New Frontier, 2020. ISBN: 9781922326119. (Age:2-5)
Bright illustrations and simple text capture all the loving moments that happen for a young child within a single day. From sibling love, to parent love, to friendship love and self love. On the way to school/childcare/kindergarten a little dino plays joyfully with a sibling, says goodbye to mum, learns, eats and plays with friends and reunites with family at the end of the day. These adorable and brightly coloured dinosaurs will engage little eyes and simple and repetitive text with hold their attention. 'Love is...goodbye hugs...feeling grown-up...doing your best'. Simple things are conquered, like writing letters and going down big slides and you can see the little dinos chest swell with pride at how he is loved, encouraged and supported.
This is a great book to read to young preschoolers or even those beginning school, especially those who tend to get a bit anxious about being separated from their family. It is a beautiful reminder that love is all around them in many forms, and that their family will be right there at the end of their busy day.
Themes Love.
Nicole Nelson
Three dancing frogs by Leigh Hardingham
New Frontier, 2020. ISBN: 9781921928819. (Age:3-6) Recommended.
Soft watercolour illustrations accompany this poetic and magical tale of a bushland ballet performance. As the day grows old the Aussie bush animals are all preparing for the show: 'possums and geckos are filling the spaces; Bilbies and beetles are taking their places'. The rest of the cast include cicadas, fruit bats, emus and spiders. Some of the animals make up the audience, while others are providing musical accompaniment; there are flutes and harps, cellos and violas. But it's the three little frogs who take centre stage. Their movements are rhythmically described: 'through ribbons and reeds, with lightness and ease'. Little ballet dancers will love the inclusion of ballet language such as arabesque and plie. It starts to rain but 'the audience is silent, lost in romance' and as the lightning strikes and the thunder rolls the three little frogs reach the crescendo of their performance.
Patrick Shirvington's (Can you Find Me?, Can You Find 12 Busy Bees?) illustrations are stunning and dreamy with soft edges that work to immerse you into the page. Along with these superb visuals, vivid imagery and rich description of the music and the dance lead the audience right into the performance, creating a dramatic feast. The way it describes the visual and musical elements of performance is reminiscent of A Guinea Pig Nutcracker. This will be adored by young ballet dancers and those with a love of performing! Teacher's notes are available.
Sixteen-year-old Deka cannot wait for the Ritual of Purity. On that day she will finally be able to prove to her family, friends and community that she belongs. When she is cut by the priest, she is sure that her blood will run red. She cannot bear to imagine what will happen if she bleeds gold . . .
When Deka's village is attacked during the ceremony by the violent and fearsome deathshrieks, Deka saves her loved ones but is revealed as a gold-veined 'demon'. Subjected to torment and torture and forced to die over and over again by those she once considered family and friends, Deka is finally rescued by the enigmatic White Hands, a woman who promises absolution if Deka will join the Emperor's newly formed army of girls as impure as herself. Whisked away to the capital to train as a warrior, Deka discovers troubling secrets about her growing abilities, her past and the empire she has sworn to protect, that may change everything she is working towards.
The Gilded Ones is an excellent debut from Sierra Leonian-American author Namina Forna. Weaving together elements of fantasy and traditional West African society, Forna has created a compelling and unique world for readers. Young adult fantasy by African authors is gradually gaining more traction in a genre heavily dominated by European and North American fiction. The Gilded Ones is a worthy contribution to this growing group. It must be mentioned however that Forna does not hold back on her portrayals of the abuse and trauma suffered by women living in patriarchal societies. Readers should be aware and keep this in mind when determining whether to read this book.
Simon & Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781760854478. (Age:Adult - 17+)
This riveting new book opens to a sense of tension as Mim, the mother of two young children, is washing her hands while trying to calm her mind as she considers the inherent problems that she has been made aware of: that her husband is missing. He has been working in a mine in Indonesia – a cooperative venture between China and Australia. Questioned as to what she knows, which we know is really not much, she sits drinking tea in her home with the offer of help from the visitor from The Department, visiting her with an offer of support, but actually there to discover if she knows anything about her husband, which is nothing. As they leave they decide to take all three passports, hers and those of the children. The era is one of great oppression, The Department ruling with an iron hand and enforcing rules that are obeyed or the consequences are dire.
