Candlewick, 2017. ISBN 9780763699505
(Age: Middle secondary - Adult) This small novel captures perhaps
some of the less-voiced anxieties about what exists in deep space
that might threaten us. Not the simple man-in-the-moon idea, but
something deeper and far more catastrophic for earth. Anderson
places us in a recognizable world except for the fact of our unseen
and obviously unrecognizable 'overlords' being from 'other' places,
not human and not just machines, but intelligent, demanding and
frightening "Vuvvs" that demand obedience, recognition and
submission.
In this novel the characters are placed in a world from which they
can instantaneously visit other planets or modules that hover in
space. Earth appears to be somewhat ragged, down-at-heel and much
lesser than we might think of ourselves. Poor, abandoned by their
father and husband, the families of Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe,
struggle to survive financially and fear what might happen if they
fail all together.
This is a book without a sense of great hope or change, yet it deals
with human beings struggling to survive mentally and physically in a
world that appears to be disadvantaged by its being an underling of
a greater spatial world empire, and by its down-at heel state. Human
beings are lesser and the characters try to reach the standards of
behaviour and work expected by the 'others', the overlords. Human
characteristics valuable and appropriate to us seem lesser, and the
characters in this short novel are good people and offer us some
hope, but not a lot, in this imagined world.
This is a strong and brave modern novel that addresses the idea of
our perhaps not being alone, nor being in fact superior, or
protected by any higher beings, living on the edge and in tension,
on this planet in the universe that we inhabit. It is coldly
challenging, blunt and suitable for middle secondary to higher
secondary, and adult, reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
Parvana a graphic novel by Deborah Ellis, adapted from the film by Norah Twomey
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760631970
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Graphic novel. Themes: Afghanistan,
Refugees, Taliban, Extremism, Survival. From the highly acclaimed
and awarded novel, Parvana, comes this pared down version
presented in a graphic novel format, destined to entrance another
generation of readers who will seek out the original stories once
they have finished the graphic version.
Every page is replete with the horror of living under religious
extremism; the rules imposed upon the population of Kabul in which
Parvana and her family live are part of the fabric of the story and
its illustrations. In dark, threatening browns, reds and blacks, the
ever present threat of arbitrary rule is made real. Parvana's father
has lost his job as a teacher, now selling his skills in the market,
there to be questioned by an ex pupil, scathing of education and
learning. He is questioned too about Parvana, a girl, being allowed
outside or having part of her face exposed, but when he is taken to
prison, the family loses all contact with the outside world. As
women are not allowed in the street alone, Parvana dresses as a boy
to earn money to support her family.
The appalling regime and its impact are seen on every page as
Parvana tries to earn money to help her father get out of prison.
The usual rule of law has broken down, allowing men to use their
power to further impose their wills upon women. Small touches of
humanity shine through the gloom, as Parvana finds a school friend
doing the same as she, when she reads the letters of illiterate
people willing to pay money to find out about their families, and
where someone helps Parvana in her search for her father.
But in the end although Parvana finds her father and her family have
escaped the brutal man who would use them, the future is bleak.
Readers will ponder long after this is read about how they would
survive, and about how all those children still under the rule of
these fanatics are faring. A film made of the Parvana books,
called The Breadwinner received an Academy Award nomination
for Best Animated Feature in 2018, and it is on this film that this
graphic novel is based.
Fran Knight
Bad Dad by David Walliams
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008254339
(Age: Middle - Upper primary) Recommended. "Dads come in all sorts
of shapes and sizes. There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and
short ones. There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and
quiet ones. Of course there are good dads. And there are bad dads .
. . "
Here, David Walliams has created a dad who, despite his failings,
loves his son Frank immensely. Whilst racing Queenie, his old Mini
emblazoned with the Union Jack, Dad has an accident and loses not
just his leg but his title as "King of the Track". With Frank
sleeping by his dad's hospital bed, mum finally walks out and leaves
dad for another man. Eventually dad loses his job, along with his
celebrity status, and falls into a depression. On Frank's eleventh
birthday, dad gives him an amazing racing set and the pair spend
many hours playing with it together. Soon thereafter, hard-faced
debt collectors appear at the door and take everything Frank and dad
still owns.
With Auntie Flip as a baby-sitter, Frank leaves the house one night
to follow his dad on what he knows is an extraordinary outing. He
witnesses Dad acting as the driver in a bank robbery, in order to
pay off his debts. Thus begins an incredible adventure for the pair,
culminating in Frank being able to fulfil one of his lifelong
dreams. The addition of some hilarious characters, including the
Reverend Judith the local vicar, lead to some unexpected twists and
turns in the plot.
