Egmont, 2019. ISBN: 9781405293679.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Imaginary lands,
Adventure, Magical Creatures, Good vs Evil, Twins. Rose and Arthur
are twins who have spent holiday time with their grandad. As young
children they played in Grandad's attic and created a mythical land
where they were the heroes of imaginative battles and adventures.
Now back at Grandad's home as eleven year olds, Rose and Arthur are
not quite the connected twins that they used to be. Rose is only
interested in her mobile phone and impressing the older girl next
door whereas Arthur is keen to relive their childhood adventures in
the attic. Rose treats Arthur disdainfully and Arthur keeps on
hoping Rose will become the adventurous and fun sister she once was.
Grandad decides that this year he will give the children the attic
as their own space but they will need to tidy it up and throw things
out. While clearing things out, Arthur finds two important childhood
memories of the Land of Roar which he cannot quite believe are true
- an old hand drawn map and a sign saying "Enter here for the land
of roar". While Grandad is helping Arthur he disappears into the
Land of Roar through a rolled up bed mattress. This is where the
twin's amazing journey begins. Arthur follows and meets all manner
of magical creatures in his search for his missing grandfather. Rose
eventually joins him and with their friend, Win, they must fight the
evil Crowky in order to save their grandad.
The author has used every fragment of her imagination to create an
exciting adventure where anything and everything is possible - magic
roads, magic tunnels, stuffed scarecrows that fight, Lost Girls,
dragons, mermaids, Prosecco the wooden horse from the attic and so
much more. Young readers will enjoy the action and tension
throughout the book as well as the clever illustrations to support
the story. Throughout the whole story, Arthur is never quite sure if
the Land of Roar is real or something he and Rose made up. Grandad
tells him it is real in his imagination and "I wonder if every child
has a world like this only not everyone is lucky enough to find it."
Kathryn Beilby
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: 9781529100594. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael
Rainbow Magic: Camilla the Christmas Present Fairy by Daisy Meadows
Orchard Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408352465. 155pp., pbk.
Best friends Kirsty and Rachel are very excited to give each other
their Christmas presents! But when Jack Frost steals Camilla the
Christmas Present Fairy's magical objects, the magic of giving is in
danger. Can the girls help get Camilla's items back and save
Christmas for both the human and fairy worlds? The
Rainbow Fairies have been delighting young girls who are newly
independent readers since 2003 with 254 fairies published and 11 yet
to come. The series follows the lives of Kirsty Tate and Rachel
Walker and their magical adventures with their fairy friends, Queen
Titania, Queen of the fairies, King Oberon, King of the fairies and
Jack Frost, who is the enemy of the fairies and his servants, the
Goblins. With all the elements of fantasy that young girls love, the
series has remained popular for 16 years so if you have someone
ready to make the transition to novels this could be the one to
start them. This new release features three stories, each with short
chapters and illustrations to support the reader and with so many
others in the series to move on to, it is perfect for managing this
new step of the reading journey. There is also an
online site so that there is much more to explore and engage
in to enrich their experience, as well as suggestions for other
series that will broaden their reading horizons.
Barbara Braxton
Some places more than others by Renee Watson
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526613684.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Themes: Family relationships,
Fathers, Daughters, African American people, New York city. New York
city can be a wonderful, busy place and for Amara it's the only
place she wants to be for her twelfth birthday. She is eager to go
with her father to Harlem to meet his estranged father and his other
family and get to know the place where her father grew up. Feeling a
little unsettled by the fact that her mother is finally having
another child and questioning her strange relationship with her
mother, Amara feels she will understand so much more about herself
and her family if she can get to know more about their history in
New York. Her father makes it clear that this is a work trip for
him, and Amara finds it hard to accept that this is the reason he is
avoiding her Grandpa Earl so much when they get there. Amara puts
herself in danger in a large confusing city as she acts out when she
gets frustrated with her cousins' attitude towards her and the fact
that her father doesn't seem to want to spend any time with her in
New York.