We are immediately plunged into anxiety, drawn in by her fear, her awareness of being a geologist in this new era, a time of great oppression and regulation overseen by powerful, manipulative governments. A decision is vital, she believes, and she sets off almost immediately, telling nobody of her plans. She travels up through the Northern Territory, and thence, she hopes to find a way to go to Indonesia by seeking a fairly innocuous fishing vessel to take her and the children. Her second dangerous decision, to cut out the micro-chip from each of their palms, is one that she considers terribly risky but she believes that it offers the only possibility of their not being able to be traced as they journey from Australia.
It is a terrifying narrative in many ways, full of fear and exploring how difficult it is to live with her deep anxiety about both her husband’s future and saving the lives of her children and her own life. A deep and terrifying tension underlies the narrative, and we are caught up in her fear, sometimes unsure of her decisions, and choices made, but understand clearly her terror and driving need to alert her husband to the questions that he is likely to face.
This book would only be suitable for adults and older adolescents as neither its topic nor the level of tension, are appropriate for younger readers.
Andrew Joyner is a master at saying a lot with few words. His playful illustrations (in black and white with pops of green), combined with carefully chosen words call children to action and instil them with agency. This is a call to arms, letting children know that they do have the ability to change their world, as well as reminding adults to support them (and join them). It is poignant that it is the adults listening to and following the lead of the children, as this is what we have seen happening around the world (Greta Thunberg being just one example). Some of these young people are profiled in the back of the book, highlighting what they are speaking out about and how they have got people to listen.
The text itself is made up entirely of two word sentences, the second word of which is 'up'. From 'wake up' to 'meet up' to 'think up' to 'listen up' it chronicles a short period of time in a young girl's life. After attending a climate change demonstration she watches the environmental degradation shown on the evening news. A sleepless night leads to her taking action: thinking, writing, sharing with others and initiating change. Not only does the book champion speaking out but it shows practical actions that can make a big difference: recycling, cleaning up our beaches, walking rather than driving, growing our own vegetables and swapping clothing. The illustrations also depict a wonderfully diverse community.
This is a hopeful and important book that can and should be used to initiate rich discussions about sustainable practices. Fans of Joyner's similar title The Pink Hat (about marching for women's equality) will be particularly happy.
This adventure, with a hint of magic, is set in Scotland in 1647. It is told by Art Flynt and begins when she has to hide in the ceiling from English soldiers. Her mother and other women are being arrested for witchcraft and sent for trial in England. Suspects usually have no chance of surviving and most of the women really just have extensive knowledge of the healing powers of plants. Art sets off on her extraordinary horse, Lady, with the aim of finding and freeing her mother. On her long journey she must ride through forests and be on her guard. However, she is also helped by a mysterious woman. After Art saves a teenage girl called Mercy from death, the two become friends and plan to free Art’s mother from a castle.
This has many pleasant illustrations and is written in present tense with short sentences. It is easy to read and has a lot of action, but you aren’t emotionally bound to the characters. It is based on a real person, the WitchFinder General, and it is interesting to learn about the travesty of his witch trials. However, the reader needs to suspend their disbelief when it comes to many of the events in the story, omens, thought transference with animals and the implausible skills of the girls. For example, how could Art make such a long journey (600km) in such a short time? Historical endnotes would help young readers have more context regarding the truth, since these aren’t the witches of modern fantasy. Nevertheless, Amy Raphael has made teenage girls the heroes in this medieval world, which is unusual in books for this age group and may appeal to readers of fantasy.
Themes Strong female characters, Medieval history.
Jo Marshall
Be not far from me by Mindy McGinnis
Katherine Tegen Books, 2021. ISBN: 9780062561633. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
A Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults 2021 suggests that this is an outstanding read and I certainly could not put it down. It has all the ingredients for an enthralling story, engrossing plot, terrible odds and wild forest and a great heroine in Ashley. After a fight with her boyfriend and drinking too much at a party in the woods of the great Smokey Mountains, she flees through the trees and becomes lost. She pushes herself to her absolute limit, trying to find her way home, determined to survive against the odds even though her foot is badly injured, and she has little food or water.
