Wylah the Koorie Warrier: Custodians by Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard
Albert Street Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781761180040. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
Custodians is the second book in the series Wylah the Koorie Warrior and is as equally engaging as the first. In this story, Wylah is desperately searching for her whole village who have been stolen by dragons to work in gold mines in a faraway land. This time though Wylah has the support of the five united Guardians and her animal companions and friends as she navigates dangerous lands in search of her tribe. With her Grandmother now in the Dreaming, Wylah has become the Koorie Warrior with all the responsibilities of such an important role and the others look to her for guidance and protection.
Throughout the trek the friends face one perilous situation after another. They meet the aggressive Alinta who is Custodian of one of the lands they travel through and who challenges Wylah and Pippy to a contest of speed. There are fierce and fiery drop bears, thieving baby yowies and their formidable mother, a giant red Yara-ma-yha-who that swallows Jayden, a stranger who joined the group early on but whom Wylah does not quite trust, a great Emu who is protecting her eggs and tries to squash them, attacked by Ngarparuts (growl rats) and finally a terrible battle with fire-breathing dragons. In each of these challenges Wylah must call upon her Guardians to help and her companions all bravely join in the battles. Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan and Wylah and her companions are betrayed.
For the reader there is the opportunity to learn about First Nations culture and language, their deep connection to Country, their spiritual beliefs and strong family relationships. This is a fast-paced and exciting read. Strong, brave characters with humour abounding and excitement on every page. The publisher has provided an activity sheet. Book 3 will be out soon.
The super adventures of Ollie and Bea: Otter-ly ridiculous by Renee Treml
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761068126. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
This sixth installment in the sensational junior graphic novel series The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea series (It's Owl Good, Squeals on Wheels, Bats What Friends Are For) is perfect for young, independent readers or for read alouds. The chapter divisions also help with making reading goals approachable. The series will appeal to fans of the Duck, Duck, Porcupine series by Salina Yoon, the Elephant and Piggie series and Renee Treml's other graphic series, Sherlock Bones. While accessible to a younger audience, its content and format will be equally appealing and relevant to an older age group.
In this installment, Bea wants to play hide and seek and Ollie reluctantly agrees. Soon they invite their friends to play as well. There are rollercoaster emotions from everyone; sometimes they are good at hiding and declare themselves invincible and sometimes they can't find someone and they feel sad. They decide no one is really the best at hiding...perhaps they are all good sometimes. When two of the friends get into an awful argument, the others try to cheer them up with some jokes, but that just leads to another pair getting grumpy at each other. Then it's Ollie and Bea's turn to try...same problem. Luckily, along comes deer, with some super solving to save the day and help the friends fix their 'otter-ly ridiculous' problems. Apologies and restorative chats follow and the friends are happy and playing again in no time.
Children will love the jokes and word play that come thick and fast ('I did nut think you would find me here', 'I guess this means I'm not the best at hide and squeak') and the story is told exclusively through sharp, fast-paced dialogue. Renee Treml's (Sleep tight, Platypup) full-colour illustrations are crisp, clear and sparse with a superb focus on the changing emotions of Ollie, Bea and company.
This is such a wonderful series that explores the real problems children have within friendship partnerships and groups. It's a beautifully honest look at those emotions that most kids have but many find it tricky to talk about. It also models wonderfully positive and uplifting ways to be a friend (and the fun of friendships) without glossing over the times when it is hard or uncomfortable.
Themes Friendship, Problem-Solving, Forgiveness.
Nicole Nelson
Hello, Emma Memma by Emma Memma
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761341045. (Age:3-5)
Emma Wiggle makes a slow and graceful transformation into Emma Memma in this first Emma Memma book. Opening with an invitation to look closely at the 'gum blossom tree and pink painted leaves', beautiful watercolour illustrations by artist Kerrie Hess reveal little yellow and pink butterflies. As the book gently progresses the short rhyming text alerts us that 'someone is almost in sight. A friend, a buddy, a pal to play games. She is ready to join in, Emma Memma is her name'. The tree is growing and a cocoon emerges. Could it be hiding someone inside? The first signs of Emma Memma to emerge are bundles of twirly orange hair, followed by her body bursting out of the cocoon, 'pink shirt, orange dress. With pink and orange shoes. Emma Memma is ready for adventures with you!'.
