The proudest blue : a story of hijab and family by Ibtihaj Muhammud and S. K. Ali
Illus. by Hatem Aly. Anderson Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781783449712. 40pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. When Asiya wears her blue hijab to
school for the first time, her little sister, Faizah is proud and
excited: proud that her sister has reached this milestone in her
life, eager for her own turn when she reaches grade seven. Mum and
Asiya have been to the shop to buy a new headscarf, Mum wanting the
pink one but Asiya standing firm with her choice of blue, the colour
of the ocean, the colour of the sky.
Going to school Asiya and Faizah meet curious stares and field some
questions from their peers, answering that wearing the hijab is
important, it means being strong. But some laugh and point, and
again mother's words remind the girls that the wearing of the hijab
may perplex some at the start, but remaining firm and strong, they
will come to understand.
Several boys call her scarf a tablecloth and again mother said that
these are only words which can be discarded, not carried around.
These words belong only to those who utter them.
At the end of the day Faizah meets her sister again at the school
gate, standing proudly with her blue hijab, waiting patiently for
her little sister. Faizah cannot wait to get home to show her the
picture she has drawn of the two together, with matching blue
headscarves.
An absorbing look at one girl's day at school, an ordinary everyday
sort of day, except that Asiya is wearing her hijab for the first
time. Curiosity meets the girls as they arrive at school and their
questions are answered, but a few are more vocal and bullying. The
answers allow the girls to turn their backs on these comments and
disown the people who say them. They stand firm, gaining strength
from within their family, proudly turning their backs on ignorance.
A charming story of standing firm, of not allowing comments to spoil
the day, this story will be shared in classrooms, initiating
discussions about the obvious wearing of the hijab and what it means
but also the wider issue of difference and acceptance, of tolerance
and awareness. And a book such as this will engage and educate while
encouraging understanding. Themes: Islam, Family, Hijab, Clothing,
Difference, Courage, Faith.
Fran Knight
How to make a better world (For every kid who wants to make a difference) by Keilly Swift
Illus. by Rhys Jefferys. Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN:
9780241412206. 96pp.
(Ages 8-14). Highly recommended. How to make a better world is a
large colourful nonfiction book that helps to empower children who
want to make a difference in themselves and their community. As
adults we are constantly bombarded with bad news about what is
happening to the earth and many children today have become stressed
by feeling powerless to change what is happening around them. This
book gives many suggestions and ways they can begin to make a
difference.
The book is divided into four chapters; You, Community, Humanity and
Environment. By first focusing on "You" the author is making
children realize that any change needs to start with helping
themselves to become healthier, happier and more positive about
life. It then moves into the wider area around the children by
suggesting how they can become involved in the community around
them. It mentions friendship, volunteering and heritage among
others. Then the author moves out to things to do in the world from
finding a cause, to raising money and to going on a protest march,
to name just a few. Helpful tips and strategies such as how to make
a good poster feature in this chapter. The environment and
information about the problems that face our world today including
climate change, green living, vegetarianism and the plastic problem
make up just a few of the many things in the last chapter.
Prominent people, including activist children and young people are
mentioned throughout the book as examples both from the present day
and from the past. The pages are brightly coloured and attractive
including some side-ways pages to add interest. I think it is a
valuable book to have in any home or classroom and will help to
inspire children to act on the things about which they feel
passionate. Themes: Social action, Personal development, Community
improvement.
Gabrielle Anderson
Sports Heroes by Clare Lloyd
When I grow up series. Dorling Kindersley, 2020, ISBN:
9780241412688. 18pp.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Dorling Kindersley presents pre-schoolers
with a fun and inspiring board book focused on how youngsters become
sports stars. Each double-page spread introduces the famous athlete
describing their early years, how they started in their field and
their achievements. Using bold backgrounds, easy to read sentences,
both graphic illustrations and photographs, with flags of their home
country, this is great for the future sports player.
Begin reading with Usain Bolt's story, the superstar sprinter wanted
to be a Jamaican cricketer when he grew up. Paralympic Games swimmer
Ellie Simmonds from Great Britain won two gold medals at the age of
thirteen. Eight superstars from across the globe are represented,
from Lebron James American basketball legend to Japanese figure
skater Yuzuru Hanyu and Lionel Messi captain of F.C. Barcelona.
Chinese volleyball player Zhu Ting thought she would grow up to work
on her family farm, however her life changed when she was chosen to
attend a special sports school. Sports Heroes introduces the concepts of inspiration and
aspiration, dreaming big and achieving your goals. Just right for
sharing with a pre-schooler, discuss their family life, turning
points and special achievements as adults. Subjects: Sports,
Athletes.
