What's going on down there?: A boy's guide to growing up by Karen Gravelle
Ill. by Robert Leighton. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681193618
Recommended. Themes: Sex; Growth and Development. This is a very
simply written, down-to-earth explanation of the growth and
development that occurs during puberty, focusing on the
circumstances for boys. It does also include brief discussions of
the changes that girls will experience in puberty. It includes small
humourous illustrations to make the reader comfortable with the
emotionally charged revelations of all the changes that a young
man's body will experience. With simple explanations of puberty,
sex, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, what constitutes
sexual harassment, making babies and 'normal', this book gives
accessible information that is mostly helpful for a younger reader.
This would also be a good reference for those who want to be ready
for discussing these issues with a young boy in the pre-puberty or
beginning puberty phase. Teachers and parents should probably
pre-read this book before handing it over, to be sure they are ready
for questions and to enable an open discussion about 'What is going
on down there!' Some minor references to moral decision-making with
regard to sexual choices is included, but the purpose of the book is
primarily to discuss physical changes and to explain sex to a young
reader.
Carolyn Hull
Toto: The dog-gone amazing story of the Wizard of Oz by Michael Morpurgo
Ill. by Emma Chichester Clark. Harper Collins Children's books,
2017. ISBN 9780008134600
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy tale; Home; Kindness;
Resilience. Michael Morpurgo has added his wonderful skills to
retell the story of Dorothy and Toto and the Wizard of Oz. Told from
the perspective of Toto, who tells the tale of the journey to the
Land of Oz to the young and weakest puppy (who might need its own
message of kindness, courage and goodness); this is a beautiful
rendering of the traditional tale. Dorothy's friendship with
Scarecrow, Tinman and the cowardly Lion is retold in a warm and
powerful way, highlighting the value of friendship and self-belief
against the odds. The potentially scary moments in the story are
always forewarned by the narrator Toto, with comforting comments to
remind the reader that all will turn out well in the end. The
strength of the story is always in the honourable and good and kind
way that Dorothy responds, her resilience in the face of difficulty
and in her mantra that "home is home . . . and home is best" even
when uncertainties cross her path. And of course Scarecrow, the
Tinman and Lion also learn valuable lessons too.
Illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark are naive and warm and
intriguing, and will appeal to young readers. This is certainly a
book that would make a wonderful read-aloud for a parent to a child
and the lessons that could be shared would enrich their
relationship. The mastery of Morpurgo's writing skill is that the
book would be loved by both adult and child, and I am sure, read
more than once. I was also impressed with the way that the wicked
witches had minimal 'fright-power' for a young reader (no scary
dreams likely after reading!)
Carolyn Hull
I want to be in a scary story by Sean Taylor
Ill. by Jean Jullien. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406363463
Ages: 3 - 7) Highly recommended. Picture Book. Little Monster is the
cute, purple coloured cartoon character of this tale. The text
spoken by LM is in matching purple. He clearly loves stories and
announces to the narrator that he would like to be in one himself
(herself?) Nowhere is Little Monster's gender identified but seems
male for whatever reason I can't quite put my finger on which
probably reflects on my upbringing. Certainly though, any little
girl monster reading the story is in no way excluded.
The story he would like to be in needs to be scary so he says. The
narrator, having a sound understanding of little one's psyche better
than he does, suggests maybe a funny story would be a more suitable
idea. The very bold and brave LM however, disagrees and insists on
"scary". The story begins to unfold with the setting of spooky
houses and forests and suggestions by the narrator to populate it
with witches and ghosts. As each page turns, the little reader can
see LM's consternation unfolding at the thought of personally
encountering these challenges and LM saves face by announcing that
he would definitely prefer to be the one to do the scaring. Even
that obviously has its less than acceptable challenges and so LM
takes the narrative direction into his own hands. He creates the
wonderful compromise of a funny, scary story that suits his
specifications down to the ground. He, of course, enjoyed it so
much, he would like to be in another story again tomorrow.