The book is divided into three sections by an atmospheric illustration of the trees and Smokey Mountains, and little illustrations appear at the top of each chapter as well. Told in the voice of Ashley, the reader is carried along on her harrowing journey (some incidents are not for the faint-hearted), while at the same time learning much about Ashley, her ability to run, the poverty that she endures and the friendships that she realises mean so much to her. Davey Beet, who taught her how to survive in the wilderness when she was at summer camp, is another character who adds tension to the story. After disappearing somewhere on the mountains because his girlfriend had broken up with him, the reader is left wondering whether he is still alive.
Readers who enjoyed Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter and Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake will be happy to move onto Be not far from me, and I am looking forward to reading more books by Mindy McGinnis.
Lady Venessa Blake returns to her holiday home on Mustique to organise the birthday celebrations for her goddaughter Lily. She has received a phone call from her which unsettles her, Lily is not her usual self. The island which has always been tranquil and private is giving a different vibe. Perhaps it is because many of the villas are empty, their owners having returned to their other lives, or perhaps it is the threat of the looming Tropical Storm Cristabal.
The island's only police officer DS Solomon Nile’s usual quiet life is jolted by the disappearance of the Heiress Amanda Fortini. The islanders can offer no helpful insights, but Lady Vee as she is known by her intimates on the island soon offers her help and local knowledge to solve the mystery.
The peace of the island is certainly shattered when the Fontini luxury residence is torched and is destroyed. Then the body of the main suspect is washed ashore. He has most definitely been murdered. Pieces of dead coral are being left with strange symbols carved into them. Lily’s work on regenerating the coral reef seems to be a major factor. But who could be trying to sabotage such a beneficial scheme?
DS Nile is suspicious of a large yacht anchored off shore, but oddly he has been warned off boarding or searching it by his superiors. Things come to a head as Cristobal nears the coast and Lady Vee, Lily and Nile count themselves lucky to have survived.
Anne Glenconner is old school: an aristocrat who loves to name drop, and of course Mustique gives many opportunities for Princess Margaret’s name to be slotted into the narrative. Of all her characters, DS Solomon Nile, is the one who resonates most with this reader. Lady Vee has the utmost confidence in her own abilities and in her position as “lady of the manor”.
A good read when lying on the beach or killing time in the airport lounge.
Based on the Bluey episode of the same name, this is a humorous look at how the boring things in life are often important for ensuring a fun time. It's a hot summer's day at the Heeler household and the kids don't want to brush their teeth. 'Boring things are important too', says Mum. As Bluey fans will know, Dad can be a bit of a big kid sometimes. He bursts in with the pool noodles and the water guns and declares a trip to Uncle Stripe's pool. 'Don't forget the swim stuff', calls Mum. But everyone is already out the door. A comedic sequence follows, wherein Dad, Bluey and Bingo realise they are missing all the boring but important things that make a pool outing enjoyable: thongs, sunscreen, rashies, hats, floaties...and snacks. Luckily Mum arrives just in time, with all the stuff they left behind. A fun family outing ensues. 'So boring things are important sometimes then?' asks Mum. 'Yes!' agrees Bluey.
This accompanying title will be much loved by children already familiar with the accompanying episode. Parent knowledge of the episode will also aid in making it a successful read-aloud, allowing them to use the intonation and distinctive vocal style of the characters. There is a beautiful message here about families working together and of appreciating the different qualities that each person brings to the group. It's also a handy line of reasoning for parents to use too: boring things are important too! - remember when Bluey and Bingo went to the pool without all the things?!
