stories. Winter. Romance. Christmas. A
blizzard stops a train carrying Jubilee to her grandparents in
Florida and results in her walking through the snow to a Waffle
House where she meets a stranger who gives her a delicious kiss.
Meanwhile, three friends struggle through the snow to the Waffle
House to see the cheerleaders who have also alighted from the train
and this results in old friends discovering that they are more than
friends. Addie's early morning shift at Starbucks is the beginning
of her realisation that not everything is about her and brings her
back to her true love.
These three highly popular and skilled authors ensure that these
stories are not only very readable - I finished the book in a couple
of sittings - but also give insights into the meaning of love and
friendship. Maureen Johnson's The Jubilee Express provides
the initial winter setting of a blizzard that is so bad that the
train has to stop. It also introduces Jubilee Dougal, who finally
comes to terms with the fact that her boyfriend is not especially
caring when she meets Stuart who takes her home to make sure she is
OK during the storm. On the train, Jubilee also meets Jeb who is
desperately trying to make a meeting with his girlfriend, Addie and
his story is told through Addie's eyes in The patron saint of
pigs by Lauren Myracle. Of course, fans of John Green will
immediately pick up this book, just to read a story by him and A
Cheertastic Christmas Miracle is funny and touching and very
memorable.
This is a heart-warming and thoughtful collection of short stories
about teen love. While each story can be read as a stand-alone the
interweaving moments add to its appeal. The strong characters,
humour and touching moments make it a great read and a lovely
prelude to the Christmas season.
Pat Pledger
Reindeer's Christmas surprise by Ursula Dubosarsky
Ill. by Sue deGennaro. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760113025
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Christmas, Reindeer, Presents, Customs. On
Christmas Eve, Reindeer is lonely: his family lives a long long way
away in the north where it is cold and snowy. His Christmas is quite
different as it is warm and sunny and his friend Dog is at the
beach. Reindeer's Christmas Tree is up, there are yummy things on
the table, but he is sad. He decides that he will visit his friends
and take them their presents. He visits Cat in her tree giving her a
Yo Yo, he visits Dog at the beach, giving him his blow up octopus,
and then visits Guinea Pig, giving her some roller skates. Each time
when asked to stay and play with their new toy, Reindeer declines,
going back home.
The lovely illustrations highlight the colours of Christmas, the
greens of the tree and reds of many of the presents and decorations,
and children will thrill to see the presents under the tree. Many
Christmas customs are presented for children to discuss and admire,
while the cute reindeer does many things which will endear him to
the reader.
Dubosarsky's words invite the reader to turn the page to see how
Reindeer's problem is resolved, while the repetition in the text
encourages children to predict the next lines, and read the text
along with the person reading. The rhyming couplet at the end of
each four pages will excite children wondering what present will be
opened, and the question on the last page ensures much discussion
about their own presents to come.
Fran Knight
Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404870
(Age: Yr 10-12) A real page turner. Themes include: psychological
thriller, supernatural, pagan ghosts, truth, teenage relationships.
A great psychological, supernatural thriller. The setting is a
remote beach in Australia where there are propertied ruins of a
pagan existence. Five friends set out on a weeks holiday to have a
break from school and the mundane life at home. Little did they know
when they set off that not all of them would return!
The story weaves between the current day and happenings on the
secluded beach. In the present Heather, who is in a psychiatric
hospital, is trying to prove what she believes happened on their
five day ordeal. The only person who can verify her story is Dougie
who is in a non-induced coma.
All starts well with the teens enjoying the trill of an adventure.
Tensions are raised after a hike where 3 of the teens find what they
believe to be an ancient brooch from a Pagan burial ground. This is
when the two stories start to differ. Heather has one supernatural
explanation of menacing evil while Dougie's version is quite
different. What is not under suspicion is what happened to their
friends.
Wendy Rutten
The Great Galloon and the Pirate Queen by Tom Banks
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781848124509
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Comedic Adventure; Fantasy; Pirates.
