The 169 storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths. Illus. by Terry Denton
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781760987855. (Age:7-12) Highly recommended.
Every child dreams of building a treehouse in their backyard and for the last 13 years Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton have provided kids with 13 amazing treehouse books filled with magical adventure, hilarious fun and inspiring stories. This is the last of the Treehouse series and it is really going out with a bang! It must have been tricky to find an end to this incredible series, but Griffiths and Denton have outdone themselves providing a bigger than ever treehouse experience for young readers.
The story begins with an unexpected weather event. Terry left the door to the WHATEVER WEATHER YOU WANT dome open, and they must get up there to shut it down before the weather destroys the world. When that is accomplished they find themselves hiding on the Hall of Funhouse mirrors level to get away from the truancy officer who is determined to send them to a proper school. What they don’t realise is that behind the mirrors are their doppelgangers, Anti-Andy, Terrible-Terry and Junkyard-Jill, and they want out. What ensues is an exciting funny story that will keep Treehouse fans engrossed and entertained as Terry and Andy are forced to go to school and the doppelgangers create as much havoc as they want. The Principal is not impressed by the boys' creativity but ultimately they help create a bigger, better treehouse school after a Massive Monkey Mayhem event created by their doppelgangers destroys the old one.
Griffiths and Denton reveal much about the previous treehouses in this book, giving new readers to the series an insight into all the books. The story is typically crazy, and the illustrations are energetic, almost like slapstick comedy in a book. There’s so much to laugh about and it will appeal to the most reluctant, easily distracted reader.
Myrtle, the long-necked turtle can predict bad weather. In this wonderful book she predicts a flood is coming to the waterhole where she lives, and warns the other animals by moving up the hill. During summer she swims in the creek eating moths and frogs, lizards and tadpoles and in winter she sleeps under the dry leaves. During dry times she covers herself with the silt and sand and when it rains, she uses her powerful legs to keep abreast of the water. But one day the river level rises very slightly, so she begins to walk uphill.
Other animals and insects see her and begin to head uphill themselves. When Farmer Finnegan sees the turtle walk uphill she recalls her mother’s words and takes her sheep to the top paddock. Wallabies, snakes, kangaroos and echidnas follow Myrtle’s lead, and when Myrtle reaches her favourite log, she digs herself into the soft sand to waits it out, as dark clouds gather and heavy rain falls. Here all the animals wait and when the turtle heads downhill, they follow her head.
This book is the second for Jackie French and Danny Snell, showcasing their talents in both text and illustrations. Digitally produced, Danny Snell’s images are quite mesmerising, as each page turned offers a different surprise for the eyes in design, layout and picture. On one page, the walk uphill is shown clearly with the uphill gradient taking the eyes towards the top of the hill, while on another the swirling waters of the flood shows its extents as it drags trees and animals along in its force, and other pages use panels to present the animals in their environment. One page needs to be turned on its side to see the full extent of the flooding.
The design adds another level of interest to a wonderful book about our environment, and French adds an author’s note about the turtle at the end of the book.
Themes Long necked turtle, Environment, Australian animals, Australian insects, Flood, Prediction.
What can I say? Despite the enormous 947 pages of The Running Grave, the author kept me glued to the page as the tension and suspense kept me awake. Add short chapters, often leaving the reader on a cliff-hanger, making it impossible to just read one chapter more, and The running grave left me with a couple of almost sleepless nights. This time Strike and Robin are given the task of rescuing a client’s son, Will, from a religious cult. On the surface The Universal Humanitarian Church advocates peace and help for underprivileged people and addicts but the pair soon uncover mysterious deaths and sinister undertones. Robin goes undercover to try and persuade Will to leave the cult and to find enough evidence to stop the Church’s misdeeds, while Strike delves into the death of the young girl who is supposed to manifest as the Drowned Prophet and traces the few people who have managed to escape the Church.