I enjoyed reading this book and I'm pretty sure my 4 year old
granddaughter is going to enjoy exploring "scary's" acceptable
boundaries with me as we read it.
Elizabeth Avery
The last girl by Nadia Murad and Jenna Krajeski
Virago, 2017. ISBN 9780349009759
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. The Yazidi
people are a religious minority group living primarily in a northern
province of Iraq. Because they worship a fallen angel, Melek Taus,
the peacock angel, they have been branded devil worshippers by the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syris (ISIS) who have selected verses of
the Qur'an to justify treating the Yazidi as property not humans.
Thus Yazidi may be traded as slaves or killed without any qualm of
conscience.
Nadia Murad, a Yazidi, born and raised in the small village of
Kocho, Iraq, has documented how ISIS lay siege to their village,
killed the men and elderly women, took the young men for
brainwashing as soldiers and suicide bombers, and forced the girls
and young women into sexual slavery. Nadia was sold and traded on
the slave market by ISIS extremists, and repeatedly subjected to
torture and rape. She survived and eventually escaped, bravely
assisted by a Kurdish Muslim family, and she lives on to reveal to
the world the genocide of the Yazidi undertaken by ISIS, and to
fight for the survivors of human trafficking. She is the 2016
recipient of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, along with
friend Lamiya Aji Bashar who was seriously disfigured by a landmine
in her bid for freedom. The last girl is Nadia's story, beginning with the humble
Yazidi village life, of extended family and close community, where
her simple girlish dreams were to become a hairstylist or
beautician. Then in 2014, her village was encircled by ISIS and the
people massacred, the girls taken away on buses to Mosul to ISIS
headquarters to become sex slaves. Some committed suicide, some like
Nadia eventually escaped, others continue to suffer somewhere in
Iraq or have been trafficked to Syria.
If you think this all sounds too horrible to read, Murad spares us
the graphic details. Her way of coping at the worst times was to
shut down her mind, and she does the same in the book, she shuts
down on the details, and just tells us the events. It is
nevertheless a very moving story, one that needs to be heard.
As Amal Clooney says in the foreward to the book, amazingly Nadia
Murad's spirit has not been broken, and she continues to campaign
for justice. 'She has become the voice of every Yazidi who is a
victim of genocide, every woman who has been abused, every refugee
who has been left behind'.
Students studying modern slavery or the refugee crisis could gain
insight from reading this book. Other readers could gain a better
understanding of how ISIS is an extremist group that is a threat to
all people, Muslims and Westerners alike.
Helen Eddy
The Creakers by Tom Fletcher
Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780141388762
(Age: 10+) Recommended. "What silently waits in the shadows at
night? What's under your bed, keeping just out of sight? Do you ever
hear strange, creaking noises at night? Ever wonder what makes those
noises? Lucy Dungston always did. Until, one morning, Lucy discovers
that all the grown-ups have disappeared - as if into thin air. Chaos
descends as the children in Lucy's town run riot. It's mayhem. It's
madness. To most kids, it's amazing! But Lucy wants to find out the
truth. Lucy lost her dad not long ago, and she's determined not to
lose her mum too. She's going to get her back - and nothing is going
to stop her...
...except maybe the Creakers." (Publisher)
Tom Fletcher is certainly a talented author. He has managed to
capture his audience once again as in The Christmassaurus.
It will certainly be a big hit with the girls with the lead
character being a short haired heroine who is kind, smart and brave!
Lucy is an inspiring role model who stands up for what she believes
in and feels quite comfortable making friends with children that are
usually outcasts. It is interesting to find the hidden message of
the importance and usefulness of recycling and sustainability with
waste products. The book will ignite the imagination in all and
engage even the most reluctant reader. With snippets of unbelievable
magic and laugh out loud moments, Fletcher's book has mastered the
art of describing things in a funny way. I can see children aged ten
and up (as there are a few scary bits) enjoying this read - a must
have for the library collection. It would also make a great read
aloud with some adult humour sprinkled throughout.
