Once and future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
OneWorld Publications; 2019. 349p; p/b. ISBN: 9781786076540.
(Age: Middle secondary+) In a future where the Mercer
mega-corporation has galaxies under their thumb refugee Ari is
trying to survive when she finds the legendary sword in the stone
during an escape to Earth. Merlin awakens to guide this
reincarnation of King Arthur, but he, along with the reader, will be
surprised by the modern twists on the popular fairy tale.
While the novel uses Arthurian references as a hook, it has more in
common with dystopian fiction like Blade Runner than
romantic legends. Its themes of freedom, individuality and change
are quite relevant in today's unstable political and economic
climate while being presented in a way very palatable to young adult
audiences. Featuring a diverse cast of races and sexual identities,
many marginalised readers can find a hero to identify with.
Due to the diverse cast featured within this book, it would make an
excellent addition to any library and quite suitable for middle
secondary class and above due to the content present. In fact, it
could be used to introduce themes such as refugees, history and
sexual diversity.
Vincent Hermann
General knowledge genius by Peter Chrisp et al.
DK, 2019. ISBN: 9780241336243.
Highly recommended. Themes: General Knowledge; Transport; Science;
Natural world; Geography; History; Culture. This is another
brilliant DK publication! Written as both a collection of
information and also a General knowledge quiz, this will definitely
appeal to young readers who enjoying collecting information and
finding out about the world and challenging themselves in a general
knowledge quiz on each page. (The general knowledge challenge is
even levelled with three levels of difficulty.) Information is
presented with DK's usual clarity and in very small packages of text
of several sentences length, in combination with clear pictures and
headings and excellent graphic design presentation that is colourful
and visually exciting. With an array of topics covered including
Transport, Chemistry, Geology, Living things, Art and History, there
is something to learn on each page. I can imagine that this book
will appeal to the same readers who love picking up a Guinness World
Records book to meander through the snippets of detail. The visual
appeal and the limited text will enable reluctant readers to engage
and enjoy this book as well. This is a great book for the library
shelves or as a gift for a young reader.
Highly recommended.
Carolyn Hull
A dream of Italy by Nicky Pellegrino
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781869713836.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) This is a book about choice, hope
and change. The young mayor of Montenello, a small hill town in
Italy, is unhappy with the decreasing population of his town, and
concerned about its many vacant homes. He dreams up a way that he
hopes will make his town vibrant once more, not just with tourists,
but by attracting new residents. He persuades the council to make an
unexpected, unusual and ultimately precarious choice: to use the
internet to find international buyers for the old houses that have
been abandoned, or whose absent owners no longer want them.
As the cost is minimal - each house, large or small, will cost one
euro - he hopes to persuade people who like Italy that it might be a
great choice to live there once they have seen how beautiful it is,
and restored their new homes. Of course, the owners have to agree to
the scheme - if he can find them. The town councilors are unsure
about his plan, but he persists. Happily, they find that they have a
number of applicants, and must choose the ones that seem to be the
best potential buyers. After contacting the chosen ones to arrange
accommodation and to let them know how the scheme will work, they
wait, with hope and a little trepidation.
As the first set of buyers arrive, they meet the mayor to see and
discuss the property that he has chosen for each of them. They are
charmed, as he had hoped, by the beauty of the views, the quirkiness
of the old town and its buildings, and persuaded that, although this
quiet town has seen more vibrant days, it is still very attractive.
There is a particularly fine restaurant, the hotel is warmly
welcoming, and there are beautiful views and interesting walks. Some
adjustments need to be made with the arrangements, and some houses
need a great deal of work, but, as the mayor had hoped, the new
owners fall in love with his town, enjoying the food, the people and
the spectacular views.
This is a delightful book about an interesting modern situation, and
the narrative is made all the more vibrant by the variety of
characters and the charming mayor. The narrative develops smoothly,
captivating the reader with the description of the characters, the
views and the old buildings, and as well, the interactions of the
old and new residents, who are similarly drawn to this special
place.
