Reviews

The girl with the dragon heart by Stephanie Burgis

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408880777
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Dragons, Fairies, Good and Evil.
"Once upon a time in a beautiful, dirty, exciting city full of people and chocolate and possibilities, there was a girl so fearless and so daring that. . "
Stephanie Burgis weaves another magical fantasy in The Girl with the Dragon Heart. Following The dragon with the chocolate heart, thirteen-year-old Silke, storyteller and worldly-wise orphan is the focus of this second story, that is filled with castle intrigue and an evil plot. The royal court of Elfenwald, the feared fairy kingdom, is coming to visit the royal family at the Drachenberg palace. Princess Katrin asks Silke to become a palace spy, disguised as a lady-in-waiting to find out their real motives.
We learn more Silke's past and discover why she loves to spin tall tales, why she is quick-witted and has developed excellent survival skills. She is an orphan: her parents disappeared in the evil fairy kingdom of Elfenwald and with her older brother Dieter, live a simple existence in Drachenburg, selling second-hand clothes on the riverbank. Her handbills advertising the chocolate shop are fabricated with stories of royal patronage, and this captures the princess's attention.
Silke's initiation into palace life is humorous, as she wears corsets and fancy dresses, learning to curtsy and following all the rules. Young Princess Sofia's jealousy of Silke's special assignment also causes problems. Night time forays into the secret tunnels and passageways, listening to secret conversations add to the excitement and danger. Silke finds comfort with her friends the chocolate makers as they prepare delicious confections in the palace.
Stephanie Burgis understands the fantasy realm; she builds an exciting world filled with relatable characters, adding magic, a fight of good and evil, exciting fairy characters, goblins and of course dragons. The Girl with the Dragon Heart champions girls taking charge of their own destiny and surviving in difficult circumstances by using their skills and wits. A fantastic adventure novel to share with Middle Primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell

If all the world were . . . by Joseph Coelho

Ill. by Alison Colpoys. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786030597
(Age: picture book) Recommended. Themes: Love, Family, Grandparents. A beautifully understated story of love between a child and her grandfather begins with the pair exploring their world, holding hands as they walk amongst the colours of spring. She wishes the world was always springtime so that her grandfather's birthdays could be replanted and he never grow old. Later in summer she wishes that they could fly in deep space with their laughs like shooting stars. In autumn he gives her a lovely note book that he has created with hand made paper, bound with Indian leather string in which to write and draw all her dreams. She wishes that the world was made of dreams and that she could paint her grandfather's happiness over all the sad places.
Until this point the child and her grandfather have been doing things together, some outside, some inside, but sharing things together. Now it is winter and we see the old man sitting in a comfy chair by the fire, a knee rug on his lap. Their interaction is more muted, quieter, calmer as she listens to his tales, wishing that by listening to all his stories he could become better. And over the page we see the fire has gone out and the chair empty.
Helping her parents clean out his room, she finds the things he spoke about, reminding her of his stories, and on his chair she finds another notebook with her name on the front. She uses this to write in all the stories about her grandfather, filling the pages with the stories that he told her and of their life together.
This is a charming story of loss and grief, of remembering the one who has died through memories of what they did together, so keeping the love they had together, alive and thriving. The young girl records all she remembers in her notebook, recalling the things they did through the four seasons. The background with large areas of white space shows younger readers the sorts of things that a child and grandfather do together, reinforcing the place that grandparents have in a child's life and reminding children of the four seasons and what to expect as each season comes by.
Fran Knight

