Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781925240160
(Age: YA) Highly recommended as a good dramatic narrative for both
genders. Themes: Friendships; Social class; Survival. Wow! A teenage
romance across social expectations morphs into a scary survival
story on the high seas. This is brilliantly written as we explore
the lives and relationships of 5 young people from different social
spheres who are flung together - initially as the result of a simple
beach encounter, then a party invitation and finally on board a boat
as they attempt to rescue one of the young people, but ultimately
try to save their own lives in the face of extraordinary conditions
in the ocean.
As they all face their own responses to possible death, stories from
their past are shared and personality strengths and weaknesses are
laid bare. This is a powerful story with each character forced to
consider who you can rely on when you face death and disaster.
This is a book that the reader won't want to put down - how many
will survive? If they survive, how will they face the world and move
forward? Will love be enough? Is it possible to survive an extreme
event and be back to normal? This is daunting drama and powerful
writing, with occasional glimpses, past and present, into the world
beyond the boat and its traumas, which merely add to the tension.
Carolyn Hull
Thirst by Lizzie Wilcock
Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781742839660
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Survival. Australian outback. Foster care.
When the car that is taking Karanda and 8 year old Solomon to their
next foster home crashes in Central Australia, and their social
worker is killed, Karanda is determined to be free of the foster
care system that she believes has been terrible for her. With just
her backpack and a bottle of water, she sets off into the desert to
escape her old life, the misery and the mistakes she has made. There
is only thing holding her back - Solomon, the solemn kid who has
barely said a word to anyone. When she discovers that he has
followed her, she decides that his survival skills are important to
keep them alive and together they trek across the desert.
I was immediately reminded of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and
thought that this would be a great companion novel to that popular
classic. Instead of facing the Canadian wilderness where water was
plentiful, Karanda and Solomon face the Australian desert, where
water is scarce and precious, and food is virtually impossible to
find. Fortunately Solomon has been a great fan of the TV show, The
Bush Tucker Man, and is able to find and identify some native
food sources for them and their struggle to survive makes for
fascinating reading. A quick Google search will bring up reports of
survival in the desert, so their feat doesn't seem to be too
implausible and the reader is carried along by their adventures.
Equally engrossing are the personal stories that gradually come to
light as the reader gets to know the characters. The foster care
system hasn't worked for these two children who have suffered
devastating personal loss. The themes of the importance of being
loved and belonging to a family and having friends loom large in
this book, as do the inadequacies of the foster care system and the
children's lack of ability to communicate their needs to their
foster parents.
Karanda's growth as a person and her gradual understanding of the
impact of what she says to Solomon is also central to the story. I
loved the dialogue, especially the nicknames that Karanda gives
Solomon: 'fire boy' when he makes a fire, 'fall boy' when he falls
down a cliff, and other humorous tags.
I read this book in one sitting and I am of the opinion that younger
readers would find it very engrossing. Teacher
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
Piccadilly Press, 2015. ISBN 9781848124370
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Humour. Mystery. When their headmistress and
her brother are murdered, Smooth Kitty and her six fellow students
decide to keep it a secret. They bury the bodies in the vegetable
garden and dress up Stout Alice in the headmistress' place. But
there is still a murderer on the prowl.
This is very funny take on a murder mystery and on the tradition of
the farce genre. Each of the seven girls are named in such a way
that the reader can keep in touch with their personality and
appearance - although the amusing illustrations on the front cover
and inside the book help as well. Smooth Kitty is the ring leader of
the plot and she is the one who comes up with the ideas while having
the ability to smooth over difficulties and tell smooth lies.
Disgraceful Mary Jane is very pretty and loves to flirt madly with
any young boy or man nearby. Stout Alice is plump but has the
ability to act really well and to mimic other people's voices so she
is perfect to pretend that she is Constance Plackett, the
headmistress that the girls disliked. Pocked Louis has been marked
by small pox when young, but she makes up her appearance with her
brains and scientific ability. Dour Elinor always thinks the worst
and is quite interested in death, while Dear Roberta is kind hearted
and Dull Martha is not the brightest of children.
