Hodder and Stoughton 2018. ISBN 9781473663398
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Science fiction, Space
stations, Bullying, Discrimination. When the exclusive Quatra Fleet
Academy changes its policy on admitting students from other planets,
the best and brightest of Chetire, Loos, and Deva can finally hope
for a better life. Known as Settlers and dealing with horrendous
conditions and low life expectancy on their home planets, the
students from Chetire, Loos, and Deva are eager to prove they are
just as smart, if not smarter, than the Tridians.
Cormak, a black-market water-runner from the toxic planet of Deva,
arrives at the Academy by accident, taking the place of his deceased
brother, Rex. Together with being one of the first Deva people to
attend the academy, Cormak wins the place of Captain on his team,
drawing the attention of the Tridians and the disdain of his fellow
classmates. For Cormak, this is all made easier by the rivalry with
his pilot, Vesper, a Tridian and the daughter of their headmistress.
Along with Aaran, a boy from Chetire, their team is completed by
Orelia, a girl who claims to be from Loos but is hiding a dark
secret.
Joining the Quatra Fleet is the dream of any Tridian and the
admittance of Settlers into the highly competitive program is like a
slap in the face. While the Tridian cadets try to maintain their
superiority, they forget their common enemy and the reason the
Quatra Fleet was formed in the first place. Can they overcome their
petty rivalry to face the greater enemy in time?
Playing with issues such as bullying and discrimination, Light
Years presents this space academy as a coming of age story. I
would highly recommend to people struggling with issues regarding
discrimination, bullying, or relationships aged twelve and up.
Despite being set in space, the novel doesn't read much like a
science fiction piece, rather a school drama.
Kayla Gaskell
First Children's Dictionary ed. by Marie Greenwood
Australian Edition. Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 9780143794981
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Subjects: English dictionary. Dorling
Kindersley's First Children's Dictionary is an excellent
resource and reference guide for children, students and families to
use. Introductory sections assist in understanding alphabetical
order, sentence construction and how to use the dictionary. Labels,
diagrams, photos, bold text and whole pages focussed on one topic
make this visually appealing. We view a city scene with a cyclist,
street musician and traffic surrounded by descriptive words filling
the sky in a range of fun fonts, just right to investigate.
Fireworks blast and flash across the Entertainment page and
industrial robots, surveillance drones and high-tech humanoid robots
are surrounded by descriptive nouns, verbs and phrases in the 'R'
section.
The editors have included a broad range of words including both
familiar language and new topics to extend the reader's vocabulary.
This dictionary is clearly set out for younger children with a
simple definition and explanation included in a sentence. Colourful
images, half page photo spreads and three columns per page, bold
guide words and alphabetical order on the page edges make this an
interesting reference tool. Spelling tips, Writing and punctuation
tools, Maths facts and figures, Animal Families and a world map are
included as additional points of interest.
With more than 400 entries and 800 illustrations this First
Children's Dictionary is a constructive guide for families and
students in the early years. A beneficial introduction to grammar,
spelling tips and a useful resource for creative writing.
Rhyllis Bignell
Uncle Gobb and the plot plot by Michael Rosen
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408873946
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Nonsense. Malcolm's new problem
presents itself immediately - in the middle of the night in fact.
Mum and Malcolm, aided to a small degree by his nose genie, discover
Uncle Gobb gearing up to turn his Dread Shed into a school for
'important facts and rich knowledge'.
Perhaps because this is a post fact world, for which Uncle Derek
Gobb is not equipped, his plot (both his plan and the name of the
land near the school) do not gain traction even with the help of his
own genie, disguised as Fred Shed. Will Malcolm's disenchanted and
grumpy Uncle Gobb succeed in opening the Dread Shed School next to
Malcolm's school?
The anachronistic Uncle Gobb makes an hilarious comeback in this
series that began with The Dread Shed and The Green Heads.
Neal Layton's charcoal comics and key words complement Michael
Rosen's narrative anarchy in that familiar way of a father
constructing a nonsensical story off the cuff to delight a child at
bed time.
