The Bagthorpe Saga - Ordinary Jack by Helen Cresswell
Harper Collins Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780008211677
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. First published in 1977 this is the
introductory volume in a new modern classics series from Harper
Collins. The Bagthorpes are, to say the least, one of the most
eccentric families you will encounter in a book. It's very English
and very funny with overtones of the even older Nancy Mitford books
with a very middle to upper class family who are all pretty much
bonkers. Father, mother, grandparents, aunt and uncle, and a swag of
children who are all pretty much above average - and then there's
Jack who is quite ordinary and in his own mind, inferior. With the
help of his Uncle Parker, who is easily one of the maddest in the
family, Jack sets about to impress his family by becoming a prophet,
seeing visions and making predictions. As you can imagine this is
quite disconcerting for the family and is not the easiest of
deceptions to pull off successfully.
With a pyromaniac four year old cousin, an attractive but
non-English speaking Danish au pair, a crusty old daily who is as
useful as 'a hedgehog' according to Mr Bagthorpe and some crazy
antics, this is a laugh a minute.
Suffice to say that in spite of its age, it is every bit as funny as
any contemporary family story and will no doubt appeal to many
readers who are looking for a simple humorous read.
Highly recommended for readers both boys and girls from around 8
years upwards.
Sue Warren
Big picture book of general knowledge by James Maclaine
Ill. by Annie Carbo. Usborne, 2017. ISBN 9781474917889
Miss 6 is at that stage where she wants to know "stuff". Inspired by
a teacher who not only encourages her endless curiosity but also
being independent in her quest for answers, she is always looking
through her growing collection of "fact books". And now she is all
but an independent reader, the thrill and affirmation she gets when
she can find the answers for herself delights her and inspires her
even further.
So this latest offering from Usborne will be a welcome addition to
her collection. With its double-page spreads of the sorts of topics
its intended audience is interested in - animals, the body, food and
drink, music, space, sports and many more - each double page spread
is packed with a plethora of short facts accompanied by lots of
hand-drawn illustrations. Rather than being an in-depth
encyclopedia, it is designed for those who love to dip and delve
into non fiction to see where what they discover will take them. And
for those whose interest is ignited Usborne have a page of
quick
links for them to investigate further.
Perfect for Miss 6 and that group of boys that we all know who like
to gather around a table in the library with this sort of book to
share and explore and discuss what they discover.
Barbara Braxton
The 91-storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Ill. by Terry Denton. Macmillan Children's Books, 2017. ISBN
9781509839162
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton have
done it again with another book which is sure to enchant young
readers everywhere. The 91-storey treehouse is the seventh
book in their weird and wonderful treehouse adventures and they have
added another thirteen new levels, including the world's most
powerful whirlpool, a mashed-potato-and-gravy train and a human
pinball machine. Madam Know-it-all is there to tell the fortune of
anyone who asks her a question and when Andy and Terry are asked to
babysit their publisher's three children, they are all off to the
land of Banarnia after going through a wardrobe in a dump. Of course
Andy and Terry are not the best of babysitters and they all have
some amazing adventures, including flying down a cliff and being
stuck in a giant spider web. Not to mention that both Andy and Terry
lose their knowledge and have to have their minds retrained. At the
same time the big red button waits - will it be pushed or not and
what will be the result if it is pushed?
Readers will need no introduction to this fabulous series which is
hilarious. The illustrations are fabulous and children will spend
hours looking at them and laughing. I particularly loved the
alphabet that the children used to teach Andy and Terry how to read
and the number book was just as engaging.
The imaginations of Andy and Terry are wonderful and will stimulate
children to come up with their own weird and wacky storeys to add to
their own treehouses. Both text and illustrations will appeal to
people of all ages. Now wonder this series tops the best seller list
when a new book appears.
Pat Pledger
Sea by Sarah Driver
The Huntress series. Egmont, 2017. ISBN 9781405284677
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Adventure stories,
Sailing Ships, Tribes and tribal systems, Families. We rove! We rove to trade, to meet, for the restlessness in our
bones; we rove at one with the sea!