My first ever David Walliams book, this has convinced me that the
comparisons to Roald Dahl are not without some substance. This was
an entertaining, easy read and has explained the students' eagerness
to devour each new Walliams title as it is released. Double spaced
print, font which changes to highlight various words or parts of the
text, and a liberal smattering of cartoon style illustrations, make
this novel eminently accessible to boys and girls in the middle to
upper years of primary school. I'm sure this won't be the last
Walliams book I will read either, as it's a great romp.
Jo Schenkel
Bird builds a nest by Martin Jenkins
Ill. by Richard Jones. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406355130
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Birds, Building, Forces, STEM.
The seemingly simple tale of a bird building its nest is given a
wider emphasis as the author and illustrator explain forces through
pushing and pulling, and how we use forces to move things.
The bird rises with the sun and goes to look for a worm to eat. The
first one she finds it very large and despite all her effort at
pulling it from its hole, she is unable to move it. In smaller type
the rule of physics is given, that the stronger something is, the
more force it can apply. The bird sets out to find another smaller
worm and is successful. Bird then sets out to find some twigs to
build her nest.
The one she chooses is too big and a law of physics is again given:
that the more something weighs, the more force is needed to lift it.
She finds some smaller twigs and fashions her nest, pushing the
twigs together. Another law of physics is given: when you push
something you are applying a force away from you. In dropping one of
her twigs, the author then is able to tell the reader about gravity,
and then when the nest is complete she is able to lay her eggs.
Children reading this book will come to understand the laws of
forces through the simple act of a bird building its nest,
illustrated in sepia tones rendered in blocks of colour reminiscent
of collage and block print techniques. The illustrations add a level
of humour as the readers eyes follow the antics of the bird in going
about her business. At the end of the book is a small index, with
questions to ponder about the forces explained in the book.
A wonderful introduction to discussions about the forces we use
everyday.
Fran Knight
The perfect girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
Wildfire, 2018. ISBN 9781472244260
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. The story opens with a death, the
accidental drowning death of a four year old child when his 10 year
old sister's attention is distracted... or was it accidental? As
we are led inside the mind of Elizabeth / Lily / Juliette we come to
understand that this is a cold and dangerous person, and maybe it
even started when she was a child. She becomes a person completely
obsessed with the man she sees as her only love, the man who is
supposed to marry her and make everything perfect. Juliette has a
plan, and she is going to stick to it, and the ultimate goal is
Nate, and the perfect wedding, the perfect marriage, the perfect
family. She will stop at nothing, she sneaks into people's homes,
she takes photographs, she steals things, she leaves traces behind,
she follows and stalks... She is another Amy from 'Gone Girl' or Alex
from 'Fatal Attraction' - she is ruthless in her obsession, and she
will get what she wants. At the same time she is hurt, a neglected
child, a bullied victim, a rejected girlfriend. Hamilton tries to
round out her character and explain how she came to be what she is.
There is a kind of fascination in reading about a character that
knows no boundaries, who breaks rules, and goes further than anybody
else ever would - someone who is so delusional that she can't see
how that by her very actions, she is never going to attain the trust
of the friends she wants. At the same time we have insight into her
mind, and we understand her thoughts, her justifications, her desire
for revenge. That makes her a bit more human, and a bit less of a
stereotype.
That sense of the dangerous person, the brooding feeling that things
are going to get worse and horrible things are going to happen,
doesn't let up, and we know that there is eventually going to be
another victim. Although the pace falters at times, The perfect
girlfriend is a great thriller that holds you to the end.
Helen Eddy
Goodly and Grave in a deadly case of murder by Justine Windsor
Goodly and Grave series. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN
9780008183561
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Magic, Murder, Grave
robbers. The second in this series of adventure books, Goodly
and Grave, is about Lucy's attempts to prove herself. She and
Lord Grave, initially investigate a series of thefts of bodies from
the local cemetery, but it turns out that the thief is stealing
soil, and they hang out one night at the cemetery ready to catch the
thief. But things do not turn out well, and that night the household
is woken by a loud crash and screams. On investigation it appears
someone has tried to steal the strange book they found at the
cemetery and has hit Lord Grave over the head.
Part of an organisation called Magicians Against the Abuse of Magic
(MAAM) it falls upon our duo, Goodly and Grave to capture the thief,
but when it turns into a murder, their skills are put on high alert.
Goodly works in Lord Grave's employment as a boot boy, but is
secretly being trained by him to better use her incredible magical
powers.
The first in the series: Goodly and Grave, in a bad case of
kidnap, had Lucy using her card skills to advantage, while the
second sees her cement her place in Grave Hall as Lord Grave refines
her considerable skills.
