Illus. by R. W. Alley. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008357245.
48pp., hbk.
Living with the Browns in London is very different from Paddington's
original home in Darkest Peru and there is much to see and do and
absorb. Using Michael Bond's original stories, Paddington reflects
on the changes and writes letters, draws maps, and creates other
mementos, each of which is enclosed in its own envelope waiting for
the young reader to discover and read.
Since his 60th anniversary in 2018, there has been a resurgence in
love for this childhood favourite and this is another opportunity to
share the love with a new generation. Children love stories that
have letters that they can pull out and read - it adds an extra
layer of intrigue and mystique - and this will be no exception. It
might even inspire them to write to Paddington and tell him about
where they live and the things they like to do.
Barbara Braxton
Juno Valentine and the fantastic fashion adventure by Eva Chen
Illus. by Derek Desierto . Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781250297303. Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure is a
picture book that has been written to address some of the issues of
the day e.g. promoting "Girl power". Specifically for girls and
particularly American girls, it describes the adventures of Juno
Valentine, a small girl who finds self-expression through fashion,
with the help of some famous women.
The collage inspired illustrations express happiness and buoyancy,
promote the obligatory multicultural cast of characters and include
a focus on fashion items and textile patterns.
As Juno progresses through a time warp type of adventure, she
receives wardrobe help from women through time from Joan of Arc
through to Michelle Obama. At the end of the book there is a
glossary on these women.
This book would appeal to young girls who derive identity from
clothes. Other important values that create a solid sense of self
are not evident. The cast of women role models is particularly
American. Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure is mildly
entertaining. It would be most appreciated by young American girls
who are interested in consumerism and fashion as self-expression.
Wendy Jeffrey
The Daughter's Tale by Armando Lucas Correa
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781760851248. pbk., 303 pgs.
(Age: 12+) What would you do for someone you love? A Daughter's
Tale is a fictional story, based on true events of WWII, about
a mother, Amanda Sterling and her daughters and the difficult
decision she has to make to protect her children. The decisions
Amanda had to make were heartbreaking but it was a matter of
survival. We also meet some extraordinary characters along the way
that risk their own lives to help others, while others were . . . .
what can I say?
If you liked reading Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The
Book Thief by Markus Zusak you probably enjoy this one.
I think Armando Lucas Correa has done a great job writing about a
major event in our history that was very horrific. He has managed to
tell us a story of horrible things that happened during WWII. He
tells us a story about Amanda and Julius Sterling and how their
lives changed in 1939, when the Nazis descend into Berlin. Their
family is broken apart. Correa has managed to keep the details of
their story lighter compared to other historical fiction books based
on events during WWII. The horrific parts are not too graphic. I
think this is good because it won't freak out students as they read.
And I would let them read A Daughter's Tale. Yes, you will
get emotional about some of the stuff that happened but it doesn't
go into graphic details.
The story is also based in 2015, New York. An 80-year-old Elise
Duval receives a phone call from a lady that gives her letters
written to her by her mother during WWII. This is a part of Elise's
past she has forgotten. I personally felt for her. As I was reading
I did recall some of the atrocities of what the Germans did to the
innocent people. I especially, remember hearing about what had
happened in the little French village Oradour-Sur-Glane . . . you
will have to read the book to find out more. Also the French
Resistance.
The characters were likable and you could picture them in your head.
I must say my favourite was the priest at the orphanage.
The one thing I love about historical fiction, you always learn
something you didn't know before and I did reading A Daughter's
Tale. I think this a great read to learn and remember about
what happened during an important part of our history. It's
something that no one should forget.
Also, well done to Nick Caistor on his translation of this wonderful
story into English so we all can enjoy reading The Daughter's
Tale.
Maria Komninos
The Taylor Turbochaser by David Baddiel
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008334178.
(Age: Mid primary - Upper primary) The Taylor Turbochaser is
an action packed story of escapism and camaraderie. This book turns
stereotypes on their heads. The central character, Amy, is a petrol
head like her father. She is also confined to a wheelchair. This
does not diminish her love of cars, speed and rally driving. She is
a natural.
When a complication hits, Amy, Jack, her 14 year old brother, Rahul,
her friend and inventor of crazy devices and Janet (all quirky
characters) head off on a crazy road-trip in the ingenious
contraption, The Taylor Turbochaser. This machine seems to develop a
personality of its own, something like Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang.