Elizabeth Bondar
The Dentist of Darkness by David O'Connell
The Dundoodle Mysteries bk. 2. Bloomsbury Children's books,
2019. ISBN: 9781408887080.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery, Dentists,
Confectionary, Dragons, magic, friendship. Archie McBudge has a life
that most children would dream of. He owns a Confectionary Factory
and has magical powers! But for Archie all he really wants is a
summer holiday relaxing with his friends and testing, or even
inventing, new sweets in the factory.
But it seems he has been summoned by the Wyrdie Tree, the source of
all the magic in the town of Dundoodle to save it from dying. He has
been told he has magical powers, but he has yet to work out how to
make his wyrdworking powers work.
The town sees the arrival of a new threat to his factory in a creepy
looking Dentist who seems determined to rid Dundoodle of all sweet
things and ruin the upcoming festivities of Unquiet night (a summer
version of Halloween). It seems the townspeople are being taken over
by his influence, but Archie and his friends soon discover he is not
the only enemy in their path - the Mirk is back and is determined to
take the magic from the Wyrdie tree when it is at its most
vulnerable on Unquiet Night. Archie and his friends face many
exciting adventures and near misses in this story, and they need to
work together to come up with some imaginative solutions if they are
to save the Tree and defeat their enemies.
The book is easy to read and would be great to read to a class as it
has plenty of action and danger as well as interesting information
about a quirky place that will appeal to children who love fantasy.
This is David O'Connell's second book in this series, a follow up to
The Chocolate Factory Ghost where the town of Dundoodle is
first introduced. This book has a short introduction to the first
book at the end. There is also a map to show the places around
Dundoodle that are mentioned in this adventure and this assists
readers to follow the children's adventures.
Gabrielle Anderson
Amazing Transport: Journey through the history of transport by Tom Jackson
Illus. by Chris Mould. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408889770.
(Age: 7-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Transport History;
Aeroplanes; Land transport; Ships. In the sky, sea, outer space and
on land, humans have developed ways to get around other than by
using their own strength. This book details the history of multiple
types of transport over time and gives details of the significant or
revolutionary changes that have led to the forms of transport that
we know today. Filled with little snippets of information that make
fascinating reading, this book will appeal to those who find the
gathering of detail when they read an appealing activity. Everything
from the velocipede, dirigible, Bugatti Veyron, Hippomobile to the
USS Enterprise is explained in its place in history. (Note: the only
Australian contributions to this history is the Road Train.) With no
index, this would not be a source to direct children to in order to
locate specific information, but this is more a book for
entertainment than it is for information.
The power of this book is the presentation, which will appeal to
young readers who love cartoon illustrations that convey intricate
detail (almost a cross between Where's Wally and Diary
of a Wimpy Kid). The cartoon-like fine line detail still
conveys information but it is so appealing that it will win many to
spend considerable time searching for new or humorous
representations. At the beginning of each transport chapter is a
double-page time-line conveyed in conventional manner at the bottom
of the page, but the rest of the double page is filled with the
black and white quirky meanderings of the history of that mode of
transport. Even as an adult reader, I was impressed at the artistic
and amusing quality of these pages. The information double page
which follows is divided into small bites of information and each is
clearly written with enough (but not too much) detail for a young
reader, and there are also small descriptive cartoon illustrations.
The front cover has an absolutely winning visual appeal - stark
black and white cartoon style, with fluoro orange title and yellow
additional information. This book will be chosen because of its
cover alone, it would benefit from front-facing display!
Highly recommended for young readers aged 7 - 12.
Carolyn Hull
Fabio the Flamingo Detective: Mystery on the Ostrich Express by Laura James
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408889343. 119p.
(Age: 9+) Themes: Crime. Fabio and Gilbert are running late for
their trip to Hotel Royale on the Ostrich Express, but not before a
visit to Alfonso the jeweller to fix a broken watch. When the
Laloozee Ruby necklace is stolen from Alfonso's courier Zazie aboard
the train, Fabio and Gilbert are fated to solve the case. Readers
can look forward to some classic features of crime writing -
abandoned mines, hostages tied to the tracks and a desperate dash on
a handcart.
