A story about family and sibling cooperation that Middle primary children with brothers and sisters will relate to. Sisters, Rida and Midiya have two very different personalities, so sharing a room and getting on is not so easy for either of them. The older sibling Rida who is a quiet, studious girl, loves going to the library. So when the Librarian Mx Russell tells her the library is going to close because it needs upgrading after a flood, she is determined to help by joining the fundraising effort by drawing Mehndi designs on people’s hands. Her sister has other plans, in fact, she accidentally raises a great deal more money than her big sister by acting the clown and singing funny songs near her sister’s Mehndi stall. At first, Rida is angry but then she realises that whatever happens, all the money will help the library so they try to put their differences aside, and work together to make their efforts count to save the library.
The book is illustrated using a selection of full-page black-and-white pictures which serve to show the girls in action through the story. The pictures also show a character (the Librarian) who identifies as They, not him or her which is worth noting for teachers wanting a book that has this included. This book is published as part of the Bloomsbury Readers collection, this one being in the Dark Red band.
Themes Brothers and sisters, Libraries, Fundraising, Cooperation, Gender identity.
Gabrielle Anderson
Count the stars by Raelyn Caisley and Gabriel Evans
Maddie loves to watch the parallel shadows the blind makes on the wall in the morning. And she looks for symmetry in the flowers in the garden. She sees Dad making patterns with the bricks he is using to make a path, as he tells her about tessellations. After pulling the petals off a daisy she works out how many petals there are in the whole garden. Patterns are enticing, leading her to ponder the different ways of telling the time, or putting all the coins in small piles when Dad does the school lunches. She loves mathematics and her teacher often puts a star, sometimes two on her work, but she finds that she is the odd one out. When her neighbour’s children come over she wants to talk about circles and rectangles but they just want to play with the dolls and when they cook with Mum the two want to make decorations, but Maddie is interested in measuring the ingredients.
Usually this does not bother her, but lately she sees that others do not share her interest. One day, Dad announces that they are going to the observatory with the new girl, Priya and her mother. Here she is amazed at the use of mathematics as they talk of the speed of light and angles and degree and stars. Priya and Maddie are amazed at all they see, listening to Dad and Priya’s mother tell them about numbers. That night, Maddie sleeps soundly, dreaming of the stars and her new friend.
A charming story of finding a friend who is interested in the same things you find interesting, Count the stars will resonate with younger readers who think outside the square.
The story of the Trojan Wars told from the perspective of the women, is mesmerising. All the gods are there meddling in the affairs of the Greeks and Trojans with caprice and malevolence.
The story begins with Creusa waking in the middle fo the night to flames as Troy is sacked and burnt, its inhabitants slaughtered, the ploy of the Trojan horse successful. We hear of the Greek invasion through her eyes as she runs thorough the night trying, unsuccessfully, to find an escape route, but appalled by the sights she sees, the smoke and fire, the marauding soldiers and the fearful Trojans. It is a stunning introduction to the Trojan Wars, and we are in the thick of it as Troy falls, seeing the panic of the women.
From here we are taken across the seas to Greece and the decisions made with powerful consequences as Helen is brought back to Troy by Menelaus. Ten years of war ensues the Greeks occupying the beaches in front of the city, laying siege.
The muse Calliope narrates numerous stories from the perspective of the women involved in the Trojan War. She is speaking to a male who appears to be writing down some of the stories, and in between her tellings we hear from others: Cassandra, Hecuba, Andromeda amongst many as they try to survive the bloodshed. Goddesses and muses also get a voice in this wonderful story. The women in the main are victims of the gods and the male decision makers. But their stories are enticing, we know that their end will be bloody but are taken in with the background of the women, and how they coped with the intervention of the gods. We hear very little about Helen of Troy or the wars themselves, the horse, the killing of Hector, the voyages of Odysseus, the role of the decisions makers, but we hear of them in passing as they affect women’s lives. The men form a background, albeit decisive, to the women whose stories we hear.
So we see Penelope waiting the long ten years for the return of her husband, Odysseus. She has heard from poems and stories that the war has finished and expects his return but the stories also tell of his adventures in the seas between Ithaca and Troy where his voyage is interrupted by the capricious gods. She hears of his dalliance with women along the way, and talks of the pressure of the suitors eating her out of house and home as they try to win her over, but faithful Penelope keeps them at bay.
We are taken into the palace of Troy where the women watch the killing of Hector, his body dragged behind Achille’s chariot around the city, the women devastated watching from the walls. We hear of the three muses squabbling over a golden apple, and hear of their interference in lives for their own amusement.