Sunny Dae (and yes, that is his name!) is the ultimate bullied nerd. He impresses no one, is Asian-American in a wealthy Californian suburb and is comfortable only with the two other game-play nerds that similarly are tagged as losers within their school environment. Sunny’s older brother, Gray Dae (!) has left home to pursue his rock star career in nearby Hollywood; his parents are 24/7 work and screen focused and Sunny is…. just average and ordinary. When a female family friend, Cirrus, enters Sunny’s arena he fakes his identity by borrowing his brother’s clothes and career interests to impress her and attempts to become the cool ‘Rock-star’ kid that he thinks she might like. The lie grows and his faithful friends are pulled into the whirlpool he has created and must form a Rock band and perform. Lies are seldom easy to maintain forever, but Sunny really wants to continue being Cirrus’ boyfriend… but will she forgive the lie?
This joyful journey into teen romance is written with a refreshing voice and with insights into the world of teens engaged in Cos-play and gaming and their attempts to find their people. The crossover to the world of music and life in an American highschool adds some quirky elements. But David Yoon’s writing is not cliched or lame, rather it is clever and insightful while still being joyously cynical. This is a young person’s story, but it is clever and invigorating and quirkily fun. All readers will love Sunny and his friends.
Themes Coming-of-age, Romance, Nerds and Bullies, Truth and lies.
This novel is a sequel to Preservation, over 32 years on, Sydney born Eliza Grayling, a mature spinster, looks after her blind, alcoholic, grieving and reclusive father, the former Lieutenant Joshua Grayling. She knows that his behaviour is influenced by an old enemy from the past.
Through the influence of the former lascar, Srinivas, Joshua is offered the chance for a reckoning with his nemesis. Unable to dissuade her father Eliza is forced to join him as his carer and eyes, on their chartered boat the Moonbird. A voyage ensues into Bass Strait and the Furneaux Islands in search of a missing ship, its cargo, and the elusive Mr Figge.
A saga of incidents unveils as the additional party consisting of a pair of convict brothers, a doctor studying marine life, and the cross-dressing master, sails from one island to the next in search of the missing ship. On the way they meet strangers who are sealers and their 'tyereelore' wives and George Robinson’s men who are attempting to round up the indigenous people.
The dangers of venturing into the islands give an atmosphere of foreboding, mixed with wonderful descriptions of the dangerous marine environment, birds and rugged islands. Jock Serong’s writing evokes the landscape in vivid detail and his characters are well drawn, especially Eliza who narrates the story in the first person. As historical fiction the reader perceives the period depicted in the book as an accurate reflection of the lives of the island inhabitants. I felt the plot was a little too contrived at times but readers who stay the course will be rewarded with the outcome.
Clouds by Angie and Alli Simpson. Illus. by Lucy Fleming
Aladdin, 2021. ISBN: 9781534439535. (Age:6+)
Clouds is a thoughtfully written rhyming story about the treasured memories of growing up and the bond between a mother and daughter over a period of time. Making shapes and dreams out of clouds has long been a past-time for children and adults all over the world. This book expands on that and tells of a mother remembering and sharing her daughter’s journey as she walks along a beach.
The illustrations by Lucy Fleming are quite striking in their own right and complement the text beautifully.
Clouds was inspired by Australian singer Cody Simpson’s lullaby. He is the son and brother of the authors, Angie and Ali Simpson. At the end of the book is personal information of how the story evolved.
Themes Clouds, Imagination, Mother/Daughter Relationships, Life Journey, Dreams.
Kathryn Beilby
Hugo's Runaway Legs by Alys Jackson and Leigh Brown
With rhyming language that just begs to be read aloud, this amusing picture book is sure to be a hit with young children.
Hugo Holt woke up one day to find his legs had run away. Without the slightest sigh or fuss they hopped aboard a local bus.
Hugo is determined to recover his runaway legs and tries out different legs to see if they are fast enough to catch up with the bus. He tried a toad’s legs and children will laugh out loud at the pictures of him hopping and leaping. Then he tries out a deer’s legs, hippo’s legs, penguin’s feet, brown bear’s legs, cheetah’s legs and giraffe’s legs none of which can catch the bus. Each set of feet is accompanied by hilarious illustrations by Leigh Brown that complement the text and very small children will have lots of fun guessing what animal owns the legs before the verse is read out to them.
The refrain is sure to be one that children will want to sing out as well.
