Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460758878. pbk., 315 pp.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Being a normal seventh-grader is already tough
as it is, and when Ross Maloy gets diagnosed with a rare eye cancer
all that goes out the window. Losing his hair, wearing weird hats,
or dealing with bullies are all things he does not want to deal
with.
This story is based on Rob Harrell's real-life experiences, and
included are also illustrations and cartoons he has drawn himself.
The story is very much true to life in its details about high school
and how teenagers act towards each other and shows the reader an
uplifting side to getting through it.
Rob has crafted a funny and memorable story following Ross Maloy
that deals with a lot of tough topics that teenagers might come to
face at some point in their lives. High school and bullies. Friends
and change. And of course, the process of being diagnosed with
cancer. But Rob also brings to light that we can still find laughter
and happiness when times might seem overwhelming and stressful.
These topics and more Ross did well to interpret into his story, and
in the end made this a noteworthy read that I think teenagers just
coming into high school would enjoy.
Kayla Raphael
The unstoppable Letty Pegg by Iszi Lawrence
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781472962478.
(Ages: 10+). Highly recommended. The unstoppable Letty Pegg
by Iszi Lawrence is a factual historical account of the Suffragette
Movement in England in 1910. Women were fighting for the right to
vote and being treated shamefully by the law, the public and the
Government. Eleven year old Letty Pegg is the daughter of a
middle class mother who belongs to the Suffragette movement and a
working class police constable father - their marriage being
something of a rarity due to the class system at that time. Letty
accidentally witnesses the brutality of the police during a
Suffragette march and through a turn of events becomes a student of
Jiu Jitsu. The Academy where Letty learns and masters Jiu Jitsu is
run by Sensei Edith Garrud. This is a well researched historical
fact that the author has tied successfully into Letty's story. Edith
Garrud was an important figure in the Suffragette struggle and
became a Jiu Jitsu instructor to the Women's Social and Political
Union (WSPU). With her husband she held classes to teach women of
all ages how to defend themselves during the increasingly violent
protests. Letty is mentored and supported by Garrud and puts her
training to good use and forms important friendships along the way.
Included in the story is the disturbing school system of the 1900s.
The teachers were cruel and administered corporal punishment freely.
Girls were treated poorly and educated basically for marriage or to
go into service. Letty and her soon to be close friend Mabel
continually baulk at this and Letty is continually on the receiving
end of a caning from her unpleasant teacher, Mr Metcalfe. While
there are times in the story where Letty's escapades and situations
seem implausible, readers will gain a valuable insight into the
class divide at the time, the oppression of females and the
distressing schooling situation.
The Australian Curriculum Year Six History component looks at
Suffragettes and this novel would be a welcome introduction to this
very important topic. There are many events in the story for 21st
century students to explore and research. This book would be an
important addition to any class or school library. Themes: History,
Friendship, Suffragettes, Jiu Jitsu, Women's rights.
Kathryn Beilby
My Mama by Annemarie van Haeringen
Gecko Press. ISBN: 9781776572687. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Mama and her baby play together, her
in her big floral day dress and he in his very fetching floral
pants. Baby elephant feels very safe with his Mama: they play
together, play on the swings, play with the toy cars on the floor,
go shopping, all the while he is learning new experiences, while she
is teaching him about the world, showing him how to behave. He tells
us that he can climb a great mountain as he scrambles along her
back, easily hide from her until he jumps out from behind her legs
and shows himself, push her on the swing until she gets up higher,
and help her with the shopping when he eats all the chips. Children
will laugh loudly at the little elephant thinking her is helping
Mama when it is really the other way around. Their life together is
full of love, companionship and laughs, although now and again she
has to tell him at length about what he has done wrong.
Translated from the Dutch, the story reflects a universal mother son
relationship, and the wonderful sparse illustrations magnify the
already large pair of animals.
Reflecting the striving of all children to be allowed more freedom,
the story pokes gentle fun at the child who thinks he is ready to
leave home and fly, when really he does what he does because Mama is
there right by his side. Themes: Elephants, Mothers, Growing up.