Set against a background of 1890, when young girls were expected to
be prepared for marriage, even if they yearned to do more with their
lives, the book romps along as the seven girls find their feet
without adult supervision. Amid many moments of hilarity each girl
displays her strengths and weaknesses, learning a lot about
themselves and each other in the process. Underlying this is a
thread of tension, as the reader tries to work out how the murders
were committed and who might have a motive, all the while knowing
that Stout Alice masquerading as the headmistress has been placed in
grave danger.
A very enjoyable, feel good book that celebrates the different types
of personalities of the girls and the friendships that hold them
together The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow will be
appreciated by readers who like a historical mystery with unusual
in-depth characterisation.
Pat Pledger
Liberty's fire by Lydia Syson
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471403675
(Age: Middle to upper secondary) Highly recommended. A grim tale
indeed! Set in Paris in 1871 during the siege when Paris was
captured by Prussian forces, the novel immediately draws the reader
to the tragedy of the poor Parisians. This defeat led to the rise of
the Paris Commune. Zephyrine's grandmother has just died, and as she
is destitute, sets out to get enough money for the funeral. She
almost succumbs to becoming a prostitute when Anatole, a musician,
saves her. Her passionate belief in the Commune's strength to free
Paris leads to Anatole supporting and loving her and she him. Jules
a photographer, with whom Anatole shares a flat, and Marie, a singer
with the Opera, find Zephyrine's strong belief in the Commune
difficult to understand. They both have a love for Anatote but he is
obsessed with Zephryrine. The violence and utter despair of the
ordinary Parisians is heart-breakingly described, but the voices of
Zephyrine, Anatole and Marie are realistic and believable and so
personal, that the ultimate horror of the suppression of the
socialist group is softened by their accounts. The descriptions of
the barricades are sympathetically described.
This history is told with fire and love and encourages the reader to
find out more. Interestingly, Zephyrine was exiled to New Caledonia.
Later, the ship berthed in Sydney, when many were granted amnesty.
Written with passion, strength and inspiration, the reader is drawn
into the brutish conditions of the ordinary Parisian. Historical
fiction at its best, it's fascinatingly and carefully crafted making
it well worth reading and discussing. A wonderful novel to
supplement a history unit of France around that time.
Well recommended for middle to Upper Secondary students.
Sue Nosworthy
Dragon Rebels by Nazam Anhar
Lore of Fire Book 2. Amazon Digital Service, 2015.
(Age: 10-14+) Highly recommended. Dragon Rebels by Nazam
Anhar continues the story of the boy Baran, from book 1 Dragon
Hunter.
Baran was chosen by Hajur, a Dragon Warrior, to learn the ways of
the dragon hunters after dragons viciously attacked his village in
the first book.
Another villager, a girl named Tyan, had shadowed and then joined
the pair to try to also become the first female dragon slayer in
revenge for the death of her family.
Dragon Warriors must honour the call for help by answering the
signal of the red smoke. This signal leads the trio to the city of
Samara, where dragons have attacked and the outlying villagers have
moved into the crowded city walls.
After meeting the king, it becomes evident the call for assistance
had been answered earlier by a rogue group who kill dragons for
payment. They have a dubious collection of members including several
unsuccessful Dragon Warriors. Hajur is ineffective in recommending
that the King and his councilors use only true Dragon Warriors so
both groups have to work together.
The honourable Hajur is pitted against both the dragons and the
rogue group and there is constant conflict and danger throughout the
dragon battles but it is after the combat that the situation becomes
even more dangerous.
The values, integrity and reputation of the Dragon Warriors and
their principled behaviour are constantly clashing with the
self-interest and baseness of the scoundrel dragon slayers.
