Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406374193
(Ages: 0-3) Themes: Counting, Fish, Board Book, Rhyming. This is a Little
Fish Book, featuring the same titular fish from Where is
Little Fish and Hooray for Fish. It counts from 1 to
10 using a variety of fish (fin-fin fish, funny fish, etc.) and is
tactile and visually appealing. Shiny illustrations are smooth to
the touch and 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, size, colour, pattern, and fish body parts (big, small,
long, short, spotty, stripy, sharp teeth, long fins etc) and the
last page encourages further discussion ("How many new fish have you
found?). This final page also shows all the fish from the book so
helps children with recall and reflection. Large numerals, which
have the written word underneath, assist with number recognition.
The numerals are eye-catching because they are patterned the same as
the fish on that page. Visual appeal and a nice rhythm ("One little
fish swimming in the sea, Two twin fin-fin fish, as pretty as can
be") makes this a simple but effective first counting book.
Nicole Nelson
Lightning men by Thomas Mullen
Little, Brown, 2017. ISBN 9781408710623
(Age: Senior secondary-adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime,
Atlanta, USA, Historical novel, Racism, Jim Crow laws. Atlanta,
Georgia in the 1950's is laid bare for all to see in this stunning
new crime story by Thomas Mullen.
Listening to him at the recent Adelaide Writers' Week ensured buying
the book, finding another friend already had his first book, Darktown
(2016), set in Atlanta just two years before, and exposing the
conflicts within the police department, only just admitting eight
Negro policemen. For many, this is the last straw, and those in the
force who are Klansmen or who sympathise with their aims, make sure
these newcomers never forget their place. They are only allowed to
patrol the Negro neighbourhoods, not allowed to arrest white men,
and for Boggs and Smith, coming across a drug transfer, which
results in the death of a white man, the consequences prove to be
dangerous.
This is an unequivocal look at 1950's USA, where Negroes returning
from Europe after World War Two, enthused by the freedom and
responsibility they had as soldiers, expect better treatment back
home. But for many it is back to being the lowest paid workers,
ineligible for GI loans to buy a house, few opportunities, living
under the Jim Crow Laws and the overarching racism of the Ku Klux
Klan and its offshoot, the Columbians (the Lightningmen) to deal
with. For the lucky few able to buy a house in the transition areas
where Negroes are buying into white areas, notices appear on the
street poles, vicious letters are sent to their homes, some are
beaten and neighbourhood groups mobilise to keep them out.
For Tommy Boggs his life as a policeman and as a family member come
together when his girlfriend's ex lover turns up newly released form
jail, stretching Bogs' belief in her. He tries to find out more
about Jeremiah but attracts the attention of the federal agency.
And his investigations collide with a sympathetic white detective,
Rake when his brother in law admits to doing the bidding of a
klansman, resulting in a death.
In Rake's neighbourhood, his wife is happy to support a group
collecting money to buy the Negro family out and one night when this
money is stolen, all blame is leveled at the Negro household, where
Smith's sister lives.
Rake follows the clues from afar, realising that the men who stole
the money were much closer to home, but proving this means defending
the Negro household, raking up the ire of his brother in law.
Calling to see his sister's husband, the last chapters of the book
bring all the threads together as Rake becomes involved in a shoot
out in the white neighbourhood.
A gritty crime novel, the moral edges are blurred as each of the
main protagonists both white and black make decisions which cause
them grief and sleepless nights.
The novel gives an amazing insight into the issues of Atlanta at
this time, and reflects serious research into the times through
archives and newspaper accounts. It was reading one such newspaper
article about Negro police being appointed in Atlanta that started
Mullen on this series of books.
Not only does this book reflect the division between black and white
in the USA of the time, it will impel Australian readers to think
about such injustice here.
Fran Knight
Trans mission : My quest to a beard by Alex Bertie
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781526360687
(Age: Adolescent) This well written and easy to understand
autobiography goes a long way to helping you understand the
struggles facing transgender men and women.