At once funny and delightfully scary, packed with greatly detailed
illustrations by Becka Moor, this second in the series of books is a
wonder to read, with lots of odd characters: Bathsheba, Lord Grave's
companion is a jaguar from his extensive wild life park, the
housekeeper, Mrs Carthew is a man with a huge beard which he plaits
at night, Smell, the cat is able to sniff out potents easily, and so
on. All fascinating, intriguing and inviting.
I found this book delicious, filled with humour and nods to a range
of scary stories including grave robbing, vampires, Dracula, image
changes, time travel, and a golem.
Fran Knight
Kensy and Max: Breaking news by Jacqueline Harvey
Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780143780656
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery. Adventure.
Detectives. Family life. Spies. Brothers and sisters. Kensy and
Max: Breaking news is a meticulously built mystery story, a
wonderful introduction to a cast of new and intriguing characters,
relatable protagonists, mysterious settings and fast-paced
adventures. Popular children's author Jacqueline Harvey draws the
reader in, sharing her creative insights into the development of
Kensy and Max's characters. She shares her inspiration for her
background setting of the Morpeth Arms pub with its secret
underground spaces situated opposite the London headquarters of MI6.
Eleven year old twins Kensy and Max enjoy a nomadic lifestyle
travelling the world with their parents, who work in the ski fields
and medical clinics. Changes occur when their parents disappear on
an African holiday and the twins are driven across Europe to the
relative safety of a huge ancestral home in North Yorkshire. Feisty
Kensy and more measured Max explore Dame Spencer's vast home and
gardens uncovering secret rooms, quirky characters, hidden cameras
and treasures from their past. Fitz their constant companion, tutor
and manny, travels to London to investigate their parent's
whereabouts leaving Kensy and Max in the safe hands of Song the
quirky butler.
With Fitz planning to leave for Africa to search for the missing
parents, the twins move to Dame Spencer's townhouse with Song and
are placed in the Central London Free School. On their first day,
eccentric headmaster Mr MacGregor challenges Max to a computer
generated race around London where the young boy's brilliant memory
and map reading skills prove advantageous. Kensy and Max settle in
to school life, curiously observing mysterious activities and
disappearances of their friends, secret meetings and their
miraculous escape from a gallery.
Kensy and Max keep a special secret, a communication received from
their parents via a message on Max's watch. Kensy and Max: Breaking news is a suspenseful, intriguing and
finely crafted story perfect for readers who enjoy action-packed spy
stories. Jacqueline Harvey's initial novel introduces exciting
characters, mysterious settings and family secrets waiting to be
uncovered. Here the author teases us with little clues, snippets of
information, curious conversations with people instrumental in their
future plans, and this builds an air of excitement and promise for
future stories. Her writing style is bright and lively, alliterative
and lyrically descriptive, and the protagonists are perfect foils,
each with a unique set of skills and traits that complement the
other. The author peoples her narrative with colourful characters,
even the settings are imbued with special secretive qualities.
For Middle Primary English students, this narrative provides
excellent examples of character development, plot tension, genre
writing and presenting realistic settings.
Rhyllis Bignell
The true colour of forever by Carrie Firestone
Hodder Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781444929676
(Age: 14yrs+) This book ensnared me! Not by its cover, which is very
impressive, and not by the blurb on the back, which is rather lame,
but from the opening passage found in the prologue: "A few minutes
before the incident, I noticed a tuft of dune grass stuck to a
discarded strawberry crate... I was twelve hours into downsizing
my life and just beginning to become more aware of my surroundings."
For me, this laid the foundation for the entire story. This is a
book about looking directly in front of you and seeing the obvious
things you can do which will cause a flow effect that improves the
wellbeing of others.
Embedded into the story is the importance of solid friendships which
are developed over a lifetime, yet finding that these friendships
ebb and flow as we all grow up to find our place in society. Sadie
is a year younger than her friends and struggling to reconcile
herself to her new loner status when the end of their school career
looms closer. The depth of these friendships is demonstrated by the
wonderfully creative care packages Sadie makes for her friends. They
demonstrate key moments she had shared with each person, embodying
the impact of each unique friendship perfectly.
The careful blending of the secondary characters adds fine details
to the life and events that continue in the background of Sadie's
story, old friends, new friends, family and passing strangers. We
meet Izzy, struggling with addiction, Gordie, trying to affirm his
sexuality, and Sadie's two unique grandmothers.
Carrie Firestone not only skilfully approaches the topic of teen
friendship but topics of assault, cyberbullying, peer pressure,
discrimination, self-esteem and stress by creating a realistic voice
in Sadie's character. Many teens will feel comfortable reading The
true colour of forever and considering all of these topics in
relation to their own life.
