Illus. by Anjan Sarkar. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406382723.
240pp.
(Ages: 10 - 12) Recommended. It isn't long until we learn 11 year
old Londoner, Asha, has been recruited by CSA, Children's Spy
Agency, and her mission is to save the internet. Asha's ability to
hack and upgrade her nannybot Drone and enhance Tumble, her hamster
robot, have alerted CSA to her amazing talents. Sharks have been
chewing through undersea cables which provide vital internet
connections between continents. Simple everyday things we rely on
like mobile phones and instant news, stop working. Her boss Hedy (a
hologram!) sends her to uncover essential data from ShellyInc. This
company is headed up by Shelly, a 17 year old tech entrepreneur of a
globally popular IT company. However Shelly is definitely up to no
good and aims to take control of the internet and increase her vast
wealth. Asha goes above and beyond her mission in order to prevent
Shelly being successful and Drone and Tumble assist her along the
way, as well as other CSA operatives.
Needless to say this is a totally implausible but enjoyable spy
adventure. It is fast paced and quite clever with humorous spy
tropes. There are crazy inventions like the "What-a-bottle," a water
purifier with inbuilt gadgets like a laser torch and diamond glass
cutter. Asha is the Bond-like, risk-taking, main character with an
Indian cultural background. She is a good role model for young women
who may be keen on STEM. I liked the CSA motto too, "Think for
yourself. Question everything." The author may be a bit too keen to
slip in some didactic IT lessons, such as the importance of strong
passwords, algorithms and Bluetooth. The overuse of farts was an
obvious pitch to young readers but I guess it works! There are many
really fitting illustrations and fact files provide further
information. Another hook for readers is they can join CSA via a QR
code, no adults allowed.
Jo Marshall
Little White Fish under the ocean by Guido Van Genechten
Catch a Star, 2020. ISBN: 9781922326102.
(Age: 2-5) Recommended. Little Fish is curious. 'How deep is the
ocean?' he asks the jellyfish, who tell him to stay away as it is
too dangerous to go down to the depths of the sea. But he really
wants to know and even though Little Goldfish tells him to be
careful, he continues his journey through the really dark water.
Despite more warnings from the Turtle and Octopus his curiosity gets
the better of him and he swims on past the coral and seaweed to
where the water is pitch black and ice cold. Fortunately, he gets
help from the anglerfish who turns on her little lamp and guides him
back to his friends. He is glad to be home!
Set against a black background the vivid sea life and bodies of the
fish stand out beautifully and will intrigue young readers as they
get to name much of the underwater life. Each little bit of marine
life has a smiling face and happy eyes and it is fun to follow
little White Fish's quest to discover how deep the ocean is. Little
White Fish is very curious and is prepared to take risks to uncover
what it is like deep down in the sea, but he has good friends who
counsel him about the dangers and one fish who helps him home.
A message of needing to have good friends, the joy of taking risks
and the happiness of coming home are ones that children will enjoy.
Pat Pledger
Ellie's dragon by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406387629.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Ellie finds a baby dragon in the egg
carton at her supermarket. She calls him Scratch and installs him
along with his box of dragon litter, in her doll's house.
Through the years of Ellie's growing up, through kindergarten and
then school, right up into her post primary years, the dragon is
there. Scratch goes with her to see her Dad, goes to school where he
entertains the other children, curls up asleep in Ellie's room. All
of her friends can see the dragon but not her parents or the
teachers. Ellie takes Scratch to kindergarten but not to school. Now
that she is older she does not need Scratch nearly as much and
misses his first flight. But he is always there in the corner of her
room where she knows he will be. The older Ellie gets, the less
visible the dragon becomes until one day in her teens she can see
right through him, and that night he takes flight and does not
return.
Even though she is older she spies him now and again and knows that
he is with another child who needs his company, because she catches
a glimpse of his tail or a wisp of his smoke over the fence.
This wonderful tale of growing up with a close friend will appeal to
all ages. Everyone will remember the stages of their development and
how they coped with each change. And to see Ellie change from a
small child to a teenager, will heighten their recollections. Her
development is put alongside the dragon's development from a baby
dragon, through his learning to breath fire, to growing too big for
the doll's house, and then learning to fly. Each stage of the
dragon's development parallels Ellie's own stages of growth.