The intricately designed, foil embossed cover with scrolling waves
and shiny fish encircling the title, the detailed map of the island
kingdom of Trianukka and the cutaway of the sailing ship Huntress
entice the reader into Sarah Driver's lyrical fantasy adventure.
Spirited hero Mouse lives aboard The Huntress with her
one-eyed grandma Wren, the ship's captain and her younger brother
Sparrow. Their tribe worship the majestic whales who protect them
and come when summoned by Sparrow's singing to help defeat the
bloodthirsty attacks from the flying terrodyls. They are on a voyage
to the great Tribe-Meet, and Mouse, who celebrates her thirteenth
moon, is her grandma's apprentice training to take over as Captain
of the Huntress. Their father, Da has disappeared and he has left
Mouse with a special quest to find the sea opals and restore them.
This is a complex and exciting story, set in an icy bleak world with
scary undersea creatures, and dangerous attacks from the Fangtooth
Tribe and their polar dogs. Trouble and danger ramp up when Grandma
Wren unfortunately allows Stag, a long-lost tribe member to rejoin
their crew. Mouse's resilience and courage is repeatedly tested as
the crew face serious threats from all sides.
Sarah Driver's debut novel is beautifully crafted with fast-paced
narrative, elemental forces driving their journey, good and evil
fantastical creatures and lyrical music her brother sings to the
whales. Her creative language is delightful to read: Mouse's heart
skip-skitters when she's in danger but she keeps her spine
arrow-straight and she is not afraid to face down a land-lurker
with iron-hard eyes. There are fun visual details added
throughout, shadowy whales, black merwraiths diving, moon-sparks
twinkling and terrodyl beasts soaring. Sea is the first in The Huntress trilogy and readers
who enjoy a challenging fantasy adventure will look forward to Sky.
Rhyllis Bignell
The tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond
Ill. by Alex T. Smith. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406358070
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Perception, Schools, Angels,
Education. When grumpy bus driver, Bert, finds an angel in his top
pocket, he takes him home to his wife, Betty and together they name
the little fellow, Angelino. Betty, a cook a the local school, takes
the angel to enroll him at the school, but the school at the moment
is in some disarray. Their head teacher is on leave because of his
nerves, and has been replaced by Acting Head Teacher, Mrs Mole,
anxious to be seen to be doing well. Angelino is a hit with the kids
at school, but not with Mrs Mole, who sees the angel causing some
relaxing of the straight lines and hands up approach she wants.
Into the mix comes a mysterious stranger, set on getting the angel
for himself, ready to sell him to the highest bidder: a bishop,
soccer team or artist.
A chaotic story ensues, with the angel getting bigger as he eats
custard from the school canteen, learning to say a few apparently
meaningless sentences, endearing himself to all those who see him,
except perhaps Mrs Mole. A few side remarks about education, a
smattering of lessons about grammar, with lots of funny situations
make this a quirky read which children will heartily enjoy: the
story of an angel who makes a difference in people's lives.
When Angelino is kidnapped by two almost men with troubled pasts, he
is able to endear himself to them, and when found by trio of
students from the school, Betty and Bert decide that all the
kidnappers need is some good parenting, so take them home as well.
A delightful read all the way to the end, Almond always manages to
disarm the reader, attaching them to a story which swerves into
fantasy and yet we want to believe that such things can happen, that
Bert and Betty can get a new son, that the kidnappers can be
parented back to being good citizens, that the acting head can be
rehabilitated into a teacher of children not of department policy.
The vision of the department heads squirreling themselves away in an
office with the shades drawn and a no entry notice on the door,
making policies about the school without seeing one child is
hilarious and should make every school administrator rethink their
purpose.
Fran Knight
How does my home work? by Chris Butterworth
Ill. by Lucia Gaggiotti. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406363784
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. STEM. Home appliances. Electricity.
All the things we do not think about in the home: how does a switch
turn on the light, how does the fridge work, where does the gas come
from to keep us warm, where does the waste water go, how does it get
to the house, and so on, are questions answered in this easily
understood hymn to the house and what happens inside its walls. A
double page is devoted to each new idea. The first tells us about
the things we do each day without thinking about it, while over the
page a double page image of the plan of a house shows the services
in and out: the electricity, gas, water in and water out. Further on
we have a double page showing where our electricity comes from,
discussing turbines, coal and nuclear power, solar, wind and water
power. Further over and we see where the water we use in the house
comes from and how it gets to the house, followed by a look at where
water is used in the house and what happens after it is used.