While the text is short and approachable for young ones, it is language rich, with words like 'developing', 'protective' and 'emerging' as well as lots of simple descriptive words (bright, sway, swing, curly wurly). According to the website, Emma's new persona 'focuses on a new generation of communication, where she and her friends navigate challenges and adventure using sign language, choreographed dance narratives, gesture, mime, singing, speaking, listening, making craft and drawing'. This introductory book will delight former Emma Wiggle and now Emma Memma fans.
Game-obsessed Max in having a very, very bad day. After being pranked by his brother Liam in front of his class, he is now being looked after by their crazy neighbour Miss McBoob.
But things get even worse when Liam starts playing Shrinkle on Miss McBoob's phone because the app suddenly shrinks both him and Max to the size of a minifigure and their house, once so familiar, is now a treacherous landscape! Everyday objects loom large and even the cat is more like a tiger! Can they scale the sofa mountain, escape Miss McBoob's snoring mouth and outsmart the now-enormous pet cat? And will they stay tiny forever? Can they actually work together to beat the game?
Written to draw reluctant readers into print stories, the author says, 'Reading should be a pleasure and it was my aim to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start. Hopefully, then you can't help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.'
Using a modern premise of being drawn into a game, with characters not unlike themselves, and the sort of fast-packed , immediate action including countdowns, levels and time limits, this is the sort of story that will pull even reluctant readers away from their screens. They might even like to speculate on what might happen if they (or Liam and Max) were drawn into their own favourite game, a concept which, in itself, might spark story-writing and a group display of possibilities. Some might like to be inspired by the Lego Masters television series and recreate the world of their game, while others might prefer to broaden their horizons and explore the world of The Borrowers, a classic series by Mary Norton that dwells in the realm of ordinary becoming extraordinary.
Themes Computer games, Apps.
Barbara Braxton
The moon is a ball by Ed Franck. Illus. by Thé Tjong-Khing
Gecko Press, 2023. ISBN: 9781776574933. (Age:4+)
Panda and Squirrel have an unbreakable friendship. They can’t live without each other and do everything together: lie on the rocks to look at the moon, take walks, play games. One of their journeys lasts for only two steps, another day they discover a newly hatched duckling. But like most friends, sometimes they argue but they always make up again.
This is a book of nine short stories about the responsibilities and rewards of friendship, helping younger children understand that you don't always have to like the same things as your friend or agree with everything they say or do to remain friends. That sometimes the richest friendships are those built on the differences that each brings to the relationship. After all, could there be aby combination more physically different than a panda and a squirrel?
Translated from the Dutch edition by David Colmer, and richly illustrated it offers many opportunities for discussion, including asking the child what they might do in a similar circumstance.
Themes Friendship, Squirrelsl, Pandas.
Barbara Braxton
The secrets of Dumbledore: The complete screenplay by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves
Bloomsbury, 2022. ISBN: 9781408717431. (Age:12+)
Professor Albus Dumbledore knows that Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Seeking assistance from Magizoologist Newt Scamander, along with a team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker, the group embark on a dangerous mission. Grindelwald is gathering more followers, and making progress in Europe in his plans for domination. The group encounters old and new beasts and clashes with Grindelwald's followers. With so much going on, the stakes are high - how long can Dumbledore remain on the sideline?
Full of stage directions, costumes sketches, cast character notes and location renderings, this official screenplay of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an insightful way of experiencing the story. Readers will enjoy the wizarding world that J.K. Rowling created, developed further with Kloves here in the Fantastic Beast series. With Newt Scamander being the main character, the inclusion of more magical creatures is expected, and readers won't be disappointed - the regular creatures that we've come to expect are there, with a few new ones. The book also includes sketches for posters, newspapers, tickets, key moments in the movie and notes from creative team members, as well as production staff. A great way to read the third book in the series, especially for those who might struggle with a casting change in the movie, and would prefer to read instead of watching the movie.
