Reviews

I got a chicken for my birthday by Laura Gehl

Ill. by Sarah Horne. CarolRhoda Books, 2018. ISBN 9781512431308
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Poultry, Birthdays, Presents. Ana really wants tickets to the amusement park for her birthday and she has told her abuela (grandmother) three times. But the day of her birthday arrives with a large gift wrapped crate and inside is a chicken. She is disappointed, but realises that she needs to feed it, and going to do just that, the chicken displays a sign saying she has no time for food. Ana thinks that perhaps she likes scrambled eggs, but going to the chicken she has another sign telling her that she has no time for laying eggs, and gives Ana a huge list of things to collect and buy.
When all the things are amassed for the chicken, she spends her time with pencil and ruler, working out dimensions, and then roping in Ana's dog to help. Next she has the cat working as well. The hamster becomes the tractor driver, and lots of other animals call in to help. Readers will be agog to see what the chicken is building, as lengths of wood are hoisted into the air, and a framework built.
By now readers will be making guesses at what they will eventually find, and laugh out loud at the illustrations showing the animals donning builder's belts, hard hats and wielding building tools for the task.
Readers will have guessed that Ana's abuela has given her what she wanted for her birthday but in a more roundabout way than she expected.
The vibrant illustrations are full of humour, reflecting the disappointment Ana holds in not getting what she wanted, but intrigued with what the chicken and the other animals are doing.
Young readers will love picking out the various farmyard animals portrayed, and recognise aspects of building and the equipment needed for such a task.
I particularly love the look on the chicken's face as she goes about her task, especially when capped with a safety helmet.
Fran Knight

Along came a different by Tom McLaughlin

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408888926
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Difference, Rules, Shapes. The Red shapes loved being red. They loved wearing red hats, eating red apples and sang red songs. But along cam some Yellow shapes. They loved being yellow, eating yellow bananas, yellow books and yellow cars. But the two groups found fault with each other, forcing each other to make areas for themselves separate from each other. But then along came another different, this time, a Blue shape. The Blue shapes loved their blue guitars and blow ties, but ran foul of the other two shapes, the red and the yellow.
The three groups then separated themselves from each other, making rules about what they could and could not do.
By now readers and listeners will have realised that the story is telling us about how we separate ourselves from others, making rules and regulations to further restrict interaction. Younger readers will be able to see that rules often divide, but be heartened when a new group comes along in the book, overturning all the rules made by the first three groups.
The new group is quite different, reflecting all the colours that have gone before, and talking to the three shapes, encouraging interaction, communication and friendship. Children will easily see that discussion and communication is better than making rules which only serve to divide. Being different does not mean that we have to make rules to divide us from our friends.
Fran Knight

Marge and the secret tunnel by Isla Fisher

Ill. by Eglantine Ceulemans. Marge in charge series, bk 4. Piccadilly Press, 2018. ISBN 9781848127333
(Ages: 6-8) Themes: Babysitting, Family Life, Adventures. Isla Fisher's amusing stories about flamboyant Marge the babysitter and her unique style of babysitting Jake and Jemima are fun to read aloud and just right for a newly independent reader to enjoy. These three short stories involve a secret tunnel that might lead to Australia, Marge's unusual shopping techniques and a rather crazy search for Clover the lost kitten.
In "Marge and the Secret Tunnel", when Marge arrives to babysit Jemima and Jake, she's wearing a pink ski suit, goggles and a helmet, the perfect outfit to explore the secret tunnel Jemima's discovered in the backyard. Marge shares some Australian slang and some fantastic palace stories as they travel through the dark space into their neighbours' yard. They solve the mystery of their disappearing toys and make a new friend Angie.
Marge's unique style, singing ability and unusual approach to shopping makes for a fun adventure for Jake and Jemima. Racing shopping trolleys down an empty mall and discovering what happens when the shopping centre is locked for the night make for more silly escapades.
In the final story, Angie's fluffy, white kitten Clover is lost and Marge and the children decide to play detectives.
Isla Fisher's entertaining stories are just right for young newly independent readers. Marge's unique fashion sense, her entertaining ways and ability to turn the ordinary into humorous and fun activities make her a loveable character. Eglantine Ceulemans' cartoons add to the fun of the stories.
Rhyllis Bignell

