The case of the left-handed lady by Nancy Springer
An Enola Holmes mystery. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN
9781760637392
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery, Sherlock Holmes,
Hypnotism, Kidnapping. In this second episode of the Enola Holmes
series (involving the younger sister of the famous Sherlock Holmes)
Enola is attempting to live independently in London in response to
her brothers' attempt to put her into boarding school. She is alone
after her mother disappears to make a new life away from her sons
and daughter. She starts to publish messages using ciphers to try to
communicate with her mother and this brings in the opportunity to
discuss with students the different ways to manipulate words and
numbers to communicate in code.
Enola sets herself up as a Scientific Perditorian under a male
pseudonym to make a living for herself assisting people to find
those who are missing. She continues to dress herself in a manner
that portrays an older independent woman in the hope that she can
elude her famous brother in his quest to find her. Enola establishes
a way to help the needy in the poorest parts of Victorian London by
disguising herself as a nun.
The pace of the story increases as Enola is almost murdered while on
one of her midnight forays. Soon afterward she overhears the story
of the disappearance of the sixteen-year-old Lady Cecily, daughter
of a baronet who appears to have eloped in the night. She decides to
try to solve this mystery as the police seem to be struggling to
make progress in finding the missing girl. This part of the story
introduces the notion of hypnotism and Enola encounters
possibilities she has never encountered before to try to solve this
situation. Close encounters with her older brother Sherlock form a
major part of the story and adds to the tension and interest.
Recommended for Upper Primary
Gabrielle Anderson
Lego Ninjago Ultimate Sticker Collection
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241340325
Ninjago is one of 16 connected realms in this themed collection from
Lego. Its capital, Ninjago City is protected by Kai, Cole, Zane,
Jay, Nya and Lloyd from the powerful enemies including the
Vermillion and the Sons of Garmadon.
Young readers are encouraged to read the captions and then use their
visual acuity to select the appropriate stickers from the large
collection to complete the scenes. There are also extra pages and
extra stickers where they can build their own scenes of battles.
While these sorts of books may be seen as just another way of
marketing the Lego merchandise, they can play an important role in
the young fan's literacy development as they have to read the
captions and make the appropriate selections as they learn more
about the underlying plot and the characters. By having the
opportunity to build their own battle scenes they can retell the
story or make up their own, explaining and justifying their choices
- all critical elements of understanding and telling stories.
This may be one of those special treat books that you have in your
collection ready to engage or settle a child who needs some
distraction.
Barbara Braxton
So you think you've got it bad? by Chae Strathie
Ill. by Marisa Morea. Noisy Crow, 2018. ISBN 9781788001359
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Ancient Egypt, History.
Subtitled, A kid's life in Ancient Egypt, what sets this
book apart is that the information given about life several
thousands of years ago is
compared with that of kids'
lives today. So when talking
about clothing, the reader is told there is not a tracksuit to be
had, and servants walk around naked, while all kids would be
expected to wear a pleated linen dress. The comparisons make this
book very funny, teaching the reader of life in Ancient Egypt, but
making it accessible by using today's customs.
Divided into ten chapters, concerning for example, Diet, Housing,
Family life and Discipline, each section makes fascinating reading.
Included in the chapters are paragraphs of text divided by humorous
illustrations are also boxes of information called "Fancy That!". I
learnt that the men did the washing in the Nile because of the
crocodiles, and that hyenas were fattened up for feasts, while rich
Egyptians ate raw cabbage as an entree! A double page towards the
end gives more information about the down side of being an Ancient
Egyptian, and this is followed by a glossary of terms and an index.
The illustrations are detailed and reflect the large amount of
information found in the text. They are limited to a few colours,
paralleling the muddy browns and sand colours of the landscape.
The whole is illuminating and should find a ready audience amongst
those fascinated by Ancient Egypt.
Fran Knight
The garden of hope by Isabel Otter and Katie Rewse
Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848577138
"Things had changed since Mum had been gone. The house was untidy.
Maya, Dad and Pip were a bit of a mess. And the garden had become
wild and overgrown. "
Each of them was sad and anxious, trying to help each other as best
they could. One day, Dad tells Maya that whenever her mother was
feeling anxious, she would plant some seeds because she knew that by
the time they had grown, the worries would have faded. They were her
"seeds of hope".
So Maya decides to try her mother's remedy, starting with planting
sunflowers which were her mother's favourite. And gradually a
transformation occurred - the garden started to flourish and Maya
and her father started to heal. Despite the darkness and sadness,
there was still beauty and hope in the world.
