Ill. by Fred Blunt. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781408888766
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Martians. Grandparents. Fred and Nell's mother
and father leave for an evening meeting with Grandma in charge.
'Homework, a bath and in bed before eight,' are the simple
instructions. All across town parents also leave, with responsible
grandmas caring for their children. Unbeknown to the townsfolk,
their homes are under scrutiny from bright green Martians who hatch
a tricky plot. In a lightning fast beam, all the grannies are shot
into the air and replaced by multi-limbed green aliens.
At first Fred and Nell enjoy the silly instructions, staying up all
night, sliding down the bannisters and hovering over the chairs.
After the children realise their grandma has some unusual body
parts, they decide to run away. Mayhem occurs with all the Martians
chasing the little ones, crushing the cars and going bonkers. With a
special trick, Fred, Nell and the other children stop the Martian
Grans and save the day.
Michelle Robinson's madcap rhyming story is fun to read out loud,
complimented by Fred Blunt's lively, colourful illustrations. The
bold green aliens with their extra eyes and limbs, antennas and
silly expressions are humorous; youngsters will enjoy their actions
and viewing the trouble they wreak. Grandmas from Mars is just right
for junior primary students to model writing rhyming stories and
make predictions about a visit from the Grandpas from Mars.
Rhyllis Bignell
My best friend is a goldfish by Mark Lee
Ill. by Chris Jevons. Carolrhoda Books, 2018. ISBN
9781512426014
(Age: 4+) Theme: Friendship. The boy and his friend argue, and in
trying to find another best friend, he rejects them all, realising
that his former best friend is the one for him, but he must be more
patient and celebrate the fact that they are different.
He trials many other things as his best friend. First there is his
dog, Murphy. They howl at the police car, sniff everything together,
eat from the bowl on the floor, but when they go to the park, Murphy
wants to play with his real friends.
Then he trials Gus the cat, the hampster, Hercules, and the
goldfish, Fishy Robert. Finally he comes to work out that just as
cookies and milk are the same but different, they are still perfect
together, just as he and his friend are the same but different, but
still work as best friends.
Mark Lee has a few books to his credit and lives in New York, while
Chris Jevons began life as a cartoonist and lives in England. The
two forms work well together, Jevons' cartoon like characters please
the eye and compliment the spare words with ease.
Fran Knight
We come apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
David Fickling Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408878866
(Age: 14+) Themes: Families. Adolescents. Love. Survival. Prejudice.
Racism. Domestic violence. Jess and Nico meet during community
service. Jess has to deal with her dysfunctional and fractured
family and Nico feels trapped in a life he hasn't chosen and doesn't
want. Nico spots Jess and is instantly attracted but Jess has her
own problems and doesn't need any more complications in her life
right now.
I chose this book as a challenge to read a novel written in verse,
thinking it would be difficult. I am happily surprised how easy to
read and enjoyable it was. The story written in this way seems to
add more power to the words and gives you space to feel the full
impact.
Jess speaks honestly and with a bluntness common to her estate
English slang.
Nico speaks in broken English as a Romanian struggling with not only
the complexities of the language but also the added burden of the
local jargon.
This is not a happy story of love in an ideal world but of two
adolescents struggling with their lot in life, thinking they are
alone only to find strength in each other.
Joyce Crawford
Clean by Juno Dawson
Hodder Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786540362
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Lexie Volkov is many things, but she is not
a drug addict. Everyone does a little coke now and then, right?
That's normal for rich kids in London.
