How to train your dragon written and ill. by Cressida Cowell
Hodder Children's Books, 2019 (c2003). ISBN: 9781444950380.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. To become a Viking hero it was a tradition
of the Hooligan Tribe to undertake the dreaded Dragon Initiation
Programme. Failure meant banishment from the tribe forever.
The unremarkable Hiccup, the son of Viking Chieftain Stoic the Vast,
and a member of the Hairy Hooligans, must capture a sleeping baby
dragon from the cave in Wild Dragon Cliff, preferably without
awakening the mass, take it back to the village and train it to obey
and catch fish for him. No easy task.
Hiccup and his little dragon, Toothless, are scorned and bullied by
other members of the gang. He has great difficulty training his
reluctant dragon, but patience pays off and Toothless eventually
proves to be very heroic when most needed.
All the characters have unbecoming names such as Snotlout, Thuggery,
Baggybum and Gobber, who is a six-and-a-half foot giant with a mad
glint in his one working eye and a beard like exploding fireworks.
The teenage Hooligans and their counterparts, the Meatheads,
initially clash in fierce rivalry. A dreadful crisis threatens the
entire village and the 'Big Drums' summon the two teams of boys, who
must work together to overcome two humungous dragons, causing
spectacular havoc.
Brave Hiccup, the only person who can converse with dragons, devises
a remarkably clever plan and endures a mindboggling experience with
Green Death and, with Toothless helping, struggles to outwit the
monsters, to avert a catastrophe.
Joan Kerr-Smith
Editor's note: Review from earlier edition.
The Ice Monster by David Walliams
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780008297244.
(Age: 8-13) Highly recommended. Themes: Mammoths; Humorous Fiction;
Orphans. David Walliams writes in a style that would make Roald Dahl
proud! Characters are quirky, some of the adults are Dahl-esque and
unpleasant and the plot is fanciful and yet wholly appealing. In
this book, a poor orphan named Elsie rescues the Frozen Ice Monster
(the extinct Woolly Mammoth) from his frozen Museum display -
creating an extreme resuscitation involving a home-made balloon,
lightning and copper wire! With the help of the extremely dipsy
Museum cleaner, Dotty, she demonstrates incredible thinking skills
and ingenuity to make the escape with her new friend, 'Woolly', safe
from attack by predatory adults. The care that Elsie shows to her
fellow orphans, to the big Woolly Mammoth and for her new friend
Dotty and an entourage of aged soldiers is endearing and ultimately
very rewarding. (Queen Victoria thinks so too!)
This book will be devoured and loved by Primary aged readers and can
certainly be recommended to lovers of Walliams and Dahl. The humour
and warped history will satisfy their desire for a 'funny story'
that is entertaining. The onomatopoeia scattered through the story
also adds an auditory and visual highlight for younger readers.
Highly recommended for readers aged 8 - 13
Carolyn Hull
The ember blade by Chris Wooding
Gollancz, 2018. 824 pages. Paperback. ISBN 9781473214859.
(Age: 15+) Recommended for advanced young adult readers. Two young boys
living in an occupied Kingdom, are fighting to recover a stolen
treasure of their people. The ember blade follows Aren and
Cade, two young boys who are swept from their home village and sent
to work as slaves in the prison mine. In a moment, their entire
world is brought crashing down around them. Still, it isn't until
they escape into the world beyond the prison walls that their epic
adventure truly begins.
The strongest theme of this story is that of the brotherly bond
between the two friends, shown through their lively banter and the
actions that they take to protect one another. There is a strong
sense of disbelief portrayed by Aren. Aren has always seen himself
as the hero of the story and struggles to come to terms with how he can
be wronged, even when he believes that he has done everything right.
Cade has always been resentful of the Krodan people, but it is Aren
who is affected most.
Wooding's writing is suspenseful and detailed, constructing
beautiful mountainous landscapes, filled with medieval terrors and
the cruel and unjust rulers of the occupying Krodan people. The
story is filled with edge-of-your-seat action, and excellent,
humorous dialogue between the characters. The magic in the story was
the use of druidic arts, founded on faith in the Aspects (the Gods
of the Ossian people) and an understanding of nature. It was an
interesting twist on magic, and one that I found to be well
constructed. The ember blade reads like an Arthurian
classic, which as huge fan of Arthurian legend, I certainly enjoyed.
A brilliant start to the trilogy.