The trip for Amara is enlightening in lots of ways as she learns
more about her father's childhood and how Grandpa Earl now realizes
the mistakes he made when his son was a boy and is trying to make
amends. Her grandpa tells her things about her father that bring
them closer together and ultimately heals the rifts that seemed so
insurmountable at the beginning of her journey. She also has a
school history project to complete. The author includes information
about the Suitcase Project that Amara's teacher sets them which is
designed to get the children to research more about their families.
It provides the perfect vehicle for Amara to fulfill her mother's
wishes to get her father and Grandpa talking and the information
included at the end of the book will provide classroom teachers with
a great resource to use after reading this book.
This is a touching, thought provoking story with well-drawn,
engaging characters that will make a big impact on the reader. It is
about how exploring the places from our past can help us understand
who we are and how our family effects our lives.
Gabrielle Anderson
Yinti Desert Cowboy by Pat Lowe and Jimmy Pike
Magabala Books, 2019 (c2000). ISBN: 9781925936933.
Recommended. Themes: Aboriginal life; Station life and work. The
Yinti stories follow young Aboriginal lad, Yinti, as he grows, lives
and works in North West Australia. In the third book in the series,
Yinti has begun work as a station-hand on one of the cattle stations
out of Derby, in Western Australia. Demonstrating great skills and
capacity to learn quickly, he puts his considerable talents to work
as a 'cowboy', wrangling cattle and riding horses. A later stint on
a sheep station develops his station skills further. Aboriginal life
changes as most of his community head to work with the kartiya
(white people) who are running the stations, and their traditional
skills are adapted to a new way of life. With the advent of wages,
the provision of kartiya food supplies, and with risks of the
stockman life sometimes requiring medical treatment as a consequence
of injury, there are many changes in Yinti's life.
The insights into Aboriginal life after moving from a purely
traditional hunting lifestyle are revealed in this simple collection
of anecdotal stories, based on Jimmy Pike's own experience. The book
is a great insight into aboriginal ingenuity and capacity, and is
worth reading. Although there are references to historical
atrocities involving aboriginal people, this is handled very simply
and yet powerfully for a young audience.
Having now read all three of Yinti's stories, I am impressed at the
power of these stories to create cultural understanding. They are
certainly worth sharing with a young audience and would make great
read-aloud stories. Note, by the end of this, the third book in the
series, Yinti is exploring 'adult life' and a romance with a married
girl at the back of the station wood-pile is obliquely hinted at,
rather than explained in detail. This book is perhaps more suited to
a slightly older reader as a consequence.
Carolyn Hull
Emily Brown and Father Christmas by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
Hodder Children's, 2019. ISBN: 9781444942002. 32pp., pbk.
It's Christmas Eve and Emily Brown and Stanley have hung up their
Christmas stockings and are snuggled up in bed reading when they
hear "Ho Ho Help" coming from outside their window. It is Father
Christmas and despite having the latest climbing equipment, he is
swinging precariously from a rope and needs rescuing. Emily suggests
that dropping down the chimney might be better because "Sometimes
the old ways are the best ways." But Father Christmas is determined
to embrace the new ways even though it gets him into strife all
night. Will the children around the world get their gifts on
Christmas morning or will they all be disappointed?
This is a very funny story that will appeal to both the reader and
listener alike. With its refrain of "Sometimes the old ways are the
best ways" it marries the magical side of Christmas deliveries that
we are familiar with, with the idiosyncrasies that we have all
experienced with modern technology. This is a Christmas story that
has some substance to it with a determined, credible main character
who will resonate with many and a storyline that will linger,
particularly when our technology next plays up and we are wishing
for some traditional Father Christmas magic.
Barbara Braxton
Oscar the Hungry Unicorn eats Christmas by Lou Carter
Illus. by Nikki Dyson. Orchard, 2019. ISBN: 9781408355824. 32pp.,
pbk.
