Something rotten - a fresh look at roadkill by Heather L. Montgomery
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781681199009
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Biology. Non-fiction [591.7] In this
easy-to-read memoir, Heather Montgomery investigates the impact of
roadkill, for the most part in the USA but also high profile
international cases such as the mysterious cancer decimating the
Tasmanian Devil population.
Through her personal interest, we are led to appreciate the unsung
work of those whose relationship to roadkill goes far beyond the
conversational style of this accomplished naturalist and educator.
We are introduced to experts who recycle roadkill for: research,
conservation, data collection, museum exhibits, zoo predators,
macabre art and even for human consumption. Montgomery raises our
awareness of both the value of specimens and the volume of data by
exploring methods of reducing the carnage as enthusiastically as her
own taxidermy skills.
But Montgomery's exposition is far more interesting because of her
own story. Each roadkill find links to data that sends us off on
each new tangent. We screw our noses up with her at the gross bits,
laugh or acknowledge what individuals and governments and
individuals are achieving. Her information always concludes with
potential action on some level. For instance, motorists are
littering less but are still throwing out biodegradable scraps. What
we thought we were recycling lures animals to rely on the hazardous
blacktop for food.
She teaches taxidermy in one chapter, visits a busy wildlife
hospital and rehab centre in another; and in another outlines the
engineering required for safe animal migration. One chapter hosts a
rogue taxidermist producing macabre art.
This handbook, like Heather's website
categorizes hundreds of footnotes and links to further information
and calls to action, as well the more traditional generic features
so essential for revisiting information: Index, Contents and
Annotated Bibliography. Kevin O'Malley's illustrations are light on,
but they consolidate and spark interest as do Montgomery's
footnotes, which always enrich the original tale.
You will be fascinated, even if you don't normally read non-fiction.
To sell biology, Montgomery has harnessed our curiosity using a
gross and thus sidestepped environmental impact of the world's roads
and highways.
Deborah Robins
A dog's way home by W. Bruce Cameron
PanMacmillan, 2018. ISBN PanMacmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781529002690
(Age: 12- adult) Recommended. Themes: Dogs, Dog Owners, Movie
tie-in, Animal Rescue. A Dog's Way Home is an emotionally
honest story of love, loss and the journey of hope told from Bella,
a pit-bull cross's point of view. W. Bruce Cameron's previous
award-winning novels and movies including A Dog's Purpose,
are written with a deep understanding of the bond between dogs and
their humans. He brings awareness to the predicament of feral cats
and dogs, the role of Animal Control officers and the Breed
Discriminatory Legislation and to the plight of military veterans.
Bella the puppy lives under the porch of an abandoned house, her
mother and brothers and sisters taken away by the Animal Control
Officers. Mother cat feeds her along with her own kittens. Lucas Ray
sneaks in to the building to feed the feral animals. Though the
apartment he shares with his mother, a disabled veteran, doesn't
allow dogs, Lucas can't resist taking Bella home. The young puppy
learns commands go to your crate, do your business and tiny piece of
cheese. Lucas even sneaks Bella into his work the VA, where she
brightens the lives of disabled vets.
Bella is part pit bull and these dogs are banned in Denver. When the
Animal Control officers threaten to take Bella away, Lucas is forced
to send her to a foster home until he can figure out what to do. The
young dog's world is turned upside down, different people, different
smells, sounds and ways of living. Bella decides to leave and find
her way home. However, there's four hundred miles of Colorado
wilderness, forests, rivers, snowy conditions between her and the
person she loves.
Bella's travels take several years and along the way Big Kitten a
cougar helps her find food and shelter. There are times of sadness
and joy, poignant scenes and tough encounters. Cameron brings
Bella's spirit to life; he captures her inner thoughts, her
struggles and her absolute love for Lucas. There are beautiful
moments, pearls of wisdom and life lessons written in a sensitive
canine point of view.
Both adults and readers from twelve plus will love this animal
story.
