Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889947
(Age: 8+) Recommended. A dog's nose is more than 1 000 times more
sensitive than our nose. That's why if you do a bottom burp in a
dog's face it will go cross-eyed and fall over. Imagine a sausage
dog's dilemma when it's eating sausages - the resemblance of this
tasty snack to their Granny is uncanny! Uncover top tips for feeding
goldfish and avoiding a mini tsunami in your house causing dinosaurs
to evolve from your carpets! Discover some of the rarest dog breeds
in the world, like the Jack Russell Sprout . . . but remember,
they're not just for Christmas.
This is truly one of the funniest books I have ever read. Campbell
have very cleverly mixed fact with fiction and will be a real hit
with the young readers (8 and up) - especially the advice that is
given to convince parents to allow them to get just the pet they
want. It has a mix of quirky illustrations, sign posts indicating
what directions you can choose and text. It is a little like a
choose your own adventure book, whereby you can choose what you want
to do. It is not a book that has to be read from cover to cover. I
sneakily gave it to one of my Year 6 reluctant readers and he could
not put it down - he was very keen to borrow it. I can also see
myself using it to fill in the odd five minutes - picking it up and
reading a couple of pages. A very lighthearted book that is a must
have.
Kathryn Schumacher
Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tanya Bolden
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681196992
(Age: 13+) Recommended. In the latter months of 1864, during the
U.S. Civil War, General Sherman of the Union led a huge army through
Georgia, freeing slaves, plundering goods and destroying property of
the vanquished. Many ex-slaves chose to accompany the advancing army
on the march. Many would have seen the Northern soldiers as
saviours, some depended upon their rations and some undoubtedly
wanted to participate in and witness the defeat of the Confederate
South.
The Union army was glad to have the labour from thousands of willing
workers for transporting equipment, foraging food and building
pontoon bridges to replace those destroyed by the retreating
Confederates. Accompanying the principally male ex-slaves engaged in
military support were the women, children and elderly from their
families or dependants from their previous life of servitude.
This story centres upon Mariah, a young woman whose main focus after
being freed is the protection of her intellectually disabled young
brother by establishing a home on one acre of land, upon which she
can grow food. From her recollections, the reader comes to
appreciate some of the abject misery and brutal cruelty endured by
slaves in the American South. It is difficult to imagine conditions
in an era when those who considered themselves part of civilised
society might sell children away from traumatised mothers, would
inflict barbaric, degrading punishments for the slightest of
perceived misdeeds and could ultimately end a slave's life.
Liberated from tyranny, these ex-slaves rejoiced in freedom but
faced the fact that they were ill prepared for life ahead, having no
land or property and usually no education. When Mariah meets Caleb
(a skilled black man working for the Union Army) she recognises his
kind, gentle and decent nature and a romance develops which would
have been realistic under the circumstances.
The climax of this story involves an historically accurate event
which should be shamefully acknowledged and remembered, yet appears
to have been buried and forgotten in the mists of time.
Young readers may be confused by the opening sequences of this
story, especially if they have no knowledge of slavery in the
American South. It may be difficult for those unfamiliar with
plantation life and conditions to understand the various characters
who are introduced in the early passages, yet if they persist, they
will be better for learning about this profoundly important chapter
of history.
Recommended for readers 13 years+
Rob Welsh
Bonkers about beetles by Owen Davey
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171485
(Ages: 6-adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Beetles. Non-fiction.
What a wonderful encyclopaedic book about beetles, I read it from
cover to cover, loving every piece of information given, observing
the pictures with glee, scanning the layout and clear design
features with admiration.
After a contents page, each double page fastens on one topic, well
illustrated with clearly defined drawings, using colours that
reflect the places the beetles dwell. Each page is covered with
highly arresting information, distinctive and finely detailed
illustrations which will enrapture the readers.
The first two double pages inform the reader about the basics of
being a beetle: what they are and where they live. Readers will find
that there are over 400,000 different beetles species, and that they
can be terrestrial or aquatic, and herbivore, omnivore, predator or
decomposer. While over the page is a magnificent drawing of a beetle
with body parts numbered so that the reader can easily see what part
is what, and read how each part is useful to a beetle. From there
each double page concentrates on one aspect of the beetle: wings,
food, disguise, defence, and camouflage while other pages
concentrate on one beetle, like the ladybird and the horned dung
beetle.
The last two double spreads show the beetles in mythology and
conservation being made on the beetles' behalf. It will surprise
readers to find out that although there are over 400,000 species of
beetle, some are under threat, and Davey explains just what these
beetles do and how we can help in their conservation.
