A celebrity aspiring to write a picture book is sure to gain many people’s opprobrium, but this will not stop the book being bought. The usual critical evaluation taken over a book purchase for home and library will be suspended because the author is well known.
The theme of this book has merit: a father and son sit on the bench together, making up games, dressing up, riding a bicycle, watching for the bus, waiting for dad to return home. Each new page reveals a moment on a bench, and the story lauds the presence of a father in a child’s orbit promoting mental wellness as father and son connect.
The unfussy, simple verse structure reiterate the relationship between father and son, stressing the positive influences one has on the other.
You’ll love him. You’ll listen. You’ll be his supporter.
Are the lines on one page and over the page finish with:
When life feels in shambles You’ll help him find order.
The illustrations by Caldecott winner Christian Robinson, are lovely. They show the early years in a boy’s life from birth to primary age. The baby is held by dad, marvelling at the child in his arms. We see the child growing - learning to ride a bike, dad tying his son’s shoelaces, dressing up, having a picnic in the park. When the boy goes off to school dad comforts him. All the while dad tells his son that he is loved and we spy mum on the last pages reflecting a strong family unit where each member supports the other, and no one is ever alone.
Readers will think about their own experiences. They will enjoy predicting the rhyming word in each couplet, perhaps providing ideas of their own, accepting the sometimes unusual word combinations. And overall will enjoy seeing the relationship between fathers and sons taking centre stage.
The Good Wife of Bath is an absolute delight. Karen Brooks has created a riveting and highly entertaining feminist reimagining of the story of Alyson, from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ is one of the most famous of Chaucer’s stories, highlighting and at times critiquing the misogyny present in medieval English society. In The Good Wife of Bath we meet Eleanor, later known as Alyson, who has just been married off at the age of twelve to an elderly farmer with a reputation for killing wives and driving off servants. The deal was brokered by her distant cousin ‘The Poet’ (Geoffrey Chaucer) against her will, after she was found in a compromising position with a member of the clergy. Eleanor’s situation is not helped by the filthy living conditions she finds herself enduring or the animosity from her new husband’s daughter.
However, what follows is an enjoyable tale of Eleanor’s growing maturity, understanding and agency. Over an extremely eventful life we witness her triumphs and failures, as she takes husbands and lovers, survives difficult times, creates successful businesses, and goes on the pilgrimages made so famous by The Canterbury Tales. The Good Wife of Bath is not always an easy read, the time period alone ensures that Eleanor is a regular victim of violence, injustice and hardship common to women of the era. However, her strong willpower, intelligence and resilience result in a mostly triumphant story. Eleanor is an extremely likeable and well-developed character and it is easy to cheer her on as the novel unfolds. The Good Wife of Bath also presents a positive representation of female friendship and sisterhood and the insertion of Chaucer into the story as a character in his own right is extremely clever. Brooks has created a brilliant and entertaining piece of historical fiction.
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922330925. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
If you are after a complex, dark, dystopian novel, with the world devastated by fly flu and swarms of flies devouring all living things, then this may be the novel for you. It is one that left me wondering just what happened, trying to work out the complicated plot and wishing that I had time to reread slowly and carefully to find clues to what has happened.
It is told by three narrators, Nico, an 18 year old young woman who has been sent on a quest to find a portal by her father who will ring a mysterious bell when she arrives on the 8th day; Kit a young boy who has been brought up by Dakota in an abandoned cinema and carries a key in remembrance of her, and the Deliverer, who lives life after life, bring essential supplies to a few survivors. All the surrounding characters are fully developed. Nico is accompanied by her dog Harry, while Kit leaves the cinema with Monty and Lakie on a trip to try and find a colony of survivors on an island. They meet up with Loretta, Pringles, and Lennon on a quest to get to Boston and decide to go part of the way together. There are hopeful moments as love develops, and heart wrenching ones as the flies attack.
It was very easy to become invested with each of the characters as their circumstances and trials, loves and hopes are described, and I was left hoping that each would survive in such terrible times. The plot is intricate, the writing lyrical and the themes of storytelling, eternal life, art, survival, and love are ones to ponder. Teaching notes are available from the publisher.
I will be sure to pick up other books by David Arnold after reading this highly original book.