The author tells the story in two voices that of Robin inside the cult and Strike outside, but for me it was the chapters that traced Robin’s indoctrination that were riveting, and kept me breathless, desperately hoping that she is not recognised. The running grave is an expert and exhausting expose of how a cult works, and a warning – some of the scenes are horrific. By following what happens to Robin while undercover, it is easy to understand the depth of belief under scored by fear that members of The Universal Humanitarian Church have.
Running throughout the story are the threads of the attraction that Strike and Robin feel for each other but deny, and readers will eagerly follow these to see whether there are any positive outcomes. Secondary characters are well developed and the author delivers some surprises along the way.
Fans of the series will not want to miss The running grave and are certain to wish for a future novel featuring Strike and Robin.
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790477. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
The authors of the highly recommended Bob, have collaborated on another middle grade story that will delight its young readers as well as older lovers of books and libraries. When a mysterious free library suddenly appears overnight, guarded by the large orange cat named Mortimer, eleven-year-old Evan, is intrigued. He borrows two books at random and discovers that his father had borrowed one of them when he was a teenager and that they had originally belonged to the town’s library which had burned down many years previously. With his friend Rafe he begins to investigate and starts asking questions that no one seems to want to answer and uncovers answers that will change his life.
Told in three voices, that of Evan, the cat Mortimer, who once lived in the burnt library with his kitten sister, and Al, the reader becomes caught up in each of their stories. Evan is feeling worried about going to a new school, Mortimer wishes that he still had his sister with him, while Al lives in a museum that is haunted. And the mysteries of who started the little free library, how the original town library burnt down and how Evan’s father was involved will be enjoyed by readers who like to solve puzzles.
The lost library is an uplifting story that will leave readers feeling happy. With light touches of fantasy in the form of ghosts who had died in the fire, a gorgeous cat, a father who rescues mice from traps and a strong theme of friendship, this will have appeal as a class read aloud and a story for all book lovers, with its dedication, ‘For the librarians of the past, present, and future.’ Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Books and libraries, Mystery, Change, Fantasy, Friendship,.
Pat Pledger
Just because by Matthew McConaughey. Illus. by Renee Kurilla
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761343582. (Age:4+)
Pairs of rhyming lines present the contradictions that life offers us in a humorous way which will appeal to young readers, and McConnaughey’s lines are supported with equally funny illustrations.
Each set of lines starts with ‘just because’, and then offers an alternative. One that caught my eye was ‘Just because I’m in the race, doesn’t mean I’m fully ready.’
And I laughed out loud at the ideas that came to mind. Kids will enjoy talking about being in the race, and what that means, as they are expected to be in lots of races. At school they are encouraged to compete, especially in sports, while even at home, siblings compete with each other. Being fully ready will bring recognition as we are often in a race or competition, without being aware of it at the start. Kids will be able to see funny sides to this truism: picture a runner without her running shoes or a cyclist without his bike. Another that resonate with me ‘Just because they do not hear you, doesn’t mean you have no voice’. This too will win recognition from children able to detail situations where this has been their predicament. Lots of discussion could emanate from this pair of lines.
The last few pages tell us 'Just because the sun has set, doesn’t mean it will not rise’, and then the ‘just’ disappears and the next set reads, ‘Because every day is a gift, each one a new surprise’, which is a wonderfully positive note to leave this book of surprises.
Themes Advice, Sayings, Growing up, Childhood.
Fran Knight
Fractal noise by Christopher Paolini
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035001125. (Age:Young Adult/Adult) Highly recommended.
On book reviewing websites across the internet, Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini has a long list of mixed reviews. Some reviews rate the book highly and provide effusive praise. Other reviews give the novel a low rating. However, unlike most books, the reasons listed are not on the grounds of plot, pacing, world building or even writing style. These poor reviews are mostly about the cover.
