Illus. by Keturah A. Bobo. Balzer & Bray, 2020. ISBN:
9780062667137.32pp., hbk.
One of the downsides of this new instantly-connected world with its
emphasis on social media is that there is a generation growing up
who are becoming dependent on external validation for everything
they do, who view their self-worth through the lens of the number of
likes and friends they have, and whose self-belief and
self-confidence as a person is very low. In this look-at-me world,
resilience seems to be in low reserves and what came naturally as
previous generations dealt with what we encountered, is now
explicitly taught.
In this companion to I
am enough, young children of all shapes, colours and
sizes are encouraged to be their best selves and to reach their
potential by believing that they can, without needing approval from
outside sources. They let the power of their
imaginations project them into the future and know that because they
are just who they are, they can achieve those dreams. They can be as
fierce as the lion's roar and as powerful as the dragon's flames,
and even though they might falter and make mistakes or not succeed
at what they try, they learn from those experiences to build on what
they tried and take another step forward.
It is aimed at our younger readers in the hope that they can build
their sense of identity and worthiness before they are old enough to
officially be on social media platforms (COPPA
restricts membership to 13+) and promote positive mental health, an
area that's of increasing concern amongst our youngest.
While the dark side of social media is now being recognised and
explored and talked about in mainstream media, this video shows
what can be achieved through the power of self-belief. Molly
suffered horrendous epileptic seizures from the age of 2 and in an
effort to save her life, had a third of her brain removed at 16.
Look
at her go!!!
A must-have and a must-promote in any mindfulness collection and
program.
Barbara Braxton
Helping our planet by Jane Bingham
Usborne, 2020. ISBN: 9781474982764. 240pp., pbk.
As our students become more independent they start to hear the
message about the plight of the planet more loudly and realise that
even though they are still young, there is much they can do as
individuals to contribute to the solution rather than the problem.
Focusing on issues such as saving energy, reducing waste, cutting
down on plastic, water conservation, shopping and travelling
thoughtfully and caring for the planet's plants and creatures, this
book presents more in-depth information that respects the reader's
growing maturity and understanding. It includes a section on how
they can make their voice heard so others take notice so rather than
just becoming aware of the issue, they understand that they can also
take action on a broader scale.
By this age, students will also have a feeling for which particular
area attracts them the most, so the accompanying Quicklinks
also offer a way forward for greater awareness and action. With
information in manageable chunks alongside lots of illustrations,
this is one for those who are ready to take their journey to the
next step.
Barbara Braxton
Looking after your health by Caroline Young
Usborne, 2020. ISBN: 9781474982757. 224pp., pbk.
(Age: 8+) While we teach our younger students about eating well,
exercising and getting enough sleep, the emphasis on maintaining
physical health seems to drop off after those early years and while
there is a growing awareness of encouraging positive mental health,
our bodies don't get much attention in literature for some time
until puberty approaches.
This book is a part of a series from Usborne targeting those middle
years readers from about 8 years, encouraging them to stay aware of
and be committed to the issues they encountered at an earlier
age. Using information in accessible chunks accompanied by
lots of black and white images, the book tackles aspects of good
health such as diet, sleep, exercise, and mental health, providing
more in-depth information that respects the reader's growing
maturity, understanding and search for knowledge. As usual there are
also the Quicklinks
which offer more to explore.
Young people with questions that they might be reticent to ask, for
whatever reason, will appreciate this book, as well as those who are
keen to maximise their well-being as they grow and develop.
Barbara Braxton
Out of Copley Street, A working-class boyhood by Geoff Goodfellow
Wakefield Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781743057575.
(Age 14 - adult) This is a powerful memoir that tells the story of
the young Geoff Goodfellow growing up in a working-class suburb of
Adelaide in the 1950s and 1960s. In an innocent, intelligent and
brutally honest narrative, Goodfellow tells the story of his boyhood
in the northern suburbs. The narrative plunges us into the reality
of Geoff's life with his family, their struggle to make ends meet,
and his determination to find work to help the family by earning an
income, even though he knows that he ought to complete his
schooling.
We are positioned to see the man he will become in the photograph on
the book's cover, his grin suggesting a friendliness and sense of
humour that is very much reflected in his narrative. Deciding to
make a life for himself that is true to his personality and apt for
his situation, he initially takes on work as a milkman. Finding that
this does not work for him either, he works with a local butcher for
a short while but finds that this too is not right. We are aware of
his father's struggle to work, his experience fighting in the war
having left him deeply troubled. Geoff's decision to take on work on
an oil rig shows his determination to find a way to earn an income,
and thus to help his family by supporting himself.