This is a very 'loud' book! Emily Fox's illustrations and feature
pages appear shaded with neon highlighter pens in contrast to the
noir genre. A flamingo detective is of course flamboyant, but his
clumsy side-kick Gilbert, a giraffe, is much less so.
Feminists might take exception to female villains being foxes and
leopards while the male heroes are mild mannered herbivores and
birds - with the exception of the hyena henchmen of Janice the Claw.
Mystery on the Ostrich Express is old-fashioned in many ways.
Not that many first chapter book readers have heard of Murder on
the Orient Express, or will mistake Fabio for Inspector
Poirot. Yet the literary influences will hopefully one day connect
young readers to one of the best of bygone crime classics. The
publisher appends a sample chapter of the precursor, The
case of the missing hippo in addition to miniaturised
covers of the author's The adventures of Pug series. Sample
chapters and fun activity packs for many of Laura James' books can
be downloaded on the author's site.
Deborah Robins
Diary of an awesome friendly kid: Rowley Jefferson's journal by Jeff Kinney
Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760892517. 217p.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Rowley Jefferson, the Wimpy Kid's sidekick,
narrates this first book in the Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid
spin-off series, showing us another side to Greg, aka Wimpy Kid. In
Rowley Jefferson's Journal, Greg does not react well to sharing the
limelight with Rowley. Almost immediately, he badgers Rowley to
become his biographer because Wimpy Kid doesn't have any biographies
- only autobiographies! Rowley agrees, 'After all, one day Greg will
be rich and famous, and everyone will want to know his life's
story.' But Rowley isn't a good choice because he selects events
that show that his friendship with Greg is largely one-sided,
resulting in Rowley being manipulated by his mate for his own gain
or amusement. It is a relationship perhaps peculiar to Rowley but
nonetheless the author has crafted a friendship dialectic that
demonstrates the unique experience and perception of someone, which
perhaps others don't or cannot share.
Wimpy Kid and Rowley have certainly matured with this new
perspective on their childhood. The Wimpy Kid series is
lauded as one of the most widespread first chapter book series for
boys. The themes of friendship and character development are
relevant to middle school conflicts and thus fertile affective
material for educators in addition to deconstructing the genre.
Thanks to Rowley, middle school readers will be finding out a lot
sooner than most kids, that things (and people) are not always what
they seem.
Visit the website
to sample this amusing dark spin-off. Doubtless, this fresh
illustrated novel, sprinkled with more typical childhood
misfortunes, is sure to be another blockbuster for creator, Jeff
Kinney.
Deborah Robins
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Hachette Australia, 2018. ISBN: 9781444763591. paperback, 400pgs.
(Age: 13+) Weirdness at its max but that's Jasper Fforde's
quirkiness and inventive style. Early Riser is Fforde's
latest standalone novel since Shades of Grey. I sure wanted
to put another jumper on while reading because it's the beginning of
winter and I could feel the coldness leaking through the pages of
the novel. I'm so glad that it's not as cold as the alternative
winter months in Wales described in this book. Imagine a world that
is so harsh that we have to hibernate through winter while only a
few stay awake to take care of the sleepers. Oh and imagine how much
you have to eat to fatten yourself to be the right size to survive
the sleep. I found it amazing that the opposite of the way we think
today is beautiful . . . meaning the fatter you are the healthier
you were because you would survive the winter sleep.
I didn't mind the main character Charlie Worthing, I did find that
he was easily misled by people he met along the way but hey, that's
part of the story. Charlie was a new recruit for the Winter Consul
and the novel is him experiencing his first season and adventure as
one. And what a journey did he take having to deal with
cannibalistic Nightwalkers, the Winter Volk, Hibertech Corporation,
Womads and undesirables he meets along the way, while also
experiencing dreaming for the first time.