Personally, Baran continues to struggle with the idea of becoming a
Dragon Warrior and with his growing attraction to the young, valiant
princess Alima.
This is an action book and the dragons never disappoint as a cold,
deadly and persistent enemy. As stated in my review of book one,
this story will appeal to fantasy readers especially dragon
devotees.
10 to 14 + year olds will enjoy reading this novel themselves or
listening to the story read aloud. I highly recommend this sequel, Dragon
Rebels and book 1, Dragon Hunters and I hope there are
more to come.
Jane Moore
The Porridge of Knowledge by Archie Kimpton
Ill. by Kate Hindley. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471402807
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Good and Evil, Magic, School Life. Milk lives
with her Granddad in a small seaside town Slopp-on-Sea. She was
found abandoned as a baby by the milkman and adopted by a a loving
couple she calls Grandma and Granddad. After her grandma
passes away, she is left to look after her grandfather whose mind is
going and he is often seen wandering around the town. When he
discovers an old book with an unusual recipe THE PORRIDGE OF
KNOWLEDGE things rapidly began to change in Milk's life.
Milk's school life is terrorized by her vindictive teacher Ms.
Cerise, who sets an impossible maths test for the class and demands
all the students study hard over the weekend. With Carp her friend
and cafe owner, Milk decides to cook a batch of the special
porridge. The ingredients are truly gross: dandruff, a pig's kidney,
large limp limpets are added to the oatmeal and stirred. The
resulting concoction is foul smelling and difficult to swallow, but
amazing things happen when you do! Even the cafe ants who taste the
goo become amazing builders making amazing replicas of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa in mashed potatoes.
Milk becomes the cleverest person in town, Carp's restaurant becomes
the mecca for bus tours wanting to taste the best food in town and
even Grandpa changes from confused to normal behaviour. After
tasting the porridge, the class answers every question correctly in
the advanced Maths test.The porridge has a magical quality. Milk and
Carp save the day when Mr. Blanket poisons the beach with toxic
waste from his toothpaste factory.
This is a funny, quirky story quintessentially English, just enough
grossness, suspension of belief and triumph of good over evil to
engage the reader.
Rhyllis Bignell
An ember in the ashes by Sabaa Tahir
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780007593279
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. In the same vein of
teenage dystopian novels that flooded bookshelves in the wake of The
Hunger Games, comes another such novel, An ember in the
ashes. One might be forgiven for thinking that this book is
just another cheap attempt to cash in on the latest craze, but that
person would be sorely mistaken, as this is a wonderful, highly
engaging novel.
It tells the story of two people living very different lives in the
same world; Laia, a Scholar-born girl, has lived in fear of the
ruthless 'Empire' and its formidable soldiers since she was born.
When her brother is taken by them, she has to enlist the help of the
mysterious Resistance to get him back, but to do so she must first
spy on the Commandant, the ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy.
Elias is in training to become a Mask - one of the Empire's most
elite and dangerous soldiers - at the same Blackcliff Academy, but
he is horrified with what he has had to do as a Mask-in-training and
plans to escape. However, nothing goes to plan for either of them...
Sabaa Tahir has created an absolute gem of a book with An ember
in the ashes - it rollicks along at a fierce, engrossing pace,
yet never feels rushed; the characters are fully fleshed out and
deeply intriguing; even the romantic tension between certain
characters - which can often feel forced if done badly - feels
realistic and captivating here. It's hard to find an authentic
page-turner that also manages to be a smart read, but An ember
in the ashes accomplishes it all. Apparently it became an
instant New York Times bestseller upon its release in April, but
that's no surprise - the book's exciting premise and broad appeal is
perfect for both teenage and adult audiences. Thankfully, there is a
sequel in the works, which will be released next year, but for now,
I can't recommend this first instalment enough.
I highly recommend this novel.