Fran Knight
Agents of the wild: Operation Honeyhunt by Jennifer Bell
Illus. by Alice Lickens. Walker Books 2020. ISBN: 9781406388459.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Eight year old Agnes Gamble is an orphan: her
Botanist parents died while collecting rare plants in Australia. She
now lives in a high rise tower of flats with her Uncle
Douglas. She has developed a love of plants and animals just
like her parents, but because of where they live, she is not able to
have a pet.
But an Elephant Shrew sitting on her bed, tells her he is a field
agent from a group called SPEARS (Society for the Protection of
Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species) and he wants her to work for
the agency. She of course, jumps at the chance. Her first
operation is Operation Honeyhunt and she and Attie head off for the
rainforests of South America to rescue an endangered bee. Agents of the wild is a fun, adventure-filled book following
a young environmentalist who wants to follow in the footsteps of her
parents, helping to protect and save endangered species.
The book's artwork helps bring the story to life, offering a face
for readers to recognise and identify with. Information is given at
the end of the book to help readers understand some of the threats
to the environment and how they can help. Operation Icebeak,
the second in the series will be published soon. Themes:
Adventure, Honey, Environment, Conservation.
Fran Knight
Peppa loves our planet
Peppa Pig. Penguin Random House Children's UK, 2020. ISBN:
9780241436721. 32pp.
(Age: 3-4) Peppa loves our planet is another story in the Peppa
Pig series, which most small children will recognise from the
ABC TV series. This one starts with the children attending playgroup
and finding out that it is Love our Planet week. This sparks lots of
conversation amongst the children, and they discover many ways in
which they can help save the planet. They are given the task to make
a scrapbook at home, which becomes a event where everyone in Peppa's
family contributes to the ways in which they can help.
This book is a wonderful starting point for children around the ages
of 3-4years who are discovering how they can help our planet in
simple ways, and also without too much change to their routine.
The ideas are easy to implement and also simple to understand
enabling children can grasp the concept and add in to their daily
life without too much issue.
The concepts include recycling, growing food, turning off lights and
composting food scraps. These are all things that are easy for
children to do and also for families to assist with.
I think that this book could be used as an introduction to the
concepts for parents, or equally as a group time story for
kindergarten children. It is easy to read, simple concepts and uses
familiar characters which many children will be able to engage with.
Lauren Fountain
I don't want to be quiet by Laura Ellen Anderson
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526602442. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. The heroine of this uproariously funny
tale loves to be noisy. She chats, laughs and claps in school
despite being asked by the teacher to listen. She stomps down
stairs, drums with the spoons and hums when Mum has asked for quiet.
She cannot help herself: clanging, stomping, slurping, crunching,
splashing and even burping. She and the class go into the library
where everyone else sits down to read a book, but she interrupts,
complaining it is too quiet. When everyone tells her that she must
be quiet, and the page has a row of 'shh' across the top, she takes
down a book like the others and finds herself spellbound.
In rhyming lines, the story of the girl's change of heart unfolds.
Reading out loud would be thrilling for the audience, involved in
the tale of this too loud girl and the words which describe the
noises she makes. Kids will love the rhymes, predicting the rhyming
word at the end of each pair of lines, deciding what noise will go
with each word, standing up to make the stomping or clapping or
slurping or clanging words along with the reader.
And the illustrations too will entreat younger readers to look at
the young girl, surrounded by illustrative techniques which show
noise.
No child can be quiet when her mouth is wide open, or sit surrounded
by exclamation marks, or jumping down stairs, or sploshing through
puddles: each page reflects the noise of the child, just as the last
few pages reflect the quiet time as she reads a book. A playful list
of rhyming words, enhanced with wonderfully apt illustrations will
make this a favourite read aloud and join in book. Themes:
Quietness, Noise, Reading, Read aloud, Family, Verse.