Jake Morgan, Unley Libraries
Stephen Hawking by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vagara
Ill. by Matt Hunt. Little people, big dreams series.
Frances Lincoln, 2019. ISBN 9781786037329.
(Ages: 6-10) Recommended. Themes: Physicists. Biographies. 'However
difficult life may, there is always something that you can do and
succeed at.' Stephen Hawking's life was truly amazing and this Little
people, big dreams biography opens up his life and scientific
endeavours to a younger generation. Vagara presents the key facts,
milestones, accomplishments and personal struggles in an enjoyable
and relatable style. 'Children are sponges absorbing the world
around them,' is her impetus for writing these biographies.
Hawking's life is pleasingly portrayed by Matt Hunt's crisp, linear
digital illustrations where dark skies shimmer with stars, dark and
lighter tones shape the setting and simple stylised characters show
stages of life.
Young Stephen was born during World Ward II in Oxford, England, to a
family who loved science and encouraged education. His nickname at
school was Einstein, he even built a computer from clock workings
and an old telephone. His passion was studying the universe and he
studied cosmology at Oxford University. When diagnosed with ALS, a
neurodegenerative disease he determined to study the stars rather
than be limited by his condition. Vagara presents this information
with a simplicity suited to younger readers.
Hawking's brilliant mind turned to the study of black holes, where
he discovered tiny lights escaping from them, named 'Hawking
radiation' in his honour. Utilising a robotic voice, he dictated his
scientific books and helped the world understand the universe. A
comprehensive biography concludes this picture book, just right for
students to begin researching. Vagara's Little people, big
dreams series opens up children's eyes to inspirational,
authentic and unique world changers.
Rhyllis Bignell
Two can keep a secret by Karen M. McManus
Penguin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780141375656.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Mystery, Diversity. McManus shows a
masterly hand at the mystery genre with this easy to read, dark tale
of secrets in a small town. Ellery and her twin brother Ezra return
to Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother, after their mother was
sent to rehab for driving into a jewellery shop. It is the town
where their aunt went missing years ago and where a Homecoming Queen
was murdered. No one knows what happened to these girls and it has
affected everyone in the town, especially Malcolm whose older
brother was the prime suspect. When his brother returns to town and
another girl disappears Ellery and Malcolm know that they have to
unravel the secrets in the town.
This is a gripping murder mystery which kept me guessing until the
end about who committed the murders and what the motivation could
possibly be. Narrated in two voices, that of Ellery and Malcolm, the
author gradually informs the reader about the past mysteries, while
increasing the tension about the present disappearance and who might
be behind it.
Fans of McManus' first book One of
us is lying and fans of the mystery genre like me will find
much to love about this book. The suspense builds up very
effectively, there are some very scary moments, the characters
portrayed are believable and the tension lasts until the very end.
Pat Pledger
Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake
Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444940459.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Coming of age,
Survival, Alaska, Family relations, Dance. The blurb says it all, to
add to it would include spoilers: It starts with a plane crash.
There are survivors: a teenage girl and her little brother. They
are running from something. But what?
Then the men arrive. They are hunting the girl and boy. And -
And that's all we can tell you . . . (Publisher) Nowhere on earth is an exciting page turner which will
engross any fan of the survival genre as Emily, her brother Aidan
and the pilot Bob, try to overcome the perils of the cold in Alaska
after their plane crash. The big question for the reader is: why are
they being chased by men in black who are hunting them with guns?
Readers will love the action and adventure - it's another book that
would make a fantastic movie. Emily is a wonderful heroine who
manages to survive using the skills that her parents have given her,
even though they are ones that she didn't want - all she wanted was
to dance. The novel is not just a survival story, though; it
explores some big philosophical questions like the nature of love in
families and the future being what an individual makes of it.
Between the adrenaline rushes of the chase there are poignant
moments especially when Emily's parents track her down in the
wilderness and she realises how much they love her.
Readers who liked Not If
I Save You First by Ally Carter will enjoy this.