Kathryn Schumacher
Little baby books: Everyday illustrated by Mel Four
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408873762
(Ages 0-2) Recommended. Board picture book. Mel Four has very
cleverly and simply brought to life 5 commonplace monosyllabic
nouns: car, sock, cup, duck and bear for the youngest readers
although a child up to the age of 2 would no doubt find it of
interest.
The main object of interest is depicted on the left hand side of the
page with its word clearly shown in lower case. Very shiny luminous
coloured paper is inserted into a black board background
highlighting the important parts and giving a different texture and
look to the rest of the page. This is quite a contrast to the usual
pastel colours of baby books. The right hand side of the page simply
outlines other objects a child might associate with the noun in
question. For instance we have 'cup' shown clearly on one side of
the page with an accompanying meal on the other. 'Sock' seems to
have fallen out of its really untidy chest of drawers with other
common articles of clothing spilling out all over. I really love the
'duck' page with little gold foil ducks happily standing out against
the black as they sail along in their bathtub.
Simple, but very attractive and effective.
Elizabeth Avery
After the fall by Dan Santat
Lothian Children's Books, ISBN 9780734418319
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Humpty Dumpty. Nursery rhyme.
Confidence. Children will simply love this sequel to a beloved
nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty. The fate of that famous egg is not
known but Santat plays with the story, giving a very funny sequel
after the fall. The subtitle, How Humpty Dumpty got back up
again, will alert readers to the tale they are about to read,
and without thinking they will readily recall the nursery rhyme and
be ready for anything. Humpty tells the reader what happens after
the fall. He declines to call it the Great Fall, preferring to use
the words a 'just an accident', but the results of his accident are
far reaching. He can no longer climb the wall to sit there watching
the birds, a once favourite past time, he cannot sleep on his bed as
it is the top bunk, he cannot climb the ladder to the higher shelves
in the supermarket even though his favourite cereal is at the top.
But he still loves watching the birds, although now from the ground.
When a paper plane flies past he decides to try making a paper plane
to soar with the birds. After many unsuccessful attempts he finally
makes a magnificent paper plane and is able to fly it with the birds
he so likes. But it flies over the wall. A decision must be made.
This is a wonderful look at what frightens us and how we can
overcome fear, developing confidence to do something we are unsure
of, taking a risk, stretching a boundary. Humpty is very frightened
of the wall after his accident, his fear reflected in the number of
things he can no longer do. With lashings of humour, Santat develops
his sequel to this well known rhyme, encouraging readers to think
about things which they may be worried about and what steps they
need to take to overcome their fear.
Santat's illustrations are wonderful, from the title page with its
playful font, to the little additions of aptly named breakfast
cereal, children's at the top and more mundane adult fodder at the
bottom, to the images of the city in the background, each adding an
intriguing level of interest for the astute reader. Each page is
very different, some taking a bird's eye perspective, some Humpty's,
while all entreat the reader to look again, to work out what they
are seeing, to think about Humpty and what he is doing to overcome
his fear, and then how it relates to them, soaring with him on the
last magnificent page.
Fran Knight
Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
Ill. by Giovanni Rigano. Hodder Children's Books, 2017. ISBN
9781444934007
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Refugees; Conflict; Freedom;
Survival. The flight to freedom is not easy for many in our world.
This Graphic novel illustrated in colour, clearly shows the journey
of survival of Ebo, a school-aged child with a beautiful voice, who
leaves his home village where he lives with his drunken uncle, to
find his siblings - one of whom has made the long journey to Europe.
With time shifts indicating the passage of time, forward and back,
we see the incredible difficulty he faces. First, he struggles to
find his brother, and then he becomes an illegal boat traveller as
he travels through very uncertain waters to reach Europe. The entire
journey is fraught with difficulty and risk, and the young boy faces
death on many occasions. Throughout this book, the reader is able to
connect to the concept, highlighted in the quote at the beginning of
the book, that no human can be 'illegal'. Ebo is a survivor, but the
book highlights that the journey to freedom for many people who flee
poverty, war or other conflict is not always successful - and yet
they too are humans with the same desire to live well, and to live
in safety.