Rebecca Adams
Computer coding for kids by Carol Vorderman
Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2014. ISBN 9781409347019
(Age: Primary - Adult) Recommended. Computer coding is an 'in
thing'. It allows for computational thinking, gets kids engaged and
according to a TED talk I watched last night is a great way to teach
and visualize the bigger concepts in Math. In true DK publisher
fashion, this book is bright colourful and simple to follow. With
step by step instructions kids and adults alike can download free
software and begin to create increasingly complex games and
simulations on their computers.
Coding skills begin with a simple visual program called 'Scratch'
where users click and drag blocks of coding information to control a
sprite (character). There is a large array of tutorial exercises to
get readers to progress and learn the basics and move on to more
complex programming guided by the text.
After mastering the basics, users are then encouraged to progress to
another program called Python. Python is what people might consider
a more traditional form of coding, where users need to type in the
directions and create their code to control various things. The book
gives a very handy table comparing the code in Scratch to that in
Python.
This book is described as a 'simple visual guide to get kids
computer coding in no time.' I definitely agree with this. However I
think they are missing the broader audience of teachers who are
grappling with the new Digital Technologies curriculum too. The easy
to understand explanations of computer systems and networks are a
great foundation of knowledge to begin teaching in this area for
those who don't know where to start.
I would recommend this book not only for keen students and children
who wanted to explore coding, but also those adults out there who
want a simple and easy to understand explanation of the computer
world.
Zana Thiele
Me being me is exactly as insane as you being you by Todd Hasak-Lowy
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471124594
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Fifteen year-old Darren Jacobs has always
felt different; his weight a little too much, and his height a
little too short. He also wonders if he will ever have a girlfriend.
But his world is turned upside down when his parent separate, and
for a reason Darren never expected. His dad is gay. With his brother
Nate away at college, and his only real friend Bugs having moved
away, he has no one to turn to. No one until he meets Zoey Lovell,
who may just be even more different than Darren. But Zoey has
troubles of her own and after a whirlwind evening together, she goes
missing. Now Darren must not only deal with the pieces of his broken
family; he must also deal with the pieces of his broken heart.
In this coming-of-age novel, the author explores the themes of
sexuality, family, and relationships, including those of a same-sex
nature. Through the novel's protagonist, Darren, Hasak-Lowy also
shows how teenagers struggle with body image and being comfortable
in their own skin. As the narrative is voiced exclusively through
Darren, it allows for a great insight into the mind of a young
teenage boy, and how he copes with his family and romantic
relationships, and learns to accept himself and others for who they
are.
This unique debut novel is told entirely in lists, and is a funny,
contemporary, and highly imaginative read. This would best suit
older readers, namely secondary students and above, as it is quite a
lengthy novel, and contains some mature content including the
discussion of sex, and the exploration of substance abuse.
Emma Gay
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Houghton Mifflin, 2014. ISBN 9780544107717
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Verse novel. Basketball. Sibling
rivalry. 2015 Newbery Medal Winner. 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor
Award Winner. YALSA Top 10 Best fiction for young adults. Josh and
Jordan are twins, whose father was Da Man a talented basketball
player. They both excel at basketball too, but Josh has a flair for
poetry and writes the story of their lives:
Josh Bell
is my name.
But Filthy McNasty is my claim to fame
Folks call me that
'cause my game's acclaimed,
so downright dirty, it'll put you to shame.
This is a fabulous read. The poetry takes the reader on a wonderful
journey about basketball:
Be careful though,
'cause now I'm CRUNKing
CrissCROSSING
FLOSSING
flipping
and my dipping will leave you
S
L
I
P
P
I
N
G on the floor, while I
SWOOP in
to the finish with a fierce finger roll...
Straight in the hole:
Swoooooooooosh.
Basketball may be a key theme, but Josh relates the issues that he
is going through with his family at home. His twin has a new
girlfriend and is ignoring him. His father is not well but has a
horror of hospitals and doctors and refuses to seek help and his
mother is the assistant principal at his school and has high
expectations of him. All these factors come together in a heart
wrenching climax.