Fractal Noise made history by becoming one of the first novels with an AI-generated cover image (or, at least, one of the first novels where this fact has been publicly admitted to by the publishers). Before the book was even released, savvy readers realised that there was something unusual about the cover image. There was also no credit given to a cover designer. Surmising that the cover must be AI-generated, the readers forced a reluctant admission and apology from Tor Publishing Group. However, the cover remained unchanged due to the book’s publishing schedule. This has unfortunately led to sustained backlash against Fractal Noise, something that the novel, compelling and well-written, does not deserve.
Fractal Noise is a prequel to Paolini’s 2020 novel To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, which dealt with humanity’s first contact with an alien race. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a story of action and wide-ranging catastrophe. Readers may have been expecting something similar from Fractal Noise. However, in contrast, this prequel is a novel of slow-building dread and tension.
In the year 2234 in a remote planetary system, the crew aboard the spaceship Adamura discovers an anomaly, a huge circular pit on a barren world, that is clearly not of natural or human origins. A group of crew members, including a geologist, astrophysicist and xenobiologist are tasked with landing and journeying on foot towards the anomaly, to determine what it is and why it is there. It is a slow and difficult journey that is made all the worse by the increasing sense of unease the group feels, the closer they get…
These little feet by Hayley Rawsthorne & Briony Stewart
Albert Street Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781761069017. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A wonderfully playful book for young and old, These little feet is about love and dreams for the future as the new baby takes centre stage in the family. Mum looks at her daughter’s little feet. She ponders the places they will go and the mountains they will climb, she wonders about the dreams they will have and the dances they will do. Her little hands will greet people, feel snowflakes, write letters and play the drums. The poem goes along in this pattern asking questions that have all to do with love and parenting. Sometimes a boy sometimes a girl, the central character is always with an adult, Mum or Dad, grandparents or extended family member, showing a diversity of adults and children across age groups. And next come the ears: what may be heard by these little ears, what songs will they love and noises be feared. His mouth is looked at, with Mum pondering what treats it will eat and kisses given.
Each time one aspect of the baby’s body is looked at, a refrain begins adding several things about the future dreams of that aspect of the child’s life. The whole is alive with dreams of the child’s future life: what will be seen, felt, heard, tasted and smelled as the child grows older.
A double page of postcard like images is at the end of the book, brings the poem back to the start, kissing the little feet and wondering what love the child will find along its life’s journey.
Like Ten little fingers and ten little toes by Mem Fox, the book begs the reader and child to act out the poem as it is read.
Soft inviting illustrations accompany the text revealing constant eye contact between the child and its carer, always found doing things together. Each of the opening lines is framed with a wreath of flowers or leaves, shells balls of wool, making a contrast between the first line and the rest of each stanza.
Themes Family, Love, Future, Dreams, Parenting.
Fran Knight
The glow by Sofie Laguna
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761066825. (Age:10+) Recommended.
Sofie Laguna has been writing for children and adults for over 20 years.
I well remember the publication of My Yellow Blanky and, of course, Too Loud Lily. I have been astounded and moved by The Eye of the Sheep, The Choke and Infinite Splendours, written for adults. She is an outstanding creator and obviously writes constantly! I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of The Song of Lewis Carmichaelin recent years, written for middle primary years, and she has now followed up with The Glow, both of which are illustrated so beautifully by Marc McBride.
Written as fantasy for middle grade readers, The Glow tells of two great friends who relish each other’s company, particularly as Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures and Li writes the stories to go wth the pictures. The Glow visits the town where they live and everyone is immobilised, except the two girls. They set out to help, and become entwined in a very exciting series of events involving a terrible monster. The story is beautifully written and holds much tension for the young reader. Laguna cleverly brings reality and fantasy together and also acknowledges the power of creativity. The two friends work their ‘magic’ to the best end.
Themes Monsters, Creativity, Friendship.