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Lifelike book 1. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760295691
(Age: 15+) Recommended for adrenaline junkies. Themes: Dystopian fiction, Robots, Artificial intelligence, Memory, Extrasensory perception. This book grabbed me right from the first page where the reader meets Eve, a prisoner in a cell, who has to watch her family being killed one by one. From then on, the story takes the reader on a wild ride, with Eve fighting a in a robot gladiator that she has built herself, only to find that she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, having the Brotherhood chasing her across the barren landscape for her weirdness and then finding an android named Ezekiel who claims to have known her from the past. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and a little robot called Cricket, she treks across irradiated glass trying to find her grandfather who has been taken away by androids.
Time just flew away as I followed Eve's journey. There is so much action, fighting and violence as well as some slight romance and heart breaking moments, that the book will hold the attention of all readers who like a fast paced sci-fi thriller. For those who have read Asimov's book "I, Robot", the whole idea of robots and artificial intelligence will be questioned as the androids in "LIFEL1K3", change the 3 laws of robotics and start questioning what they can do.
Kristoff brings his characters to life, especially Eve's friend Lemon Fresh, whose delightful wit brings much humour to the story. The robots' characters are so well developed that they seem like real people and this also makes that reader think about where artificial intelligence could lead the world.
With a totally unexpected twist at the end, readers will be sure to pick up the next in the series and I for one, will be reading some of Kristoff's previous award winning series, "The Lotus War" and the "Illuminae files" written with Amie Kaufman.
Pat Pledger

Skylarks by Karen Gregory

All of this is true by Lygia Day Penaflor

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408890936
(Age: 15+) Unusually scripted, this novel is not constructed in the common form of a novel related by a known or unknown narrator. Daring to be quite different, this new form of storytelling is constructed through the use of a various personal and written interactions, using narrative accounts of experiences, scripted interactions and television interviews. As we read the individual 'parts', we are challenged to build a story of the events, as we understand them to have happened, and it is in our recognition of what we gather that appears to be a valid account of the truth of the events as we think they have occurred. We are certainly drawn into the world of the text by what we realize as the wrongful use of data, collected without the permission of the characters concerned.
Its 'story-telling' methods consist of television interviews of people involved in the events, of other apparently on-line interviews, of excerpts from a New York magazine, of one character's story, and of passages from the novel that engendered the whole 'story' that we gather as it emerges. It is through these repeated models that Penaflor chronicles events, past and present, to construct her book. We construct our idea of the story, and indeed of what we decide is 'truth' or 'lies', and indeed of the element of 'betrayal', by linking what we discover in the various models.
The novel begins with the script of a television interview and the story evolves through each passage, as the novel segues between the various models. The narrative is constructed through articles in the New York City Magazine, interviews of characters involved in the 'story' by unrevealed interviewers, excerpts from a new book written by this television interviewer, using, illegally, it is alleged, the adolescents' opinions and stories, as gleaned from the TV 'chats'. Added to this is the questioning of the young people involved by an unnamed interviewer, through which we glean sufficient understanding to create a 'story', As readers, we work to make sense of the events, and thus we are drawn into the affront felt by the characters, those emotional responses of those whose words, in interviews, were used by the writer of the novel, without permission, to construct her new novel.
Complex, challenging and emotive, this new work is powerful, set absolutely in the world of modern media, both private and public, and responding to the ideas of betrayal and loyalty, and of naivety. Penaflor has created a 'text' that is very vibrant, and reflects that part of life where adolescents must decide on their set of values, of aspirations, of what matters in this world, of who they are and what they will become, and most of all, what they will value. This is appropriate for adolescents, and would be apt for adults, especially those who work with young people.
Elizabeth Bondar