Rhyllis Bignell
The chaos of now by Erin Lange
Faber and Faber Limited, 2018. ISBN 9780571317479
(Age: Teens+) Recommended. Themes: Cyberbullying. Suicide. Computer
hacking. A group of hackers emerge with a new website that can avoid
the cyber snoop's radar, a place for people to voice their own
opinions for once without getting punished for it. The hackers claim
they want nothing but justice and payback. Payback for the bullies
who drove a student to take their own life. Eli, a hacker himself,
is not sure if he wants to get involved. But knowing he can turn the
cybershop's own system against them is more than tempting enough. But
soon enough justice turns into vengeance and Eli is not sure if he
will be able to keep things under control. This follows Eli, a smart
hacker who isn't too sure of his plans for the future after high
school, and some friends he makes during this story. With secrets of
his own, he gets caught up with a group of hackers who want to seek
'justice' for their friend whom earlier that year committed suicide
as a result of online bullying. Thinking he is smart enough to
handle this situation on his own he agrees, but things slowly spiral
into a mess he just cannot face alone. Secrets pile up and
friendships and relationships suffer because of them. The chaos of now mainly follows the topics of cyberbullying
and the aftermath of suicide, while also touching on teenage love
and high school dramas, as well as family issues relating to single
fatherhood and new partners. This is a very well written and
emotional story that teenagers can relate to, and I would recommend
it to teenage readers and above.
Kayla Raphael
The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton
Ill. by Angela Barrett. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408886915
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Princesses. Twelve
excellent Princesses, all with talents unique and exceptional, are
plunged into a virtual prison by their father, the King, after the
unfortunate death of their mother. The grief over the Queen's death
unsettles the King and makes him irrational in his attempts to
protect his daughters. The girls are unable to find consolation from
within their imposed locked room existence . . . until they find a
hidden mysterious fantasy palace where they can again know joy. This
fantasy experience gives them opportunities to live life abundantly
(with talking animals and food of every description) and to dance
again. But the secret life they are enjoying must be kept hidden.
The King though becomes suspicious! Will they be released or will
the escape into their fantasy palace come to an unhappy end?
Written in the lyrical style of a classic fairy-tale, Burton has
written a wonderful story that esteems the intelligence of girls and
reveals their capacity to solve problems and to express their
loyalty to one another. The illustrations by Barrett are delightful
and reveal princesses that do not have Anglo-Saxon heritage.
Published as a hard cover 'fairy-tale' book, this would make a
lovely gift or also a good read-aloud book.
Highly recommended for ages 8+
Carolyn Hull
Geronimo by David Walliams
Ill. by Tony Ross. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008279752
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Penguins, Difference,
Endeavour, Striving, Perception. When hatched, Geronimo the Emperor
Penguin, just thinks about flying. That's all he wants to do and
spends his waking hours attempting to fly, despite his father among
others telling him that penguins do not fly. Undaunted, he slides
down an ice hill, bounces from the round stomach of a sea lion,
climbs onto the back of an albatross, all without success. His
father really wants him to succeed despite knowing how impossible
his dream is, and thinks back to when he was a boy dreaming the same
dream. He cannot let his son down and calls all the other penguins
together to hatch a plan.
The imaginative plan his father and the other penguins hatch is
simply wonderful, giving the young penguin the feeling of flying,
but in another realm entirely. It will delight younger readers as
they too know the impact of trying to do something which everyone
tells you is impossible.
David Walliams' off beat humour shines through from the name the
penguin is given on the cover, sure to impel many readers to look up
the word and muse on why Walliams has given the animal that
particular name. After that he describes the attempts made by the
penguin, always ending in failure when he lands in the freezing sea
or the deep snow or on an iceberg, each time beautifully supported
and enhanced by Ross' illustrations. Tony Ross brings his own sense
of humour to the setting, as children will love seeing the things
that make the Antarctic unique. Readers will quickly spot an array
of animals and landscapes, made aware of the cold and isolation, as
well as the size of some of the animals found there. The expressions
on the faces of all will entrance younger readers as they work with
Geronimo in trying to make his dream come true.