All the intoxicating myths are there but told from a different perspective revitalise them, adding another layer of interest to an already thrilling saga.
I listened to an audio version read by the author, Natalie Haynes.
Themes Trojan Wars, Greek myths, Odyssey, Women.
Fran Knight
Willa and Woof: Let the games begin by Jacqueline Harvey
The fifth installment in a series for middle primary readers about a very imaginative 8-year-old girl called Willa and her large, albino wolf hound, Woof. The series by Jacqueline Harvey started with Mimi is Missing, followed by Birthday Business, Grandparents for Hire and Wedding Rescue.
The book opens with Willa training hard for a gymnastics competition in her backyard. She is new to this sport and is desperate to help her team win the competition that is coming up in a few weeks. In the meantime, the relationship between Sunset Views, a nursing home and Willa’s school continues to thrive with the help of Willa and her friend Tae. Willa and her dog regularly visit the nursing home now to provide the residents with animal interaction. When Willa arrives on this particular Monday Mr Babbar has had an idea for a new way to bring the children and the nursing home residents together. A Tournament of the Ages will provide activities that they can all participate in and provide some competition between the children and their older friends. However, an unfortunate accident threatens to disrupt all of Willa’s plans and good intentions but may ultimately lead her to make a new friend with an unlikely rival at school. These easy-to-read, adventurous stories, from the author of the Alice Miranda and Kensy and Max books, are perfect for those readers ready to tackle slightly longer novels. The characters will appeal to most children and will be positive role models for this age group.
Zoe Foster Blake’s creation, Fart, is exploring the wider world in this lift the flap book about all the different smells he encounters.
He first finds some garbage bins in the garden complete with a pigeon and a rat eating their fill. Opening the flap reveals some of the things you might expect to see in a garage bin. Smelly things! Over the page he spies people queued to buy an ice cream while something behind them is baking in the sun. Something very smelly!
He floats into a cafe where he rejects the pizza in the oven and spies his favourite, wonderful anchovies. Lovely and smelly!
On he goes to the house where two children are sitting on the sofa. Fart can smell their shoes and socks, as well as the popcorn they are eating. More delightful smells!
When Fart arrives at the rubbish dump, he is thrilled as it contains all the best smells in the world. Bliss!
This sturdy lift the flap book will get lots of use as younger readers will love talking about smells. They will easily recognise the smells depicted on each page, adding their own worst and favourite smells to the discussion. And of course with Fart as the main character in the book, lots of stories about smelly farts can be expected. So be prepared.
Themes Smells, Rubbish, Farts, Humour, Lift the flap.
Jonah and Dylan have antagonised each other from the moment they first met, however their friends think they would make an adorable couple and tease them relentlessly to this end. To put an end to the taunting, they decide to ‘fake date’ for three months and then stage a spectacular breakup that will silence their friends for good.
What a surprise; as they get to know each other the chemistry begins, despite their very different personalities and backgrounds. Jonah who works in a restaurant to support his two younger sisters, appears brash and confident, the life of every party, but this is a far cry from his home life with an alcoholic and often absent single-parent father. Dylan, well-off and outwardly successful in both studies and sport, is more reserved and reluctant to see his therapist to address issues with his estranged brother, panic attacks and PTSD.
Unfortunately, the voices of the two boys sound very similar and there is a lot of description and explanation that can be frustrating to plough through. Readers will also need to suspend disbelief to accept the on-going ‘fake date’ trope, the final extreme change in Jonah’s home life, and the boys’ happily-ever-after ending.
They Hate Each Other is an earnest attempt to address many of the issues facing young people today, and Woody prefaces the novel with a list of content warnings; alcoholism, neglect, underage drinking, PTSD and panic attacks, eating habits and body image, sexual harassment, physical abuse and explicit sexual language. All these are integral to the characters’ backstories and on-going issues, but add a line-up of characters encompassing pretty much the whole range of sexual-diversity and you have a story that often feels overly issues-based. A less contrived alternative might be Erik J. Brown’s Lose You to Find Me, if you don’t mind losing the ‘fake date’ plot.
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761067754. (Age:4+) Recommended.
A tribute to all those people who strive and don’t win, but keep on trying no matter what happens is given in this funny picture book about Lin and her involvement in her first sports' day. She is in the red team and so wears red shorts all through the day. She enters the sack race and the obstacle race, finding them difficult. She competes in the water balloon toss but finds it very hard. By then one child in the group has singled her out, calling her Last-Place Lin. But she keeps on trying. She is dragged through the mud in the tug of war, spits out dirt in the wheelbarrow race, gets all tangled up in the crab race, and despite her efforts still comes last. Again taunted by another member of the red team, a friend tells her not to worry. She still competes but when she drops the baton in the relay race, she takes herself away to hide.