Rhyllis Bignell
The twin by Natasha Preston
Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593124963. 336pp.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Ivy and Iris are twins, separated when their
parents divorced, Ivy staying with her father, and Iris going with
her mother. They still saw each other intermittently, but now they
are thrown back together again, when their mother dies in an
accident whilst jogging across a bridge. It's six years since they
were all living together - and it feels really strange. They were
never close as sisters - too dissimilar to feel a real connection
despite being twins. Ivy feels uneasy about the way Iris wants to
step into her life, wear her clothes, attend all the same classes at
school, and meet up with her friends. What happened to Iris's last
lot of friends? Iris ranges from cool aloofness to sudden tears that
she seems able to conveniently turn on like a tap. The tension
builds as Iris gains in popularity regularly sidelining Ivy, and
isolating her. Her manipulations lead to Ivy losing the trust of her
friends, and even her father. At least she still has her boyfriend
and her counsellor . . . for now.
This is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you reading,
wondering about what is going on with Iris - could she be a
psychopath? Why is she intent on infiltrating and destroying Ivy's
relationships? What happened the night their mother died? Readers of
mystery thrillers will enjoy the twists of this story until the very
last page. Themes: Mystery, Grief, Psychopath.
Helen Eddy
Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton
Salvation Sequence Book 2. Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN:
9781447281368. 896pp.
This is a book only for extreme devotees of Science Fiction who
enjoy considering where the world and humanity might be heading in
the 23rd Century. Combining astro-physics, space travel through
portals, recreated earth-like geodomes, aliens, robotic-human
hybrids as well as technology that defies description, there is a
complication on every page that the author has managed to describe
using a vocabulary that is technical, futuristic and extremely
complex. With war looming with the Olyix, strategies and alliances
must be created to save humanity and keep everything on a path to
survival. Along the way there are strange relationships, medical
advances that are extreme (including augmentations for sexual
prowess), longevity that requires considerable enhancements and
forces and powers that are entangled and complex.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted! Nor can I comfortably
recommend it to anyone other than the Physics-engrossed Sci-fi fan
who desires a book that crosses warfare with Space solutions into
the future, and can grapple with explanations that would test their
University Science knowledge. Despite that, it seems that there are
people in the world who are clamouring for this kind of fiction, and
Peter F. Hamilton is the master. Themes: Science Fiction;
Speculative and futuristic fiction; Space travel; Robotics; Aliens;
Alien Invasion.
Carolyn Hull
We love you, Mr Panda by Steve Antony
Hodder, 2020. ISBN: 9781444927924.
(Age: 3) Recommended. Themes: Pandas, Love, Relationships,
Friendship, Hugs, Mental health. Mr Panda is giving out free hugs
and would love some in return but everyone seems to be too busy
hugging someone else. Skunk says he wants a hug but he is talking to
Croc. Elephant says he wants a hug but he is talking to Mouse. Mr
Panda offers a hug to Sloth but he rejects the offer, saying that he
can hug himself. Even a flock of sheep bypass him for the Ostrich.
Slowly he walks away, realising that no one wants his hugs, but as
he nears the edge of the page voices call out, asking if he would
like a hug. Now he says he would love a hug, and immediately all of
his friends come along and hug him to pieces.
A charming tale of friendship, of telling people what you feel, of
sharing your feelings with friends, this will encourage younger
readers to articulate their thoughts, especially when they are
feeling low.
Mr Panda offers himself to all of his friends, but it is only when
he says the he would love a hug that they respond.
The funny illustrations parallel the text in showing a dejected Mr
Panda come alive when his friends respond. Children will be sad
along with Mr Panda when in the middle of the book, his face takes
up the whole double page as he realises that no one wants his hugs.
And then be happy with Mr Panda when the friends see how low he is
and come running. Readers will love spotting the lemur and penguin
who accompany Mr Panda on every page except the middle page, and
laugh with Mr Panda as he hugs a variety of animals, contemplating
perhaps what it would be like to hug a crocodile or an elephant or
penguin.
This is the fifth in this series of books, and children will love
finding these on the shelves to spot the similarities between them.
Look out for Please,
Mr Panda (2016), Thank you Mr Panda (2019), Goodnight, Mr
Panda (2018) and I'll
wait, Mr Panda (2016).
Fran Knight
Are you watching? by Vincent Ralph
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241367421. 371 pp.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Fans of mystery thrillers will grab
this riveting book, and like me, will probably read it in one
sitting. Jess is a 17 year old young woman whose mother was murdered
ten years before by the Magpie Man, a serial killer. Determined to
find him, she goes on a reality YouTube series in an effort to
uncover more clues about his identity and see if she can lure him
out of hiding. Once a week she is filmed for a whole day and she
uses this to reach a huge audience.