After reading this book try Saints and misfits by S. K. Ali
and The lake effect by Erin McCahan.
Sharon Smith
A lion is a lion by Polly Dunbar
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406371536
(Ages: 2-7) Highly recommended. The talented Polly Dunbar (probably
best known for Penguin) has created this humorous and unique feast
for the eyes and the ears. It looks amazing, from the eye-catching
front cover onwards, and is fantastic to read. The cover shows a
distinguished-looking lion sitting at a table with knife and fork at
the ready and two children on either side staring at him in
astonishment. Is he still a lion? He's wearing a hat and coat! Would
a lion eat with a knife and a fork?! This sets the premise for the
book. "Is a lion still a lion if . . . he carries an umbrella,
too?" "Is a lion still a lion if he rings the doorbell, greets
you politely and asks you to dance? As the children find out," YES,
A LION IS A LION IS A LION!", so you should tell him to SHOOO!"
The heavy use of capitalisation, italics and punctuation (if you are
not a fan of exclamation marks steer clear!) assist in making this a
dramatic, theatrical read-aloud. Dunbar's black line illustrations
are fabulous, especially the larger than life lion and his
expressive face. There is a touch of The Tiger Who Came to Tea
here but with an interesting point of difference with the children
deciding that no, they would not allow the lion to come into their
house - even if he does have a particularly well-groomed mane and
impeccable table manners! The tiger who came to tea doesn't decide
to eat children for dessert though either.
There is an old proverb that "A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a
hog" and this is the simple message conveyed here. Perhaps there is
even a little bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing about this
well-dressed, pompous lion.
This is great fun for both the reader and the audience, who are
directly addressed ("So please remember, A LION IS ALWAYS A LION!").
This is a winning picture book to share with children of all ages.
Nicole Nelson
The rains by Gregg Hurwitz
Penguin, 2016, ISBN 9780765382672 Last chance. ISBN 9780765382696
(Age: 13+) Themes: Adventure, Invasion, Post apocalypse, Survival,
Aliens, Zombies. This pair of novels pack a lot into their nearly
400 pages as Chance Rain, his brother Patrick and best friend,
Alexandra, residents of the quiet community of Creek's Cause, fight
for their lives against infected adults, while others hide in the
local high school. This sci-fi young adult novel sets a tale of
alien invasion of unrelenting pace. Chance and Patrick Rain are the
heroes of this weird and unlikely story of the take over and
destruction of not only their town but all of human kind.
The strange events begin with a meteorite shower which brings
strange plant life which grows quickly and then dies, sending their
spores into the world. Events then take a dreadful turn, when the
adults change horribly into zombie like creatures intent on
capturing the children of the town for goodness knows what purpose.
Chance and Patrick pit their resources and nerve against
overwhelming odds and somehow prevail. They have to fight, not only
the 'hosts' the adults have become, but also some of their peer
group who disagree about the actions they should follow. They also
discover with the aid of Dr Chattergee, the only adult unaffected by
the spores, that at their 18th birthday they will also become
infected.
Hurwitz delivers a frightening scenario that many young adult
readers will find gripping, tense and thrilling. However I found the
episodes of fighting off yet more hordes of hosts distracted from
the narrative and tended to layer too many unbelievable acts of
survival, heroism and mayhem.
There is a follow up novel, Last Chance, where our hero will
have even more weight loaded on to his adolescent shoulders, because
he and Patrick carry the genes for immunity, indeed they are the
only ones in the whole wide world. I just couldn't bring myself to
read it!
Mark Knight
Of Jenny and the Aliens by Ryan Gebhart
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763688455
(Age: Older teens) Themes: Aliens; Sexual Relationships; Teenage
angst. The Aliens have got in contact with earth and the world
wonders whether this is the end. For Derek though, an 'End of the
World as we know it' party leads him to a sexual encounter with the
liberated and feisty Jenny who then proceeds to spin his world into
an orbit that is completely out of control. His encounter with the
Alien is positively humble and calm in comparison - even when it
transitions to the literal 'Out of this World' experience.
Essentially this book transitions from an American teenage sex romp
(with soft-porn detail), into the roller-coaster of a relationship
that does not seem to follow a straight path, and then morphs into a
strange encounter with aliens that in some way is meant to solve all
the sexual and relationship angst that Derek is experiencing! There
is almost a hallucinogenic strangeness to some parts of the book.
The family break-up history that runs as an undercurrent to the flow
of the story is one of the few conventional aspects of the story.