All the elements children like, e.g. escaping from parents (who are
likeable) and a police chase in a cross country dash from England to
Scotland exist in this book. It could be read as an auditory
experience because it's full of onomatopoeia and great interchanges
between the characters. Hilarious conversations pepper the action as
the children work together falling into scrapes and ingeniously
escaping.
Of-course there is cow poo and farts and all the rest of it. The Taylor Turbochaser would make a great read aloud for mid
to upper primary ages. The teacher would not have to read much
before children would be lining up to borrow it or begging to have
it read as a serial. Serious themes such as dealing with disability
underlie the fun.
This book is a romp that demystifies disability and celebrates
friendship, resourcefulness and family togetherness. Children need
fun books like this.
Wendy Jeffrey
Prince of Ponies by Stacy Gregg
Harper Collins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008332310.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Horses; World War II; Refugees. This
is not a sickly-sweet pony club story, rather it is a mature story
based on historical fact that combines the history of some famous
horses that were almost part of Hitler's equine breeding programme.
It also includes the fictional story of their youthful Polish
rescuer - Zofia; and then her protege, the Syrian refugee - Mira. Prince
of Ponies begins with Zofia's account of her introduction to
the Arabian stallion - Prince of Poland - during a time of great
stress as the Germans were taking over her home in Poland in World
War II. The bond that was forged between rider and horse gave her
opportunity to survive and then flee from Hitler's advancing program
of destruction. The account of Zofia's early life is related to Mira
so that she can record this history and she is also trained to ride
the horse - Amir, from the breeding line of the original stallion.
Mira's own life of struggle as a Syrian refugee living in Germany is
a side issue to the training and performance of the horse and its
youthful rider. With a hint of the bullying that Mira must face in
her school context, this is also a story about rising above the poor
treatment inflicted by others.
This book is reminiscent of stories written by Michael Morpurgo
where a serious historical incident is woven into a powerful story.
It is written as the story of Mira, but includes the recount of
Zofia as a separate narrative. The relationship between the much
older Zofia as riding coach and the young Mira is unusual, but
connects the two narrative elements. This is a book that is worthy
of recommendation for the historical quality of the story, but horse
lovers and enthusiasts of dressage and show-jumping will also be
impressed by the detail of this in the book. The growth and maturing
of the young protagonist as she overcomes difficulties and fears
will also appeal to readers.
Recommended to readers aged 11+ (Not just for lovers of horses!)
Carolyn Hull
The man that got away by Lynne Truss
Constable Twitten Mystery book 2. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN:
9781408890530.
(Age: Adult) Themes: Detective novel, Deception, Subterfuge, Murder,
Mystery. Young Constable Twitten is very sharp, he has read
Mitford's Noblesse oblige and knows that the language a
suspect uses can betray his origins, whether upper or lower class.
He also has a mind for detail, and regularly updates his notebook
with observations and paths of inquiry. Unfortunately however, he
has to contend with the clumsy ineptness of Sergeant Brunswick and
the vain delusions of his superior, Inspector Steine. And then there
is their tea lady Mrs Groynes, whom Twitten believes to be a
villainous mastermind. But nobody believes him.
First there is the discovery of a body, in a deck chair on Brighton
Beach, not a suicide as Steine too readily dismisses, but a murder
committed in broad daylight amidst other holiday makers on the
shore. Twitten continues to follow his leads, determined to solve
the crime, but it just becomes more and more convoluted the deeper
he gets. It involves two sweethearts, a family of thugs, and string
of confidence tricksters. Twitten's colleague Brunswick goes
undercover as a trumpet player in the local nightclub, joining a
whole gang of double agents. Fortunately for the reader, at this
point Truss, the author, provides us with a little list of who's
who.
There are many odd characters and funny scenes; in fact one scene is
just so hysterically funny, it just caps off the whole book. The man that got away is the second in the Constable
Twitten Mystery series, and while it easily stands alone, it
does make the reader curious to read its predecessor. This book will
appeal to readers who enjoy the Miss Marple type of detective story
with a lot of quirky characters adding red herrings to the plot.
Helen Eddy
The immortal jellyfish by Sang Miao
Flying Eye Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781911171799. 40pp., hbk.
Grandpa is explaining about the immortal jellyfish to his grandson,
a creature that begins its life again when it is about to die. When
the boy asks his grandfather if humans are immortal, he is told that
there are other ways humans can live on but sadly the old man dies
before he can explain. While the boy is devastated, one night his
grandpa appears in a dream and takes him on a journey to the Life
Transfer City where those that have died can choose a new identity.
But before he discovers his grandfather's choice he is taken back to
the real world on the back of a beautiful white bird . . . Will he
ever recognise his grandfather again?