Pat Pledger
A Darkest Minds collection: Through the dark by Alexandra Bracken
HarperCollins 2019. ISBN 9781460756447.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Consisting of three novellas, Through
the dark, portrays the world of Darkest Minds by focusing on a
set of fringe characters including Zu, Sam, Lucas, and Mia. In time follows a would-be skip-tracer as he searches for his
first 'freak'. Stumbling into a trap set by other bounty-hunters, he
comes across Zu, a mute girl whose expressions more than make up for
her lack of speech. She's a yellow - dangerous but not as dangerous
as a red. To qualify as a skip-tracer and claim her bounty he needs
to reach a collection point, however, he's not a skip tracer yet and
how can he be sure that this 'thing' isn't human? Sparks rise follows Sam's imprisonment at Thurmond. As a
green she has a certain amount of freedom, her memory hasn't
manifested as a direct threat but that doesn't mean her independent
streak is hidden. Targeted by a PSF it is only chance that reunites
her with her childhood best friend, Lucas, a red who happened to
resist their training. Lucas is looking for his sister but with Sam
in Thurmond, his plans must adapt. Beyond the night follows Sam and Mia as they face one of the
biggest challenges of their lives. Lucas gave everything for them
and now it is time to reward that sacrifice. Could they save Lucas
from the limbo his life is held in?
Interrogating the system and the aftermath of Darkest Minds, Through
the dark is a very down-to-earth portrayal of dystopia.
Without sugar-coating outcomes, this collection presents realistic
and torturous endings. Bracken's characterisation is impressive,
presenting believable characters in bizarre dystopian situations. I
would highly recommend to fans of the series and fans of the
dystopian genre.
Kayla Gaskell
Muhammad Ali by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Ill. by Brosmind. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781786037336.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Muhammad Ali. Boxing. Ambition. One
of a series called Little people, big dreams this little
book about Muhammad Ali will intrigue younger readers to find out
more about this man. The series aims to show that great scientists,
thinkers, artists, designers and sports people all began as a child
with a dream. And Muhammad was no different. Born in Kentucky in
1942, he began fighting when his new bike was stolen and the police
officer invited him to join his boxing classes suggesting that he
needed to be able to box if he wished to deal with the thief.
Beginning his training at 12 years old, by 18 he won the gold medal
in the light heavyweight division at the Rome Olympics. From there
he won major events but when conscripted to go to Vietnam, he
refused and was banned from boxing for three years. Returning he
kept winning and was the first man to win the heavyweight belt three
times. He was involved in many charities, taking seriously the
Islamic duty of charity, and fought for the end of racial
discrimination.
Told in brief pared back sentences, the factual information
will impel readers to look further, wanting to find out more about
this man who had such an impact upon the twentieth century as a
boxer, black activist, philanthropist and sportsman. His sayings
have become part of our language and his images are recognised the
world over.
Accompanying the brief text are similarly simplified images showing
the young Cassius Clay and his family, his training and winning the
gold medal, on to his conversion to Islam, awards he won and
charitable work pursued in the latter years of his life. The
illustrations clearly show his strength as a boxer and latterly his
physical deterioration, raising awareness amongst the readers of
brain damage that result from concussion. The last two pages of the
book give a complete list of all the books in this series, while the
pages before give a written account of his life.
Fran Knight
You make me happy by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Ill. by Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN 9781408878958.
(Age: 3-5) Themes: Happiness. Wellbeing. Friendship. You make me
happy, you make me new. Together there's NOTHING that we cannot
do.
Fox and Porcupine celebrate their friendship and happiness in this
joyful rhyming picture book. They love dancing and singing in the
grassy forest meadow, splashing in the cool stream watching the blue
birds in flight. Fox surprises his friend with a birthday cake on a
sunshiny day. Finding fun in the simple things, Porcupine decorates
his quills with leaves and flowers while his buddy wears twig and
flower antlers. As the seasons pass, as night-time turns to day, we
see the friends exploring their environment and sharing in simple
pleasures.
Smriti Prasadam-Halls' simple rhymes capture the fun and joy, the
simple pleasures these two friends experience. 'You make me happy'
is the echoing refrain, she uses relatable settings, and upbeat
phrases to describe Fox and Porcupine's experiences.
Alison Brown's whimsical pictures are filled with colour and light.
She captures the characters' feelings, and their joy dancing,
climbing trees, holding hands, hugging and playing in autumn leaves.
The author promotes emotional wellbeing and encourages healthy minds
and bodies in this gentle picture book, just right for sharing with
a young family or kindergarten children.
Rhyllis Bignell
We eat bananas by Katie Abey
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408899212.
(Age: 2-5) Recommended. Themes: Eating, Fruit and Vegetables, Food.