This is a charming story with illustrations as gentle as the text,
that offer a wonderful strategy to help anyone, young or old, to
deal with grief. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed by our emotions
it is hard to see that time will pass - rather each minute seems to
drag into an hour - so having something as simple as planting seeds,
something that could be done in almost any situation, and watching
the progress of the flowers can not only offer distraction but also
shows that there is movement in time, that some some peace of mind
is possible and there can be unexpected rewards. For Maya, the new
garden brings not only beauty but bees and butterflies and other
little creatures who find a home and sustenance because of her
efforts. And because gardening can be a solo or a shared activity
that healing can help more than just the seed-sower.
Children love to plant things and watch them grow, and many schools
have established gardens, particularly kitchen gardens which supply
the school canteen. But how wonderful would it be to also have a
flower bed, one where a troubled or grieving child can go to potter
and seek tranquility and calm as they literally "smell the roses".
This is a gentle, understated story that would be perfect to share
with any little one suffering loss or heartache.
Barbara Braxton
In the mouth of the wolf by Michael Morpurgo
Ill. by Barroux. Egmont, 2018. ISBN 9781405285261
(Age: Independent readers) Recommended. In the village of Le Pouget, in the
Languedoc region of south west France, Francis Cammaerts is resting
after the celebrations for his 90th birthday come to a close. As
dusk turns to dark and the church bell strikes midnight, he thinks
of those who have been a part of his journey to this ripe old age -
those who raised him, supported him and had so much to do with the
man he became. And from those reminiscences comes a story of
determination, danger, courage and heroism that would have gone
untold if not for Morpurgo's pen and Barroux's brush.
One of two sons born during the Great War, Francis grows up to be a
teacher while his brother Pieter is a burgeoning actor. But when
World War II breaks out, the brothers take very different paths.
Frances believes war is futile and barbaric, that people should not
descend to the level of the fascists and that only education and
pacifism are the "way forward for humanity". Pieter, however,
believes that pacifism will not stop Hitler, that the cruelty of
fascism had to be confronted and so he became a Sergeant Navigator
in the RAF. While he eventually went to join a bomber squadron in
Cornwall, Francis went to Lincolnshire to work on a farm having
justified his beliefs to a tribunal.
But when Pieter is killed returning from an air raid over France and
a bomb dropped by a German plane kills the family on the next farm
including including baby Bessie, Francis begins to rethink his
decision, particularly as he now has a wife and the birth of his own
child is imminent. He talks to Harry, his mentor from his teaching
days - a conversation that changes his life forever as it leads him
into the silent world of the secret agent working with the
Resistance in France . . .
As with Flamingo Boy, Morpurgo shines a light on the real
story of war and its impact on ordinary people by taking an unusual
perspective and telling the story through that. This is not a tale
of derring-do embellished with action scenes and special effects -
although it could be that in the hands of another - but a quiet tale
of remembrance and reflection, of the impact of the legacy of others
on a particular life, when that life itself has left its own legacy.
Morpurgo has said, "This book may read like fiction. But it is not.
That is because it does not need to be." It is the story of his own
uncles.
Generously illustrated using family photographs which are included
at the back of the book as well as biographical details of those who
had such a profound impact within the story, Morpurgo has produced a
work that not only tells yet another untold story of the war but one
which has shaped his life too.
One for independent readers wanting something different, compelling
and utterly readable.
Barbara Braxton
A boy called BAT by Elana K. Arnold
Ill. by Charles Santose. Walden Pond, 2018. ISBN 9780062445834
Highly recommended. Bixby Alexander Tam, known to those who know him
as BAT because of his initials, his love of animals and the way his
arms and hands flap when he gets excited, prefers life to be
logical, predictable, routine and without surprises. He's not good
with noise (so wears his sister Janie's earmuffs often), doesn't
like the mushy texture of some foods, is sensitive to the feel of
fabrics on his skin and finds it difficult to make eye contact and
hold casual conversations. Clearly, to even a non-teacher who
doesn't know the signs of being on the autism spectrum, this is a
little boy with special needs. But Bat is not unhappy or frustrated
- his mum, sister and teacher are sensitive to his needs, his peers
seem to accept him for who he is, and although his father, whom he
stays with "every-other-Friday" seems to struggle a little with his
non-sporty son, generally Bat is content and just gets on with
things. But when his mum, a vet, brings home a newborn skunk that
needs special care, Bat comes into his own, devoting his life to
caring for the kit and planning how he will be able to keep it and
care for it beyond the initial few weeks before the local wildlife
refuge can take over. He needs to show his mum that he is
responsible and committed enough, even contacting a skunk expert for
advice.