But there is one last race to be involved in: the fun run. She needs to be encouraged to abandon her hiding place and she runs. She keeps going and finds that her name, Last-Place Lin becomes a mantra that helps one foot land after another. She sees others pass her but keeps on running. Eventually she realises that the noisy crowd is cheering her on. Elated, she runs on, and seeing the finishing line up ahead, strives to finish the race.
This is a positive story of encouragement and grit. Lin stands for never giving up, for finishing the race, for determination. This is a charming book to read aloud, encouraging the audience to empathise with the girl who always seems to come last, placing the mantle of never giving up on their shoulders.
Book number 3 in the Ratbags series by the very funny, Tim Harris will be warmly welcomed by the children who enjoy the action-packed pages of these books that are a mix between chapter books and graphic novels. Previous titles include Midnight Mischief and Naughty for Good.
The characters from the first 2 books are back – Jigsaw is still trying to be good; Onion still loves his food and Ripple can be quite smart when he wants to be. Fancy Rat is a new character from Book 2, and his expectations are always too high for the others around him.
In this story, the humans have had enough of the rats and are introducing tough new pest control measures. Rat traps are everywhere, and the rats need to be careful not to fall for the peanut butter traps. The rats have to work out a way to get past the cruel new rules and avoid being captured by the robot minks with laser beam eyes. Naturally, they band together with the most unlikely ally, Crackers the Cat, and work out how to rid the neighbourhood of their new enemies and continue their normal naughty lives in the city. Plenty of action-packed illustrations, speech bubbles, and hilarious text keep the reader engaged. A clue to the next story and a look at the next cover is given at the end of the story to keep young readers engaged, and ready for the next exciting book in this series.
Themes Rats, Pest Control, Robots.
Gabrielle Anderson
Eat my dust! by Nerida McMullin and Lucia Masciullo
Two women, Jean Robertson and Kathleen Howell, set off from Perth in 1928 determined to beat the land speed record to Adelaide. It had only been set a few months before and many were scathing that it could be done again particularly not by women. But they did it coming in five hours ahead of schedule, and then setting off to Melbourne. They had covered the 2824 kms in two days, nine hours and 57 minutes.
Like many stories of women’s achievements, the tenacity shown by them fighting against blinkered ignorance and even hostility, will have quite an effect on the readers, used now to much greater equality than one hundred years ago. Seeing the women put down and derided, underlines the efforts such pioneers had on the rise of feminism and the gaining of equal rights.
This splendid picture book shows how dedicated they were, fitting out their Lancia Lambda with all their needs for such a trip. The book takes us on the journey with them as they leave Perth and travel east, stopping at several stations on the way where they were treated with welcome cups of tea. Keeping themselves awake proved to be a problem until they began to sing together as the miles rolled by. The hardships of such a drive into unknown territory is shown in all of its problems as they become stuck in mud or have a flat tyre. Alone, they had to solve the problems for themselves, so unlike the big car rallies today where the eyes of the world are on the teams, via satellite, mobile phone and the rest, help available in an instant. Theses two lone women then passed through Ceduna, and Port Augusta, finally making Adelaide where no one was waiting for them, because they were so early.
The beautiful watercolour illustrations will encourage the readers to feel that they are there on the trip between Perth and Adelaide. The scenery is breathtaking, spectacular and fascinating, with details of flora and fauna that people see on the way. Readers will watch out for the detail in the background and look closely at the condition of the tracks they are travelling on, while revelling in the images of the car and all it held for their trip.
A map at the start of the book shows their journey and at the end of the book is extra information about the two women alongside a wonderful drawing of the vehicle.
This wonderful story evokes a world that is different from the one experienced by children today, and will give them a moment to think about how they would have coped with the journey these women made.
Themes Journey, Australian history, Road trip, Challenges.
Fran Knight
Ghost book by Remy Lai
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761065477. (Age:8-12) Recommended.