The first step to getting clean is admitting you have a problem. But
what if you don't have a problem? That's Lexie's question anyway,
after her brother kidnaps her and forces her into rehab on some
remote island. Stuck with a handful of misfits recovering from their
own illnesses and addictions, Lexie must play the game to get back
to her boyfriend, Kurt, and the sweet retreat of heroin. But with
each sober day, Lexie finds her outlook is changing and her
Kurt-centred life is no longer the same when there are girls dealing
with anorexia and eating disorders right beside her, and Brady, a
boy with a mysterious addiction no one talks about. Lexie is no
stranger to therapy and determined to give nothing away - nothing
that matters anyway. They talk about her family and status, but
Lexie carefully avoids school, something Goldstein eventually picks
up on. Something that might explain Lexie's drug habit. With the
death of a patient after drugs were smuggled into the facility Lexie
and Brady are drawn closer together. It seems a relationship is
blooming, or are they simply using one another as a crutch on the
road to recovery? Soon secrets spill out and everything changes.
Kids are always taught (rightly) to "say no to drugs"; however,
there is often an experimentation period and it is important that
they know the consequences of their actions. This is one of the
things which Clean does well. It shows how easy it is to not
know you're suffering from an addiction (be it drugs or otherwise)
and how simple it can be to get caught up in the crowd. I would
recommend this novel for people fourteen and up.
Kayla Gaskell
In search of us by Ava Dellaira
Hot Key Books, 2018. ISBN 9781471406515
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This book tells the story of Marilyn and
Angie, mother and daughter who have only had each other as Angie's
father died before she was born. Marilyn can't talk about Angie's
father without getting sad and teary about it so Angie is reluctant
to ask her mum to talk about him. Angie has always longed to know
more about her father who is African American as she takes after him
in looks rather than her fair skinned mother.
Life in their single parent household is happy, but not without its
struggles and Marilyn spends her days working and spending her free
time with Angie. Angie has a boyfriend Sam and they are well suited
however there is something stopping Angie from telling Sam that she
loves him and it causes tension in their relationship. One day Angie
accidentally finds a photo from years ago of her mum and a boy who
she knows instantly is her father. The image consumes her but she
knows she can't talk to her mother about it and so starts her quest
to find out more.
The story swaps between Marilyn and Angie and it all ties in nicely
to show the reader how a series of events and life paths end up
tying together the pieces of Angie's quest to find out more about
her father, the missing puzzle piece in her life. It is interesting
to see the very different ways Marilyn's mum Sylvie and Marilyn
parent given they were bought up in similar circumstances.
This story explores the relationships and bonds between mothers and
daughters and the way our actions impact others. Other strong
relationship themes in this story are those between families and
those between girlfriend and boyfriend.
I would recommend this story to ages 14+.
Gerri Mills
The Invasion by Peadar O'Guilin
The Grey Land Book 2. David Fickling Books, 2018. ISBN
9781910989647
(Age: Young Adult) Recommended. In this world, teenagers are trained
for the most horrible three seconds of their lives, the Call. When
Called you must survive three minutes in the Sidhe's territory, the
enemy of Ireland. Beautiful and distorted beings capable of molding
you into whatever they so desire, so don't get caught. They all come
back from the Call of course, but not always alive or in the same
physical state they left in. And there is one rule you must always
remember, don't make a deal with the enemy. Or you are a traitor to
the Nation. After they thought the danger was over, Nessa and Anto
thought they would finally be able to live a happy and quiet life.
But with the Side invasion becoming more and more prominent, the
government starts tracking down suspected traitors to the Nation.
Nessa is one of them. Nessa and Anto are denied their happy reunion,
and the only thing keeping them going is the thought of seeing each
other again. Nessa must fight against being branded as a traitor and
survive while trying to stop the invasion of Ireland. While Anto is
shipped off to join a militia made to stop the magic of the Sidhe
from spreading.
Will Nessa be able to survive long enough to see Anto again, and
will Anto be able to find her?
This story is a compelling sequel to the first book in this series The
Call. In the first few chapters it does well to recap the
story so far and set up the events that will follow. Each chapter is
also split into three character's perspectives, which made the flow
of the story suspenseful and engaging. The world that Peadar has
created is a modern-day Ireland being attacked by the Sidhe enemy.