Bertie's honest account of his childhood, the difficulties he faced
with family, peers and professionals is eye opening and informative.
Born and raised as a girl, Alex Bertie enjoyed his childhood as a
tomboy, unaware of the gender conflict that grew with him as he got
older and for a long time unable to put a name to the pain it was
causing within him.
A keen youtube blogger, Bertie shares his journey of self-discovery
and how he had to navigate the medical system in the UK to find
doctors who were at least knowledgeable and even sympathetic about
his condition. Waiting until he was legally an adult to access the
drugs and surgery that would help to make his body more masculine.
Only in his early 20s, Bertie's advice is sound and mature as only
those who have experienced personal trauma and come through with a
positive outlook, can give.
Written in a pragmatic and uplifting tone, I found Bertie's story
interesting and educational. He uses everyday language to explain
the medical procedures available and the correct terminology that
helped him name his feelings as he came to terms with being trapped
in the wrong body.
Although I believe everyone would benefit by reading this
autobiography, I think his writing style and the layout is targeting
adolescents.
Joyce Crawford
The lost puppy by Clara Vulliamy
Dotty Detective series. Harper Collins Children's Books,
2017. ISBN 9780008248376
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Detectives; Pets. Dot is an amateur
detective - she uses clues to join the dots to solve her cases. In
fact her detective agency is called: "Join the Dots Detectives"!
With the help of her friends and her very special assistant,
McClusky (her pet dog), she is engaged in solving the mystery of the
missing dachshund, just before the summer fair and her class's Pets
Corner stall.
Written in a very simple style with cartoon style drawings, this is
a cute and easy to read school-based story. It will appeal to young
readers just finding their feet with chapter books.
Carolyn Hull
Teacher's dead by Benjamin Zephaniah
Bloomsbury Books, 2018. Reprint. ISBN 9781408895016
(Age: 11+) When Jackson witnesses the murder of a teacher by two of
the pupils at his school, his life becomes inextricably linked with
that of the dead teacher's wife, and surprisingly, the killers.
Refusing the counselling offered by the school, he decides that the
best way he can deal with what he has seen is to ask questions, and
try to work out why the boys took the extraordinary step of murder.
He enlists the help of Mary Joseph, the dead man's wife, and goes to
the houses of the two boys to ask questions. The reader will
identify with his need, but be aware that he is stepping into
territory where anything could happen.
An involving story of one boy's search for the truth, Teacher's
dead is often uncomfortable as Jackson takes steps which take
him to places where harm can and does befall him. Written by British
poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, the story is poignant and enthralling as
we follow Jackson's path to find the truth. A most realistic story
set in the schoolyard against a background of bullying, violence and
intimidation.
Fran Knight
Little whale by Jo Weaver
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781444937503
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Whales. Ocean. Home. Family.
Little whale and her mother are going home, home to where the calf
will meet her relatives, and rest and feed in the rich northern
waters, far from where she was born.
This beautifully presented book with its lovely spare language and
inviting illustrations underlines the feeling of home and its call
to us all. Everybody reading it will feel the tug of their own home
and what it means to them as the calf sees her home for the first
time.
The pair leave the shallower waters and head out into the Southern
Ocean. Most of the others have already left and our pair must make
their way north alone. They pass the coral reef and see many other
fish, they travel many miles, into colder waters, passed by large
ships, and then a pod of orca. Little whale feels scared and moves
in more closely to her mother. She is tired but assured that it is
only a little way to go. Finally they hear the whale song through
the water, calling them home to the northern snow capped peaks and
the other grey whales.
The blue hues on every page contain a variety of fish for eager eyes
to spot and recognise, while the skies above change as they swim
north, revealing a change in where they are in the world.