This is an engaging story that shows the reader the world through
Bat's eyes but which is not patronising, sentimental or emotional.
Bat's autism adds a different and interesting perspective to the
relationships between the characters but the concept of an
eight-year-old taking care of an orphaned animal and hoping to keep
it longer is a story that could be about any young person. I believe
that all children should be able to read about themselves in
stories, and those about autistic children are rare, so this one
which has such a solid, familiar storyline so every reader can
relate to it while learning about the world through unfamiliar eyes,
is a must-have.
Its sequel Bat and the Waiting Game is also available in
hardcover.
Barbara Braxton
Boy underwater by Adam Baron
HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008267018
(Age: Independent reader) Recommended. Cymbeline Igloo is nine years
old, is the third-best footballer in Year 4 (joint), second best at
roller-skating. Even though he has only one parent while his friends
have two or even four, he is fit, healthy and totally normal in
every way. Yet, despite living in Lewisham in south-east London he
has never been swimming. His mum has never taken him near a pool, a
lake, a river, the seaside - always brushing away his request with
seemingly plausible excuses.
So when his teacher says that the class will be starting swimming
lessons the following Monday, Cymbeline is somewhat daunted. He
doesn't even own a pair of swimmers! But encouraged by his best
friend Lance (named after the disgraced cyclist) and goaded by the
class bully Billy, he agrees to a race against Billy in the pool.
Naturally, things end very badly for Cymbeline, not the least of
which is losing the swimmers he found in his dad's things in the
attic, but it is the response of his mother who is called to the
pool that is the most startling of all.
As a result of this incident, she ends up in a psychiatric hospital
taking Cymbeline's beloved soft toy Mr Fluffy with her. And
Cymbeline is forced to stay with his rich Aunt Millie and Uncle
Chris , to whom he is a burden, and cousins Juniper and Clayton who
make it clear they want nothing to do with him. Totally alone, his
mother hospitalised and not well enough to see him, and no cuddly
toy to take to bed to comfort him, Cymbeline is bewildered and
scared but determined to find out what is wrong with his mum to have
had such an extreme reaction. Surely the world seeing his willy
isn't enough to provoke such a response. And why has she taken Mr
Fluffy? Befriended by super-smart Veronique and even Billy, who has
his own issues at home, Cymbeline is determined to get to the bottom
of things. And when he does, it becomes clear that adults really
should paint the whole picture when they tell a child something big,
not just the bits they think the child can handle. Sometimes honesty
can prevent a lot of heartache - the child isn't left to fill the
gaps with their own, often wild, imagination.
Written in the first-person in a voice that really echoes that of a
9-year-old boy, this is a story that will engage the independent
reader with a storyline that has some meat to it and is totally
credible. Even though it deals with some heavy-duty issues, this is
done with a light hand, humour and empathy, providing an insight
into the lives of some of the children in our care that we might not
always see. Families falling apart for whatever reason is a common
story, sadly, and it's not always the teacher, in this case Mrs
Phillips, who is the confidante. Many children, like Cymbeline, are
carrying unseen burdens.
For me, a quality novel is one that engages me to the end and I can
hear myself either reading it aloud to students or book-talking it.
Boy Underwater is indeed, one of those.
Barbara Braxton
Play this book by Jessica Young and Daniel Wiseman
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195063
Seven instruments sit alone on a stage - guitar, keyboard,
saxophone, trombone, drum, maracas and cymbals - waiting to be
played so there can be a show. But without the reader lending a
hand, there can be no band. And so how to play each instrument and
the sound it makes becomes the focus of this interactive book
featuring lots of different children introducing each instrument. By
the end of the story, all the instruments have been tested and are
brought together in a grand cacophony of sound appreciated by the
audience.
This is a wonderful opportunity to acquaint young readers with some
common musical instruments and the invitation for them to "play"
them will be irresistible. Interactive in a similar fashion to the
Herve Tullet books like Press Here, this one will engage
very young readers as they return to it again and again.
The importance of music in a child's life cannot be underestimated
and is encapsulated in this research
from the University of Canberra so Play this Book would be
an important addition to your early music teaching resources. A
natural follow-on would be Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
supported by Energy
in the Air: Sounds of the Orchestra. To round out the
experience, Birdsong
by Ellie Sandall gives the children the opportunity to make their
own music by using their voices and their bodies!
As is proclaimed in another classic, "Let the wild rumpus start!"