This book is described in the Publisher's notes as being 10% Furry,
30% Pirate-y and 60% Adventure-y! Or, as this reviewer might
suggest, it is 100% rollicking piratical Bizarre-ness!!
This book is the third in the series involving the Pirate team from
The Great Galloon, which is a Pirate vessel which sails aloft
using an array of Balloon and other 'lift' devices. It is 'manned'
by an equally bizarre assortment of sailors - some of whom defy
description. The adventure ensues because the Captain desperately
wants to rescue his fiance from the clutches of his renegade
brother. Little does he know, but the circumstances are not what
they seem and the adventure places them all in danger. Younger
characters (with personality traits that make them quirky and
endearing) have pivotal parts to play in the rescue of The Great
Galloon and all who sail on her.
The author has created a peculiar fantasy world, with its own rules,
and unusual features, but has also created a curious array of
language usages that involve some 'creative' word constructions eg
'agognished'. Some of this may cause some problems for some younger
readers, however this book may appeal to the precocious young reader
who is looking for a challenging and exciting book and is still too
young for more mature books.
Recommended for readers aged 8+.
Carolyn Hull
Mango and Bambang the Not-a-Pig by Polly Faber
Ill. by Clara Vulliamy. Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781406361438
(Age: Middle primary students) Highly recommended. Mango Allsorts is
a little girl who is often left on her own. She is very busy with
her hobbies but her life changes when she comes across a frightened
tapir lying in the busy city road. With her usual determination and
courage Mango convinces Bambang the tapir (not a pig) to return to
her apartment and their friendship blossoms.
The book contains 4 stories describing Mango and Bambang's
adventures. This unusual but charming couple help and support each
other as true friends do. Mango demonstrates the importance of
friendship and being true to yourself while Bambang learns to be
strong and not let fears overcome him.
The book is beautifully illustrated by Clara Vullimay's (the
daughter of illustrator/ author Shirley Hughes) many endearing black
and purple drawings. The cover has instant appeal and will attract
readers from 7 to 10 years.
The large amounts of illustration with the text will help newly
independent readers and makes the book more attractive to children
who are beginning to read longer stories.
This book is the first in a series of collaborations by Polly and
Clara featuring Mango and Bambang. They talk about their work in
this short film.
I highly recommend this book for middle primary students and look
forward to the next in the series.
Jane Moore
King of shadows by Susan Cooper
Rollercoasters series. Oxford University Press, 2015 (1999). ISBN
9780198328889
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Shakespeare, London, Acting. Nat
Field an American actor wins a place in the prestigious Company of
Boys, which means he is to spend a month in London rehearsing and
then putting on a Shakespearean play in the new Globe Theatre. He is
excited to meet his fellow actors and the family with whom he is
staying. But when he is transported back to London of four hundred
years before, he is transfixed by the differences in the city and
its inhabitants. Readers will be too, as Susan Cooper builds an
image of Shakespeare's London with a meticulous eye for the detail
of life four centuries ago. I found myself re-reading paragraphs to
wonder at the times, and I was amazed at the ease with which she
detailed the theatre scene, the acting, writing and watching of
these plays in Southwark. And all done within the context of a
mesmerising story, one which will hold readers' attentions to the
end. In Elizabethan times, Nat is befriended by Shakespeare himself
and is at his side when brought into the presence of Queen Elizabeth
herself, after appearing as Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream.
But chapters in the twentieth century have Nat in St Guy's Hospital
in London, struck down with the plague, something unheard of in our
time. In hospital he is a figure of mystery, given his accent and
living habits, redolent of Elizabethan times.
A rivalry with one of the other boy actor has Nat saving his life
through a technique for stopping choking used in his own time, and
so he is seen as a witch by some of the crew.
All the threads come together in an exciting conclusion to this
wonderfully informative and inventive tale.