Flamboyant graphic designer, author and illustrator Katie Abey
returns with her animal menagerie to champion an array of food from
bananas, to pancakes, pasta and peas, beans and greens. She asks her
young readers to explore each page, finding foods they like to eat
and having fun with the crazy animals' antics.
Over twelve colourful spreads, each animal is observed having heaps
of fun, the koala in the wheelchair enjoys banana muffins, green
smoothies and broccoli soup. Baby elephant squirts pumpkin soup on
snake, while on another page alligator bounces up on the trampoline
feeding the giraffe in scarves spoonfuls of tomato soup. Delicious
food is cooked and eaten in a variety of colourful places,
creatively worn as shoes or clothes, there's even a llama dressed as
a lemon! The mandrill's brightly coloured butt stands out, as he
twirls his spaghetti and jumps out of a bright coloured birthday
cake.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers will enjoy exploring each page, chatting
about their favourite foods and following different animals' food
choices and actions throughout. Watch out for the cheeky monkey who
stands out from the crowd. How many ice-creams, who has pooed, who's
skipping with spaghetti? There's so much to investigate! With speech
bubbles filled with questions and fun comments, text placed all
around the illustrations and a bold array of brightly coloured
animals We eat bananas is an amusing picture book to share.
Diet, nutrition and tools like the traffic light system of healthy
eating can be linked to the sharing Abey's story with kindergarten,
childcare and preschool children.
Rhyllis Bignell
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Cassidy Blake book 1. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN: 9781407192765.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Ghosts, Paranormal, Edinburgh
(Scotland). Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and
Children's (2018), 2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2019 Quick
Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. When Cassidy Blake's
parents go to Edinburgh for their TV show about ghosts, Cass and her
best friend Jacob, who really is a ghost, go along too. Arriving
there Cass finds that she is surrounded by ghosts and Lara, a girl
who can also see them, tells her that her mission is to send them
beyond the Veil, the land of ghosts who haven't moved on. This seems
like a good idea when the Red Raven starts haunting her, trying to
take away her life force. City of ghosts has all the ingredients for a thrilling, quick
read: there are ghosts aplenty, the setting is the magical
Edinburgh, and Cass, ably helped by Jacob, is a courageous and
daring girl. Readers will love the tour of Edinburgh, the old Castle
which is haunted by ghosts of soldiers and children, Greyfriars
graveyard where a little dog is buried, and old streets and shops
where ghosts hang out.
The plot is fast paced and the suspense will keep the reader
enthralled as Cass fights for her life in the Scottish graveyard.
Her relationship with Jacob will also intrigue and the reader is
left with questions about the Veil and their role there, and will
want to pick up further books in the series.
Pat Pledger
On the come up by Angie Thomas
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN 9781406372168
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. 'I might have to kill someone
tonight'. This is the startling first line of Thomas's novel, but
the 'killing' isn't what it sounds like. Bri is a high school
student who is finding it hard to sit through school when all she
wants to do is write and perform rap poetry, and she has her sights
set on wiping out her competitors in the rap contest held in the
local Boxing Ring. Her father was the famous rapper Lawless,
murdered outside their home when she was only a four years old. Bri
is all set to continue in his path.
The setting is a black ghetto in the U.S., where gangs roam and the
police target black kids. Bri's mother is a recovered drug addict
who wants her daughter to break free, go to college and make a
better future. But Bri has her heart set on being a rap star, and
maybe her drug-dealing Aunt Pooh or her father's ex-manager,
Supreme, will help her get there.
The novel is written in Bri's voice, and whilst the slang may at
first be unfamiliar and off-putting to a non-American reader, the
reader is gradually drawn into Bri's world and the language becomes
very real and natural. The author, Angie Thomas, is herself a former
teen rapper, and the world she describes sounds authentic, written
from her experience.
Bri's natural talent and determination seem to be leading her to
success, but hand in hand with that comes controversy and danger.
The perils of social media have also to be navigated. Bri finds
herself having to make decisions without anyone to really guide her.
Although the world of gangsters, drugs and rap contests might be
foreign, Bri's struggles to find the right path through it all, and
find her true values, makes a story most teenagers could readily
identify with.
I found it to be an engrossing story and I came away with a new
appreciation of the complexity of improvised rap poetry. This book,
set in the U.S., would make an interesting comparison with Limelight
by Solli Raphael (2018), which describes an Australian teenage slam
poet, and his messages of social equality and self-empowerment.