Another double page shows the treatment of used water and what
happens to it.
Each page is clear and well illustrated with a simple but not
simplistic text. A double page at the end of the book shows how
energy can be saved within the house, and this is followed by a
brief index and websites for more information. All in all a
wonderfully informative and clearly presented book on the basic
services which come to us everyday in our house.
Fran Knight
Bad mermaids by Sibeal Pounder
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408877128
(Ages 8-11) Mermaids. Adventure. Fantasy. Author Sibeal
Pounder's new fantasy series explores the world of mermaids and
their adventures in the Hidden Lagoon. When Arabella Cod, Queen of
the Mermaids is captured, it is up to Beattie Shelton and twins Mimi
and Zelda Swish to rescue her. These young friends have enjoyed a
short summer break living in the human world with real legs.
However, after only two weeks they receive a mysterious crabagram
and have to return home. Their underwater kingdom is swarming with
biting piranhas and a new leader has taken control. With the aid of
a talking seahorse called Steve, Beattie, Mimi and Zelda investigate
the kidnapping, search for clues to the queen's whereabouts and try
to free the residents of the lagoon from the evil invaders.
Travelling in their Clamarado 7, the young mermaids follow Arabella
Cod's diary entries to each of the last places she visited. Each
location is beautifully unique. Hammerhead Heights is a huge
underwater canyon filled with thousands of mermaids swimming with
their special shark tails. Here they enjoy fishy fare at Jawella's
and soon eliminate Ray Ramona as a possible captor of their queen.
With piranhas patrolling the waters and mermaids limited in the
places they can swim freely, careful planning and teamwork is
needed. Bad mermaids is an enchanting junior novel, with colourful
underwater characters, beautiful shell costumes, fancy tails and
delicious fishy menus. There are fun articles from the Mermaids'
newspaper, 'Clamzine', and rival reports from the enemies' point of
view. Sibeal Pounder's descriptive language, fun puns, alliteration
and imaginative descriptions make Bad mermaids a fun story
to read for ages 8-11.
Rhyllis Bignell
The anti-boredom book of brilliant outdoor things to do by Andy Seed
Ill. by Scott Garrett. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408870099
Gardening. Crafts. Cooking. Games. Holidays. Summertime fun in the
garden, you can build a tipi, create a den with a fence, sheets and
chairs, build a bug trap or create a beautiful water rainbow. With
step-by-step instructions, stuff you need and plenty of tips, young
readers can create a perfect picnic or a special treasure hunt.
Spinners, snappers, paper plate Frisbees, giant bubble wands even
making gloop, there are so many easy things to make indoors. With
easy to source materials and a little imagination, there are plenty
of things to create indoors or outdoors.
There are so many places to explore and see outside, castles to
explore, go bird watching, tracking animals or observe shooting
stars in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Safety measures are
included throughout, telling an adult and asking for advice is
important.
Andy Seed's anti-boredom activity book is packed full of games,
indoor and outdoor fun, recipes to cook, something special for every
season. Thirty-seven exciting challenges are included as well, at an
easy, harder or tough level; try going for a night walk, sleeping
under the stars or flying a kite. Scott Garrett's fun cartoon
illustrations add excitement to this activity book; look for the
farm horse playing table tennis and the gardener doing the splits.
The creative design and placement of the text boxes, silhouettes and
shadows, backgrounds and borders makes this a fun to explore
information book. The anti-boredom book of brilliant outdoor
things to do is just right for a family to motivate their
creativity and engagement with the world around them.
Rhyllis Bignell
Tell it to the moon by Siobhan Curham
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406366150
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Tell it to the moon is an
incredibly hopeful story about friendship and supporting one another
through the tough times. I would highly recommend this for people
aged twelve and up as it reinforces the importance of surrounding
yourself with the right kind of people. Following on from the
previous novel, The
Moonlight dreamers we follow the girls as they overcome new
obstacles and discover new dreams to be fulfilled.