This would be fabulous read aloud, as a class novel or as an
introduction to poetry forms. It has something for everyone and I am
certain that once it is picked up, even by the most reluctant
reader, it will be exceptionally hard to put down.
Pat Pledger
The Thickety: A path begins by J.A. White
Ill. by Andrea Offermann. The Thickety bk 1. ISBN
9780062257239 (Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Kara lives in a small
community that believes that magic is evil. When she was five years
old her mother was killed because she was a witch and she and her
father and brother are now shunned and tormented by the people of
the village. Nearby is the Thickety a strange and dark wood believed
to the realm of Sordyr. One day Kara is enticed into it by a bird
and uncovers a magical grimoire that has unspeakable powers.
This is an addictive story that is spell binding right from the very
first chapter when in the prologue the reader finds out the awful
way that Kara learnt her mother was a witch and how she managed not
to be hung as a witch as well. From then on the reader is introduced
to Kara and her little brother who face hardship, bullying and
poverty from the narrow minded villagers and their nasty leader. Her
father has not coped at all with the hanging of his wife and it is
Kara who has been forced to take on an adult's role and hold the
family together. She has only one friend, Lucas, who is a Clearer,
part of an outcast group who keep the magical weeds growing near the
Thickety from overtaking the village.
Kara is a fascinating character and finds it difficult to stop using
the grimoire and to do the right thing. The contrast between Grace
the leader's daughter who is power hungry and nasty and wants the
grimoire for her own ends and Kara who can question what is going on
and wants to remain caring and decent, gives the reader the
opportunity to consider power and how it should be used. All the
characters are multi-dimensional and each has a back story that adds
depth to the tale.
The story is often dark and frightening, with its tales of bigotry,
witches, dark forests and bullying, so may not be suitable for
younger children, but its vivid prose and enthralling story has
meant that it has appeared on many Best Book lists, including
Publishers Weekly Best Book and would appeal to a wide age range.
Two more books in the series are due to appear and while the The
Thickety: A path begins was satisfying in itself, there is a cliff-
hanger at its conclusion that will ensure that readers pick up the
next in the series.
Pat Pledger
The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly by Ted Sanders
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471403590
(Age: 10+) The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly is a novel
aimed at readers aged 10+. While it is set in America, it is a
fantasy novel. It is a story of objects with unusual abilities and
The Keepers in charge of protecting them. Horace is a new Keeper and
his mystical object is a box that allows him to see a day into the
future. Chloe has been a Keeper for seven years without even
realising it. Together, they are protecting objects wanted by the
evil Riven, a group who will stop at nothing to get their hands on
these items.
This is a rich and descriptive novel and children will need to be
independent readers to understand and follow the events. They will
be introduced to unusual objects - both evil and good. They will
cheer for Horace in his battle to protect his mystical item and boo
for Dr Jericho as he uses his evil ways to track Horace and Chloe.
At over 400 pages long, it will keep readers engaged and immersed in
a new and unusual world.
Kylie Kempster
The lost daughter by Elena Ferrante
Trans. by Ann Goldstein. Text, 2015, 9781925240139
Recommended for Senior readers. The short novel, almost a novella,
The Lost Daughter is a powerful exploration of some of the themes
Elena Ferrante explores in her Neapolitan Novels series (to
be completed with Volume 4 in October). Set in contemporary Italy it
examines identity, motherhood and the nature of knowledge. When
Leda's adult daughters leave her to live with their father in Canada
she is surprisingly relieved. She pursues the academic career she
has persisted with through the years of child raising, dreads their
phone calls with the demands they always imposed and goes on holiday
alone. While on holiday, relaxing on the beach, she begins to review
her life as a mother, a process in part inspired by her observations
of a beautiful young woman and her demanding child. While lying on
her towel Leda notes the obsessive nature of the relationship, in
its physicality and emotional intensity, which is passed on by the
child to her doll. The doll is of course compliant and pliable and
thus is a more satisfactory child than a real one. Leda begins to
take notice of the pair's family, the mother's gross husband, her
demanding and flagrantly pregnant sister-in-law and a collection of
other relations, all Neapolitan and speaking the Napolese dialect
that still marked her own speech. Her mind turns to her escape from
Naples when she was 18 and her rejection of that part of her life
but which has left its mark on her own accented Italian. A sudden
storm on the beach allows her to steal the child's doll, which she
hides in her apartment, buys clothes for and gruesomely expels a
worm from its body, an act that is comparable to aborting a growth.