Ellie is lucky to have a companion such as Scratch, a warm hearted,
affectionate friend to guide her through the wonders of growing up,
and readers will recognise their own stages of growth and wonder at
the dragon who grows up alongside Ellie.
Bob Graham's beautiful illustrative technique is used to perfection
here. His use of quiet understated colours, his depiction of the
ordinary, the everyday, all done with such attention to detail,
impels the readers to look again at the things seen in their own
neighbourhood with fresh eyes. I love the supermarket and the school
bus, the people in the street with their prams and bikes, the
picture theatre and the doll's house, all drawing the eyes in to
wonder at the things we often see but again do not see. Graham
evokes in us all a greater awareness of our domestic surroundings. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Imaginary friend, Humour, Friendship, Family, Growing up.
Fran Knight
The lost soul atlas by Zana Fraillon
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780734419934.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Twig is in the Afterlife - we know that his
life ended somehow, and he is supposed to follow the path to a
blissful place without cares or memories. But something tugs at him;
he wants to know what happened to his Da and his friends. And there
is a skeleton raven, Krruk, a guardian who is willing to accompany
him back into his memories, into the world that was before, on a
quest to find his father and free the world from the evil of the
Hoblin.
Twig has a map and a bag of bones, each bone a key to a special
place on the lost soul atlas, a crossing that must be unlocked to
free past memories. In his quest he joins up with a group of street
urchins living in a graveyard, and befriends Flea, a courageous
leader of androgynous gender. Together they try to outwit the
treacherous Hoblin, and find a way to safety.
The lost soul atlas is a quest story; there are six crossings to be
opened after answering the riddle posed by each sentry. But with
each crossing Twig is sent back into his past life, and it is harder
and harder to remember the quest. He succumbs to the influence of
the Hoblin and commits a horrible betrayal, like that of Edmund in The
chronicles of Narnia.
In her 'Author note' Zaillon writes about the millions of children
living on the streets, the gangs and the struggle to find food and
shelter, the fear of police and authorities. It is this that comes
through most strongly in her book - she has created a strange
combination of mystical fantasy world and the very real day-to-day
struggles of children living on their wits.
Readers who enjoy the fantasy world of quest adventure stories will
enjoy The lost soul atlas, at the same time gaining insight
into the real lives of street children living with the fear of abuse
and persecution. It is a strange combination of the worlds of
fantasy and reality, alleviated by the humour of the hard talking
raven Krruk and the scurrying of the Meeple stick figures tugging at
Twig's sleeves. It is easy to imagine the book as an animated movie
that would capture readily children's imagination.
Themes: Quest, Fantasy, Adventure, Street children, Homeless
children.
Helen Eddy
The Poppy Wife by Caroline Scott
Simon & Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471187674.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. A poignant and emotional story of
love, loss and hope set upon the backdrop of World War I. In 1916,
Francis Blythe enlisted in the Great War, knowing that his brothers
Will and Harry would follow him anywhere. Five years later, in 1921,
Edie, Francis' wife, has accepted that Francis' status as 'missing
in action' may very well be permanent. Then she receives a
mysterious photograph of Francis in the post; reigniting her resolve
to find him. Meanwhile, Harry has been hired by grieving families to
provide what little closure he can by photographing gravesites
throughout the country where he himself fought just four years
prior. When Edie requests that he locate and photograph Francis'
grave, Harry and Edie set out to discover the truth of what happened
to Francis. When their paths converge, they uncover many startling
truths that redefine their understanding of the past and plans for
the future.
A truly beautiful story with complex, compelling and utterly
realistic characters that find their way into the heart of the
reader along the course of the story, Scott's meticulously
researched debut breathes life into the world and lives of the
characters; taking the reader on a cathartic and emotional story
that will touch their heart and stay with them long after they turn
the last page. Highly recommended for readers with an interest or
passion for historical fiction and in particular the Battle of the
Somme and World War I in general. Warnings should be heeded for
graphic, war-related violence, descriptions and references to
suicide and strong themes relating to mental health.