Amber's ambition of visiting the grave of her beloved writer has
been fulfilled, but what will come next for her budding writing
career? She's experiencing writers block, back to being bullied at
school, and her identity comes down as she tries to contact her
birth mother. Amber doesn't know what to do next, she feels like
much less of a moonlight dreamer than ever before. Maali is still
searching for her soulmate but her romantic prayers change course as
her father's health deteriorates. Her father is now haggard and
having trouble even standing upright. There is something badly wrong
and yet Maali and the doctors don't know what. Sky's life is rocked
by her Dad's determination to send her to school. Her first time in
secondary school, and just ahead the GCSE are looming, however she
soon learns that not to let her fear of school swallow up her dreams
when she meets a fellow poet, Leon, who encourages her dreams.
Rose's world is coming apart at the seams, finally having recovered
from the topless photo scandal, she has finally found the courage to
accept her sexuality. But with that comes a whole new world of ups
and downs as her crush, the lovely Francesca, reveals her boyfriend
at the very moment Rose intends to come out.
It seems that times will continue to be tough for the moonlight
dreamers as they deal with problems within their family,
relationships, school, and religious beliefs. The girls must band
together and in doing so demonstrate the importance and strength of
their friendship, as well as continue to achieve their dreams.
Kayla Gaskell, 21
Kid Normal by Greg James and Chris Smith
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408884539
(Age: 10+) Kid normal is the first book in a series by Greg
James and Chris Smith. The story follows lead character Murph Cooper
through the frightening task of moving house, leaving friends and
changing schools part way through the term. When all the closest
schools are full, Murph ends up in the unlikely situation of being a
regular kid in a school for super heroes!
Every child who has gone through this will be able to sympathise
with him and I think this will help them to believe in the character
and in the story.
Murph joins a gang of kids called 'The Super Zeroes' who are those
without superpowers and therefore unlike everyone else.
Unfortunately they get picked on by the kids with superpowers - but
this gives them the desire to fight back and use what they know to
fight the bad guy Nektar.
This is a really funny book with quirky, silly illustrations that
will appeal to most people who have a sense of humour. The book is
however too long in my opinion. At 384 pages long, there are parts
of the story that are too drawn out and this makes it inaccessible
for readers who are not particularly confident or intimidated by the
look of a very thick novel. It is not difficult to read but I think
younger readers will potentially drift away half way through the
book due to its length. In saying that - this book is written to be
read out loud! A class of children will giggle and laugh all the way
through if the teacher (or parent) read this book with voices,
movement and flair.
I really enjoyed the messages that came with this story, and think
they are a great conversation starter for children around 8 years
old and above. There are undertones of school hierarchy, and of
course good versus evil, but also that everyone is special in their
own way and that superpowers are not necessary to win the fight
against evil villains!
Suitable for children from 8 years old but more so for 10+ due to
the book length. Also for lovers of David Walliams and David
Wallace.
Lauren Fountain
DK Find Out! series
DK Publishing, 2017.
Decades ago DK Publishing revolutionised the presentation of non
fiction to young readers with bright photographs, information in
manageable, well-labelled chunks and the clever use of white space
so that the reader was not overwhelmed. Their Eyewitness
series became a staple of primary school library collections.
Now they have a launched a new series, DK
Find Out! for the younger reader, using their familiar format
but adding many more features so the newly independent reader can
access information at their level.
Beginning with a durable paperback cover which folds out to be a
quiz with answers and essential information relevant to the topic
such as areas of study, a timeline or a phylogenetic tree, it then
offers a page where the reader can jot down the things they have
already identified that they want to find out thus supporting the
inquiry method of investigation from the get-go. Then, as is
customary with DK books, there is the usual contents, glossary and
index pages which encourage and enable young readers to use the
clues to get to what they want and in between are double-page
spreads of basic information and glossy photographs and diagrams,
all clearly labelled. So as well as being an ideal way of exploring
print to find information they also serve as a model for students to
present their findings if their searches have been assignment based
rather than just curiosity.
To top it there is an easy-to-navigate website that offers more
information and activities as well as support for teachers and
parents. Like the books it is also a teaching tool for helping young
children learn to use a website for information, one designed for
their level and more authoritative and targeted than Wikipedia.