The lies they tell by Gillian French

HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. ISBN 978146075580
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Summer vacation, Murder. Tenney's Harbor, Maine during the summer break sees the rich kids coming to stay in their parents' million dollar mansions, playing tennis, racing their yachts, eating at the Country Club, where eighteen year old Pearl works, earning money to keep herself and her father going, waiting until she can go to the local college next year. Her caretaker father lost many of his part time jobs when one of the houses in the Millionaire Row burnt down, revealing the owners, the Garrisons, and two of their children, Cassidy and Joe, shot and killed. The crime was never solved, with some of the blame thrown at Pearl's father who now spends more time than he should at the tavern.
But this summer, Pearl wants her father exonerated, and seeing Tristan Garrison and his entourage arrive, becomes involved in their lives as they while away the summer, Pearl watching Tristan and the others for any clues which might lead her to find out who murdered the family and set the fire. She finds Cassidy's memory stick hidden in a compartment on the Garrison yacht and watching it, becomes aware that the household was not what it seemed. Cassidy was a prodigious pianist but the footage on the USB shows another aspect of her life, while passing talk by the group exposes Cassidy's fractious relationship with her father. Pearl digs even further, despite her friends giving her the cold shoulder for associating with the rich kids, and some of Tristan's group treating her will ill disguised contempt. Her friend, Reece ignores her until she tells him why she is associating with them, and he becomes an ally in her detective work.
This is a gripping read as Pearl gathers evidence. She watches the group and defends her father against the slander she hears, aware that her hold on her job is becoming tenuous, with only half her mind on he work.
The chasm between the rich and poor is exemplified by the rich kids' casual takeover of the quiet village where they moor their yachts and their cavalier attitude to the locals, particularly the town girls befriended for the summer. Their arrogant disregard of how dependent the locals are on them patronage gives a strong layer of moral outrage as events develop.
Each of the characters is wrought with hidden depths, exposing a view of themselves to the world which belies what is underneath. Pearl needs to keep her wits about her to defuse the interest being shown by Tristan, and her interest in his friend, Bridges is a hurdle to seeing things clearly. Just as she begins to unravel the complex interrelationships of the group Pearl puts herself into harm's way as she works out, almost too late who killed the family.
Gillian French is the author of YA novels, Grit and The Door to January, and lives in Maine.
Fran Knight

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760528249
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction. Good and evil. Rebellions. Coming of age. Adventure. Scott Westerfeld has returned to the world of his very popular and engrossing series, Uglies. It is the first of four books and sure to make his many fans very happy and will introduce a world to new readers.
Frey has always lived an isolated life. Brought up to be the body double for her twin sister Rafia, by her tyrant father, her existence has been kept a deep secret. She has been trained exhaustively and painfully to ensure that her twin isn't assassinated or in any danger, while Rafia has been taught the skills necessary for the much loved heir to the first family of Shreve.
When the Palafox family, leaders of a rival city, negotiate for Rafia to stay with them as a guarantee of her father's goodwill, it is Frey who is sent to impersonate her sister. There she meets Col Palafox, and gradually he gets close enough to her to see some of the real person behind the mask that she has to assume. When her father goes on the attack, leaving her for dead, she has to decide whether she will fight against him in the rebellion that ensues.
This is compelling reading, the world building is fantastic and it is easy to imagine a world where scrap metal is valuable and city states closely watch the lives of their citizens. The characters are fully fleshed out and Frey's father is so horrible that the reader can empathise with Frey's desire to kill him. There is a slight romance between Frey and Col but this is not the main plot (although enough for romance lovers), rather it is the action and underlying value systems of the city states that keep the reader's interest.
With a tantalising cliff-hanger on the last page, readers will be clamouring for the next book in the series.
Pat Pledger

Oi duck-billed platypus! by Kes Gray

Ill. by Jim Field. Hodder Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781444937329
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Animals, Verse, Word play, Alliteration, Humour. Following on from the success of the zany fun filled humour of the "Oi" books (Oi Frog (2015) Oi Dog (2016), and Oi Cat (2016)) this one follows a slightly different variation as the frog finds it difficult to find a rhyme for some of the animals that appear before him, waiting to be seated. What do you rhyme with a duck billed platypus or a hippopotamus, an ostrich or a meerkat. Frog, cat and dog are puzzled and platypus is not very patient, reminding the trio that he is waiting, as he points out the queue behind him of other animals also waiting for their rhyme before being seated.
Eventually the Frog asks for their first names and they find it much easier to use their first names rather than their second to find a rhyme that fits. So Dolly the duck-billed platypus sits on a brolly, Kate kookaburra sits on a gate and Lemony lobster sits on an anemone. Everyone is satisfied, the alliterative names of the animals used to make a nice rhyming seat until a kangaroo happens to come along, with the fearful name, Amelia Esmerelda Honeydew HigginbottomPinkleponk-Johnson. The resolution will have children trying vainly to find a rhyme and like frog, telling the kangaroo to sit where she likes.
Full of humour, reflected in the appealing illustrations, the tale will bring laughter from all readers, recognising the alliteration and how it teams with the animal's name, seeing the rhyme that frog comes up with, perhaps offering an alternative, all the while looking closely at the expressions on the faces to see what a quandary frog is in. In a class emphasis could be the word play, rhyme and alliteration, while discussion with younger readers about first and last names would be appropriate.
All readers will love looking out for the seat of each of the animals and delight in the end papers with Field's platypus panorama.
Fran Knight

