This narrative is told in two time periods, 1832 and the present time. Constructing this novel, Julie Brooks places her characters in these different times, drawing us into the worlds in which the characters, coming from the same family, live their lives. The story told both in England and the story told in Samoa enables us to be drawn into two very different worlds. Julie Brooks writes a narrative that challenges the reader, where we feel close to the world of the individual character, one who makes decisions without having to gain acceptance of her choices by any other family members.
Prudence Merryfield inherits the family house and property, and she is very strongly determined to live a life that lifts her out of the world into which she was born. Deciding to leave England, her new life begins in a place so different to the English world, and she enjoys her choice, although she must adapt to a new world that is very different to that in which she has lived her life so far. Devon, London, Samoa, Singapore, the South Pacific in its broader sense, is described as we read about Australia, as seen by an Englishwoman who knew little about the world itself.
Overall, we read the narrative that tells of Prudence’s choice of places to live for a time, seeking to be in a world that is not like home, one that challenges her to find a way to live in a totally new world. Essentially, the narrative addresses the idea of ambition, a desire to live in an unknown world, and face how to make choices by one’s self and how they will live and thrive in this different place.
At the heart of this narrative we become aware of the denigration of women in that time, where other family members were adamant in expecting Prudence to marry, which will give her male partner the ownership of the house and land. Prudence realises this and is determined to stay single, deciding that she wished to run her own life, neither to share it with a man, nor to have a man as prime in their relationship. A relative is expecting Prudence to consider marrying a man, and this man will thence run and essentially own the property. Julie Brooks writes of a woman who rejects that kind of life, and thus, taking us into their world, we can see how difficult it was for a woman to be independent, and similarly how a woman would not be considered to own this property once married. If she marries, her inheritance will belong to her male partner, and if she dies, then the property and house will go to a male relative of her father’s.
Eliza, the inheritor, realises that she can find very little information about Prudence. Having disappeared more than 180 years earlier, Prudence has left little for an inheritor to discover. Living in the modern world as she does and having moved into her house, Eliza is appalled at the notion of a woman not being expected, in her time, to own and run a house without a man.
In the summer of 2024, Julie Brooks closes this narrative and leaves us wondering how well Prudence Merryfield lived her life, having left behind a world that would have supported her richly. However, clearly Prudence represents a woman who is determined to make her own life, to choose her place to live and how to make that life count for her. The narrative is brilliant, challenging, richly descriptive of the worlds of this narrative, and intensely memorable.
Themes Women, Inheritance, Social conditions - 19th century.
Elizabeth Bondar
Lionel and me by Corinne Fenton. Illus. by Tracie Grimwood
New Frontier Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922326607. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
A beautiful relationship exists between a large yellow haired dog called Maverick and his owners, two young children he adores. They do everything together. They sleep together, eat their meals together, go on walks on the beach and most importantly love each other.
That is until Lionel comes into their lives. This small dachshund pup takes over the relationship Maverick has with his owner. Lionel is always asleep, and on Maverick’s bed, he whines and leaves small piles of poo, and must be carried when they go on their walks. Lionel seems to take up much of the family’s time, leaving Maverick left out and alone. One day he eats all of Lionel’s food and is banished to the dog house in the garden.
But one day Lionel does something which gains his family’s disapproval and is also sent to the dog house. Here they create a bond of friendship.
This beautiful story will encourage compassion within the audience as they too can recognise times when they have left someone out or been overlooked and isolated themselves.
Strong themes of friendship, acceptance and inclusion are woven through the story and expertly captured by the illustrator, Tracie Grimwood. More can be seen about this diverse illustrator here.
The illustrations are all encompassing, revealing the love that exists between an animal and his humans, while cautioning the readers that love can be tenuous, changeable and must be practised to make sure everyone is included. Readers will quickly understand the hurt that Maverick is feeling being left out of their activities and nowhere is this more heart breaking when Maverick is sent to the dog house. That Grimwood shows that it is raining adds another level of sadness. Detail on each page will ensure eyes will scan what’s happening, taking to heart the meaning of friendship, and including everyone within that circle. Teaching notes are available.