The doll is again an ideal child, unlike her own daughters, a child
that accepts attention but doesn't demand or distract, a child whose
sexuality can be controlled. Leda by chance becomes friendly with
the child's mother who expresses her admiration for Leda's learning
and grace, until she reveals the doll. Screaming in vicious dialect
the mother tells Leda that her books and learning mean nothing
before shockingly assaulting her. In the end an act of cheerful
acceptance, a sign of love, from her daughters restores balance to
Leda's life, and the reader is left with the understanding that this
love counts for more than the challenges that the children have
caused. Ferrante is concerned with the complexity of being a woman,
a mother and a daughter, and the power of upbringing, as well as the
limited effect of education. She asks how much can learning, reading
and knowing literature moderate the effects of the dilemmas of
motherhood? This powerful novel is recommended for older readers.
Jenny Hamilton
The Remedy by Suzanne Young
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781481437653
(Age: 16+) The Remedy is a dystopian romance with a dark
twist: it tells the story of Quinlan McKee, a 17-year-old,
relatively normal girl with a very strange job: she's a 'closer'.
She's an actor-of-sorts who takes on the persona of people who have
recently died, and brings comfort and closure to their families, in
an unusual form of grief counselling. But then she takes on the
assignment of Catalina Barnes, who died a mysterious death, and
uncovers secrets beyond what she thought possible. The Remedy is a prequel to Young's other novels The
Program and The Treatment, taking place in the same
universe, and in this way it works perfectly well. The story itself
is highly original and often very engaging - however, the writing
style is quite simplistic and far from literary. For some this may
be annoyingly plain, while for others it makes the story more
enjoyable, but this mostly comes down to personal preference. It's
worth mentioning that love triangles are often a point of contention
when it comes to teenage novels, and The Remedy is no
different. The love triangle here is quite well done - the only
problem being that it feels underdeveloped, and this remains one of
the major flaws in the novel. Because of this, and since the love
triangle is such a key part of the storyline, the novel would have
definitely benefited from being a bit longer.
Even though The Remedy is a prequel, it works quite well as
a standalone book - nonetheless, it is of course aimed at fans of
Young's other books, particularly The Program and The
Treatment, and it is they who will most enjoy it, along with
fans of teenage dystopian romance.
Rebecca Adams
Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen
Breaking Nova series, bk2.
Sphere, 2015. ISBN 9780751555356.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Drug abuse.
Nova can't forget Quinton, the
one who made her realise that an empty life is not what she
deserved. Nova has come to terms with her past and has started to
heal, while Quinton is out there getting worse and sinking deeper.
She is determined to find him and help him, even if he doesn't want
the help. Quinton believes that this is what he deserves, life
without Nova and a life of hopelessness and despair. He tries to
keep Nova away from his life to keep her safe, but Nova isn't going
anywhere.
Nova having been a drug addict herself and wanting to help Quinton
through his struggles while fighting her past, was astonishing; I
needed to keep reading to see if Nova would succeed in saving
Quinton.
Jessica Sorensen has done a marvellous job in portraying a
life in an addiction and how it affects others. The story pulled at
so many emotions and addresses personal issues that will have the
reader hooked.
Cecilia Richards