If you like genre benders of sci-fi, fantasy, dreamscape, dystopian
and mystery this is the book for you.
Maria Komninos
Watch us rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526600868.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Highly inspirational, this work will
be the perfect read for young women and men everywhere. The main
characters, Jasmine and Chelsea, take turns in fleshing out a
refreshingly satisfying multi-layered story of making a difference
in today's world. There is an accessible complexity to this work
that embraces intersectionality to explore feminism, discrimination,
misogyny and institutionalised racism through poetry and prose. The
writing highlights influencers such as: The Dark Room Collective,
Tracy K. Smith, Kevin Young, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Gloria Steinem,
Natalie Diaz, Sarah Jones, Reena Saini Kallat and Henrietta Lacks.
Jasmine and Chelsea want to make a difference - now. They both, in
differing ways, struggle with how to 'Write like a girl' and
negotiate the political landscape that seeks to restrain public
advocacy by women. One touching aspect of the work is the way it
sensitively reflects on blind spots. Even a woke activist can act in
ways that others see as unjust - and importantly a true friend will
help you see your blind spot and stand by you as you move forward.
This work gently encourages intergenerational relationships as
fundamental to fully developing as a human being and plotting a path
for effective change making in the world. These relationships
(positive and negative) provide an impetus for growth in the
characters portrayed in the story.
Additionally the work explores love and grief through family and
romantic relationships. Everyday lives are complex and it is this
complexity that balances the fervent desire for change Jasmine and
Chelsea fight for.
Linda Guthrie
We hunt the flame by Hafsah Faizal
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019. ISBN: 9780374313647
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Fantasy.
Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of ancient Arabia, We hunt the
flame draws together two strong characters: Zafira, the hunter, a
woman dressed as a man, venturing into the dark Arz forest to hunt
animals to provide food for her people, and Nasir, the dark prince,
a feared hashashin assassin, who kills men on the orders of his
father the Sultan of Arawiya. "People lived because she killed" and
"people died because he lived".
Arawaya is a kingdom of five caliphates, under the rule of the
Sultan Ghameq, a ruler who has succumbed to evil, and who in his
continual quest for greater power is prepared to kill his own
people. The whole land has been cursed by the loss of the magic that
formerly protected it. Demenhur, Zafira's homeland, has become
blanketed in cold and snow, the people are starving, and the
darkness of the Arz forest is gradually encroaching further onto the
land. Only Zafira has been able to venture into the forest in her
hunt for prey and been able to return alive and unharmed. An
encounter with the Silver Witch challenges her to go further into
the forest and then across to the island of Sharr to retrieve the
lost power of magic. Unknown to her, the Dark Prince, the assassin,
has also been sent on the same quest to gain the power for his
father.
Faisal has created an amazing fantasy world, with a Middle Eastern
flavour. The men wear turbans or keffiyeh and thobes; and Zafira
shields her identity with a hooded cloak. In Demenhur the caliph
refuses to allow the women any rights or recognise their
capabilities, whilst in neighbouring Zaram there were female
warriors. Each of the caliphates is different, just as the countries
of the Middle East are different. The current situation in Syria has
its reflection in the story of the ruthless Sultan Gharmeq and his
plans to overcome his subjects with a deadly poison gas, with small
children among his victims.
Faizal's writing style is rich and poetic and includes many Arabic
words, a joy for Arabic speakers or Arabic language learners. There
is no need for a glossary though as words reveal their meanings in
context and the reader gradually becomes familiar with a basic
vocabulary.
The author's photograph is shown on the back cover. An American
Muslim, she appears in her black niqab, clothing she is proud to
wear. It is wonderful that she has been able to bring the world of
Arabic culture and history that she knows so well to this gripping
story of mystery, adventure and romance, made so much more
interesting with its Arabian flavour.
While the story twists to a dramatic ending, there are clearly
threads that can be picked up again, and no doubt there will be a
sequel. Readers of We hunt the flame will be eagerly awaiting the
next book.
