A skinny one-eyed kid called Patch living with his alcoholic mother, and a friendless girl called Saint raised by her bus-driver grandmother, are drawn together, their loneliness overcome by shared pirate adventures roaming in the wild woodlands behind their homes . . . until the day Patch disappears, the day that he hurled himself at the masked man attacking Misty, the pretty girl from his school.
Finding the boy that means everything to her becomes an obsession for Saint. She never gives up on him. When Saint eventually discovers him trapped in a dark cell, Patch has developed his own obsession, to find and rescue the girl that spoke to him in the dark, telling him stories that lifted his spirits and helped him keep hope. Her name is Grace. But among the names of the girls reported missing there is no Grace, no one whose case even resembles her.
Whitaker has written a gripping mystery detective story, the language is clear and concise, and the chapters are short, heightening the pace as time passes and it becomes apparent that a serial killer is still at large. As the years pass, Saint becomes an implacable police detective, determined in her belief in Patch, longing to preserve the unique relationship they had as children. While the mystery story is compelling, Whitaker’s novel is in essence a heart-rending love story, of longing and lost love. The achingly beautiful story of the two strong but forlorn characters, Patch and Saint, will stay in your memory long afterwards.
Themes Mystery, Missing person, Detectives, Serial killer, Love, Friendship, Obsession.
Helen Eddy
The daredevil princess and the grumpy giant by Belinda Murrell
Princess Tillie is a kind, thoughtful and adventurous princess who lives with her mother Queen Cordelia, her inventive father, King Edwin and her younger brother Prince Oskar. Her companions are her friend Lukas, her beloved dachshunds Mitzi and Fritzi, as well as Honey Blossom, a precocious and well-loved unicorn.
In this latest story, the Mid-Winter Eve Festival will be taking place and Princess Tillie is excited. Her beloved animal companions do not share her enthusiasm due to the extreme cold. While at the Festival a local boy Bruno causes some mischief beginning with strategically thrown snowballs and some unkind words. When Honey Blossom steps in to support Princess Tillie, Bruno retaliates by asking Mr Grim to bring the guards to tie her up. While the guards are occupied, Bruno sets off the fireworks in one huge explosion and awakens a sleeping giant, Bobo. Bobo is enraged and determined to find the culprit and goes on a rampage. Will Princess Tillie be able to use her kindness and problem-solving to save her town and her people?
The Daredevil Princess and the Grumpy Giant is the fourth story in the series by well-known author Belinda Murrell. This is another engaging tale that is perfect for those readers who are ready for chapter books. With charming illustrations by Rebecca Crane placed throughout the story and the clever use of onomatopoeia, this latest book is sure to be enjoyed by young readers.
Australian author and illustrator Kelly Canby (The Hole Story, Littlelight) creates picture books that address big themes in approachable ways. The addition of her sublime illustrations make her books a delight to read and share.
A Leaf Called Greaf is a gentle introduction to what it feels like to grieve a loved one and how eventually we can let go of that grief and move forward with it in a more heart-warming rather than sorrowful way. Grief is visualised in the story as a beguiling green leaf that a lonely bear cannot let go of. His lost brothers and sisters are depicted as white line drawings that follow him on his travels, cuddle in close to him and and shield him almost like a blanket. But over time, cleverly and artistically shown through colours and landscapes of the changing seasons, Greaf changes. It starts to turn orange and feels different to Bear, until eventually it feels crisp and tense and looks orange and black, like a fallen autumn leaf. Bear gently lets go and off go his siblings. In the shade of a green leafy tree on a sunny day Bear smiles as a red heart drifts down to him from his brothers and sisters, symbolising the love and memories that he will always hold in his heart.
This is a spectacularly conceived book that will be useful for parents and educators needing to address sorrow and grief with young children. While clear in it's focus, it allows adults to add as much extra information or explanation as is necessary, depending on the age of the child.
Themes Death, Grief.
Nicole Nelson
Mitchell itches: An eczema story by Kristin Kelly. Illus. by Amelina Jones
EK Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781922539724.
Ever since he was born, Mitchell has been itchy - so much so that even as a baby he had to wear special mittens and socks to help him control his constant need to scratch. And while he is young, surrounded by family who understand the condition and do all they can to alleviate it, things are okay, but when he gets to school things take a turn for the worse with the lack of understanding leading to taunts, bullying and isolation. Yet, when there is a family holiday by the seaside things ease, and Mitchell finds a way to distract himself from the need to scratch. But holidays can't last forever and school returns - will he find a way to be accepted for the little boy he is, itches and all?