There seems to have been an explosion in closed circle thriller mysteries of late, particularly those set in isolated and dangerous environs. Similar to the bestselling books One by One by Ruth Ware and The Guest List by Lucy Foley, Shiver, by debut Australian author Allie Reynolds, takes place in a frozen landscape. The novel follows a group of former professional snowboarders who are meeting up for the first time in a decade. They lost touch after one of their friends, Saskia, disappeared in a devastating tragedy. The former friends are meeting in their old haunt, a ski resort chalet in the French Alps. Things begin to go wrong very quickly however: their phones disappear, they are running out of food, there is no way off the mountain and someone is playing dangerous games…
Shiver alternates between the present day, as the group attempt to both escape and figure out who has trapped them and the past, narrating the events of that fateful snowboarding season when Saskia disappeared. Unfortunately, the continuous switching between the two timelines is jarring at times and while its intention is to build suspense, it ultimately results in frustration. Shiver is also heavy on the snowboarding detail and technical knowledge, unsurprising considering Reynolds is a former professional snowboarder. However, this may become slightly tedious for the lay reader. Despite this, Shiver is a well-plotted thriller and is a welcome addition to the closed circle mystery renaissance. The novel will more than satisfy fans of the genre.
Themes Thriller, Mystery, Missing Persons, France, Alps, Snowboarding.
Rose Tabeni
The shadow arts by Damien Love
Rock the Boat, 2021. ISBN: 9780861540860. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
The Shadow Arts, sequel to Monstrous Devices, written by Scottish freelance writer, now new novelist Damien Love, feels like a run away blockbuster novel. It has a similar effect on the reader as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone did when first read in terms of its cinematic potentiality. This book, rich in visual imagery and non-stop action is made for the screen.
Damien Love's previous articles for magazines, journals and newspapers focus on music, film,TV and photography. It is no surprise then that his writing maximises the visuals so magnificently.
Alex, our protagonist, is dragged in the dead of night by his reappearing grandfather from his normal life of school, bullies, homework and family. He is immediately caught up in a life and death struggle of great brutality against forces of unparalled evil dating back to the dark ages of forested Europe and having the power to bring the world as we know it to an end. There is a puzzle to be solved and it is intertwined with the presence of evil and magic. Alex thinks that his father was killed but was he...? What is this unknown super power that he seems to have and how does he control it? What has happened to Harry?
Not only does this novel delve back into age-old mythology, there is a continuity - a thread (although what it is is uncertain) that ties the evil past to the terrors of the present. AI, in the hands of evil is all powerful. Life sizers (robots the size of humans) and vicious fliers form an army of relentless, unmerciful assassins controlled by humans with a lust for something that is gradually understood. The last stand is at the sinister Chateau de Saint Clement- a fitting setting for the revelation of the dastardly master minds and their plans.
The reader can revel in the hilarious, clever patter of the idiomatic Scottish/English dialogue between Grandfather, Alex and Harry as they scramble for survival. Although the situations are dire, the droll and dry humour, reflective of the wit and intelligence of our protagonists permeates the perilous situations and contributes to the delight of this book.
This novel is break-neck, it is adrenaline-pumping and it is also a lesson on acceptance and getting on with dealing with life. This series must continue...after all The Shadow Arts finished enigmatically...with" a trick of the light."
Themes resourcefulness,deadly peril, trust, identity, heredity, ancient lore, secret societies and AI.
Wendy Jeffrey
Little Gem and the mysterious letters by Anna Zobel
Sequel to the very popular Little Gem (2020) in which the little orphan witch, Gem was introduced, this will be equally read and enjoyed, touching as it does on the theme of bullying. Failing at Witchcraft School and landing in a small town, Elsworth Pining, one hundred years into the future, Little Gem is expected to stay in the Witch’s cottage as the town’s resident witch. She cannot let them know that she has not completed her studies and with the ghost, Henry to help, tries to be what the townsfolk need. But not all of her spells work they way they are expected to, and the townsfolk are very polite and encouraging, allowing her to practise her craft. Despite the setbacks, with the Midsummer Festival approaching, Gem is asked to do the special effects, but people are dismayed at the results of some of her spells.
And when letters in yellow envelopes arrive, stating that they are unimpressed with her failures and that they want her out of the town, she is distraught. The unwanted letters are horrid, undermining her confidence and sapping her energy. She and Henry resolve to find the anonymous culprit and suspect one person then another, finally unmasking the perpetrator at the Midsummer Play, in front of the whole town.
Readers will be thrilled to see how the story of Henry the ghost is incorporated into the Midsummer Play, a play acted out each year for four hundred years, detailing what happened to Henry.
Henry and Little Gem, along with their town friends solve the puzzle, even working out why Little Gem’s spells are going awry, and why there is an outbreak of trees growing in the town attracting a specific bug to drink its nectar. All comes right in the end, the wonderful illustrations underlining the humour of the story, giving a face to all the characters that readers love.