Fran Knight
Old enough to save the planet by Loll Kirby
Illustrated by Adelina Lirius. Magic Cat Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781916180529.
(Age: 8-13) Highly recommended. Old enough to save the planet
by Loll Kirby is a thoughtfully presented non-fiction book which
clearly gives an easy and understandable insight into many aspects
that are contributing to climate change. Each of the twelve child
activists have chosen a different facet of climate change to focus
on and through their efforts encourage other children and adults to
be aware of pressing issues which can be addressed in very simple
and worthwhile ways. Three of the activists include Himangi from
India who is a campaigner for reducing the effects of traffic
pollution outside her school, Eunita from Kenya who is the founder
of a community garden that promotes the natural process of
pollination, as well as Shalise from Australia who protects the ocean
by cleaning up human pollution from the shore.
Each activist has a double page spread which gives a brief
introduction to the issue and how they are working to help solve the
problem. The detailed and beautifully drawn illustrations by
Adelina Lirius are interspersed with relevant and interesting facts.
In the final pages of the book is information about how you can help
to save the planet as well as ten things you can do to make your
voice heard.
This is an important book that may inspire more children to follow
in the footsteps of these young climate change activists. A great
resource for teachers with the opportunity to do further research on
this very significant and serious topic. Themes: Child activists,
Climate change, Environmental issues, Conservation, Sustainability,
Working together.
Kathryn Beilby
Between two evils by Eva Dolan
Zigic & Ferreira. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408886441.
(Age: Senior secondary, Adult) Highly recommended. Between two evils
is the parallel stories of abuse. One takes place within the locked
precincts of a female immigration detention centre, the other
evolves from the overturning of a case of rape due to DNA evidence
being brought into question. DS Ferreire and DI Zigic are tested
ethically and morally as this team from Peterborough sort through a
maze of secretive bureaucracy and downright manipulation to get at
the truth and a conviction.
The murder of Dr. Joshua Ainsworth in his home just outside the
detention centre where he works in the medical clinic is brutal, and
it seems connected with his job. Ainsworth is an enigma. Some speak
highly of him, as a caring, ethical doctor working in a difficult
situation. Others, like the demonstrators outside the centre, see him
as part of an evil and repressive government regime. The privately
run Long Fleet detention centre was not exactly forthcoming with
information, putting a wall of data protection and privacy
legislation as excuses.
The other blow to the investigative team came when news broke that
Lee Walton a serial rapist and murderer had been released due to
problems with the examination of DNA evidence. It had been a long
and difficult case which now seemed all for nothing. But Walton then
begins to threaten Ferreire to reestablish his contacts with his
wife and son who had been moved away for their own protection.
It seems the only way to put Walton away is to reopen an old case. A
case which on the surface was watertight being finalised with a
confession. A confession that was given after a series of
interrogations by their current superior. A clandestine
investigation carried out without knowledge of most of the team and
always with the threat of it blowing up in their faces.
With the background of racism, bigotry and politics this is a story
of the present not just applicable to the United Kingdom and
Australia, but universally where conservatism and misplaced
nationalism are on the rise.
This is the first of Dolan's Ferreira and Zigic novels I have read.
There four others in the series; Long way home, Tell no
tales, After you die and Watch her disappear.
It may be helpful to have read others in giving a background to the
protagonists, which coming in cold did assume prior knowledge.
However Dolan's writing hauls you into the narrative and the 468
pages seem to fly by. Themes: Crime fiction, Detention centres,
Rape, DNA.
Mark Knight
Lola Dutch I love you so much by Kenneth Wright and Sarah Jane Wright
Bloomsbury, ISBN: 9781547601172.
(Age: 4-6) Kenneth and Sarah Jane Wright's third picture book Lola
Dutch
I love you so much is another delightful, creative story based
on the five love languages.