Fran Knight
The callback by Maddie Ziegler
Maddie Ziegler trilogy book 2. Aladdin, 2018, ISBN
9781481486392
(Age: 9-12) Themes: School life, Dance, Friendship, Identity. Teen
Maddie Ziegler, one of the stars on Dance Moms and a judge on So You
Think You Can Dance draws inspiration from her life experiences in
her trilogy. In The Callback she writes about middle school
life, rivalry at the dance studio, friendships, settling in to a new
home and life in a new state.
Twelve-year-old Harper's life is super-busy; her family have just
moved to Florida and she's joined a new dance studio. She's part of
the elite team Dance Starz with five other girls who are very
competitive. Their teacher Vanessa challenges the girls with
individual solo performances in different dance styles and Harper's
is lyrical, a style that she loves. Rival Megan is determined that
the solo will be hers and sets about to cause problems by lying and
sabotaging her team-mates' individual classes.
When Harper accidentally falls asleep in English because she's
stressed about her dancing, her teacher keeps her back after class.
As she explains about all her after-school dance classes, her
teacher asks for her help. She needs a soloist to perform one dance
in the school play of The Little Mermaid because the previous dancer
had to pull out. Harper's life becomes even more busy; she's making
new friends and enjoying helping with the school play's dance
routines. At home, her younger sister Hailey is feeling left out and
Harper tries to assist her with her new video adventure 'Hailey on
the Daily' with some interesting results!
Maddie Ziegler's novel The Callback is a fun read with
plenty of dance moves, school dramas and friendship issues just
right for ages 9 to 12.
Rhyllis Bignell
The caged queen by Kristen Ciccarelli
Gollancz, 2018. ISBN 9781473218161
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Love. Loyalty. Roa
and her sister, Essie, share a bond that goes beyond understanding
and even death. Essie's spirit is trapped in the body of a hawk,
living in the limbo between life and freedom. Roa's driving desire
is to release her from this trapped existence, but to do so she must
sacrifice another life, and the victim must be the young King, Dax.
Dax comes from the Dragon people, and grew up with the girls to
escape his own dangerous father. But he is also the one that Essie
saved as she lost her own life. Roa is a strong, capable and feisty
young woman and in order to save the people of her homeland she has
negotiated a marriage with the hapless, Dax. Dax though has his own
solutions to problems, and they are not pleasing to Roa, and his
affections seem to be shared with too many other young women! This
fraught relationship between king and queen swings from open dislike
to something that surprises Queen Roa. With plots to destroy the
allegiance that Roa's marriage has enabled, Roa becomes embroiled in
the complications of her own confusion and in resolving her
connection to her former love interest.
Foremost though, this is an amazing and highly readable fantasy tale
with broken relationships, hidden love, knife fights, political
subterfuge and romance. These are all immersed in the world where
dragons may appear and communities share stories and aspirations,
and sometimes resort to violent solutions to their problems. Even
though this is not the first book in The last Namsara saga,
it is highly readable on its own and can be recommended to lovers of
fantasy and romance alike.
Highly recommended for readers aged 15+.
Carolyn Hull
Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
Ill. by Paola Escobar. Pages and Co. Book 1. HarperCollins,
2018. ISBN 9780008229863
(Ages 9-12) Recommended. Themes: Literary characters. Booksellers.
Mystery. Missing persons. Anna James introduces a truly wonderful
world where you can step into your favourite books and interact with
much-loved literary characters.
Eleven-year-old Tilly's mother mysteriously disappeared just after
she gave birth to her daughter and ever since Tilly's been living with
her loving grandparents above their bookshop 'Pages and Co.' She
loves to immerse herself in her favourite stories, hidden in in the
nooks and crannies, settled on a bean bag or visiting with Jack who
runs the little cafe. He loves to experiment with food, making
delicious literary inspired treats.
Tilly arrives home from school dripping wet; it's holiday time and
she's prepared for a rather lonely week, with lots of reading and
conversations with Jack. When she discovers a dusty cardboard box
with her mother's name on the label, Tilly's world is turned upside
down. Her favourite book characters Alice in Wonderland and Anne of
Green Gables appear in the bookshop. Tilly discovers an amazing
ability: she can bookwander into any story she chooses.
