Six times we almost kissed (and one time we did) by Tess Sharpe
Hachette, 2023. ISBN: 9781444967876. (Age:13+)
Penny and Tate have known each other their whole lives, basically because their mums are best friends. This has not made them best friends though. In fact, they've basically always clashed. They just survived the playdates and other mum get togethers, they know each other, and know each other's history, know a LOT about each other. But are extremely surprised to learn that their mums are moving their families in together - to save money and to help with medical stuff that Tate's mum is going through. This is huge. So they make a pact to play nice, and keep things stress free for their mums. Problem is, Penny and Tate have issues. Like they don't talk. And, they keep almost kissing. And Tate keeps seeing Penny at her worst moments, and that just makes things worse.
Written for fans of the slow-burn, waiting for the kiss and for the couple to get together, which many readers enjoy. This book has characters that some people will never like, and some characters readers will instantly love. Unfortunately, some of the lead characters are either incredibly unlikeable or make choices that frustrate the reader. The book moves between novel format and text messages format, flowing smoothly. Several of the side characters add depth to the story, which takes time to come to fruition. There are flashbacks to several years earlier, helping to make sense of why several of the characters are why they are the way they are, but not fully justifying them either.
Themes YA; Romance, LGBTQIA+, High school, Lesbian, Mental Health Issues, Water Sports, Relationships.
Melanie Pages
One little dung beetle by Rhian Williams. Illus. by Heather Potter and Mark Jackson
Wild Dog Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781742036656. (Age:1+) Highly recommended.
A counting book unique in its focus will take youngsters into the realm of the beetles in their backyard, encouraging them to look at what lives there. In rhyming verses designed to stimulate a response from the children in predicting the rhyming words, each double page focusses on a different beetle. The four lines give a little information about that particular animal, alongside a wonderful image which must be totally absorbed before the page is turned. One dung beetle gives way to two black rhino beetles, then three Christmas beetles, four screech beetles, and so on until the pages turn to number ten. Each double page holds a plethora of information. Children will spot the environment in which these beetles can be found, what they look like and sometimes what they eat.
At the end of the ten double pages comes two double pages full of information about these beetles, encouraging interest and answering some questions the audience may have had.
The watercolour illustrations are amazing. The background of the Australian environment is shown with an eye to detail that young readers will love, the animals, setting the stage for the beetles. Each page shows a number of insects, one of which is the beetle being spoken about. The contrasting illustrations caught my eye. The screech beetles (number four) live underground, the click beetles (number seven) live in the outback, the diving beetles (number eight) can forage underwater.
Each set of beetles is brilliantly shown in their environment, evoking questions from the audience, as well as counting the beetles on each page. The endpapers too will cause excitement as they show the size of the beetles showcased in the book.
A wonderful introduction to a familiar animal which can be seen very easily in the backyard or school yard, encouraging children to engage with their environment.
Themes Insects, Beetles, Environment, Australian animals.
One may be forgiven for thinking that a book with a flowery pink cover complete with a glossy pink heart is going to be a "girly" froth of a book - a lightweight piece of chick-lit. A thousand broken pieces is anything but! When serious themes are highlighted, the immediate concern is whether or not they are handled responsibly enough for a book to be placed into the hands of potentially vulnerable readers. In A thousand broken pieces, the author Tillie Cole handles these themes with insight and care and the resultant book is not only a romantic story but also an offering of many alternate healing pathways for readers who are struggling with loss and grief.
A thousand broken pieces is the follow-up novel to A thousand boy kisses and although they are part of a series, each book can be read independently. Cole wrote the books as part of a personal healing journey after losing members of her family to cancer. Not only was it a method to heal herself, writing the books was also to show others that even after the worst grief, life will go on. Having a BA Hons in religious studies and being a high school teacher and world traveller, gives her some authority to write a book that explores different healing experiences that are offered in different parts of the world through different cultures and religions. An extra bonus is that the reader can travel, with these young people, to five different countries as a part of their unique (and very exclusive) healing journey.
Written from the alternating first-person narrative stances of Savannah (who is suffering anxiety and panic attacks after her sister's death from cancer) and Cael (who has anger management problems after his brother committed suicide), the book traces their journey (and the journey of other young participants) towards recovery through the Lakes District of England, Norway, Goa, Agra and Varanasi-India,The Philippines and Japan. Each country offers something different in the therapy process. The grief-struck young people experience extreme physical exertion while mountain climbing where they are pushed to their limits in order to develop resilience and grit and a sense of achievement. They witness awe-inspiring beauty and a sense of something greater than themselves. They witness the ritual celebrations of death in India and the extreme poverty and losses of children in the Philippines. They witness the beauty and transience of cherry blossom in Japan and take part in Kintsugi classes in Japan where they discover the beauty in brokenness. Intertwined throughout is the developing romace between Savannah and Cael.