An anthology of intriguing animals by Ben Hoare

DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241334393
Our planet is inhabited by so many different species, each of them fascinating in their own way. Over 100 of them, from the orca to the otter, the giraffe to the ant and all stops in between have been collected together in this beautifully presented book that is the perfect introduction to the animal kingdom for young readers.
Each creature has its own double-page spread featuring a large hi-definition photograph and just enough text to intrigue. There are unique facts - porcupines rattle their quills to warn off predators while the word "koala' means no drink in an Aboriginal language, referring to the koala getting most of its water needs from the eucalyptus leaves - as well as other intriguing information. There is a representative from all the major groups on the Tree of Life, and this, itself, is depicted at the end of the book.
Those who read my reviews regularly know that I believe that informal, shared reading is a critical element of honing literacy skills, particularly for boys, and this would be a perfect candidate for that. Boys also like to borrow big thick books and so it suits that criterion too, although this is one that has accessible language and layout, and a visual guide so young readers can find the one they are interested in without having to know its name so it is likely to actually make its way out of the library bag and onto the dining room table to provoke wonder and discussion as it is shared with other family members. With Christmas on the horizon, it would also make a unique and treasured gift!
Barbara Braxton

Sonam and the silence by Eddie Ayres

Ill. by Ronak Taher, Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293666
(Ages: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Afghanistan, Taliban, Music, Children in war. Denied music at home after the Taliban take over Kabul, Sonam is told by her brother to wear a headscarf once she turns seven. She is now expected to hep her mother who sew shirts and dresses to sell at the market. Selling gum one day Sonam runs through the backstreets to home, but hears a sound she has never heard before. Following the sounds she comes to a walled garden of mulberry trees and finds an old man playing a musical instrument. She is captivated, the music seems to come from the earth, from her heart and she returns each day. He gives her her own instrument, a rubab made from a piece of the mulberry tree. She is able to hum to herself some of the music she has heard and this keeps the sound of war from her ears. But her brother, hearing her hum, bans music, taking her rubab from her. Her world becomes silent.
But planes and foreign soldiers appear, and things change. She goes to the old man's garden and finds him gone, his trees almost dead. She picks the last pomegranate and plants its seeds in her own garden. Digging she comes across her rubab buried by her brother, and so plays it again in the old man's garden. The old man is still there in the music, in her heart.
A modern allegory reflecting the power of music in one's life, Ayres has used his time living in Kabul, teaching music to children uprooted by war, with compassion. His story not only shows how music fills the heart, but also shows us the lives of children besieged by war, unable to learn that most basic of emotional tools, music.
The illustrations by Iranian-Australian film maker and designer, Taher, are wonderful, using a variety of techniques to show Sonam living through the worst of times, supported by her love of music. Torn tissue paper is used to build up collages, the images reflecting Ronak's Iranian background.
This is a wonderful read aloud, and will engender much discussion about the healing power of music.
Fran Knight

The Wizards of Once : Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell

Wizards of Once, book 2. Hodder Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781444941425
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. At the start of this book we find our unlikely heroes locked up: Xar in a prison that nobody gets out of, Wish in the punishment cupboard of her mother's warrior fortress. The king witch is free and after them and will do anything in his power to get them. He wants the magic that works on iron. Xar and Wish manage to find each other again and head off to continue to try and get rid of Xar's witch stain. Xar and Wish meet some new friends on this adventure who help them along the way. On their journey they learn things about themselves and their parents that changes their view on life.
The book has a mystery narrator and it adds an extra element of fun to the narrative as you try and work out who is telling the story. It shows that parents are not always right, and that they should listen to their children, as sometimes children see things from a different point of view that can be very insightful. Also parents are just trying to do what is bests for their children.
I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. If you enjoyed the first book you won't be able to put this one down. I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out if Xar and Wish are successful in their next quest.
Karen Colliver

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

Lady Astronaut book 2. St Martin's Press, 2018. ISBN 9780765378385
(Age: Adult-Senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction, Women astronauts, Space colonies, Mathematicians, Gender stereotyping, Racism. This follows the heroine in the award winning The lady astronaut of Mars (2014). When a meteor decimates the U.S. and destroys the U.S. government, Elma York, a WASP pilot and mathematician, manages to fly her husband and herself to safety. She works out that the meteor will result to dire climatic change leading to extinction and this spearheads the International Aerospace Coalition attempt to put a man on the moon in an effort to find a place for humanity. To Elma's dismay, experienced women pilots are not included in the program and it is even harder for African-American women to join in, but it is inevitable that women must go in space as they are the ones who can have babies.
Elma is a strong, believable character and the gender stereotyping and racism is portrayed very well. Her struggle to be included is well documented and the reader is kept engrossed as she overcomes one obstacle after another while growing herself in her understanding of the issues facing African-American pilots and mathematicians. Readers who have read the non-fiction book Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race by Margot Lee Shetterly, or viewed the film Hidden figures, based on the book, will see parallels in The Calculating stars, and those who enjoyed the book will be encouraged to find out more about the role of women in NASA.
Some sexual references may make this a book for older readers, although Elma's relationship with her husband is one of being valued and totally supported and provides a great role model of marriage. The cover shows women of all shapes and sizes and also overcomes stereotypes about women's shapes.
This is a beautifully written, well researched science fiction book and readers will be sure to want to follow Elma's journey in the next in the series The fated sky.
Pat Pledger