An entertaining story of a battle of wills leads readers to think about their own relationship with these around them: animals and human alike, as the boy in this tale tries all he can to get the cat to see things from his perspective. After all, he is his own special particular private and personal cat.
He lifts the cat up onto his lap, only to have the cat jump off. He dresses the cat in warm clothing and pulls him along in his trolley only to see the cat divest itself of the clothing and jump from the trolley. He makes the cat a bed with its own pillow and little sheet, and sees him again spurn his efforts. He tells the cat that he belongs to him, implying that he should do what the boy wants him to do but the cat responds, using sounds and language, which includes some of the boy’s language. He tells him that he is the me of me, that he likes to walk and talk, and sometimes in the long grass he pretends to be a tiger or a bear, he does all sorts of things; climbs trees and looks for bees, scratches the rugs, cleans himself and sleeps when he wants to sleep. The boy thinks and thinks, resolving that he too is the me of me, he too walks when he wants to walk and talks when he wishes. He does all sorts of things which suit him, which show other people who he is. Both conclude that they are the friends of themselves but also of each other, and that they have boundaries that recognise their independence from each other. But sometimes in the night, the cat might slip onto the boy’s bed cover while he is asleep and sleep on the end of the bed, just like that.
With illustrations reflecting the story using a minimum of colour, the readers will delight in what is laid before them. They will love the boy going to great lengths to get the cat to be his own, and recognise the way the boy goes about trying to win the cat over. The line drawings with blocks of black, red and white against the orange background, make for an arresting view of the child and his relationship with the cat. The boy’s attempts are obvious, as are the cat’s reactions. And the whole is neatly resolved at the end where they come together not only deciding that each is his own being, each having boundaries which should be respected, but coming together to sleep, the cat snuggling onto the end of the bed when he wants to.
Easter is here and Cat and Dog find the bunny's basket but there are no eggs in it.
So Cat goes in search of the Easter Bunny, following Dog's somewhat meagre and misleading clues, meaning a lot of creatures with long ears and floppy tails come to celebrate Easter, but none of them is the Easter Bunny. Will Cat ever find who he is looking for?
Little ones will delight in this new story for the Easter season, and once they realise the pattern, will have fun predicting just which creature Cat might have brought to the party this time, as they apply their existing knowledge of creature features to match the illustrations, while learning the importance of trying to be as precise as they can.
Themes Easter, Easter Bunny.
Barbara Braxton
How to avoid being eaten by sharks and other advice by John Larkin. Illus. by Chrissie Krebs
What is the best way to avoid being eaten by a shark? Is the Earth really flat? How to translate Parent speak, How to pass a creative writing test, and How to avoid being abducted by aliens are the five chapters of this nonfiction book by John Larkin. The important questions and mysteries of life are presented as a narrative woven with facts in this amusing book. Each chapter presents the facts and figures of each topic with handy hints, advice and trivia, all combined with some full page black and white, comic style illustrations and smaller sketches across the page.
Larkin also uses examples from his childhood to bring to life the chapter about Parent speak and uses examples from his writing life which will interest many young aspiring writers. The language used is more suited to more advanced readers, as is the style of the book which is more like a wordy novel than many of the more recent nonfiction offerings that contain more illustration and fact bubbles/boxes to engage reluctant readers. The page about Idioms at the back of the book will be a valuable discussion starter for many classrooms. I felt the chapter about creative writing seemed an odd inclusion, especially in the middle section of the book. It will be useful as a tool to teach some creative writing in classrooms and give children a helpful guide to story writing, but could well have formed the basis for a book all on its own.
Themes General knowledge, Sharks, Unexplained phenomena, Aliens.
Gabrielle Anderson
Where's Wally? The great games speed search by Martin Handford
Where’s Wally? The Great Games Speed Search is the second book in the new competitive format for the legion of fans of Where’s Wally. This hardcover book with strong cardboard pages conveniently folds flat so that two competitors facing each other have equal chance to find Wally in the fastest time. There is also the opportunity to play solo.
