Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404528
(Age: 9-11) Grief and loss. Treasure hunts. Bullying.
School life. Family life. Grandparents. Prodigies. Nicholas is an
eleven year old maths and music prodigy, his inner dialogue is
written with musical notations to describe the sounds around him and
he's obsessed with prime numbers. He is socially isolated and takes
solace in talking to the tree where his parents buried his brother
who died prematurely. He believes the tree is his brother embodied
in a new form and he treasures the pine needles and cones.
Nicholas's life is a difficult one, school is problematic, social
situations awkward and he is being bullied. When his grandfather
appears after 30 years in prison, full of tales about buried treasure
hidden in an old derelict house, Nicholas is soon caught up in an
adventure. Unfortunately, Grandpa Rose is beginning to suffer from
dementia and it is difficult for him to remember just where he hid
the heirlooms in the ghost house.
This is a uniquely written story, every time anyone
talks a musical notation is added as a subscript. The narrative is
told using different perspectives, Grandpa Rose's journal entries
and Nicholas' inner dialogue and observations. The level of bullying
is quite intense and the inclusion of a seance, bartering with the
local witch and helping with a breakout from the nursing home makes
this a novel for older readers.
Rhyllis Bignell
Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson
Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471122668
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Adolescent. Coming of age. Friendship. Emily
is looking forward to a summer hanging out with her friend Sloane
but Sloane just disappears, leaving no trace of where she has gone
or what has happened to her. A to-do list for Emily is all that is
left behind; a list with 13 things for Emily to do, including
kissing a stranger and going skinny dipping. Emily is left with no
one to hang out with - all her social activities had been with
Sloane, who was outgoing and fun. She decides to take her courage in
her hands and starts doing some of the things on the list, like pick
an apple at the Orchard, the local party spot, and it is here that
Frank, the school leader, makes her acquaintance. From then on
things look up for Emily.
This narrative flows along beautifully, the writing making it very
easy to become involved with Emily, who gradually sees how much she
has relied on Sloane and how she has to make an effort to do things
by herself and to make new friends. By asking for Mona (on her to-do
list) she gets a summer job and meets Dawn, a girl who works at a
nearby pizza place and they become friendly. Frank asks her to help
him with his running and together they begin to become friends,
becoming easy with each other, talking about music, and comparing
playlists. With his mate Collins' help, he starts to help Emily
check things off her list. As Emily checks off more from her list,
she realises that Sloane was helping her to overcome some of her
deepest fears and helping her to be a braver person.
Much of the appeal of the book is the exploration of friendship
between the outgoing Sloane and the quieter Emily. Sloane drags
Emily along with her shopping and even arranges for her to go out
with Gideon and the two do everything together. It is such a shock
for Emily to find that Sloane has left without a word and Emily is
the one who ultimately has to teach Sloane about the nature of
friendship. Emily gradually changes without the influence of Sloane;
she makes new friends and is able to stand on her own two feet.
This doesn't contain any topics that couldn't be given to younger
teens - even the skinny dipping is covered with towels - but it does
explore the nature of friendship very well, the effect that one 's
best friend having a boyfriend or girlfriend can have on a
relationship and also the confining nature of totally relying on
just one best friend. The blossoming friendship between Emily and
Frank will satisfy those who enjoy a romance as well.
This has been nominated for YALSA
Teens Top picks 2015 and that it should prove popular in a
library.
Pat Pledger
Hard Nuts of History: Wars and Battles by Tracey Turner
A & C Black, 2015. ISBN 9781472910943
(Age: Middle -Upper primary) Recommended. What did Mary Seacole and
Florence Nightingale have in common?
The Boston Tea Party! What was it and what could a tea party
possibly have to do with a war?
Which French military commander was banished to an island . . .
twice, and why?
Pompey, Xerxes the Great, Trotsky and Siegfried Sassoon? Interesting
names, but were they rampaging generals, the enemy or risk-taking
spies? One was a poet as well! Hard nuts, all of them! And what
about American Indians?
History! One imagines cumbersome, dusty volumes, smelling musty and
old, with thick yellowed pages, but Tracy Turner has written a
glossy, almost pocket-sized, fascinating little book that explains
history in a light, breezy and highly engaging style, with witty
images. Many of the momentous moments in history that defined
nations and shaped populaces are condensed into this book. Courage,
cunning, survival skills and the ruthlessness of these indisputably
brave individuals (whose sensibility is at times questionable), is
measured on 'HARDOMETERS', and each is given a Hard Nut rating, out
of 10!
