The notorious Jackson Lamb, head of Slough House and its retinue of failed spies, has left the building. An unheard of event, he never works in the field, but an old working partner has turned up dead on a bus in Oxford, and Lamb sees this as a trail the old spy was leaving for him to follow. Playing by London Rules, Lamb is cautious in who he trusts. Dickie Bow was a clever streetwalker, known for his excellent tracking skills and sniffing things out. His impeccable sense of purpose has Lamb doing things he has not done for years, so convinced is he that Dickie’s death is not random or meaningless.
Meanwhile Spider Webb has asked for two of the Slow Horses to protect a Russian oligarch who is meeting Webb in London. Webb is convinced that a dialogue with this man will win him friends both in the MI5 precinct and at Whitehall. River leaves to follow Lamb and the trail left by Bow. He comes across an Oxford airfield used during World War Two and now seeing action again. River tracks the assailants but realises that he is being followed, and finds himself amidst a series of explosions.
The small town by the airfield is not all that it seems, and as the visit by the wealthy oligarch draws near, some of the town’s occupants are activated. Back in London, Richard Ho the tech expert at Slough House is uncovering a web of deceit, and all of this is linked to the Stop the City campaign currently placing London in gridlock.
This complex novel, full of wonderful characters, and a tightly controlled plot had me listening again to make sure all the threads were secured. I loved it, and now on Number three, expect my evenings will be well spent for months to come.
Dead Lions won the 2013 CWA gold dagger! (unsurprisingly).
University of Queensland Press, 2024. ISBN: 9780702266218. (Age:7+) Recommended.
Leo and Ralph have been best friends since Ralph flew down from one of Jupiter's moons to join him on Earth. But when the family is set to move to a small country town, Mum and Dad think it's a perfect time to leave Ralph behind. How can he possibly say goodbye to his security blanket and can he make a real friend? The timeline of the story jumps around a little as the prologue introduces us to Leo as he says goodbye to Ralph and then goes back in time to when Leo was five and first met Ralph. It explains his failed attempts to make friends and his life with Ralph until Grade 3. The story normalises the idea of imaginary friends; Leo is even aware that he is the only one that can see Ralph and the people around him, while accommodating, acknowledge that Ralph is imaginary.
Leo is a young boy with a HUGE imagination and a love of space. He has invented a whole world in the sky and enveloped himself in it to help him deal with how different he feels to all the other children he knows. 'As soon as Ralph arrived, school became less scary, the grown-ups stopped worrying and Leo had the friend of his dreams. He didn't want to go back to the way things were'. The story hints at Leo's neurodivergence. The teacher always has to repeat things because his mind is wandering, Leo speaks slowly and doesn't feel like the other children. He also feels physically different, speaking of himself as small and slow. An alien from outer space is exactly how he feels amonst his peers. 'He didn't know what game, or how many games were taking place. Couldn't grasp the phrases they shouted at each other...The playground is too busy, too fast'. His parents are calm and responsive and he is blessed with teachers who all support him despite all being very different.
At the new school, it is Ralph who helps Leo make a new friend and helps Leo to realise that he no longer needs him. After all, he is the one helping himself, not really Ralph. This would make a great classroom read aloud and is perfect for putting in the hands of those children who feel different or who have trouble finding a sense of belonging and giving them hope that they too will find the perfect friend eventually. Teacher's notes are available.
South Australian author Mike Lucas, whose first YA novel What We all Saw was shortlisted for the Readings Book Prize 2022, CBCA Book of the Year Award 2023, and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award 2023, has again written an outstanding story. The complex plot with stories within stories, the powerful setting, the vast array of strong characters - both good and evil - are all carefully constructed to provide readers with an absorbing narrative.
The story begins in 1811 with the Brothers Grimm travelling the land to collect stories from the oldest storytellers. It is in the telling of some of these quite dark and cruel stories that the magic and mystery becomes apparent. When the youngest of the three Grimm brothers goes missing, with his two older brothers having no memory of him, the seed has been skilfully sown for what takes place throughout One By One They Disappear.
