Sophy Stanton-Lacy is a charming and strong willed young woman and when her father Sir Horace leaves her with her aunt before setting out for South America, she finds that things are not all fine in that ohusehold. Her cousins are facing difficulties - her cousin Cecilia is in love with a poet but is supposed to marry a lord who has contracted measles; Hubert is in deep trouble with debts; Charles the older son has turned into a domestic tyrant while managing the family's finances, because his father has been reckless with his fortune. Charles is also engaged to be married to an unpleasant bluestocking, who is not popular with the rest of his family. Sophy being an intrepid manager, is determined to improve the life of her cousins.
Heyer's novels always sparkle with wit and humour, and The Grand Sophy is no exception. Sophie is feisty and confident that she is right, and the devious plans that she puts into place to save her cousins are delightful. Who could resist a monkey let loose on the household, a shooting contest in the drawing room, highly strung horses and reckless riding?
The Regency period is vividly brought to life with excellent characterisation and world building and will appeal to readers who like witty and well written romances. A favourite among many well loved Georgette Heyer Regency romances, The Grand Sophy is one I return to when I need a feel good, escapist book. Fans of the Bridgerton series may also enjoy the humour and romance.
Themes Romance, Regency.
Pat Pledger
Voice of the sea by John Williamson. Illus. by Andrea Innocent & Jonathan Chong
Singer songwriter John Williamson has used his prodigious talents to pen a hymn for the sea. He poses the question, ‘where did it go, your love for me?’ as he surveys the sea around our island. Children will instantly understand that he is talking of the way we have misused the sea, killing animals, overfishing, pouring our rubbish into it, allowing oil spills to smother the bird and animal life.
He wrote this song after a request from The Australian Marine Conservation Society and his song is a wake up call to all those people who hold the sea and its inhabitants dear. He impels us to question what is being done to the seas in our name, and asks again, ‘where did it go, your love for me?’
A video clip can be viewed here. The playing of this clip will encourage readers to listen and sing along with the ballad. They will notice the descriptions of the harm we have piled upon the sea. The song includes a reference to past transgressions, and the destruction of the coral reefs, many animals and birds. And a look at this video shows children singing the song, including a group singing with signing.
Wonderfully complementing the text are the illustrations by Andrea Innocent and Jonathan Chong, and more about this duo can be found here. The two are extremely accomplished artists having experience and expertise in design as well as illustration.
Within each page can be found examples of our misuse of the sea and its inhabitants. The first few pages show the sea: clear and blue with sunlight reaching the ocean floor, but soon this all changes, as the sea becomes murky, the corals die, and animals are snapped up in huge nets. The turtle shows us what we are doing to the sea, as it swims across the oceans, carrying many recreational people, fishermen, an oil rig, ships and ski boats. None of these are designed to protect the thing we love. The images shown on each page will make readers stop and think about what impact we have upon the sea, as they spy many fish being hauled up, plastic littering the sea, animals trapped in bags, the sea dark and murky. Readers will have no illusions about the impact of human kind upon the sea, and through both the text and illustrations, wonder what they can do.
A wonderful read aloud, sing a long and discussion starter, young readers will ask this to be read over again, singing along with the video clip, then asking what they can do.
A wonderful touch is the companion between the first and last endpapers, enough detail for readers to engage their curiosity.
A laugh out loud verse story about the very alternate Kevin, not happy with being one of the herd, happy to try different things which sometimes result in the other sheep being derisive.
He loves to cook, likes to play the drums, is content to read while the other sheep do what all sheep do, munch grass. He has his hooves painted purple and has his wool styled, his favoured drink is icy mint tea. He learns to knit following instructions on Ewe-Tube, and learns to play football and kung fu. He tries to fit in but is remarkably unsuccessful until one dark night, everything changes and he and the herd are able to see each other differently.
A very funny verse text is equally matched by the wonderfully funny illustrations. The idea of a non conformist sheep is given full rein in both images and text and will be highly appreciated by the readers.
Warching the sheep sitting around the campfire or doing a line dance will make everyone laugh out loud.
I am in awe of an illustrator who can make a sheep look so nonchalant. Hilarious.
