The small Irish town of Termoncara has had more than its fair share of tragedy, three kids have been murdered but no one seems to have done anything about it and the town seems to have closed in on itself. Local teen Jamie is terrified of a Joker-like monster that comes to his room and whispers bad things, feeding off his guilt about having a crush on his friend. When magical detectives, Skullduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain start asking questions in the town about the murders and others over the past twenty years the same monster whispers suggestions and fosters bad thoughts in the townspeople, spurring them on to violence against the investigators. The stylish two set about finding the evil monster behind the killings but maybe they have met their match. Told in a full colour comic style graphic novel with plenty of violence, magical powers and a whole cast of monsters this is a fast but gripping read. The sharp dressing, sardonic Skulduggery character is effective but Valkyrie Cain’s depictions are inconsistent and huge breasts and a tiny waist are seemingly needed when she is using her special powers. However, the monsters are so good they make up for any shortfalls and the main joker character is the stuff of nightmares. Lovers of the Skulduggery series which has been gaining momentum since 2007 will love this addition but it stands quite well alone.
Themes Murder, Magic, Horror, Fantasy, Detectives, Dark comedy.
Sue Speck
Masters of death by Olivie Blake
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035011537. (Age:Young Adult)
Olivie Blake is back with another one of her previously self-published novels, Masters of Death. Following her viral social media success in 2021, this relatively unknown author has been steadily re-releasing revised and edited editions of her work. First published in 2018, Masters of Death is a standalone fantastical mystery with a dash of romance.
Viola Marek is a college dropout turned real estate agent who is having a hard time selling a mansion belonging to a wealthy and prominent local family. Viola has two main problems. Firstly, Viola is a newly turned vampire who is still learning how to survive as a reluctant undead. Secondly, the house she is trying to sell is haunted by the previous owner, an angry and vengeful ghost who refuses to vacate until Viola discovers who murdered him.
In desperation Viola turns to medium Fox D’Mora to help her solve the mystery. However, what Viola doesn’t know and what Fox hasn’t told her, is that Fox’s psychic abilities are non-existent. His success only comes from being the godson of Death (yes, that Death) who he has tricked into supplying him with information no mortal could ever divine.
Unfortunately for the story, this is not the only plot line or grouping of protagonists that readers are expected to care about and keep track of. Blake is known for non-linear storylines and large casts of secondary characters but in the case of Masters of Death, it is just all a bit too complicated. While beautifully written as Blake’s books inevitably are, Masters of Death would have benefitted from further editing, with a more streamlined and succinct plot.
Set within the high-rise community of UK residents living in a triangle of residential towers are two young sisters who have a sleuthing heart. Nik (Nikita) is 11, and her older sister, Norva, is 13, and up until the present story have been involved in relatively minor investigations and mysteries. This current tale lands them deep in a serious investigation when they discover the body of their esteemed local art-centre teacher. Their tendency to follow facts and logic (Nik) and the gut-deep feel (Norva) of the situation has them accusing and eliminating many of the fellow residents of their tower block, diving in and out of trash, and getting in the way of the local police investigation. Even their own father falls into the firing line of their suspicion, and slowly they must unravel clues and put together lies and truths to find out who has committed the murder and upset their community.
This is a quirky child-detective tale. With a sharp, staccato style and the local idiom of inner-city, Afro-anglo, UK life, this will initially require some Aussie kids to scratch their heads as they work out the conversation and story line. If they persist, they will discover two slightly eccentric and disarming sleuths and the local characters they share life with. Norva has a passion for the detective series Death in Paradise and there is a homage and hint of the same slightly humorous flavour to detective work in this book. This is book one in a series and so those young readers who can untangle the language and setting oddities will look forward to more from the sisters, Norva and Nik. I enjoyed the light-hearted and quirky detective tale, but that may be because I also enjoy a good English crime drama!
I am exactly the right person to review this book, because like the central character Juniper, I too was a Christmas baby, and I read this book on the same day as Santa came to town in all his pageantry in Adelaide. This is a book where magical and serendipitous moments happen, and Christmas may even be the winner. Sadly though, the book begins with the sad revelation that Santa is no longer at work and that the hope and joy of Christmas has been missing for some time. There is a lingering, historical hankering for Santa’s return, and it is Juniper’s family that has managed to cling to the manner of generosity that Christmas was known for (in the time of Santa). Working hard to maintain a Santa vigil and to help the homeless in their local park, Juniper and her Park Manager mother, Jennifer, are together maintaining a brave face, even though they have known their own loss – the death of Briar (Juniper’s father). When Jennifer goes missing, Juniper connects with Duchess (a local and ailing homeless woman) and eventually Niko (a somewhat mysterious helper in the background) to find her mother, to solve the mystery of Niko, restore Duchess to health, and bring the community together. Throw in some magical elves, reindeer and magic sacks and spangles of magic, a potential romance, and mix them with some cruel thieves, an unscrupulous official and it is a recipe for Christmas mayhem. However, the magic of Christmas changes mayhem into the mystery of the season, and the return of hope for all.
