Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781743535134. 336pp.
(Age: Adults - Adolescents) This is an intense, loving, evocative
and powerful novel that draws us into a story of a family whose love
for each other is palpable. An unusual family, their lives are
dominated by the father, who runs the family as a much-beloved
musical group. Their talent in playing instruments and singing to
adoring audiences is something that brings them together and is at
the centre of their lives for many years. In a tight-knit family
that bursts with talent, we see their world in the spotlight, as
much respected, indeed adored, for their singing, playing and the
deep love that they share.
Yet, like all families, over time things happen that disturb the
dynamics of this family's glorious career, and it is in her capacity
to show how each character must find a way to deal with changes, and
work to make these happen without loss of loyalty and musical
prowess, that Whiting creates her beautiful narrative. The father is
at the centre of their little universe, and it is under his loving
and demanding care that they perform. When things change, each
character has to find a way to cope, and this is the story of their
adjustments, their changing lives and their individual pursuit of
happiness.
This novel sparkles with the joy of music, singing, friendship and
that special love of a family. Yet it is a narrative that focuses on
the complexity of love, ambition, loyalty and the demands of family.
It would be suitable for adolescent readers and adults alike.
Elizabeth Bondar
Monster Nanny by Tuutikki Tolonen
Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525590. pbk., 298 pp.
(Age: 7-11) Monster Nanny the title says it all. If you're a
Roald Dahl fan you will enjoy reading Monster Nanny by
Finnish author Tuutikki Tolonen. I found it was a refreshing change
of pace from the majority of books out there and a nice return to
timeless adventure. As soon as I saw the cover I thought of Where
The Wild Things Are and yes the monsters did remind me of the
book.
Halley, Koby and Mimi's mum has won a spa trip to Lapland and due to
Invisible Voice (the dad) always being away for work and not being
able to be there to watch the kids, a nanny has been promised to
watch the kids. This nanny is no ordinary nanny but a huge, half
human, hairy, dirty, dust covered monster. Mum has been convinced
that the monster is ok and is part of a "secret special experiment .
. . researching new options for child care work" so off she goes and
the children are left in the care of Monster Nanny. Monster Nanny is a delightful read that any middle school
student will enjoy. The children in the story were easy to relate to
and take us on an adventure to discover who the monster is and where
it came from. Along the way we meet other monsters, a talking robe
and little monster mosquitos.
This is one book I would add to my shelf in the classroom for all
kids to enjoy. Before I forget, the black and white illustrations in
the book were a great addition. Looking forward to reading more
books from Tolonen.
Maria Komninos
Scorch Dragons by Amie Kaufman
Elementals book 2. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2019.
ISBN: 9781460755280. 448pp. pbk.
(Age: Middle Years 9+) Recommended. Dragons, wolves, adventure and
magic. What else does a middle grade reader want in a book? Just
imagine being able to transform into a dragon or a wolf, something
any middle grader would love to do. Scorched Dragons is, Amie Kaufman's second book from Elementals
series. I can see why she is a New York Bestseller author.
Right from the start I knew it will be a book I could not put down.
I loved the detailed map of the land of Vallen I was about to visit.
I have not read book one, Ice
Wolves and I gathered that Scorched Dragons
leads on from after the war that reunited Anders and Rayna who are
twins that are totally opposites. Together with Lisabet they go on a
hunt for a weather changing artefact called the Snowstone. They must
find the Snowstone or the dragons will be in trouble.
I loved reading about the history of the conflict between dragons
and the wolves and why each other hated the other. It was great to
see wolves and dragons working together to save everyone and
learning that the things they were taught over the years about each
other were untrue. Anders and Rayna also discover who their parents
are. Scorched Dragons is a great fantasy book all about adventure,
magic, transformation magic, friendships and friendships between
enemies.
The characters were good and you could picture them transforming
into dragons and wolves. They did stay in their human form most of
the time which made it easier for me to relate to what was happening
and finding the story more real.
I must say, Kess is my favourite character. Their lost cat that
reappears during the story. Hehe can you tell I'm a cat person.
Maria Komninos
Willy Wonka's everlasting book of fun by Roald Dahl
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241428139.