This narrative is vividly persuasive, as it becomes evident to the
reader that Goodfellow's talent lies in his ability with words, in
his vivid evocation of his experiences throughout his childhood and
adolescence, seen so vividly in his storytelling. This compelling
narrative would be suitable for all readers from early adolescence
through to adults.
Elizabeth Bondar
The great Godden by Meg Rosoff
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526618511.
(Age: secondary) Highly recommended. 'The actors assembled, the
summer begins', is the last sentence of the second chapter in this
captivating read.
The unnamed narrator, watching all from the tower above the house,
often using a telescope to survey the proceedings below, is in love
with Kit as he winds his way into all their lives, just as markedly
as his glowering brother does not.
This summer is just like every summer in the past, a family staying
in their beach house, their good friends, Malcolm and Hope nearby.
The second child, Mattie falls for Kit and the two become
inseparable, although only on Kit's terms, while Hope and Malcolm
prepare for their wedding at the end of the summer. Malcolm learns
his lines to star in a new production of Hamlet, Tamsin the
narrator's younger sister goes off riding most days and the fourth
child, Alex spends his time hunting down nature, often under the
floorboards.
The story is woven around the theatre: Kit hopes to go to RADA,
Malcolm learns his lines, Mattie the beautiful poses for England,
Mum sews for the opera company, Kit and Hugo are the LA raised
offspring of a minor actress, but all have a part to play this
summer. Kit and Hugo are staying with Hope and Malcolm while their
mother works on a film in Yugoslavia. These two young men change the
usual dynamics of summer at the beach.
The weeks moves along, the narrator getting part time work at the
local shop, Dad returns to London for work, while the girls help
sew, choose bridesmaid dresses and prepare for the wedding.
Tamsin has seen people illegally netting birds on her rides, a sail
around the bay is due to take place and the two families meet every
day for swimming, cards, barbecue and idle chat. The scene it
instantly recognisable, families lounging at the beach, happy in
each other's company, mulling over past holidays, eager about the
changes in store.
Each of the characters is masterfully developed: the reader knows
each one intimately. The unnamed narrator is a wonderful creation,
tugging at the readers' imaginings, playing with the perception that
readers have of just who is telling the tale. Rosoff builds the
story step by step, succinct and mesmerising until the bubble
bursts, surprising us all, the families unaware of the power Kit has
over them all.
Theme: Friendship, Families, Relationships, Growing up, Power.
Fran Knight
Where is the green sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
Puffin, 2017. ISBN: 9780143501763. 32pp., board book. Here is the blue sheep, and here is the red sheep. Here is the bath sheep, and here is the bed sheep. But where is the green sheep? There are some stories that you can recite word for word even if it's years since you last read them, such is their power and the insistence of the little ones in your life to "Read it again, Grandma!" I owe a debt of gratitude to Mem and Judy because this is the story that Miss Now-9 learned to read on and when Grandma got tired, Miss Now 14 was able to take over the reading duties. No other book, no matter how well promoted, ever came close to the demand for this one and so with Puffin's 80th birthday celebrations in full swing, it seems timely to promote it to a whole new generation of parents and grandparents so they too can achieve this particular rite of passage. With its rhyme, rhythm and repetition and simple illustrations that help the youngest reader to predict the text and share the joy when it is confirmed, Fox and Horacek have hit on the right recipe for a story to encourage our youngest readers to love the sound of our language. Given Mem's background in working with and writing for littlies though, this is hardly surprising and you know any book with her name on the cover will be a winner. In fact, so iconic is this title from one of Australia's most-loved author-illustrator partnerships that there is even a 2020 edition that really puts the icing on the cake of this special year. There can be no greater tribute. Barbara Braxton
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
Puffin, 2010. ISBN: 9780143504450. 34pp., board book.
Remember this ? "Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy
Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy." And by the time you got to the end
of the book he had been joined by his mates Hercules Morse (as big
as a horse); Bottomley Potts (covered in spots); Muffin McLay (like
a bundle of hay); Bitzer Maloney (all skinny and bony); and
Schnitzel von Krumm (with a very low tum). How proud and posh they
were until they met .
Almost every child born in New Zealand or Australia in the last 30
years knows what happens next! Who could bring down such a bold band
of brothers? Children love the sound of the rhythmic and rhyming
language and the repetition of the characters on each page which
make it a perfect read-aloud as your listeners will be joining in
and eagerly anticipating who will join this canine crew., as well as
enjoying the pictures which work with the text perfectly, as they
should. The board book format makes it perfect for little hands,
ensuring that this will be much-loved by this generation as those
before.