Lola's friends aren't having a very good day. Gator is feeling cold
and cranky, while Crane's favourite picture book is lost, and Pig is
just positively peevish. Lola always brims with positivity and
creativity; she knows the perfect solution for their problems. Using
resources from around their house she sews a bold yellow stripe
outfit for Gator, tidies up books scattered everywhere and creates a
special book nook for Crane. Pig feels a little left out until Lola
packs up a picnic and they all set off for the park. What about
friend Bear? Of course, there is something special for her friend.
Lola too, is not forgotten and all her friends show their love with
a special party.
What a charming story to share with youngsters; Lola Dutch is a
caring friend, thinking of others and always wanting to make her
friends happy. This is based on the Wright's own family as they
share the message of thinking about others, being creative and using
home resources to cheer others up. Sarah Jane Wright's soft
watercolour scenes add to the charm and joie de vivre expressed in
the easy to read text. The jacket cover includes a cute party scene,
two puppets and special note to share, with additional resources
available online. Themes: Love, Friendship, Creativity.
Rhyllis Bignell
B is for baby by Atinuke
Illus. by Angela Brooksbank. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406390872.
40pp.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. With the letter B as its main spring,
this seductively charming tale of a baby in a West African community
sings with the sights and sounds of life in the village. The baby
climbs into a basket of bananas, hiding from her brother as he gets
onto his bicycle, en route to see his grandfather, Baba. The bumpy
ride takes him past a baobab tree as he sees a number of things
beginning with B: a butterfly, bird, bus and bridge amongst the
sights. On reaching Baba, he reaches into the basket to get a banana
and finds the baby!
All great fun as the baby and her brother are given biscuits by Baba
and over the next two pages the B words are reiterated.
This is a wonderful read aloud: children will marvel at the words
beginning with B in the village, and see the world in which the baby
and her brother live. The African background is there for all to
see: from the beads used to plait the baby's hair, the basket woven
by Mum, the bananas picked from the garden, the baobab tree,
baboons, bougainvillea, banana palms and Grandfather's bungalow.
Brooksbank is inspired by the playful spirit and energy of children
and these characteristics are replicated in her illustrations in
this book and her previous book, Baby goes to market (2017)
her first picture book with Atunike. The colourful, lively
illustrations portray life in the village as a vibrant, closely
knit, family centred life, full of humour. Themes: Africa, Baby,
Family, Alphabet, Humour.
Fran Knight
Wayside School: Beneath the cloud of doom by Louis Sachar
Illus. by Tim Heitz. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526623423.
(Age: 7-10 years). Recommended. Louis Sachar has written the fourth
book in his popular series, Wayside School after a
twenty-five year hiatus. Beneath the Cloud of Doom is
complete with familiar characters, both teachers and students, as
well as an impending Cloud of Doom hovering above Wayside School.
Wayside School is 30 storeys high with one class on each floor. All
sorts of unusual sounding bells ring every day with different
meanings to keep both teachers and students on their toes.
Throughout the short chapters the characters on the thirtieth floor
and their idiosyncrasies are reintroduced in a humorous and
entertaining way. Their teacher is Mrs Jewls who has a DISCIPLINE
board in her classroom where students must write their names if they
do something wrong. There is Kathy who has a bad case of oppositosis
and always appears to be rude. After she visits the on-site school
medico Dr Pickle, changes occur in her manner. Terence who counts up
the number of things he can kick during the day. Dana who can make
funny faces but one goes mysteriously wrong with unusual
consequences. Mrs Surlaw is the Librarian who organises both fiction
and nonfiction books into the number of pages collection. Jason has
chosen one with 999 pages as he tries to outdo another student. All
of the students must face the Ultimate Test which has some amazing
events such as upside down singing, blindfold smelling plus Jump
Rope Arithmetic and Stairway Quiz. Added to the general day-to-day
goings on in the busy school is a huge black cloud suspended over
the school which causes anxiety and major complications for
everyone. Louis Sachar himself features prominently in the book as
the PE teacher who helps support the Principal and the students.