In this manner, sometimes Rosen makes sense and sometimes not. There
is no fourth wall to suspend disbelief and no apologies made when
events or motives are incredible. All's well, because Malcolm's
mental meanderings and two witty weasels commenting on Rosen's text,
teach young readers a great deal about the art of constructing a
narrative.
As with much of Michael Rosen's work, Uncle Gobb and the Plot
Plot is partially recorded on his youtube channel. Visit https://youtu.be/pRxi6_XBaNk
to hear those early chapters read by the oddball author himself -
plus flashbacks of Spike Milligan for unwitting grandparents.
Deborah Robins
The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid book 13. Penguin, 2018. ISBN
9780143309352
(Age: 8-12) Themes: Friendship, Competition, Community Life, Climate
Change. Jeff Kinney's popular series returns in the thirteenth
instalment The Meltdown. Greg Heffley's diary focuses on the
huge winter storm that results in heavy snow falls and school
closures. When Greg's mom forces him to play outside, it's time for
epic snowball fights, neighbourhood battles and plenty of fun.
Greg's self-deprecating diary entries help the reader see the world
through his eyes, with humorous asides and plenty of family and
school drama. Greg's imagination is fun to read, thinking about how
cold his ancestors were because they didn't have thermal underwear
and even sheltering in his Gramma's basement and having to wear her
clothes. Kinney's cartoon illustrations add to the fun as well,
there's snow boots melted to the fireplace, epic snowball battles
and pizza box snowshoes. The diary contains comments about the
effects of climate change, the final cartoon shows cyborg Greg
playing cards with a robot as an atom bomb explodes outside the
window.
Greg's diary begins in January, which is unseasonably warm. His
brain is fried and he's forgotten to write his International
Showcase country project owing to the heat from the school furnace
frying his brain! At home things are always interesting: mom's no
screens on the weekends force Greg out into his neighbourhood to
play. Surrey Street is fraught with danger, problems with neighbours
and the upper and lower sections constantly at war with each other.
February brings heavy snowfalls and school closures that sees an
epic snowball fight complete with snow forts, flags and kids who
collaborate to bring the other side down. There's even an
entrepreneurial neighbour, Mitchell Pickett, who's selling pre-made
snowballs, icicles, snowball launchers and sloppy specials to all
the participants. Fortification and castle building add interest to
Greg's diary entries.
Fans of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will enjoy The
Meltdown; it delivers all the wry humour, funny situations and
social commentary they enjoy.
Rhyllis Bignell
We are together by Britta Teckentrup
Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848576582
'On our own we're special, And we can chase our dream.
But when we join up, hand in hand, Together we're a team.'
This is the message of this story - the power of one, but the
even greater power of many. Starting with being content with
one's own company flying a kite, it grows to embrace others in our
lives, known or not-yet, so whether it's being caught in a storm or
being passionate about a cause, the support and strength found in
the love and friendship of others alongside us is cause for joy and
celebration.
If ever we're lonely, we'll just say out loud: Let's all stand
together, one big happy crowd!
The cover is intriguing with cutouts peeking through to just two of
the children on the stunning endpapers showing children of all
nationalities and ethnicities, and as each page is turned the
cutouts increase revealing an ever-widening circle of children
capturing the innate way they have of making friends regardless of
any external differences.
It provides an opportunity to talk about not only receiving a
helping hand but also extending one, valuing and sharing the things
we do well personally while respecting and trying the things others
can do. It emphasises that while we are individuals, humans are also
dependent on others - no man is an island - and that co-operation,
collaboration and company are essential elements of our well-being.
Barbara Braxton
Mutiny on the Bounty by Peter Fitzsimons
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733634116
(Age: Senior students - Adult) Recommended. Mutiny on the Bounty
tells the amazing story of strong personalities, intrigue and high
adventure in the South Pacific.