And the interactions between the real world and the Sidhe are action
packed and fast paced. There was never a dull moment, and it kept me
on my feet the whole time trying to guess what's going to happen
next.
I would recommend this to young adults readers and above.
Kayla Raphael
The King with dirty feet by Sally Pomme Clayton
Ill. by Rhiannon Sanderson. Otto-Barry, 2018. ISBN 9781910959237
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fable, India, Problem solving.
When the king decides to take a bath, everyone is impressed, because
this is a task he rarely undertakes. He cleans his teeth, scrubs his
body and washes his hair but when he gets out of the river his feet
remain dusty and dirty. He is appalled, and tells his servant, Gabu,
that he must find a way of allowing his feet to retain their
cleanliness on pain of death. he has three days to solve the king's
problem, before he loses his head.
Gabu tries several different ways of keeping the dust in the country
down, but to no avail, it takes an old cobbler to come up with an
idea, one that the population takes to with relish.
This is a charring take on an old Indian folktale called The King
and the cobbler, and has been rewritten many times.
The bold illustrations using mixed media and photoshop will entrance
younger readers as their eyes dance across the scenes of Indian
life, with its array of animals, people and houses. Readers will
love working out what other things the king can do to keep his feet
clean, remarking on how clean their own feet are and what they do to
wash them.
Apart from the beautifully resolved folktale and the problem solving
idea it contains, the book could well be used in a class where
personal hygiene is under discussion, the story lending itself to an
awareness of the children's feet.
Fran Knight
Two sisters by Asne Seierstad
Little, Brown, 2018. ISBN 9780349009049
(Age: Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Two Sisters is a
compelling read which fascinated me from the moment I read the first
paragraph. Not only is Asne Seierstad's book an enticing piece of
literature but it's partnered with realism and a form of education
based around the territory of the Islamic State, extremism and the
fear of radicalisation in the human population. Choosing this book,
my initial thoughts were that it'd only be an interpretation, a
fictional story of the journey to join Islamic State. This was until
I found out that Asne Seierstad is not only an author but a
freelance journalist with over two decades of war correspondence
under her belt who partnered up with the support of the Juma family
which this story is based on and I realised my assumptions of this
book, its narrative and the author couldn't have been more wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Two Sisters simply because I
was able to understand and become informed of a family whose life
has been changed since these two sisters, two daughters, friends and
family members chose to leave their life in Norway on the 17th of
October 2013, to join the Islamic State in war stricken Syria to
help Muslim people who have become under attack and in need of
critical aid. Reading this book, something clicked in my brain, if
you have the ability to help someone, then why wouldn't you help?
Maybe the fear of being hurt yourself is what sets human beings back
but the strength and utmost bravery these two girls have is
admirable and understanding this from a report of sorts is what kept
me reading. Asne Seierstad has created an intense, enticing and
furthermore investigative book, one that has sparked questions and
conversation within myself but internationally to all people who
read this piece.
I highly recommend Two Sisters by Asne Seierstad and am
looking forward to reading more of Asne's work in the future.
Rylee Bogisch (Student)
Simon Thorn and the Shark's Cave by Aimee Carter
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408858059
(Age: 9-14) Recommended. Simon Thorn is an Animalgam which is a
secret race who can each shift into animal form. There are 5
Animalgam kingdoms, birds, insects, reptiles, mammals and the
underwater world.
Simon has a secret, he can shift into animals from any kingdom. He
has to keep this rare gift a secret, for the leaders of the five
kingdoms would destroy him. This is the third book in the series but
the first I have read, so it was a little confusing at times. The
author does her best to succinctly fill in past information from
previous novels but I recommend that the books are read in order to
gain a better understanding of the plot.
Each book is dedicated to a different world and this novel is set
underwater as the title suggests. Simon, his twin brother and other
shape shifters are grudgingly allowed to visit the underwater
kingdom.