Sadly this story could be that of my husband - and the one in five children living with eczema - right down the special mittens, the allergy to eggs and milk, and the special care of his family. And while he has now grown out of the condition, what he had as a child shaped who he is today as a mature+ - aged grandfather. Although he doesn't have Mitchell's special talent, he did have the bullying, the shame and the ostracisation that went with such conditions in the 50s and 60s. So stories like this that not only help the Mitchells to understand that the condition is more common that they realise, but also educate those around them that it is not catchy and underneath the irritated skin is a regular person, can play an invaluable part in making life less miserable than it is.
And while this is specifically about eczema, there is also an underlying message about discovering something that we love to indulge in and completely distract us from whatever is troubling us. In fact, it is not indulgent, it's necessary to give the brain a break so it can be refreshed and renewed when reality impacts again. So all sorts of lessons for all of us.
Themes Eczema.
Barbara Braxton
Of jade and dragons by Amber Chen
Penguin, 2024. ISBN: 9780241624364. (Age:12-17)
The Antaran Territories encompass the Nine Isles overseen by a High Commander whose bamboo and bison skin airships, with their cobra insignia Aihui Ying can sometimes see flying over the pastoral lands of her Huarin Isle home. Ying, the eldest daughter of chieftain Aihui Shan-jin, dreams of visiting the capital, Fei, not for its wealth and fine architecture but its Engineers Guild. She would like to be an apprentice, following in her father’s footsteps but they don’t allow girls to apply. Her mother died when Ying was 8 and she has spent many hours with her father encouraged to learn and invent intricate engineering marvels. When she disturbs an intruder in her father’s workshop she is able to wrench an oval jade pendant from the stranger before he escapes but her father is mortally wounded and his last act is to give her a hidden notebook which he asks her to destroy. The pendant has a dragon insignia, the mark of the Empire so Ying decides to find her father’s killer and infiltrate the Engineers Guild in Fei to see who is trying to steal her father’s secrets. There is so much going for Of Jade and Dragons, the lovely cover, the Asian, medieval world, the celebration of engineering and the female engineer protagonist but it was strangely unsatisfying. After getting into the Engineers Guild the first trial is an essay, which the privileged candidates were assured of passing, the second trial involved getting lost and the third destroying a sophisticated automaton, very little engineering involved. I hated the focus on destruction and war with the Empire (for unspecified reasons), including the beheading of their ambassador. The characters were one dimensional, the minor ones especially so, presumably to be developed in subsequent books. Ying is supposedly 18 but she acted much younger and her attraction to her prince seemed more suited to a junior romance. I would have loved to see more creativity, engineering and friendship-building, Ying seems to learn little from her experiences and it was a missed opportunity for some growth which is disappointing. The characters of fellow candidates Ye-kan and Chang-en have a lot of potential, maybe they will come to the fore in the following books as this is the first part of the Fall of the Dragon series.
Ella sits at the table while her father queues to buy their lunch.
She watches a small bird hopping around the other people in the line. It has only one leg but hops onto the chair at Ella’s table. She has nothing to give. She spies a man with a backpack and grizzled hair and beard. He bows his head asking people in the line for a few coins. Each turns him away. Like the bird, he is shoo-ed, or told to go away or he is treated as if he is not there, people hurrying past. He sits down a little way from them all, and the bird totters over to him. He rummages around in his pockets and finds a bag, which he shakes out for the bird. With the crumbs on his hand, he holds it out for the bird and it hops onto his hand to eat.
Ella and her father watch and then walk over to the man and invite him to share their lunch.
A lovely story reprising ideas of kindness and sharing will give many children cause to stop and think about the disparity in our society. The image of the bird, disabled and hungry, brings the reader to a feeling of sympathy which they will then endow upon the man. Cummings’ description of the man brings him into sharp focus with the readers, who must have seen homeless people in their streets. Discarded, ignored and without a voice, Cummings shows the basic thing we can all do. The man has a prickle-bush beard and hair, carries his life on his back, his shoulder slumped like the broken wings of a storm-weary bird.