Oscar the unicorn is always hungry and on Christmas Eve he is eating
his way through the palace Christmas preparations. The stockings,
the tree the presents . . . But the trouble really starts when he
eats the reindeer food meaning the reindeer no longer have their
magic power to fly. How will Santa deliver the presents?
This is a bright captivating tale that will enchant our youngest
readers as they continue the Christmas Countdown to that special
night. There is lots of humorous detail in the pictures,
particularly the one focusing on Christmas morning and this is
likely to be one that is requested again and again.
Barbara Braxton
The Princess Rules by Philippa Gregory
Illus. by Chris Chatterton. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN:
9780008339791. 256p.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Three stories by award winning author
Philippa Gregory will be grabbed by readers who enjoy having their
fairy tales turned upside down. Those who love adventure and humour
too, will delight in the three tales in this book, 'Princess
Florizella', 'Princess Florizella and the Wolves' and 'Princess
Florizella and the Giant'. Princess Florizella is not your classic
fairy tale princess. She does not abide by the Princess Rules (eat
little, dress beautifully and have glorious hair) but is adventurous
and happy to spend lots of time riding her horse Jellybean and
working in the Palace office.
When Prince Bennett invites all the princesses to come to his
kingdom so he could choose one to marry, she decides to go to see
her friends and enjoy the party. She is not ready to marry.
First dedicated to her daughter, the stories have been presented
once again, this time dedicated to her grandchildren. They have not
lost their appeal and young readers will have a lot of fun following
the antics of Princess Florizella as she rescues Prince Bennett,
encounters a wolf pack and a giant. The illustrations by Chris
Chatterton are full of amusing details and give the reader a feeling
for the personality of Princess Florizella, her parents and Prince
Bennett.
This is a perfect book for the newly confident reader who wants to
embark on a book that is longer and more complex that the short
junior novel, but which is divided up into three stories so is not
as daunting as a longer novel could prove to be.
Pat Pledger
Rescue by David Long
Illus. by Kerry Hyndman. Faber and Faber, 2019. ISBN: 9780571346325.
hbk. 192p.
(Age: 9+) A book for fans of heroic deeds, Rescue will fascinate
readers who enjoy reading about the bravery of real people.
Subtitled Daring missions from on, under and above the earth,
there are 28 stories of incredible feats by people all around the
world, ranging from the rescue of a young child trapped in a well,
to diving into a lake to pull people out of submerged bus, Sully's
magnificent landing of an aeroplane in the Hudson River and a 9 year
old boy rescuing his classmates after an earthquake.
Each story is relatively short (5 or 6 pages long) and illustrated
with complementary coloured drawings, so it is ideal for the reader
who likes to have short bursts of reading with the opportunity to
come back again if individual stories appeal. And there is plenty of
information that is sure to grab the reader's attention.
I particularly enjoyed the story of 'Buster' Cain who rescued people
during the London Blitz and 'The Seebies: saving a family teetering
on the edge', had me holding my breath as a mother and her two
children were rescued from a car, hanging from a bridge.
There is a contents page with titles that give a good indication of
what the story might be about, and each story has captions that grab
the reader's attention and make you want to read on.
The epilogue states that 'you don't need superpowers or a mask and
cape to be a real-life hero,' and this book is sure to inspire young
readers with its stories of gallantry and heroism.
Pat Pledger
Twelve days of kindness by Cori Brooke and Fiona Burrows
New Frontier, 2019. ISBN: 9781925594751. 32pp., hbk.
Nabila is the new girl in school and like many new kids, she's
finding it hard to fit in with the established crew, particularly
when she looks different to them and eats her strange lunches alone.
But Holly comes to her rescue as their common love for soccer takes
over. But when both Holly and Nabila are picked for the school team,
there is still disunity and the two girls realise if they are to
come together to play well, they need a plan . . .