This is an Eion Colfer spectacular! It is full of whimsey and quirkiness, and yet there is a magical logic underpinning the strange world where Santa has ceased operation. Initially I was worried that it may cause concern for some die-hard Santa devotees (note: I am not one of those), but the gentle and magical tale is charming and imaginative, and the story is endearing. Black and white illustrations are naive and scattered through the pages. This book may still be a step-too-far for those who are too young to have given up the fantasy of Santa’s arrival and his foreknowledge and role on Christmas Eve journey’s around the world, but Colfer does an amazing job of providing an explanation (and even science) of some of these mysteries. The story incorporates family love and care for others as an ethic to be valued, and the ‘bad guys’ do not win in their attempt to seize power. This is not just a book to be read at Christmas time, and readers aged 9-12 will enjoy it.
Note: there is no mention of the Christian basis of Christmas, Santa is the sole ‘Christmas’ character.
Themes Christmas, Santa Claus, Homeless people, Kindness, Magic, Fantasy.
Carolyn Hull
Hunter on holiday: A big trip around Europe by Jessica and Stephen Parry-Valentine. Illus. by Ashlee Spink
A family trip is being planned and this gives the young girl a chance to have a look at all the places she would like to see in Europe. The endpapers give a wonderful map of Europe with many of the places she would like to see shown.
The first two double pages show their planning for the trip. She outlines thye will need to fly to Europe, with time spent at the airport and then buckle into seats ready to take off. First stop she wants to go to England where she wants to see the rolling green hills, and eat scones with clotted cream, then on to London and readers will recognise the flags, London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben amongst other notable icons. They will go north to Scotland where they will interact with cattle and puffins, over the sea to Norway where kayaking in a fjord is the way to go. Next is Iceland where castles can be made on the shore using black sand, and Finland to see the reindeer. Germany comes next to view little red houses and the fairy tale castles. Each of the countries is spread over a double page, with views of the countryside and dotted with iconic images that the country is known for. The family also includes Switzerland, Paris, Spain, Italy and Greece, and on the last double page writing her list of the places she wants to see with her family. Again the pictures on the wall in their house, reiterates some of the views she would like to see. The last page gives a list of things readers can find on each of the pages.
The illustrations give a vista of each of the European countries visited and readers will enjoy looking at where these places are on the endpaper maps. They will also enjoy spotting things on each page showing some of the things that country to city is known for.
The rhyming text will make it easy for readers to join in, and they will have fun predicting the rhyming words.
Themes Europe, Cities, Travel, Planning, Tourism.
Fran Knight
Little Puggle's Christmas by Vikki Conley & Helene Magisson
New Frontier, 2023. ISBN: 9781922326812. (Age:4+) Recommended.
It is nearly Christmas Eve and Little Puggle desperately wants to help the other animals as they prepare for Christmas. He asks the kangaroo if he can help take presents to the tree. Long Tail, the kangaroo has been wrapping presents and storing them in her pouch. She gives some to Little Puggle, warning the echidna to go slow. Little Puggle tells his feet not to waddle but they do, causing him to spill all the presents he was carrying. The kangaroo muses that perhaps this is not the job for him.
He goes to the possum offering to help put up the lights and baubles onto the oldest tree and is told to be careful of his claws. But wouldn’t you know it, the claws get tangled and so the decorations are messed up. 'Oh says possum perhaps this is not the job for you'. He goes to the koala and offers to help and is given a plate of food to take to the table. And again he fails. Each time the refrain ‘this is not the job for you’ is given, adding to Little Puggle's despair. He roams off into the hills, wanting to spy a falling star to wish by. But none appears. But there is a bright light over the hill and he comes across Santa and his sleigh stuck in a rut. Helping to get Santa on his way again makes him feel wanted and useful.
The next morning, all the animals open their presents and ask Puggle about last night. He tells them simply that he made a wish on a shooting star.