Ralph's use of short chapters with a new twist at the end of most of
them is perfect to keep the reader involved and determined to read
on as Jess's use of social media brings out many followers and not a
few crazies. Red herrings are scattered throughout and the reader is
left wondering just who the Magpie Man is, until the exciting
conclusion of the book. The police appear to be totally bamboozled
by what is going on, and disinclined to listen to Jess, even when it
appears she is being threatened by the Magpie Man.
Jess is an engaging character, one who does not want to be a victim.
She makes mistakes, and she doesn't know who to trust, but she is
very determined to find the killer. With the popularity of reality
shows like Big Brother, readers will easily grasp the notion of Jess
reaching millions and see the consequences of the social media
event, both good and bad.
Fans of Small
Spaces by Sarah Epstein, A
Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One
of Us Is Lying will be delighted to have another great
thriller to read.
Pat Pledger
Ali Cross by James Patterson
Penguin Random House 2019. ISBN: 9781529119725. 309 pp., paperback.
(Age: young teens - young adults) Recommended. Ali Cross knows that
when his friend Gabe Qualls goes missing that he must jump right
into action to find him. But with each day that passes his odds seem
to dwindle. Determination, intelligence, logic and persistence are
all things he has inherited from his father Alex Cross, a brilliant
DC detective who is facing his own troubles at the same time as his
son. Following along both father and son and their investigations,
we see if they can help each other solve the mystery of what
happened to Gabe Qualls.
As a short novel this was a very intriguing story about crime,
families and friendship. It also branches off from Patterson's adult
fiction Alex Cross series, but Patterson does well to
include the father in this without mention of any events that happen
in his respective series. Instead the focus is mainly on his son and
portrays more of his actions and personality as a father instead of
a detective. Ali himself is also written in a way that portrays him
as the spitting image of his father, the only thing he lacks though
is his patience which gets him in a few spots of trouble throughout
the story, but also helps him out a few as well.
I would recommend this to young teens/young adults interested in
crime and suspense, as well as anyone looking to get into James
Patterson's works also.
Kayla Raphael
Warrior of the wild by Tricia Levenseller
Palgrave USA, 2020. ISBN: 9781250233653.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fans of fantasy and survival stories are in
for a treat with this easy to read, engaging story. Rasmira is the
daughter of the village chief and when she fails her coming of age
trial, she is banished to the Wild and given an impossible task:
kill the god who demands a tribute each year from the surrounding
villages, making it difficult for them to survive. No one else who
has been banished has ever succeeded and she is expected to die.
Rasmira has been trained as a warrior and is strong and determined.
When she meets two other boys, Soren and Iric, who have been
banished, her grit and intelligence and emerging leadership skills
come to the fore. Together they decide that they will complete their
virtually impossible tasks and show the villagers their skills and
the injustice of their exile. Initially Rasmira is depicted as a
self-centred young woman who is very confident about her ability as
a fighter but has little knowledge of the skills needed to lead. Her
father's favouritism has led to her mother feeling left out and the
village boys are not happy with the attention given to her as well.
It is in the Wild that she comes to realise what skills are needed
as a leader and begins to discover that valuing the abilities of
Soren and Iric and their resulting teamwork is necessary if they are
to succeed.
The story is written is a very easy to read style with the dialogue
sounding almost modern. With its tones of a Viking type lifestyle,
the emerging relationship between Rasmira and Soren and Iric's love
for a village boy, it will appeal to a wide readership, and the fact
that it is a stand-alone will make it an easy choice for readers who
don't want to commit to a series. It was one of a 2020
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
Pat Pledger
Knock Three Times by Cressida Cowell
The Wizards of Once book 3. Hodder Children's Books, 2019.
ISBN: 9781444941470.
(Age: 10-13) Recommended.This is the third book in the Once
series and continues the adventures of Xar and Wish who are from
opposing kingdoms. Xar is a boy wizard who has struggled with magic
and Wish is a warrior girl with magical gifts that are not
appreciated by her people, especially her mother, the indominable
Queen Sychorax. In previous novels, Xar and Wish became friends,
much to the horror of their parents.
In the exciting opening to book 3 the children, Xar, Wish, her not
so fearsome bodyguard Bodkin and an assortment of magnificent and
magical creatures are escaping from Xar and Wish's parents, King
Encanzo the Enchanted and the warrior queen, Sychorax. Unbeknown to
them, they are also being pursued by the witches they accidentally
released in book 1.
