Atlantic Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786494955
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Crime, Elizabethan England,
Medicine, Superstition, Childbirth, Women, London. Steeped in the
life and times of the later years of Elizabethan England, this story
of the investigation into bodies found with an upside crucifix
carved into them will have the readers enthralled. Nicholas Shelby,
an aspiring physician at a time when doctors used medicinal herbs to
deal with the most advanced of diseases, and where surgery was
undertaken by the local butcher, loses his faith when his wife dies
in childbirth. Unable to cope with a god that allows this to happen,
and made very aware of the limits of his knowledge, he falls into a
stunning decline, to the point where he throws himself into the
Thames. Saved by a young woman, a tavern owner called Bianca, he
realises after a few weeks that she has been using medicines that he
has only read about. Eventually the two are able to share
information, Bianca having a vast knowledge from her time spent as a
child in Padua, where both men and women practise medicine. But here
in London she must take care, women such as she are burnt as
witches, any fool wanting to cause trouble able to make an
accusation.
But Nicholas saw the body of a child dragged from the river,
emblazoned with the carving and he knows that it was not a drowning,
as certified by the coroner.
When he sees another with the same disfigurement, he and Bianca set
out to find an answer. But their lives are interrupted by Robert
Cecil, a master spy, doing the Queen's business rooting out Catholic
conspiracies, and when Shelby plans a visit to the house of John
Lumley, Cecil forces him to spy.
With Spain meddling in England's affairs, and the queen not as
strong as she once was, plots abound as people vie for power, making
this is a riveting historical read. Descriptions of London's streets
form an amazing backdrop, the descriptions of palaces and luxury
just as beguiling, while the two main characters set against these
impossible times evoke our sympathies as they rail against injustice
and coercion. The stunning conclusion brings all of these themes
together in a most intriguing way, making sure the second in the
series, The serpent's mark to be released in June 2019, is
watched for.
Fran Knight
Disney ideas book by Elizabeth Dowsett
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241314210
Whether it's 101 Dalmatians, Coco, The Little
Mermaid, Mickey Mouse or Tangled, every child
has a favourite Disney movie, and in this super-sized activity book
there are projects to accompany more than 50 of them!
Listed firstly by the type of project and then by the movie, young
readers can easily find their favourite and soon find themselves
making Elsa's sparkly cape, Buzz Lightyear's Wings, Cinderella's
pumpkin carriage, Belle's book garland or even doing the boogie with
Baloo. Each activity is related to a character from the movie, has a
list of the equipment needed, if any, and clear step-by-step
instructions so that young readers can follow the steps
independently. There are templates, tips, tricks and explanations
and the typical DK layout makes it accessible to all ages and
abilities, although some may need adult assistance.
Each activity provides a procedural text to follow, which could be
used as a model for students to create their own, while others like
the parachuting soldiers from Toy Story offer science to be explored
and explained.
With so many activities, this one book could form the basis of your
STEM and craft curriculum for the year, while being the perfect
addition to the family entertainment library as the long summer
holidays loom. No computer screens required!
Barbara Braxton
Harry Potter - Creatures: A Paper Scene Book by Warner Bros
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781526605849
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Art. Fans of the Harry
Potter world will be thrilled with this very handsome volume
featuring the fantasy world and dark creatures of the Black Lake,
the Forbidden Forest and the dragons of the Triwizard Tournament.
There are four fascinating paper cut-out dioramas showing the
strange creatures from the films that readers will be find
themselves poring over. Some will be a tad frightening like the
strange merpeople in the Black Lake all coloured in blue black with
a slightly paler blue or the dementors in Dark Creatures, coloured
in paper of the deepest purple. All have Harry Potter lurking
somewhere, his distinctive glasses giving a clue to his whereabouts.
The artistry of the dioramas is incredible. The paper cut-out works
are intricate and beautifully produced in deep, dark, rich colours
and each begs to be inspected closely.