A search for "Twelve Days of Kindness" on the Internet brings up a
number of projects and resources, mostly connected to Christmas but
this is something that could be developed by a group or an
individual at any time to promote kindness, compassion, empathy and
build something harmonious. Some schools like to take students on
camp in the early days of Term 1 to build bonds for a successful
year, but if this is not viable, organising something like Twelve
Days of Kindness could be an alternative. Having students directly
involved by having them articulate those things they don't like and
identifying how such behaviour can be changed and the environment
they would like to be in gives ownership and helps them understand
the power to change is in their hands. Promoting empathy
activities rather than always focusing on the 'don'ts' of
bullying can be a new approach that has an impact by making it
personal. Again, the solution is theirs to decide and implement.
Author of the CBCA shortlisted All I
Want for Christmas is Rain, (as appropriate now as it was in
2016) Brooke has again delivered a story that promotes thought and
inspires action. Teacher's
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
Harry Potter and the goblet of fire by J.K. Rowling
Illus. by Jim Kay. Harry Potter, book 4. Bloomsbury, 2019.
ISBN: 9781408845677. hbk.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Readers will need no introduction to
the wonderful books by J.K. Rowling and fans and collectors will
certainly want to keep this fabulous illustrated version of the
fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the goblet of fire.
Jim Kay's illustrations open up a new world for readers which will
take them past the film images and let their imaginations work
overtime. Starting with the fabulous wrap around jacket featuring a
tiny Harry Potter battling an enormous beast, opening onto end
papers showing a strange and fascinating octopus-like creature and
then continuing with brightly coloured illustrations for lighter
moments in the book, and dark, intriguing pictures for darker
events, readers are in for a treat.
This is certainly a book for fans and for collectors and would make
a wonderful gift. I also think that the illustrated editions (Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling has also
been reviewed) would tantalise even the most reluctant of readers
Pat Pledger
Finding Chika by Mitch Albom
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780751571936.
(Age: Older adolescents - Adult) Highly recommended. A dark mass on
her brain - this is what the MRI showed, following the examination
of little Chika by a neurologist, and there was no one in Haiti who
could help her. Brought to America by author Mitch Albom, the
operator of the orphanage in Haiti where he met Chika, the diagnosis
was a brain tumour with the survival rate of zero. Albom and his
wife Janine had to make to a decision - to take her back to Haiti to
spend the last few months of her life . . . or to fight it. They
decide to fight - because Chika has always been a fighter. She was
born just before the Haitian earthquake of 2010, and brought to the
orphanage at the age of three; they know her as a cheeky fun-loving
child with an indomitable spirit.
The book becomes a love letter to the little girl who captured their
hearts. Albom has written it as if he were talking to her still.
With each chapter he describes the different ways she changed their
lives; the laughter, the games, the hugs, and then sadly the
farewell. Every reader will love Chika as the Alboms did, and no
doubt every reader will also shed tears at the heart-breaking
conclusion. At the age of seven, she had to give up the fight. But
Chika lives on in the joy she brought to a family and the renewed
discovery of love and caring for others.
This is a sad but beautiful story, and a reminder to us all to
cherish the people in our lives, and to take time out to appreciate
what life offers us. Themes: Love, Grief, Childhood cancer.
Helen Eddy
Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl
Illus. by Lauren O'Hara. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406384406.
hbk.
(Ages 6-8). Recommended. Themes: Hotels, Girls, Villains,
Friendship, Trust. Madame Badobedah is a rather enchanting
story told by Mabel who lives in a bed and breakfast called "The
Mermaid Hotel". The hotel, which is managed by her parents, is next
to the beach. Mable is an only child who enjoys interacting with the
guests as they come and go. She calls herself an adventurer and
spends many hours barefoot exploring her surroundings but turns into
a spy when the newest guest arrives. The mysterious Madame Badobedah
(rhymes with oooh la la), who is very gruff and unfriendly, has a
mountain of very peculiar luggage and many pets. Mabel decides she
must be a super villain and sets about studying her subject to
uncover all her secrets. Mabel shows how observant she is as she
reports what she knows about the adults around her and everything
her new subject tells her during her visits with the Madame.