Helen Eddy
Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae
Illus. by Guy Parker-Rees. 20th anniversary edition. Hachette, 2019.
ISBN: 9781408354414.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dancing, Giraffes, Verse
story. The fact that Giraffes can't dance has been in print for 20
years speaks of the timelessness and appeal of the story,
beautifully written in verse by Andreae, and illustrated with
appealing pictures of jungle animals by Parker-Rees. A quote on the
back cover from the Daily Mail 'All toddlers should grow up reading
this', says it all - it is a classic story that reads aloud
beautifully and sends an important message about finding your own
way of doing things.
Gerard the giraffe really wants to dance, but his body with its long
neck and skinny legs, makes it hard to find his rhythm and the other
jungle animals laugh at his attempts. Despondent, he leaves the
gathering but a wise cricket tells him
" . . .sometimes when you're different
You just need a different song.'
And when Gerard finds that song, he is able to do the most beautiful
dance in his own way. Children will love the warthogs' waltz, the
chimps' cha-cha, and the lions' tango, but most of all they will
love Gerard's dance, and his final words,
'We can all dance, he said,
When we find music that we love.'
The rhythm of the story will captivate young listeners as will the
colourful illustrations, especially of Gerald as he boogies along
and does a backwards somersault against the background of a full
moon. Children who are old enough to read independently will be
reassured that everyone can find music of their own to dance to.
This is a lovely, feel good book, perfect for toddlers and newly
independent readers.
Pat Pledger
Alex Rider: Secret weapon by Anthony Horowitz
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN 9781406387476.
An anthology of short stories about reluctant teenage spy Alex
Rider. Much like Horowitz' other novels, it is fast-paced and an
interesting read for lovers of the series.
The nature of the short stories, however, leaves little room for
character growth, but the recurring major characters are at least
well established, even without prior familiarity with the series.
This leaves this particular novel easy to pick up for new readers of
the Alex Rider series. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the
antagonists of each story, which seem to be one dimensional stereotypes.
The plots aren't much to speak of, generally being one single action
set piece, but for short stories, that's exactly what is expected.
The anthology does leave a lot to be desired when it comes to
examining themes. There is a lot of potential left on the table. For
example, one story has Alex's 'normal' friend caught up in one of
his escapades, but rather than examine the stress of living a double
life, status quo is immediately re-established as Alex decides
without thinking twice to keep lying. A common element throughout
the stories is how Alex's uncle conditioned him from childhood to be
a spy, and while this is resented it still goes unexamined for what
amounts to parental abuse. There's also a really uncomfortable
jingoistic undercurrent, with the longest story being about bombing
a cell of Middle-Eastern terrorists, and even the shortest story
finds time to engage in Churchill apologia. The settings of the
stories are deliberately somewhat non-specific, either a fictional
part of a given country, or very broadly 'London', and vaguely
modern time.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as it helps avoid the
stories dating themselves. The first person perspective somewhat
hurts the writing style of the anthology, as any descriptive
language comes through the filter of a 14-year-old. Still, the
light-hearted tone suits these one-shot action stories well.
Vincent Hermann
The Space race by Sarah Cruddas
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241343777.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Moon, Solar system, Space
transport, Mars mission. Astronaut Eileen Collins introduces The
Space race in an inspirational foreword. She discusses her
nine-year-old dreams to become a female astronaut, her career as a
space pilot and her future hopes for women to walk on the moon and
live on Mars. The Space race is presented in three sections: 'To the Moon';
'After Apollo 11' and 'The new Space race'. Each spread includes
easy-to-read information, colourful photographs, diagrams and charts
with interesting captions. In Rocket Power we learn about ancient
Greek scientist Archytas who created a steam-powered wooden pigeon
which flew on a wire for 200 metres. The Chinese invented gunpowder
and fired arrows filled with this explosive material from 1200CE.
Animals played an important role: fruit flies, mice, the Russian dog
Laika even a trained chimpanzee called Ham who tested weightlessness
for sixteen minutes!