This wonderful tale of Little Puggle finding the right job to do at Christmas will warm the readers’ hearts as they see him trying his best but being defeated each time. Finally he does the most important job of all: getting Santa on his way, making every animal special on Christmas Day.
A lovely story of finding your way, of not giving up, of making your dream come true has resonance at this time of year in particular. Readers will love reading about the customs and accoutrements of Christmas and seeing them teamed with Australian animals adds another level of entertainment.
Themes Christmas, Australian animals, Echidna, Christmas tree, Christmas wish.
Fran Knight
Pollination by Christopher Cheng. Illus. by Danny Snell
Subtitled, How does my garden grow, this book is a gently humorous and family oriented information book about how things are able to grow.
Gran and Pa are a little surprised when their grandson waves at the bees to keep them away. They show him the yellow pollen on the flower heads, and how the bee picks it up and drops it on other flowers. They tell him about the other insects that can pollinate flowers as well as bees.
Colour is also important as some pollinators are attracted to particular colours in the garden.
At night they wait for the larger pollinators to make their appearance in the garden, and out come the blossom bats and sugar gliders, having pollen stick to their noses ready to be transported. Not only animals, said the grandparents, pollen is also moved on windy days.
Even the material that our clothes are made from rely on pollination. Cotton for example.
Going home he takes a potted plant from the grandparents place to put on his balcony, as even potted plants are useful for city pollinators.
Danny Snell’s charming illustrations show the child and the grandparents working in their garden, teaching the young child what each part of the garden is for. The endpapers reveal a host of pollinators seen in the garden and will entice readers to find them in the book. The contrast between the grandparents large back yard with all of the trees and vegetables they produce, and the child’s home in the city where a balcony is the only garden space they have, will intrigue young readers, as they work out what can be achieved in each space. Knowing that pollination is so important will propel them to add more growing plants to their homes, classrooms, or balconies. Teacher's notes are available.
I really enjoyed Goddess Crown and read it in one sitting. It is wonderful to have a shorter stand-alone book that will appeal to teen readers. Kalothia is an engaging young woman, who has been hidden away in the forest with just two adults and a bodyguard for company. She is determined to escape and find her parents who she believes have sent her into isolation to protect her from King Osura and enemies at the court of Galla. When her hiding place is attacked and her guardians murdered, she must use her survival skills to defend herself against the assassins who determined to kill her.
With a fast paced and exciting plot, the reader is immediately drawn into the life and character of Kalothia, becoming breathless when she faces danger from the assassins and the intrigue of the royal court. Kalothia is skilled at fighting and believes she can look after herself but will brutal fighters, the threat of poison and a patriarchal and dangerous court be too much for her to overcome?
Lapite, with her British-Nigerian background, has skilfully built up a believable world of lush forests and a society where a man must accompany women when they go out and where women have little power. At times of extreme danger Kalothia is guided by the Goddess who appears and speaks to her, telling her of her destiny to change her country for the better, and these supernatural moments are interwoven with everyday events.
With a combination of adventure, themes of feminism, a touch of romance and a strong, charismatic main character, Goddess crown is very difficult to put down. Readers who enjoyed Twin crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber, The Queen's rising by Rebecca Ross, and Three dark crowns by Kendare Blake are sure to enjoy the themes of monarchy, while The Beasts of prey series by Ayana Gray, will also appeal.
Themes Escapes, Fugitives, Kings and queens, Adventure, Court intrigue.
Pat Pledger
Where will the sleepy sheep sleep? by David Metzenthen and Jonathan Bentley
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761066160. (Age:0-5) Highly recommended.
Loads of young children will be laughing out loud as this wonderfully entertaining book is read at bedtime. Or anytime at all! A tongue testing text full of opportunities for the listener to join in, to predict and just have fun, the words are placed on the pages, often under the single word, Baah.
The sleepy sheep wants to find a place to sleep. The first place it looks at is on top of a wild, windy hill. But no, this place is totally inappropriate and so the sheep must look elsewhere. He tries out a steep and stony valley, but no, it is simply too steep and stony for the sleepy sheet to sleep. The sheep wonders about bedding down with the foxes and dingoes, but this is again rejected. What about the dark damp cave? Again rejected. From the start the audience will have been joining in with Noo, and Blah, as well as the phrase ‘where will the sleepy sheep sleep’, a tongue twister to engage them all. The sheep attempts to sleep at a few more places until the ideal position is found and he snuggles down to lie with his own mob.