A lift the flap book will be read eagerly by all kids who love to see what lies underneath, and when the book is full of rabbits and presents then lifting the flap creates an extra frisson of delight as things are revealed. The four rabbits are going to a birthday party, but first they must find their party hats. They lift flaps on the page to find them, and off they run, run, run. Next they spy some ducks near the pond that they must get over, quack, quack, cheep. After these they see a mouse with a balloon cart and need to find the red balloons under a flap, run, run, run. Over the page they hitch a ride on a cart pulled by two horses, trot, trot, neigh! They arrive at a market where they hunt for some candles and off they run, run, run. With their red balloons candles and hats they almost collide with a small lock of sheep, baa, baa, leap. Passing a bakery means stopping to get a party cake and many different cakes are under the flaps for them to choose. Finally with the red balloons, hats, candles and cake they are ready to attend the party with all those they met along the way included in the feast. A wonderful time is had by all.
Younger readers will love predicting the rhymes and what they might see under the flap. The repetition is enough for younger readers to say the lines along with the reader, enjoying the variety when a different animal is found. They will love reading of the animals, and especially love the feast laid out for the birthday party. All the elements of going to a birthday party are included, adding to the fun, the excitement and expectation.
The fun illustrations add another element to the story and its humour, they are bright, and fill each page with colour and detail. Lifting the flaps is an activity younger readers delight in and this is sure to win fans aplenty. And it is the latest in a series which includes, We're going on a treasure hunt, We’re going on an elf chase and We’re going on an egg hunt.
Themes Farm life, Rabbits, Birthday party, Lift the flap, Verse.
Fran Knight
Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle
What’s not to love about an easy-to-read fantasy with romance, adventure, twin princesses and a corrupt palace courtier? Princess Rose has always known that she will become queen of Eana after the murder of her parents when she was an infant. Witches were accused of the crime by the Kingsbreath Willem Rathborne but unbeknownst to everyone, her twin sister, Wren, was smuggled out of the palace and taken to live with the witches. Wren has always known that she would take over the throne and rescue her people. When Rose is kidnapped by Shen and taken to the witches’ stronghold on the cliffs, she begins to understand what really happened to her parents and becomes increasingly attracted to Shen. Meanwhile Wren has taken her place in the palace and is forced to learn about being a princess and try to withstand her fascination with her prospective husband’s guard. The wellbeing of both the witches and the kingdom is threatened and Rose and Wren face danger as they try to fit into their new environments.
Told in alternating chapters the voices of both Rose and Wren are clearly defined. Rose has always believed that Willem Rathborne had her best interests at heart and was unaware of his machinations to gain control of the throne for himself, so much so that he is willing to allow a rival kingdom to take over. She is stunned to learn that she is a healer and that all the witches are under threat. Wren has been brought up to be strong and tough always believing that the throne should be hers and she would be the saviour of her people.
The pace is fast with action galore, a wild gallop across the desert, forays into secret passages, encounters with wild beasts and a cruel king, dire prophecies and kidnappings, all keeping the reader engrossed. The authors have added some humour and snarky repartee, and of course the romances are engaging.
This light-hearted romantic fantasy is sure to appeal to readers who will want to read the next in the series, The cursed crowns. They may also be interested in The Queen's rising by Rebecca Ross or Three dark crowns by Kendare Blake.
George lives by the sea, but feels lonely. He wishes for someone to talk to, to share things with, someone to laugh with - he wants a friend. One day he finds a rockpool and there he spies a fish with bright green fins and golden scales. He talks to the fish and before he knows it he is lying on his back in the sun telling the fish everything. He calls the fish Claude, because that’s what friends do. And proposes to meet him the next day. But when he goes to see his friend, the rock pool is no longer there, the tide has come in. He runs to the shed and gets out his boat and rows out into the sea, although he is a little wary, but this is what friends do, so he keeps at it. Eventually he finds Claude and sweeps him up into his goldfish bowl. So the pair floated over the seas, George telling Claude all the things he wanted to tell his friend as they watch the other creatures. But Claude does not seem all that happy. George realises that he has been preoccupied with what he wanted, and not the needs of his friend, and returns Claude to the sea.