Captain William Bligh was appointed to take his ship and crew, to
the island paradise, Tahiti, where they were to collect breadfruit
for transplanting in the West Indies. After five months of carefree
living the crew was reluctant to leave. William Bligh's changed
behaviour towards and eventual persecution of his protege, the
popular leader, Fletcher Christian, resulted in the crew mutiny and
the banishment of Bligh and 18 others to an open boat. In a
remarkable feat of navigation and endurance the small boat was
navigated to Timor. Meanwhile, Fletcher Christian sailed back to
Tahiti. The mutineers were well aware that they would be wanted men.
Most remained on Tahiti but Christian and eight compatriots along
with Tahitian men and women sailed off in search of a secret hiding
place. Eventually they discovered Pitcairn Island, where they
proceeded to settle, populate, quarrel and murder.
Peter Fitzsimmonds has based his book (613 pages) on the work of
earlier researchers, and detailed quotes from primary sources such
as Bligh's logbook. Incidents are flavoured through diary notes
converted to conversation and assumed thoughts or motivations
discussed during the main developments. The ship and settings are
described in detail with drawings, pictures and maps to support the
narrative. Suspense is maintained through simultaneous accounts of
the actions by both factions in different parts of the world. Some
readers might take issue with the accuracy of the accounts of the
mayhem on Pitcairn Island. However, the author gives a strong
flavour of how events probably occurred. An amazing story that is
still gripping over two hundred years later.
Paul Pledger
Helen Oxenbury: A life in illustration by Leonard S. Marcus
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406357943
(Age: 11-Adult) Highly recommended. What a joy it was to discover
this fascinating account of the life of Helen Oxenbury, written in
an easy to read manner by Marcus, a distinguished children's
literature critic. From the very beginning when the reader glimpses
a rich brown red door at the top of the stairs, then is shown all
the accoutrements of an artist, brushes, pens and crayons, it is
evident that this is a book to be savoured and treasured, one to
share with other people who love art and with children who have
adored the illustrations in many of Helen Oxenbury's books.
The book is divided into spans of years, giving information about
Helen's childhood and early training as an artist in the period from
1938-1957, then the book is divided into decades following the
important events of her life. It is illustrated with beautiful
photographs that bring Helen to life for the reader as well as
containing many gorgeous illustrations from her books. Anyone who
has been involved with reading to young children will recognise the
wonderful pictures from We are going on a bear hunt, to Ten
little fingers ten little toes and will be filled with
nostalgia for the lovely times of reading aloud and sharing these
books. Helen's understanding and love for children is evident in her
delightful drawings of toddlers and babies and her empathy for young
mothers is also very obvious.
It is easy to read the book from cover to cover as Helen's life and
the growth of the publishing industry is described. And it is also
wonderful to let the pages just drop open to see what gorgeous
illustration might appear.
This beautifully designed book is a fascinating biography of a very
warm and talented illustrator and one that could grace any home
where art is valued, while being a valuable addition to any library.
A video is available.
Pat Pledger
The librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
Translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites. Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN
9781250217677
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Historical fiction. Based on a true story,
this novel recounts the life of Dita, a 14 year old Jewish Czech
girl, sent with her mother and father by the Nazis in Prague, first
to the Jewish ghetto of Terezin, and then to the Auschwitz
extermination camp. There, in Block 31, she becomes the librarian,
guardian of a secret library of eight books, a strange assortment
that has been secreted into the camp one by one: there is an atlas,
a book of geometry, H. G. Wells' history of the world, a Russian
grammar, a French novel, a Russian novel, Freud's treatise on
psychoanalytic therapy and a disreputable Czech publication The
adventures of the good soldier Svejk. The books are forbidden,
and they become the most valuable link with another world, the world
of literature and education. Dita literally guards them with her
life.
Life in Auschwitz is miserable and fearful. The school that their
inspirational leader Fredy Hirsch has set up in Block 31 is
threatened at any moment by discovery by the Nazis. The cruel and
heartless Dr Josef Mengele has Dita in his sights, he is tracking
her every move. Afraid, Dita doesn't know who to trust - is it truly
as the eccentric Professor Morgenstern says, your best friend is
only yourself?