Nobody Real by Steven Camden

HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008168384
(Age: 16+) Real or Not? This book teeters between reality for the central character, Marcie, and the world and life of her imaginary friend, Thor. The reader is always in a state of uncertainty as the world of imaginary friendship is revealed. This is not a straightforward or juvenile revelation. Marcie (or Mars as she is often called) is dealing with an uncertain future as she stands on the cusp of leaving school and facing the prospects to come. Her secret 'friend' Thor is facing a transition of his own . . . a transition that is revealed through his counselling sessions. Maturity comes with all sorts of challenges.
Marcie's family life is complex and Thor has enabled her to survive through the traumas of her childhood, but what will happen now that childhood is disappearing? Her real-life friend, Cara, is ready to launch, but Marcie is far from ready and their relationship is showing the first signs of complication. Will Thor be able to manipulate circumstances and her attitudes so she is ready to be the person she should be? Coming out of her corner is fraught with problems. Her father is a writer battling his own life-blocks and with limited input into the personal dramas that she faces. His battle with creativity is in juxtaposition to Marcie's imaginary creation and the closeness and comfort that Thor brings. The angst of the teenage Marcie, is replicated in the creative struggles of her father.
This book is highly original, captivating and complex and requires extreme persistence to unravel the unique floating 'voices' that communicate Marcie's realities and the world of the imagination. This confusion is part of what makes this an interesting read and adds a level of intricacy and perhaps a hint of the manic or perplexity that a mature reader would find worthy of persistence. I liked the idea of the imaginary friend (creature) who is not ready to fade from his critical role as confidante; but the complexity of the journey will only be appreciated by those who read in 'meal-sized' portions, rather than a 'snack and nibble' approach, as confusion will be a companion. If the identity of the narrator was clearer (perhaps with chapter heading hints), then the reader would not need to spend critical time re-reading sections to identify whose voice is being heard, and whose feelings and identity is being revealed. (Note: differing fonts used for different 'voices' do not always clarify the confusion.) 'Living inside someone's head' is inherently confusing, so the author has deliberately created mystery as he reveals what is real and what is not.
Carolyn Hull

Star Wars Maker Lab: 20 Galactic Science Projects by Liz Lee

DK Children, 2018. ISBN 9780241314234
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. What person won't be tempted to pick up this book and see just what craft and science projects can be made using the ever popular Star Wars brand? This book has 20 projects that can be made at home or in a maker lab. Some of them include making a lightsabre beam, kyber crystals, Jabbba slime and a Mustafar volcano, as well as a Hoth snow globe and galactic planets.
There is a 'Before you start' section which emphasises safety, a note to parents that the projects may require parental supervision, how to use the templates found at the back of the book and where to get supplies. Each project gives a level of difficulty from easy, medium to tricky, tells the maker what supplies they will need with clear illustrations and then gives a step by step instructions, accompanied by pictures. Much of the equipment is stuff that would be found around the house, but some needs to be specially purchased, like batteries and light pens, and The Death star tractor beam, for example, needs a glue gun.
Each project gives a Star Wars context with pictures and there is a 'How it works' section that explains the science in clear concise language and an illustration. A glossary at the back gives definitions of many of the scientific terms, as well as references to the Star Wars Galaxy.
This would be a very useful addition to a school library with a maker-space, but would be an equally ideal gift to a child, giving lots of inspiration for things to do during long holidays.
Pat Pledger

There's a dragon in your book by Tom Fletcher

Ill. by Greg Abbott. Puffin, 2018. ISBN 9780141376127
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Dragons. Humour. With the opening page warning of the egg which is about to hatch, eager fingers will turn the page with glee, anticipating what may happen next. A baby dragon appears from the egg and the book asks the reader to tickle her nose which has a not unexpected consequence, a sneeze, which makes small spot fires around the page. Readers will be puzzling over what to do next as they watch the cheery little animal joining in the quest of how to put out the fires. Her suggestion put into place, the book gives another warning to the reader as the problem escalates, each time a solution begetting another problem to solve. Readers will laugh out loud at the situations she finds herself in, and admire the solutions, seemingly the one that is needed.
When all is peaceful once again, the dragon flies off, only to find another heap of problems around the corner.
A funny, involving text with illustrations that beg to be closely looked at, this dragon book will keep readers amused to the end, not only reading a highly amusing tale, but learning a lot about dragons along the way.
A sequel to the highly successful, There's a monster in your book.
Fran Knight