At first glance, this seems a rather morbid book with its dark
palette, but it really is a most beautiful way to help young
children deal with the passing of a loved one as sadly, so many have
to. Helping them understand that those who die live on in our
memories and thoughts, the things we see, do and smell or taste,
even when they are no longer physically here is a way that we can
help with the grieving process, particularly if there is no
religious belief of an afterlife. It offers a way for the bereaved
child to think about those memories and what their loved one might
choose to be, as well as being able to share those thoughts rather
than not talk at all, which is so often the case. Grown-ups often
want to protect little ones by not talking, but often that's just
what the child needs to do.
Sensitive and heart-warming, but not sickly-sentimental, this is
something special for one of the most difficult parts of growing up.
Barbara Braxton
Don't worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406385519. 48pp., hbk.
In the rockpool above the sea, live two crabs: Big Crab and Little
Crab. Today, they're going for a dip in the sea. "This is going to
be so great!" says Little Crab as they go tic-a-tac, tic-a-tac over
the rocks, splish splash, splish splash across the pools and
squelch, squelch, squelch through the slimy, slippery seaweed. "I
can go ANYWHERE", says Little Crab.
But when he reaches the sea and sees the size of the ocean waves, he
is somewhat daunted and very reluctant to take that final leap. Will
he find the courage?
The illustration style is very distinctive and it tells as much of
the story as the text does. bout a little one finding the courage to
face their uncertainty. This is a common theme in children's picture
books, this time inspired by the creator's observations
of crabs and their human-like way of moving. and the way they
braced for the impact of a wave but then went about their business
once it frothed away. In fact, the story of its evolution gives a
real insight into where authors get their ideas and how they are
shaped, so it is worth sharing that too. It wasn't so much the
message that came first, but thinking about what was in front of him
and working from that! Perhaps a lesson for budding writers about
being observant and curious and working backwards!
Barbara Braxton
The beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Illus. by Tony Ross. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008385644.
Fanciful, escapist, heart-stopping action is in store for children
who read David Walliam's latest book The beast of Buckingham
Palace. What a clever, multi-faceted book - if you can get
over the action to the underlying themes and the history.
Our hero is small, weak, bespectacled Prince Alfred who is captive
in Buckingham Palace in the year 2120 (one hundred years from now.)
It seems that humans have wrecked the planet, all of the major
landmarks of London are in ruins, the water undrinkable, the people
starving and the land is in darkness. The royal family still live in
the palace under the control of evil forces that are progressively
unveiled as the story proceeds. It is a classic fight of good
against evil with a mash-up of the historical going back to the time
of King Alfred and the futuristic with laser gun-toting guards, the
All-seeing Eye and the Octobut.
Twelve year old Prince Alfred discovers his strength and leadership
ability with the aid of a little street mite, his mother the queen
and a band of elderly lady revolutionaries. Together, through a
series of exciting and dangerous twists and turns they fight
supernatural power that is magically derived from the ancient
scripts and texts from the days of old Albion.
David Walliams, as in Grandfather's great escape, captures
with warmth and humour, the effective partnership that can exist
between the very elderly and the very young when bad things have to
be overcome. What a band of feisty fighters the old ladies turn out
to be, fighting for Britain with their handbags, rolling pins -
whatever comes to hand! They are crucial to the victory with their
dauntless, fearless and canny strategies!
David Walliams and Tony Ross go together like Roald Dahl and Quentin
Blake. This book is a visual feast of pictures and weird fonts that
complement the action packed story line and onomatopoeia-laden text.
Children will love this book.
Wendy Jeffrey
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stern book 1. Orion, 2019. ISBN: 9781473227972.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Good Reads Best Fantasy Winner,
2019. Themes: Sexual abuse, Rape, Drugs, Secret societies. Alex
Stern, the sole survivor of a terrible multiple homicide, is in
hospital when she is offered the chance to go to an elite
university. Why her? She has been a school drop-out, has been
involved with drugs and drug dealers and her life was going nowhere.
Tasked with checking on the occult used in Yale's secret societies,
she is drawn into a strange and different world, mentored by
Darlington, who introduces her to the rituals of the rich and
privileged people who belong to them.
Bardugo has previously written YA fantasy and this is her first
foray into fiction for adults. It is dark and disturbing and
certainly for adults. The themes that are explored against the
fantasy background of the secret societies include rape, date rape
and the attitude of rich and powerful young men who believe that
they can have everything without any consequences. Alex however
doesn't believe that and her revenge is challenging for the reader.