In Redhill Hospital two strange beings are marching through the corridors but no one sees or hears them. Horseface and Oxhead are carrying out tasks for the King of the Underworld, gathering ghosts of the newly dead as directed by the names on their list. But that night they were tasked with gathering two ghosts and left with only one. Twelve years later at Redhill Elementary school students are scaring themselves with stories about Hungry Ghosts. It is the seventh month of the lunar calendar when the gates of the Underworld are supposed to open and unless you are holding a special amulet you can be consumed by a Hungry Ghost. When a group of students decide to summon Tumour Ghost from a pond at school, July, one of their classmates no one remembers, offers her lunch, her dad’s wonky dumplings, to help lure out the ghost. July can see ghosts with her special yin-yang eyes and she sees a boy ghost and his pet mingling with the children but the others are oblivious. When the real Tumour Ghost does appear and sucks the dumplings dry the children run screaming to the teacher. When Tumour Ghost seizes the boy ghost and is about to eat him, July saves him by thrusting the special talisman into it. July has always been able to see ghosts but, to fit in, she has to pretend she doesn’t, however the new ghost is harder to ignore. His name is William and claims to be not dead, but in a coma. He wants July to tell his mum he is ok. The two battle more hungry ghosts, feeding them with special dumplings and find out more about themselves and the netherworld as the scary story unfolds.
The colourful comic style graphics are a pleasure to read, the main character distinguished by her ever-present red lunchbox while the ghostly characters with soft outlines are less opaque. Backstories are easy to identify in monochrome. I was reminded of Festival of Shadows by Atelier Sento with a similar subject matter, but while quite scary, with its themes of death and sacrifice, this is more suitable for a younger audience. It is good to see an Australian book tapping into folklore of other Asian cultures and at the same time Remy Lai includes characters who feel they are unseen or ignored who find friendship in unexpected places, a feeling common in all cultures.
What a wonderful friendship is shown in this book, the next in the series of books about the relationship between Gerald the elephant and his friend, Piggie.
When fun loving Piggie announces that she is a frog, cautious Gerald is taken aback, and suggests that she is a pig. But no, says Piggie, she was a pig but now she is a frog, and she leapfrogs over the elephant and says ribbit. Gerald comments that you learn something new everyday and asks Piggie when she became frog. Five minutes ago is the response so the elephant suggests that he too could become a frog, but thinking about hopping and eating flies and saying ribbit does not appeal. Gerald becomes quite upset abut not being a frog to be like his friend and cries. Piggie reassures him that he should not worry as it is only pretend. A discussion about the meaning of the word pretend follows as Piggie explains that pretending is when you act like something you are not. This is a new concept to Gerald, who takes a while for the idea to settle in. He asks Piggie questions about the idea, but when she asks him to pretend that he is a frog too, he refuses. It seems the idea is lost on Gerald, until the page is turned. The twist will ensure all readers will laugh out loud, if they are not already, and try the game of pretend for themselves.
This captivating story of a strong friendship with each friend supporting the other, despite misgivings, will give heart to younger readers, many of whom are trying out friendships for themselves, and learning of the sometimes tentative moments between friends, where support is given without question.
Gerald and Piggie support and encourage each other, Gerald supporting Piggie despite being concerned about being a frog, while Piggie supports Gerald when he becomes upset. Neither questions the other without support and encouragement, providing wonderful role models for the readers.
A read aloud version can be seen here. Or try reading it outloud yourselves.
Such fun.
Themes Friendship, Elephant and Piggie series, Support, Positive encouragement.
Fran Knight
Do penguins' feet freeze?: Wild answers to wacky questions from nature by Natural History Museum London
Do Penguins' Feet Freeze? is a delightful glossy non-fiction book which answers some interesting questions about all sorts of creatures and aspects of nature. Beginning with the contents spread across a double page and ending with an index and picture credits, this book will provide young readers (and adults) with the answers to what may be some perplexing questions. There are over 65 questions and include subjects such as:
Do octopuses dream? According to scientists, the octopus goes through two phases of sleep, similar to humans, a slow phase and a more active phase where their skin changes colour and pattern. In humans more active stage REM, we tend to dream so maybe the octopus is doing the same thing.
Do vampire bats really suck blood? Apparently not! They use heat sensors to detect where blood is near to the surface of the skin and cut through the skin with sharp teeth. They then lap up the blood. Do birds have local dialects? It appears that town birds have a slightly higher pitch than birds from the countryside and the yellowhammer living in NZ has a completely different song from those living in the UK.
Each page in this book is brightly coloured with segmented information easily accessible for middle primary readers, large headings and introductory comments, as well as stunning photographs that are clearly labelled. This book definitely has a place in a home, school or public library.
Themes Animals, Facts, Questions, Nature.
Kathryn Beilby
That's not my kitten by Fiona Watt. illus. by Rachel Wells
Another touchy feely book from Usborne, in the series of touchy feely books which aim to delight, entertains and inform. I read That’s not my rocket a few months ago and thought it would be a good vehicle for animals as well, then this one came across my desk.