Penguin Random House Australia, 2024. ISBN: 9781761342028. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
Ten years ago the small Victorian town of Edenville was rocked by the death of five hikers on Jago Ridge. Nearby lay the body of Bill 'Creeper' Duvant, known for stalking campers. It seemed obvious that he was the killer, so the case was closed. but as the 10th year anniversary nears, Detective Contstable Sally White begins to look at the case. She is drawn into danger as the Duvant family begin to notice her activities. And she finds secrets in the backgrounds of the five murdered hikers.
Hickey brings alive the location of the small town and the beautiful hiking trails in the surrounding mountains, while building up an eerie atmosphere as details of the evil that was committed are brought to light. Sally White is young and clever, and the reader can relate to her personal problems of fitting into a small town and deciding whether to commit to a relationship with Jim Brear, the park ranger who carried Laura, the only survivor of the attack, down the mountain. Laura is coming back for the anniversary with a film crew and Sally must deal with this as the only member of the police in town. As she investigates the cold case, Hickey ramps up the suspense. Who is watching her? Who can she trust?
This is a gripping Australian crime novel and I look forward to reading other books by this author. Readers who enjoy books by Jane Harper and Chris Hammer may like The creeper.
A delightful story is told by the horse as it watches its young charge become more sure of herself, eventually finding a friend. Sal is a very competent rider; she can do all sorts of tricks with her horse and rides it everywhere on the family farm. She would love to be a real cowgirl to match her father who is a cowboy, droving the cattle, keeping them safe on their farm.
At home she and her horse can do a load of circus tricks, tricks which reveal her competence at riding the horse, but when Sal goes to school, she loses her confidence.
Here she has no friends, she no longer feels smart or wild, brave or strong. The horse senses that if the children could see Sal in the paddock with her horse, they would learn that she is all the things she is not at school. One day Sal summons the courage to tell her classmates about her horse and her skills. Several are impressed but one sees her on the weekend. Together the pair ride their horses, setting out on a mission in the forest. The next day Sal skips to school, feeling very brave. She is a real cowgirl.
Children will love watching the horse as it tells the story of Sal, demonstrating through the lovely illustrations how the animal feels for her owner. A rewarding story about feeling brave, but having the courage to tell people how you feel, the illustrations are stunning, the use of watercolour giving a wraparound feeling of intimacy and involvement in the surroundings on the farm. Crispe has an interest in zoology and her horse images are beautifully formed, and the other animals that eagle eyes will spot in the background, are redolent of the Australian countryside.
For more information about Susannah Crispe, go to her website.
Themes Australian bush, Horses, Bravery, Courage, Shyness.
Elvin Melvin and Emma Memma are getting ready for Christmas. The pair appears throughout the book, signing significant words for children to learn and practise: Christmas, lights, look, friends and where. Each of these words is displayed in the book, showcasing the customs and rituals of this important time in kids’ lives. So we see a Christmas tree, lights, baubles, reindeer, tree decorations, and this book weaves a story around the tree with Emma and Elvin as they seek out their friends and their displays.
Christmas lights are going up all over the town. Everything is sparkling now that the sun has gone down. Emma and Melvin invite the readers to see what is close by. In the twinkling lights they will be able to find BB Butterfly. They all get into a little colourful car to see what else they can find. They will see many many shapes of different Christmas lights, and amongst them a kangaroo hops along. The Butterfly bus keeps going, and is there to welcome a friend who has arrived from a different town. And Waffles the Wombat greets them as well. Emma asks him where his Christmas lights are.
He looks up into the night sky, and tells them that his lights are there every night for all to see. They all sit together on the hillside, watching the night display, waiting for Christmas.
Younger readers will enjoy this journey through Emma Memma’s town with her friends, searching out the images of Christmas and learning some signs as they read.
Emma Memma’s infectious illustrations will bring joy to the readers, as they too celebrate Christmas and wait impatiently for the day to come around. While each section of the town is decorated, it is a neat ploy to have the group look at the stars, a nightly show of bright twinkling lights.
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761470707. (Age:15+) Highly Recommended.
Does humankind have a single supergene that we can ascribe to our ascendency over the apes? Dr Lynne Kelly’s theory is both biological and anthropological but weighted firmly in the latter.