(Ages: 7-12). Highly recommended. An activity book filled with games,
activities, recipes and information all centred around the
characters and story of Charlie and the chocolate factory by
Roald Dahl. Willy Wonka introduces the book with a chapter about the
chocolate factory and presents games and quizzes that tell you about
the chocolate factory, different sweets to read about and make plus
quiz questions to test your knowledge of the story.
The book then takes a chapter for each character - Charlie Bucket,
Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt and Mike Teavee.
Ending the book is a chapter about the Oomp-Loompas and then lastly
included at the end is a chapter of the original book which was
never included in the published version. Scattered throughout the
book are those fantastic, whimsical illustrations by Quentin Blake.
The activities in the chapters revolve around the things the
characters encountered in the story and each chapter is about 15
pages long and is a mixture of recipes, word finds, quiz questions,
drawing activities, experiments and games. The advertising for this
book says there are over 365 activities in total, enough to keep a
child busy for months, especially on rainy days. Classroom teachers
using Charlie and the chocolate factory as a read aloud story could
include the quiz questions and other activities in this book
alongside the reading to really involve children in the Roald Dahl
experience. Themes: Amusements, Puzzles, Roald Dahl characters.
Gabrielle Anderson
Bone china by Laura Purcell
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526602527. 384pp.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) This story begins with Hester Why's
enigmatic statement that 'love is fragile' and it is indeed clearly
her past experiences, her fear and unsettled present that, we
gather, are 'dragging her' to Cornwall in the midst of a chilling
winter, to find work as an escape from her previous life. Doctor
Pinecroft's large house, in which she is to live and work, is
depicted as 'grey, wide and squat' standing with its 'rough-cast
face' on the 'crest of the cliff'. This gripping tale tells of the
harshness of life at that time, as we are drawn into the chill, and
indeed the dread that Hester experiences daily, knowing that not
only might she catch the disease, but also is aware that her
employers would fire her if they were to discover her past and her
secrets.
Doctor Pinecroft is described as a visionary, determined to find a
way to treat the tuberculosis that has heavily affected his family,
and indeed that has taken the lives of so many others, but is also
in search of a cure. In his bold experiment, a group of prisoners
from a local gaol in Cornwall are released into his care. He sets up
a campsite, where he daily spends some time with them living in old
caves by the sea. His wild plan is that the crippling cold and sea
air will enable the men to beat the disease - a desperate hope.
Working for the doctor's family, Hester is one of the few women
involved in supporting the men. As the story is told through her
experiences, we learn about the lives of the servants of that era,
and their ever-present fear of illness and poverty. Opium, alcohol
and other drugs appear to be available, and we read of the problems
that these and other drugs cause. Yet we are positioned to grasp the
dread of the illness experienced by so many people during that time,
and to understand the consequent despair that runs through the whole
narrative. It is a wild story in its own way, lively, evocative and
sadly indicative of the terrible living conditions for many people
in that historical time and place.
This intriguing narrative, that gives us a vivid picture of the way
people lived and of the understandable fears that troubled everyone
at that time, is a comprehensive, well-written work that would be
most suitable for both adult and adolescent reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
Where's Peppa's magical unicorn?
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412046. 10pp.
(Age: 1-4) Daddy Pig is helping Peppa look for her magical unicorn.
It isn't in her toy cupboard, that's just Horsey Twinkle Toes.
"Where else shall we look?" asks Daddy Pig. "A fairy-tale castle!"
says Peppa. And so the search continues, across an array of settings
including the beach and the bottom of the rainbow. But each time
Peppa is disappointed; the tail poking out of a dragon bush is not a
unicorn tail after all - it's a kite! And the glow at the end of the
rainbow? It's a pot of gold, not Magical Unicorn. A disappointed
Peppa heads home, but as soon they are safely inside the doorbell
rings; it is Grandpa Pig . . . with Peppa's magical unicorn. She's
been hiding out at Grandpa and Grandma Pig's house and Peppa is so
glad to see her.
Young ones will love lifting the flaps as they join in Peppa's
search for her special friend. The glittery front cover will catch
their attention and the familiar and comforting world of Peppa Pig
will hold their attention. This sturdily made board book will
delight little Peppa fans and allows for self-exploration as well as
shared reading. Themes: Board book, Lift-the-flap book, Peppa Pig.