Fran Knight
An unsuitable match by Joanna Trollope
Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781509855636
(Age; Senior secondary - Adult) When Tyler proposes to Rose, he is
as stunned as she is bemused. Her husband has recently left his
thriving medical practice in London for a new life with his
long-time mistress (about whom his wife had known nothing) working
in Australia. Shocked and determined to protect her grown-up
children from the collapse of the family, Rose had been growing
accustomed to the reality of being by herself, no longer supported
and protected by her husband, although he had left her the family
home.
Tyler had been married to a very rich woman in the United States for
many years, being a faithful husband and a quietly calm father, yet
strangely disconnected from the world of his wife, and of his
children. His wife had not sought his company, and neither had her
father, whose opinion she valued above all else. When his wife died,
he returned to London, seeking to recapture a sense of himself in
his former, familiar world.
The children of both families are shocked at the news of Rose and
Tyler's proposed marriage, considering whether it will even work. We
are aware that there is nothing 'wrong' with Tyler, and Rose likes
him a lot, yet she is unsure of her commitment to a new marriage, or
to the kind, thoughtful, gentle man who adores her, as are the
children of both families.
Delightfully written, in Trollope's easy, gentle prose, faultless
and lyrical, this story, and the proposal of a new life, seem to be
perfect, yet the underlying tensions cause some heightening of
mistrust, in both reader and family, and Joanna Trollope holds us to
the very end. That slight tension depicts so well her understanding
of human nature, families, and the demands of living in the modern
world.
Suitable for adult and older adolescent reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
The Queen's rising by Rebecca Ross
HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008245986
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Brienna is a student at Magnalia House,
where she is studying the passion of knowledge. She desperately
wants to be chosen by a patron at the solstice but her worst fears
occur - while all her friends leave happily off their patrons, she
remains at the school. Her headmistress consoles her, finally coming
up with an unusual choice and it is with this patron that Brienna
meets her destiny when a dangerous plot to overthrow the evil king
of Maevana is planned.
The Queen's rising was an easy to read fantasy and could be
recommended as a fairly straight forward introduction to the genre
as it has all the familiar tropes, an orphan heroine, an evil king
who must be overthrown, brave resistance fighters and romance, to
make it very readable. In addition Brienna is a most likeable
heroine and even though brought up initially in an orphanage, she
knows what is important in family life and is loyal and steadfast to
those she loves. She has to make difficult choices about who is the
rightful queen of Maevana and how to act when she arrives there.
What makes this different from other fantasy stories is the school
where Brienna is placed by her grandfather. When she arrives at
Magnalia House she has to choose one of five passions - art, music,
dramatics, wit, and knowledge - to study. She quickly makes friends
there but tries all areas of study until Cartier, the Master of
Knowledge, takes her as a pupil and tries to teach her all she needs
to know to become a passion of knowledge in three years instead of
seven. From the other girls studying there the reader finds out
about the different passions and how they feel and act about them,
giving an in-depth understanding of what people passionate about the
arts and knowledge experience. This could encourage readers to
consider what their own passions could be and what is needed for
them to develop.
Although advertised as the first in a trilogy, The queen's
rising can be read as a standalone as it comes to a very
satisfying conclusion. There is no cliff-hanger to entice the
reader, although I for one will find it difficult not to pursue what
may come next in Brienna and Cartier's lives.
Pat Pledger
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Gollancz, 2018. ISBN 9781473223967
(Age: YA) Recommended. The Belles looks like a typical
fantasy princess story from the outside, but the inside reveals the
ugliness that lies under the characters beauty. There are some
definite strong points to the novel but also some parts that almost
ruin it. The writing style is definitely one of the strong points as
it fits the world of Orleans perfectly; the lavish, vivid, and
beautifully detailed descriptions of the world enhanced the
experience of the story (though it could still be a bit much at some
points).