All in all a sparkling look at beetles, and a book I will go back
to, as will many readers who love gathering bits of information or
who are potty about beetles, or just love the design of the book.
Flying Eye Books has published three other books by Owen Davey that
use the same entertaining style of both information and
presentation: Mad about monkeys, Smart
about sharks and Crazy
about cats. All four of these books will gather a wide
excited audience from primary people.
Fran Knight
Angry Cookie by Laura Dockrill
Ill. by Maria Karipidou. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383089
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Anger. Friendship. Confronted by an
angry Cookie from the start, the reader will be in no doubt about the
theme of this book. We are told in no uncertain terms, not to open
the book, not to turn the page, and not to try to do anything about
his anger. With that, Cookie escapes up the stairs to his bedroom.
But then he peeps around the door, apologetically, a little
chagrinned about his outburst. Over the next few pages we find out
why Cookie is angry. His best friend, the cactus, plays his recorder
badly, a pigeon tries to snack on him, he has had a bad hair cut,
his toothpaste runs out and he must use his parent's toothpaste
which is not to his liking, in fact, his whole day goes awry. But he
peeps again at the audience and realising that we are all still
there listening to him, deduces that things can't be that bad. He is
surprised that the reader keeps coming back despite his bad temper
and anger, and concludes that the reader is there because he is a
friend and that's what friends do. Young readers will readily
empathise with Cookie, recognising the bad events that can happen to
them all.
The humour behind the illustrations will have broad appeal to the
reader, the simple Cookie expressing his emotions with small changes
in the mouth, eyebrows, and eyes. I loved looking at the pictures
first to see just how Cookie is going to react on each page before
reading the story. Young readers will enjoy Cookie's exploration of
what makes him angry, and like him, realise that a friend can make
all the difference to how you feel. This is a perfect conduit to
class discussions about feelings, anger and friendship.
Fran Knight
Melowy: The night of courage by Danielle Star
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781338151787
(Age 7+) Recommended. The night of courage is book 3 in the
Melowy series and will be enjoyed by any pony lover aged 5+. In
this book, readers meet the Melowies, magical ponies who are
at school together. They come from a variety of Melowy worlds and
display skills and powers accordingly. The Melowies have been
challenged to spend a night in the woods. Their teacher expresses
the need to learn to not fear making mistakes as the fear stops you
from trying something new. The trip starts well despite another
Melowy being added to the group of friends, a Melowy who isn't
normally nice to the group of friends. The girls build a successful
shelter together but in the search for something to eat, Elektra
goes missing. Will they find Elektra? Will Eris ruin the chances of
the friends being reunited? The night of courage is a simple narrative built around the themes
of friendship and not being afraid. The storyline moves quickly and
it is easy to read and understand. It is a short novel, making it
ideal for younger readers moving into being independent readers. It
would also make a great read for before bed whether independently or
being read by an adult. Sections of the story could be linked to the
Child protection and Health curriculums when discussing teamwork,
problem solving and friendship. The night of courage is a fun read and is recommended for
independent readers aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster
The survival game by Nicky Singer
Hodder Children's Books, 2018, ISBN 9781444944525
(Ages: 12+) Mhairi is a child displaced and desperate to return
home. The world is changing around her and she is caught in an
exodus as the people of Africa flee north, praying for a chance at
survival now Global Warming is taking its toll.
Parentless, traumatised, and alone, Mhairi knows that if she can
just make it back to Scotland, to the Isle of Arran where she was
born, everything will all be okay again. But the walk from Sudan is
long and treacherous and she isn't sure that she will ever be free
from the memories which haunt her. Regardless, Mhairi is determined
to survive, even if that means abandoning a mute boy who tries to
join her. But he's more persistent than she expects, and they soon
become friends. Travelling alone had its benefits, particularly when
it came to crossing borders but it's clear to Mhairi that the boy
has no papers. He's an illegal. But he's just a boy. A mixture of
compassion and guilt drives Mhairi to adopt the boy as her brother,
causing even more problems than before. Will Mhairi's determination
get them home? And will they be safe there when they arrive?
Singer provides a dystopian (and quite realistic) take on increasing
global temperatures and explores the options humans might have in
order to maintain their current lifestyles. Preservation and
survival butt heads in this novel, yet it also weaves a tale of
compassion and determination.
Kayla Gaskell
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
Hodder Children's Books, 2018, ISBN 9781444941951
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. Unexpectedly brilliant, Grace and
Fury brings together the stereotypical expectations of women and
those traits of the outspoken and questioning. The novel is
dystopian in nature, however it interrogates the place of women both
in the Banghart's fantasy world, and in our own.
