Subtitled, What happens when friends fight, this little board book delivers a life lesson within its pages. A great read aloud, the repetitive words and variations of the words, ribbit and rabbit, will tease and test the readers, and listeners will laugh with glee at the way the words are used, and sometimes misread. Prediction will come into play as the listeners read along and verbalise the next words after multiple readings.
Best friends, Ribbit and Rabbit do everything together: they find monsters in the dark with their torches, they go swimming together, and eat peanut butter sandwiches together. But sometimes they do not get along.
Stylish illustrations will make the reader laugh out loud at their antics, particularly when the words 'ribbit' and 'rabbit' are changed to 'nip it' and 'nab it' as their friendship becomes strained. I loved the variety of words used, parodying the character’s names, Ribbit and Rabbit, and younger readers will too, saying the words out loud, checking out the rhyme and recognising the change that a single letter can make.
The disagreement over a toy escalates and they find themselves utterly alone with their toys. They both know what they must do to repair their friendship and take steps to resolve their argument.
All is right with the world and their friendship is back to what it was.
Marigold's newly merged family consisting of her mother, brother, step father and step sister, have been fortunate enough to have secured a free house from her mother's new job with the Sterling Foundation. While it means moving across the country from California to the midwest city of Cedarville, given recent events, it might be the fresh start she needs. Arriving in their new neighbourhood, the family can't help but notice how every house on the block but theirs is run down. And from the moment they arrive, there's something off. The construction workers all evacuate the property in a rush every day at the same time, household items vanish, doors open on their own, the lights are on, then are off, shadows walking down the hall, foul smells... And Piper, Mari's 10 year old step sister, says her new friend wants Mari gone. Who is her new friend? What happened to the boarded up house next door? What else is Cedarville hiding?
This thriller/horror is set in current day America, with a protagonist dealing with anxiety, past addiction and obsessive behaviours. While battling her cravings for the very thing that got her into trouble, Marigold gives readers an example of someone dealing with personal battles, and how this can impact those around them. With a steady pace through the book, the highly tense moments are written very well, building suspense and developing the characters so readers can relate to them. Compelling in a subtle way, readers will be able to get through the book quite quickly, especially as mysteries appear throughout.
Ana Dakkar’s family are part of the fabric of the Harding-Pencraft Academy, an institution focused on training new generations of oceanographers and explorers, with additional defensive capabilities. Ana, as the youngest child in her family is still working out her place and purpose in this phenomenal school with its long history. She becomes a witness to a devastating attack on the school and then is thrust into the leadership of her fellow surviving classmates as they discover the long-lost vessel, the Nautilus, made famous in Jules Verne’s incredible tale of the 20000 Leagues under the sea. The rise to leadership comes with great responsibility and she must overcome her own insecurities and her own personal grief to work out what to do. The setting includes underwater action and creatures to love and fear. Ana also must rely on and encourage her classmates and friends as they reveal their talents in the technology and oceanography field. The growth in them all and the power of friendship over personal glory is revealed as the excitement and tension ramps up.
Rick Riordan really knows how to write a compelling adventure and woven within this amazing story are snippets and insights of the classic detail of Jules Verne’s original story. Even though I have not read the original (apologies to lovers of Verne’s writing), this reimagining in a modern and technology-rich world has all the right ingredients to be loved and cherished by a new generation of readers. There are moments of humour mingled amongst the high tension and action, and many characters to love. I can envisage that this book will not stay long on our library shelves and will be avidly peer-recommended amongst young readers.
A hilarious new book by bestselling author Charlie Higson.
Do you remember the first couple of sleepovers or camp you did as a kid? The fear and new feelings of being away from home, family and your comfort zone. Well, Stan a twelve-year-old boy who is a shy, sheltered kid and worrier is off on holiday to Italy with his fifth best friend Felix and Felix’s family who are a bunch of strangers. Oh! What could go wrong?
We meet Stan at the airport and he introduces us to his Duck It List while on holidays (opposite of bucket list), a list of things not to do. And you can probably guess ….. he ends up doing more than half of the things on the list. His mum is also a list maker.
At the airport Stan meets an older couple, Simon and Emma, who he boards the plane with to Italy (total strangers to him but part of Felix’s family). And his adventure begins.