The characters were mostly (I'll talk about the exceptions in a
minute) enjoyable to experience. Camellia' sisters (the other
Belles) had their own personalities and flaws which will be really
interesting to see being explored in the next books in the series
(especially excited about Edelweiss and Remy!). The antagonist was
really well written as well, creating conflicts and difficult
decisions throughout the story in a way that keeps the reader
reading. Camellia's character wasn't incredible; I didn't hate her,
but I didn't always like her either. She had moments where I cheered
for her and thought her decisions were the correct ones, but at
other points, she made rash decisions and fell in love with a guy
who really seemed to have no redeemable qualities, which made me
like her less.
The pacing was also a bit slow at the start, but it sped up once the
world was set, and important plot points were laid out.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel! I would recommend it to YA
girls and would give it 3.5/5 stars!
Similar books: The Selection Series by Kiera Cass.
Emily Douglass (Student)
Unplugged by Steve Antony
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781444934168
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Indoors, Outdoors, Electronic
devices. Blip loves her computer. Plugged in she can play games,
learn new things, dance to some music and visit exotic places, all
day long. But one day, the power is turned off and Blip is so
surprised that she trips over the cord and falls all the way
downstairs to the outside. She topples down a grassy slope, down
beside a bubbling stream and into a forest. Here she learns new
things, plays games, visits new places and listens to music. At the
end of her day she returns home where the power has returned, and
when Blip plugs back into her computer, all she can think about is
the wonderful day she had outside and the new friends she made.
The black and white illustrations are perfect for the images of Blip
and her computer, contrasting with the welcome colour of outside,
contrasting the times spent in each place, one shut off in a
darkened room, all by herself, the other surrounded by fresh air and
the outside and colour.
This is a great story for kids to read, they will appreciate the
humour of the difference presented between outside and inside, and
perhaps talk about the properties of each place, limiting their
inside fun and expanding their outside fun.
Fran Knight
Gangsta rap by Benjamin Zephaniah
Bloomsbury, 2018 (2004). ISBN 9781408895009
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Violence. Gangs. London. Schools.
Music. Rap. Ray is always in trouble both at home and at school. But
after the latest escapade, Ray and his friends Prem and Tyrone are
suspended. When their headmaster decides to give them a second
chance, that of forming a rap group, they see this as a dream come
true. Through a special program, they are taught the business of the
music industry, how to record an album, and how to lay down a track.
Taking the name Positive Negatives, after all their training at the
program, it is not long before they have signed a record deal and
gain gigs. But readers know this will not last, and their dream soon
becomes a nightmare as violence gathers around them. Without
warning, their new careers seem lost and their perceived futures as
well as their lives are on the line. But they are determined to show
that crime and rapping do not necessarily have to be paired and so
fight against the influences set to overpower them.
Reading other reviews on Good Reading shows a wide variety of
responses to this book, first published in Australia in 2004. Some
thought it poorly written and violent, while several questioned
their teachers having given it to them to read. But most admired the
theme of the book, giving an insight from someone who has been
there. Zepahiah, a highly esteemed rapper, poet and writer in
England, has a wide following, and with the re-release of several of
his books, the current readers can make up their own minds.
He writes from personal experience which makes his books seem real,
and his international success as a performance poet makes him well
known to kids who will pick up this book. And the wonderful new
cover is sure to attract readers.
Fran Knight
Rebellion of thieves: A Robyn Hoodlum adventure by Kekla Magoon
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195346
"Robyn Loxley can't rest now that she's the #1 Most Wanted Fugitive,
Robyn Hoodlum. The harsh Nott City governor, Ignomus Crown, may have
increased the reward for her capture, but this won't stop Robyn from
masterminding her biggest mission yet: infiltrating the governor's
mansion to rescue her parents. The perfect opportunity arises when
the Iron Teen contest comes to Sherwood. If Robyn scores high
enough, she'll be invited to a dinner at the mansion. But performing
well also puts her directly in Crown's sights. Can she and her crew
of misfit friends pull off such a grand scheme?" Publisher.