Daniella Chiarolli
The promise witch by Celine Kiernan
The Wild Magic trilogy bk. 3. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781406373936.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Following Begone
the raggedy witches and The
little grey girl comes the striking finale to what has
been a unique and enthralling series. Witches Borough has been
struck down with a terrible drought caused by the old queen, the
rivers are drying up and there is little water in the wells. Mup's
parents are doing their best to bring peace to the land and begin a
school to educate all the children but the drought threatens
everyone's existence. Then the witch Magda comes back and sweeps Mup
and Crow off on a dangerous journey, determined to give them to
Mup's grandmother, the old queen. Mup knows that the old queen's
power must end for the good of the land and uses all her ingenuity
to try and find a way to do this.
Readers who have followed the adventures of Mup and Crow and the
little grey girl in the first two books will be enthralled with this
magical and very exciting conclusion to the series. Both Mup and
Crow grow into their powers and use them for the good of the land.
They learn that they must obtain the help of others and cooperate to
overcome evil and readers will cheer their efforts to stop the old
queen. There are some heart-breaking moments that will bring tears
to eyes as Crow desperately tries to bring his father back to life
and the fate of the little grey girl is decided.
It is the beautifully descriptive and emotive writing that keeps the
story going along at a fast pace and readers will be fully engaged
in the characters and events in Witches Borough. This is a series
that can be highly recommended for its portrayal of good and evil,
the resilience of the characters and the uniqueness of the stories.
Pat Pledger
Hawk: a Maximum Ride novel by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781529120011.
Hawk is a skinny 15 year old with a black mohawk, multiple piercings
and a tough attitude. She has to be tough, living in the City of the
Dead, a place abandoned long ago. Now it is home to the homeless,
drug addicts and gangs so Hawk has to keep her wits about her as she
ventures out each day to find food for the small band of misfits she
calls her family. Every day for the past ten years she has turned up
to the street corner where her parents told her to wait, for a
specific time, but they have never come. Now she and her group live
in the children's home where they would starve without Hawk's
foraging and where they live in fear of being taken off to be
experimented on like other children, who never came back. Life is
brutal in this post-apocalyptic world of constant video streaming of
government propaganda and mind scrambling 'Voxvoce' sounds. Six
powerful gangs control the city. Hawk's secret weapon is that she
has wings and can fly, helping her escape difficult situations. When
a new prisoner is brought to the jail adjoining the children's home
the government broadcast declares he is a child killer, the worst of
the worst, but is he?
This is the tenth book in the Maximum Ride series but stands
alone quite well. There were a lot of characters and the members of
Hawk's family were a bit sketchy apart from Clete; the rest are
probably better developed in the other books and this might just
encourage new readers to go back and read more of the series. Hawk
is a great teen character, veering between personal angst and
responsibility to her family and she even has a rather unlikely love
interest. The book is fast paced and action packed as the Flock
fight a corrupt leader in a violent world, though I found their
willingness to join in the violence, dropping bombs regardless of
collateral damage, disturbing.
This will be snapped up by readers of the series which traces its
origins back to Patterson's 1998 novel When the wind blows
and will appeal to a new generation of younger readers looking for a
fast paced dystopian fantasy novel.
Themes: Science fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia.
Sue Speck
Know your place by Golriz Ghahraman
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9781775541424.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. What an amazing woman! Golriz
Ghahraman came to New Zealand as a nine year old with her refugee
parents from Iran. She went on to become a human rights lawyer
working on United Nations tribunals around the world, and eventually
became the first refugee to be elected to the New Zealand
parliament.
The first part of her autobiography describes the situation in Iran
that led her parents to flee. Ghahraman's mother was a psychologist,
her father an agricultural engineer; they were secular, intelligent
and progressive, political activists in the time of the Shah, but
shocked by the hijacking of the revolution by Islamic
fundamentalists. Determined that their daughter should know freedom
not oppression, they escaped, eventually seeking asylum in Auckland,
in a country where they were immediately given food, legal rights
and community support on arrival.