The next few chapters alternate between 1938 to 1942, where young Hannah Ginsberg and her parents are subjected to the growing hatred of the Jewish Race. Forced into hiding in Stuttgart 1941 with the Meyers, a brave non-Jewish family, Hannah and her parents spend almost a year in dark, damp basement. When Stuttgart is bombed by the allies in 1942, Hannah finds herself recovering in hospital alone, with her only possession a book of Grimms Tales with the name Sofia written inside. In order to escape and survive she now must become Sofia and with help from some courageous adults she is taken high into the mountains to the only living relative of the Meyer family. Maud Meyer is austere and somewhat cold, not fond of children but accepts her duty to provide a home in her lodge for her niece Sofia. However, Maud hides deep secrets and is instrumental in keeping Hannah safe.
In the peaceful village Hannah now lives, all is not as it first appears. In the face of growing danger, the friendship between Hannah, Josef and Elias is central to the story as is the huge castle that towers over the village - now home to German soldiers as well as the dreaded SS. Children are disappearing with adults having no memory of them except Heinz Schundel who has drawn images of all the children. Early on in the story Hannah discovers she has a rare ability to leave her body and travel to places and situations to observe from above. Here she gains valuable knowledge of impending events which help her and trusted adults to change the expected outcome.
The devastation and cruelty by Nazi Germany depicted in World War Two is cleverly intertwined around Grimm's fairytales which Hannah realises early on are not really suitable for children. There are strong parallels between the actions of the Nazis and what takes place in some of the tales.
One By One They Disappear is a compelling read with a hint of fantasy that would make an excellent class novel for those year levels studying World War Two.
Themes Magic, Memories, Fairy Tales, World War Two, Tragedy, Friendship, Betrayal, Trust, Missing Children, Fantasy, Bravery.
An eye catching front cover entices all to open the book and see what thank you means. A wonderful exploration of many things in our universe are thanked, encouraging young readers to look again at things in their surrounds and think about what they mean in their lives. What do we owe the sun that brightly shines during the day, why should we thank the moon for night, or the trees, and various colours. Each page offers a different object to be thanked; the child’s boots, his hat, the clouds, the geese, the toothbrush and the bath. Each offers a reason why this is to be thanked, prodding children perhaps to add to why this object is being thanked recalling the importance of this in their lives. Each offers a helping hand to our lives, and children will see that things around us are to be cherished.
The underlying humour is just gorgeous, causing children to laugh with recognition. How can a tooth brush be thanked, they will ask, noting a chore that must be done, but equally seeing it as necessary. On one double page children will laugh at the reason the tyrannosaurus is thanked, and on another his sister is thanked for going in first, and telling him that the water is brilliant.
This inviting book will encourage readers to think about why they should thank something, thanking them for being part of their lives.
The wonderful illustrations are scattered across each page, underlying family and friendships as they sit down for a meal together, or ride a train, jump into the pool, ride a bicycle, play out in the rain, snuggle under a lovely patchwork cover. The vibrant colours are used to highlight aspects of this boy’s life, and the reader will follow his path with his knitted beanie with excitement. Readers will think about the things that are important to them and need to be thanked and acknowledged.
Don’t you love that feeling you get when you discover a new series to read/listen to? I love books about spies, and came across a series of books called Slough House by Mick Herron recently. Now listening to number five, I was surprised to see the first was published in 2010. I must have been asleep.
Slough House is an offshoot of the main building which houses MI5, Regent’s Park. People at Slough House have in the main stuffed up their spying life and are now relegated to the backwaters to scan files, do odd jobs and regret their fate.
A more jaundiced man cannot be conceived, Jackson Lamb is at their head, and his behaviour is crass in the extreme, delighting in voicing poisonous barbs at his co workers. Herron teases out information about the handful of inmates of Slough House, giving us snippets of their back stories, all scarred by their history. Called the Slow Horses by the real spies, each of them would do anything to get back in the game.
So when a boy is kidnapped the assailants promising to behead him on live TV, River Cartwright jumps at the chance to be involved hoping this may lead to his exoneration. River was relocated after a failed training exercise caused the shut down of King’s Cross Station, and he thinks about the mistake he’s been saddled with constantly. He is sure that the other trainee, ‘Spider’ Webb manipulated his demise and having to deal with him again is galling. River and the Slow Horses track the kidnappers, but the clues lead them in an unexpected direction one which sees Min, one of the Slow Horses, killed. And the realisation that it is all for a political stunt leaves the crew with an even nastier feeling towards Regent’s Park.