The fun of the words is infectious, all readers and listeners will join in, laughing at why each place is so inappropriate for the sheep to sleep.
And of course, supported with the wonderful images by Jonathan Bentley, the readers will have another level of humour to absorb. The looks on the sheep’s face as it tries out various places to rest its head are engaging as kids will see the face going through a range of emotions: hopeful as it tests a new place, disappointed when it proves to be not quite right, and always tired as all it wants is a place to sleep. Readers will enjoy calling out why they think each spot is not right for the sheep to sleep.
The lovely cover showing a closeup of one very tired sheep will encourage children to think about how tired they feel, and what shows their tiredness and why they go to bed when they do.
The A to Z of who I could be by Chloe Dalton. Illus. by Kim Siew
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761180422. (Age:6+) Recommended.
Twenty six high achievers are listed in this book from (A) Ash Barty to (Z) Zali Steggall, presenting the best female athletes in Australia today. Each page gives a potted history of the person alongside an image by Kim Siew, displaying what sport that person is involved in. For W we are give Melissa Wu, a champion diver, who first competed at the Commonwealth Games when she was 13. P gives the reader a potted history of Elyse Perry and her achievements, one of which was being declared the best female player of the decade!
Bendere Oboya is the athlete used for O, her specialism is the 400m and she competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games. L is taken with Lydia Lassila, a gold medallist at the Olympic Games, well known for being the first woman to do the quad-twisting triple somersault. Paralympian Isis Holt takes up the I page. Her achievements include gold medals for sprinting in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. All before she became 21. Elle Cole is on the E page, and the picture of her tells a lot about this four time Paralympian swimmer.
All of the women included in this book of sporting prowess are wonderful role models for young girls starting out on their sporting dream. From netball to hockey from Commonwealth and Olympic games, from disabled athletes to able bodied athletes, the broad sweep of women included in this book will give every reader a wonderful taste of what it is like to dream of being the best you can be.
A foreword from Chloe greets the readers, while at the end of the book is a timeline of their achievements. This makes fascinating reading and this is followed by information about the Female Athlete Project, started because of the paucity of infection about women athletes.
Themes Sports, Women in sport, Female athletes, Achievement, Olympic Games, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games.
Fran Knight
Tales from the magic forest by Pat Clarke
Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922678676. (Age:6-10) Recommended.
A whimsical collection of short stories in a small hard-cover book about an imaginative young girl called Hannah who lived with her parents in a log cabin in the middle of the Goonoo Forest. It features stories that explore the feelings of a young child that has just experienced the birth of a sibling. This is often a tricky time when parents are busy with a new baby, so Hannah must find ways to play alone. Fairy rings and mythical creatures of the forest are a feature of these stories and children will enjoy a new set of fairies, elves, giant creatures and talking birds and animals that populate them in Hannah’s world. The beautiful black and white illustrations by Graeme Compton complement the stories and bring to life the unusual creatures in each story for the reader. Most of the books Pat Clarke has written feature the Goonoo Forest near Dubbo in NSW or animals and birds that inhabit the forest. The magic forest of Goonoo, In search of the Goonoobee, and Howie the Yowie, are some and others are listed in the back of this book.
SA author Beverley McWilliams has once again written an entertaining and engaging middle grade novel. Her first novel, The Reindeer and the Submarine (2022) was a wonderful read cleverly combining historical fact and fiction with a reindeer as the main character. Her second novel Spies in the Sky, is a fascinating story that highlights the role pigeons played during World War Two.
The story begins in 1940 at the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk where Royal Blue, a highly competitive racing pigeon, is determined to beat his best friend Khan. Blue comes from a long line of royal champions and he is not about to let that be forgotten. He is a rather appealing but at times superior character and as the story is told in the first person, the reader quickly learns about Royal Blue’s personality. Blue is chosen by King George to be sent on a special assignment as part of the war effort and the comfortable safe life he was accustomed to is no longer.
The National Pigeon Service (NPS) has been formed for the purpose of using pigeons to carry messages when there are no other means of communication. The pigeons need to be fast and strong and will be exposed to difficult situations. At first Royal Blue struggles with his new living conditions, his fellow pigeons and thinks about giving up, but a chance meeting with Lilibet (Princess Elizabeth) has him rethinking his role in the war effort.
Royal Blue, Mary, Billy and Commando, after initial difficulties, become a great team and are chosen to work for MI5 as part of Operation Columba (MI14). They are parachuted individually into France to support the French people and the Resistance.During their war service the four witness bombing raids, battles in the skies and being shot at yet all survive to be awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery and devotion to duty.