Will Stan let loose and have fun? Or will it be his worst holiday ever?
Written in a first person narrative we see the world in Stan’s eyes. He is a great observer so we learn lots about the kids and adults he spends his holiday with. Anything can happen on holiday. New foods, spontaneous conversations and adventures. There’s lots of laugh-out-loud scenes, moments of frustration and agony as we follow his holiday adventure. He mixes with different people and discovers not everyone is perfect or has a perfect family. At the same time Stan is also concerned about his dad, who back at home had been admitted to hospital with a heart condition and his mum won’t give him details.
I enjoyed reading Worst. Holiday. Ever. And think it’s a great book to read if you suffer anxiety in doing new things. Stan discovers on his holiday that he can overcome some of his fears without really trying and finds out that he enjoys the things he has not tried to do before due to fear.
Also, loved the cover and illustrations by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell throughout the book.
If you like a good laugh, this is a great book to read.
Themes Personal and social, Holiday adventure, Humour.
Yeap, definitely a new fan of Matthew Reilly. I will be missing in action over the next couple of months reading more of his books. Matthew Reilly is the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow series, the Jack West series. His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Big bonus that he is an Aussie.
The final book in Matthew Reilly’s, Jack West Jr. series starts with a bang! It picks up where The Two Lost Mountains book finishes. Don’t let this scare you from reading due to being book 7. I have never read any of the series and quite enjoyed reading this book on its own. A few times I scratched my head thinking what has happened in previous books but the story was easy to follow and hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. When I finish this review I’m definitely going to start the series from the start.
The One Impossible Labyrinth starts with Jack (a humble Aussie Hero) and his crew racing down a heavily booby-trapped tunnel when a small red figure falls from the ceiling and starts trying to bite his face off. Oh what a way to start a book, straight into action that doesn’t stop till the end. Jack and his crew are on a mission to save the universe from The Omega Effect which is only three days away. Just like in Indiana Jones movies, Jack and his crew are running behind in the mission with another four teams in front of them chasing the same goal while leaving booby traps and hurdles behind to stop Jack. Yes, this book reminded me of Indy and also another favourite series of mine Dan Brown’s, Robert Longdon series with The Da Vinci Code. Action packed adventure involving history and mythology trying to solve puzzles to get to the prize and saving the world.
Jack’s team is split into several groups with their own adventure around the world on the same mission. This book is mainly focused on Jack with the other stories mentioned in-between.
I can’t say too much about the story line because of spoilers but I love how Reilly managed to use real today places and historical ones and also putting a spin on mythology as we know it to come up with amazing story to saving the world from THE OMEGA EFFECT, while also using the importance of family and friends of all kinds.
If you love good against evil, heart stopping moments, tense battles, epic puzzles to solve and way over the top action this is definitely the book or series to read. And definitely for adults or mature readers.
Themes Action, History, Mythology.
Maria Komninos
The secret lives of dragons by Prof Zoya Agnis and Alexander Utkin
"Deep in the cold mountains of a distant land, there was once a magnificent kingdom of dragons. The songs of dragon families echoed across its peaks, and priceless treasures were hoarded in its caves. But what happened to this kingdom?"
From stories like The Paper Bag Princess to the drama of Smaug's arrival in the opening scenes of The Hobbit, both before and beyond, dragons have been a common entry to the world of fantasy for our young readers, sparking the imagination to go on wondrous adventures. For some, just being engrossed in the particular story is enough, but for others, there is a desire to know more and for them, this book is the answer.
It contains everything a curious mind wants to know to become an expert Drackenosopher just like the esteemed author, Zoya Agnis. Through clever illustrations and readily accessible text, they can learn to identify the different dragon families, name the most fearsome dragon slayers, the bravest of Drackenosophy scholars and everything else there is to know about the beautiful dragons that we share our planet with.
About 20 years ago, there was another series of books like this (this series also includes The Secret Lives of Mermaids and The Secret Lives of Unicorns) and it became the perfect vehicle for transitioning young readers into the world of non fiction as we took a topic they were fascinated by and started exploring information books. In fact they came up with the slogan, Fiction = Imagination; Non Fiction = Information, something I have used in many instances since then. This would serve the same purpose.