In a world where women are only objects, where they are silenced,
and forbidden education... In a world where simply being caught with
an open book could send you to exile. Two girls leave the comfort of
their provincial home for the capital, Bellaqua, where the elder,
Serina, has been selected as a potential Grace for the Superior's
Heir. But things go badly wrong when it is not Serina who is
selected, but her sister, Nomi. With their roles reversed for the
first time in their lives, both sisters are terrified and lost.
Separated and thrown into opposite worlds they are forced to learn
their new roles, will either of them survive? It's time for the
rebellious Nomi to stop her madness and douse her fire, but that
fire is just what Serina must find if she has any hope of survival.
Nothing she learned preparing to be a Grace could prepare her for
her new life. Grace and Fury interrogates both the role and the power of women
through a dystopian context. It shows not only are women beautiful
but also powerful. By reversing Serina and Nomi's positions as
rebellious and submissive, both girls are taught the power of being
both and the importance of picking the correct moments to rebel
against oppression and when to play the game.
Kayla Gaskell
Save the date by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471163883
(Age: Teens-YA) In Save the date the story follows Charlie
Grant, the youngest of the Grant family of seven. Charlie is excited
for the next three days, as she finally gets to have all of her
family under the same roof in what feels like forever. And to top it
all off, it's for her sister Linnie's wedding too.
But as life has it, things don't all go according to plan for the
Grants. There's a missing wedding planner that has skipped town, her
favorite brother has bought a surprise new girlfriend, angry
neighbours are constantly trying to hassle them, the rented dog
causing noise complaints. And to top it all off, the new wedding
planner's nephew is kind of cute too.
With problem after problem, over the next three long days, Charlie
will learn more about the people she thought she knew best. And that
holding onto the past isn't good for her future.
Morgan Matson has given us a family orientated story with a complex
family to fit it. It follows a lot of major events that happen to a
lot of people, including family quarrels, distant siblings, fighting
parents and change within the family and life itself. The last being
the main issue that Charlie faces the most in this story: Change. I
think that the themes represented in Save the date would best suit
teenagers and young adults.
Kayla Raphael
Dolls of hope by Shirley Parenteau
A Friendship Dolls Book
Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9781536200263
(Ages: 8-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendship. Japan. Dolls. Adventure. Bullies.
Can humility and honour live side-by-side in a progressive society?
Chiyo is a young Japanese girl born into a relatively humble and
simple family in a farming community. It is 1927 - a time when
traditional Japanese life is on the cusp of change. But for Chiyo,
her adventurous spirit is about to create opportunities that she
could never imagine. While attempting to check that her older
sister's potential suitor is worthy, she ends up being sent to
boarding school (at his expense and suggestion) and into an
environment that is challenging to her core. Despite the 'mean
girl', Hoshi, constantly causing havoc, Chiyo eventually gets a
chance to be involved in the Friendship Dolls event - the American
Dolls having been sent to Japan from America to be a diplomacy tool
to create positive relationships between the two countries. Chiyo is
'tripped' at every step by Hoshi, but her grace shines through and
she is eventually chosen to be the protector of the doll 'Emily
Grace', and the face of the Japan Doll. Even this joyful role comes
with pain as Hoshi's jealousy causes strife. Even though Chiyo's
spirit and honour is challenged, she finds ways to rise and smile
through difficult circumstances.
Shirley Parenteau's tale gives great insight into more traditional
Japanese culture and thinking - especially their esteem of
honour and humility. But she is also able to show the spirited, but
gentle personality of the central character, almost as a metaphor of
a changing Japanese society. This tale will be enjoyed by female
readers aged 8-12, especially those interested in other cultures (or
for students of Japanese). The cover is a little too 'sweet' for my
liking and may perhaps prevent some potential readers from selecting
this book from the shelf. It does highlight the historical and
Japanese connection, but is a bit too 'cute and girly'.
Highly recommended, for ages 8-12
Carolyn Hull
The Life and Death Parade by Eliza Wass
Quercus Books, 2018. ISBN 9781784295271
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. An exquisite painting of the stages
of grief and acceptance following the death of a loved one. Eliza
Wass shares a breathtaking story of love, loss, and the lengths
people go to to preserve their loved ones.
Nikki met his fate after meeting a psychic who told him he had no
future. The Bramley family have been wallowing in their grief for a
year. Kitty's boyfriend is dead and yet he haunts the family
home - his death causing Kitty to feel even more out of place than
before. A third-generation orphan, Kitty believes that her greatest
talent is in losing people. But can she turn that around and help
the people who have sheltered her and cared for her since her
mother's death?