Fifty-three pages of pithy but absorbing descriptions of both men
and women who led their armies into battle, fighting for what they
believed in, surviving . . . or not, makes for a thoroughly
compelling read for even the most reluctant student of history.
So you already KNOW all about wars and battles?
If you read this book and take the quiz at the back, you'll find out
how much you REALLY know, and learn a lot of fascinating stuff on
the journey. It has a Timeline, and a Glossary to explain what all
those complex words mean.
I recommend Wars and Battles to children in the middle and upper
primary school years, whose interest in history and the world around
them is still developing.
J. Kerr-Smith
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781619633506
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Friendship; Mystery; Adventure;
Communism - fiction. Hazel Kaplansky lives during the period
post-WWII in the United States when the fear of communism could
divide communities, with lies, rumour and innuendo used as weapons
that could harm relationships and reputations. Hazel is a
self-proclaimed, relentlessly focused spy-catcher who uses small
hints, clues and fabrication to create a portfolio of evidence
against potential spies. She is influenced by the Trixie Belden
model of solving mysteries. She is also on the idiosyncratic end of
the personality scale - her initial poor self-awareness and her
attempts to impress with her higher order thinking create a humorous
and peculiar view of life. Her parents run a Cemetery, with
particular emphasis on the horticultural enhancements to the
grounds. The combination of her natural curiosity and her lack of
friends creates an environment where things get out of hand. She is
the target of the mean girls at school and finds the new boy, Samuel
(who joins her in their sights), as a worthy companion in her
attempts to find hidden secrets that extend into the past. Samuel's
own story is full of them! Hazel's misadventures eventually lead her
to greater awareness of the complexities of life. There are many
wonderfully humourous scenes in this book - her relegation to the
triangle in school music lessons, and her relationships with her
parents and other adults are often quite quirky.
I can recommend this book for readers aged 8+, but I suspect the
references to Communism as a threat will go over the heads of
younger readers in Australia. They should still enjoy Hazel's
misguided view of her circumstances, and her attempts at solving
problems.
Carolyn Hull
Mr Huff by Anna Walker
Penguin Viking, 2015. ISBN 9780670078042
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Depression, Mental illness, Childhood
fears, Bad hair days. Poor old Bill just can't seem to get rid of
the cloud that hangs over his day. Right from the start things go
wrong. He loses a sock, his cereal is soggy, he spills the milk as
he trips over his bag. The day just gets worse. He is late for
school and someone seems to be sitting in his place. The cloud which
follows him seems to get bigger and he tries to talk to someone
about it but the words simply cannot come out. He tries to ignore it
but that does not work. He tries to be brave to get rid of it but
that doesn't work. But when he takes Mr Huff by the hand and they go
home, walking through puddles, smiling at the other children,
watching the friendly dog in the street Bill accepts Mr Huff and the
next day he wakes to a cloudy day but with the promise of sunshine.
This is a wonderful story, seemingly a simple tale of Bill accepting
the cloud which sometimes hangs over him, the tale expands to a
story about the highs and lows of life, the depression we sometimes
feel when things do not go our way, the clouds and sunshine which
make up all of our days. What a treat for young children to read,
seeing themselves in each of the pages, sometimes happy, sometimes
sad, learning that this is a condition of life. The glowering
menacing Mr Huff looms larger as the story progresses, but changes
once tears fall from his face. He is no longer the thing to be
voided, rejected or hidden, but an integral part of the boy and his
day.
The watercolour and pen illustrations suit the story, with their
emphasis on home and the everyday things around the child. The
street scenes are full of the ordinary things of life, things we
take for granted but are there to support us when blue. A delightful
story full of moments which are easily recognised by a reader of any
age, and may initiate much discussion in the classroom and at home.
Fran Knight
Bomber by Paul Dowswell
Bloomsbury, 2015 ISBN 978 1 4088 5849 3
(Age: Upper Primary and Lower Secondary) Well recommended. A
realistic and grim account of a US crew flying a B-17 bomber to
England to support the RAF and then the perilous flights to bomb
strategic places in Germany in 1943. Told from Harry Friedman's
perspective, the reader is enveloped in the everyday detail, from
the devestating explosion of a retuning bomber when all the aviators
died on landing, to the intricate detail the mechanics went to keep
the bombers flying. The unseen horrors of night flying over Germany
for the crew of the Macey May, the bail out over occupied Holland on
a training run, the first successful sortie followed by a heart
stopping final flight gives the reader a taste of the real horror of
war and of being brought back to England by the French Resistance.