The first competitive double page is a competition to find either Wally or Wenda and their friends. Both scenes look the same at first glance but subtle differences begin to appear. The second competition has the player also finding dragon silhouettes as well as the usual crew. The next two double pages have incredibly busy drawings, one of which are sketches and the other, an underwater scene. All of the 11 activities presented are both clever and complex but have the odd clue and hint thrown in. This latest book will keep obsessed Where’s Wally fans entertained for hours.
Kathryn Beilby
Pearly and Pig and the Island of Secrets by Sue Whiting
Pearly and Pig and the Island of Secrets, written by Sue Whiting, is the latest instalment in the Pearly and Pig series. This is a delightful junior fiction novel that will captivate young readers with its exciting plot and endearing characters.
In this third book of the series, we join Pearly and her trusty companion, Pig, on another thrilling adventure as they embark on a quest to become true 'adventurologists'. Set on the mysterious, uninhabited Mammut Island, just off the coast of Iceland, Pearly finds herself winched down from a helicopter by her mum and grandma with only five days' worth of supplies to complete a series of tasks independently. However, what begins as a seemingly straightforward mission quickly takes a suspenseful turn when Pearly discovers the presence of unknown individuals on the island, and she is unsure of their intentions.
Pearly is desperate to prove to her family that she is brave and up to the challenges set and she really doesn’t want to alert her family about anything. She sets about trying to complete her adventure tasks but find it very unsettling with all the other things going on at the island. Even the puffins seem concerned.
Adamant that she can complete all these tasks and give this new challenge the best shot ever, Pearly and Pig help each other work through their worries. They have the most beautiful bond and can even communicate with each other in pig language.
A highly engaging and enchanting novel that moves at a brisk pace, readers will be eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover the mysteries and adventures. This story will appeal to anyone who enjoys adventure, mystery and prehistoric life, while intertwined with valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. With its engaging storyline and lovable characters, this book is sure to captivate young readers and leave them eagerly seeking other books in the series.
Maya’s Dance is ultimately two stories running parallel; the major story being the incredible journey of survival for Maya Schulze and the minor story being about Kate Young, a journalist living with her own heartache who listens to Maya’s story in 1995 and shares it with others.
Author Helen Signy was inspired by the story of Lucie Pollak-Langford, who survived horrific conditions as a Jewish slave worker in a Nazi-run Polish labour camp in Sawin. Much of this story has been written from testimonies, interviews and the self-published memoir of Lucie before her passing in Sydney 2021.
Maya, a Jewish girl from Prague in the Czech Republic, loved to dance and this was her whole life until she was 17 when her family was cruelly transported to Poland. While they were not sent to a death camp, their time at Sawin was really about being worked to death building irrigation channels for the Nazi regime. Five hundred Jewish people were marched into the camp in 1942 and one year later only 38 remained. During that time, the prisoners were starved, beaten and forced to live and work under inhumane conditions.
For Maya, now suffering from bouts of dementia, retelling Kate her story opens up so many memories, mainly full of despair but also of joy when a young Polish engineer enters Maya’s life. Maya chooses to dance in a camp concert, and it is there that Jan Novak sets his eyes and heart on her. Jan becomes central to Maya’s survival and engineers her escape to safety. In 1995, Maya firmly believes Jan is still alive and in telling her story and with Kate’s help, she hopes to find him.
This fictitious story, with its many twists and turns especially towards the end of the story, will leave the reader in awe of Maya’s instincts for survival, her resilience and the joy she now finds in the everyday. The growing friendship that develops between Kate and Maya is a lifeline for both characters and fills a void that they may not have realised they needed.
Maya’s Dance is a highly engaging read that also comes with an important Author’s Note that provides further background information for the story.
Break, created by author-illustrator Kayla Miller, is the sixth book in the very popular graphic novel series, Click. Once again, Miller cleverly delves into relevant social issues and delicately navigates the complexities of family dynamics, divorce and forgiveness; through the eyes of its main character, Olive.