Xar and Wish's mission is to try to find all the ingredients to make
a potion that will rid their kingdoms from the evil of witches
forever.
I feel this series improves with each sequel. I found the characters
endearing and humorous and enjoyed the close escapes and high action
in this book. More of the background story of their parents is
revealed and many previously unconnected events are brought
together.
This book is a chance for Bodkin the fainting bodyguard to shine and
prove his worth to himself and the group.
I loved all the magical characters, although my heart belongs to the
adorable, tiny "Squeezjoos" a hairy fairy, with his comical antics
and comments and the beautiful and loyal snowcats.
Cressida Cowell's artwork is a constant throughout the novel and
adds a wonderful layer to the whole story.
The story is unfinished and a fourth sequel will be forthcoming.
Lovers of fantasy books will enjoy this story and I recommend this
book to children aged 10 to 13 years old.
Small trailer here.
Jane Moore
Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce
Macmillan Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781529029260.
(Ages 9-12). Highly recommended. Max and the Midknights is a funny,
exciting adventure story set in the Middle Ages and told with a
mixture of text, speech bubbles and comic panels by the author of
the Big Nate series.
The main character Max is a troubadour apprentice to Uncle Budrick
but dearly wants to become a Knight. But there is a problem, Max is
a girl, something that is not revealed until nearly 60 pages into
the story. She travels with her Uncle to his childhood home Byjovias
only to find that the kingdom has been taken over by a nasty
treacherous King Gastley who has bewitched the population to make
them compliant.
King Gastley makes her uncle his castle fool and Max sets out to
rescue him with her new friends Kevyn, Millie and Simon (who form
the Midknights) and a retired magician called Mumblin who often
messes up his magic spells. Mumblin reveals to Max that she is
mentioned in a book of Prophesies which says she is to undertake a
journey to save the Kingdom. Max shows how brave and determined she
is as she leads her group on the quest which includes encounters
with zombies in the haunted woods, friendly flying dragons, a real
knight and a sorceress. This story has everything from magic rings
to enchanted swords and a lost king hidden in a high tower. Told
using quite modern language but including some excellent information
about life in the Middle Ages, this book will be popular with both
boys and girls in middle primary. Themes: Knights and knighthood,
Middle Ages, Troubadours, Sex role.
Gabrielle Anderson
Charlie morphs into a mammoth by Sam Copeland
Illus. by Sarah Horne. Penguin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780241346235.
320pp.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Charlie McGuffin has a unique
ability to change into animals and he uses this ability to help his
friends and solve problems, just like a real super-hero. In this
third very funny book of the series he is beginning to be able to
control which animal he changes into. Charlie can metamorphize just
by thinking of something sad or upsetting and he uses the fact that
his mum and dad seem to be on the verge of separating as the tool to
change in this book.
Having faced a very sick brother, a schoolyard bully and nearly
losing the family home in the previous books Charlie is faced with
his parent's constant arguments and some mysterious animal
disappearances around him in this story. His friends are also are
finding it increasingly difficult to keep his special ability a
secret and when it starts to appear as if he himself is behind the
petnappings he and his friends band together to find out what is
really going on.
Sam Copeland engages the reader with a great story but also with
some disruptions at various points in the book, such as letters from
readers of his previous books at the beginning, disagreements with
his illustrator halfway through and conflicts with the publisher
about some content. The fact that the titles of his books have
little to do with the story is a source of funny exchanges with the
publisher at various times throughout the story. Small footnotes
about the animals Charlie changes into are also a great addition to
the book and could be used by teachers to explore the use of them as
a tool in writing.
Children will love the fact that sometimes Charlie becomes a
creature that puts him into some very yucky places especially when
he turns into a Nematode worm and is eaten by his enemy Dylan. His
journey through Dylan's body is an entertaining couple of chapters
indeed! An entertaining read. Themes: Family relationships,
Shapeshifters/Metamorphosis, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray
Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241384435.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Ellie is an orphan, who is a tinkerer and is
continuing her Mother's trade as fixer and creator of strange items
in her workshop near the Orphanage where she used to live. Her
brother's recent death has left her alone and she has had to learn
to be resilient and self-reliant. In a world where the sea has
claimed most of the city, a whale is beached on the top of one of
the submerged buildings. Ellie releases a boy, Seth, from within the
dead carcass and with that act of rescue also unleashes the fear of
her home community about the dark power known as the Enemy - the
evil cause of the devastation in her City. This enemy is known to
take over and possess the body of an individual (the Vessel) and
seems to parasitise and wreak power over their life and create havoc
in the island city. The local people of the City want to get rid of
the evil and are in fear of its presence and so make every effort to
get rid of the Vessel. Ellie wants to save the innocent boy from the
local fearmongers, the Inquisitors and their attempts to destroy
him. He may not be the Enemy, but he is very unusual! Ellie retains
a friendship with fellow Orphan, Anna, who helps Ellie and Seth as
they set out to set things right. But overshadowing shame that Ellie
feels and the secret she carries may cause all of her friends to
know great distress.