The introduction gives an outline of what is in the book and
interspersed between the dioramas is a double page spread describing
the creatures, some of the films' productions and how the creatures
were designed and filmed, all with illustrations and photographs to
stimulate the imagination. The descriptions of how the creatures
were created for the films, using well known myths for some like the
centaurs and the magnificent red dragons or J.K. Rowling's
imagination for the unknown creatures give the readers an in-depth
idea of the creativity of the film-makers.
This will be a delight for all art lovers who will be intrigued by
the intricate work of the dioramas, while fans of the Harry Potter
world will want to have this in their collection.
Pat Pledger
The Princess in black and the science fair scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Ill. by LeUyen Pham. Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763688271
(Age: 5-8.) Recommended. Who says feminists can't be princesses or
wear pink? In this fantasy, Princess Magnolia and her multicultural
sorority of Princesses, have entered the science fair. All of the
impressive science projects seem to have outshone her own project -
a poster titled, 'How Seeds Grow into Plants'. But the source of
Magnolia's anxiety is Tommy Wigtower's talking volcano. Tommy has
inadvertently created a potentially dangerous goo monster, which
eats Magnolia's poster and proceeds to disrupt the science fair.
Princess Magnolia and Princess Sneezewort, in the guises of Princess
in Black and Princess in Blankets, are joined by Princesses
Honeysuckle, Orchid, and Snapdragon who help control the monster by
relocating him to a bigger home. By the end of their adventure, all
of the Princesses want alter-egos.
It's a struggle to contain the monster finally, but these burgeoning
multiracial feminists are gracious in defeat and genuine in their
praise of the Science Fair winner, vowing to try harder next time.
Both mums and daughters will find that despite cute, Disney styled
illustrations, Volume 6 of the Princess in Black series
continues to place valour ahead of vanity and smarts ahead of glass
slippers.
Deborah Robins
LEGO Super Heroes Visual Dictionary by Elizabeth Dowsett and Arie Kaplan
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241320037
Since 2006 when it first released its Batman-themed sets, LEGO, a
contraction of leg godt which means 'play well' in Danish, have
offered fans construction sets related to the popular superheroes so
they can learn to read and follow instructions and develop their
fine motor skills as they make the intricate models from the movies,
then use their imagination to build new stories and adventures with
their creations.
This visual guide to the minifigures, vehicles and sets of the
Superhero world offers lots of background information about the
characters culminating in a behind-the-scenes chapter which features
concept art and an interview with the LEGO DC Super Heroes creative
team.
Like its predecessors that have been linked to popular movies and
characters, this is a book that will have young fans poring over it,
talking about what they are discovering, wanting to learn more and
reading to do so - engaging in all those behaviours that show that
print offers them something and that reading for pleasure is a
worthwhile thing to do. Guaranteed to hook young reluctant readers,
appeal to more independent fans and even offer suggestions for the
Christmas stocking as each model has details of its release date,
set number, and the number of pieces and minifigures that come with
it. There is even a Yellow Lantern Batman included!
Barbara Braxton
The Survivors by Kate Furnivall
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471172304
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Kate Furnivall's latest historical
novel is an epic page turner. Klara Janowska is a displaced,
widowed, Polish resistance fighter, awaiting relocation in a
fictional refugee camp in post-war Germany. Graufeld is indeed a
'gray field', an uncertain limbo between the terrors of war and
refugee settlement. It is a dangerous place to be with your 10yr old
daughter, but they are warm and fed, unlike many Germans - that is
until Klara spots a Nazi officer from Warsaw in the camp.
Davide, a fellow survivor and aide to Coloniel Whitmore, is soon
attracted to the feisty Polish woman rescuing her more than once as
her attempts to prevent the menace that Oskar Scholz poses, go awry.
But the pair are not the only people hiding a secret identity and
gradually the details of Klara's survival unfold.
Equally, Alicja, Klara's daughter, is an appealing child who
reciprocates her mother's love by scheming to protect her too.