Olive is set to spend her upcoming school holiday at her father's new apartment, and she is dreading it. The story unfolds with comic style pastel illustrations that capture both the tender moments and the emotional turmoil Olive experiences. While all her other friends seem excited about their holiday plans, Olive struggles to find joy amidst her feelings of hurt and resentment. Her brother Goober is super excited and has activities planned for the whole time, yet Olive is really conflicted with her feelings. So, rather than embracing the opportunity to reunite with her father, Olive withdraws and finds comfort in her phone, using it as a distraction to avoid confronting her emotions.
As Olive's holiday progresses, however, she begins to feel the weight of her loneliness and the strain of her unresolved feelings. Can Olive turn things around, or will her efforts be too little too late?
Through authentic and relatable storytelling, Miller explores Olive's journey of self-discovery as she learns to navigate the complexities of her family situation and confront her own emotions.
Break is more than just a graphic novel; it's a heartfelt exploration of the social issues faced by children growing up in divorced families. Through Olive's experiences, readers are reminded of the importance of communication, empathy and forgiveness in overcoming difficult relationships and finding healing.
With its beautiful illustrations and compelling narrative, Break is a must-read for readers of all ages. Miller's ability to tackle sensitive topics with grace and sensitivity makes this graphic novel a powerful and impactful addition to any library.
Beginning briefly in 1860, this book introduces Ruby Road in South Brisbane just as it is colonised with European-style housing. The majority of this book though follows the McIntyre family 40 years later as they establish a small business in Ruby Road. Most of the book though follows their six daughters, and particularly the feisty Dorothy, as she navigates life in 1900 in a rule-oriented and patriarchal society. Dorothy is not inclined to love the rule-based authority of school and would much prefer to climb trees and pursue her love of story-writing, and maybe even an acting career. She dislikes the more feminine pursuits of needlecraft, cooking and mastering penmanship with neatness and so wins the ire of her strict teacher. Dorothy has pluck! She is not a conventional girl from the 1900s, she also does not understand why girls and women do not seem to have the same opportunities as men and so is very supportive of her mother’s suffragist leanings. Her friendship with George (who has Chinese heritage) introduces her to the racist attitudes of the time, attitudes that she cannot understand. Dorothy and George together write and produce a dramatic work that might change the minds of locals to the rights of women. But time slowly ticks by, and societal change is still a long way from Dorothy’s dreams for the future.
This is a delightful step into history at a time that is so removed from 2024. Children will recognise aspects of history that are foreign to them and will be surprised by attitudes that seem so unfair. In some ways this book is like My Place by Nadia Wheatley in unveiling change in one location and a little like the Our Australian Girl series in introducing readers to different periods of history. I am assuming that this may be the first book in a series – it deserves to follow Ruby Street through time. This is a book to enjoy for readers aged 8-11. Although some younger readers will not appreciate the massive social and cultural changes that have occurred since the early 1900s, this book will hopefully give them small insights. Even recreation and play has undergone significant change over the years and young readers may recognise that although school was strict and chores may have been an expectation, there may have been some freedoms that would surprise some contemporary readers. The short historical notes at the end of the book highlight some specific features that the author has used in Dorothy’s story. Note: there is a hint of intrigue in the part played by a dog, who no one else seems to acknowledge. Ghost or authorial magic?
Themes Australian history – 1900s, Family, Writing, Acting, Suffrage movement – Australia, Racism.
Carolyn Hull
Computer technology for curious kids by Chris Oxlade
Computer Technology for Curious Kids is a highly accessible factual text that discusses all things computer science related. This well organised book has a contents page that begins with Welcome to the World of Computer Science and is followed by six chapters divide into different sections.
Chapter 1: The History of Computing is a fascinating read with an important fact that the abacus invented 3000 years ago is the oldest known calculating device. It then goes on to provide a detailed written timeline of the development of computers to what is used today.