This is certainly an interesting second book in the series following
Shadows of Sherwood. Magoon has very cleverly placed an
African American girl in a story set in the future or even possibly
another planet altogether. You do need to read the books in order. I
like the concept of a modern day Robin Hood and it will certainly
appeal to students who are interested in Science Fiction. There were
some interesting parts to the plot and the characters we met in Shadows
of Sherwood continued to develop.
Magoon has converted the legend into a futuristic version where
Robyn meets technology that I dare say has not even been invented
yet.
Kathryn Schumacher
The war I finally won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498851
Highly recommended. Sequel to the award winning The war
that saved my life. "When Ada's clubfoot is surgically fixed
at last, she knows for certain that she's not what her mother said
she was - damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as
physically. She's not a daughter anymore, either. What is she? World
War II continues, and Ada and her brother, Jamie, are living with
their loving legal guardian, Susan, in a borrowed cottage on the
estate of the formidable Lady Thorton - along with Lady Thorton
herself and her daughter, Maggie. Life in the crowded cottage is
tense enough, and then, quite suddenly, Ruth, a Jewish girl from
Germany, moves in. A German? The occupants of the house are
horrified. But other impacts of the war become far more frightening.
As death creeps closer to their door, life and morality during
wartime grow more complex. Who is Ada now? How can she keep
fighting? And who will she struggle to save?" Publisher
I absolutely loved this book. I found myself wanting to read it any
spare moment I had. Although I had not read the other books about
Ada I did not have any trouble following the storyline - although I
will be seeking out the first book! The characters are so lifelike
and it is extremely easy to make emotional connections with each and
every one of them. The story touches on persistence, love,
friendship and ignorance.
It would make a fantastic read aloud although it would need to be
for upper primary students as there are references to the abuse and
neglect Ada faced prior to being evacuated from London. It provides
a fantastic insight into the hardships that affected all during the
war - from the very poor to the wealthy. A must have for the library
collection. Teacher's
notes are available.
Kathryn Schumacher
Monsters of men by Patrick Ness
Chaos walking, book 3. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406379181
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Winner Carnegie Medal 2011. Themes:
Dystopian fiction. Survival. Warfare. Stereotypes. "Three armies
march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others.
Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape.
As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How
can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And
if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await?"
(Publisher) Monsters of men brings to a close the stunning Chaos walking
series. Amid the warfare, violence and despair, Todd and Viola's
love for each other stands out as a beacon, and keeps the reader
hopeful of some type of resolution. There is also the glimmer of
hope for redemption and that not even monsters are wholly evil, even
the mayor Prentiss.
This is a tense, electrifying book that requires much resilience
from its reader and the conclusion is stunning. There is a book
trailer for the book on Patrick Ness' website,
where he also reads from Monsters of men and has a
conversation.
Pat Pledger
The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness
Chaos walking, book 2. Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406379174
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. After the relentless suspense and an
incredible cliff hanger ending in The knife of letting go, I
wasn't sure if the sequel could live up to that Guardian Children's
Fiction Prize winning book. However I was not disappointed! Ness has
written another wonderful book full of action and issues that made
me think long after I finished the book. Todd has taken the dying
Viola into Haven but it has been made into the stronghold of his
enemy Mayor Prentiss. Imprisoned, Todd is forced to fit into the new
order and carries out Prentiss' awful orders. Not knowing what has
happened to Viola, he follows directions, putting bands on the
Spackle who are herded into a labour camp. He also bands the women.
There are secrets, resistance movements and dire times for Todd and
Viola, who are separated but still care for each other.
I can't reveal too much except to say that the action is non-stop,
the dialogue is as fabulous as the first book and the theme of what
people will do in times of war and how they act under duress will
stay with me. The manipulation over people's minds by Mayor Prentiss
is described so vividly that I finished the book with a clearer
understanding of how a powerful personality can sway all before him. Chaos walking is an engrossing series and I can't wait for
the next instalment, after another cliffhanger ending.
Pat Pledger