Devries' illustrations wonderfully match the image of the homeless man with his unkempt beard and hair, scruffy clothes, an inadequate bag on his back, sitting away from the crowd of well heeled people who rejected him. The close ups of the man are beautifully imagined. Unlaced shoes, torn knees of his jeans, an umbrella on his back which you know has missing spokes, all underline the image shown through the words.
Readers will feel for the man and suggest what they can do to help the homeless in their orbit. They will peer at the setting of the story, and note touches such as the broken umbrella, the scarf at the man’s neck, the unlaced shoes and frayed backpack.
Kindness and a caring for others prompts the man and his daughter to share their lunch with the homeless man.
Themes Kindness, Sharing, Good Samaritan, Homelessness, Father and daughter.
Fran Knight
Everyone starts small by Liz Garton Scanlon. Illus. by Dominique Ramsey
Sun grows beams and Grass grows blades and Cloud cannot contain herself.
Spring rains change Water from a tumbling creek to a roaring river and bring Tree nutrients it needs to stretch toward the sky. As Sun's rays intensify, the sprouts and fruits and insects of the forest grow and bloom and develop, all working together in harmony. Even Fire, whose work causes Tree to ache from the inside, brings opportunity for the next generation of flora and fauna. This poetic tribute to our planet's resilience, accompanied by its striking illustrations is a resonant story of life, death, and regeneration and demonstrates to young readers the interdependence of the elements of Nature and how without one, or too much of one, our planet cannot survive, let alone thrive.
It echoes the old Aesop fable of The North Wind and the Sun although the theme of this is not competition but the symbiosis of the elements, despite Tree warning that 'it is not a race'. As well as building a greater awareness of the world around them, it introduces young readers to the concept of life cycles and possibly sparking investigations of the connections between creatures and their habitats and what they can do to help such as making a bee motel.
For those more mature readers, the personification could be a metaphor for their own lives, a reassurance that despite all they might experience as they grow and mature into independence, like Tree, they have the resilience and wherewithal to cope with whatever they encounter no matter how bleak the immediate future might seem. Despite the devastation of Fire and the harshness of Winter, following the devastation, the Earth renews itself, and new lives arise again, rife with fabulous potential - just as they can.
Themes Nature study, Environment.
Barbara Braxton
The opal dinosaur by Yvonne Mes. Illus. by Sylvia Morris
The Opal Dinosaur is the true story of the discovery of a smallish dinosaur called an iguanodontid, scientific name Fostoria dhimbangunmal. The dinosaur was named after Bob Foster, who first discovered the bones at Lightning Ridge NSW in 1984, and the Traditional Owners of the lands where the bones were found. It took until 2019 for the dinosaur to be officially named.
This incredible story began over 100 million years ago when a tiny dinosaur and its herd were chased by a larger dinosaur. The herd were split up and a few were trapped on the crumbling riverbank and ended up in the water where they could not out-swim the fast torrent and perished. As they lay on the riverbank their bones were buried beneath the sand.
Millions of years pass. Humans now walk the land, the Gamilaraay people first and then others who settle in the area. The bone fragments have over the years turned into opals. Fortunately for this little dinosaur Bob Foster realised he had found something special and took them to the Australian Museum in Sydney where they were identified as dinosaur fossils. Years passed and it is palaeontologist Dr Phil Bell who realises the significance of Bob Foster’s discovery.
This is an absorbing story that will appeal to many young readers as their fascination with dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and minerals, often leads them to seek new books on these topics. The endpapers are particularly stunning with the front displaying a view of Earth showing Gondwana and a timeline starting with the Triassic period, and the back showing Australia from the time of the First Peoples 65000 years ago and the timeline of the important events in the small dinosaur’s journey. In the final pages are comprehensive facts and a detailed glossary. Teacher notes are available.
After enjoying the award winning The torrent I immediately picked up the second in the series featuring Detective Kate Miles. Back from parental leave and struggling with her job, Kate is faced with pressure from home as her husband has lost his part-time job and a scandal is hovering over her father’s activities when he was in the police force. When baby Sienna goes missing, Kate is faced with a media circus about the case while desperately searching through clues to what has happened. Is the husband to blame or has an abductor stolen the baby? Is the violent ex-husband to blame?
McKenzie brings to life the pressure that a young woman has trying to juggle a complex job and the demands of being a mother of a baby and a four-year-old, a situation not often seen in mystery novels. Kate is competitive and her offsider Josh is keen to take over the case, and the struggle that she has to convince her boss that she can do the job is one that women will relate to.