Despite all the horrors she experiences, Dita is a survivor, and in
this story Iturbe captures her unique spirit, her courage in the
face of the worst evils, and her determination not to be beaten. The
book includes other truly brave people, a reminder of the strengths
of ordinary people living in the worst of times.
In the end this is an uplifting book, a reminder of the importance
of literature and ideas, and of empathy and shared human experience.
Young readers and adults would equally enjoy it.
Helen Eddy
The golden tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Magisterium book 5. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9780552567756
(Age: 10-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Coming of age. Magic. The
final book in the series, The golden tower brings to an end
the adventures of Callum Hunt as he navigates his way through the
corridors of his school, the Magisterium. Callum has had a hard time
battling chaos, evil and the mage Constantine Madden and in this
book he is faced with the even more difficult task of stopping Alex
from manipulating the Magisterium for his own evil ends.
This book is a satisfying conclusion to the series. Callum is still
battling the distrust of his fellow school mates, but he resists the
urge to take off with Alistair, his father, and hide. Instead he
works with Tamara and Aaron to bring down Alex and make his world a
better place. Callum and his friends have to work together as a team
and share problem solving techniques for the good of the community.
The growth of his maturity and that of his colleagues is evident as
events that are difficult to control take over the life of the
school.
This was a fast paced story with enough action to keep the reader
engrossed. It is a series that primary school children who like
fantasy are likely to enjoy.
Pat Pledger
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760559922
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) Recommended. With a story that is based on
the deep and abiding love of a family, this book plunges us deeply
into the world of the Carey family in a Melbourne suburb near one of
the great horse racing tracks. The five sons are educated at the
local school, but their home education is deeply embedded in the
Greek classics, with even their pets being named after the great
Greek heroic figures. This is a story that packs an enormous punch,
just as the boys do so often in their home, even though they are
surrounded by love and care. The book is suitable for older
adolescents, and certainly is a great read for adults.
Zusak has chosen a storyline that takes the reader through the years
of the boys youth, through the loss of their mother to illness,
their father's occasional abandonment, their loving care of their
somewhat unusual pets, and the animals that are ever-present in
their lives, especially the mule. All the names of the animals
represent the qualities that the boys attribute to their furry
friends, and this is the key to their shared set of values and
beliefs that holds them together when their mother dies and their
father appears to abandon them.
Choosing to weave his story deep in the suburbs of Melbourne, Zusak
takes us back and forth in time so that we have to construct the
storyline as we work to place each chapter in its right time. When
their father leaves them, after his wife's death, the boys fight and
play, read and build, but never stop supporting each other and find
ways to cope, in their inimitable style. The father is not a bad
figure but is grieving so deeply that he cannot stay with his sons.
Yet they forgive him!
Place matters in this text, and the story is set in different places
that re-appear throughout the narrative. We get to know The
surrounds, the bridge over the deep valley that they work to
construct, the racetrack and the racing horses, and the animals'
shelters at home. Clay's bridge, the shelters for the animals, their
home, the race track and local area are all deeply reflective of
this family. The mixing-up of the timeline appears to be reflective
of the more important issue of the deep and abiding love they share,
and of their memory of a loving mother who educated them in the best
of the ancient Greek values, of loyalty, goodness, and generosity,
all in the face of almost constant threats of disaster. This is a
long story, and is one that needs concentration to build its place
in time, and yet it is utterly captivating. It is hard to put down,
to let the boys go when the end comes, but we leave them with a deep
feeling of gratitude that although we have spent so much time with
them, we are sad that the narrative has ended. It is hard to believe
that this is not a true story, and it is likely that we might well
posit its essential truths as pertinent to our being human, and be
all the better as people for having read this wonderful novel. Bridge of Clay is suitable for adolescent and adult reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
Giraffe problems by Jory John
Ill. by Lane Smith. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383164
(Age: 5-8) Themes: Differences, Individual Characteristics. The book
begins with Edward the giraffe telling us his problem: 'I feel bad
about my neck. I do. I can't help it. It's too long. Too bendy . . .