This is not a coming-of-age story or a science fiction story - it is
just strange. This book did not win me over. If it was attempting to
be humorous, it did not quite hit its mark. The friendship between
Derek and Karo (the alien musician) was under-developed and should
have been fleshed out with much more narrative intensity.
Unfortunately it lacked the spark of literary quality.
Note: Drug taking, alcohol consumption, Sexual activity.
Carolyn Hull
How to blitz nits (and other nasties) by Mumsnet
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408862155
(Age: Parenting book) This is a parenting book for people who hate
parenting books. It portrays the reality of being a parent in a way
that politically correct parenting books rarely do. Would they talk
about what to do when you child does a poo so epic that it reaches
their neck? Or how to stop your child scratching their bum when they
have worms?
While witty and limited in scope, this semi-reference book is
definitely more useful than it first appears. Factual information
mingles with real posts from the English online parenting community
Mumsnet; this use of first-hand anecdotes and advice means that it
doesn't just tell you what you 'should' do or what is proven to
work. There are old wives tales and ingenious (not always medically
recommended or socially approved!) solutions to tricky problems (for
example, how to pin down a child to administer eye drops or fight
molluscum with a toothpick).
It addresses 10 main issues: nits, threadworms, ringworm, warts and
veruccas, molluscum, conjunctivitis, foreign objects, vomit, poo,
and dragons under the bed. Sometimes as a parent you just need to
know someone else has faced the same horrors or that someone else
has had it worse and on this level the book provides genuine laugh
out loud moments.
It is a funny read, perfect for parents who want to know the
essentials but want to take it with a pinch of salt and a few laughs
along the way. Simple language peppered with witticism makes this an
engaging and quick read and it will probably be reached for again
when advice is needed on how to clean vomit out of the couch or
de-nit the household.
Nicole Nelson
The wizards of once by Cressida Cowell
Hodder Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781444939576
(Age: 10+) A wizard with no magic and a warrior with magic get stuck
in a big mess. Can a wizard and a warrior be friends and get out
alive?
This story is make-believe but the story is so intense it feels like
you are the characters. The characters are Xar a wizard (with no
magic) and Wish a warrior princess (who has magic). These characters
entwine in an adventure that neither of them or their friends will
forget.
The settings are the bad woods, the wizard camp and the warrior
fortress.
The story has a few plots entwined together to make this story. The
theme for this story is fantasy and being friends with the enemy.
I recommend this book to 10+ boys and girls. Also if you have
enjoyed this book you might like How
to train your dragon because it's the same author and if
you have read How to train your dragon you might like this
book.
Grace Colliver, Year 6
Battle for the shadow sword by Adam Blade
Team hero, bk 1. Orchard Books, 2017. ISBN 9781408343517
The first chapter is when Jack used his powers to save people in his
class. The first chapter made me want to read more.
The problem was not predictable and the conclusion was not
predictable either. Sometimes when you put the book down you ended
on a cliff hanger.
The book was very interesting and the best part was near the end of
the book.
The main character is a bit believable. The problem is sometimes
similar with Sea Quest and Beast Quest books and
I would recommend this book for Beast Quest and Sea
Quest fans.
Heath Colliver, Year 6
Skip to the loo! A potty book by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Ill. by Anita Jeram. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406377347
(Ages: 1-3) Toilet training. Board book. Rhyming book. Bunny needs
his potty so off he skips to the loo and one by one, many other
characters join in. "Look! Everyone's on their potties! POO! POO!
POO!" It's a potty party: all the animals are sitting on their
potties of varying shapes and sizes and there are balloons and
music. "WAIT! Isn't someone missing? I wonder... is it YOU?".
From the illustrator of Guess how much I love you comes
this potty book, which encourages toilet trainees to join the potty
fun. The mirror page at the end is a cute invitation to the reader
to join in and is definitely the most successful element of the
book. While it could be useful alongside other toilet training
books, it is not instructive enough to work as a standalone
introduction to toileting. Despite it being a play on the song 'Skip
to my Lou', the text itself is not singable; it even sounds clunky
and lacks rhythm when read. In addition, the progression of animals
is a little odd. It starts off fairly standard, with a bunny and a
kangaroo, but then along comes Lord and Lady Huff-Puff (two dressed
up cats), a naughty big fat monster called Stinkaroo and some spooky
wookie ghosties (animals wearing white sheets). In addition, the
old-fashioned chamber pots some of the animals are using as potties
might be confusing, particularly as they look like teacups.
It is all a little hodgepodge and while the toilet message is there
and the illustrations are well done, it definitely isn't an
essential book for young toilet trainees.
Nicole Nelson