Chapter 2: Hardware and Software is more complex and examines the components that make up computers as well as looking at hardware, software, operating systems and how the computer actually works in storing and processing data as binary numbers.
Chapter 3: Data and Apps builds on what was discussed in Chapter 2 with more information given about how the data that is inputted is stored as binary numbers. This data includes text, photos, drawings, video and sound.
Chapter 4: Programming is all about programmers and how they write programs using coding. The number of excellent diagrams used throughout this chapter provide a visual explanation of what may be complex learning.
Chapter 5: Computer Communications looks closely at how data goes from place to place and connects with other computers. It investigates wired and wireless networks and presents a detailed discussion about the Internet, how it works and the World Wide Web. This chapter importantly shares information about network dangers and online safety.
Chapter 6: Computers Everywhere reminds readers that computers are not just a laptop or desktop but are all around us. Items such as sensor lights, smart speakers, barcode scanners and some children’s toys are all managed by computer systems. The development of the ever evolving and expanding creation of robots shows how far computer science has progressed over the years.
The colourful illustrations, tables and diagrams are important to the text and help to further understand and clarify the information. A glossary and index are in the final pages. Computer Technology for Curious Kids is the perfect ‘go-to’ book for those children and adults wanting to learn more about computer technology or consolidate their knowledge.
The Big Cheese has hauled himself out of obscurity as a little whey. He has become impressive. His presence fills the room, his confidence makes heads turn and causes jaws to drop. And he will tell you all about it. His life is full of ‘me’ words, that is until he meets Wedge.
Wedge is the opposite of Big Cheese; he is quiet and introspective, while Big Cheese is loud and bold, so he took little notice of this newcomer, until the time came for the town’s Cheese-Cathlon. Needless to say Big Cheese had won this important competition many times and he had the trophies to show off.
But on the day, Wedge is there to compete, and compete he does, winning all the competitions usually won by Big Cheese. At the end of the day, Big Cheese has a melt down. All the different emotions rage over his face: anger, disappointment, jealousy and so on. Until he notices Wedge. He is not basking in the limelight as Big Cheese would have done. He is looking humble.
So begins a journey for big Cheese in learning that winning is not everything, that there is a life outside winning and losing, and by losing he will learn lots about himself and others. Participation is the goal, not winning.
Wonderful illustrations spread across each page, showing the different moods of Big Cheese as he finds his way from always winning to finding out that being involved is just as good. The emotions shown in Big Cheese’s face are priceless and all done with a small change of detail, but offering an emotion we can all identify with. Think about making a piece of cheese look happy or sad!
Kids will see Big Cheese for what he is and them realise the lesson he learns is just as valid for them all.
Themes Winning and losing, Humility, Ego, Brashness, Friendship.
Ria lives in poverty on a windswept coastline with her seafaring father, her invalid sister Felecie and a half-sister Aberdeen. The livelihood of the populace is somehow besieged by a fleet of pirates under the command of the infamous “Heartless King”. When the bodies of her father’s crew begin to wash ashore, the girls fear the worst. One night, her badly injured father is carried home by the villagers. He intends only to say goodbye before returning to the pirates without the daughter he promised them.
Younger by two years than Felecie, the daughter known to 'The Heartless King', the pirates are unaware of Ria’s existence. While her father sleeps, Ria decides to take her sister’s place and sacrifice herself to save her family. Stepping onto Father’s ship, it magically sets sail to rendezvous with the Blood Rose (pirate ship) and Ria is taken captive.
Over many days, Ria discovers her tragic family history. She and Felecie are actually princesses and after her mother’s death, her father hid them safely in poverty in the countryside. The Heartless King erstwhile, had a feud with Bane, a mutineer and would-be king. He intends to use Estelle’s daughter, to lure Bane out and dispose of him.
The cursed but youthful king is always cloaked – unseen, he evokes fear and mystery. But his swordsmanship is fearsome, and a terrified Ria witnesses him dispatch dozens of men mercilessly in a short bloody battle. On the upside, his magical ship supplies the crew with sumptuous food and a well-stocked library - where Ria reads contentedly when not actively piecing together her family history.