With copious amounts of blue paint, Evans has created a wonderful sea vista for all readers to lose themselves in. Readers will be entranced with the range of sea creatures shown, and love the contrasting end papers with lonely George walking the shore line at the start to the array of sea creatures at the end, George happily diving amongst his new friends. The repetition of the line ‘because that’s what friends do’ is beautifully included along the way, rounding off the story as George rows back home, followed by some of the fish, checking on his safety, ‘because that’s what friends do.’
Readers will quickly learn that friendship does not mean keeping that person in a goldfish bowl, hogging their company at the expense of others, that friendship means closeness as well as space, times together and times apart.
Swift and Hawk, Zen and Caleb, are back and they are in the thick of it - sent by Professor Clay, head of the Mobius Programme to diffuse a situation at SolTec, an American Robotics company, the teenagers are unprepared for what is waiting for them - the system has been hacked, and they discover out of control weaponized robots about to breach the safety of the lab and get into the city. Racing to shut down the virus, they learn this is just the beginning - and that they are going to have dig deeper to find out more - this calls for an undercover mission.
Swift and Hawk: Undercover is the second of the teen spy series by Logan Macx. Following the two teenagers who are technologically advanced, readers who are familiar with new technology and technology advancements will find the story easy to follow. Others might struggle with terminology, but still find the novel an enjoyable read. This story follows on from the first book, developing the characters and the Mobius Programme. Great for fans of the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, this series has more of a gender balance with Zen bringing some strong girl vibes. A slightly older version of Kensy and Max by Jacqueline Harvey, which fans could move to upon completion of that series.
What a reassuring read! Every child wants to know that they are loved and wanted, and that their outbursts of pique will always be forgiven and forgotten.
In this lovely verse story of a dragon and his parents, they are all getting used to each other, the almost new dragon asserting himself within the family, the parents showing love and support, and lots and lots of patience as the newcomer is sometimes over exuberant. When the dragon forgets himself and breathes fire and smoke, the parents do their best to calmly talk to him about curbing his behaviour. He knows that he has done the wrong thing and tries hard to conform, but now and again the fire erupts in the blink of an eye. His parents again mop up the mess, talking in low voices about how unfriendly this is, but not apportioning blame or recriminations. The dragon learns that his parents are saddened by his behaviour and so is greatly relieved when their sadness is short lived and they are all back to normal quickly.
Readers will have quickly picked up that the dragon is them, children of all shapes and sizes, who come into a family and learn to conform to the rules within the family, but always with an unconditional love given by the parents. The warmth shared by the mum and dad extends over every page as they nurture their dragon, keeping him safely within the family group, talking, holding, loving, cuddling, and even when quiet words are spoken in response to his unseemly behaviour, he is assured of their love and his worth.
Mem Fox creates a timeless image of a supportive family working in concert with each other, held together by love and tenderness.
The stunning illustrations in bold swathes of colour burst over each page, ensnaring every child’s eye as they read along with the narrator, predicting the rhyming words, learning some of the familiar lines, comfortably watching the little dragon as he settles into the routine of family life.
Themes Family, Love, Behaviour.
Fran Knight
The night travellers by Armando Lucas Correa
Translated by Nick Caistor and Faye Williams. Simon & Schuster, 2023. ISBN: 9781761104718. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
Imagine the heartbreak of giving up your child to ensure their safety. In The night travellers this happens not once but twice, over separate generations. Ally Keller is the mother of a ‘mischling’ child – Lilith’s father is black, an African German, in the time of the Nazi idea of eugenics and Aryan purity, and so Lilith is at risk of sterilisation at the age of seven. The only way to ensure the child’s safety is to send her in the care of two Jewish fugitives aboard the St Louis, the ship sailing to Cuba. History repeats itself when Lilith, in turn, finds herself compelled to give up her daughter Nadine in the time of the Communist revolution, sending her as part of the Operation Pedro Pan, to the hoped for safety of a new life with a German family in New York.
Correa’s book was written at the time of children imprisoned in cages at the Mexico-United States border, and the ongoing refugee crisis in Australia. It most vividly depicts the fear of the ‘other’: the fear of someone of a different skin colour, a different faith, a different language, a different sexual orientation, and reveals how repeatedly parents have been forced into the horrendous decision of desperately sending their children somewhere else for their safety.