Klara's friend Hanna the camp laundress, and her son Rafal, are
interesting counterparts to the popular mother and daughter.
Furnivall's edge-of-the-seat narrative, where the main characters
are fully fleshed out by wartime flashbacks, allow us to experience
many recurrences of the duality within each character and between
wholly good or evil characters.
Complete with a 'Great Read Woman's Weekly' sticker, this adult
novel is not merely a 'Mata Hari' type account of survival during
the war. Rather it informs its readers about the conditions
immediately after the second world war - economic circumstances and
political events not nearly as well known. Seniors and staff will
consume this skilfully written wartime mystery.
Deborah Robins
Be the person your dog thinks you are by C.J. Frick
Ill. by Liza Donnelly. Nero, 2018. ISBN 9781760641023
(Age: 8-Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs, Animal-human
relationships, Humour. This fully illustrated little hard back book
is a joy - full of wisdom and humour, it is a volume that can be
returned to again and again to gain insights into both human and dog
behaviour, while getting a feel good vibe and some wise sayings at
the same time.
The book starts with the words
'To be the person your dog thinks you are, you should . . . ' and
continues from there with advice such as 'Be affectionate', 'Make
new friends', 'Celebrate special occasions', 'Be brave'. All are
accompanied by over forty full-colour humorous illustrations by Liza
Donnelly of many different dogs with cute expressions and expressive
ears. I especially liked the illustration of the little pug, with
the words, 'Take the time to make someone smile.' The author and
illustrator of this little book certainly ensured that each of them
was the person their dog thought they were, certainly bringing a
smile to my face. And the illustration that accompanied 'Understand
that life comes with messes' will be appreciated by anyone who
cleans up after a dog.
This is a book that would make an ideal present for any dog lover
and would have a place in a library, being sure to lift the spirits
of anyone who picked it up. It is certainly a book that can be
revisited for sage advice and humorous drawings.
Pat Pledger
This cruel design by Emily Suvada
Mortal coil, book 2. Penguin 2018. ISBN 9780141379289
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Following on from the first book This
mortal coil, This Cruel Design is best read in
sequence as much of the first book is necessary to understanding the
convoluted plot of the second.
Cat might have succeeded in cracking and releasing the vaccine,
however it seems that her problems are far from solved. Bit by bit,
the infamous gene-hacker Jun Bei is coming back, but Cat isn't sure
where the line between her current and past selves belongs. Jun Bei
is vicious and stunningly smart - a potentially lethal combination.
With the vaccine released it seems all that's left to do is secure
Lachlan. Together with Cole and Leoban, Cat intends to apprehend her
father and stop him causing anymore damage. But before they can find
him, the vaccine evolves. With the plague rife again, Cat must do
everything she can to find Lachlan and secure the patched vaccine
before Cartaxus launches flood protocol, wiping out everyone on the
earth's surface to rid the world of the plague.
When reading this novel it was hard to keep track of everything that
was going on. A large part focused on Cat rediscovering her past
with a lot of reckless violence, while the other part held the meat
of the story and all of the action.
Suvada deals with so many interesting ideas in the Mortal Coil
series however This Cruel Design seemed almost too slow and
too rushed in places. I would recommend the series to young people
interested in science and technology aged thirteen and up. There is
a lot of violence in this technological dystopia, yet it is highly
intelligent and thrilling.
Kayla Gaskell
Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
Renegades trilogy, book 2. Pan MacMillan 2018. ISBN
9781760559526
(Age: 12+) Book two in the Renegades
Trilogy, Archenemies allows the trilogy to take shape even
more so than before. As the budding relationship between Nova and
Adrian grows, can they keep their private lives private for much
longer or will the true identities of the Renegades most wanted
Nightmare and Sentential be revealed at last?