Nicole Nelson
The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406385854. 368pp.
(Age: Upper primary - secondary) Highly recommended. The Good
Hawk by Joseph Elliott has a solid central character in
Agatha. It is a fantasy story where two friends are forced to leave
their ravaged home and travel to distant, frightening places that
are shrouded in dark history and mystery. The use of the
Scottish-Gaelic and Old Norse language throughout adds to the
ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere of this tale.
Agatha is a loyal and steadfast character who perseveres against all
odds to defend and uphold her clan and her friends. We hear her pure
and unaffected voice in the first person. She stutters but she
expresses herself with the clarity of the innocent. She sees through
people to their true core and she has a special and unique skill -
communication with animals. Early on the reader hears that she is
teased - told that she should have been thrown off a cliff as a
babe. We read that she looks different. We understand that she has a
disability, that she is not able to do some things and that people
think they can't rely on her. But she has a steely pride - she is a
Hawk. Jamie is her friend with his own fears and undiscovered
strengths.
Their journey to rescue their clan takes supreme courage in the face
of fearsome obstacles, the out-and-out brutality of evil foes and
frightening mystical, wild, primeval forces.
There is consideration of the alternative perspectives of all manner
of cultural and societal beliefs and practices as our two heroes
encounter extraordinarily outlandish good and evil characters during
their journey. Love remains demonstratively pure and powerful
throughout.
This book is not for the faint hearted but it is redemptive.
Elliott's depiction of a heroine with Down's syndrome is wonderful.
I agree with Katya Balen, author of The
Space We're Inin her praise for Elliott's portrayal of
Agatha. She is indeed . . . "the sort of hero children's literature
has been lacking for too long." The Good Hawk is a swashbuckling adventure set in a fantasy
world somewhere up in the North Sea in the vicinity of the Isle of
Skye, Scotland and Norway; The Space We're In is more
domestic. Both books are powerful portrayals of lived disability.
They will surprise and grip the reader. The gap that has existed for
books about heroes with disabilities is at last being addressed and
it is a very good thing.
I highly recommend both books to Upper Primary and Senior School
students. Teacher's
notes are available.
Wendy Jeffrey
Under the Milky Way: traditions and celebrations beneath the stars by Frane Lessac
Candlewick Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781536200959. 31pp.
(Age: 5-10) Recommended. Lovers of festivals and Astronomy
enthusiasts are in for a wonderful time as Lessac takes the reader
around North America looking at different places and their
traditions, all under the Milky Way. Beginning with the ever popular
Halloween festival, readers will be enthralled by the detailed
illustrations of what the festival looks like in Salem,
Massachusetts, with pumpkins peering from all the houses, ghosts and
spiders adorning the trees and children all dressed up in costumes.
Then there is the information about the origins of the Halloween
festival, and Salem. This formula of very colourful and detailed
illustrations with captions about the tradition and the place
visited is followed as readers find about ice skating in Maple
Grove, Minnesota, dragon dancers in San Francisco, night time
markets in Toronto, Canada, dog racing in Nome, Alaska, the Nations
dancing in Seattle, Washington and so on. At the top of the page is
information about the night time celebration in large print which
will facilitate reading the book aloud, and the smaller captions of
information could be used for discussion about the cities and the
festivals.
Two pages of information about the Milky Way and star formations is
given at the back of the book and finally readers are instructed to
find Lessac's dog Banjo, which is featured on every page. This will
immediately make the reader turn back to inspect the busy, brightly
coloured pages with all their tiny figures to seek out the small
brown dog.
A companion to Lessac's Under
the Southern Cross, this book is ideal for libraries and
classrooms where children will learn not only about festivals in
North America but some of its geography and history as well. Themes;
Astronomy, Festivals, Night and Day, Galaxies.
Pat Pledger
Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt
Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008384920.
32pp., hbk. Love is yellow and orange.
Because love is sunny and warm.
Join the Crayons
as they bring us another charming tale, this time about how love is
many colours depending on how we are feeling and what we are doing
at the time.
Explore how love can be shown in so many ways apart from saying
those three words, and then take it further by investigating how we
often assign colours to our emotions and how colours can affect and
reflect our moods.