Simon's evil grandfather, Orion is planning on taking over all the
kingdoms and needs the scattered pieces of a terrible weapon to
achieve his aim. One of the pieces is hidden in the underwater
world. Simon needs to find the piece before his grandfather but this
is difficult to do in the militant, guarded sea kingdom. Aimee
Carter has portrayed the underwater kingdom as being very regimented
with the creatures behaving like soldiers in the army and schools of
fish are compared to parading military.
These fantasy stories take the reader into different focus worlds,
where Simon has to face danger and solve difficult problems. He is a
young hero who has to overcome extreme odds, similar to Percy
Jackson in his mythical world.
Aimee Carter has written young adult novels before embarking on this
5 five book series. I would recommend these books to students aged
from 9 to 14 years.
Jane Moore
A stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763665968
(Age: 6+) Themes: Grief. Death. Dogs. Imagination. History.
Caldecott Award winning author illustrator, Aaron Becker has
produced a magical story of the cycle of life. With the most amazing
digitally painted illustrations, detailed and encompassing, Becker
does not need words to show us a saddened young girl burying her pet
dog. Going on the family camping holiday is simply not the same
without him and she holds back when other children play happily in
the water. But she finds a smooth stone and hurling it up into the
sky, the stone reveals the history of the world through its journey
from being a piece of extruded rock, to a large monolith hauled onto
the hill top by a group of men, to the hand sized stone she now
finds in the water.
Over millennia we see the stone first thrust out of the earth, then
being used, first as a large standing stone, next as a smaller piece
in an Egyptian temple, then smaller still, a building block in a
statue of Buddha, then as the keystone in a bridge in China and
smaller still it is sculpted and sent to the Americas, where what is
left now lies near to the water's edge, a much smaller version of
itself.
The endpapers show a map of the world and trace the journey of the
stone through its various incarnations from large to small, through
Ethiopia and Mesopotamia, India, Burma, China then across the
Pacific Ocean to Honolulu to its final resting place where the girl
finds it on the western seaboard of North America. The maps show an
overview of the world's history sure to intrigue and delight younger
readers who will search out more information about the empires that
have risen only to fall and be replaced by another.
This is a surprise of a book, worth delving into, capturing readers'
imaginations as they put their own words to the pictures, build
their own timelines around the stone, and ponder the circle of life
as the stone keeps going on in one shape or other. There are so many
layers to this book, that it is hard to dwell on any one. But I love
the different forms of travel shown through the illustrations, and
the differing work done by the individuals shown, as well as their
costumes, and the few animals that pop up in the pages, quietly
watching the activities of the people and the stone, while the story
comes full circle, the stone finally at rest on the dog's grave.
Fran Knight
The buildings that made London by David Long
Ill. by Josie Shenoy. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408883648
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: London. Cities. History. I thoroughly
enjoyed poring over each of the double page spreads in this book,
recalling the British history taught to me as a school student in
the 1950's and 60's, admiring the illustrations of a large number of
British institutions, seen as a tourist in recent years, and for
many of today's Australian younger students, this will be a new and
delightful experience.
Amongst the many pages, I loved the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's
Cathedral, Somerset House, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge and the
Tower of London, all known and visited, all part of the rich
heritage explicitly taught to Australian students in the past.
Today's students would certainly know of some of the places and many
would be interested in places like Westminster Abbey and places seen
on television, or through the Royal Weddings of late, and I hope
that many would pick up this most attractive book to read and enjoy
and add to their knowledge of major cities around the world.
Each double page has a detailed drawing of the place, taken from
archival documents, and the text around the pages delineates some of
the history of that building and its place in the London of today.
It is all fascinating to me and its presentation by a teacher as
part of a unit on cities would woo an audience, but to pick it up to
ponder over the heritage of one of the world's most beautiful cities
would be enough for many readers.