The descriptions of the crew and their reactions bring a touch of
normality to this gripping and believable story, loosely based on
places the author knows.
The pace moves swiftly along with story line and has clear, well
spaced text.
There is a clear double page explaining the positions, names and
aeroplane details of the crew of the Boeing Flying Fortress B-17 G.
There are 3 pages called 'Fact Behind the Fiction' where the author
is interviewed.
Sue Nosworthy
Yes! No. (Maybe . . . ) by Liz Pichon
Tom Gates bk 8. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 9781760153663
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Family Life; Friendships;
School life; Humour. This is another wonderful excerpt from the life
and drawings of Tom Gates. The comical illustrations partner well
with the text to reveal Tom's character and his relationships to all
around him. Tom is in year 5 and has to cope with school (not always
as well has his teacher would like,) an annoying older sister,
friendships, band practice, the 'Fossils' (grandparents) and their
peculiarities and Parents! In this episode in Tom's life he needs to
participate in school Business Day while dealing with an array of
substitute teachers during an outbreak of 'the coughing bug'; help
his family de-clutter and get rid of their 'junk' at a Boot Sale;
recover a valuable item inadvertently included in the 'junk' and
remember to honour his Mother's birthday.
The quirky illustrations and Tom's unique view of life will appeal
to all young readers in the 8-12 age bracket. This will be another
of Liz Pichon's books that is in high demand in library collections.
Carolyn Hull
Hard nuts of history: Kings and queens by Tracey Turner
Ill. by Jamie Lenman. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781472910929
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Non fiction, History, Kings and queens
The fourth in the series of books about the hard nuts, those people
in history who have made an impact, who have been adventurous, sees
the author focussing on the kings and queens in the past. Many names
are familiar and some quite well known, but most are of people who
will fascinate and intrigue as a brief outline is given to describe
each.
So we have a double page spread devoted to the known: Henry v111,
Elizabeth the first, Montezuma, but these are mixed with people such
as Murad 1V, Suleiman the magnificent and Queen Tamar of Georgia.
Each person has several paragraphs outlining their lives and impact,
while nutty pictures are added to illustrate the information. Other
people are given just a paragraph in a double page of a group of
people, such as warriors which contains a kernel (sorry) about
Charlemagne and Boudica, Mary 1, Richard 1 and Edward 1, are grouped
together in a double page entitled, More hard nuts of British
history. Readers will laugh out loud at the way the
information is presented, and develop a brief understanding of who
these people were and what they did to be remembered.
In the middle of the book is a quiz which will also entrance the
readers, and the last few pages offer a timeline, glossary and
index. The timeline puts all the people in the book in chronological
order which helps the reader place them in history.
A most interesting addition to this series, readers will love this
expose of some odd kings and queens from history.
Fran Knight
Extraordinary means by Robyn Schneider
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471115486
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Seventeen year old Lane has been sent to
Latham House, a boarding school for sick teens with total drug
resistant tuberculosis. His old life is four hundred miles away with
his car, his dog and his girlfriend. He can't believe that his life
has come to this. When he meets Sadie, a familiar face whom he
recognises from summer camp, he realises that life might not be as
bad as it first seems. A week of hard studying for college entry and
the break up with his girlfriend has made his symptoms become worse.
Then one night after talking to Sadie in the gazebo things slowly
begin to change. He is accepted into their eccentric group and for
the first time he starts to live his life.
A heart-wrenching story about love, bullying, strong relationships
and second chances. Fans of John Green, Stephen Chbosky and Rainbow
Rowell's Eleanor and Park, will enjoy how Robyn Schneider
has presented the characters and the theme of this book. The
character's dry sense of humour is appropriately written and makes
the other characters' charms more attractive. I loved the simplicity
of Sadie's character which made her more real and accessible. Lane's
character is more complex, an overachiever and socially awkward at
first, but as their relationship grows his personality becomes more
relaxed and likable.
This is Schneider's second book and I can't wait to read her other
book The beginning of everything. I thoroughly enjoyed this
book and would recommend it to young adults and any one above.
Jody Holmes
The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward
Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471143564
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Samantha Kemi has a bright future as a great
natural alchemist, as generations of Kemi's have done so before her.