Helen Eddy
Lola Dutch, when I grow up by Kenneth and Sarah Jane Wright
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN 9781681195544.
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Themes: Girls. Imagination. Careers.
Animals. Lola Dutch is an energetic, imaginative, tutu wearing young
girl whose life is one big adventure. Her best friend Bear is always
there for her, supporting all her new ideas. Gator, Crane and Pig
willingly assist with Lola's creative schemes. In Lola Dutch,
when I grow up she is a tour de force, a whirlwind focussed on
her future careers, pondering her potential vocations. Marching into
this delightful story, she leads the parade in a cow-girl outfit,
followed by a postie-swan, doctor pig and a gator king.
What will Lola be when she grows up? Lola declares this conundrum to
be an emergency, so all her friends gather in Bear's book-lined den.
Here a special volume catches her eye 'Opera through the ages',
yes, she wants to be an opera singer destined for the stage.
Everyone helps, building the stage, writing the music and designing
an exquisite costume for Lola's first and only performance. Once
she's achieved her first goal, she quickly moves on to the next
career, as an inspirational inventor working through the stages
from research through trial and error to building a wondrous flying
machine. Not satisfied with this achievement, Lola's creativity
blossoms as she plants a beautiful garden with Bear, Gator, Pig and
Crane. Will that be enough for this inspired miss?
Sarah Jane Wright's whimsical gouache and watercolour paintings add
stylishness; they burst boldly and energetically across the pages.
Working collaboratively with her husband Kenneth, they have created
a beautifully descriptive, inspirational story that will raise
wonder and joy in the young reader. Paper dolls are included on the
jacket reminiscent of the times past. Lola Dutch, when I grow up is a wonderful read aloud providing
opportunities and stepping stones for Science, Technology and Art.
Rhyllis Bignell
Spiderman: into the Spider-verse: the official guide by Shari Last
Marvel, 2018. ISBN 9780241347843.
(Age: 7-10) Themes: Movies. Spiderman. Heroes. Shari Last's guide to
Marvel's movie Spiderman: into the Spider-verse is a
comprehensive coverage of the characters, actions, powers, settings,
even past Spidermen. Pitched at a younger audience, each spread
includes bright bold illustrations with easy-to-read explanations,
questions and things you need to know.
Teenager Miles Morales is a smart guy who enjoys making his friends
laugh, but he has difficulty focussing at school. His world changes
after he's bitten by an unusual looking spider. His new powers
include wall-crawling, invisibility, stickiness, agility and a
special Spider-sense. We are shown Miles' academic world, Brooklyn
Vision's Academy, his room-mate, awkward interactions in the
hallways and his top classes and great teachers.
Whilst Miles' mother is supportive and loving, his father, an
old-style Brooklyn cop, finds it hard to relate to his son. His
parents are good role models; however, his uncle Aaron Davis lives
on the edge, taking his nephew out spray-painting abandoned
buildings.
Learn about Spiderman's enemies and their evil plans, supervillain
Green Goblin, Kingpin leader of New York's underworld and Prowler
the dangerous city stalker. 'Did you know?' informative stars pop up
throughout, catching the reader's eye. Dark moody graphics, up close
faces, bold fonts, bullet point lists and a quiz to determine your
spider power add pizzazz. Shari Last's Spiderman: into the
Spider-verse: the official guide is an exciting movie tie-in
for fans.
Rhyllis Bignell
Gandhi by Dianne Bailey
DK Life Stories. Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN:
9780241356333.
(Age: 8-13) Recommended. Themes: Gandhi; India; Civil resistance.
The life story of Gandhi is well documented, but this book will
introduce the younger generation to his life and work. Insights into
the life of Gandhi are explained in this book, and his non-violent
approach to creating political change have been an encouragement to
many other lives and continue to be an inspiration to the world.
Bailey has written a very basic explanation and overview of the life
and peaceful journey of this humble man whose desire to make a
difference for those who had experienced discrimination. He also
worked for the independence of his home country, India, to release
the country from colonial rule by British authorities.
This non-fiction book is easily read, using uncomplicated language
and will be a good addition to school libraries. The presentation of
the information includes quotes, sidebars to explain terms, and
photographs and cartoon-style illustrations. A time-line and
glossary are also included at the end of the book.
Recommended for readers aged 8-13.
Carolyn Hull