Little Gem is a character to be admired: resilient and determined, she shows tenacity in the face of adversity, striving to be the best she can be.
Claudine “Claude” Henry has it all planned out. In one week, she will graduate from high school and go on the road trip of a lifetime with her best friend Saz; one final trip before they go to different colleges and their friendship is changed forever. With the potential to hook up with her long-time crush Wyatt Jones, this summer is looking to be the best yet. That is, until her father drops the bombshell that he’s leaving Claude and her mother, dissolving their perfect trio and removing the floor from beneath her feet. To make matters worse, Claude learns that she and her mother are being exiled to a remote Georgia island where there is no phone service and no chance at the romance she was so desperately looking forward to. Grieving for her perfect summer and the fractures in her relationships caused by being forced to keep her parents’ separation a secret, Claude stubbornly decides that she will stay inside and read books until the summer is over. Then she meets Jeremiah Crew. Enigmatic and free-spirited, Jeremiah makes her feel like anything is possible. They both know what they have can only last for one summer, but with adventures to be found in every day and on every corner of the island, maybe one summer might just be enough.
Niven creates an island paradise, with an eccentric mix of characters that serve to accompany Claude on her journey to discovering that she is the one who gets to write her own story and that to do so, she must own her feelings and sit with each emotional wave that hits her, no matter how overpowering. Claude’s relationship with her mother is a highlight of the novel, demonstrating a healthy and empowering mother-daughter relationship in the face of adversity and challenging situations. While Claude’s coming of age journey is aimed at young adult readers, there is substantial triggering content in the novel with profound themes involving sexual references, descriptive sexual scenes, and sexual assault, as well as graphic descriptions and themes of suicide and death. It is also to be noted that there is content that would be triggering for readers recovering from or experiencing eating disorders. Themes of divorce and parental separation are also substantial within the novel. For these reasons, a reading age of 16 years is recommended.
Themes Coming of Age, Love, Teenage Love, Divorce, Parental Separation, Sex, First Love, Relationships, Heartbreak.
Sawyer Dodd has just lost her boyfriend, Kevin, in a tragic car crash, and she's now back at school. Suffering through the glances and whispers of fellow students, she finds a note in her locker, attached to the news clipping of Kevin's accident, with two words : 'You're welcome'. But no-one knew what Kevin did to her, how he treated her, right? With her parent's divorce and her father remarrying and expecting a baby with his new wife, Saywer's life is already upside down. But the note sends Sawyer into a head spin, and then her Spanish teacher shows his true colours, her best friend is attacked and more notes appear in her locker. Where are they coming from, and how does the person seem to know her every move?
This rollercoaster YA mystery thriller is fast paced and has plenty of suspense and drama. Told entirely from Sawyer's point of view, the book starts up at the funeral of Sawyer's boyfriend, giving us our introduction to Sawyer, which is of a broken and hurt teenager. This is further shown when her life is described in more detail - Kevin's controlling and abusive behaviour, her parent's sudden divorce and her new stepmother trying to be her friend, and broken friendships. The book begins with a warning about many of these aspects, as well as suicide and drink driving, hence the older age range for reading this book. It reads really well, as the fast pace enables readers to quickly progress, and the mystery on top of mystery keeps readers guessing. With relatable characters, Truly, Madly, Deadly is compelling and ideal for fans of People Like Us by Dana Mele, All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick, and anything by Karen M. McManus.
Simon & Schuster, 2021. ISBN: 9781760858889. (Age:Adult)
The Adler family live in a ‘picture perfect’ home and to outsiders are living an envy-worthy life. Everything seems to be progressing well … careers and older teen children seem to be developing within the boundaries of normal family stresses until their home becomes the target of an egging. Very rapidly it becomes obvious that each family member is hiding a secret that could perhaps have attracted negative attention. Slowly the tension increases as attacks continue and the family becomes embroiled in the fear of the unknown assailants and cracks appear in their relationships. Alongside the fear is the personal secret of each family member and the hidden shame and guilt of each situation. The all-American perfection is crumbling rapidly under the threats and tension and everything seems to be falling apart!
This is a story that would translate well to a TV series (similar to Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies) as the emotional tension is revealed with increasing weight. From compromising photographs used as a lever to bribery, secret thefts, terrible choices at a USA College, and online sexual behaviour (camming), the secrets are adult and uncomfortable and the ‘perfect family’ are on a terrible journey where the cracks in each life threaten them all. This is a tense holiday-read and although there are teen participants, it is an adult story.