Whenever I make a storybook cushion or a journal or author kit featuring a dragon, I know I will only have it for a short time, such is the popularity of these fantastic beasts. Adults and children snap them up immediately, such is the fascination with and popularity of this creature. So this is the perfect book to be the centrepiece of a display and promotion featuring fantasy promising to take readers on magical adventures. A must-have if you have fantasy lovers amongst your readers.
Themes Dragons.
Barbara Braxton
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922458292. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
I am a fan of retellings of fairy tales and Gilded, although 500 pages long, kept me engrossed until the end, and left me wishing that its sequel was available. Serilda is a poor miller’s daughter known for telling incredible stories. When she encounters the evil Erlking on his wild hunt she makes up a story about being able to spin straw into gold and her lies lead her into trouble. The Erlking takes her to his castle and commands her to make the gold. In desperation Serilda summons a boy named Gild to help her and gradually she uncovers some of the secrets of the castle.
This retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is dark and has all the trappings of fairy tales: high towers, fairies, a cruel hunt, dungeons and wraiths. Meyer keeps the story moving along at an engrossing pace while ensuring that the characters that she peoples Gilded with are easy to relate to. The young children that Serilda tells stories to are particularly relatable, and the reader is left wondering about Serilda’s mother and her disappearance. Serilda is clever and innovative, using her skill as a storyteller to get her out of trouble. Gild as befits a ghost like figure is less clearly drawn and has the reader asking questions about his origins and abilities and the ancient curse that has been put upon him.
The unexpected twists and turns, some heart-breaking moments and secrets that are gradually revealed, all will keep the reader engrossed until the cliff-hanger ending that will ensure that the sequel is picked up. Detailed teacher’s notes are available.
Themes Fairy tale retellings, Fantasy, Evil.
Pat Pledger
Witched: The Spellbinding Life of Cora Bell by Rebecca McRitchie
In Jinxed! The Curious Curse of Cora Bell, the first in this series, we met eleven-year-old Cora Bell who is a foundling with no memory prior to her life with the elderly Dot and her cat Scratch. They live in a room hidden behind a wall in the crowded, industrial city of Urt, where everyone looks out for themselves, and their survival is dependent on scavenging and trading such as rare and exotic things - apple seeds, silver forks, shoe polish amidst fierce competition. Life takes a terrifying turn for Cora when she finds a few words scribbled on a piece of paper. She takes it home and says the words aloud. Suddenly, two plump, hairy fairies named Tick and Tock crash land in her path to warn her that she is in terrible danger. Cora has unknowingly summoned a sinister creature known as a Jinx. Jinxes eat magical beings and once they have a scent, they never forget it. Cora is thrown headfirst into a world filled with magic, necromancers, shape-shifters, enchantresses, fairies, nightwalkers, witches and giants as her home is destroyed, her family goes missing and she's pursued by the menacing and powerful Jinx.
The second episode, Havoc! The Untold Magic of Cora Bell continued the story and now this is the final in the series. Cora is racing against time. With her beloved guardian, Dot, badly injured, she must face fearsome werewolves, gross beetle worms and a vengeful warlock in order to save her. But as questions about her long-lost parents arise, Cora and her fairy friends begin a search for the one person who might hold all the answers. The one person who disappeared the same night Cora's parents did ...
Will Cora finally discover the truth about her family? Or will the evil syphon return to finish what he started, and destroy Cora once and for all?
Miss 10, a capable reader (although not as avid as her older sister) loves this series because she sees herself as Cora with hidden magical powers and she becomes fully immersed in the story. It was one of the first of these more 'grown up' novels she tackled alone and while she will be thrilled to have the final in her hands, she will also be sad to know it's the end of something that has carried her through the tricky, long days of lockdown boredom. Nevertheless, it has really helped her develop her independent reading skills as she became so engrossed in it and she is ready for more. IMO, that a story is endorsed so whole-heartedly by its intended audience is the best review and so this is a series that has a place in any library collection.
Themes Fairies, Magic, Dreams, Witches, Orphans.
Barbara Braxton
The warrior in my wardrobe by Simon Farnaby. Illus. by Claire Powell
‘Magic should have brought joy to their life, instead it had brought trouble and strife.’
This is the second Misadventures of Merdyn the Wild story, following The wizard in my shed published October 2020.