However her early experience of being an outsider, identification
with minority groups, a growing awareness of race issues, and later
experience of an abusive relationship, all combined to lead to a
career in human rights and political activism. It was a definite
choice - sitting down to think about what she wanted her life to be
about and how to go about achieving it.
The book includes Ghahraman's maiden speech in the NZ House of
Representatives, and her speech in response to the Christchurch
mosque terror attacks, both inspiring reading. There are coloured
photographs from her life, from the hijab-wearing little Iranian
girl, to her citizenship ceremony as a teenager, to her swearing
into Parliament as a member of the Green party, to her welcome to
refugee Behrouz Boochani in Auckland Airport following his escape
from Australia's Manus detention camp.
For students interested in politics, human rights, and social
activism, I would put this book alongside The
power of hope by Kon Karapanagiotidis and How
powerful we are by Sally Rugg - it is another truly
inspiring story of an individual with decent moral values and a
determination to make the world a better place for others.
Themes: Refugees, Human rights, Activism, Racism, Black Lives
Matter.
Helen Eddy
The stone giant by Anna Hoglund
Gecko Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781776572731.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Swedish author, Anna Hoglund has
created a fable like story of a young girl who saves her father
using cunning and ingenuity. Translated for an English audience by
Julia Marshall, the story is wonderfully supported by copper plate
etchings with splashes of watercolour. The simplistic but never
simple drawings are evocative of the bleak landscape and the sparse
life of the girl and her father. He is a knight and must go out and
deal with a giant turning people to stone. She waits at home alone,
and as time passes she despairs that he will not return and so
decides to try and find him. She looks at her mirror and asks
herself what would happen if the giant saw himself in the mirror.
She sets out with her mirror and a knife and swims through the cold,
dark water not knowing where she is going. She stays overnight with
a woman who gives her an umbrella and she moves on to find a land
with many many stones. When the ground begins to shake and the giant
approaches, she unfurls the umbrella, and the giant looks down
through the hole he makes in it and sees himself in the mirror.
Her courage kills the giant and saves those turned to stone. She and
her father now live in a peaceful land and neither will be alone
again.
This is a lovely hand sized book which children will often return
to, reading of the girl using her courage and ingenuity to rescue
her father.
And the delightful illustrations will attract their attention as
they read the text. Gecko Press publishes 'curiously good books' and
the website tells us that one good book can spark a lifetime of
reading. The books they publish are certainly books that spark
interest and are very different to those offered by other
publishers. Read more here.
Themes: Courage, Giants, Mirror.
Fran Knight
The Betrothed by Keira Cass
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008158828.
(Age: Young Adult). Keira Cass fans have been eagerly awaiting for The
Betrothed since the last book in her hugely popular The
Selection series was published in 2016. Unfortunately, they
may be disappointed when they read it. Unlike the author's previous
works which focused on a Bachelor-style love contest set in a
post-dystopian America, The Betrothed is a historical
romance pivoting on a much maligned YA trope - the love triangle.
King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, a noblewoman
who has grown up around the King, constantly vying for his
attention. While initially delighted to have been singled out by the
monarch, during their courtship Hollis meets Silas, an artisan from
a refugee family that has fled a neighbouring country. Hollis is
drawn to Silas, despite her inital attempts to resist him and when
King Jameson proposes to her she must decide whether being queen is
what she truly wants in life.
While the novel begins intriguingly and promises a fun romp, it soon
devolves into cliche after cliche as Hollis 'ums and ahs' over what
she should do and who she should choose. A frustrating ending is the
unfortunate cherry on top for this disappointing plotline.
A positive for the novel is Cass' easy-to-read style. As in The
Selection, her prose is frothy and bubbly; well suited to her
target young adult audience. There are also some well-developed
secondary characters who make for enjoyable reading. However,
readers who were initially ecstatic for the start of a new Keira
Cass series may find themselves reluctant to continue reading
further. Themes: Love, Royalty, Friendship, Identity.
Rose Tabeni
Dear child by Romy Hausmann
Quercus, 2019. ISBN: 9781529401424.