Barbara Braxton
Sleep by Kate Prendergast
Old Barn Books, 2018. ISBN 9781910646229
(Ages: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Sleep, Dreaming, Night time. A
picture book telling younger readers about how animals sleep is a
lovely book to use at the end of the day to get children ready for
bed, a quiet time to relax with an information book before bed time.
Its soft illustrations showing a range of animals and how they sleep
will show younger children that they are part of the animal kingdom,
and like all others, need their sleep. Sleep is a natural part of
the activities of the day, and each animal has some sleep to
revitalise themselves. Each animal models sleeping behaviour, some
sleep in groups, some alone, and some for only a few minutes each
day. Most children will be aware of their pets sleep patterns and be
able to tell each other how long their dog or cat sleeps, and then
widen the conversation to include other animals they may know of.
The book allows for younger readers to share the information and
wonder at the facts given to them in boxes at the end of the book,
reiterating what has been seen in the brief lines and soft
illustrations already looked at.
This is a warm inviting look at animals and their sleep patterns,
hugely valuable to use at night to model sleep behaviour but will
also intrigue readers with the depth of information given in so few
words.
Fran Knight
The prince and the witch and the thief and the bears by Alastair Chisholm
Ill. by Jez Tuya. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406365139
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Witches, Bears, Bed time story,
Family, Bed time. Going to bed one night, Jamie is determined that
tonight's story will be different. No more reading from a book, but
a made-up story full of witches, and knights and bears and of course
a prince and a thief to make it all the more interesting. So Dad
decides, why not, and proceeds to make up a story, one that Jamies
interrupts often with a particular slant that he wants included.
Dad starts off as all good bed time stories do, with "once upon a
time" but from there, Jamie interrupts with questions and
suggestions that Dad must include in his narrative. So the prince
rides to the rescue of the princess in the tower, put there by the
wicked witch. He must scale great cliffs with his horse on his back
to succeed where others might fail, he must free the girl, and as
the witch falls to her death, Jamie intercedes on her behalf and the
story is changed again.
Readers will laugh out loud at the story as it goes meandering along
with the changes that Jamie makes to make it more palatable, and
include all the characters he wants to hear about. Readers will
recognise many of the stock situations always fun in fairy tales but
laugh when they are reversed, making the tale one of a kind. Kids
will try this out for themselves, changing a tale well known into
something different and including more characters, and like Jamie
and his Dad, shelve some of them, in this case, the bears, for
another night.
A funny tale full of interest and enhanced with the hilarious
illustrations which flesh out the characters, enabling readers to
link the story to the images. And the slant given to the witch will
please many.
Fran Knight
Wonders of the World by Isobel Otter
Ill. by Margaux Carpenter. Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848577251
The sub-title of this book is An interactive tour of marvels and
monuments and indeed, that it what it is from cover to cover
as it explores the wonders of both the ancient and the modern world.
More than 2000 years ago, Antipater of Sidon, a Greek writer
identified seven must-see sites of the small world around Greece
(world exploration was limited and the Mediterranean was seen as the
centre of a flat world) and these became known as the "Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World", still referred to in books and quiz shows as
such. However, in 2000 AD a new list was compiled from the popular
votes from a list of 200 man-made landmarks and these are considered
to be the seven wonders of the modern world.
All 14 are explored in this colourful, interactive lift-the-flap
book beginning with a world map showing their locations and whether
they are ancient or modern selections. Each has an illustration of
the building, an introduction to it and then several pertinent facts
that are often hidden under a flap or other device demanding
interaction.
While Australia has no entry in the man-made wonders, it does
feature in the list of natural wonders on the final endpapers, which
are presided over by a magnificent pop-up Paricutin Volcano, the
youngest volcano in the world.
As well as perhaps laying the seeds for future travel, this is one
of those books that groups of young boys love to pore over and
discuss, a behaviour that appears to be crucial to their reading
development as they seek to discover the wonderful and the weird and
out-do each other with their discoveries. It is worth having in your
collection for that alone!
Barbara Braxton
Jake Atlas and the hunt for the feathered god by Rob Lloyd Jones
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406377712
(Age: 10+) Recommended. "Jake Atlas and his family are on the run,
hunted by international police while chasing the mysterious People
of the Snake to stop them from hiding the secret history of
humankind. But when the family's friend, Sami, is poisoned, the
People of the Snake force the Atlases to work for them in exchange
for a cure." (Publisher)
This is a great adventure novel - Indiana Jones for children. Once
you start reading you want to know what happens next. Jake seems to
find himself in trouble for not thinking on a number of occasions
throughout the book. He has to work with his twin sister Pan and his
parents to help save a friend of theirs. During the story Jake finds
out interesting things about his parents and the double life they
have been leading. Jake desperately wants to be part of that world;
treasure hunting seems so glamourous.