This is a fantasy novel with a dark and foreboding quality - the
possession of an individual by an evil 'power' is quite sinister.
The world of the sunken City is also very unusual and with ruins and
strange remnant architecture as the foundation of existence the
author has created a very different environment for the action of
the fantasy story. There is action and supernatural unusual
influences through the course of the story and it is a dark fantasy
tale for young teen readers. I would not recommend this for
too-young readers, even though the central characters seem to be
young, because of the chilling nature of possession by an evil
power. Teen readers may be able to recognise the hints of the power
of fear, shame and guilt that are threaded through the unusual
story. It is well written and compelling with a strong female lead
character and will appeal to devotees of the dark and gothic genre
because it has such an unreal and ethereal quality and will also
appeal to enthusiasts of fantasy and dystopian fiction.
Recommended for readers aged 13+ (with care to avoid recommending to
those who might be prone to nightmares!) Themes: Fantasy; Grief and
loss; Supernatural; Fear; Shame and guilt.
Carolyn Hull
Alice-Miranda at school by Jacqueline Harvey
10th Anniversary Edition. Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9781760896034. hbk.
(Ages: 6-10). Recommended. Alice-Miranda
Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones has decided to go to boarding school
and phoned to ask if she can start early at 7 and a quarter, much to
the concern of her extremely wealthy parents. She strides into
Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies with
all the confidence of an adult, knowing that her mother and
grandmother had attended the same school before her. She sets about
solving all the problems she encounters with the staff and students
including taking on the fearsome Head Mistress, Miss Grimm, who has
not been seen for many years by anyone but her secretary.
The character of Alice-Miranda was created by the author to
illustrate that kindness and courage are the most important things
to strive for and Alice-Miranda certainly has both of those
attributes along with skills and an attitude you would normally
expect in a much older person. To all the adults in the story she is
quite confronting, but she certainly appeals to her young readers as
this series has been extremely popular. This reprint of the first
book in the long series that launched Alice-Miranda is the tenth
Anniversary edition and includes a letter from the author outlining
her gratitude to all who helped bring the character to life with
her.
I liked this book, but I had some issues with Alice-Miranda being so
perfect and so right all the time. Her parents allow her to solve
most of the problems she encounters by paying enormous amounts of
money for anything she asks for - such as a holiday for the school
cook to America by private helicopter and landscaping services for
the gardener to replace the flowers in the grounds. Perhaps this is
part of the charm of the story, but it does not reflect real life
for most of the general population.
It is not a difficult book to read and is written using lots of
dialogue, making the story move quickly. It would be a great novel
for younger readers who are reading at a higher level. Themes:
Boarding school, Family relationships, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series book 5. Penguin, 2020.
ISBN: 9780241320907. pbk., 228 pp.
(Age: Young Adult Readers) From the first page I was hooked. The
action starts immediately and I felt like I was in one of those
action films from the 80s in Chinatown hiding from a gang chasing
me. Right from the start I was on adventure and thinking . . . what
has happened? Why are the main characters running? This, I think is
a brilliant way to start a book and to hook any Young Adult reader. The Conference of the Birds is Ransom Riggs fifth instatement
of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. I have watched the
first film but this is the first of Riggs' books that I've read. I
did find the characters' peculiar and the monsters scary but hey
that's what the series is all about.
Ransom has a great imagination and awesome story telling skills. His
characters are so peculiar and the way he writes about them you
think the person sitting next to you could be one of them. I'll be
watching from now on if they have special powers.
I enjoyed reading about Jacob and discovering who Noor is and her
background and what she stands for, for Peculiars. The friendship
they formed was cool. I really felt for Noor living as an orphan and
not knowing her past and learning more about it as the story went.
Young Adults would love reading this book because it's the children
that run the story and not the adults. I love the way Ransom
incorporates unusual antique photographs into his story telling. The
photos are scattered throughout the book and helps the reader
visualize characters as they are introduced. I am definitely going
to use these photographs in future writing lessons with my students.
I think getting a student to read Ransom's books and seeing how he
uses the photos students will be writing in no time. I think the
cover is awesome and like the antique feel of it. It makes this
series special. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar children series has a new fan in me
and I'm ready to start the series from the start. Also hope more
films are made from the series.
Maria Komninos