Julie Wells
Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781760526900. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
The author was born in the USA and now lives in Melbourne, having already explored many interesting places and had many adventures. She began a women’s history podcast in 2018 - The Exploress - which attracted a huge following. She also created a podcast which followed the creation of this cleverly devised story. This background will appeal to the young adult readers who will be the main readership for Nightbirds.
Nightbirds presents a fantasy world where women are not permitted to use magic, yet four girls living in the city of Simta do have special powers which they can pass on to the next generation if the Nightbird system is protected and well-guarded. They are kept like birds in gilded cages.
“No Nightbird’s magic is the same….The Goldfinch will help you change your feathers, making you look like someone else. The Ptarmigan gives the gift of camouflage….The Nightingale will let you manipulate someone’s emotions…”.
A discovery soon brings a threat to this system and the girls must make choices as to how they will use their magic, bringing about change to an ingrained social and cultural institution or keeping the status quo. The story is an intriguing one, the setting well described with some beautifully drawn maps of the kingdom (The Eudean Republic) and the city in the opening pages, and the characters move through the story with style and intelligence, ever aware of the challenges which will determine their behaviour for good or ill.
A beautiful cover design with poetic pieces, written by the author, placed before each chapter, add to the attraction of Armstrong’s first novel. Highly recommended.
Themes Magic, Freedom, Power.
Julie Wells
Mason Mooney supernatural sleuth by Seaerra Miller
It seems that, like all good comics, the last Mason Mooney book ended with a cliffhanger and readers are provided with a recap of those events where Mason’s evil doppelganger, Nosam, steals his heart and disappears into another dimension. There is also a helpful chart of characters and their roles. In this story sinkholes are opening up around the town of Grimbrook and Iris persuades Mason to follow a stranger down into the labyrinth of tunnels under the sinkhole. Here they discover the secret Order of the Emerald Palm, paranormal investigators who can open portals to other dimensions. Sam and Iris set out on interdimensional adventures seeking Nosam and Mason’s heart as well as the Hand of Glory and the ring needed to use it. Along the way they discover the importance of friendship and cooperation to achieve their goals. The colourful comic style graphics and clear characters with just the right amount of fun filled text will appeal to readers of the previous Mason Mooney books as well as new readers who will want to go back and check out the rest of the series.
Themes Supernatural, Adventure, Friendship.
Sue Speck
Pebble and Wren by Chris Hallbeck
Clarion, 2023. ISBN: 9780358541288. (Age:8+)
Based on his webcomic of the same name, Pebble and Wren follows human girl Wren and her live-in monster, Pebble, as she teaches them all about how the human world works - from why the moon changes shape to why we don't eat candy wrappers - while trying to unlock special abilities without which Pebble will have to return to the monster forest.
Pebble, a young monster, must venture out of the hidden forest and into the world of humans as a monster's rite of passage to unlock their skills but everything seems daunting, until one house seems to be welcoming. Living there is a young girl called Wren, and her two fathers. Although the little monster is fond of food or, in fact, anything that can be eaten, including books, rocks, and furniture, its special skill seems elusive as the pair become close friends.
While Pebble is a shape-shifter, Wren has talents of her own. She enjoys explaining things and instructing Pebble on a variety of topics: moon phases, humans' inner ear structure and skeletal anatomy, and the thermodynamics of refrigeration and gradually the pair begin to understand each other and share adventures that help Pebble gradually realise that their special skill has been discovered.
Although each page of this graphic novel has only uncomplicated frames, and the nine chapters seem to be connected as a developing story, this is very much driven by the development of the characters rather than a series of adventures or quests so it's appropriate for independent readers who enjoy this format and like to delve into the lives of the personalities.
I remember hearing Louise Penny speak at Adelaide Writers’ Week some years back. Her partner of many years had died and she spoke of how Inspector Gamache displays many of her husband’s fine qualities. Chief Inspector Gamache, is the protagonist of 18 books set in Three Pines, a cosy village in Quebec, Canada. Still Life, the first in the series, was published in 2005; it has been followed by some great stories of crime and mystery all with the admirable Gamache at the heart of the story, the same setting, and with Penny’s fans waiting with much anticipation for the publication of the next one. She has a large and enthusiastic readership with her books available in 23 languages.