Tillie Cole drags the emotion out of the reader. The prolonged agony and struggle depicted and the delicate but unflinching style may just provide the catharsis that young readers suffering huge emotions may need. At times, this hardened reader felt a sob catching in the throat. Like it or not, this style of writing has launched Tillie Cole into becoming a global sensation, charting on New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and becoming a viral sensation online.
The overarching message (this reader infers) is that when recovery from loss is not happening and a person is not responding to the usual counselling, a break away from the usual environment, placement in totally different environments with new companions coupled with expert professional support may be the way to go.
I know that this book will be a great pleasure and also helpful for young people to read.
Themes Death, Suicide, Grief and loss, PTSD, Recovery, Romance.
Wendy Jeffrey
Mushrooms know: Wisdom from our friends the fungi by Kallie George and Sara Gillingham
Did you know that the Nameko species of mushroom can multiply after a lightning strike or that one honey mushroom has an underground network that covers thousands of acres and has been living for 2500 years? If you did not know and want to find out more then this new publication Mushroom Knows might be perfect for you or the young mycologist in your life. Mycology being the study of fungi.
With a bright blue cover and some luminescent mushrooms in all colours, this book will engage young readers and adults alike. With its easy and accessible text sharing the different coloured pages with beautifully drawn images of fungi of all shapes and sizes, this is an interesting and creative look at the world of mushrooms. There are over 30,000 known species of mushroom and this book touches on many that may not be familiar to the reader. There are mushrooms known as Bleeding Tooth, Dog Stinkhorn, Chicken of the Woods, Turkey Tail, Antler Reishi, Eternal Light and Jack-O-Lantern. There are more common ones such as Lion’s Mane which is becoming more popular in dealing with memory loss, Yellow Field Cap and the Puffball. There are bioluminescent mushrooms that glow in the dark and produce a light called foxfire.
Mushrooms are connected to a healthy environment and they are a sign the ecosystem is functioning well but mushrooms are also affected by the growing consequences of climate change. The ‘Did you know?’ section at the end of the book offers some important information as well as the key fact not to eat or touch any mushrooms found in the wild.
Mr Archimedes' bath has always been a firm favourite of mine so I was thrilled to see that Pamela Allen, in her 90th year, has written a new picture book starring Mr McGee. This time Mr McGee, who lives under a tree, is getting ready to play when a strong wind blows him, his hat, his cat and his bed high above the ground. When the wind stops, they all fall down, but Mr McGee cannot find his hat. Where could it be?
Mr McGee looks everywhere for it – under the table and under the bed, high up a hill and in a grove of trees, and even on top of a haystack. Young children will have immense delight to knowing more than Mr McGee – and will be able to point to where his hat is hidden.
The rhyming story is a delight to read aloud and would be a boon for a young beginner reader with its complementary illustrations. And those illustrations in pastels and black outlines – what fun! Mr McGee is a plump old man with a tiny moustache and bald head. His cat with its expressive face will bring chortles of laughter and the way the wind blows Mr McGee’s possessions around is very funny. All will ensure that Mr McGee and his hat becomes a firm favourite with young children, one that will be read repeatedly, and will be handed down to the next generation.
My copy will be winging it way to my grandson, and I’m sure that other books by Allen will become favourites, especially those about Mr McGee like Mr McGee and the elephantsand others like A bag and a bird.
Readers who enjoyed Brown’s dystopian romance novel All that’s left in the world will be eager to take up this sequel to find out what happens to Andrew and Jamie next. Will they create a new life together in the relative safety of the Key Colony while the rest of the world is ravaged by white supremacist groups and roving gangs? It is a post-apocalyptic world, one where a super-flu plague has devastated populations, and law and order has collapsed. Gangs are reduced to looting and pillage to scrounge the essentials to survive.
This novel seems directed to a slightly older audience than the first one, with the central preoccupation being the tensions in the relationship between Andrew and Jamie. Now that they have stopped in one place for a while, there is the beginning realisation that perhaps they each want different things in life. Andrew is all for staying surrounded by friends, his new family, whilst Jamie is very slow to trust and is focussed on returning to the solitude of the cabin they shared away from everyone.
The adventure doesn’t stop – there are challenges from ferocious alligators to ruthless thieves to bounty hunters after the reward for Jamie’s capture. However, this second book suffers a little from the problem shared by many sequels, the frequent references to people and events of the first book and the need for explanations of what went before. Readers may not find this book as enthralling as the first.