The double page spread about the Victoria and Albert Museum, for
example, has a drawing which covers both pages, illustrated around
the edges with some of the exhibits housed within. The people in the
front represent those who have visited the museum over the decades,
and reading the text at the top of the pages, reveals some of the
history of the building as well as some of the most wellknown
pieces to be found inside. I was surprised to find that it was built
in 1890 to replace an ugly building already there and that the guide
was published in French during World War Two to assist the French
refugees residing in London at the time.
This like other pages is detailed and evocative, but the highlight
of the book are the central pages devoted to Buckingham Palace. Here
the publication has flaps which show the palace as it was and how it
is today. Eager readers will devour each piece of information and
take in the fabulously detailed illustrations.
Fran Knight
Stone Girl by Eleni Hale
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143785613
(Age: Young Adult) Themes: Homelessness, Institutional Care,
substance dependence, abusive relationships, death. When Sophie's
mum got drunk or took drugs 12 year old Sophie cleaned up the mess
and kept them fed. She learned never to trust authority figures who
wanted to interfere. Sophie liked to do well at school and have
friends with 'normal' families so when her mum's new boyfriend came
over to party Sophie went out to her friend's place. When she got
back her mum was alone and dead. Sophie not only blamed herself for
the death but was so scared of authority that she stayed three days
with the body until the police broke down the door. The story opens
at the police station waiting for a social worker to come to take
Sophie into emergency housing. Sophie's father who lives in Greece
can't be contacted so she becomes a ward of the State. Naomi, her
caseworker is kind and compassionate, Sophie wants to go home with
her and feel safe but instead she is left to negotiate a share house
along with her grief, guilt and questions about her mother. She is
hopeful that her father will come and rescue her but when they get
in touch he won't accept responsibility. When she goes back to
school she is treated as a freak, the newspapers have
sensationalised the finding of the three day old dead body with
Sophie by her side so she stops going to school.
The rest of the confronting story is the spiralling downhill
trajectory of Sophie's life over the next few years in multiple
state care facilities each with new and unpredictable inmates.
Overworked caseworkers and Sophie's innate distrust of authority
leave her without emotional support. No one seems to care if she
goes to school or not, or what she is doing outside the facility but
she is a quick learner and soon fits in with the other "problem"
kids, stealing, risking death, contemplating suicide, entering an
abusive relationship, and we begin to understand how they can reach
a place where there are no constraints. "If no one owes us kids
anything why would we owe anything back?' p102. This is not an easy
story to read, dealing with death, poverty, substance and sexual
abuse; an insight into the lives of vulnerable children whose needs
are not met by the institutions set up to look after them. Told in
the first person the author has to negotiate the development of the
voice of the main character from deprived 12 to a street wise 16
year old and it can be difficult to relate to Sophie's voice. After
years of struggle Sophie does make the choice to turn her life
around but we are so shell shocked by the dark and dangerous places
she has been that she seems just a shadow. This book has been called
"important" and it shines a light into some hidden lives but it is a
harrowing and morally confusing story which needs some maturity from
its readers. Young adults seem to love it but some caution is needed
before putting it on the shelves.
Sue Speck
The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681192451
(Age: 8-12) Themes: Fantasy, Adventure, Unicorns, Courage. Kamilla
Benko's debut novel is an enchanting fantasy, filled with magic,
adventure and tests of courage. Set in Arden, a delightfully
captivating world where the last unicorn has disappeared, where
secrets abound and tensions run high between the four guilds of
magic who have lost trust in each other.
The Martinson family inherit mysterious Windermere Manor and move in
for the summer. Sisters Sophie and Claire love exploring the vast
rooms filled with antiques and art collected on their Great-Aunt
Diana's travels. They discover a ladder in a fireplace leading to
another world and their adventure begins. Sophie is a collector of
experiences who is recovering from a mystery illness, she loves to
explore. Her younger sister Claire an artist, is more hesitant, she
carries her pencil everywhere to capture what she sees. The portal
leads them into a fractured world, where four guilds protect their
own lands and guard them fiercely.