A World of Curiosities opens with the end of a bitter winter. A young man and woman appear in the village. It seems that as young children they were here and their mother had been murdered.
The case reopened, is tragic and disturbing and new puzzles are there to be discovered and solved now. With a great sense of place, and a satisfying mystery, this book has plenty of appeal for crime/mystery readers. Apparently, it is to be made into a television series.
Isda lives in the Channe Opera House in the city of Vaureille. She has lived here under the care of opera owner Cyril, since he rescued her 17 years ago when, as a newborn she was cast into a well for being a Gravoir. Fendoiras and Gravoirs are disfigured mutants with the ability to access people’s memories. Isda lives a hidden life in the crypt below the opera house, her only task is to manipulate the memories of the opera goers at the end of each performance so they remember it with praise. Isda has everything she needs including a piano, music being her delight, and she uses the memories of opera audiences to mentally venture out into the world. Everything changes when a new employee, 17 year old Emric Rodin enters the opera house and Isda hears his beautiful tenor voice evoking wonderful memories in colour, memories which, for the first time include a girl like her. As their relationship develops and Isda finds out more about her powers and Cyril’s ambition we learn why people fear Gravoirs and their ability to kill. This feminist twist on The Phantom of the Opera has many references to the original story and musical but it is set in a gothic horror world gradually hinted at and slowly revealed as the story progresses with scenes of mass violence and power madness that jarred with the idea of a love story. I found Isda’s character difficult to grasp and the world in which it is set confusing with its many sub plots so when it came to the ending I didn’t care.
Themes Fantasy, Mmemory, Love, Music, Horror.
Sue Speck
Hello Twigs, Surprise! by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
Red is a WILD TWIG – “ I am Twig, hear me roar. ROAR” and he just loves surprising people. He believes that his surprises will make people laugh, but when he hides behind a bush and jumps out at Ziggy, she is scared and drops the snails that she was carrying to make a snail zoo. Noodle is not impressed when he surprises her, and nor is Stump – they don’t laugh but are scared as well. What is Red to do? Can he give his friends a nice surprise instead of scaring them?
The Hello Twigs series is a pleasure to read aloud and will delight beginning readers who are sure to love these unusual little characters, drawn with expressive faces and large eyes. In Hello Twigs, Surprise! readers will be amazed at the idea of a Snail Zoo – or a Snail Party as the snails like to call it and will follow along with the amazing illustrations as Red works on his surprises. Children will learn about happy and scary surprises and be able to relate to surprises from their own experience.
This is a wonderful introduction to the graphic novel genre and great for beginning readers. Teacher’s activities are available. Fans of Real Pigeons and the Elephant and Piggie series and Pigeon series by Mo Willems are sure to enjoy Hello Twigs.
Fans of locked room style murder mystery books will enjoy this modern take on the genre. The plot involves a crime writer’s festival held on the Ghan train on the Darwin to Adelaide route.
The protagonist using first person narrative details (in retrospect) his involvement and solving of the many murders that occur on the journey.
He scaffolds the story on the ‘rules’ used by golden era mystery writers of the genre, with passing references to Agatha Christie, and scattering the narrative with hints related to the rules - supposedly to enable readers to solve the murders. I found these a distraction.
While the story is often witty one needs to suspend disbelief at the denouement. I persevered with the book because I wanted to know ‘who did it’, which one can argue is the point of mystery stories.
I loved the references to South Australia along with the Ghan setting.
The book would be suitable for year 10+ students looking for an Australian setting and a complex mystery story. Adults would more readily appreciate the witticisms. Among other awards, the book won BookPeople’s Fiction Book of the Year 2023.