The police procedures that are undertaken to try and find a missing child are vividly described and the reader is left feeling emotionally invested in the feelings of the mother who lost a child. Kate too is emotionally invested as Baby Sienna is the same age as her daughter Amy and she knows how she would be feeling if that had happened to her.
Kate Miles is a detective whose investigative skill at turning up clues will keep the reader rivetted while the many twists and turns ramp up the tension. I immediately went on to find Tipping Point, the next in the series. Readers who enjoy books by Chris Hammer and Jane Harper may like this series.
Fans of the highly recommended Eleanor Jones is not a murderer will be thrilled to read the second in the series, another thrilling mystery that begs to be read in one sitting. Things have settled down in the small country town of Cooinda for Eleanor and her friends. Eleanor is helping at an aged care home making friends with Nance an elderly patient who admits to witnessing a murder. Although Nance swears her to secrecy Eleanor cannot contain her curiosity. She enlists the help of Jem a volunteer at the local library who is interested in genealogy and they investigate past events and people who have gone missing from the district. The investigation distracts her from her worry about Troy’s glamorous ex who has returned to town, but also leads her into danger as secrets from the past gradually unfold. Can someone with dementia be relied on to remember what has happened many years ago? Is there a murderer hiding among the townspeople?
Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret is a gripping mystery that I couldn’t put down, finishing it in one afternoon. I loved returning to the small country town and reading about Eleanor and her friends once again. Eleanor is still coming to grips with the idea that she is settled in one place and has friends who care for her. However, she is very uncertain about her relationship with Troy and worries about his glamorous ex, while starting a tentative friendship with Jem at the library. She has been warned off looking into a spate of robberies that have occurred in the district and focuses her attention on investigating Nance’s witness account. But the past and present collide in unexpected and dangerous ways, and she must rely on her ingenuity to overcome the peril that she and her friends face. She also learns some key facts about what a healthy relationship looks like as she navigates the path of friendship.
With its engaging characters and a riveting murder mystery Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret is a winner. I look forward to the next in the series.
Themes Mystery, Murder, Friendship, Aged care.
Pat Pledger
Numbskull and Nincompoop: Science Fair shenanigans by Adam Wallace and Dave Atze
Lovers of highly-illustrated series such as WeirDo and Fart Boy (by the same author) will adore the ludicrous, madcap adventures of best friends Mandy and Monty (aka Numbskull and Nincompoop). Their ridiculous names are almost as ridiculous as the things they get up to (including, but not limited to, burning down the neighbours house and drawing with chalk on an airplane runway). One particular chapter that will tickle the funny bone of all readers is when Monty pulls the covers over his head but then has cold feet, so he pulls the covers over his feet and has a cold head. This sequence continues for the entire chapter. Their excuses for being late for school are 'I like banana smoothies' and 'Flies are scary when they yell at you'.
The first half of the book is basically nonsense followed by nonsense, but it's witty and hillarious and the black and white illustrations are perfect and comical. The second half of the book is the battle to win the science fair. But going up against a boy named Samson (his father's name is Montgomery), the self-proclaimed smartest boy in the school, is destined to be difficult. Especially for two kids who think the contest is about 'signs' and 'being fair'. 'I'll see you both in hospital', says their concerned science teacher.' The other half of the fun is witnessing the pure frustration and desparation of Mandy's mother and the complete ignorance of Monty's mum who calls Monty things like 'my squiggly little worm' and is forever trying to shower him with love and affection. And of course, there is toilet humour. This is sure to be a hit for those who have read Fart Boy and are looking for something similar.
Marvellous Miles by Sarah Watts. Illus. by Aleksandra Szmidt
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833181. (Age:3-6)
Marvellous Miles is a thoughtful look at a medical condition that is often misunderstood in its early stages before diagnosis. Miles has friends he attends school with and while he participates in all activities often he seems to be staring blankly or his body does not move how he wants it to. His parents seek support from the medical profession and after some tests Miles is diagnosed with epilepsy. He is given medication to take regularly and he now finds he can keep up with his classmates. He does get tired though and quiet places are set up for him.
This book has been sponsored by Epilepsy ACT who feel it will raise awareness and offer support especially for children. The illustrations are engaging with an array of colourful animals creatively drawn. Marvellous Miles allows a gentle introduction to further understanding the condition of epilepsy, and will offer adult a supportive text when sharing this information with children.