The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst

The Queens of Renthia book 3. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780062413383
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Ambition. Family. Durst brings her unique series to a satisfying conclusion in the third book in the series, following The queen of blood and The reluctant queen. Queen Daleina has been joined by Queen Naelin, both ruling the kingdom and trying to keep the evil nature spirits at bay. When Queen Naelin's children are kidnapped by the spirits, Naelin cares only for them and is prepared to sacrifice everything to get them back. She believes that Queen Merecot of Semo has been behind the kidnapping and is ready to go to war. However, Merecot has grandiose ambitions and all of Renthia is threatened by her actions.
This is an action packed book, while at the same time exploring the emotions and actions of a mother whose children have been taken. Queen Naelin has enormous power which hasn't been trained, and she is willing to burn the kingdom to get them back. Queen Daleina has to keep a calm head and look at the bigger picture while Queen Merecot is ambitious and devious. The scheming, politics and actions of the three women make for an interesting story. It is also fascinating to read a series that has older main characters with subtle romance, rather than the love triangles that sometimes feature in fantasy series.
I would recommend this series to fantasy readers who enjoy character driven plots and a fabulous forest setting where the inhabitants live in villages in the trees and fight off attacks by spirits.
Pat Pledger

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man book 5. Graphix, 2018. ISBN 9780545935173
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Another in the wonderful Dog Man series (others reviewed are Dog Man,  Dog Man unleashed, and Dog Man : A tale of two kitties ) this time a hilarious take on Lord of the Flies. Dog Man is called into action once again, but this time Petey plays a big role. Can he overcome his evil ways and become a hero when he is needed? With his cute little kitten clone telling him that he can change, you can never tell!
Once introduced to the Dog Man series, young readers can't get enough of the crime fighter. At the beginning of Dog Man: Lord of the fleas, is an introduction to the characters so that readers new to the story can catch up. The book is so funny that even adults will be constantly amused as they follow the adventures of Dog Man. I was especially taken with the little kitten's constant use of "Why?", and his strange Knock-knock jokes that Pilkey has cleverly incorporated as part of the plot. The reader will also empathise with Petey as he gradually tries to change - lots of poignant moments there.
Readers are in for a treat with the bonus information at the back, showing George and Harold reading The call of the wild by Jack London in preparation for the next book, Dog Man; Brawl of the wild, as well as showing How to draw The Bark Knight in 42 ridiculously easy steps, plus instructions for Cat Kid, Crunky, Lightning Dude, Piggy and Bub. Then there are details about how to read to your cat.
This is a fantastic, humorous book, sure to lift the spirits of any child and will appeal to all readers.
Pat Pledger

In a house of lies by Ian Rankin

Inspector Rebus book 22. Orion, 2018. ISBN 9781409176893
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery. Detectives. Murder, Police corruption. When a missing investigator is found in the boot of a car, years after he went missing, it is in an area that was originally searched by the police. This looks bad for the police and is traumatic for the family. As the investigation unfolds, it turns out that there are mistakes and lies and Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke turns to Rebus for information about the old case. She needs his help to curb a stalker who didn't believe that his nephew had murdered his girlfriend and wants the truth uncovered. But there are lies and cover-ups everywhere and Rebus could be in a fix.
In a house of lies reads quite well as a stand-alone for those who are not familiar with the Inspector Rebus series. I have missed several of the books but could easily pick up on the main characters who were all well described. Rebus is supposed to be retired and is suffering from emphysema, but cannot manage to stay away from any investigation that is going on. His police skills shine as he uses his in-depth background knowledge of people and places, cutting through red tape and ignoring threats from cops and crooks alike. DI Siobhan Clarke stands out as she chases up clues and withstands intimidation from her colleagues.
Set against the backdrop of an Edinburgh that wouldn't be familiar to the tourist, Rankin has produced another engrossing murder mystery that will keep the reader guessing to the final pages. The restructuring of the modern Police Scotland and the budget cuts facing the organisation provide an interesting background, as does the contrast between modern day policing with CCTV, the Internet and social media and the old policing ways of Rebus.
Everyone is telling lies and everyone has something to hide and the readers has to weave a way through them all.
In a house of lies is a welcome addition to the series which fans will be very happy with, and readers new to the series are in for a treat.
Pat Pledger