The Knowledge Gene thesis springs from a group of patients born with a mutation of the NF1 gene (believed to be a tumour suppressor) leading to Neurofibromatosis – a condition whose most outward signs are skin and tissue nodules of varying severity. A wide variance in phenotype can also mean varying degrees of dysfunction in language, perception memory, attention, executive functioning and social skills. With recent advances in molecular biology it made sense that a supergene is involved and various genes, alleles and molecular promotors and modifers are now known to contribute.
This textbook is of definite appeal to fans of popular science authors like Phillip Ball (How Life Works) writing about the oversimplification of molecular biology in practice, which is holding us back in our understanding of the relationship between phenotype and genotype in any apparently single-gene condition and hindering the quest for affective treatments.
However, molecular biology is only the beginning as Dr Kelly unpacks the last 500,000 years of human evolution through archeology, art, communication, music, oral knowledge, memory and wayfaring amongst other constructs, along a linear journey of one uniquely successful mammal’s distinctive creativity and acuity using surviving pieces of cultural evidence.
Chapters reflect the authors substantive knowledge of indigenous memory systems gleaned from art and song but also those showcasing generalized literacy and spacial ability before recommending how to use these tools and systems such as music, repetition even tangible learning boards, in order to improve our current learning capacity. The colour plates bring key pieces of evidence to life and really lift the content to a higher level of fascination.
The appendix containing tables of Knowledge Gene skill sets, the author's notes and a comprehensive index, all make this humble paperback a user friendly aid to researchers and practical educators. Whilst eclectic, this cultural history textbook cross referenced with molecular biology, has practical purpose. If only as general awareness and caution against oversimplification in science or the quick dismissal of simple technology, it is a foundational fusion of academic disciplines to encourage lateral thinking, even if librarians will agonise over the best location on the shelf. 416p
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761181092. (Age:12-14) Recommended.
Insyirah is an anxious Muslim girl who lives with her mother Sarah in Sydney. But her proud, wealthy grandmother has a fall, and they are forced to return to Kuala Lumpur to live with her in their ancestral home. Insiyrah is happy to be back with Nenek in her beautiful home and discovers things about her family that she had never encountered in Australia. She learns about the powerful and hidden world of jinn (ancient jungle spirits) and how her grandmother has had one to do her bidding since she was a girl. Insyirah had never felt completely at home in Sydney where her religion set her apart from her friends at school and made her a target of racial abuse. In her Malaysian school she makes friends easily and begins to enjoy her new life but that is when things begin to go wrong. Her school seems to be haunted by an evil jinn and this one has a grudge against Insyirah and her ancestors. She must get to the bottom of the horrible secret that has made this jinn so determined to get rid of her and at the same time figure out how to help her family and friends with her newly found power. A fast-paced, exciting debut novel from this author that is an absorbing read for older Primary and lower secondary students and is a refreshing education into Muslim religion and Malay culture. It focusses on jinn, part of Malaysian folklore that I have never heard of before and gave me a great introduction to explore this supernatural world.
Adventures Unlimited: The Land of Lost Things, expertly written by much-loved Australian author Andy Griffiths, launches readers into a thrilling new adventure that will certainly not disappoint. The story, packed with humour, action and the quirky creativity Griffiths is known for, follows the journey of characters named "You" and "Me" as they embark on a wild mission to find the missing lucky rabbit’s foot.
Griffiths’ knack for crafting memorable and zany stories is again on show. With main characters "You" and "Me" encountering a host of peculiar creatures along the way, including a flying watch, an angry bull and Pookie the guinea pig, the audience will be engrossed until the very end. Each character adds twists and turns, along with layers of humour, surprise and suspense to the storyline.
Bill Hope’s illustrations are an integral part of the experience. His drawings fill every page with energy and detail, capturing the dynamic essence of Griffiths’ writing. From expressive character portrayals to action scenes that leap off the page, Hope’s art complements the story seamlessly, making each moment visually engaging and enhancing the book's fun and excitement.
Adventures Unlimited: The Land of Lost Things ensures that there’s always something unexpected around the corner to keep the audience guessing. The characters, along with the imaginative storyline, help build a unique and immersive world that young readers will be eager to explore.
This series would be ideal for fans of the Treehouse series, who will appreciate Griffiths’ signature blend of hilarity and fast-paced storytelling. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy non-stop action, clever twists, and a light-hearted escape into a world of pure imagination.