The characters are all fascinating, voicing frustrations that would leave readers questioning their own easy lives, but finding a lot of sympathy for their plight. From the alcoholic Catherine, the coke snorting Shirley, gambling addict Marcus, and newly partnered Min and Louisa, each of them will evoke sympathy from the readers. A host of other characters who work in Regent’s Park, as well as those in charge, Lamb, Diana Taverner and Ingrid Trelloar, each of the latter having hidden agendas behind the kidnapping event. Plot twists, lots of humour and quick quirky dialogue had me listening on the edge of my seat. A thriller and spy story, told with a lashing of humour, this is a great read and I look forward to the next in the series.
A TV series of Slough House, called Slow Horses is available on Apple TV.
Themes Missing persons, Secret Service.
Fran Knight
Penny draws: A secret adventure by Sara Shepherd
Text Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922790569. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
For fans of Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid comes this new installment in the highly-illustrated Penny Draws series. Penny Draws a Secret Adventure is the third in the series, with a fourth on the way shortly. Sara Shepard is the American author of popular teen series Pretty Little Liars and the Penny Draws series is her first foray into middle grade books. The books are funny but heartfelt with comic style illustrations taking up half of the page space. Written in diary form, Penny writes to her dog Cosmo about her life and feelings. Dry humour abounds and Shepard has a clear understanding of contemporary tween and teen life; the teenage babysitter spends her time on her phone ordering smoothie deliveries and watching Tik Tok. There are also Penny's funny wonderings, such as her musings on the holey plot lines of Charlotte's Web.
Penny is in Grade 5 and has new twin siblings, one of whom will not stop crying. Her mind is taken off the house chaos though when she discovers a treasure map in her attic. The clues lead the group of friends around their community, including the theme park and the school music room and end with them discovering that not everything is as it first appears. The writing style is witty and revolves around Penny's friendship dramas and family life, as well as giving voice to her ever-present self-doubt and lapses in self-confidence. She's a worrier - she even visits the Feelings Teacher (school counsellor) on a regular basis - and is worried because two of her friends are getting closer and have lots of the same interests. There is also the inevitable enemy who turns out to be a friend after all.
Themes Friendship, Family, Anxiety, School Stories.
Although this looks like another LGBQTI+ romance in the vein of Madden's other novels (Anthing but fine, and Take a bow Noah Mitchell) Wrong answers only actually becomes more a celebration of platonic teenage friendship. It is his relationship with his childhood friend CeCe that sees Marco through all the challenges of his life.
Marco is a high-achiever with his sights set on becoming a surgeon, but when it looks like his dreams of studying at Melbourne University are about to be realised, he starts falling apart. He suffers panic attacks when he even begins to think about moving from Ballarat and beginning his biomedical degree. Fortunately for him he is offered an escape from all his worries with the offer of an incredible holiday aboard a cruise ship with his long estranged uncle Renzo.
Thus the fun begins: cruise life is full of dance performances and parties, interspersed with outings to beautiful locations along the Mediterranean Sea. Plus, for Marco, there is instant attraction to hot surfer dude Hunter, a pleasure seeker with a bad reputation.
Madden realistically portrays the struggle of a high-achiever to come to terms with his anxiety about failure; and the fraught relationship with his concerned Italian migrant family is also well-drawn. But it is the up and down relationship with soul-mate CeCe that really pulls at the heart-strings, as they manoeuvre the hurtful but also the tender moments of their friendship.
I liked how this novel did not follow predictable plot lines, and not all the problems in Marco’s life are resolved. He has to learn that there aren’t always answers at the back of the book, life is full of uncertainties, and the best advice is ‘Let life surprise you’.
Lily Halfmoon: The witches' council by Xavier Bonet
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761069727. (Age:7+) Recommended.