It is a heartrending story told across four generations, of families split up, and of friends finding themselves on different sides of the political divide. No one is ever really safe, for there are secrets buried within families, secrets where supposedly ‘good’ people are revealed in all their fallibilities. In the end, the book is a story of great bravery and a plea for empathy, forgiveness and kindness towards others.
Evie’s Mum writes the Astrological advice column in a women’s magazine. Evie’s stepdad is a stable, caring male figure in Evie’s life … and he is about to leave to work on a bridge-building project some distance from home. Is their family ever going to be the same again? At school Evie has one firm friend, and a teacher who is embarking on her favourite topic – anything and everything to do with stars, planets, space, the moon – Astronomy in general. Evie also is often targeted by one particular girl, Nicole, who has her own internal struggles. Whenever Evie’s eyes start their random twitch and flick patterns, Nicole seems to be right there ready to highlight the anomaly. What will Evie's future look like now her stepdad will not be around as much? Can looking at the stars or the moon help? And how can she stop her insides from rolling and squirming every time she thinks about it all?
This is an end-of-Primary school story that has an anxious lead character. Set within a school and family context there are small dramas that are potentially devastating for Evie, but at the same time there is much support and opportunity for her to grow despite the struggles. Friendship even becomes possible with the mean girl. The family circumstances for Evie are a little unusual, and her mother seems distant, even though it is her stepdad who is moving away. The topic of Space and Astronomy is almost a starring character in its own light, as the book weaves through many facts and interesting revelations from the class teacher as she shares her favourite subject. The contrast between Astronomy and astrology is only briefly touched on. With little hints that the author has reflected on her own personal story to tell this work of fiction, this story has a charming and believable heart as Evie orbits the universe trying to make sense of change and her place in it. Recommended for readers aged 9-12.
Annie’s shark, Seymour lives in the family pool. Usually he is quite happy and cheeky and flashing his imperious teeth but one day he announces that he is bored by the pool and wants to go to school with Annie. Annie tries to camouflage the beast, taking him along to school in her trundle wagon, and her classmates try to guess what she has brought along. Suddenly Seymour is uncovered, and everyone is pleased, except Miss Bright who retreats to standing on her chair. But Seymour is hungry and the smell of food takes him to the canteen where the staff shake like jelly while he fills his belly.
In rhyming pairs of lines, the story swings along, noting the mayhem being caused by the shark. But he is endearing and readers will love the images of Seymour doing very unshark like things. When Annie goes to get her wagon, he finds the sandpit and builds a lovely sandcastle, but filling the moat sees water filling the classroom instead. Children splash everywhere with Miss Bright trying to take control of the situation. In steps Principal Mac, and things go back to normal, with Seymour and Annie once more in the pool sipping their drinks, concluding that this is the best place to be and school was not such a good idea.
A wonderful read aloud, the rhyming story will win gales of laughter, while kids will enjoy predicting the rhyming words, offering some of their own suggestions. And along the way learn a little of where sharks really belong. But what fun to have one in the pool!
Fans of the New York Times bestselling Fable series will be thrilled to read the prequel Saint, which tells the story of Saint and Isolde, Fable’s parents. As a young boy Elias made a mistake in not trusting in old legends which resulted in the death of his father. Now he has grown into a young man who is devoted to the myths of the sea, giving him the reputation of a helmsman who can navigate the worst of the storms in the Narrows and earning him the name Saint. When he meets Isolde, a young dredger and gem sage who is trying to escape her powerful mother, his faith is tested as the pair grow closer together and sail the treacherous seas.
Alternating between the perspectives of Saint and Isolde, it is easy to become immersed in the world of the Narrows, in the danger of storms and the lure of gems, as well as the growing love between Saint and Isolde, and their joy in their young daughter Fable. Young brings thrilling action and adventure to the story, but also awareness of the strengths and flaws of Saint and Isolde and the crew that they sail with.
Saint can be read as a stand-alone, and readers are sure to find themselves going on the other books, Fable,Namesake and The last legacy, all set in the wonderful world that Young has imagined. Those who have already devoured the Fable series could find themselves rereading the books as I did and enjoying the insights into Fable’s life that Saint provides.