This action-packed and exciting story would make a wonderful class novel as it is a ‘gentle’ introduction to historical facts and figures plus the dangers and horrors of war without being overly confronting for the age level of the readers.As an added bonus there are extensive teacher notes and an activity book to support the learning.
Themes World War Two, Pigeons, National Pigeon Service, Danger, Bravery, Friendship, Cooperation, Hope, Historical Fiction.
This stunning new picture book in which six children from diverse backgrounds present their names as a way of getting to know each other, will encourage children to think about their names and the names of those around them. The first name is He Xiao-Guang, and she tells us her name is full of tones and rhythms, and goes on to say her name is a building block that has been added to for centuries, a name telling of dynasties, meaning the first light of the morning in Cantonese. As with the other five children, information about their name is given in an introduction to the child, surrounded by exquisite illustrations giving more information. At the end of the book are two pages of extra information showing where that child lives. So we learn that He Xiao-Guang lived in Hong Kong, and her father was originally from northern China. She speaks fluent Cantonese, and is looked after by her Ayah who has given her the name first light in the morning.
Xiao-Gaung tells her story with pride, in very few words she tells is of her ancestry, of her roots and her links to the generations before. The illustrations show us her links to Chinese culture through the stunning dragon and beautiful head dress.
The five other children are Tongan, Persian, Navajo, Mexican and Ghanaian descent, and their names all have meaning reflecting where they have come from.
One is Bijan Houssani a boy whose name shows his link with Islam, as he carries the poetry of his ancestors, from the tenth century book of poetry, Shahaneh. His name means hero and the illustrations show the angels that guide him and the beauty of the rugs that his family make. At the end of the book we learn of his connection to the 15% of Persians linked together by this epic poem.
Similarly the other children have information about their names, and the illustrations depict their links to family and culture. A stunning book which impels readers to think about their own name and what it means, along with the diverse children around them. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Names, Culture, Background, Generation.
Fran Knight
Nikki Hind dressed for success by John Dickson. Illus. by Chantel de Susa
A lovely book in the series, BigVisions, produced by Vision Australia, telling of the success of people with limited or no vision. In this book, the person is Nikki Hind, who has carved out a career for herself in the fashion industry. Told alongside a braille version, the story of Nikki can be read and absorbed by all readers, impaired or not.
As a child, Nikki found school difficult. A visiting doctor found that she had limited vision in one eye and from then on she wore a patch over one eye and had to use large thick glasses. She found sports very trying but she loved swimming and diving, both individual sports.
Her friends really liked her clothes and found that she made them herself using needle and thread and sometimes a stapler. She went on designing clothes and was a model on a TV show. Just before she gave birth she had a stroke which took another part of her sight. When her sons went to school, so did she, this time to learn design. She entered competitions then decided to set up her own design company asking other disabled people to join her. Called Blind Grit a range of professions surround her; photographers, models, hairdressers, and make up artists are all disabled or have a disability through an accident.
A wonderful story of being strong and striving to achieve your goals, the story of Nikki Hind is one to read and share.
Within the range of BigVisions, the book is a larger size than usual, bound on the left hand side, and contains a braille and text version with numerous illustrations.
The city of Bedlam is becoming increasingly lawless thanks to a long list of supervillains, headed by the two nastiest, Mighty Minds and Hammerhands, who are terrorising the city with a crime spree. The Chief of Police is a very dynamic, but very short woman, who’s hopes of getting Bedlam under control hinge on the success of her special project – Police dogs. Her plan seems to be working except for a selection of truly poor dogs who seem to be more of a hinderance than help. The Chief is married to a very clever Professor who is an inventor and spends most of her time in her cellar laboratory. After a disastrous day at the police dog academy the Chief has an idea. She asks the Professor to invent a mechanical police dog that can do all the things the many other dog breeds do. Robodog seems to be the perfect solution to the crime problem, and all goes well except that one member of the Chief’s family is not so impressed – Velma the cat wants Robodog and all the other police dogs out of the way and she plots with her fellow cats to get this done once and for all. In the meantime, a large robbery is underway and all the villains in Bedlams jails have suddenly escaped!
Chaos fills the action-packed pages of this story in typical Walliams style, with plenty of illustrations to keep interest high and the use of a variety of large, highlighted text to emphasise the hilarious antics of the cats, dogs and super villains. Friendship and teamwork are also a prominent theme as Robodog tries to figure out what it takes to be a real dog.