Hold on tight and be prepared for anything…. this is an exhilarating adventure that will have reader’s immersed in the land of excitement and creativity from start to finish. As the first in a new series, it is sure to be another popular one.
Themes Humour, Adventure, Imagination.
Michelle O'Connell
The bug book by Tania Ingram. Illus. by Lucinda Gifford
Little Book Press, 2024. ISBN: 9781923141155. (Age:1+) Highly recommended.
Young children are fascinated by bugs and love to spend time outdoors searching for them. This delightful new release The Bug Book written by South Australian author Tania Ingram and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford is a perfect introduction to many familiar and perhaps unfamiliar bugs. The bright and vivid cover catches the eye and offers immediate appeal with the boldly drawn bugs showing a sense of fun and playfulness.
Beginning with a simple question 'What are bugs?' readers are enticed to find some bugs on the following pages. The clever rhyming text is minimal, well-spaced and perfectly introduces each bug, gloriously presented in a large colourful format. The use of descriptive words such as shiny bug, spiny bug, swooshy-wooshy-wing bug plus movement words such as slide bug, glide bug, prickle bug, tickle bug, along with comparative words such as long, short, big, small, add wonderful learning opportunities to introduce young readers to new language skills and build on their vocabulary. As an added and thoughtful bonus on the final page, each bug is shown with its common name.
This beautiful book will be enjoyed by many and would be a wonderful addition to a home, childcare, kindy, preschool or Junior Primary library.
Captain Thunderbolt’s recital by Jane Jolly. Illus. by Liz Duthie
National Library of Australia, 2023. ISBN: 9781922507464. (Age:4+) Recommended.
With several pages at the end of the book with a potted history of Captain Thunderbolt and his deeds, this engaging look at an historic incident in our bushranging past will have instant appeal. Most will have heard of Ned Kelly but very few will have heard of Thunderbolt roaming northern New South Wales, nor many of the other possibly 2000 bushrangers who tried their luck on the roads in the nineteenth century.
With rollicking illustrations the story unfolds as Thunderbolt emerges from his hideout with his tin whistle and does a jig, amusing his faithful horse, Spirit. He looks into his empty purse and decides he needs money for a feed for both he and Spirit. He sees an old creaking wagon on the road, and spies four mustachioed men singing in a language he can not understand. A shot passes their ears and they stop the cart, quivering at the sight of the bushranger. He peers into their cart and sees a variety of musical instruments and tells them that they must play for him and pay him to be in the audience. As they hand over their money, they hear the noise of a group of horses coming down the road. Thunderbolt hides in the big drum and the troopers ask their questions and the band lies about seeing a bushranger and the troopers keep going.
Thunderbolt orders the men to play and they do so hesitantly, Thunderbolt as the conductor. They march around, Thunderbolt enjoying himself immensely. After a number of songs and jigs, he asks for money, and they tell him how poor they are. He asks for their names and addresses, convinced that Spirit will win a horse race and he will be able to refund their money.
Surprisingly, they do get their money returned but not because Spirit wins a race.
A funny story of an Australian bushranger will intrigue the readers and interest them in this saga in Australia’s past. Jane Jolly’s text is easy to follow, succinct and informative. She manages in a few sentences to give a broad view of the bushranger and what he does, how he is pursued by troopers and how he uses other people to help in his escapades.
Liz Duthie’s illustrations reflect the humour of the story, allowing readers to see the silliness of the situation, and laugh at the man as he scares a group of travelling musicians. The background is wonderfully portrayed, and I love the endpapers with their images of the dancing bushranger and his horse, jigging along to the band. Teacher's notes are available.
In a harsh world of heat and suffocating ash, a man and a child in a truck journey across country seeking a place of refuge, something that seems scarce in an environment of anonymous danger, night screams and guarded settlements. The man is burn scarred, the child is scared mute, and the unlikely place of safety is a derelict mine shaft. But their luck is out, the mine is not so derelict, and a man with a deadly crossbow takes them prisoner. Thus begins the narration of events that have led to this situation, as the man with the child attempts to win over the bowman, knowing that if he fails their lives are in jeopardy. There are hints that the two men have something of a shared past experience, both scarred, both loners, both ex-Service, though what kind of service is yet to be revealed.