There are whimsical moments and interesting encounters with the
Avonlea characters. With the help of her friend Oskar Roux who loves
reading even though he has dyslexia, they venture into Wonderland
and Treasure Island. Mysterious and slightly sinister Enoch Chalk is
the enforcer. He keeps the strict rules of bookwandering, making
sure that that no-one is left in a book or forms relationships with
the characters. Will Tilly uncover the mystery of her mother's
disappearance and find the truth about her birth father?
Anna James' imaginative and magical novel authentically captures the
voices of fictional characters and their worlds. There is a warmth
and cosiness to her bookshop setting and an intriguing and
mysterious darker layer in the 'Underlibrary'. Paola Escobar's black
and white line drawings spring up throughout adding drama and
excitement. This is the first in a trilogy and it does rely on the
reader's prior knowledge of classic children's books. It also sets
up the extensive rules of bookwandering. Tilly and the Bookwanderers is an exciting junior novel just
right for readers who have enjoyed classic children's novels and
love the wonder of being drawn into the magic of books.
Rhyllis Bignell
Island born by Junot Diaz
Ill. by Leo Espinosa. Oneworld, 2018. ISBN 9781786074775
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Culture. Identity. Lola lives in an
ethnically diverse community and the teacher's instruction to draw a
picture of her 'first home' causes problems for her because she
cannot remember! Interviewing others who have come from her home
island gives her opportunity to 'see' her home through their eyes.
The result for the reader is a beautiful metaphor of what life must
have been like on the tropical island that they left. Not everything
though was perfect on the island, with allusions to the reasons for
Lola's resettlement in her new country. Lola's final picture
includes all the aspects of the island of her birth in brilliant
detail. (A somewhat cryptic reference to a 'monster' might need some
adult help to explain the metaphor for something awful that the
island had to deal with - perhaps political turmoil or conflict. And
another reference to her grandmother's or her abuela's psychic may
also need explanation or caution.)
Leo Espinosa, an award-winning illustrator, from Bogota in Columbia,
illustrates this gentle exploration of identity with wonderful
colour and vibrancy. The language of the island is Spanish (not
everyone in the world speaks English!) and is included naturally and
with references to terms and titles, which gives a reminder of
diversity in the world. The author's background is from the
Dominican Republic and later, New Jersey in USA, and so the book has
an Americas influence which may not be understood by all
readers, but it certainly would open eyes to how others live in the
world and why some may choose to leave their 'home country'.
Recommended as a book to be shared and explained, for younger
readers aged 7-9.
Carolyn Hull
Witch tricks by Sibeal Pounder
Witch Wars book 6. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781408894125
(Age: 9+) Witch Tricks follows the concurrent and
intersecting antics of the Witches and Fairies of Sinkville. (Ever
wondered what lies beyond the plughole?) While Fran the Fabulous
Fairy schemes to be the star of a TV wrestling show called 'Fairy
Fightz', Tiga Whicabim and Fluffanora Brew are not having much luck
in joining the exclusive secret society of the Points. The girls in
the Points are trying their hand at a spell to bring the Ritzy Six
back to Pearl Mountain so they can be taught how to wreak havoc by
the best in the business. Meanwhile, we are left wondering why
Felicity Bat is laying low and talking to her boots, which are
suddenly very heavy.
The Points are surprisingly successful at conjuring forth the Ritzy
Six who dash off to Pearl Mountain before the reader can blink. If
you don't know where that is, check the illustrator's map. Tiga and
Fluffanora, aided by Peggy Pigwiggle, must somehow beat the both
Ritzy Six and the Points to the top of Pearl mountain to keep
Sinkville on an even keel. The journey to the mountain top is
eventful and takes up a lot of the story. While Fran is
incapacitated, Patricia the TV show Producer, has to be very
inventive to save the next episode of 'Fairy Fightz'. Pounder
manages to keep her reader's in the loop by visiting the set of
'Fairy Fightz' and writing articles for the Ritzy City Post, when
she is not checking in on Felicity and her heavy boots (complete
with a shrunken Panda) at Linden House.
Chatty like all their adventures, you'll have to listen carefully to
know how the witches and fairies deal with the infamous Ritzy Six.