Author Simon Farnaby is a writer and actor who is well-known to anyone who has seen Horrible Histories on TV – he plays Death in the ‘Stupid Deaths’ segment as well as multiple other historical characters. In his first book series he very cleverly manages to educate and impart moral lessons while being thoroughly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny.
The new instalment starts a year after the events of book one and, for those who haven’t read the first book, contains enough context to easily understand what has happened and who is who.
This fast-paced tale centres on Rose and Kris, siblings who are descendants of wizard Merdyn. Unfortunately, discovering they have magical W-blood has increased the stakes of their sibling rivalry. But suddenly they must go back in time to 521 AD and work together to face Merdyn’s enemies. Along for the ride are Rose’s talking guinea pig, Bubbles (hilariously obsessed with poo), a boy-king called Arthur (who has a fantastic sword) and young Vandal, Vanhessa (who is trying to figure out right from wrong).
The fictional story with twists and turns is liberally supplemented with factual footnotes explaining Olde English terminology as well as customs. It is easy to imagine the Horrible Histories rat popping up at the bottom of the page to deliver these facts!
The morals of the story are neatly woven in without being preachy. Themes of love, family relationships and learning from your elders are explored, while discussion about women’s place in society and what makes a person ‘good’ vs being a ‘baddie’ are also included.
The presentation of this book is very appealing to young readers - a bright neon-orange cover, bold fonts for magic spell wording, rhyming summaries at the end of each chapter, and detailed cartoony illustrations throughout. I absolutely loved this book and, with a to-be-continued feel at the end, am excited to see what the W-bloods might do next!
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco. Illus. by Helene Magisson
New Frontier, 2021. ISBN: 9781925059502. (Age:3+) Recommended.
This classic story, first published in 1922, has once more been re-printed, this time featuring the gentle water colours of Helene Magisson to delight a new generation of readers and their parents, who will recall their own beloved toys.
The velveteen rabbit arrives in the nursery as a Christmas present but languishes in the toy cupboard where he made to feel 'very insignificant and commonplace' by other modern and mechanised toys and only befriended by the Skin Horse, a shabby, old, well loved and wiser toy. It is the Skin Horse who tells him about the nursery magic which happens when a toy is very much loved and becomes real in the eyes of the child who loves him.
It is only when Nana, who ruled the nursery, is too busy to find the Boy's favourite toy that the rabbit becomes his bedtime companion and favourite toy enjoying days playing in the garden and nights snuggled together in bed. It is only then that the Boy declares to Nana, 'He isn't a toy. He's REAL!' that the rabbit understands the magic of love. But, later that summer when he meets some real rabbits, he realises that he isn't really real.
When the Boy becomes ill with Scarlet Fever, the rabbit is his constant companion until he is well. On the advice of the Doctor the shabby old rabbit is taken away to be burnt for harbouring germs. It is only then that a miracle occurs and the nursery fairy transforms the rabbit into a live rabbit.
A time honoured story of love is beautifully illustrated with a cool blue/green palette which contrasts with the soft brown spotted rabbit. The toys in the nursery are not the modern variety as would be seen in the Toy Story movies but it would be great to compare the two stories both from a toy variety perspective but also from the emotions expressed by the toys being discarded.
Sue Keane
LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts at Christmas by Elizabeth Dowsett
Dorling Kindersley, 2021. ISBN: 9780241469392.
Next year, 2022, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and I can still remember receiving a copy and thinking, "Who will read a book with that title." At the time, I was a member of the UK School Libraries Network and suddenly the chatter started, led by someone who generally annoyed me, but this time I was so grateful I read what he had to say! It started a love affair with arguably the most enduring characters to have emerged in recent literature which has included many hours spent reading a genre I'm not in love with, and many dollars on the original merchandise - all of which my grandchildren would like left to them in my will!
So to have new things coming out all these years later is wonderful. In this book, we are introduced to Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts, exploring and sharing his excitement at what is effectively his first real Christmas ever. Illustrated with figurines and models made from Lego and including a Harry Potter figurine to use, we get to know the main characters and share their Christmas with them. While it is not a building guide, there are lots of opportunities to be inspired by things to make to build new or re-create familiar scenes and objects.