Students in the middle primary years will enjoy the humour and fast
paced storyline. Clever illustrations by Tim Heitz are spaced
throughout the book and add to the overall appeal of this easy and
entertaining read. Themes: Humour, School, Teachers, Classmates,
Mysterious happenings.
Kathryn Beilby
Run, rebel by Manjeet Mann
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241411421.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Written in short verses on each page,
this novel thrums with the beat of spoken poetry that captures the
intense feelings of a young girl, Amber, who loves to run, but whose
dreams of being an athlete look like they will never be realised.
She is bound by the built in fears of family and community - fear of
a father who is most often drunk and violent, and fear of the
punishment meted to those who offend the family honour, like the
girl who died at the hands of her father just across the street.
It's an oppression carried through generations. Amber's parents are
illiterate, her mother was beaten and taught submission, Amber's
sister Ruby was married off young, and Amber knows that she also has
to obey.
Mann's choice of verse form gives her the ability to go straight to
the heart of the matter, to express intense feelings with minimal
words. We live Amber's thoughts and fears. We feel the fear build
up, the anxiety about being seen in the street with a boy after
school, the violence that erupts when her father comes home drunk
and angry. And we also see how her own anger turns her into a bully
at school.
Amber actually asks herself the question of whether she is the same
as her father - angry and violent. It is a question also explored in
Rafi Mittlefehldt's What
makes us (2019) - do genetic inheritance and
environment combine to make children inevitably repeat the patterns
of their parents? For Amber, as with Eran, in Mittlefehldt's novel,
it is a teacher who makes the difference, as well as the loyalty of
good friends. Amber has a teacher who encourages her athletic
aspirations, and a history teacher who with his enthusiasm opens her
eyes to ways to make change. The principles of revolution become the
phases that she goes through toward self-assertion and independence.
The way this book is written, with its headings, succinct verses and
highlighted words makes it very accessible to the generation who
enjoys slam/rap poetry and the short burst interaction of social
media. It is very powerful, raw and honest, and no doubt its
immediacy and the themes it illuminates will resonate with young
adult readers.
Themes: Domestic violence, Cultural expectations, Identity,
Bullying, Anger.
Helen Eddy
Viper's Daughter by Michelle Paver
Wolf Brother series, book 7. Zephyr, 2020. ISBN:
9781838933357.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Set in the period following the Ice-Age,
this adventure involves the Forest characters Renn, a mage with
links to the Ravens, and her mate Torak - a wolf-brother. While Renn
feels compelled to leave Torak in order to combat the influence of
her evil mother and protect him,Torak takes pursuit with his wolf
pack wolf-brother close behind him in order to bring her back.
Heading north into the even wider vastness of isolation and yet with
people groups to connect with along the way, this is a tale of love
against the backdrop of traditional cultural beliefs and the demon
world. The drama that enfolds reveals ancient culture and survival
techniques in a harsh world, but also a tale of the power of love
and the influence of ancient understanding on life. Written in a way
that reminded me of a Tolkien quest adventure, this is a powerful
story and a compelling drama that is unique and quite different from
most teenage fiction. At all times there is a sense that the reader
is immersed in the challenges of Stone Age existence, and yet can
see the power of the ingenuity of the people and the connections
with nature (in combination with the fantasy and belief influences
that are woven into the story). With a remnant population of
Mammoths (called Mammut in the text) and the ability to communicate
with animals, this is indeed a story with a difference.
I wish that I had discovered the series before launching into book 7
of the Wolf Brother series! But this is more about missing
the wonder of this series and the characters rather than feeling
like I have stepped into uncertain territory. This book stands on
its own quite comfortably. The use of language is intriguing as
expressions are used that convey different understandings of the
world e.g. the Wolf's language is spare, but genuinely descriptive.
I am certain though that many will enjoy the other books by Michelle
Paver and will enjoy the way she incorporates traditional life from
Eskimo, Inuit and Scandinavian culture and weaves these into a
traditional but fantasy tale. It almost feels like you are drawn
into an ancient (yet fantasy) world in the far northern Scandinavian
or North American wilderness. Themes: Fantasy; Stone Age;
Traditional Life; Adventure; Good vs Evil; Demons and Spirits.