This short graphic novel series translated from Spanish with full-colour illustrations will delight young fantasy lovers as there isn't much else in this genre and format for this age group. The second in the series, The Witches Council follows on directly from book number one, Lily Halfmoon: The magic gems and readers will benefit from reading that one first. This installment does have an introduction to Lily and her world for those who haven't read it, but similar to Harry Potter there is a fair bit going on in this witchy world that needs some prerequisite knowledge for full understanding of the story. The story doesn't have chapters but includes interval pages where information about Lily's world is presented (lunar calendar, magical creatures etc.).
Lily is a secret witch and attends a magical school, but her parents don't know yet, despite her little sister Zoe almost spilling the beans on numerous occasions. It is Halloween in the non-witch world but Samhain in the witch world; it's an old tradition where witches gather from all around the world to celebrate and pay respect to ancestors. There is a parade, magic demos and visitors from magic schools all around the world. There is also a mysterious stranger trying to steal her precious moonstone in order to corrupt it and use it for her own benefit. Her and her witch friends are eight and nine years old, so this will appeal to those who love the idea of entering a magical world like Nevermoor or Hogwarts but aren't quite ready to read about them independently.
Themes Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Magical Stories, Witches and Wizards.
Nicole Nelson
A better best friend by Oliver Tallec
Gecko Press, 2024. ISBN: 9781776575732. (Age:4+)
Squirrel is looking for a friend and thinks he has found one in the mushroom in the woods. He sits with the mushroom, Pock and they do things together. He is a better friend than the pinecones which fall from the tree, a friend does not fall from the tree everyday, so a friend when one is found is precious. Squirrel hopefully thinks Pock may become his best friend.
They go for walks in the woods, sheltering under a leaf together when it rains, the little animal showing him all of his favourite places. They shelter together when the leaves fall from the trees, shiver together when snow falls. Pock does not say much but he is always ready to do what his friend does.
When spring arrives, so does a new friend, Moo. He too says very little. Moo shows them all of his favourite places, and they skip stones across the creek, watching the water go by. Squirrel is in a quandary: Moo is good at skipping stones, much better than Pock, while Pock loves the things that he likes, sheltering under a leaf and watching the snow fall. The next morning Gunther arrives, and the problem is solved. He doesn’t say much but the four can all be friends.
This lovely book will be invaluable when younger readers are experiencing problems with their friendship groups. The book shows how we all love to have a friend and a best friend may be the solution but a number of different friends will make a difference. Children will love reading of the solution to the problem and laugh along with the author at the last page.
They will breathe in the woods where these little animals and the mushroom live, noting the variety of plants and trees, enjoying the outdoors.
I love the way Tallec shows the different expressions ad emotions of the group, using a range of eye movements to signify what each is feeling.
A humorous tale dealing with a concern many children have, this book offers a solution in a gentle way, showing them what friends do together, how one friend may offer different experiences tham another, and that friends need to be together to nurture their friendship.
Percival Everett’s James is a highly original and entertaining reimagining of the Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim, a subsidiary character in Twain’s novel which focussed on the moral view of the white 13 year-old boy Huck. In Everett’s novel, Jim is literate and highly intelligent, and the clumsy ungrammatical language that he speaks is a deliberate rendition of the language of the uneducated, a complete other language that he teaches his children, and engages in speaking with other black people in a cover-up of their natural intelligence, and to ensure that white people continue to feel superior. For if a white person should suspect he is being ridiculed or outsmarted, that would have immediate dire consequences for any slave in his vicinity. So the slaves speak the broken English of the illiterate when in the hearing of any white person, but between themselves engage in complexities of language which would astound any eavesdropper. In fact Jim is an avid reader of books, and in his dreams he engages in philosophical musings with the thinkers of the Enlightenment.
Everett knows how to statirise American society of the time, revealing the horror and brutality of slavery whilst still providing a highly readable adventure story, following the escapades of Jim and his naive and high-spirited offsider Huck. The boy’s mischievousness that in Twain’s novel made a fool of the gullible Jim, in Everett’s story is met with humorous tolerance by a Jim who is not threatened by the child’s playful spirit. Jim cares for the boy, and encourages him to consider different points of view.