' This,' he wailed, ' is pure disaster. These legs are fast but the ... bus ... is ... faster! ’
They will be relieved when Hugo finally uses a horse’s legs to catch the bus and discover that Hugo’s legs have run away because they were not used enough. The final stanza will have children in fits of giggles, while they learn about appropriate amounts of exercise and sitting:
And so his legs agreed to stay and Hugo plays and plays ... all day! In fact he never thinks of sitting and that is why his ... bum is quitting!
The humour, easy flow of language and illustration on the front cover will ensure that this is a favourite with young children.
Themes Legs, Exercise.
Pat Pledger
The left-handed booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760631246. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
It is 1983 and Susan Arkshaw is on a quest to find her father. She travels to London, hoping that crime boss Frank Thringley can help her, but Merlin kills him with a silver hatpin before she can get any answers. With creatures from the Old World after her, she joins up with Merlin and his sister Vivien, who are looking for the murderer of their mother and must overcome incredible odds to keep the modern world safe.
Nix’s wonderful imagination takes the reader into a world where there are left-handed booksellers who fight evil, Merlin being one of them, and right-handed booksellers like Vivien who are intellectuals and solve problems. Anyone who has travelled to London and visited the big bookstores there will recognise the authenticity of their description and enjoy the idea of left-handed booksellers. The combination of the world in 1983 and the fantasy world of legends is handled deftly, and I had no problem with suspending belief as I followed the amazing adventures of Susan and her book-selling friends.
The main characters are fully fleshed out. Susan is a determined, brave and thoughtful young woman, while Merlin is enormously attractive, whether dressed as a young man or woman. Vivien is clever while the villains in the story are dastardly.
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London was even better on a second read and will go on my shelf of feel-good reads to be turned to when I need an outstanding action-packed story, beautifully written and with memorable characters. Fans of A corner of white by Jaclyn Moriarty and Diana Wynne Jones would enjoy this. Teacher’s notes are available from the publisher.
In Basra province, Iraq, in 1978, two young girls vow friendship, cutting their thumbs and combining their blood; sisters forever. Huda is the common village girl and Rania is the privileged daughter of the sheik. Then time leaps forward to Baghdad 2002 and we learn that something has come between the two friends, they have become distanced and distrustful. The country is Iraq during the time of Saddam Hussein, a time of oppression and brutality at the hands of the mukhabarat or secret police.
Then a third woman enters their lives, accompanying her husband’s posting as deputy ambassador. Ally is a friendly but naive Australian seeking to unravel the secrets of her American mother’s life in Iraq many years ago. Huda, winning a highly prized position as secretary in the Australian embassy, is coerced into becoming an informant for the mukhabarat, befriending the Australian woman, and reporting on her movements.
At the heart of the novel is the question of friendship. Can there truly be friendship between people of different wealth, different life experiences, different responsibilities and expectations? Huda and Rania are trapped in a world of fear and oppression. The foreigner, Ally, can step out of it at any time. Their lives intersect, there are secrets and betrayals, but can there also be an authentic connection despite their world situations?
In her author’s note, Wilkinson tells us that the novel was inspired by her experience living in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein, with one of her closet Iraqi friends a secret police informant reporting her every move. That puzzle of their relationship, vacillating between warm friendship and doubting distrust underscores the novel, and is a question that many travellers may confront at some time as they navigate worlds with vast discrepancies in wealth and freedoms.
The other question this novel raises is the issue of cultural ownership – who has the right to tell which stories? Having spent many years travelling the world, Wilkinson argues for the commonality at the heart of our lives. However the question arises, would Huda or Rania assert a claim to a more authentic voice, if they were the writers? Can Wilkinson really know what their lives were like, the pull of history and religion, the fear and betrayals? These are all issues worth exploring. Discussion questions at the end of the book could be helpful conversation starters.
When apricots bloom is a powerful story, of brave people forced to make difficult decisions in order to protect their loved ones, forced into deceptions but trying to still maintain core values of friendship, love and loyalty. And the reader will also discover the many beauties of Iraq, the art, legendary cities, sights and smells, and the apricot blossoms.