When Sophie disappears, Claire must overcome her fears and search
for her lost sister. With the help of Nett a Tiller and Sena a
Forger, Claire must bravely embark on a quest across treacherous
lands to find Sophie. Her sister has been accused of stealing a
magical unicorn artefact that has kept the peace amongst the Arden
guilds. Each relies on magical elements for survival, the Tillers
use the special powers of plants, whilst the Forgers rely on the
qualities of metal objects. Their journey to Fyrton is dangerous:
wraiths haunt the forests at night, the adventurers travel hidden in
a merchant Spinner's boat, they escape from captivity using aqua
masks and sneakily search the Forger's school library for clues.
Along the way, Claire grows in courage, learns to overcome her
self-doubt, learns resilience and surprises herself with the tasks
she undertakes.
'The Unicorn Quest' by Kamilla Benko is a classic fantasy quest,
with a plot that follows the traditional format. Interwoven historic
tales, hidden clues and engaging characters add interest for the
middle grade reader.
Rhyllis Bignell
Teacher's dead by Benjamin Zephaniah
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408895016
(Age: 13+) Students in a poorly performing school are shocked and
traumatised when a teacher is stabbed by two boys and dies in front
of them.
Jackson, one of the students who witnessed the incident attempts to
understand exactly what occurred and begins to investigate. When the
bereaved Mrs. Joseph visits the school to speak to the students
regarding her late husband's passion for teaching, Jackson
approaches her and asks to meet.
A friendship develops between the pair and Jackson invites her home
to meet his mother. I found Jackson's 'mission' slightly odd,
especially when he makes himself known to Ms. Ferrier, the mother of
one of murderers and introduces her to the bereaved woman. The
awkwardness and discomfort of the various parties is presented very
well, and whilst I initially found the situation improbable, some
issues worthy of consideration are examined.
Mrs. Joseph shows incredible grace and intelligence in dealing
magnanimously with Ms. Ferrier, when outsiders think she should be
shunned and reviled. We learn that sins committed by the son do not
necessarily reflect his upbringing or the values of the parent.
Whilst Mrs. Joseph suffers greatly from the death of her loved one,
her rational way of reconciling the positions of those involved
helps alleviate the collective pain, a more desirable outcome than
the perpetuation of grief and torment.
There are some clever features in this novel. Whilst readers may
create their own mental image, perhaps influenced by stereotypical
assumptions, Jackson's voice could be that of any boy. The same may
be said for the other major characters as little reference is made
to racial identity.
The issue of bullying and gang violence is an important feature of
this story and the utter mindlessness of group victimisation is
portrayed brilliantly. The attitudes and utterances of those who
attack weaker victims was depicted so realistically that I actually
felt some sense of despair. This was partly because I was
acknowledging the realistic portrayal of moronic philosophy but also
because it was clear that the author was recounting personal
experience on some level.
Rob Welsh
Where is Little Fish? by Lucy Cousins
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406374186
(Age: 1-3) This is a Little Fish Book, featuring the same fish from
Count with Little Fish and Hooray for Fish. It is tactile and
visually appealing, using the same illustrative style as Lucy
Cousins' other books, such as Maisy. Everything is patterned with
spots and stripes of varying vibrant design. Both the colours and
the tone of the book are bold and cheerful. Playful illustrations
encourage discussion about shape, colour, pattern, and things you
find in the sea (crab, pearl, coral etc.). Little Fish is playing
hide and seek with friends. Is Little Fish behind the yellow coral?
No, it's stripy fish! In the end we find Little Fish and Mummy Fish
too. Kiss, kiss, kiss! There are flaps on each page to keep toddlers
engaged and interacting with the board book and they will have fun
finding Little Fish at the end of the book. This is a happy
under-the-sea world to share with little ones, especially those who
love the other Little Fish books.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