The style of presentation as a graphic novel will provide
opportunity for many younger readers to grapple with the serious
issues that the world faces in meeting the needs of people who have
no official documents to travel. This is an epic story of hope and
survival, but it is also a sad story. An additional short, black and
white graphic tale of a young woman's journey to England is included
at the end of Ebo's story. Illegal does not shy away from hard issues or circumstances -
people smugglers, violence, bandits, murderers, but the format of
the graphic novel does make it possible for a younger reader to
understand without too much detail given.
Carolyn Hull
Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408880975
"Norman had always been perfectly normal. That was until the day he
grew a pair of wings!
He had imagined growing taller or even growing a beard like his dad,
but not growing a pair of wings!
Norman is very surprised to have wings suddenly - and he has the
most fun ever trying them out high in the sky. But then he has to go
in for dinner. What will his parents think? What will everyone else
think? Norman feels the safest plan is to cover his wings with a big
coat.
But hiding the thing that makes you different can prove tricky and
upsetting." The coat became a burden, even an embarrassment and
Norman began to resent the wings until he realised it was the coat
making him unhappy, not the wings. After all, no-one else has wings,
so why him? Can he find the courage to discard the coat? What does
he discover when he does? In this poignant story about being
different, Percival has set the text against striking backgrounds of
various shades of grey depicting normal and dull while giving Norman
bright colour and light so that his feelings of being unique are
highlighted physically as well as emotionally. He has also chosen to
depict a diversity of characters, each unique in their own way and
each of whom accept Norman as normal, so really, what does "normal'
mean?
For a wonderful part of their lives, children don't see difference
and they just love who they are but then awareness starts to develop
and they start to see themselves with new and often unkind eyes.
They want nothing more than to be the same as their peers, to not
stand out, to be normal and anything that makes them unique, whether
it is skin colour, wearing spectacles, being an only child or
growing a set of wings, becomes a burden that they would rather not
carry. But the freedom when the coat is shed...
Accepting and celebrating who we are and what we are, especially
those things that make us special and unique is so important for our
mental health and at last, we are starting to understand that the
self-talk and messages we give ourselves as we interpret our
interactions and experiences as a child can have an incredible
impact on the well-being of our older selves. The more children can
encounter books like Perfectly Norman and discuss them so
they understand that there is no 'normal' or 'perfect' the healthier
they will be. It is our responsibility as teacher librarians,
teachers and other significant adults in their lives to make sure
they meet lots of Normans and not only grow to love their own wings
but to use them to fly!
Barbara Braxton
Tintinnabula by Margo Lanagan and Rovina Cai
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2017. ISBN 9781742975252
(Age: 10+) Recommended. In this picture book for older readers,
Margo Lanagan takes a young woman on a journey to Tintinabula in
times of stress and distress. In wild times and in wartime,
in times of fear and illness, I go
to Tintinnabula, where soft rains fall.
Tintinnabula is a story about moving from discomfort to peace,
from violence and uncertainty to a still, sure place.
It reminds us that our best friend in hard times
can often be ourselves. (Back cover)
The reader is carried along with the young woman in the story as she
flees the vision of monsters in a red background. She moves through
windswept trees, past ruins and devastated lands until she finally
reaches a quiet place where the grass is green and silver rains
fall. The term Tintinabula means small tinkling bells and the young
woman follows their sound to find that final good place that she
needs.
Rovina Cai has produced memorable illustrations which swirl and
twirl, brilliantly showing in reds the fear and need of the woman as
she tries to find a peaceful spot to rest from the violence that
surrounds her. This locale is depicted in greens and pale yellows,
and the end paper finally has a glow of brighter yellow, leaving the
reader with the notion that things can be brighter.
The idea that people in trouble can find a peaceful place within
themselves is one that will resonate with readers and will be a
comfort to those who are having problems, be they ones of mental
illness or of war and violence. The ideas are complex and the book
would be best suited to adults and teens or used by an adult with
upper primary children.