Recommended for adult readers.
Themes Family Drama, Secrets, Sexual behaviour, Online pornography.
Miren O'Malley is the last of the prosperous O'Malley's, whose success at sea came from an old deal with the mer, at the price of one child per generation. Generations later, the O'Malley's have been unable to fulfil their side of the bargain for many years, and have fallen into hard times. With their past glories a mere memory now, Miren's grandmother is determined to restore the family and their fortune, at any cost, including Miren's freedom.
This gothic fairy tale begins with a heavily detailed O'Malley history, setting the background and scene for Miren's story, which picks up when she is in her late teens, just after her grandfather has passed away. The story leans towards horror, as it is a dark fantasy, containing violence and family secrets. Located near the sea, this gothic historical novel incorporates numerous oceanic myths, revolving primarily around mer people. The story has the charm of simple life without technology due to the setting, where homes were light with lamps, horse drawn carriages or horse back riding are the modes of transport and servants are the norm for wealthy families. All this is intermingled with magic and deals with mythical creatures, as the story gains more layers and readers get drawn in further, despite the slow start of the book. In amongst this, Miren fights for her freedom, to learn more about who she is and where she came from, and what she wants to be if she gains her freedom. Ideal for fans of gothic, mystery and historical fiction.
What a gripping read! I could not put When you are mine down and had to re-read the last two chapters because I raced through them so quickly in my frantic attempt to see all the outcomes of the twists and turns of this riveting psychological thriller. Phil McCarthy is a young police officer who has had a struggle to be accepted into the London Metropolitan Police force because of her family’s criminal background. When she is called to a domestic violence crime, she discovers that the perpetrator is a decorated detective, and while trying to help Tempe Brown, the young woman who was assaulted, she comes up against intense opposition from within the police force. In her efforts to help Tempe get away from the detective, she uncovers more secrets from his past and finds herself in the middle of murder and intrigue.
Robotham is a master of the crime genre, winning the CWA Gold Dagger for Life or death in 2015, and again in 2020 for Good girl, bad girl, and the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller for When she was good. When you are mine is a stand-alone thriller, with a gutsy heroine in Phil, who narrates the story. Although her family have criminal ties, she believes in justice and policework, but when she most needs help it is her family that comes through for her, not her colleagues at work. Phil too, finds out about friendship, as she grows closer to Tempe, who starts to take over her life even as Henry her partner and her close friends warn her about her obsessive behaviour.
Robotham could have stuck to one main theme, instead he has melded together complex strands detailing serious issues of domestic violence, friendship, stalking, family relationships and police corruption. This is a thrilling adrenaline fuelled story that is sure to be on award winning lists and I cannot wait to see what Robotham comes up with next.
Simon & Schuster, 2021. ISBN: 9781471173776. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
Gayle Forman is a favourite author of mine with bestselling novels If I stay and the sequel Where she went and I have lost my way among others, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of her latest book. Aaron Stein has been left behind trying to run the failing Bluebird Books store with his father while his friends have gone off to college. His mother has left them and so has his brother Sandy. He feels suffocated by his life and hopes for something good to happen – and it seems to with his meeting Hannah, a clever and upbeat musician.
Aaron is in a mess, his beloved books no longer hold his attention, and he focuses on one only, The rise and fall of the dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte, believing that the bookshop is like the dinosaurs, bound for extinction. When Chad cons him into putting in a ramp for his wheelchair at the shop and the locals come to help, Aaron does not seem to be able to take control of his life. He has found overdue bills and credit cards and knows that the bookstore will have to be sold. He makes a deal with Penny Macklemore, the local land holder, but is too afraid to tell his father or stop the renovations that the locals are insisting must be done.
Although dealing with some very difficult issues like addiction, divorce, grief, and disability, all are handled with warmth and insight by Forman, making this a very compelling story that begs to be read in a couple of sittings. Book lovers will enjoy the allusions to many titles throughout the book and will be thrilled to see the whole list printed at the back, ensuring fun working out what they have read or would like to read.
Ultimately a feel-good book, with very relatable characters, We are inevitable is sure to be enjoyed by readers who enjoy books by Melissa Keil (Life in outer space) as well as John Green, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.
Themes Dating, Books and book shops, Truth, Addiction, Disability.
Pat Pledger
Pollination: the enduring relationship between plant and pollinator by Timothy Walker
Full of close-up photographs of plants, bees and other insects, this beautiful book provides a highly informative description of the interrelationship between plants and animals in the process of pollination. As the introduction tells us, pollination is an essential component of the world’s ecosystems. Without it, there would not be successful plant reproduction, and probably not human life either.