And it is fitting that on the 5th anniversary of forgoing a trip to
Hobbiton in favour of finding the sculpture to this remarkable dog
and his mates on Tauranga in the pouring rain, that it is time to
remind our new parents of this classic series so another generation
can be as enchanted with him as all those of the last 30 years.
Barbara Braxton
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760877309.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Another page turner from Ellie Marney
will thrill readers, adolescent and adult alike. This time she
tackles the story of a serial killer, with two teenagers, serial
killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell,
recruited by the FBI to help them delve into the minds of young
murderers and look at cold cases. It is 1982, and the FBI is trying
new ways to find serial killers. Emma and Travis find themselves
involved in an active case where teenagers are hunted and murdered.
They seek help from Simon Gutmunsson, a terrifying teenager who is
imprisoned for murder. He is intelligent and insightful, seeking to
manipulate Emma for his own ends. As the case progresses so does the
suspense. Is Simon Gutmunsson influencing the serial killer from
inside his cage? How will Emma and Travis manage to escape his
influence and save other victims?
Emma, too, is a character that readers will immediately identify
with, as she struggles to control the memories of her own escape
from a serial killer. She runs to keep her anger at bay and focus
her thoughts. Simon Gutmunsson must be one of the scariest villains
I have encountered in thrillers for a while. He is so clever, so
cultured, so handsome and so good at reading and manipulating
people. The suspense is breathtaking when the two talk, and their
relationship kept me glued to the page.
This would make an ideal introduction to the thriller genre for
teens. There are extensive teaching
notes available, written by Ellie Marney and Caro Walsh,
making it ideal for the classroom or for a literature circle
discussion. It does not have the gory details that many adult
thrillers use, but it has all the suspense and interesting police
procedures that are the mark of a good thriller. The themes of good
and evil, survival and sanity are ones to delve into. Unlike
Marney's other novels there is no romance, which may disappoint some
readers, but there is certainly scope for future cases with Emma and
Travis, such wonderful characters.
Pat Pledger
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760783945.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. It is rare that
moments or themes in a book linger in the mind for a long time, but
that is true of The
lost man by Jane Harper and her latest book The
Survivors. Kiernan returns to Evelyn Bay, a small seaside town
in Tasmania, a place which flings up bad memories once again. He is
haunted by guilt about an incident when he was a very young man and
does not find ease in his family home, where his mother is
struggling with his father's dementia, and the absence of his
brother Finn. Then the body of a young woman is found on the beach
and secrets held close for a long time start to surface.
The story is told from the point of view of Kieran and the reader
gradually learns about the accident that happened in the past as the
police start investigating the murder in the present. Can they be
connected?
The small coastal town with its problems and people who all know
each other is so well described that the reader will feel as if they
have been there. The sunken wreck ideal for diving, that Sean and
his nephew hope to make a living from and the Three Sisters the
rocks that loom out of the ocean as well as the caves where the tide
can fill all provide a background to the murder and the angst that
Kiernan feels at being home.
All the supporting characters are well fleshed out and credible. The
descriptions of teenage boys and the peer pressure that they are
under to perform, with underage drinking and wild parties, are vivid
and leave a lasting impression as Kiernan remembers his youth. His
relationship with Mia and his little daughter Audrey is a saving
factor for him and beautifully described.
Jane Harper is a wonderful author who manages to combine an exciting
mystery for those who are addicted to the genre, while at the same
time exploring the themes of guilt, forgiveness and redemption in a
vivid Australian country setting.
Pat Pledger
The paper bark tree mystery by Ovidia Yu
Crown Colony, book 3. Constable, 2019. ISBN: 9781472125248.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Highly recommended. Shortlisted for
the CWA
historical dagger 2020, Ovidia Yu has come up with another
fascinating mystery set in Singapore in the 1930's. SuLin has been a
valued member of the Detective Shack until Bald Bernie, an
unlikeable administrator, decides that a local girl can't be trusted
and instead employs Dolly, an attractive white woman. When he is
found murdered, she has little sympathy, but when Dr Shankar the
local pharmacist and her best friend's father is put in jail she
decides to investigate.
I knew little about the history of Singapore between the wars, so
found it fascinating to gain what felt like an in-depth
understanding of what it was like to live in Singapore at that time.