Carolyn Hull
Break the fall by Jennifer Iacopelli
Hodder Children's Books 2020. ISBN: 9781444953244.
(Age: 12+) Gymnast Audrey (Rey) Lee has been on a 14 year journey to
become a top gymnast. At 17 she is able to ignore the pain of the
herniated disc in her back to make the US national team for the
Tokyo Olympics. Her coach, Pauline is like a second mother to her
but the coach for the national team, Coach Gibson exerts total power
over the gymnasts, always watching for signs of weakness. Also on
the team is Emma Shadowsky, Rey's best friend since she was 3,
Chelsea Cameron, the reigning Olympic all round champion, and
Daniela Olivero. All but Emma have a non-white background and
Chelsea comments that 'it can be tough for women of colour in this
sport. We're held to a different standard sometimes.' p.45. To
achieve her goals, Rey not only has to train constantly but adhere
to a strict diet and focus on her performance to the exclusion of
all else. Her back injury is chronic, going back five years and she
is only able to compete by having regular cortisone injections in
her spine. The injury means she will have to retire after the Tokyo
Olympics and even then will have issues for the rest of her life,
'But gymnastics is worth it. The Olympics is worth it.'p.65.
Training for the Olympics even takes priority over Leo Adams,
champion snowboarder and son of one of the gymnastic coaches. They
link up after years of following each other online but while the
relationship blossoms, he has to stay a discreet distance and not be
a distraction. What is a distraction is that Daniela is suspended
from the team for allegedly failing a drug test and she then makes
an accusation against Coach Gibson for sexual assault. The fallout
for the team is that they are interviewed by the FBI, they lose
their coaches, are sent to train at another facility and even have
to repeat the selection trials in front of independent judges. They
all suffer but manage, through the discipline of their training and
real teamwork, to rescue their dreams. The detailed descriptions of
the gymnastic routines are the main element in this sports novel and
the sexual abuse, grooming and victim blaming are handled with care,
demonstrating the girls' strengths and endurance, empowering them in
the most difficult of situations. A rare teen novel celebrating
athletic ability in girls with an extra twist about resilience, it
will appeal to middle school students.
Themes: sports, friendship, sexual assault, Olympics.
Sue Speck
How to be a pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald
Illus. by Brigette Barrager. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781681197784.
40pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. When CeCe wants to join the
neighbourhood gang and be a pirate like them, she is rebuffed and
told she cannot be a pirate, so she swings her sword over her
shoulder and marches off to see her grandfather who with all his
tattoos, must know a little about being a pirate. And she is right.
Grandfather trawls through his gallery of tattoos, each with a story
and each reminding CeCe of the tenacity needed to be a pirate. The
first tattoo is of a ship and he tells her that a pirate is brave,
overcoming obstacles and forging ahead. Next is a panther and to be
a pirate she must be quick to escape danger at any moment. A dancing
senorita shows her that she must also have fun, and an eagle
reflects a pirate's need to be independent. All of these attributes
are necessary to being a pirate, but Grandfather warns, there is one
that shines out over them all and it is this one that sees CeCe
rushing back to the tree house and joining the boys.
The imaginative use of Grandfather's tattoos underscores the humour
in this book. An older man's tattoos are usually hidden by clothing,
so to see them standing out proudly will cause a lot of laughter
amongst the readers, and to see how he uses each one to tell a story
and enthuse CeCe with the skills needed to be a pirate, is simply
charming.
Each tattoo creates a new adventure for CeCe to explore, and readers
will quickly fill out the story behind each of the the wonderful
illustrations. Vibrant and full of movement, readers will be in no
doubt about the exploits of a pirate, poring over the drawings to
see what pirates do and how brave, adventurous, quick and
independent they are. Pirates, Humour, Grandparents, Bravery.
Fran Knight