The first chapter provides detailed diagrams of flower anatomy, sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, and pollen grain structure, with images of the stages of pollination. Subsequent chapters explain agents of pollination: wind and water, animals and insects; and the communication of plants to attract and control their pollinators.
Later chapters explore the biological significance of pollination, our critical dependence on the effects of pollination, and the urgent need for pollinator conservation as species become threatened and extinguished. The chapters are clearly set out and well-illustrated with summaries of the main points provided in the end pages of each chapter.
Published by Princeton University Press, I was concerned lest the information might not be so relevant to places outside of the United States, however the book makes a very extensive study of plant and insect / animal interactions around the world. The index can be referred to for specific pages on Australia, South Africa or the United Kingdom, but there are also many incidental references to the plants and wildlife of Australia and other countries. Overall, the book is an authoritative reference for students of botany or biology, or for people interested in the interrelationship between bee pollinators and plants, and deserves a place on school and public library shelves.
Themes Pollination, Bees, Ecology.
Helen Eddy
How to be a hero by Cat Weldon. Illus. by Katie Kear
Pan Macmillan, 2021. ISBN: 9781529045031. (Age:9-12) Recommended.
In picking up this book it is obvious the text is small and there is sometimes only one illustration per chapter. This may be daunting for readers under 9 years old.
The book starts a new trilogy from a new author. If you know nothing about Norse mythology (like me) it could have been confusing. But the first two pages include illustrations to help – one of Yggdrasil (an immense tree whose branches hold various worlds) and one map of Midgard (one of those worlds).
Chapter 2 adds ‘A Guide to the Nine Worlds’ describing all the worlds, how they interact and “who’s who in Asgard” – this is excellent and easy to flip back to during reading.
The story is about diverse young misfits who each fear failing: Whetstone is a pale, scruffy orphan boy - an aspiring Viking thief from Midgard. Lotta is a dark-skinned girl with a mass of unruly black curls – she is a struggling trainee Valkyrie from Asgard. Their paths cross in a comedy of errors and they must work together to survive. They both learn they can be brave, as well as learning how to be a good friend and what it takes to be a hero.
The story is complex but is also fast-paced and funny. Silly touches include comical rhymes, songs and names (such as Awfulrick the Viking, and a cranky horse called Thighbiter). The illustrations are cartoony and keep the mood light – they are full of over-emphasised facial expressions and amusing details such as graffiti on a wall of Asgard that says, ‘Loki smells of poOo’.
The story ends with Whetstone and Lotta having proved themselves and Whetstone learning about his parents. He is shown some clues to learn more. Chapter one of the next book is included in a sneak peek in the back along with activities including a Viking name generator – I am Kari the Horse Tickler!
Book two (The land of lost things) has just been released on 13 July 2021 and promises to continue the fast-paced fun.
This wonderful tangle of books, libraries and dinosaurs will win hearts as Leilong tries to go to the library with the children.
An image of the brontosaurus fills each page as he falls into strange and fanciful situations.
On the way to the library he stops to refuel, then in his hurry he is stopped by the police and told to slow down. But how can he be slow when the excitement of going to the library for story time is the lure.
Arriving at the library, the librarian points out that Leilong has no library card and so is sent outside after trying vainly to fit his huge frame through the door. When he hears the children’s voices above him, he reaches up to listen to the story but his size makes the library tremble and shake, books falling to the floor. The librarian tells Leilong to go, but the children then go with him, leaving the library empty. A solution needs to be found.
This lovely story, showcasing the excitement of reading, of sharing stories, of going to the library will be eagerly sought after by readers, especially when the hero is a brontosaurus.
The author taps into kids’ love of anything dinosaurs for this curiously good tale.
Gecko Press in New Zealand publishes books from across the globe, selecting those with an edge, attracted by their quirkiness. And this book reflects their aim at bringing curiously good books to children, having a problem to solve at its heart. The illustrations are full of humour, reflecting the idea of a dinosaur tramping through the streets with a bunch of children on his back, wanting to get into the library but not accounting for his size, while upsetting the librarian who struggles to articulate a reason for Leilong staying outside. The pencil and crayon drawings are filled with colour giving the impression of a lino print, and the array of books over the floor, on the balcony, the shelves and then Leilong’s back, impresses the idea of reading to the audience (as if that is needed!).
Themes Dinosaurs, Libraries, reading, Story time, Problem solving.