Slavery, and the racism that underpins it, is the main theme of the book. The black man has always to be on guard, has to cower, and live in perpetual fear. Whippings, lynchings, burnings and murder are common. Many die, just for that moment of freedom, of daring to steal a pencil stub, for daring to step outside the prison of their life, for daring to help another. For that moment of daring delivers a brief freedom of spirit, of being fearless, of being a person. Jim knows that the pencil stub that he carries in his pocket is important, it came with forfeiture of life, with the vision that Jim might write something that defies what the slaves have endured. For Jim it is a huge responsibility. He is the slave who might actually write the story of his life, not merely ‘relate’ it as did Venture Smith.
Percival’s book is truly ‘funny and horrifying, brilliant and rivetting’ as the cover proclaims. Readers familiar with the story of Huckleberry Finn will undoubtedly enjoy this version, but even readers who have never encountered Twain’s book, will be easily drawn into this highly readable and clever expose of the black slavery era of America.
Themes Slavery, Racism, Freedom, Adventure, America 1860's.
Subtitled Real facts about the ocean, this is a funny and inspiring combination of two stories: one giving the reader a host of facts about the ocean and a parallel story of piratical Brownbeard and his parrot, Alan.
With sweeping images of the ocean, children will love looking at the enormous swathe of detail presented to them to enjoy. Each page offers a new breathtaking panorama.
Beginning and ending with an marvellous illustration of Brownbeard’s ship, every page between will entertain and inform the readers.
They will follow Brownbeard across the oceans, calling in at many different environments. A story about ancient Mariners sets the scene with Brownbeard now in a dingy after having to walk the plank, is besieged by a giant Kraken, one of the stories of old. He meets whales and dugongs, then finds a ship taking a submersible to the deeper ocean. With stones hanging around its base to take the vehicle to the bottom of the sea, we turn the page to find an images of a modern submersible exploring the deeper ocean levels where animals that glow in the dark live, there being no natural light at these depths.
He meets a scientist, and a submarine, a polar bear perched precariously on what is left of an ice floe, he watches as a catch of fish is pulled of the sea, and sees an oil rig, before coming back to his ship. In between all the fun of his trip, pages are devoted to facts about the seas which young readers will enjoy reading and sharing.
I loved reading this entertaining picture book scanning the pages for facts and fun, laughing along with Brownbeard and Alan, and poring over pages such as the one showing an ancient map of the sea, or the pages showing the model submersible scanning the bottom of the ocean.
Themes The sea, Oceans, Submersibles, Submarines, Kraken, Fish, Pirates.
Mind games is a compelling mixture of Roberts’ signature themes of mystery and suspense, family love and trauma, romance and the paranormal. Thea is twelve years old when a young man brutally murders her parents. She and her young brother are taken in by Lucy their maternal grandmother, with whom Thea shares the gift of the sight. This helps Thea identify the killer and have him put behind bars for life. But the murderer, Ray Briggs, also feels a connection with Thea and as she becomes an adult and wants to move on, he is unwilling to let her go.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, Tragedy, concentrates on the trauma of the murder of Thea’s parents, and is heart-rending, and often brings tears. Part 2 Living describes Thea as an adult, her gifts as an online game builder and her devastation when a boyfriend at college ridicules her gift. Here she returns to her grandmother’s country where she accepted and loved and meets Ty, a talented musician who has come with his young son to tie up his grandmother’s estate. Part 3 The Gift finds Thea coming to terms with her gift and what she must do to live a happy and fulfilled life.
As always, Roberts’ writing is addictive. Although I found the first part of the book heart-rending, it was over long and I was eager to see Thea grow up and find her role in life. I enjoyed the romance and suspense in the later sections. It was difficult to put the book down as the tension about the connection between Thea and Briggs grew. Would Thea be able to combat his excursions into her mind? How would she be able to do this? Would Ty accept her and her gift? The combination of thriller, romance and paranormal was great, and the reader will get to know the characters, including the minor ones, very well and will want the best for them. Ty’s role as a single dad and all the joy and hard work were brilliantly described and Bunk the dog was a main protagonist too!
Fans of Roberts’ books will not be disappointed in Mind games and will be sure to pick up any more future books that she writes.