Coping with the aftermath of the Detonators death and the revelation
of her uncle's survival, it appears to be more important than ever
for Nova to succeed as a renegade. She is a spy and constantly on
alert for any threat. Yet she is also a decorated Renegade, being
publicly thanked prior to the reveal of a new weapon that will
change everything. A weapon that could strip prodigies of their
powers. Unable to silence her concerns about prodigy rights, Nova
quickly discovers he concerns are shared by other Renegades.
Renegades who don't trust other Renegades to consistently do the
right thing. Will her growing closeness with her team and with
Adrian put her in a compromising position? What does she stand for?
Is she a Renegade, an Anarchist, or neither?
A coming of age superhero story, Meyer presents Nova with a number
of big decisions to make not just about her life, but the lives of
people around her. Nova is in a unique position of power and it is
up to her to determine what the right path forward is not just for
her friends and family, but for the people of Galton City together.
Kayla Gaskell
Moscow Sleepers by Stella Rimington
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408859759
(Age: secondary to adult) Themes: Spying, Cold War, Refugees,
Unaccompanied children, Hacking, Trafficking. Another great
Rimington read exposing the back story to some of the tactics played
out by spying communities around the world, this book is a stunning
thriller as Liz Carlyle, an officer within MI5, tracks the work of
two Russian sleepers in Germany. Irma is the head of a school which
takes in refugee children, but unbeknownst to her husband, Dieter,
she alerts her Russian handlers to the cleverest amongst these
unaccompanied children and they are taken to a school in rural
England where they are ostensibly trained to spot computer hacking,
but what they are really doing is hacking government computers
around the world.
With fingers being pointed at various governments at the moment
about computer hacking, this makes an up-to-the minute read. A
series of seemingly unconnected incidents come together in Liz's
mind as Peggy interviews an older teacher at the school in Suffolk,
dismayed at the way the school is operating, Liz goes to Eastern
Europe to interview a mole whose brother in the Russian military is
offering information, the two in Germany come under suspicion
because of their activities and Bruno McKay is sent to Russia to
recruit the brother. A heart stopping read ensues with many things
being juggled but coming to a neat conclusion, not before Liz must
once again contact Chief Inspector Pearrson as part of her
investigations and their relationship moves forward.
Former head of MI5, Rimington tells a smartly detailed and involving
thriller, steeped in a world she knows inside out. The authenticity
of the background of the tale demands the attention of the reader
and this is readily engaged to the very last page.
Behind the scenes Rimingtin gives a glimpse of the fate of
unaccompanied children, some trying to get to England by themselves,
others losing their families along the way, some used as in this
book by unscrupulous forces to exploit their computing skills, while
Border Force cannot patrol the whole coastline to catch those
attempting to land along the remote Suffolk cast.
Refugees are an issue for many countries, and it is with some relief
that the children in this book are treated at the end with a
generosity of spirit to be admired.
Fran Knight
Whitebeard by M. C. D. Etheridge
Flash Knight, 2018. ISBN 9780648359005
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Pirates, Christmas, Fantasy. Whitebeard
is a fantastical mix of pirates, derring-do acts, fights on the High
Seas and has a motley cast of characters with Captain Whitebeard at
the helm. This madcap adventure is fast-paced, overflowing with
Christmas references and plenty of piratical plundering.
Captain Whitebeard is the fiercest pirate on the High Seas, his ship
Rudolph's Revenge is crewed by seven tough men Dasher,
Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, as well as one
feisty female Vixen. Just before Christmas, they use sneaky
disguises to board a Spanish galleon, fight the crew and seize all
the booty, gold and jewellery. Underneath his tough exterior,
Whitebeard shows kindness when he releases the slaves chained up on
board. One of those released is Gretchen the evil witch who uses her
large emerald Green Envy to cast spells and cause major problems.
Compounding their problems even more, is Captain Jack Frost who's
pursuing his archenemy Whitebeard. He lost the sight in one eye
during a ruthless fight. Onboard the Frostbite are twelve
zombified mummies with blades instead of limbs; these Swiss Army
Knives dressed as Swiss Guards are primed to cut down Whitebeard and
his crew.