In her desperation to discover the truth of Nikki's death, Kitty
finds herself at the Canal where, a year ago, it had all changed.
But this time the psychic's boat is different - a boy sits on deck.
His name is Roan and he claims he can speak to the dead. Thinking it
might help, Kitty takes Roan back to the castle to speak with
Holiday and Lady Bramley. While Roan makes quick progress helping
them with their grief, Kitty discovers that while most of The Life
and Death Parade is a farce, Roan is the real deal, talented in many
things, including resurrection. Faced with the most difficult
decision of her life, Kitty must decide if Nikki should stay dead,
or return to life.
Beautifully written, Eliza Wass presents a book that deals with the
grief of losing a loved one gently, a testament to her own
experience. She includes excerpts of poems written by her late
husband which break up the work. I read the novel in one sitting and
would highly recommend to readers twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell
Want to play trucks? by Ann Stott
Ill. Bob Graham, Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378238
(Ages: 4+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Playgrounds. Trucks. Play.
Jack and Alex meet most mornings at their local playground to play
together, while their mums sit on the seat in the background,
chatting and keeping an eye on them. The two play in the sandpit,
Jack pushing his beloved trucks around the space, while Alex plays
with his dolls. When Jack asks Alex to play trucks, there is a small
problem to overcome. Alex would prefer to play with his doll. They
decide that the doll can drive the truck and so all is well. When
they turn to the forklift truck, things must be decided again. The
tutu will not fit in the driver's seat, so again a compromise must
be made. The doll is divested of her tutu and dressed in dungarees.
All is well.
An ice-cream truck can be heard in the background, all playing is
stopped for a treat. And the treat is something no one can argue
about.
This delightful tale of a small moment in the sandpit; the use of
strong words between the boys, is resolved by the children as they
decide what is important. Playing together, finding a way to
overcome a disagreement is the basis of their friendship. This
gentle tale of peace and understanding is beautifully paralleled in
Graham's distinctive water colour illustrations, reflecting the two
families which meet at the playground and the efforts made by the
two friends to remain friends and join in their game.
I love the mothers in the background, chatting away, while their
children work out their own disagreements for themselves. And in the
city backdrop, life moves on with people cycling past, a kite is
caught in the tree, a person is helped past in his wheelchair, a
squirrel watches the children and people walk their dogs. What a
wonderful story to encourage discussion about friendship and
compromise, about disagreements and coming together.
Fran Knight
Record breakers by DK
Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 9780241296967
(Ages: 8-80) Recommended. Themes: Records. Animal records. Human
achievement. Dorling Kindersley's Record breakers focuses on our
Planet Earth, amazing human achievements in people power, the
prowess of athletes, engineering feats, animal records, and space
data. Beautifully presented with amazing photographs, diagrams,
charts, clear captions, easy to read labels, this is an entertaining
book just right to share with the whole family.
Investigate where the world's population lives, the spikes rising
out of the map show the number of people living in each continent,
Greenland has the lowest density. Interested in gems, the most
precious, valuable and rare ones are displayed, the pink star
diamond weighing 59.6 carats sold in 2017 for $71.2 million!
Human achievements include climbers who scaled Mt Everest, the
deepest free divers and the amazing survivors who showed stamina and
strength enduring extreme conditions. Female football stars include
USA's Abby Wambach who scored 184 goals in 256 matches from 2001 to
2015. Imagine jumping further than two Volkswagen Beetles: Mike
Powell jumped 8.95m at the 1991 Tokyo World Championships.
Giant cruise ships, the largest airship to the world's largest
self-powered vehicle, NASA's Crawler Transporter, world breaking
records and giant machinery are included in Feats of Engineering.
Of course, records in the Animal World are both exciting and hard to
comprehend, the Giant Anteater's tongue stretches 61cm while the
Colossal Squid's eye is 28cm in diameter. Animal migration, amazing
mini-beasts and super-sized snakes will delight the animal lover. Record breakers is an engaging, educational encyclopaedia of
facts, there's something there for everyone to enjoy, to marvel over
and discuss.
Rhyllis Bignell
Storm-Wake by Lucy Christopher
Chicken House, 2018. ISBN 9781906427733
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Survival. Coming of age. Nod to
Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Moss is a young girl who has grown up
on a magical island with her father, who believes that he can use
the flowers growing there to control the weather and stop the floods
that he claims have devastated the world. When a wild young
fish-boy, Callan, is washed up on the shore, Moss grows increasingly
attached to him, but finds it difficult to know what to believe when
he begins to question her father. Then two young men are shipwrecked
and she has to question everything that she has grown up believing
to be true.