Riding a donkey backwards retold by Sean Taylor and Khayaal Theatre

Ill. by Shirin Adl. Otter-Barry, 2018. ISBN 9781910959305
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Read a loud, Myths and legends, Middle Eastern stories, Trickster. Uqman Ali and Eleanor Martin set up the Khataal Theatre, devoted to performing the poetry, stories and tales from Muslim culture, many of which feature Mulla Nasruddin, a trickster whose stories figure in the myths and legends of countries from Asia to Turkey. Some of Mulla Nasruddin's tales are brought together in this book, retold by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Shirin Adl, stunningly reflecting her Iranian background. Reading these stories is an absolute treat, learning why Nasruddin sleeps in his bed in the thieves' house after his goods were stolen, or why he rides his donkey backwards, or what 'the other side' means to someone already on the other side. Beguiling, full of humour, wisdom and jokes, while begging to be read out loud, children will love the use of language and the seeming simplicity of the tales as Nasruddin tells of incidents in his life. One very short tale tells of Nasruddin walking with his umbrella. When it begins to rain he opens it and sees it is broken. A young girl asks him why he brought it if it was broken. He replied was that he didn't think it would rain.
Another story details Nasruddin's early days at school where he fell asleep when he was supposed to be drawing. When the teacher woke him and asked him to come to the front of the class and show his drawing, he only had a blank piece of paper, but he used this to explain that it is a donkey eating grass. Scoffing, the teacher was then told, that the donkey ate the grass and when it was all gone, it left.
Teamed with vibrant, energetic illustrations reflecting the Iranian motif, they are filled with detail and delight for young readers to absorb. An introduction gives readers background to the stories across the Muslin world, and a glossary at the end will help explain some of the unfamiliar words. A worthwhile addition to any school library wanting a range of stories from across cultures and religions.
Fran Knight

The day war came by Nicola Davies

Ill. by Rebecca Cobb. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406376326
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Themes; War, Refugees, Displacement, Children in war, Education. The things we take for granted are all turned upside down in this picture book showing one child's torment as she loses everything she holds dear, to war. We expect to be safe, to be housed and fed, to have access to clean water and food, and be able to go to school. But when war comes, imposing its mayhem on a small town where the children are at school, and the parents at home or at work, everything that is known and accepted is no longer the same. The town is razed to the ground, noise and dust and debris separates the girl from her peers and family, and without possessions or friends, she must follow others as they head to a place of safety. Finding a town she is shunned by the occupants. War has got to them too.  Finding a school, she asks to be let in, but war has taken hold there too, and she is rejected, the teacher saying there is no chair for her to sit on.
This heart breaking story will resonate with children when they see how so simple an excuse can be given for the child not being accepted. It symbolises the plight of refugees the world over, being rejected, or left in detention camps, allowed to live out their lives without hope. And with echoes of the 'no room at the inn' story, this is a book that will engender much discussion in the classroom.
The beautiful illustrations will haunt the reader, the wide open expressions of the children, the devastated village contrasting so explicitly with the colour and uninterrupted life of the unscathed town, the symbol of the chair. The story offers hope after the children bring along chairs for the refugee children to sit upon and the stunning endpapers begin with a double page of empty chairs, and at the end all of them filled with children, safe and learning.
An end page tells the background of the story, initiated by the UK rejection of 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children in 2016, and hearing a tale of a child being refused entry to a school because there was no chair for her. Now chairs appear online supporting refugee children and their right to education.
This is a memorable and moving book. Classroom ideas are available.
Fran Knight

Is it a mermaid? by Candy Gourlay

Ill. by Francesca Chessa. Otto-Barry Books, 2018. ISBN 9781910959121
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Mermaids, Dugongs, Philippines, Conservation, Environment, Ocean. This environmentally aware, laugh out loud story with its perky illustrations will be a treat for younger readers having it read out loud to them, or newly confident readers wanting to share in the humour for themselves. Two friends, Beni and Bel find a dugong on the shore. near their home in the Philippines. She tells them that she is a mermaid, and tries to show the pair her attributes.
Her features and appalling singing do not convince Belnju but Bel is entranced. Younger readers will love the tension between these two friends as they attempt to convince each other about the animal, drawing confidence about supporting their own opinions while listening to another's.
The dugong may be clumsy on land, but once the trio dives into the water, they see another side to this animal, as she weaves and dives around the seaweeds and animals that live beneath the surface of the water.
It is a delight to see a book about the Philippines, a setting rarely seen, and concerning an animal that is not often shown in picture books, but is endangered around the world as its seagrass food source is destroyed and the animal is battered by sea vessels. More information about this animals, related to the elephant, is given at the end of the book, intriguing readers once again, and encouraging them to follow up the weblink given.
The jaunty sun filled illustrations reflect the lifestyle of the children living in such a beautiful environment.
Fran Knight