Themes Murder, Mystery, Romance, Paranormal.
Pat Pledger
Tokyo dreaming by Emiko Jean
Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529049756. (Age:12+)
Izumi Tanaka is a princess - she's found a place where she belongs. She's in Japan, living in the Imperial Palace, has the perfect boyfriend (previously her bodyguard, see book 1), her mum has come from America and brought their dog too - so her mum and dad are reconnecting too! Life is basically perfect... until Izumi's dad proposes to her mum, which should be the best thing ever, but the council may not approve it. Her boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship, and the pressure to attend university in Tokyo is extreme. It looks like everything is falling apart, but Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to get life back on track.
Following on from the first book Tokyo Ever After, Tokyo Dreaming concludes Izumi Tanaka's coming of age story in a well written, evenly paced book. While the novel does tie up all loose ends in neat bows in an almost expected way, it's still a really lovely book that is very enjoyable. Some readers may wish that the author had chosen a different ending for the main character, but the majority of readers will find comfort in the safe way the book ends. To add variety to the book, there are a different formats used through it such as newspaper articles, text messages and the standard novel format, providing readers that slight shift while not being too jarring in the story. Perfect for fans of the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot or even the Loveboat, Taipei book by Abigail Hing Wen.
Themes YA, Romance, Tokyo, Coming of Age, Relationships, Expectations, Japan, America.
The 4th book starring DS Gemma Woodstock is a thrilling ride with many twists and turns and a very unexpected conclusion. Gemma has returned to Smithson with her family, baby Scarlett, her son Ben and partner Mac. When a young woman is involved in a car crash and her body stolen from the morgue, Gemma, although on parental leave, is intrigued by the case. Then a prominent citizen is murdered and Gemma becomes emmeshed in the intricacies of the clues and people surrounding the crime. She is devastated by secrets that involve her and danger stalks her and her family.
Gemma is a brusque and determined woman who confidently uses her intelligence to follow up leads. Family dynamics play a key role in Body of lies. I liked the fact that Gemma was operating as a detective and mother simultaneously. It was fascinating to picture her with little Scarlett strapped to her body, going about the business of interviewing witnesses and pursuing clues, determined to uncover the identity of the woman stolen from the morgue and the person who caused her death. Clues stack up and Gemma is left bewildered about secrets that unfold, leaving her wondering who she can trust. The denouement is mind shattering and almost unbelievable, although on reflection there are pointers throughout the book for astute readers.
I had read the first in the series, The dark lake, in 2018, and found that I easily picked up Body of lies as a near stand-alone, but readers who have followed all the books in the series would better follow the motivations of the characters. I will read up more books by Sarah Bailey, and readers may enjoy books by Simon Rowell, Chris Hammer and Christian White.
Themes Murder, Missing persons, Family relations, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
The secret doorway by Catherine Sheridan. Illus. by Andrew Mcintosh
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833297. (Age:7-10)
The Secret Doorway, the first book in the Four Go On An Adventure series is reminiscent of Enid Blyton books read long ago. Sister and brother, nine year old Anna and eleven year old Peter, have travelled with their parents from Australia to Ireland for a holiday. Before they leave Anna has a vivid dream of places unknown, danger and an old key.
After settling in, Anna begins to experience unusual happenings which she and Peter respond to as they both know Anna has special gifts. After making friends with local siblings, Liam and Cara, the four children find lots in common and enjoy camping in the back garden of the holiday house which backs onto a forest. After watching a mysterious fog roll in over a couple of nights and witnessing strange lights, the naturally curious group decide to investigate and with Anna’s old key, unlock a secret doorway that leads to a magical world full of crystals, mysteries and storybook folk including leprechauns, fairies and pixies. But there is trouble brewing and what danger will the children face as they try to help the folk in the enchanted forest?
The four children are certainly the heroes of this story. Each have their own unique personality and strengths to share when needed. The parents have a very minor role to play in the book and trust that the children will do the right thing at all times. All of the children are self-sufficient, reliable and responsible, and have impeccable manners! A wholesome story that will appeal to children looking for a gentle escape into a fantasy world all their own.