One of a new OUP series called, Rollercoasters, the books
are reprints of exciting and challenging books, ones which OUP
supports with teacher notes and resources, encouraging their use in
middle school. Classes or individual students reading Shakespeare'
Midsummer Night's Dream or his sonnets will have their
interest piqued with their inclusion in this story.
Fran Knight
The Cleo stories: A friend and a pet by Libby Gleeson
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743315286
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Chapter book, Family, Friendship,
Pets. Two more stories in this highly appealing tale of Cleo and her
family, by the award winning duo of Gleeson and Blackwood will win
hearts at first glance with its two entertaining short stories and
wonderful illustrations.
In Cleo makes a friend, Cleo is at a loss on this rainy day:
all her friends are away and there is one she no longer cares for,
so she has nothing to do. Mum and Dad both suggest things,
especially one about tidying her room, but she is still desolate.
She begins to play with mum's makeup but is admonished, reminded
that she is not allowed in that room. Going outside she sees her
reflection in the newly formed puddles and this gives her an idea of
what she can do.
The second story, Cleo wants a pet, sees Cleo begging her
parents to have a pet in the house. She gives all the reasons
children give their parents for having a pet in the family, and they
respond with all the reasons parents give for it not to happen. It
is wonderfully rounded story, with Cleo resolving the matter to
everyone's satisfaction.
The wonderful soft edged illustrations show Cleo's house within the
few streets of her suburb. Each drawing shows a different aspect of
family life, from dad watering the vegetable garden, to breakfast at
the kitchen table, going to bed, family discussions and so on: all
redolent of the bonds between people living in the same house.
Blackwood's illustrations are inviting: readers will peer into the
details presented, comparing them with what they know. I love the
endpapers, giving a bird's eye view of the streets, challenging the
readers to work out where Cleo lives.
Fran Knight
Freddy Tangles Series by Jack Brand
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Allen & Unwin, 2015. Legend or Loser. ISBN 9781760110345 Champ or Chicken. ISBN 9781760110345
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. This new series by Jack Brand explores
young Freddy Tangles life, his family, school dramas and
friendships. Presented in the style of Big Nate and Tom
Gates, with cartoon illustrations, diagrams and two ants who
provide a running commentary, these funny junior novels are easy to
read. Legend or Loser introduces young Frederick Augustus Reginald
Tangles - Freddy Tangles who lives with his mum, dad, old dog Mince
and younger annoying sister Jessica. He has to share a bedroom with
her and even though he doesn't mind playing dollies, she often
embarrasses him in front of his friends. He meets his Russian friend
Blocker who lives down the street when he accidentally dakked
Blocker's Mum. Freddy's life is full of crazy situations and
comments; he accidentally touches Tabby's tongue when they share a
dropped icecream cone, but he prefers to touch his dog's tongue.
When his full name is read out at roll call, Freddy quickly becomes
known as FARTboy and this quickly spreads across the school. Verbal
and physical bullying occurs and Freddy is forced to take action,
siding with another bully and his gang.
Freddy shows resilience as he creatively deals with the bullies will
a little advice from Blocker's mother and his friends and family who
are there to support him.
In Champ or Chicken, Freddy has to face his three worst
fears, spiders, heights and becoming naked in public. After the
running commentary on nose-picking, dealing with girls by pretending
they are boys and the problems caused by the new kid at school,
Freddy tries to be re-invited to Tabby's huge birthday party in the
park. Unfortunately, just as he's changing into his cowboy costume -
ready to ride the mechanical bull, he's confronted by menacing
spiders. A naked and embarrassed Freddy quickly climbs a tree
followed by the arachnids, and after reaching his limit, he falls
onto the bull. How much trouble can one guy get up to?
Freddy Tangles is a funny character who has a unique way of dealing
with all the dramas in his life. A great new series, complimented by
Tom Jellett's humorous cartoons.
Rhyllis Bignell