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763688271
(Age: 5-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Princesses. Humour, STEM. Princess Magnolia is off to the Inter-kingdom Science Fair with her entry, a poster about seeds and plants. When she arrives, she sees all the things that her friends have made - Princess Honeysuckle has a mole habitat, Princess Orchid has a Bucket Boosting Teeter Totter and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that turns out to be a goo monster that wants to take over the exhibits. The Princess in Black comes to the rescue.
Fans of the series will be delighted with the latest addition of this feisty, brave and clever heroine and children new to the books are in for a treat. Not only are there interesting displays for the Science Fair, the Princess in Black has to use her problem solving skills to defeat the monster, with a lot of help from her friends.
Readers will effortless learn some scientific facts (how to make a volcano explode, and how to distribute weight evenly) while having a laugh at the antics of the goo monster as it creates mayhem at the fair.
This is a great series: it is scattered with humorous illustrations by LeUyen Pham and these will bring a smile to the faces of any reader. Children will love the escapades of the Princess in Black and would have fun coming up with their own disguises and secret names.
Pat Pledger

Where in the wild by Poppy Bishop and Jonny Lambert

Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848699557
Inspired by Theodore Roosevelt saying, "The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will", this book takes the young reader on a journey through the world's key habitats and introduces them to some of the creatures that live within them.
From rivers to jungles, the savannah, the desert, woodlands and the frozen extremes, familiar and not-so creatures make an appearance in colourful artwork and rhyming text. Using a double-page spread for each, the two-verse rhyme begins with an introduction to the habitat and then an inhabitant "speaks" to the reader about itself. The rest of the pages are filled with a collage of flora and fauna, each with a clever cutout featuring a creature that lives in the featured habitat but which can adapt to the succeeding one to entice the reader to keep turning, reading and learning. Some of these cutouts have text which encourages closer observation of the illustrations, making the reader engage more through this interactivity. The final message about habitat destruction and the need to protect what is left is very clear and ties in well with the initial quote.
Often, books from the northern hemisphere tend to feature the creatures with which children from that part of the world are familiar but this one spans the globe, although, thankfully, the polar region is confined to the Arctic so there is not the confusion of polar bears and penguins on the same page.
As well as being a comprehensive introduction to the world's habitats so young readers can learn that there is more to this planet than their immediate surroundings, its strong conservation message can also lead to inquiries about the inhabitants of their local area and their protection and promotion; the impact of humans through the destruction of habitat, particularly deforestation; the life cycles, needs and adaptation of creatures as their habitats change (such as described in Moth); and even individual responsibility and actions that could be taken to preserve what we have left.
With the drought in eastern Australia drawing our attention to the land beyond the city environs, this is a great opportunity to have a look at the broader world and how it copes or doesn't, and this would be an excellent introductory text.
Barbara Braxton

The LEGO Book - 60th Anniversary Edition by Daniel Lipkowitz

DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241314227
(Age: All) In 1932 and facing the Great Depression which was engulfing the world, Danish master carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen closed his carpentry business and turned his attention to making wooden toys for children. Fifteen years later, after World War II and all its development with technology and materials, particularly plastic, Kristiansen purchased an expensive plastic injection-moulding machine and his wooden toys were now made of plastic. Using a name that is a contraction of leg godt which means "play well" in Danish, the LEGO group was established and by 1954, the idea of a building brick that locked together firmly so they were stable but which also came apart easily was launched with the Town Plan range of construction sets. Finally, in January 1658 the block was perfected, the patent lodged and the rest, as they say, is history.
And it is the history of that block from its evolution as a plan for a toy that could be used to build virtually anything to that realisation that is the focus of this fascinating new release, marking the 60th anniversary of the building block as we know it.
Driven by the belief that children and their development mean everything and that this must pervade everything that is created, and based on the principles that the system must

• provide unlimited play opportunities
• be for girls and boys
• inspire enthusiasm in all ages'
• be able to be played with all year round
• provide endless hours of healthy, quiet and safe play
• inspire imagination, creativity and development
• be topical and provide add-on value for preceding products