This is the 16th book in the bestselling Wimpy Kid series, which chronicles the humorous musings of middle-grader Greg. This one is obviously perfect for existing Wimpy Kid fans but particularly for any kid who's ever been a terrible player on a terrible sports team. Greg already knows he's hopeless at sport and his previous experiences with team sport have convinced him that he's just there to make the other players look good. But despite everything, he isn't ready to give up on sports just yet. When he somehow ends up on a basketball team filled with all the kids who weren't picked for the real basketball team he finds himself somehow still the worst of the worst. Is there any hope for a win? The funny twist that comes right at the end is out of left field and will leave readers chuckling.
The humour in this comes from the naivety of Greg and his attempts to make sense of the madness of the world around him. His outings to the gym and a football game with his father are comical, as are his mum's attempts to teach him about misleading food labels and advertising. As with some of the other books in the series there are some references to physical violence and verbal insults so best suited to a slightly older audience than many other illustrated chapter books. There are, however, some positive messages about extreme perseverance and teamwork. Overall, Big Shot is relatable, fun and super readable: another fantastic addition to the Wimpy Kid series.
Themes Team Sports, Basketball, Humourous Stories.
Gustavo is a ghost. He is good at doing all sorts of paranormal things, like walking through walls, making objects fly and glowing in the dark. And he loves playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo also has a problem. He is SHY. Which means some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye-scream or talking to the other monsters. But Gustavo longs to be a part of something, he longs to be seen. More than anything, he wants to make a friend. So, plucking up all his courage, he sends a very special letter: "Dear Monsters, I would like to invite you to my violin concert at the Day of the Dead party."
But will anybody come?
This is a most delightful, award-winning story that will resonate with so many who find their shyness crippling, to the point that it really impacts their life and stifles their dreams. Based on the creator's own childhood, it offers hope to those who would really like to make a friend by encouraging them to discover their strengths and passions, play to them and share them. Even for those who are not as shy as Gustavo, a lack of confidence in who we are can prevent us from making the most of the situations that present themselves, and this has been quite noticeable after months of having to be at home without the physical contact of our friends. So sharing Gustavo's story, considering the worst that might happen in a situation and then suggesting strategies that could be used if it does can be a starting point to taking that first step. If Gustavo can find a way, our children can.
One to share with all our students as the social season really starts to take off, and even if it's making the first move to make a new friend in the caravan park at the beach, it will open up new horizons.
The mosque as both a place and the way of life it represents plays such a significant role in the lives of so many of our students that this book that explores how it is used by families, friends and communities for worship, learning, eating, helping each other and playing will be welcomed by many. For not only does it reflect the lives of so many - and we know the power of reading about ourselves in books - but it also demystifies the building and what happens within for those who are unfamiliar.
Based on the author's visits to many mosques around the world, it shows both similarities and differences and how through these there is unification overall. Illustrated by the artist behind The Proudest Blue the reader is taken inside a place that radiates peace and love and the simple commentary of what happens explains much.
An important addition to the collection of any library that serves the followers of this faith, as well as others as we try to break down the walls by offering insight and understanding.
Themes Mosques, Muslims, Islam, Spirituality.
Barbara Braxton
I wish I had a wookiee and other poems for our galaxy by Ian Doescher
Young fans of Star Wars will love this newly published book of poems. It is cleverly written and explores all aspects of this much-loved movie phenomena related to everyday life. The poems are all about children who interact with numerous characters, objects and settings. For example, the following poem is titled ‘Star Barber’:
In the Star Wars galaxy, When a barber cuts your hair, Does she use a razor with A little lightsaber in there?
Some of the poems encourage children to be or do their best like the one called ‘Role Model’ where young Sophie wants to be like Mon Mothma and knows she will have to work hard at it. The poem named ‘The Fetts’ has a message about good and evil and mentions that Jango and Boba may not be all that bad and ‘sometimes they must have just been a kid and his dad.’ Another poem with a thoughtful message is the lovely, ‘A Galaxy of Families’ where the final verse says:
All families don’t look the same. What types can you think of? The galaxy has many kinds- Their common theme is love.
The illustrations by Tim Budgeon are beautifully drawn in tones of black and grey with a single pop of colour. This book would make a perfect Christmas gift for Star Wars obsessed children and is a brilliantly creative way of encouraging younger readers to read poetry.