Thus Winton begins his description of a future dystopian world, where the murdering heat of summer is spent sealed underground, and only in winter can the inhabitants of the plains come out into open air, even then only in the early and late hours of the day and with loaded sun protection. The man and his mother are toughened survivors, people of the plains, eking out a living alone, until the day he is drawn into a new form of resistance.
This is the world that has been predicted for us, the world that scientists warn about, and which vested interest denies. It is a harsh soul-destroying environment, with people in desperate need of ‘juice’ – fuel for their homes and vehicles, water for their plants, and stamina for their survival. It is a world gone desperate, bereft of humanity, each out for himself.
Winton’s writing style is finely honed and concise, alternating blistering descriptions with passages of dialogue between the man and his captor, drawing in the listener, and the reader at the same time. It’s an account that will surprise at turns, and keep you seeking the final revelation.
Moral dilemmas sit at the heart of the novel: the tug-of-war between caring for family and the adrenalin charge of the secret mission, between safety of home and containment and the danger of striving for something else. The distinction between good and evil becomes blurred. There is a reminder of how much the coloniser has damaged the land formerly cared for by Indigenous people. Humankind is shown to be so flawed the question arises that if machines were to inherit the planet perhaps the world would be better off.
This latest novel by Winton is a foray into a new genre for him, the dystopian future; but readers will ever appreciate his innate love of country, his focus on relationships, and his questioning of humans’ relationship with their world. It is a stunning read. Don’t miss this book.
Themes Dystopia, Climate change, End of world, Revenge, Morals, Responsibility.
Helen Eddy
The lost history by Melanie La'Brooy
University of Queensland Press, 2024. ISBN: 9780702266393. (Age:10+)
The lost history: Talismans of fateoffers high interest level to Middle School fantasy readers. It is the sequel to the multi-award-winning The Wintrish girl which represented the best of fantasy adventure writing. The lost history: Talismans of fateis more of a convoluted story which juggles many elements which could be confusing for the reader. Australian author La’Brooy takes the reader again into a fantasy world of mysterious talismans and strange realms in the Empire of Arylia. A map is conveniently supplied in the front pages!
In addition to the magical strangeness of the characters, settings and events is an obvious joy in the use of language. La’Brooy's writing plays out, in its energy and vitality, as a celebration of things that count for something - like libraries, clever kids, sharp thinking, courage in the face of fear, precision in the use of language and a celebration of history. Clever word play dances through much of the action and dialogue. As in The Wintrish girl, “Malevolence” and “Malevolents” and “Marvelance” and “Marvellous” play out. There is much wisdom scattered throughout that could well be quoted more widely e.g. Thaddeus states, (p.42)..."Unlimited, unfiltered information without proper context or the means to understand it can be a very dangerous thing."
The core message of the book may be found in chapter twenty where Penn meets her mysterious aunt at her spinning wheel in a hidden place somewhere off "Betwixt and Between" which is reminiscent of princesses in towers and magic spinning wheels. Penn is allowed twenty questions. Wise words guide her including "...lifting a curse will not eradicate the hatred that brought it into being in the first place" and "...the Arylians cling to their power in the present because doing so enables them to rewrite the past. The past, the present and the future are merely one continuous thread jumbled together..." The focus of the book is on reading history correctly, finding reliable sources and reading the footnotes in order to understand the past and thereby tackle the future.
Evil has to be overcome. Our heroes: Penn, Seraphine, Juniper and Arthur (thoroughly likeable and courageous heroes) form a tight friendship group as they overcome danger and discover their separate abilities. The settings and action sequences, being cinematic and imaginative, would be a screen-writer's paradise.
The lost history: Talismans of fateis a complicated read. Multiple strands of settings, characters, storylines, and magical aspects have to be held simultaneously by the reader. Because of its complications, the book has to be read carefully and in close sittings. Therefore it is recommended for young people who are both adept readers and lovers of the fantasy genre. Whilst the energy and authorial voice is the same and the theme is very important, The lost history: Talismans of fateis not as readable as The Wintrish girl. Many overlays are threaded into the story with possible resultant confusion for the reader which reduces the flow of the story and reading pleasure.