Too . . . necky.' He tell us all the ways he has tried to hide it or
dress it up. All the other animals seem to have glorious, perfect
necks. But his makes him want to hide until the sun sets. His tirade
of self-loathing is just ending when he accidentally rests his
cumbersome neck on a turtle. Cyrus the turtle then begins telling
Edward about his own neck problems: 'I've been admiring your neck
from afar. Oh, how I wish my neck looked like yours! I'd get so much
done in a day'. And so he continues on his own little tirade. The
story is told with dry humour, making fun of their extreme vanity
and how focused they are on their own problem. The funniest part of
the book is when turtle tells us, using very descriptive
story-telling, of how he has waited for a week under a banana tree
for a piece of fruit to fall to the ground so he could 'sample its
sweetness and nourish myself in the process'. 'You want a banana
from a tree?' says Edward. 'That's what I said, yes'. Plunk, down
one comes. So, Cyrus praises Edward's neck and Edward waxes lyrical
about Cyrus's neck and they dress themselves up with bowties. 'I
feel good about our necks, Edward'. 'Thank you, Cyrus. For once, so
do I. Yes, for once, so do I . . . '
Lane Smith (It's a Book, The Stinky Cheese Man) has
used textured illustrations which are perfectly suited to the
animals and natural setting within this story and the
character-driven narrative. The colours used are mostly earthy
browns, yellows and greens. The reader can tell which animal is
speaking because of their individualised text style and colour; this
is a clever technique and it is always clear who is speaking, if not
from the content or placement within the picture then from the
typeface. This has a nice moral about accepting ourselves as we are
and celebrating what makes us unique. It is also about recognising
difference and how we can make use of those differences to work
together.
Nicole Nelson
The bee book Charlotte Milner
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241305188
Recommended. Bees have been an essential and integral part of life on the planet
for over 100 million years - even pre-dating the dinosaurs - and
about 20 000 different species can be found all around the world.
While some bees are large, others small, some can cook and the
original name of the much-loved bumblebee was 'dumbledore', the most
famous is the honey bee and this amazing new book focuses on this
species as it explores all aspects of its life and why it is so
important to the survival of humans.
Packed with easily accessible information and eye-catching
illustrations, this is the ideal book to show young children how
critical bees are within the environment as they, along with other
insects, are responsible for about a third of everything we eat! As
well as emphasising their importance, there is also a warning about
their decline in numbers and the potential for catastrophe if that
happens. There are suggestions for how we can assist their
longevity, including building a simple bee motel (although I cheated
and bought one) with more detailed instructions available here.
With Christmas approaching, and Miss 12 and Miss 7 growing beyond
toys and stuff, this book, and a copy of this year's winner of the
CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers, How
to bee because they seem like natural companions, as
well as the bee motel will make a somewhat different gift, but one
which will inspire them!
A must for school libraries and fascinating and informative for
those with an interest in the environment.
Barbara Braxton
Guinness World Records: Wild Things ed. by Craig Glenday
Guinness World Records, 2018. ISBN 9781912286485
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Animals, Records, Zoology, Mammals,
Reptiles, Insects. Wild Things is jam-packed with an array
of amazing animal facts, records, achievements, oddities and
dangerous creatures. Split into 9 chapters, the book includes
information about Odd Bods, The Cute Factor, Creepy Crawlies and
Zootopia. Catchy titles, fun facts and figures, close-up photos,
bold visually appealing double page spreads make this a fun book to
share with animal lovers from eight to eighty!
Beginning with Booty and the Beast, it is filled with fun facts and
photos. Discover the female mandrill who displays her
rainbow-coloured butt as a sign of status, the trapdoor spider's
manhole butt and the manatees that use their digestive gas as a
flotation device! Compare mammal statistics, while the blue whale
weighs in around 190 tonnes, the tiny bumblebee bat from Burma and
Myanmar weighs up to two grams. In Little and Large a life-size
Indian rusty-potted cat leaps out, growling with pointed teeth. A
new wild cat species, the southern Brazilian oncilla, was only
recognised in 2013.