Ria’s heightened sense of social justice means she is driven to provoke the King daily at dinner. His given name is Sebastien. If not for her hostage value and youthful naivety, her criticisms of Sebastien's inhumanity would end in animosity rather than a simmering romantic tension.
The re-telling of the ‘beauty and the cursed beast’ fairytale aboard a pirate ship is refreshing – and rich evocative descriptions help the reader make it to the turning point where enmity and cathartic chemistry collide. Sarah Street is an engaging chronicler of the Golden Age of pirates in the fictitious pages of A Curse of Salt. This fresh pirate adventure is richly layered with magical realism - aye, a page turner.
Aggie Flea STEALS the SHOW written by Tania Ingram, is the second entertaining younger novel in the Aggie Flea series. The first book Aggie Flea is NOT a LIAR, recognisable by its bright pink cover, has just been announced as a 2024 CBCA Notable book for the Younger Reader category. For those who have not yet met 10 year old Aggie Flea, be prepared for a roller coaster ride of bubbly bouncy energy with plenty of misunderstandings. Aggie has a BIG imagination and she is constantly throwing herself into situations with the best of intentions but oblivious to what may go wrong.
The second book, this time with a cover in purple tones, is all about the school play. Aggie desperately wants the role of Web Legs, the superhero spider from Mars in the play titled Lucas and the (farting) Pineapple from Space. She decides to change into her spider legs costume at school to impress her teacher Mrs Fossy but Aggie has forgotten that Mrs Fossy is petrified of spiders and causes her to collapse. Aggie is asked to go home for the remainder of the school day and is collected by her Aunt Pip who is minding her and her older brother 13 year old Jack while their mum is away. But it turns out Aunt Pip and the headmaster Mr Strong have a past which is highly embarrassing for Aggie.
Aggie’s audition goes well and she is chosen for the part of Web Legs over her nasty nemesis Zara Miller. The class spend time preparing for the play with Aggie learning her lines and best friend Kumi designing the enormous farting pineapple. Aggie has a hilarious costume hiccup which leads to a very upsetting moment for Kumi but Aggie realises she has done the wrong thing and tries to make amends. In the end the play is a success after the new ‘love’ interest of her brother Jack helps out Aggie with an even better costume.
Readers will be treated to lots of laughs from the situations Aggie gets herself into but are also left wondering what could possibly happen next. Within the story are graphic novel inserts about Princess Zombie of whom Aggie is a great fan and whose own life at times mirrors that of her idol. The use of illustrations throughout and the highlighting of different words allow this story to be accessible to a range of different reading styles. This is an enjoyable series for younger readers and it will be exciting to read the next instalment of Aggie Flea.
Themes School Play, Family, Friends, Drama, Catastrophes, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
Aggie Flea is not a liar! by Tania Ingram. Illus. by A. Yi
This is the first Aggie Flea book and has just been included in the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Notables list in the Younger Readers category.
Aggie is 10 years old and has a big imagination and great sense of humour. In the first person, we ride along as she navigates life, dealing good naturedly with everyday issues like divorced parents, trouble at school, and an annoying older brother.
Suddenly two interesting things happen at once - at home, Aggie gets a mysterious new neighbour, and at school, her class is challenged to write a feature article for the paper. Aggie has already decided her new neighbour is a vampire so now she just has to prove it, interview him and write the best article for the paper - easy!
There are so many great aspects to this novel: it is funny from the very first page; contains bursts of extra craziness such as an outrageous fake Scottish accent, and a sparkly mouse poo incident; and it showcases a lovely friendship with bestie Kumi, including taking ownership and making up when things go wrong.
Then there are the fabulous stylistic choices that keep interest high: the bright neon pink accents, varied font types and sizes, fun illustrations throughout, and best of all, the interspersed graphic novel snippets that come from Aggie's favourite 'Princess Zombie' books.
This would be a fantastic read-aloud or read-alongside for younger children, and a fun new series for independent readers.