There is lots to like nevertheless: the smart and witty humour, warm and supportive characters like Rocky Horror and Clara, and the sad orphan ‘The Kid’ to pull at heartstrings. I especially like the relationships between Andrew and Jamie and the little children they gather together. I rather hoped the two would end up setting up a family home with all the orphans. It is a very different scenario to the usual LBGQTI+ romance, and is so much richer for that.
The next novel by Brown promises to be a stand-alone ‘dark YA thriller’, something to look out for.
Set in the world of high finance, the unnamed narrator is a wheeler and dealer of international speculative deals. He moves between anonymous airports of Asian countries, fluent enough in languages to make the right connections and pick up beautiful women as he wants. He is about to secure the millions needed to buy the apartment he wants to settle down in, when he finds himself coerced into undertaking a seemingly simple secret mission, one that changes all his prospects.
A disenchanting life of self-interest and aimless drifting, takes a turn when he encounters Tien, a Vietnamese courtesan whose values of caring for others and love of home provide a counterpoint to his.
A novel that begins as a portrayal of the shallowness and detachment of modern life suddenly morphs into an overwhelmingly beautiful story of disinterested love and self-sacrifice. Oblivion turns out to be a surprise.
Themes Asia, Modern life, Loneliness, Love.
Helen Eddy
An important message from Mr Beaky by Cassie Leatham & Sue Lawson
Mr Beaky tells us clearly where he and his flock roam, where they fly, where they live. They can be found all over Australia. They speak several languages. His name, budgerigar comes from the Gamilaray language and means good food. Called budgies, they come in all colours, usually green and yellow, some are blue, some white. But their colour is unimportant as they are all budgies.
Like Aboriginal people, some have darker skin, some lighter, some hair black, some grey, some red, some light. It is their makeup that matters, what they feel, what is inside, their soul or spirit. Cassie and Sue take the story out of the sky and the birds and into the realm of country, where we all live. Aboriginal people have been on this place for more than 60,000 years, and an image at the bottom of the page shares this with the time of the Ancient Egyptians, 4000 years ago. Mr Beaky reminds us that we should all care for our country. Country means animals, fish and birds, grass and trees, the land and water, Elders and ancestors. To do this, Mr Beaky tells us that we must respect our land, by listening to our Elders and our country. Only when this is done can we all be healthy.
This beautifully astute look at our Aboriginal heritage will grab the attention of all who read it. Using the budgie as the lead in, we see how widespread Aboriginal people are, the depth of their knowledge of the land, their respect for the land, the differences in language and appearance. Just like the birds, they have been here for an astonishingly long time, out stripping all the things usually used as a benchmark for longevity.
Young children will gain a host of understandings and information from this seemingly simple text. This is an informative book which gives more on rereading. At the end of the book a small glossary gives meanings to the Aboriginal words used in the text, while a page of information about the budgie is given.
The illustrations are arresting, using lines and circles, with dot techniques as the background on each page, keeping eyes firmly on the pages with their wonderful images of the budgie and its 3000 feathers.
An important message that should be read by all.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Budgerigars, Australian history.
Fran Knight
The Kelly Gang Kids by Coral Vass. Illus. by Deb Hudson
The vibrant cover of the picture book The Kelly Gang Kids with four rambunctious and gleeful boys running towards their next adventure will draw young readers in. On opening the book, the front endpapers show the gang heading off for the day and the final endpapers show them heading home in the setting sun.
Once the boys are out for the day, they chase each other and cause all sorts of unintentional mischief. First off, it is Miss Callaghan’s washing that suffers, then Old Peterson’s sheep escape and finally the old Blacksmith has a mess to clean up. After each event the author Coral Vass has cleverly used repetitive rhyme:
“You rascals! What mess!” the old Blacksmith said, chasing behind and shaking his head.
But WHIZ out of sight and swift on their way, the Kelly Gang kids skedaddled away.
This day for the Kelly Gang does end a little differently though when after coming out of hiding, brave Ned saves Richard Shelton and becomes the town hero. Throughout the book, the rhyming verses flow freely and tell of an exciting and adventurous day. The full page illustrations by Deb Hudson are glorious in both their colour and detail and add to the engagement of the story.
The Kelly Gang Kids is an enjoyable and entertaining read. Ned Kelly and his gang are famous characters in Australia’s colonial past and this story, based on true events, adds another layer to the Kelly Gang story.
Themes Friendship, Bravery, Mischief, Ned Kelly, Childhood.
Kathryn Beilby
Snow globe by Soyoung Park
Penguin, 2024. ISBN: 9780241681060. (Age:Middle years, from ages 12+) Highly recommended.