One high point is Aggie Hoof's joke about what Felicity should name
her Panda. Illustrations by Laura Ellen Anderson help new readers to
place the numerous characters - be they witches or fairies. The book
finishes with sample chapters from Pounder's latest Bad Mermaids
series and a letter about her childhood writing inspirations to
likewise inspire young writers. Witch Tricks is definitely a
spin-out if you are a pre-teen who likes erratic, plot driven
escapism.
Deborah Robins
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408896884
(Age: 11-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Magic; Fear and
Bravery; Memory. Eleven year old Fionn and his older sister, Tara,
are returned to the ancestral home of their mother and late father
on Arronmore Island off the Irish coast. Their mother's depression
means they must learn to survive in the isolated community with
their grandfather, the mysterious Island Storm Keeper. From the
moment the scared Fionn steps off the ferry it seems that the
Island's magic rises up to meet him. Will he be the one to save the
Island? Slowly he discovers his Grandfather's secrets as Candlemaker
and Storm Keeper, but his bravery is sorely tested when Tara's
friendship with another boy on the Island prompts him to find
answers to the Island's secrets - perhaps to his peril. And the
mysterious candles store memories and provide opportunity to travel
back to other times, testing the bravery of the young Fionn, but
giving him opportunity to understand the Island's secrets.
With mystery and magic circling in amazing ways and with an
undercurrent of trapped sinister magic ready to unleash itself, this
book will entrance young readers that love fantasy tales. At times
it is a little bit scary, funny, enigmatic, sad and yet
hope-charged. It is written in a delightful way, rich with metaphor
and with wonderful descriptive passages and endearing character
descriptions. The wonderful Grandfather is an absolute delight.
Highly recommended for readers aged 11-14
Note: this appears to be the first book in the series.
Carolyn Hull
Marvel Fearless and Fantastic! Female Super Heroes Save the World by Sam Maggs, Emma Grange and Ruth Amos
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241357491
(Age: 8+) Themes: Superheroes; Women. Characters from the Marvel
world encourage people to be determined, daring, compassionate and
curious. Under each of these headings are described superheroes who
embody these qualities. So under the heading 'Determined' the reader
will be inspired by Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman and Jessica Jones
among others. Superheroes described as being daring are Hawkeye,
Misty Knight, Mary Jane Watson and many more. The endearing Squirrel
Girl leads the list of compassionate superheroes, mingling with
Medusa, Singularity and Pepper Potts. Among the curious are
She-Hulk, Kitty Pryde and Spider-Girl.
Each superhero is given a full page of text describing how she
developed her superpowers and who she has worked with and on the
opposite page is a full page coloured illustration, which gives a
glimpse into her character as well as the costume that she might don
when on rescue missions.
There is a diverse range of women from many backgrounds including
Black Widow, a former Russian assassin, Ms Marvel a 16 year old
Pakistan-American Muslim girl, Korean American Silk, and Nico
Minoru, of Japanese-American parents. Some of the superheroes like
Dr Toni Ho and Ironheart, rely on their intelligence to get things
done and would make great role models for young readers.
This is a fun book to dip into and readers are sure to find a number
of superheroes whose stories they would like to pursue.
Pat Pledger
Stories for boys who dare to be different by Ben Brooks
Ill. by Quinton Winter. Quercus, 2018. ISBN 9781787471986
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Men - Biographies. Boys -
Biographies. Masculinity. Inspirational author Ben Brooks continues
his motivating series with Stories for boys who dare to be
different. The subtitle captures his rationale for sharing
these one-hundred stories of courageous boys, teenagers and men - True
tales of amazing boys who changed the world without killing
dragons.
Brooks has gathered information from across the globe, showcasing
famous male role models and introducing less well-known ones from
many fields, including sports, science, music and social activism.
He champions the power of positivity, the importance of inclusivity,
explores gender and social identity and shows how individuals can
rise above their circumstances and make a difference. His material
is gathered from across the globe, from historical figures, with
different professions, socio-economic backgrounds, beliefs and
ethnicities.