If only she could further her skills instead of staying behind to
help out with her families slowly dwindling potion shop. An
opportunity arises when she is summoned by the royal family to take
her place in the Wilde hunt, a national wide hunt held to help find
a cure for the princess who has been poisoned by her own love
potion. Also in the hunt are her family's rivals, the father and son
team of Zol and Zain Aster, who own the synthetic potion company
ZoroAster Megapharma Company. Samantha must travel through wild
terrain with the family's ingredient finder, Kirsty. Together they
must race together to beat the other competitors to gather all the
ingredients, mix the potion and save the princess before it's too
late. The potion diaries is a magical modern fairy tale adventure
story. Amy Alward has also written under the name Amy McCulloch. She
has beautifully crafted easy relatable characters that are
bewitching and enchanting. The story is fast paced and simple to
follow the two main story lines. The potion diaries will be a hit for senior primary students
and above who loved the Harry Potter series or even Divergent.
I loved reading this book and could not put it down, it left me
reading 'just one more chapter'. I can't wait to read book 2 coming
out in July 2016.
Jody Holmes
Jackaby by William Ritter
Algonquin, 2014. ISBN 9781616202535
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended, Crime, Detection, Supernatural,
Historical novel. When seventeen year old Abigail Rook lands at the
port of New Fiddleham in New England in 1892, she must look for
lodgings and then work to support herself. Work comes first as she
falls into the wake of one R F Jackaby, a detective who does not
dismiss the supernatural in his musings. She answers his
advertisement for an assistant, and she goes with him to investigate
the mysterious and bloody death of a man at a boarding house. But he
includes many things in his investigations, laughed at by the police
detective, Marlowe and his assistant, Crane, who like Inspector
Lestrade in some of the Sherlock Holmes stories, provide a play it
by the rules foil to Jackaby's sleuthing. A second even more bloody
death sees the pair imprisoned by Marlowe, and while incarcerated
they hear the banshee's cries, just as the two men did before their
deaths the previous nights.
This is a wonderful read, set brilliantly in the New England area of
the USA at the end of the nineteenth century, evoking the delightful
Jackaby with his Sherlock Holmes style of investigation, looking
closely at clues unseen by others, but with a does of other worldly
things reminiscent of fantasy stories. At his house is a duck, the
unfortunate Douglas, his previous assistant, and a ghost, the
wonderful Jenny who keeps Abigail informed. The house is an eclectic
clutter of things, deliciously described, enticing the reader to
look into every corner of each of the rooms. But beware those who
stare at the frog, because this initiates a smell which causes the
whole house to be evacuated.
I read this with relish, laughing at the black humour, revelling in
the blood and possibilities of other worldly creatures, admiring the
wonderful characters and marvelling at the setting. And I am pleased
to see that Jackaby has a sequel, Beastly bones.
With a chapter ending, 'Across town Mr Henderson - the man who had
head the banshee's silent scream spent the evening dying. To be more
accurate, he spent a brief portion of the evening dying, and the
rest of it being dead,' who could resist the call to read on.
Fran Knight
Poppy in the field by Mary Hooper
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408827635
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. World War One. Historical fiction.
Nursing. Historical fiction at its best, Hooper continues the story
of Poppy, a parlour maid from a grand house who joins the VAD's at
the outbreak of World War One. This group of volunteers were able to
rely on money sent from home, but Poppy is supported by a former
teacher, wanting her to break free from her humble origins. In the
first book, Poppy serves at a hospital in Southampton, dealing with
soldiers ferried across the channel from France. She sees the end
result of war, the pain and suffering it causes, the death and
carnage of trench warfare. But rejected by someone she thought loved
her, she volunteers to go to France to serve in the frontline
hospitals. She is sent to a small coastal town where she deals with
soldiers sent on from the hospitals at the fronts. Here she must
deal with soldiers who have received initial help, surgery,
bandaging, assessment, and now are in the second line of aid. She
meets men with limbs amputated, those who feel life is at an end,
those who can't wait to get back home and those who lie to avoid
their girlfriends and families knowing the truth.
She joins a pair of American nurses who try to capture any moment of
fun they can, and several times take out a car to go on a picnic or
simply drive. She meets again Dr Michael from Netley and is drawn to
him. But the strict moral code of Edwardian times still imposed in
time of war sees Poppy almost sent home.
A wonderful story of a young woman learning that she can do things
beyond those set by custom and society as she plays an important
role in the hospitals abroad. Her hospital is an old casino in
Boulogne and here she proves her metal. She meets other women who
have come to be of service, none more so than the two women who set
up a surgery near the front line in Belgium to treat soldiers for
minor complaints to allow the doctors to get on with the war wounds,
and the two American nurses wanting to do their bit.
Based on much research, this story is easy to read and engaging,
giving a well grounded look at how the immediate aftermath of
fighting was dealt with. And the romantic involvements running
through the story add an extra piquancy which readers will enjoy.