Something charming for Valentine's Day and Library Lovers'
Day.
Barbara Braxton
Imaginary friend by Stephen Chbosky
Orion Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781409184812. 704 pp.
(Age: Adult) Fans of horror stories and who have the constitution to
read this massive volume of 704 pages will find a different story to
Chbosky's famous The Perks of Being a Wallflower. After Kate
leaves an abusive relationship she hides in the small community of
Mill Grove, where she hopes she and her 7 year old son Christopher
will be safe. Christopher makes friends with a boy named Special Ed.
He and a group of boys spend a lot of time in the Mission Street
Woods where they build a tree house, given instructions by a strange
man that only Christopher can hear. Christopher appears to access a
strange world through this treehouse and disappears for six days,
reappearing with his learning disability gone. Then the town goes
into meltdown.
There is a sense of menace hanging over the narrative that is quite
frightening as Christopher gets headaches and a hissing lady
whispers into people's ears. Fear is the overarching theme of the
book and this pervasive fear may keep some readers reading to the
conclusion, with its overtones of Christianity. Verdict: Horror fans
will enjoy this, but other readers may find the repetition, strange
spelling and length of the story a problem.
Pat Pledger
Tunnel of bones by Victoria Schwab
Cassidy Blake book 2. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781407196930. 272pp.
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Cass and Jacob (her ghost best friend)
have another exciting adventure in the wonderful city of Paris,
where Cass's parents are filming their TV show The Inspecters.
Cass's skills as a ghost hunter are still growing and in this fast
paced story, she accidentally wakes up a very scary poltergeist in
the catacombs that lie beneath the city. It is up to her to stop the
ghost destroying things as it twirls around in a strange game of
Hide and Seek.
The book opens with a map of Paris, showing all the world famous
tourist destinations, which Cass and her parents visit, but it is
the catacombs that will fascinate the reader as Cass becomes
embroiled in the mystery of the little boy who begins to create
havoc in the city. The realisation that there are tunnels of bones
beneath the streets will intrigue while the story behind the young
poltergeist will also tug at the heartstrings as Cass and Jacob
gradually unravel what happened many years ago.
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's
books (2019) this was a fun read and the setting of Paris was
fabulous. This could be read as a stand-alone but fans of the ghost
genre would really enjoy the first in the series City
of ghosts (2018), and at 272 pages it is not too long
and very easy to read. It is a book that will appeal to reluctant
readers as well. Themes: Ghosts, Paris (France), Psychic ability,
Friendship.
Pat Pledger
The Creature Choir by David Walliams
Illus. by Tony Ross. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008262198.
32pp., hbk.
Warble the walrus loved to sing and her dream was to one day take
part in The Great Big Animal Talent Show. Sadly though, her
warbling was somewhat less than melodic - in fact it was shocking -
and eventually the other walruses banned her from ever singing
again. While this made Warble very sad, she tried hard to stay
silent but she just couldn't and burst into song. The consequences
were disastrous - she caused an avalanche and everyone was buried in
deep snow. So while Warble slept that night they all crept away
leaving her alone. But she continued to warble and that attracted a
lot of other creatures who also liked to sing but whose voices were
also a little rough around the edges. Warble never said no to
any of them and soon they had a choir, one that sang all around the
world and was finally ready to enter The Great Big Animal Talent
Show!
Being one of those with a voice like Warble who liked to sing but
whose singing seemed to offend everyone (even strangers on a bus
trip in the middle of nowhere at midnight!) this story really
resonated with me. Being about being true to yourself and doing what
you love just for the sheer joy of it, not because you believe you
are the best (or even want to be) epitomises the feeling behind the
mantra "Dance
like nobody's watching!" This would be the most wonderful
story to have the children imagine and make the noises the various
creatures would, and create their own choir that sings and dances
just for joy. There could be all sorts of ways to explore tone and
rhythm and how they can combine to make something that is pleasing
to the ear while just having fun!
Barbara Braxton
Golden in death by J.D. Robb
In death book 50. Piaktus, 2020. ISBN: 9780349422084. 387pp.