The story uncovers the facts about the Madame slowly, drawing more
and more out with each small visit Mabel makes to this strange yet
intriguing person. This makes the story enjoyable and keeps the
reader interested. A friendship develops between Mabel and the very
lonely Irena through play and pretending games and the reader is
given a lovely insight into the special relationship that can exist
between the young and the very old. Perhaps Dahl making connections
to when her grandfather used her as the inspiration for his book the
BFG.
Parents and teachers could use this story to discuss the dangers of
judging people from first impressions and the wide variety of
friendships that work between many different people. The
illustrations are quite charming and whimsical and compliment the
story very well. However, I am not sure who this book is aimed at;
it would be a great first novel for younger children but is
presented as rather a long picture book format. Read over three
sittings using the three parts as a natural break is probably the
best way to introduce this story to the younger children.
Gabrielle Anderson
Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney
Illus. by Kathryn Durst. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9780241375655. hbk.
(Ages 4-8) Themes: Grandparents, Imagination, Magic, Adventure. This
book tells a charming story of four children who, while visiting
their Grandad (or Grandude), brighten their drizzly, cold day by
going on some exciting adventures. Using a magic compass and some
postcards, Grandude says the magic words and they are transported to
a variety of exotic locations, including a beach, the wild west and
a peaceful Alpine scene. At each location something goes wrong and
they need to be whisked away to safety. Grandude is always there
ready and able to perform the rescue just in time. The magic words
used by Grandude form an enjoyable opportunity for children to chant
with the reader as they are repeated for each scene.
The story is enjoyable but not fantastic. The children I read it to
like the idea of the story, but it is not one that will be a
favourite for years to come. It seemed a little disjointed and the
side jokes could have been left out producing a slicker read. Less
is more. The story finishes with the magic that every parent wishes
for; the children in bed and asleep without the rigorous bedtime
routine. Now that's magic!
The illustrations are appropriate and colourful with plenty to look
at for the audience if read aloud. Explanations of what a postcard
and a compass is could form an entertaining discussion at Junior
primary level in schools.
Gabrielle Anderson
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241422236.
(Age: Older adolescents and adults) Highly recommended. This is a
stunning novel that tells a narrative through short chapters
featuring many quotations from real people of the historical time
and telling the story of real and imaginary characters, both
American and Spanish, who lived in that time. The narrative features
two eras, the first and longest beginning in 1957 and set only in
Spain, the second much shorter and set in Dallas, Texas in 1975, and
Madrid, Spain in 1976.
While most chapters are very short, the narrative is clearly
revealed both through the inclusion of quotations, at the start of
many chapters, from American newspapers and statements about Spain
and Spanish issues. Thus we feel deeply connected and drawn into the
exposition of the reality of the communication between America and
Spain. The plot line is deeply embedded in the world of the
Diplomatic corps. Similarly, the interaction between the business
section of both countries, relating both particularly and directly
to oil, and the interaction between the Americans who resided in
Spain and the Spanish who were part of their world, is an intrinsic
part of this story. We are drawn into this world through the reality
of many extracts from official documents.
In this narrative, there is a sense of both an historical document
enabling a development of our understanding and our consciousness of
the reality of life in the country of Spain during this time, and of
the reality of that world for the people who lived in that era. The
dark secrets that underlie this narrative relate to Franco's
dominating Presidency and that of the compliance of the leaders of
the Catholic Church and its acceptable dominance in Franco's world,
revealing some details that are both surprising and some that are
deeply unsettling.
This novel would be particularly appropriate for older adolescent
readers and adults, and is indeed an inspiring and challenging novel
of events and principles observed during one of the unsettling
periods in history.
Elizabeth Bondar