This one starts on the front cover with ears that feel very soft. My grandaughter’s hands go straight to the different feeling material on each double page where I am still looking for the differences.
Each double page shows a kitten in various poses, and the same line given, ‘That’ s not my kitten.’
Then a reason given which shows what the child will feel. In the first page the tongue is too fuzzy, so hands will feel the unusual surface. The illustrations are bold, bright and colourful with little detail to distract the eyes from the main thing, the kitten.
Over the pages, its nose is too smooth, the bell is too shiny, its paws are too rough, until finally we find the kitten because its tummy is fluffy.
A patchwork of different textures will delight younger children, listening to the language, learning the one repeated line and taking on the different words which describe a kitten: paws, ears, tummy etc.
On one ordinary high school day in Melbourne 1982, 16-year-old Lisa Keller’s world is turned upside down. Her beloved father Emil has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and it completely sends the life as Lisa once knew into a spin. If navigating the unwritten rules of high school, first love and friendship dramas were not enough, Lisa now faces the horrific and heart-wrenching truth of her father’s hidden past. With only six months to live, Emil chooses to share his story about the life he has kept secret up until now.This story encompasses Emil’s early childhood memories, his journey to Auschwitz as a young boy with his family, and the shocking abuse and deprivation he suffered at the hands of the Nazis.
Each Friday evening after the MND diagnosis, the family, which includes Lisa’s Mum and her two medical student brothers, gathers to hear Emil’s story. They tape his story on cassettes and video the retelling for their future. As the storytelling continues, Lisa begins to lose her identity as she finds out her father changed his name from Rosenfeld to Keller, she had family in Czechoslovakia she knew nothing about, that her father as a teenager endured unbelievable suffering in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, barely survived ‘The Death March’ in 1945, and that closer to home, she fears her peers finding out she has Jewish heritage.
The use of alternate chapters to share Emil’s journey and Lisa’s response to her father’s story provides the reader with an escape from the harrowing life experienced by Emil and to become immersed in Lisa’s daily life as she tries to cope with the secrets she is being told. She in turn tries to maintain some normalcy at school but pushes away those that are closest to her. For Lisa the last weeks with her father as he succumbs to his illness is fraught with despair, but she finds solace in the writing down of his story, and gradually lets others in to share her pain.
The author, Suzy Zail, has based Inkflower on her 2006 non-fiction book, The Tattooed Flower: a memoir, her own father’s story of his brutal experiences in WW2, starting a new life in Australia, his MND diagnosis and his passing from the disease. Young adult readers of Inkflower may find the descriptions of the terrible conditions, the inhumane treatment and abuses confronting, but it is also a story of unbreakable family bonds, young love, hope, resilience, and enduring friendship.
A remarkable story. Teacher's notes and information are available from the publisher.
Themes World War Two, Holocaust, Secrets, Jewish People, Hardship, Deprivation, Love, Family, Motor Neurone Disease, Relationships, School.
Kathryn Beilby
One song by A.J. Betts
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781761264900. (Age:16+) Recommended.
Eva has musical talent that needs to be recognised. Her one desire is to make the finals of Unearthed the Triple-J music competition for High Schoolers. She is in year 12, so this is her last chance. Cooper, her one time boyfriend, has managed to convince her to give it one more shot …. not to resume their relationship but to add a band to embellish her vocals and keyboards. Lead guitarist Cooper has always been able to twist her heart and inspire her, so they embark on a final wild weekend of creativity with Ant, the drummer and moody Ruby the bassist added to give Eva’s lyrics more gravitas. The song they need to produce has a deadline that tortures them and the weekend has many moments of tension and heartbreak. Through it all Mim records her ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary of the process, documenting a drama with notes of romance, teen angst, occasional humour and misunderstanding, and the tension of an impossible pursuit for success and maybe fame. All this cacophony of desire takes place in the studio on the grounds of an absent but famous old rock star, who just happens to be Cooper’s father.
This is a very compelling YA story with the accompanied beat of drums and guitars and ambition. With the occasional interruption of mental illness issues, feminine hygiene concerns, unrequited love and the underlying fear of failure, this story’s deadline to create a song adds a tension that creates a powerful impact for the reader. The ‘lockdown’ in the studio to force the creative project seems more like a teen disaster (alcohol is involved), but musical progress is possible. I am sure that readers, with or without musical connections, aged 16+ will enjoy the journey of creation of One Song. This is a teen story, a roller coaster of discovery with many twists on the romance front, but it is also a coming-to-maturity tale that is entertaining on many levels.