Despite the misguided opinion of some, there is a lot of research
and reasons that primary school libraries, particularly, need to
have a robust, attractive, up-to-date non fiction collection and
this new series demonstrates the value of not only catering to those
who prefer to read non fiction but also those wanting to find out
more NOW! As well, the series is attractively priced so that parents
can purchase individual volumes to accompany particular interests or
investigations that their child is pursuing.
Miss 6 is fascinated with the human body and snaffled my review copy
as soon as she saw it, not only asking and answering questions for
herself but also learning vital lessons about using such resources.
Now she is exploring those for information as often as those for her
imagination. It won't be hard to fill her Christmas stocking!
Barbara Braxton
This savage song by Victoria Schwab
Monsters of Verity book 1. Titan Books, 2016. ISBN
9781785652745
(Age: 14+) Recommended. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. Dystopian
fiction. In a world that has been invaded by monsters, Kate Harker
and August Flynn find themselves together on the run. There are
three types of monsters: Malchai who drink blood and are made when
there is a murder, Corsai who eat flesh and bones and are formed
from violence and Sunai who feed on the souls of sinners and are
formed from a major catastrophe like a school bombing. August Flynn
is a Sunai, but longs to be less of a monster. His adopted father,
Henry Flynn, runs one side of Verity, while Kate Harker's father
runs the other side. However the truce that Flynn and Harker had
made is beginning to come apart at the seams and August is sent to
spy on Kate in an effort to find out what is going on.
The setting of Verity and the formation of monsters from evil acts
is quite original and made reading This savage song quite
different. Kate's feisty nature and need to please her crime boss
father contrasted with August's attempts to be less monster-like.
When they both are attacked at their school, they have to rely on
each other to work out what is happening and to escape the attempts
to kill them. Although there are slight hints at a Romeo and Juliet
type of relationship, this is minor to the plot, which is action
driven, while posing questions about morality and ethics.
There are some very thrilling and frightening scenes as the monsters
chase Kate and August through the underground tunnels and Schwab
manages to surprise with some unexpected twists and turns. The
conclusion is satisfying but leaves plenty of opportunity for
expansion in Our dark duet, the second in the series, which
is on my to-read list.
This was a compulsive read with unique characters and magic. Readers
who enjoy Holly Black's books will want to read this one.
Pat Pledger
Rockabye Pirate by Timothy Knapman
Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849392 Rock-a-bye pirate, in the crow's nest
Mummy says bedtime, and Mummy knows best.
You've had your adventures, you've sailed the high seas,
So under the covers and go to sleep, please.
During the day, this little pirate has all sorts of pirate
adventures doing all the things pirates do. But the life of a pirate
isn't all swashbuckling, treasure-seeking and making enemies walk
the plank - come nighttime they have to have their dinner, have a
bath, wash their hair, get in the PJs and snuggle into bed to listen
to a bedtime story. And this smart mummy knows this, turning her
boy's bedtime routine into a pirate-centred lullaby to settle him
down and lull him to sleep.
Author of other preschool-friendly stories such as All
Aboard the Dinosaur Express, Knapman describes himself
as a children's writer, lyricist and playwright and his way with
words, their rhyme and rhythm certainly shines through in this
latest offering. Sublimely illustrated so that even the wickedest
pirates who ever set sail - Black-Bearded Brewster, Sea Dog McPhail,
Cross-Eyed Delaney and Freddy the Fright - become just regular
people who go home to their magnificent purpled-hair mum, there is
everything that is familiar about pirates in this book as well as
things that are not so it is scaled back to become a gentle bedtime
story for even the toughest, most adventurous daytime seafarer.
Barbara Braxton
Survival skills handbook, series by Bear Grylls
Knots. ISBN: 9781783422982 Camping. ISBN 9781783422593 Maps and navigation. ISBN 9781783423002 Dangers and emergencies. ISBN 9781783422999
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Survival. Camping. Knots. Navigation. First
Aid. Bear Grylls is the world famous survivalist, ex-military
commando known for his extreme outdoor adventures on his television
series and his work as Chief Scout for the UK Scout Association.