Set out in alphabetical order of first names, we begin with South
African teenager Achmat Hassiem who survived a shark attack, had his
leg amputated and then went on to race in the Paralympics. Bill
Gates, Galileo Galilei, Nelson Mandela, Louis Braille, Daniel
Radcliffe all have encouraging messages. The boys from Isca School
protested about the unfair uniform rules having to wear trousers in
summer. They all protested by wearing the girls' uniform skirts for
a day and their message was heard. Moviemaker Tanka Waititi created
his own films and comic book universe to champion his Maori culture
and history.
Quinton Winter's creative, bold graphics are visually engaging. Bold
backgrounds and easy to read stories make this an exciting book to
dip into with a family, on your own or with a class.
Brooks continues to empower his readers, with messages of staying
true to yourself, believing in your own capabilities and being
caring and compassionate with both people and the environment.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Boneless Mercies by April Tucholke
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471170003
(Age: Mature 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: High Fantasy, Death.
Certain to appeal to young adult fans of medieval epics, this
macabre group of heroines will attract an even wider audience. In
the male dominated Vorseland, orphaned girls who want escape life in
a brothel could be apprenticed to black-cloaked mercy killers. A
band of nomadic Boneless Mercies may be hired specifically to carry
out assisted suicide for the terminally ill - with the exception of
the occasional abusive husband or revenge kill. Aging Siggy's last
apprentices: Frey, Ovie, Runa and Jupiter are skilled in both
stealth and homicide. With Siggy gone, Frey leads the Mercies and
one by one their pasts are revealed to their 17 yr old leader.
Trigve is a tolerated travelling companion, but as a male he can
never be a Mercy, a job for women only. 'Men will not do this sad,
dark work.'
Without Siggy's guidance, the girls survive but despair of mercy
killing - murdering children in particular. Alternatively, they seek
glorious battles for their considerable skills and Frey leads her
willing band on a series of noble quests. They renounce their trade
with an initial goal to slay the Blue Vee monster and end the
giant's carnage in Jarl Roth's northern kingdom. The reward money
will give them all future security. On route to Blue Vee, they are
side-tracked by further adventures; liberating the victims of evil
Jarls, making deals with self-serving Sea witches and ending the
malevolent reign of the powerful Cut-Queen.
Unlike other Mercy bands or the insular Sea Witches, Frey's group
occasionally accept the comradery of worthy males who become
embroiled in their battles. Inspired by the saga of Beowulf, these
adolescent girls are clearly in charge. Frey's first-hand narration
with an undercurrent of free love and extreme violence makes this a
novel for mature readers. But a wise woman's universe has no
absolutes - Frey never compromises her understanding of the
complexity of the human condition, where destructive cycles are
broken only by acknowledging all victims - including the monsters
themselves.
Deborah Robins
Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake
Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781509876495
(Age: 12+) Despite having read the previous books in the series, Three
dark crowns and One
dark throne I personally wasn't a fan of Two Dark Reigns.
The addition to the series felt unnecessary.
The third book in the series, Two Dark Reigns follows the
three queens of Fennbirn in their new lives. After Katherine's
ascension, the island is filled with unease. Without the bodies of
Arsinoe and Mirabella it is hard to prove their deaths, particularly
when rumours of the legion-cursed Jules Milone resurface from the
warrior city of Bastian. As the island revolts in the face of The
Undead Queen and Katherine is increasingly forced to rely on the
powers of the dead queens, whispers emerge of a revolution led by a
new queen, a legion-cursed Naturalist with the strength of a
Fennbirn queen.
Meanwhile, away from the island, Arsinoe and Mirabella struggle to
reconcile themselves to their new lives. Each day is a challenge for
Arsinoe as she continues to wear trousers and flaunt her scared
face. Mirabella, by comparison, has an easier time blending in, her
queenly grace finally being useful. However, things start to go arwy
when Arsinoe is contacted by the spirit of the Blue Queen, an island
legend who haunts her and demands they return to Fennbirn to save
the island from Katherine.
While the sisters must decide what is best for the island, the
people, and themselves, Jules must also decide who she wants to be
and whether or not she can lead a revolution, breaking free of all
the island is and leading it into a new age. I would recommend to
fans of the previous books. The novel touches on feelings of
otherness and loss of control.
Kayla Gaskell