I did not realise that this was loosely based on "The Tempest" until
well into the story. However astute readers who are familiar with
the play, will read the quote at the beginning of the book and see
the parallels featuring a father who takes his daughter to an
isolated island, and a young feral boy who threatens their peace. At
the same time, readers who are not familiar with "The tempest" are
able to read it as a survival story and a coming of age story, as
Moss grows physically and mentally, and Pa deteriorates as he
consumes more and more of the storm flowers on the island, living in
a drug induced fever. The appearance of the two young men from the
real world who are shipwrecked adds a new dimension to the story and
Christopher gathers together many interesting threads as her tale
draws to an end.
The lyrical writing and the magic surrounding the island drew me in
and after a rather slow start, I found it very difficult to put the
book down. The descriptions of being totally isolated, with just the
three of them, Moss, Pa and Cal, living together and surviving,
combined with dreamlike sequences, draw the reader in, and often it
is difficult to know what is real and what is not.
This is a unique and magical story that will appeal to readers who
like to be challenged.
Pat Pledger
Varina by Charles Frazier
Sceptre, 2018. ISBN 9781473686144
(Age: 16+) Recommended.
In 1906, a man whose shade of skin is 'noted' by the desk clerk,
asks to see a hotel guest, Mrs. Davis, and is told he may wait
outside on a bench. But he persists in staying by the fireplace
until he meets her - the famous Varina Davis, or V as she is called,
once wife to the President of the Confederate States of America.
James Blake is trying to recover his own history, and in the
following meetings with V, she recounts his life and hers. He was a
waif, brought up with her own young children - the question is
though, could he really have been one of them, or was he a
much-loved pet? Was he owned? Could there really be love,
friendship, and affection between people who are owned and their
owners? Kevin Powers answered this in the negative in his brutal
expose of master and slave in A shout in the ruins, also set
during the American civil war. Frazier's novel is more nuanced.
Slavery may be wrong but relationships are complex, as is
continually revealed throughout the story of Varina's life. And in
the end, after the war, was the freedom brought by the Union
soldiers truly freedom? At the end of the book, when James is
travelling home from V's funeral, he is told by the train conductor
to move 3 cars back to the one with the sign saying COLORED.
Readers of historical fiction who seek a story of great romance set
against a background of the civil war will be disappointed. There is
no sweeping hero, no grand love story. Varina's choices as a young
girl are limited and she makes the best of what she can. Gradually
she asserts her intelligence and independent spirit, and also her
humanity, to make her own path, and protect her children, including
James, as best she can. Perhaps some of the later choices she makes
could be seen as a kind of atonement for earlier self-perceived
failings. All in all it is a brilliant portrayal of a complex
person, a woman of intelligence, moral integrity and kindness, who
despite her upbringing in slave owner country could probably have
worked out a better solution than the cruel and wasteful war the
country became embroiled in.
Helen Eddy
Grandma Dangerous and the dog of destiny: Book 1 by Kita Mitchell
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781408355060
Age: 8+) "WARNING: DO NOT GIVE THIS BOOK TO YOUR OWN GRANDMA. SHE
MIGHT GET IDEAS...
Danger is her middle name!
Ollie's dad is missing - but Grandma Dangerous is on the case! She
has a hot-air balloon, thirty packets of biscuits and a pooch with
magical powers (she says).
But as they sail through the skies, Ollie realises they're not just
on a rescue mission...
Grandma's on the run!" (Publisher)
This is a really funny read. It resonates with David Walliams and
Roald Dahl and I am sure fans of these extremely popular authors
will love this. What child does not like adults and, in particular
one's parents, being the butt of many jokes and adventures? Ollie
can not believe his luck when he has to be looked after by his
grandma, aka Grandma Dangerous. Grandma has promised to be on
her best behaviour but it is not too long before mischief and
adventure comes knocking. Ollie's dad, a famous explorer has gone
missing. His mum is too busy looking after his injured sister, Lucy,
so it is left up to the two of them and Ollie's school friend,
Piper. They set off to Australia with a hot air balloon as their
mode of transport! Of course the plot becomes quite complicated in a
funny way. The main characters are likeable with Grandma sure to be
a hit with the reader. Who does not like a grandma that doesn't make
you eat vegetables, feeds you lots of sugar and takes you on amazing
adventures? A welcome addition to the collection - suitable for ages
8 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