Fran Knight
An armadillo in Paris by Julie Kraulis
Tundra Books, 2014. ISBN 9781770495265
Arlo the armadillo from Brazil is always up for an adventure, a
love he inherited from his grandfather Augustus who wrote a series
of journals about his favourite destinations so that one day Arlo
could see them for himself. On this, his first adventure, Arlo is
off to Paris to explore its art, history and life and the mysterious
La Dame de Fer, the Iron Lady, whom he might get to meet if he
follows his grandfather's instructions.
Written in two strands; the first the journal entry of Augustus, and
the second the narrator's description of what he sees and does; the
reader is taken on a journey through the iconic sights of Paris
beginning with the mad traffic circle whirling around the base of
the Arc de Triomphe, eating flaky croissants at a traditional French
cafe and on to meeting the Iron Lady. Who could she be? Throughout
the journal entries, Augustus provides information and clues about
this enigmatic figure until finally she is revealed.
Beautifully illustrated with a delicate palette this is an
intriguing book which straddles the faction-fiction and fact-genre
perfectly, entertaining and educating at the same time. It will
introduce a fascinating city to new travellers and bring back
memories for those who have had the pleasure of visiting. The inside
of the dust cover is an imaginative use of what is usually blank
space and there are snippets of extra information about the Iron
Lady at the end. It has broad appeal, there is the cuteness of an
armadillo having an adventure and solving the mystery of the Iron
Lady for the younger readers, while there is an introduction to Paris
and its culture for the more advanced reader. So much more
interesting than some of the strictly factual books we ask our
students to learn from.
Barbara Braxton
Charlie plays ball by Ree Drummond
Ill. by Diane deGroat. HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780062297525 (Age:
Preschool - Yr 2) Charlie is a hard-working ranch dog. There is
always so much to do on the ranch - riding, roping, feeding, fixing,
and making sure pesky critters stay away from the homestead. But
there's fun too, especially when it's time to play ball. His
favourite is football, or is it soccer? Or basketball? Or something
else?
This is a cheerful story that will appeal to all those who have
dogs, or who would like one, and the ending will provide a laugh.
Even though it is American it emphasises the fun dogs can offer as
well as how they contribute so much to our lives in a practical way.
Recently there was a news story about Molly, a little dog who
accompanies twins to an ACT school because her super-sensitive nose
can detect when their ketones change and they are in need of
insulin, and this story about Charlie (who is real) could be a
kick-starter to how dogs help us in everyday life. The children will
be familiar with the work of guide dogs but there are all sorts of
assistance dogs whose work is often unknown. Perhaps it is time to
celebrate all that these fun, four-legged furry creatures do for us.
Getting to know Charlie with his floppy ears, droopy eyes and short
legs would be a great start.
Barbara Braxton
To Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743316559
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Short stories. Fantasy. Science
fiction. This is an intriguing collection of short stories that will
be sure to beguile fans of Garth Nix, of whom I am one. It is a
mixture of fantasy, science fiction, horror, vampires and even has a
murder mystery to solve. The stories are gathered under the
following headings: Creatures of Darkness and Light, Standing up to
be Counted, Check your faint heart at the door, A wink and a nod and
Under other skies.
The highlight of the collection is the first in the book and a
novella from the Old Kingdom, To hold the bridge, and will
be eagerly read by people who love the Abhorsen series. The young
protagonist, Morghan, has been left a share certificate in the
Bridge Company and desperately wants to work as a guard. He is a
diffident young man, easy to like and when danger threatens, he has
to overcome his fears and defend the bridge from invaders. I really
enjoyed this and it is one that I will return to, to reread about
loyalty, courage and overcoming odds. Vampire weather is Nix's nod to the obsession with vampires
in some young adult fiction and it is frightening and very thought
provoking. Amos belongs to a closeted community that won't allow
modern medicine including vaccinations against vampire bites, and
the only freedom that he is allowed, is to go to the road to collect
the mail. One day he meets a young girl there and even though he is
not supposed to talk to any women or girls, she strikes up a
conversation with him. I cannot put in any more information without
adding spoilers - this is one that must be read to fully enjoy the
surprises and dilemmas that Nix provides. Another one with vampires
at its core is Infestation, equally poignant and heart
stopping.
This is a great collection to read from cover to cover and the
twists in the stories make them very memorable. It also would be a
good book to have to dip into for moments when a reader wants
something short, interesting, and unique to read or to read aloud in
a class.
Pat Pledger