Etheridge keeps up a fast pace, adding so many side plots, dreams,
poems, sea shanties, extra characters and settings to the mix. The
descriptive narrative is filled with alliteration, tongue twisters -
'powder monkeys trained for peanuts' and 'freebooting French
filibusters'! Be prepared for singing mermaids who've lost their
children and the evil trolls who've captured them ready for a tasty
meal. He includes many festive signs including a special robin who
guides Whitebeard's decisions and a dream of his childhood and first
love Mary who also tells him the right way to live. The author's
historical references jump over two centuries from the Great Fire of
London, to the Age of Pirates and then to optometrists! Olivia Ong's
graphic line drawings add to the drama and excitement of Whitebeard.
Rhyllis Bignell
The next person you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780751571899
(Senior secondary - Adult) Deeply evocative of the anguish we
experience when someone we love dies, this story is constructed as
both a reflection on life and a conversation with those who have
died. Mitch Albom tells the story of one woman, Annie, who is killed
in a freak accident, taking us through her life and the five lessons
that she experiences when she 'meets' five people who were part of
her life on earth.
Definitely unusual and slightly difficult to comprehend at the start
of the novel, this is not so much a story as a treatise on love,
care, generosity, decency and the values that we often overlook in
our busy lives. As Albom delves deeply into the reality of our
tendency to feel guilty when someone dies, so we begin to understand
that what is more relevant to our living on this earth is to
connect, to feel, to think about and to cherish those with whom we
live and those with whom we come into contact. Essentially this book
is about that idea of really connecting with others that enables us
and offers a renewed spirit in ourselves and in those with whom we
spend time, even if it is only a passing meeting or a short time.
Underlying the narrative is the feeling of guilt that pursues the
soul of those whose actions have caused the death of others, be it
strangers or loved family members. Moving between this temporal life
and that one he proposes as the spiritual life of heaven, Albom
positions us to see accidents from the survivor's point of view as
well as that of the ones who died. At its heart is that notion of
the incredible capacity of people to forgive others, and he proposes
that those who cannot forgive themselves suffer enormously. Hence we
are led to see the ending of a life and Albom's proposition of the
idea of 'heaven' as a simple concept. He writes of the value and
quality of what we offer others as intensely precious. Indeed, his
proposition is that the soothing balm of loving forgiveness heals
the pain of those who have hurt others.
Whether or not his afterlife reflects a possible life after death,
this little story posits the notion of loving kindness when fate
causes death. It proposes a connection between this world and
another, the 'afterlife', and this author asserts the inestimable
value of forgiveness as an act of goodness that has the capacity to
heal even the most damaged soul.
Elizabeth Bondar
Timmy Failure: It's the end when I say it's the end by Stephan Pastis
Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406382785
(Age: 9-12) Themes: Detectives, Film production, Fathers, Sons.
Stephan Pastis concludes his madcap Timmy Failure series
with this seventh novel It's the end when I say it's the end.
Timmy's acerbic comments, unusual outlook on life, ever-present
polar bear and his quirky class mates will be missed by the fans.
The young detective's narrative is humorously delivered; his take on
his school, life, family and his polar bear's problems are unique,
as is his mastery of the English language. Total, Timmy's polar and
detective partner is sadly missing his younger brother Timmy. After
a solar eclipse that Timmy decides is a sign from the gods, they
quit their detective business. They focus on sending faxes across
the globe in search of the missing polar bear. (Why didn't they
email?)
Meanwhile, Timmy's teacher assigns the class a movie-making project
and he's the script writer. Of course, he writes the epic story of
his life, from birth to the highs and lows of his investigator
business. New student Tom John John is chosen to direct the movie
and there are definite creative differences, location, actors and
actions, even a kissing scene with Corinna Corinna.