(Age: Adult - Senior Secondary) Highly recommended for people who
can cope with books in the vein of Room
by Emma Donoghue. Locked in a windowless cabin in the woods, Lena's
life is bound up by rules made up by the man who captured her to be
the mother to his two children. Everything is regimented, and there
is severe punishment if she deviates from, or questions, his demands.
Lena manages to break free from the cabin one night accompanied by
Hannah, but her escape raises many questions. Who is she? What has
happened to Lena who disappeared 14 years ago? Who is the man found
dead in the cabin and what has happened to Hannah's little brother?
This is a tightly plotted thriller that keeps the reader guessing
the whole way through with its twisty, exciting, and often
heart-wrenching events. There are many tense moments, and the
description of Lena's treatment in the cabin is not for the faint
hearted. It is also disturbing to read about her attempts to make a
normal life again and the grief and heartbreak of Lena's father
Matthias and his desire to find out what happened to Lena is very
compelling.
Written in three voices, that of Jasmin, Hannah and Matthias, the
story unfolds as they tell their version of what has happened and
how they feel.
The conclusion is stunning and very memorable. Dear child will
leave the reader determined to read any novels that this talented
author might produce in the future.
Pat Pledger
The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven
Washington Poe book 1. Constable, 2018. ISBN: 9781472127440.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended for mystery
lovers. CWA Gold Dagger Award 2019. Washington Poe is brought in to
investigate a series of murders where the victims are burnt alive in
prehistoric stone circles. His name has been carved into one of the
victims and accompanied by Tilly Bradshaw, an awkward criminal
analyist, he follows a trail that is obviously set up for him. I
picked up The puppet show after thoroughly enjoying Black
Summer, the second in the series as I found the
personalities of both Poe and Bradshaw to be ones that I really
liked and wished to read more about.
Craven's narrative is engaging and there are enough twists and turns
to keep any mystery fan engrossed in trying to work out what is
happening. And that ending was a surprise for me, which always makes
for a more enjoyable read for a person who reads a lot of mysteries.
There is a gradual fleshing out of the personalities of Poe and
Bradshaw and the growth of trust between them makes for a great
working relationship. Both are unusual characters, Poe dogged in his
following of the case, over-riding his superiors and going his own
way, and Tilly socially inept, but brilliant in her ability to
analyse what is going on.
The cold landscape of Cumbria with its prehistoric stone circles
makes an interesting background to the murders and the serial
killer, nicknamed The Immolation Man, is one scary murderer.
This is a series that is sure to have a strong following from
readers who enjoy clever plotting and excellent narratives.
Pat Pledger
The Lost Witch by Melvin Burgess
Andersen, 2020. ISBN: 9781783448357.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Leeds Book Awards Nominee for 14-16
(2019). This is not a book for the faint-hearted or for fans of easy
to read stories about young witches. As the back-cover states, it is
not suitable for younger readers, but for older readers, the
combination of the supernatural and tough realism that Melvin
Burgess, author of Junk, is famous for, makes for an engrossing,
dark and compelling read. Bea has begun to see things that no one
else can see - as the family are returning home late one night, she
sees evil creatures, the Hunt, and discovers that she can summon
help for the creatures that are being chased. Known as the Summoner,
she has the rare ability to call the spirits of people and animals
out of their bodies. She meets a charismatic young man Lars, who has
taught her how to skate board as well as a young girl, Silvis, who
introduces her to her grandfather, Odi, who warns her to be careful
as the huntsmen want to use her to gain these magical spirits.
However her parents believe she is hallucinating and take her to a
hospital where she is chased by the Hunt but rescued by Lars and
from then on Bea is confused, not knowing who she can trust and what
is the right thing to do. Lars assures Bea that he is on the side of
good and is against the Hunt, but gradually the reader becomes
concerned for her well-being as she is introduced to drugs and
begins to summon the spirits of living creatures.
Bea is a likeable but naive young woman who doesn't know where to
put her trust and under Lars' influence seems unable to work out
what is good and what is evil. He assures her that by helping him
her family will be rescued and Bea goes along with what he wants her
to do. The final, dramatic event when Bea must take responsibility
for her actions and try to set things right will have readers on the
edge of their seats.