The question of class, privilege and poverty is also explored, as
Alex struggles with her classes and realises that the murder of a
poor woman doesn't have the impact of that of a rich white person.
Add in ghosts who haunt her, the quest to find who is a murderer,
and the gradual realisation of her powers and the reader will be
dragged along with Alex.
This is a book for readers who enjoy a mix of dark horror and
fantasy, laced with themes that are pertinent in today's world.
Pat Pledger
Atlas of Ocean Adventures by Emily Hawkins
Illus. by Lucy Letherland. Quarto Group, 2019. ISBN:
9780711245303.
Highly recommended. This beautiful book, focusing judiciously on the
world's oceans, is a timely addition to any library collection. The
pages are busy with detailed soft water-colour illustrations of
marine animals and birdlife of every ocean and continent with each
placed within their particular habitat. The book is large (37x27cm)
and the pages are of good quality, responsibly sourced paper.
Each double page opens to reveal a new part of the world. A large
marine landscape/habitat covers both pages. Upon this landscape the
creatures can be found and each is accompanied by interesting facts.
Each page contains an inset box with a map highlighting the place in
the world depicted in the landscape. Most pages contain a second box
with a detailed labelled diagram of particular animals.
The wealth of information contained within these pages is easily
retrieved by the young researcher through the index or the contents
pages and further enhanced by titles, sub-titles, friendly language,
maps, illustrations and diagrams. The casual reader's attention
would be drawn by the sheer pleasure of turning the huge pages and
looking at the intricate pictures. Atlas of Ocean Adventures opens with a large double page map
of the world's continents and oceans and then focuses on particular
oceans and the unique wildlife found in each. At the end there is
information about the dangers to oceans and activities which send
the child back into the book searching for details in the
illustrations.
This is a very special book. Junior and Middle Years teachers would
find it a useful and attractive resource for teaching within the
Geography and Science areas of the curriculum. It is a book that is
made for sharing - adult to children or children together. It's the
kind of book that would make a very special gift for a child.
Although it could be in a general student borrowing circulation,
this book deserves to be displayed prominently in a reserved
reference area within a library where it could be available for
maximum access for students and teachers.
Wendy Jeffrey
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
Orbit, 2019. ISBN: 9780356507002.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Listen. A god is speaking.
My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle.
This castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne.
You want to help him. You cannot.
You are the only one who can hear me.
You will change the world.
This challenging and thought-provoking fantasy will have fans of
award winning Leckie wanting to talk and discuss it. A change from
her science fiction (Ancillary Justice and Provenance) Leckie
explores the idea of how gods and men fare when a pretender takes
over the throne.
Written to the warrior Eolo in the second person (using pronouns
you, your, and yours), by the Raven, it took me some time to become
familiar with this as it was relatively new to me, but once I
settled into the book, found it a fascinating way of getting to know
the characters from a different perspective. Eolo is a warrior, body
guard to Mawat, the true heir to the throne, and seen from the
Raven's eye is cool and courageous and very willing to take risks to
uncover what is happening and whether murder has been committed.
Underlying all is the story of the Stone, a great and patient god,
and the stories of how men use gods to try and understand and
manipulate what is happening in their world. And what an ending! It
will stun readers and leave them desperate to reread parts to see
how Leckie managed to pull it all together.
This is a challenging fantasy; the second person writing may daunt
some until well into the novel and the thought of how people have
worshipped different gods over the ages makes for a fascinating
background to the story.
Pat Pledger
The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes
Illus. by Sarah Massini. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408880524.
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Themes: Rhyming Book, Imagination,
Dinosaurs. Sarah Massini's (Kiss it Better, The Boy and
the Bear) beautifully rich and detailed illustrations are
perfect for this magical, dreamy tale. 'There's a town beside the
sea, not so very far from here, with golden sands and rock pools,
and a tattered, battered pier. And there's a girl upon the beach her
name is Marianne, she's digging for a dinosaur just beneath the
sand.' The fisherfolk are worried that Marianne is too preoccupied
with old bones; 'She needs to find some friends', they say. But one
night Marianne wishes with all her heart for her dinosaur to come to
life. 'The wishing stars burn bright that night, the air is thick
with dreams, and a deeply sleeping dinosaur is waking up, it seems .
. . ' And so, we are witness to Marianne and her dinosaur friend's
magical journey in the night: past unicorns and giants, through
magical moonlit clouds and to a party place for all children and
their dream creatures. 'Back to the town beside the sea and back to
empty beds, and back to secret memories to keep from grown-up
heads.' Upon waking, Marianne finds other children who also dream
and imagine and they dig and explore together.