Themes Epilepsy, Animals, Inclusivity, Education, Medical Intervention.
Kathryn Beilby
Some families change by Jess Galatola and Jenni Barrand
EK Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781922539670. (Age:4+) Recommended.
For most children, their family is their safe haven and they expect it to be the same format/structure. arrangement that they know for ever and ever. And, in the past, that was usually the case with perhaps the addition of a baby or the death of an elderly relative the only changes to their world. In the 50s, the term 'nuclear family' was coined and it commonly consisted of two adults, a male and female, who were married, had 2.4 children of their own making with the adult male being the patriarch. And sadly, for many, this remains the 'norm' embedded in their social, cultural or religious value systems meaning that those who choose or have to live outside of that model can be ostracised if not condemned and the casualties are many.
Today's lifestyles mean that this is very different from even the time when I was a child and to some kids, change can be confusing and challenging, and if the change is not a positive one, they can shoulder the responsibility and begin the 'If only I...' tail-chasing blame game. And so this book which covers scenarios including single-parent families, blended families, and the loss of a loved one, can be a reassuring guide for children experiencing such transitions using gentle verse and illustrations that clearly show a photo of any family in the class will be different to the photo of any other. As Ms Molly said, so wisely in Heather has Two Mummies, 'It doesn't matter who makes up a family, the most important thing is that all the people in it love one another very much.'
The core Foundation Year unit of the Humanities and Social Sciences strand of the Australian Curriculum calls for children to know and understand 'the people in their family, where they were born and raised, and how they are related to each other' and thus this book is an essential part of that understanding as they learn that not only are families different but also that theirs might change.
Themes Families, Change.
Barbara Braxton
Milly's parent airport by Rachel Brace. Illus. by Angela Perrini
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833136. (Age:3-8) Recommended.
Author Rachel Brace is a psychologist who has written two earlier picture books, Max's Divorce Earthquake and Harriet's Expanding Heart. Her latest picture book looks at a young child Milly who transitions between two homes as her parents are divorced. In order to ease the anxiety of the changeover, Milly likens it to an airport. She is packed ready to go, family to say goodbye to, suffering slight anxiety over the journey and what to expect on arrival, and finally arrives at her destination with even more family members to welcome her. It takes a little bit of time to settle in but soon Milly feels relaxed in her thoughts and ready to feel comfortable.
This is a gentle story thoughtfully constructed and complemented by delightful full colour illustrations. For those young children who struggle with the change in regular living arrangements, this will be a valuable book to share and talk through with a trusted adult.In the final pages are some worthwhile tips for parents and carers.
Themes Family, Divorce, Separation, Transition, Two Homes.
Elliot is ten years old when his beloved Grandma Ellen passes away. She was Elliot’s best (and only) friend and he doesn’t understand how everyone just expects him to keep going through the motions of daily life without her. Elliot and Grandma Ellen had always shared a love of music, but now music just makes Elliot sad, so he avoids it.
One morning he finds a mystery ticket under his pillow and that night Kimorin, a small, well-dressed talking dragon, appears in his room. This leads to a twisty, fantasy, time-travel train adventure which sees Elliot visit important people and events from his past and future. Elliot learns how everything and everyone are connected and how important music, family and love are in keeping the ‘Spark’ inside him alive.
The story does dwell on the loss of the grandparent – Elliot repeatedly returns to his grief. But Kimorin, and the others Elliot meets along the way, lighten the mood, focusing on what’s important and enabling Elliot to see a positive future. The steps in working through the grief are gentle, with a touch of humour, and will undoubtedly resonate with children who are dealing with grief in their own lives.
Kimorin is the real star of this book. He is fabulous, funny, and wise – from calling Elliot ‘Olio’, to his warm and informal style of speaking, and his dry humour and sage advice. At one point Elliot despairs at the thought of everyone dying and not being able to do anything to save them. Kimorin says 'Everyone dies, Olio … this chapter don’t go on for ever, not for anyone. The trick is just findin’ ways to cram as many lives and feelin’s and experiences into it as possible'.
Ben Brooks is the well-known author of the Dare to Be Different stories. In this new book he appeals to both reluctant and avid readers, weaving together loss, humour and hope in a clever adventure story with heart.
Themes Grief, Fantasy, Adventure, Time travel, Music.