Yu very deftly includes this as a background to the murders, which
still took centre place in the story. The independence movement in
India is described as a leading figure in it, Bose, is rumoured to
have travelled to Singapore, while relations with Japan and its
wider move to take over territories comes out as SuLin teaches
English to the wife of the Japanese ambassador. The way many of the
British colonials treat the Singaporeans, believing themselves
superior, is also a background theme to the story.
As SuLin investigates she gets to know Mrs Lexington, Rose and
Dolly, all who have arrived in Singapore from India. Colonel
Mosley-Partington has also arrived from India and is causing chaos
with his racist views. Rumours of diamonds being stolen, a policeman
attacked and left for dead and anonymous poetry being left for
Dolly, a paper bark tree and dead birds, all keep the reading in
suspense. These twists and turns and some heart stopping moments and
great characters make this an outstanding story especially for
readers who like a mystery dashed with a taste of history.
Although part of a series, The Paper Bark Tree Mystery can
be read as a stand-alone. However, I enjoyed it so much that I now
have to go back and read the previous novels featuring this clever
young woman who uses her intelligence and observation skills to
ferret out the truth, while suffering from the effects of polio as a
child.
Pat Pledger
A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
Detective Inspector John Rebus series. Orion, 2020.
ISBN: 9781409176985.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Another top read
from a wonderful author finds John Rebus moving to a new apartment
because he cannot climb the stairs anymore. But that does not stop
him rushing to his daughter Samantha after she rings and tells him
that her partner Keith has gone missing. Rebus must face the fact
that he has not been the best of fathers, not bothering to get to
know Keith and always putting his job first. As he investigates
Keith's disappearance, he discovers that he was obsessed with a
World War 2 prison camp, which he wanted to make into a tourist
attraction. Does his disappearance have anything to do with this or
the elderly people who were once witnesses to a murder in the camp?
What is Samantha's involvement with the alternative community that
lives nearby and who rode the motorcycle late at night? In the
meantime Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox have joined forces to
investigate the death of a rich young man, Salman bin Mahmoud,
and it appears that the two cases could overlap as the man who owns
the land the camp was on, was in a land deal with the murdered man.
The book is divided into seven parts, one for each day of the week,
and alternates with the case that Rebus is investigating and the one
that Clarke and Fox are involved in. As is the case with all of
Rankin's books, there are many twists and turns, with red herrings
scattered throughout to keep the reader guessing about the identity
of the murderers and crime boss Cafferty's interference is an
enjoyable ploy to hold the reader's interest.
Another focus in A song for the dark times is Rebus'
relationship with his daughter and granddaughter. The reader will
empathise with Samantha who feels that her father has always put his
job before his family, while feeling sympathy for Rebus as he tries
to mend his relationship with her, albeit while working intensively
on Keith's case.
It is always a joy to read one of Rankin's novels. He is an
author who has helped me through some hard times. His police
procedurals are not too gory, and his narrative demands to be read
in one or two sittings.
Pat Pledger
The Goody by Lauren Child
Orchard, 2020. ISBN: 9781408347584.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. A new book by Lauren Child always
creates interest as the expectation of a challenging read is ever
present. She draws the reader into a false sense of security, lulls
them into thinking this is a story of sibling rivalry, but she
challenges us to see more than this, as it becomes an expose of
expectations, of labelling, of not seeing difference. And as with
many of her books, we are impelled to consider the wider issue where
children behave as they are expected to, labelled and boxed in by
that expectation.
Siblings, Chirton and Myrtle behave in the way they are expected to
behave. Chirton is good, reliable, dependable while Myrtle is
forgetful, naughty and a refuser.
Chirton eats up his broccoli, Myrtle isn't even given any as she
won't eat it, Chirton cleans the rabbit hutch every week because
Myrtle forgets, and Myrtle stays up late at night because she
doesn't want to sleep. All of the things Myrtle does, Chirton would
like to do, but he is seen as the goody in the family and so
expected to behave well without exception.
One night Chirton gets up to have a glass of water and finds his
sister eating choco puffs and watching TV. He would love to do this
too, and wonders why he is not allowed. The next day he decides that
he is a goody no longer and changes his behaviour, so much so that
he is not allowed to go to a birthday party. When Myrtle goes
instead, the birthday girl does not know of Myrtle's reputation and
treats her like anyone else, and Myrtle decides she likes being
treated thus. So the two come to see the advantages and
disadvantages of being labelled, deciding that there is a middle
road, and their parents are encouraged to see them as different
people with their own traits.
Child's illustrations are always a treat and these with their blocks
of patterns make a wonderful talking point for readers already most
amused by the story.