The peaceful, sparse and windy English seaside scene created by
Massini is reminiscent of Emily Sutton's illustrations: evocative
and full of texture. There are so many stunning double-page spreads
and the colour choices and Marianne's flowing red hair are perfectly
executed. The poetic language used throughout is rich with imagery
and flows beautifully when read aloud.
This is a calming and charming bedtime story perfect for dinosaur
lovers and all children who dream.
Nicole Nelson
The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9780571332816.
(Age: 10-12) Highly recommended. At last, a book to challenge young
minds! A book with some substance! The Somerset Tsunami
takes the young reader to another place and time - to the socio-
economic and political landscape of early seventeenth century
Somerset. For the Australian child, this is a leap. Not only is the
geography unfamiliar but the vernacular, the lifestyle - everything
that goes on in the lives of the characters is of another time.
Emma Carroll brings historical fiction alive. The Somerset
Tsunami storyline develops through the voice of Fortune, a
brave and smart heroine. She comes from a poor family who live in a
tiny hamlet called Fair Maidens Lane, somewhere on the Bristol
Channel. Carroll locates the story in a time of great social divide
where the poor cottagers lived powerless hand-to-mouth existences
with the greater social evils of the slave and sugar trades as a
backdrop. The role of women in society at that time is painted for
the reader and the threat of Witchcraft trials overhang the
characters as they fight for survival. Family love and loyalty tie
the characters together in the face of constant danger.
As well-known by today's inhabitants, a tsunami did destroy the
coastal hamlets in Somerset changing lives forever and perhaps
offering new opportunities to the brave. The rush of the tsunami
mirrors the chilling rate of challenges faced by the characters as
they try to evade their pursuers.
Carroll presents a cast of well-rounded characters. Gender roles are
explored. The characters are not stereotypical and they survive and
thrive. This is great representation of difference for young readers
to empathise with. Our heroine, for one, is no shrinking violet -
eventually going to sea as a sailor. Carroll allows her characters
to grow into themselves with natural acceptance of whatever that may
be. Love and relationships and what one does for love of the other
are central to the story.
This book would be ideal for age 10 to 12 stronger readers and would
work well as a serial read. Young readers could be encouraged to use
their atlases and explore historical themes arising from the book
that interest them.
Wendy Jeffrey
The girl who reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
Translated from French by Ros Schwartz. Mantle, 2019. ISBN: 9781509868339.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Travelling on the Paris Metro to work
in a real estate office, Juliette had often passed her time covertly
making out the book titles or the page being perused by fellow
commuters, and wondered about the lives of the readers and their
book choices. In a spontaneous variation to her route one day, an
encounter with a sprite of a girl, Zaide, leads her to the strange
dusty world of a bookshop, 'Books Unlimited', and its mysterious
owner Soliman, who dispenses books to 'passeurs' - not the agents of
the secret French resistance WWII escape routes, but people who pass
on books to the person most in need of them. Soliman tells Juliette
about Hornbaker's concept of BookCrossing, releasing books into the
wild, leaving books in public places for people to find; only
Soliman wants his passeurs to give the right book to the right
reader. It reminded me of Ranganathan's laws of library science:
every person his or her book; and, every book its reader. Juliette
had been studying readers on the Metro for a long time but the idea
of matching the right book to the right reader seems overwhelming to
her. But somehow she seems to have the knack . . .
The novel is set in the modern world of stressed work lives and
mobile phones, but the story invokes the quirkiness of past French
films, and I could just see Amelie star Audrey Tatou in the
role of Juliette, a person of lightness and grace, caught in the
humdrum of daily life, and bringing a spark to her encounters with a
variety of unusual people: the man in the green hat with his insect
book, the sad woman with Italian recipes, the pretty young woman
tearfully reading page 247 of the romance novel.
However Juliette has always led a sheltered life, never going
further than the few Metro stops to her work, her only adventures
those in the books she's read. When she enters into the bookshop
with its teetering piles of books, and then is suddenly asked to
take care of it all, the task seems overwhelming. But the friends
she has come to know help her to inevitably take courage and find
her true vocation.
This is definitely a book for book lovers; there are many references
to treasures of literature, both classical and modern. At the end
there is a list of amazing books. Readers will be familiar with
many, but are invited to also add their own favourites, books they
would "recommend to a friend - or to your worst enemy, so they will
no longer be so, if the magic works".
Helen Eddy