The lost history: Talismans of fate ends abruptly with another book to follow. There is so much silliness and seriousness and so much happening in The lost history: Talismans of fate that one hopes that further adventures of Penn and her friends could be toned down to support readers. The action sequences and creative settings definitely lend themselves to a screen version of the story which could work better than the written version.
There is much that is very, very good offered by The lost history:Talismans of fate but it is not a book for those who do not enjoy juggling multiple elements.
A beginner's guide to choosing the perfect pet by Ali Rutstein. Illus. by Tommy Doyle
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180903. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Laugh out loud, full of humour not to be taken too seriously, the family in searching for the perfect pet, is presented with an array of totally inappropriate pets as well as dismissing some equally sound ones, those the reading audience will recognise with tenderness.
The young polka dotted girl shows us a number of totally unsuitable pets; rabbits for example only want world domination, guinea pigs harbour dark thoughts, puppies keep following you, budgies keep their beady eyes on you, while kittens won’t let you alone with your knitting.
On the other hand, a crocodile is a most excellent pet, quiet and peaceful with a happy go lucky demeanour, and Tigers are wonderfully cuddly and fun loving, and just what you need when playing hide and seek. Now a rhino is a fabulous pet, earthy, and sweet, with a horn just right for hanging your handbag on and a python is the best for the family, as it has impeccable manners, is loyal and elegant.
Each set of pets will bring gales of laughter from the audience as they spot just what these animals presents in the family pet stakes. Children will yell out giving reasons for some to be struck off the list of possible pets, and others included. How would their family cope with a jellyfish or python, and what could be better than a budgie or rescue dog.
Obviously this family does need some help in choosing just the right pet and going to the animal rescue shelter, they find their own misunderstood creature to take home. I wonder what it will be. Excitement mounts as the last page is turned, landing on the animal the polka dotted girl takes home, finding that her new pet has appetites of his own and leaves only her polka dotted hair bow on the floor of his new house.
A very funny book that will entertain as well as encouraging readers to think about the suitability of some animals in their home environment.
Kids will certainly debate which animal is best and laugh at the choices given in the book. Bold, vivid illustrations cover each page as each animal is shown with some of its traits exposed. The looks on the faces of the animals are priceless, adding another level of humour to the story as some of the animals, unbeknownst to the child, have more than being a pet on their minds.
The disembodied prologue makes a compelling teaser for the sequel to “Hearts that Bind”. We plunge into danger, rapidy rewarded by recognition of the horrific crime against a schoolgirl but not the circumstances.
“‘Hush now,’ he crooned. His hand fisted in the back of her shirt, rooting her in place. The girl could just make out the outline of his face: his brow knit in concentration, his eyes twinkling a bright silver. It’s over now,’ he said – then came an aching, world-shattering SNAP!”
The backstory begins with Chapter 1, invoking the controlling idea behind the first book, which was set in Alante where the Ora sisters, descendants of the Greek Fates, weild separate powers to weave, draw or cut the threads of love and life that bind people together.
The Wastelands we see are still suffering from The Great Tide, soaking the earth and daily driving humans above the tideline. Our protagonist, Io -youngest of the sisters and a 'cutter' is once again on a quest, leaping over the rising ooze between towns, doing odd jobs to survive, ‘cutting’ threads for money when desperate; yet all while looking for clues to curtail a trail of deadly mischief left by the gods. Somewhere out there, is her soul mate with whom she shares a fraying fate-thread – Edei. Tantalizingly, her quilt of threads shows she is closing the gap to their reunion.
Thankfully for readers, Io now has a permanent side-kick, the ever resourceful Bianca – the furyborn mob queen of Alante. Their relationship is nearly as strained as that of Io and her two sisters, but despite the tension and pranks, Bianca and Io keep showing up for each other through non-stop death-defying escapes as they avoid the authorities to follow the powerful conspirators who are abducting and maiming siblings in every town from Alante to the Golden City. Arriving at golden Nanzy, the danger escalates to match Io’s realization that the fate of the world really does depend on her.
Kika Hatzopoulou is at her dangerous and descriptive best in terms of fast-paced action that verges on horror. YA will be submersed by assassin-style events above The Great Tide through the singular skill of this author. Highly recommended.