During the course of the book Jake starts to realise that his
actions affect the people around him and he starts to see that his
parents do have his best interests at heart.
This is a great adventure novel and would appeal to adventure loving
kids, particularly boys.
I recommend this novel to children 10+
Karen Colliver
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Ill. by Jim Kay. Harry Potter, book 1. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781526602381.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Orphans. Wizards.
Magic. Good and evil. Harry Potter needs no introduction: the
enormous popularity of all the books as well as the films, has made
him into a household name. This is the first book in the series,
introducing Harry, the lonely orphan who has been forced to live in
a cupboard under the stairs by his unsympathetic aunt and uncle and
tells the story of his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry.
People revisiting the Harry Potter books will be entranced
with the beautiful illustrations by Jim Kay, the talented Kate
Greenaway Medal winner, in this paperback edition (the hardback
version came out in 2015). He has kept the familiar image that
everyone has of Harry Potter from the films, complete with glasses
and dark hair, but added much to his expressions and gestures.
Pictures dot the pages, some on a full page, set in dark tones, as
Harry and his friends fight the evil at Hogwarts. More colourful,
smaller drawings complement the narrative and give the reader a
picture of what is going on in the text. J.K.
Rowling has said: "Seeing Jim Kay's illustrations moved me
profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter's world, and I
feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it".
This illustrated edition in paperback is beautifully presented and
could become a collector's delight. As well as a book to be
treasured by older readers, I can see it being used as a read aloud,
introducing Harry Potter to the 7-8 year olds, who will be entranced
with both the story and the illustrations. Bloomsbury has a page with
information about J.K. Rowling, games, discussion guides and a Harry
Potter night.
Pat Pledger
Me and my fear by Francesca Sanna
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171539
(Age: 6+) Themes: Fear. Anxiety. Friends. With mental ill-health an
issue for many children, a number of books promoting well being for
children have been released. In the past it has been rare to see a
character feeling anxious or depressed, and if they did exist in the
book, were a minor or secondary character. But now as the issue has
become more well known and recognised as a major concern amongst
younger people, there are more books around which encourage children
to talk about their fears, and see for themselves that they are not
alone. I wrote an article published in The Literature Base about
well being, and included a long list of books that will help
children reach out. (The Literature Base Volume 27, Number 3, August
2016) Me and my fear addresses the concern of keeping the fear
secret. In this book, the child is almost content with her fear,
illustrated as a small blob of white like a small animal that
sometimes cocoons the girl, sometimes almost smothers her. They do
everything together, the fear alienating her from her friends and
family. When she sits in the playground the fear tells her that no
one likes her, when she sits in the library the fear tells her he
doesn't like it here. She becomes more lonely but then a boy talks
to her and they begin to do things together, making the fear
smaller. The fear is still there but it is smaller and she realises
that many of the children have a fear as well.
A book to share with a class which will create much discussion.
Fran Knight
LEGO Star Wars ideas book: More than 200 games, activities, and building ideas by DK Publishing
DK Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780241314258
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Lego. Star Wars. Inventions. A
fantastic book to give as a gift to young Lego and Star Wars
aficionados or to have in a Maker Space, this LEGO Star Wars
ideas book will keep children occupied for many hours with the
over 200 ideas that it contains for using Lego bricks that they may
already own. The contents page contains all 200 activities and is
organised under the headings of "Recreate", "Expand", "Challenge",
and "Use it". There is a further double page spread that asks the
question "What will you do today?" And includes questions like "What
are you in the mood for?" and "How much time do you have?" and then
gives suggestions for what to make.
It follows the themes of "Rethink, Rebuild and Recycle", giving the
user lots of alternatives of things to make at differing levels of
difficulty. There are activities like building Han's
electrobinoculars, make a mosaic, recreate the Star Wars characters
and even make a pencil holder shaped like a Jedi. One I liked was
"Be a Lego Portrait Artist", which showed how to make Queen Amidala
and General Grievous.
The index is also handy, and a skim through this would give readers
ideas about individual things that they could make, for example, the
entry for Han Solo, gives the page numbers for a 8-bit figure,
electrobinoculars and lucky dice.
The book itself is a sturdy, colourful product, with a thick hard
cover and should stand up to some hard use. Each of the projects is
well illustrated with excellent photos which would give a lot of
guidance to the person making the selected building.
Pat Pledger