Pat Pledger
My magical life by Zach King
Puffin Books, 2017. ISBN 9780141387574
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. My magical life is a new
series by author Zach King and he also just happens to be the star
of the book. Zach is 11 years old and comes from a magical family.
The opening pages of the book are like a photo album, showing
colourful, cartoon style pictures of the characters you will meet
throughout the story. Zach is in year 7 but is homeschooled. He has
the chance to attend public school when his parents realise he might
not have magic like the rest of his family. They hope a change of
scenery might help Zach find his special magic object and then his
magic.
When a magic trick at school brings Zach to the forefront of
popularity, his path crosses mean girl Tricia. Zach doesn't even
know how he did it but it is all over social media. Thankfully, Zach
makes quick friends with Aaron and together they try and use Zach's
magic to become more popular. When Zach discovers two caps that help
him channel his magic, hilarious moments and detentions occur. Can
Zach get back at Tricia and teach her a lesson? What does a locker
full of chocolate pudding and an alligator in the principal's office
got to do with it all? My magical life is an excellent mix of drama and comedy. It
is a novel with comic style images and readers will related to
Zach's issues and life at school. They will get a laugh out of
Zach's antics and the text will engage readers throughout the story.
Zach is a great role model for children - a bit naughty, a good son,
a good friend and all about being supportive to everyone. My
magical life is highly recommended for boys aged 9+ but will
be enjoyed by all readers.
Kylie Kempster
Undercover princess by Connie Glynn
Rosewood Chronicles book 1. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780141387567
(Age: 11-14) Themes: Fantasy. Boarding school. Princesses. Connie
Glynn's debut novel Undercover princess takes inspiration
from her love of Disney princesses and their stories. She shares
this on her popular Noodlerella vlog and YouTube channel. This
fantasy adventure story uses recognisable Young Adult literary
tropes, well-known character types and settings, typical plot
points and twists, and the prescient struggle of good and evil. Her
familiar settings include an elite boarding school with its secret
magical qualities and the old bakery where the orphan protagonist
lives with her uncaring stepmother. Of course, there is a defiant
princess from the magical kingdom of Maradova, who rebels against
her royal destiny allowing Lottie to fulfil her dream of being a
princess.
Lottie Pumpkin has studied incredibly hard to win a bursary to
prestigious Rosewood Hall in spite of her difficult home life.
Before her death, Lottie's mother has instilled in her a sense of
self worth, with the mantra "I will be kind, I will be brave, I
will be unstoppable." Meanwhile Princess Eleanor (Ellie) Wolfson of
Maradova, finally has been allowed to leave her own country and
attend the same school, in fact she is Lottie's roommate. Following
a huge mix-up, Lottie takes on her royal role allowing Ellie to
enjoy a normal life. There are the familiar highs and low of school
life, friendships, bullying, secret messages to solve, as well as a
quick trip to Maradova for Lottie to take on the role of portman, or
undercover princess.
The text ranges from simplistic to extremely expressive, while the
characters need more depth and back-story. Several scenes are
somewhat confronting and more suited to a teen audience. This novel
is the first in the Rosewood Chronicles series written for
young teen fans that enjoy the fantasy genre.
Rhyllis Bignell
Zombie's Birthday Apocalypse by Zack Zombie
Diary of a Minecraft Zombie book 9. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN
9781743818350
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Zombies, Friendship, Birthdays. The popular fan
fiction series continues with Zack Zombie's preparations for his
epic thirteenth birthday party. His birthday falls on Halloween
making it an extra special celebration. With his plans to host a
Larry Snotter party, Zombie realises that he needs to find a job to
finance his expensive costume. On Tuesday when he tries to find his
human friend Steve to discuss his party, he has disappeared. As he
checks out the nearby woods, Zack observes a strange occurrence
amongst the other villagers who are walking around with large
pumpkin heads.