The 1960's Space race influenced TV shows - The Jetsons, clothes,
toys, fashion and even food and drinks. Author Sarah Cruddas
provides backgrounds of the women who played pivotal roles,
mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Some women worked as
'human computers' solving difficult mathematical calculations to
understand spacecraft performance. 'The quiet heroes' tells of the
team of 400,000 people who backed the astronauts, from seamstresses
who handstitched the space suits to ground control personnel and the
teams of scientists and engineers across the globe who tracked their
flights.
'The new Space race' is a wonderfully exciting section, exploring
the future possibilities with robonauts, super mega-rockets, the new
space nation of China and the possibility of building s permanent
base on the Moon and Mars. The author leaves the ending open - where
to next?
Sarah Cruddas and the Dorling Kindersley publishers have created a
visually outstanding and highly educational resource. The Space
race is an excellent resource for STEM and History research
investigating the ancient and modern dynamics of travel, propulsion,
living in Space and the influences of governments in exploring
space. Families will enjoy sharing this informative book, opening up
new realms and frontiers, providing lively discussions and piquing
the interests of space fans.
Rhyllis Bignell
The race to Space by Clive Gifford
Illus. by Paul Daviz. Words and Pictures, 2019. ISBN: 9781786038890.
64pp., hbk.
It is hard to believe that it is only a little over a century since
the Wright Brothers made the first powered flight, achieving a
distance of 37 metres at an altitude of just three metres with the
flight lasting just 12 seconds at the amazing speed of nearly 11km
per hour, and now we take flight taken for granted with humans spending
months in space in the International Space Station, vehicles landing
on Mars and probes travelling to the deepest corners of the solar
system.
Even though the earliest rockets were invented by China over 600
years ago, it wasn't till the mid-20th century when the USSR
launched Sputnik, the first manmade device to orbit the Earth, in
1957 and the US, the other world power to have emerged from World
War II, were concerned that this would lead to the USSR having
military control of space, that the race for the exploration of
space really got going.
As the 50th anniversary of man first's landing on the moon
approaches, this new book traces the history of the space race from
the launch of Sputnik to the moon landing with its early focus on
the tensions between the US and the USSR, and concluding with the
'handshake across space' in the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975
marking a new collaboration rather than competition.
Illustrated in full colour and spattered with quotes from
significant participants of the times, this is a book for
independent readers who want to know the stories behind the
milestones and understand why it became a 'race' with that word's
connotation of winners and losers.
Another opportunity to revitalise your collection about this period
of history that is really so recent that many staff and parents will
remember it vividly.
Barbara Braxton
The very hungry caterpillar's birthday party by Eric Carle
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241376119. Board book.
(Age: 1-5) Highly recommended. Themes: Birthday parties,
Caterpillars. Everyone's favourite caterpillar is back with a
birthday party to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The very
hungry caterpillar. A board book, complete with glitter and
sparkle and a special fold-out surprise, has the very hungry
caterpillar watching the events of a special day. The colours are
all hues of the rainbow and flowers and bees, butterflies and
ladybirds, can be seen fluttering in the air. All the accessories
that make a wonderful party are scattered throughout the book. There
are 'Bright balloons . . . bobbing in the sky' and 'pom-poms burst
with colour', while a pile of gifts stands high and the candles are
alight on the birthday cake. All of these are watched by birds, a
curious cat, and a line of ants and of course, the very hungry
caterpillar. The book culminates with a gorgeous fold-out that eager
little fingers will long to touch. Along the way, they will be able
to search for the hungry caterpillar and see what he is up to and
observant children may notice that he is growing bigger as well.
Fans of The very hungry caterpillar will be thrilled to see
another beautiful, sturdy board book that little children will
delight in, complete with all the magic and art of the original
story. The interactive foldout, with its raised glitter objects, is
a tactile pleasure, a lovely bonus for children who like to touch
and feel. It would make a perfect birthday present and a great read
aloud to share at bedtime.
Pat Pledger