Each of these factual Survival skills handbooks focuses on
the knowledge, resources, tips and tricks to meet the challenges of
living in the wilderness. These provide easy-to-read instructions,
clear colourful diagrams and step-by-step guides presented with
sturdy covers and elastic bookmarks. They are the perfect addition
to a camping backpack, wrapped in a waterproof bag. Knots is a comprehensive volume of all things rope-related,
splicing, tripod lashing, attaching a dinghy to post with a
pile-hitch and the more familiar knots used in camping. With an
introduction about the knot's purpose, a tip from Bear Grylls and
close-ups of each stage with labelled sections, this is a great book
for campers, sailors and Scouts. Camping discusses everything from tent types, making
shelters, hunting knives (with an adult in charge), toileting and
showering, to food preparation and fire making. He introduces this
with an encouragement to enjoy these experiences with friends and
family, and safety is an important part of his message. Healthy
nutrition, personal hygiene and environmental awareness are also
covered. Maps and navigation looks at the essential skills needed to
start an adventure in the wild. The diagrams illustrate the basic
equipment required, to being prepared for the conditions,
familiarisation with your location, journey and destination. The
ability to read a contour map, use a compass, measure distance, even
reading signs in nature are extremely beneficial skills to have. Dangers and emergencies even includes an Australian section
on snakes. Knowing how to set an emergency signal, fire cones,
flares, even a jungle distress signal is included. Dangerous
insects, arachnids, reptiles and mammals are shown with their
specific patterns and colours. How to treat snakebite, escape from
quicksand, purify water, test for edible plants and build a shelter
are vital skills for young wilderness explorers.
Bear Grylls' Survival skills handbooks are excellent
resources for everyone who enjoys life in the great outdoors.
Rhyllis Bignell
A Monster Calls (film) book and screenplay by Patrick Ness
Focus Features, 2016, released in Australia 2017
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Fantasy, Monsters, Death, Cancer, Bullying, Acceptance. Conor (Lewis MacDougall) screams as he falls out of bed, clutching a hand slipping from his grasp. The clock shows 12.07 and he knows it is the old nightmare. His mum (Felicity Jones) is still asleep when he leaves for school the next morning, and he drags his feet knowing what waits. The bully is relentless, but it is Conor's invisibility which is most hurtful. No one speaks to him, and his teacher talks in a soft voice, offering help. But no one can. Conor's mother has cancer and sleeps most of the time. When her mother (Sigourney Weaver) comes to stay, Conor does not welcome this bossy interfering woman. Conor becomes more angry when his absent father (Toby Kebbell) arrives from America, full of promises. But when he must live with his grandmother on Mum's return to hospital, his anger builds.
The only thing that knows how Conor feels is the monster who fills his room at night. The yew tree by the church, the same one his mother watches from the window, tells him three stories, each drawing Conor to seeing both his father and grandmother in a different light, and to admit to himself the truth of his mother's illness.
The book, first published in 2011, written by Patrick Ness after an idea sketched out by the late Siobahn O'Dowd, won the Kate Greenaway Medal for its illustrator, Jim Kay, and the Carnegie Medal. Now directed by J A Bayona (Orphanage and Impossible) the film radiates with repressed anger. Conor is unable to admit the truth. His anger manifests itself in smashing his grandmother's front room, and putting the bully into hospital.
Ness has written the screenplay for this film, concentrating on the four main characters and the monster, the yew tree, as it reaches into the dark recesses of the mind, coping with the imminent death of someone very close. The brooding presence of the yew tree, pulling up its roots and striding into Conor's bedroom is mesmerising, his fearsomeness tempered by his voice (Liam Neeson), at once solicitous and fatherly as he tells Conor the stories. The claustrophobic feel of the film, intensified by the acton restricted to four rooms, Conor's house, Grandmother's house, the school room and the hospital room, while going outside the chilling presence of the monster fills the screen. The viewer hardly breathes, intent on seeing what is behind the stories, and how Conor will accept it.
A highly emotive fantasy thriller about a boy's guilt at his mother's disease, the film has further developed the brooding atmosphere of the book, and would suit an audience of teens and adults.
Fran Knight