Migration by Mike Unwin

Ill. by Jenni Desmond. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889916
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Non fiction. Theme: Animal migration. With bold illustrations that sweep across the double pages, readers will thrill at the stories of the animals that migrate across this planet and the risks they take travelling over inhospitable snow and ice, or seas or mountains.
From the better known, turtles that return to the place of their birth to lay eggs, the emperor penguin, the African elephants in their annual trek for water, the albatross, to the less well known, the globe skimmer dragonfly or the hummingbird, the pages offer a brief summary of the animal and its journey accompanied by an illustrations that begs to be closely scrutinised.
Readers will love the detail, the great white shark that travels 10,000 kilometres to feed on seal, the monarch butterflies that travel in their millions from USA and even Canada to Mexico, a distance of some 5,000 kilometres, to roost and lay their eggs.
The hummingbird travels 800 kilometres from Central to Northern America, but travels over the Gulf of Mexico, a bird the weight of a sugar lump!
While many are large animals, the elephant, emperor penguin, whales and sharks, caribou and wildebeest, many are smaller fish, salmon for example, while some are smaller birds, hummingbird and crane, and two are insects. This is a magical book to dip in to, to savour and reread, to learn about the sweep of the animal kingdom and marvel at the astonishing stories presented.
Fran Knight

Behold the beautiful dung beetle by Cheryl Bardoe

Ill. by Alan Marks. Charlesbridge, 2018, ISBN 9781580895552
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dung beetles, Dung, Insects. All animals leave behind dung or faeces or poo (feces and poop in this book published in the USA) and it needs cleaning up. The dung beetle is onto the task almost immediately, sensing when some is dropped and flying to the poo within fifteen seconds of it hitting the ground. He needs to be fast, as many thousands of other dung beetles are on their way as well. Once there, different dung beetles do different things. Some bury it before others get there, some eat it, some make tunnels taking the poo down with them where one egg is left in each piece of dung, some roll the dung into a ball and roll it away to a place where it can be buried and used to incubate an egg.
The dung beetle therefore creates air pockets in the soil, aerating it, as well as fertilising it. And the dung provides food for the growing grub. No wonder the Ancient Egyptians saw them as symbols of life and its renewal, calling them scarabs.
This is a fascinating little book with illustrations that wonderfully complement the text, revealing exactly what the beetles look like, what they do and how they operate. The last two pages give information as text, with a glossary and bibliography.
This is an outstanding contribution to the area of simpler texts about our natural world, produced energetically for beginning readers. The idea of poo is a surefire winner, but the work of the dung beetle will hold their attention, prompting children to look more closely at the poo left around the place and be in awe of how it is removed by this marvelous insect.
Fran Knight

Ellie Engineer by Jackson Pearce

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195193
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. "Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit's mom talking about her present - the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet? Illustrated with Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmasters with how-tos, this is full of engineering fun!" (Publisher)
I have had "Ellie Engineer" highly recommended to me and I was not disappointed. Ellie is a strong female character who enters a world normally dominated by boys. She has all the traits we are trying to foster in the youth of today - friendly, kind, creative and inventive. Ellie is the perfect mix - although she likes to wear dresses she also likes to be creative, inventive and wears a tool belt ensuring she is always prepared. She is a risk taker and fully understands that when you are inventing things failure is a common occurrence by one must display persistence and keep going. She ensures she keeps detailed notes and drawings documenting her journey which are cleverly interspersed throughout the book. I would recommend this book for students aged 8 and up. Themes touched on include STEM, friendship and gender stereotypes.
Kathryn Schumacher