(Age; Adult) Recommended. Fans of J.D. Robb's In death
series have been following the investigations of super cop Eve
Dallas and her gorgeous husband Roarke since the first book, Naked
in death, came out in 1995 and they have never been
disappointed. Robb manages each time to detail a completely
different case for Eve to investigate and Golden in death is no
exception. This time a gift box containing a golden egg is received
by much loved paediatrician Kent Abner and when he opens it is
overcome by the fumes of a deadly toxin. Eve is
quickly on the search for the killer but it is not until another
victim dies the same way that it is clear that something must
connect the two.
Like others in the series Golden in death was hard to put
down. Dallas's investigation leads her well into the past to find a
link that seems obscure at first, but delving deep into the
characters and events of that time, brings up clues to who is the
murderer. Fans will enjoy the timeliness of the fumes of a toxin
killing someone and other current issues (no spoilers here!) also
will appeal.
It was good to see the ever popular sidekick, Peabody, growing into
her role as detective and coming up with pertinent and helpful
suggestions, as she and Dallas interview suspects and research
backgrounds. The police procedures were fascinating and the in-depth
characterisations of the victims and the suspects very satisfying.
Not to mention the ever present love story of Eve and Roarke.
I have to say that Golden in death is a favourite amongst
the others that I have read recently.
Pat Pledger
Earth Hour : A lights-out event for our planet by Nanette Heffernan
Illus. by Bao Luu. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781580899420. 32pp.
(Age: 5-12) Highly recommended. Earth Hour this year
takes place on 28 March 2020, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is an
ongoing worldwide response to the impact we are having on our planet
with our use of energy consumption. The World Wildlife Fund for
Nature (WWF) sponsors this event and thousands of communities from
all over the world support the initiative. Earth Hour by Nanette Heffernan is a cleverly written picture
book which explains very clearly how we use energy in our day-to-day
life. The text is simple but thoughtfully crafted and so easy for
children of all ages to understand. This book explains what Earth
Hour is and how it unites the world on one evening in March. It
shows images from famous icons in different countries and provides
more information for both teachers and students at the end of the
book. The illustrations are beautifully drawn, so colourful and
clear even when the lights are out.
This book is a wonderful resource for both parents and teachers to
share with children and explain the reasons behind the Earth Hour
movement. Themes: Energy, Environmental issues, Conservation,
Sustainability, World-wide unity.
Kathryn Beilby
Weird little robots by Carolyn Crimi
Illus. by Corrina Luyken.Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406387988.
pbk., 240pp.
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. As the title suggests, Weird little
robots is centred on robots created out of bits and pieces.
Eleven year old Penny Rose Mooney is new to town and more
importantly, new to her school. Her father is an entomologist who
has taken over responsibility for running the household as Penny
Rose's mother has a new job in a bank which is why they have moved.
She is an only child who spends her time in her own ramshackle shed
constructing small robots out of anything she can find such as
dentures, a calculator and an old mobile phone. She gives the robots
names and talks to them as if they are real. Penny Rose's neighbour
across the road is Lara Hinkle who is in her class at school and is
seen as a geek by her classmates. Lara constructs bird houses and
has a relationship with the birds who live in them. She wears large
sunglasses at all times and is a loner. Penny Rose's parents
encourage her to make friends with Lara and through a series of
amusing events this eventually happens.
Mysteriously, after a cold wind blows through the shed, the robots
come to life. Lara, who is sceptical about the robots at first, comes
to love the robots as much as Penny Rose and together the two
friends construct an amazing metropolis for the robots called
RoboTown. At Lara's instigation the girls sign a proclamation
promising never to discuss the robots with another living soul.
However as what happens so often with girls and friendships, one of
the friends decides to choose another more popular group over her
true friend. The pull of belonging to a Secret Science Society is
just too much for Penny Rose and she abandons her friendship with
Lara. After some very difficult challenges for Penny Rose, she
eventually realises that Lara is her true friend and they carefully
rebuild their relationship and slowly form friendships with other
students.
Throughout the story are clever black and white illustrations which
perfectly reflect the text and keep the reader engaged. This is an
enjoyable read for middle primary students. Themes: Girls,
Friendship, New school, New challenges, STEM, Inventions, Science.
Kathryn Beilby