Burgess' narrative is perfectly constructed, with twists and turns,
leaving the reader wondering who can be trusted. His characters come
alive and it is easy to believe this tale of myth and magic, witches
and the Hunt. Bea's friendship with the loyal and sympathetic Silvis
is a highlight of the story, but the failings of her father make a
grim contrast, as the reader finds that parents are not always right
and do the correct thing for their children.
Pat Pledger
The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780241453612.
(Ages: 9+ years). Highly recommended. The Unadoptables by
Hana Tooke is an exciting and cleverly written middle grade read.
The story is action-packed with mystery, danger, adventure and some
very evil characters. In 1800 five orphans are abandoned in the same
week in different receptacles at the Little Tulip Orphanage. Chapter
One begins with the rules for abandoning babies being broken and an
introduction to each child who is given an unusual name by the cruel
and dastardly matron Elinora Gassbeek. The children, named Lotta,
Egg, Fenna, Sem and Milou, have their own special qualities that
they share with each other. They have never been adopted and have a
strong familial bond and survival instinct. They are treated
miserably and work all day and night for little food and no
comforts. Milou is determined to find her parents and is a wonderful
storyteller. She creates all sorts of reasons as to why she was
abandoned and keeps a Book of Theories. Milou is the driving force
behind the five escaping the orphanage after the villainous Mr
Rotman offers to buy them from the matron to become child slaves on
his ship. He and the matron are in partnership and profiting from
the sale of the orphans. Milou with the help of the other children
finds a home in the guise of a windmill using map coordinates left
in her baby coffin. The abandoned property also contains an old
rundown theatre and puppets similar to the one Milou has had with
her from her arrival at the orphanage. Once at the windmill the five
decide to stay and live there but need to earn money to survive.
They embark on a grand plan to raise money by holding a puppet show
for the local community and also in the hope of finding Milou's
parents whom she strongly believes are searching for her. Added to
this scenario is the suspicious neighbour, an official from the
Kinderbureau, a man-eating dog, one of the children held captive,
the dramatic rescue, plus a mysterious stranger and there is the
makings of a great tale for avid readers of mystery and danger.
Themes: Orphans, Family, 1800's, Amsterdam, Adventure, Excitement,
Danger, Mystery.
Kathryn Beilby
Ten minutes to bed Little Dinosaur by Rhiannon Fielding
Illus. by Chris Chatterton. Penguin Random House UK, 2020. ISBN:
9780241386736.
(Ages: 2-5) This is a new title in a series of Ten Minutes to
Bed books (including Little
Monster and Little
Mermaid). It's an overt bedtime story set in The Land of
Nod (the endpapers show a map of the land and where each of the
characters live) and is similar in concept to other books about
bedtime reluctance such as Play and I Am Not Sleepy
and I Will Not Go to Bed. In addition, a counting element is
included as it counts down the minutes until bedtime from ten to
one. 'Ten minutes to bed!' Mum tells Rumble. But Rumble just loves
to have fun. So off he thunders, sending birds and frogs hopping and
fluttering, splashing about in the mud and running all the way to an
erupting volcano. 'Five minutes' say all the dinosaurs racing past
him in a rush to escape the lava. 'Four minutes to bed . . . but
where am I, I wonder?', he says when he finds a safe place to rest.
It's rainy and thundery and getting dark when a shadow appears. It's
Mum, come to take him home. 'Two minutes,' she said. 'You are never
alone.' Before the last minute is even done, Rumble is in bed and
fast asleep, snoring.
Rumble's romping journey will delight young ones, who will see in
the illustrations the progression from sunset light to moonlight.
The mountain forest where the dinosaurs live is vivid and magical
and the depiction of light will cleverly calm and soothe children
(glowing lights within the forest, moon and shimmering stars). There
is a nice message here for children about being responsible and in
control of their own body and winding down for sleep. Little
Dinosaur seems to pay no attention to the countdown but by the end
of the ten minutes he is already asleep. It may even help some
younger children to set in place their own countdown to bedtime and
assist with an understanding of self-settling. Themes: Bedtime,
Counting Book, Rhyming Book, Dinosaurs.
Nicole Nelson