Timmy's father comes back into his life, he's working as a
bartender, not an international spy as Timmy hoped. Their
relationship is tenuous, his father doesn't know how to parent Timmy
and his son places demands on his father that are unacceptable. He
also wants to set some of the movie scenes in the bar which causes
problems. When the greatest script ever written disappears, Timmy's
life is turned upside down. How he manages to juggle all of the
difficult situations leads to some very funny scenes. There are
secrets hidden in a storage locker, family dramas with his Mum and
new Husband Dave, a family Christmas party with his quirky relatives
and encounters with some old enemies.
'Greatness Never Ends' gives the reader pause for thought, this
quote begins the final chapter in Timmy Failure's journey. Stephen
Pastis brings the series to a close with his usual flair. Fans who
love this unique character aren't ready to say goodbye. Comic book
illustrator Pastis has a penchant for the dramatic, with his graphic
diary style format, humourous scenes and snapshots of Timmy's
unusual life.
Rhyllis Bignell
We are young by Cat Clarke
Quercus Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786540058
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. An engaging and enthralling novel
exploring family, friendships, loss, change and above all, the
importance of seeking help when you need it. The same night that
seventeen-year-old Evan's mother marries local radio DJ 'Breakfast
Tim', Tim's son Lewis is found unconscious and badly injured; the
sole survivor of a car crash that took three other lives. While
Lewis is fighting for his life, the media points the blame towards
Lewis, claiming he is a drug dealer, despite no evidence, while
simultaneously presenting the three victims as angels. Determined to
find out the truth, while also clearing her new stepbrother's name,
Evan seeks out the help of her recovering alcoholic father, Harry,
an investigative journalist and together they dig deep, but soon
find that 'the deeper you dig, the darker it gets.'
Cat Clarke provides authentic and relatable characters facing great
challenges in an unapologetic manner; the entire novel feels real
and unabashedly so. The story keeps the reader engaged from cover to
cover and has an impact that isn't easily forgotten. Clarke's
ultimate message is a vital one, and as important now as ever: if
you are struggling with mental health issues, seek help. And if
you're not, check on your friends. This is complete with resources
provided at the back of the book: 'if you are affected by any of the
issues in this book'. Note: Includes topics such as suicide, drug
use, domestic violence, allusions to sexual assault/violence, sex,
death, alcoholism and general violence. Not suitable for younger
readers.
Daniella Chiarolli
The universe is expanding and so am I by Carolyn Mackler
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408897041
(Age: 12+) Recommended. This book is the sequel to The Earth, my
butt, and other big round things however, it could be read as
a stand alone. Virginia is the third child in a family of achievers
and she feels like the odd one out. Her older sister is away serving
with the Peace Corp and helping the underprivileged and her older
brother is a popular good looking College boy. Both of her parents
are successful and they live in a beautiful apartment in New York
with a holiday house in the country. The whole family is into health
and fitness, except Virginia. She is overweight, her first (and
only) boyfriend is called 'Froggy' and she is not in the popular
crowd at her exclusive Manhattan school.
Virginia is looking forward to summer break, spending time with her
best friend and doing work experience at her dad's office when
things start to spiral downwards. Her best friend Shannon is now
going away with her parents and can't do work experience after all,
her brother gets arrested and her sister comes home with a secret,
just to name a few disasters. There is madness all around her and
she feels like she is being left in the background. Her parents are
consumed with Byron's arrest and impeding court case and her
sister's homecoming and Virginia feels like an afterthought in the
family.
While all this mayhem is going on around her, Virginia finds an
escape with a new boy she meets at the bagel store (a prohibited
item in her mum's eyes) and suddenly Virginia feels like the summer
holiday isn't lost after all. This new friendship isn't without its
complications but Virginia does her best to keep life simple in a
world of madness around her.
I really enjoyed this book and I will now read The Earth, my
butt, and other big round things. I would recommend this story
to those who love an easy contemporary story and the issue arising
from Byron's arrest is written in a non-confronting manner.
Recommended for 12+
Gerri Mills