Australasia is On the Map; test your knowledge with thirty-three
unusual animals to identify and fun facts to discover. Did you know
the New Zealand tuatara is the fastest-evolving animal in the world?
Conservationists, including Dr Jane Goodall, Bindi and Rob Irwin and
Nisha Owen, provide interesting insights into their passions, work
and environmental messages.
Trading cards filled with animal facts, charts for animal height and
weight and short quiz questions across the bottom of some pages
capture interest and make for interesting conversations. An
augmented reality app in Creepy Crawlies adds an animated insect
screen to a phone. Guinness World Records: Wild Things is an
excellent resource for STEM classes, a fabulous addition to a
classroom or school library and for a scientifically minded reader
from eight to eighty.
Rhyllis Bignell
Of blood and bone by Nora Roberts
Chronicles of The One book 2. Piatkus, 2018. ISBN
9780349414980
(Age: Adult - 16+) Dystopian fiction. Pandemics. Coming of age.
Roberts continues with her compulsive series, writing as always in a
very readable style with great characters. The first book Year
One introduced many characters and the second in the series
carries on with the story of Lana's daughter, Fallon Swift, who has
reached the age of 13 on the farm where her mother had taken refuge
with Simon, an ex-soldier turned farmer. With her gifts beginning to
mature it is time to learn how to fight for good. She is taken away
from the family farm by Mallick to be trained as a warrior and
gifted healer as she has been identified as The One, the girl of
Light who would fight against the forces of the Dark and lead her
peoples to victory.
Fallon is an engaging character, showing all the signs of a young
adolescent, but under the guidance of Mallick, she takes up the
heavy burden that has been given to her and trains very hard and
studies intensively, to be worthy of the gifts that she has been
given.
Readers will follow her coming of age with interest and will be
happy to return to the community of New Hope and find out what
happened to characters first introduced in Year One. Roberts always
has strong family ties and relationships underpinning her stories
and Fallon's feelings for her family and her dead family are handled
deftly and sympathetically. There is a hint of romance to come with
growing feelings between her and Duncan, who has appeared to her in
dreams as a grown man, and the love between Lana and Simon is a
highlight of the story.
Battle scenes and devastated countryside bring the dystopian world
to life and Roberts manages to combine a world devastated by a virus
with elves, fairies and people who have extraordinary paranormal
gifts in an unusual and believable way. There is a surprise twist at
the end and the reader is left hoping for the next book in the
series to find out how Fallon and her compatriots deal with the
forces of evil.
Pat Pledger
Mince spies by Mark Sperring
Ill. by Sophie Corrigan. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893463
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Competition. When
all the Christmas goodies: gingerbread men, Christmas sticks,
puddings, yule logs and so on, fall to the floor in the supermarket,
something must be done. The super spies, Mince Spies come jetting in
to unravel the mystery.
Told in verses, children will love predicting the next word in each
line, as the Mince Spies do some sleuthing around the supermarket to
find the culprit. With their flaky pastry jetpacks they hide within
the shelves, waiting. But time moves slowly until their walkie
talkies come to life, and they fall to the floor with their cheesy
breadsticks and whipped cream cans at the ready. Imagine their
surprise when they find that the Brussel Sprouts are working
together to rid the shelves of all the Christmas goodies, throwing
them to the floor with abandon. Readers will laugh out loud at the
antics of the Sprouts and sympathise with their reasoning. But
someone else must come and help with a solution, and Santa himself
appears. All is neatly resolved, and the readers will be happy at
the way the sprouts are appeased.
Told in verse form, supported with funny, detailed illustrations the
story will have readers laughing out loud at the antics of the Mince
Spies and Sprouts, as they almost come to blows over what is eaten
at Christmas. Children will love reprising the sorts of goodies they
have at this time of the year, and wonder at a winter Christmas
where Sprouts are served.
Fran Knight