Themes: Siblings, Humour, Difference, Expectations, Image,
Behaviour, Family.
Fran Knight
Guinness World records 2021
Guinness World Records Limited, 2020. ISBN: 9781913484071.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Readers will not need an introduction
to the fabulous Guinness World Records books and will find much to
amaze and interest in the latest edition for 2021. The book is one
that can be flicked through, with lots of great photos and
captivating captions to grab attention, but it is also one that has
a good Contents page that will direct the reader off to the right
section. It features the following: Solar system, Natural world,
Animals, Humans against the clock, Recordmania, Culture &
society, Adventurers, Technology, Gaming, Pop Culture and Sports.
All contain sub contents and page numbers and each one features one
person in the hall of fame, for example Greta Thunberg in Culture
and Society and Jane Goodall in Animals. There is also an Index and
acknowledgments at the back of the book.
Beginning with the enticing cover, which features lots of small
figures and intricate details, similar to Where's Wally?,
the reader will be grabbed by the great photos and easy to read
information. And they will find when they get to the end of the
book, information on the illustrator Rod Hunt and instructions to
find the 20 record holders that feature in his front and back
covers. A humorous photo on the title page of the fastest electric
ice-cream van (exuberant inventor Edd China, UK, reached 118.964
kmph in it) will grab attention and from then on the reader is sure
to be fascinated by the interesting, well laid out records. In Pop
Culture, one can find out who has the most followers on Instagram,
by using the contents page, with the section on Social Media pg. 204
(Ariana Grande has 182, 260, 250 followers). Another flick through
will show young achievers, with Jackson Oswalt became the youngest
person to achieve nuclear fusion before his 13th birthday.
The Guinness World Records was founded in 1955 and has proved to be
popular ever since. Visit https://guinnessworldrecords.com/
for more information about how to become part of the record-breaking
community and an answer to the original question (What's the fastest
game bird in Europe?) that sparked its origin.
Pat Pledger
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
The Blood of Stars duology. Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9780525647027.
(Young Adult). Recommended. Much has changed for Maia Tamarin since
the conclusion of the first novel in The Blood of Stars
duology. In Spin the Dawn, we watched Maia, a young woman
living in a patriarchal Chinese society, impersonate her brother in
order to enter a competition to become imperial tailor. Talented but
overlooked because of her gender, Maia manages to fulfil the
seemingly impossible task of weaving three magical dresses from the
sun, moon and stars. In Unravel the Dusk Maia returns from
her perilous journey to make the garments to find her kingdom
readying for war and that Edan, the boy that she loves, has
disappeared. If this is not enough for one character to deal with,
Maia is also forced to pretend to be the emperor's future bride in
an effort to stave off the coming conflict and also wrestle with the
demon Bandur, who is determined to take over her body.
Unsurprisingly, there are many plot lines, characters and
conflicting motivations woven into this book. Set at a much more
urgent pace than the first novel, Unravel the Dusk charts
Maia's rapid growth as both a woman and a protagonist. As in the
first novel, she is an enjoyable and worthy main character and is
supported by a well-fleshed out cast. Unravel the Dusk is darker in tone than its predecessor but
it provides a strong and entertaining end to the series. Readers
also interested in fiction influenced Ancient Chinese culture will
enjoy this book. Themes: Identity, Love, War, Magic, Demons,
Royalty.
Rose Tabeni
The funny life of sharks by James Campbell
Illus. by Rob Jones. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781526615497.
(Age: 8+ years) Recommended. The funny life of sharks is the
third book in The funny life of . . . series by author
James Campbell and illustrator Rob Jones. Before reading, a warning
is given that this is not a fact book and it is a book for four
different types of people: People who love sharks; People who do not
like sharks; People who are sharks; People who have no interest in
sharks. The reader learns that this is not an ordinary read where
you read from front to back but a book where you can begin or end
where you want or follow the signposts throughout the book. Finally,
on Page 14 the book begins with signposts to other pages. There are
interesting shark facts spread throughout the book and clever use of
humour e.g. Nurse sharks have been given that name as they are used
in hospitals as a way of keeping patients quiet and you are more
likely to be killed by your toaster than a shark.
While this book claims that it is not a fact book, the author has a
strong environmental message regarding plastics in the oceans and
endangered animals. There are also other interesting facets of
information about things related to sharks or not related at all.
Adelaide, S.A., even has its own page of information based on great
white shark attacks. The clever illustrations by Rob Jones
complement the text perfectly.
This is both a humorous and enjoyable read that will entertain
readers both young and old. Themes: Sharks,
Environmental facts, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