With his neighbourhood preparing scary Halloween decorations in
their front yard, Zack helps Old Man Jenkins with his old Zombie
horse. Mr Jenkins' old bones keep falling apart and he offers him a
job grooming the horse. With a competition for the scariest costume
at school, talk of a Zombie Apocalypse, the mob villagers
disappearing and trying to organise his birthday party, Zack is
keeps busy. The final scenes of saving the mob of pumpkin head
villagers using the school oval sprinklers and Ursula the Witch's
potion prove exciting for Zack and his friends. Zombie's Birthday Apocalypse is a fun junior novel, packed
full of familiar characters, Minecraft images and the strange lives
of Zack, his family and friends. Humour, grossness, body jokes and
plenty of Minecraft activities are just right for the fans of this
popular series.
Rhyllis Bignell
Cinderella by Jane Ray
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406377842
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Diorama, Theatre, Classic tale, Fairytale. A
three dimensional representation of the classic tale of Cinderella
is offered within the covers of this book in six pop up dioramas.
Each double page presents a scene from the fairy tale, with side
flaps giving the story, and the central offering a diorama of the
action presented in the text. In the first diorama, we hear of
Cinderella and her two lazy stepsisters. We see Cinderella sweeping
in the kitchen while her stepmother and stepsisters lounge about, in
an adjacent room preening, drinking tea and eating cake. They are
magnificently dressed, whereas Cinderella is dirty and disheveled.
The page is cut out so that the action stands out from the
background. Through the cut out foreground we can see into the
garden beyond.
Each double page is full of interest, and children will read the
text eagerly looking at the picture presented, searching out the
details of the story.
The book is subtitled, A Three-dimensional Fairy-tale Theatre,
and the side flaps are like curtains opening on the scene presented,
making the viewer's eyes focus on the opening of the stage curtain
and what is then revealed.
A different outing for the classic tale will be eagerly used by
young careful readers.
Fran Knight
The poesy ring: a love story by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406378276
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Love. Marriage. Artifacts.
Historical evidence. The journey of a poesy ring given to a beloved
in times long ago is full of significance as it is lost and then
found nearly two centuries later, meaning the same thing for the
couple today as it once did for the couple that lost it. A whole
story can be evoked from the opening pages watching a young Irish
woman gallop away from the sea, a tall ship disappearing into the
distance. It is 1830 and she has thrown the ring away. It falls to
the ground, spending time with the small animals and grasses that
grow around it. An acorn that falls nearby grows into a huge tree
before a deer finds the ring lodged in its hoof. The ring falls into
a meadow, and when the farmer tills his soil, a bird picks it up.
From there is falls into the sea only to be retrieved from a fishing
net and sold. By now it is 1967, and a couple busking in the New
York underground, take their earnings to a gold shop where they buy
the ring and walk home together in the snow.
The ring has come full circle, finding a finger on which it can sit
symbolising the love between two people.
This touching story of love, dedicated to Graham's partner of fifty
years, Carolyn, will endear itself to all readers, showcasing the
endurance and tenacity of love and its symbols. The inscription
inside the ring, Love never dies, resonates through the story as the
ring, buffeted by the passing seasons is eventually found in a shop
in New York, bringing a small tear to the eye of all who read it.
Graham's soft watercolour illustrations show time passing from tall
ships, then wartime destroyers and later a fishing trawler, while a
man turns the soil with his plough, reaping the crop with a scythe,
the images moving on to the escalator in the underground and the
shops in the streets of New York. This book lovingly shows the
passing of time and the enduring power of the little ring, lost and
now found, a circle of love for a new generation. Younger readers
will have a great time seeking the smaller pictures on each page,
reflecting the passing of time, while older readers will ponder the
timelessness of the gold ring and all that it implies. Graham
successfully inhabits his books with the small things of life, the
wonderful image of the ploughing man and his horses, the boots of
the fisherman, the tattoo on Sonny's hand, the children giving money
to the buskers. His books give a feeling of solidity, of family, of
community and continuity, and no more so than here, with the ring
coming full circle, to the hand of a woman in New York.
A wonderful interview of Bob Graham by Jason Steger of the Sydney
Morning Herald can be found here.
Fran Knight