In a frosty future world transformed by climate change, lies the extraordinary city of Snowglobe, snugly encased under a giant dome where the weather is perfect, and life is a dream - a city that thrives due to geothermal vents harnessed by the Yibbon Corporation.
Beyond this cozy haven, in the icy wilderness, brave souls pedal away on stationary bikes, generating power to keep Snowglobe running, while battling the elements for warmth and food. Their sole source of entertainment? Round-the-clock reality TV that showcases the glamorous lives within the dome, used to inspire hope in the Outer World. Becoming a revered resident of Snowglobe and snagging a spot on one of the reality shows, whether as a star or behind the scenes, is the ultimate goal and the stuff of dreams for those outside the dome.
Goh Haeri shines like a radiant sun within Snowglobe, illuminating the lives of those in the Outer World. She embodies the ideal young woman – beautiful, confident, and someone many aspire to emulate. Imagine being in her position, adored by countless individuals. What sacrifices would you make to embody such radiance and warmth? Chobahm resides in the Outer World and aspires to be a show director. Her dream seems within reach when a renowned director presents her with an opportunity to step into the shoes of Goh Haeri, Snowglobe's top star who Chobahm bears a striking resemblance to. It is not long however that Chobahm learns that beneath the facade of perfection lies a society that thrives on superficiality, where lives revolve around manipulating personal relationships for entertainment purposes.
The strong dystopian concept really strikes a chord, and readers will empathize with Chobahm's desire to live in Snowglobe and her realisation that the world was not as perfect as she had envisioned. While the ending was fulfilling, I am excited to see what happens next in the sequel!
This engaging book presents the six seasons of the Noongar calendar in English and Noongar written and illustrated by newly published First Nations talent Ebony Froome and Leanne Zilm.
In Djinang Bonar the seasons are explained by watching things in the environment. We must look at the behaviour of animals, the plants and the sky as they all give clues as to what season we are in. Each season is annotated with Noongar words, while many of the well known things, kangaroos, swans, magpies and so on, are also presented Noongar language.
One most impressive double page, only one amongst many, shows two magnificent whales (moorong) breaching in the ocean. They have appeared after the rain (boorong) has fallen across the country. This is the season called Makeuru. The magnificent illustrations give a breathtaking image of the pair of whales, far out in the rolling ocean, as they make their way north to warmer waters. Banurur, another season is shown by the flowering of the large gum trees and the Zamia fruit ripens for the weitj (emu) to eat.
The Noongar country is portrayed in spectacular detail with gorgeous illustrations of the plants and animals typically seen in each season of the year. Looking up to the sky also offers clues to the season.
This wonderful picture book for everyone to share provides insights into the six Noongar seasons learning some Noongar language along the way.
Author Ebony Froome was born and raised on Wardandi boodja in Busselton, WA and despite living in Perth remains strongly connected with her birthplace. Leanne Zilm is a descendant of the Wudjari and Goreng Noongar groups. Born in 1962 it was her mother who interested her in painting.
Dung Beetle on a Roll is a fascinating look at one of the tiniest of creatures, the dung beetle. Without dung beetles gathering up the dung/poo from nature and recycling the nutrients from the dung into the soil as well as aerating the land, our farming and natural ecosystems may not be as healthy as needed. Dung beetles can collect and push dung balls weighing up to 50 times their weight. They come in three different types:
1. Rollers, that roll the dung into a ball and then find a perfect spot for it where a female may be impressed. 2. Tunnellers, that make tunnels under the dung where they bury small balls to raise babies in. 3. Dwellers, who move into the perfect dung and make a home in it.
Following on from the information in the early pages, there is a story about an adult male dung beetle that rolls a huge ball of dung that breaks apart. He then realises that quality is better than quantity and sets about to create the perfect dung ball that might attract a mate.
Sandra Severgnini, as both author and illustrator, has created an informative and highly accessible book that has striking illustrations showing considerable detail that perfectly complement the text. The clever title and the front cover are delightful and will appeal to younger readers. The ingenious use of two different maze activities on the front and back endpapers are an added bonus. The Fabulous Facts about Dung Beetles in the final pages are important for those children whose interest is piqued and would love to find out more. Teacher notes are available.
Simon & Schuster, 2024. ISBN: 9781761105272. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
Anita Heiss brings us another wonderful historical romance, following the success of Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (2021) which told the true story of the heroic feats of Aboriginal men, Yarri and Jacky Jacky during the Gundagai floods of 1852. With Dirrayawadha, she now celebrates heroic warrior and resistance fighter Windradyne and his clan’s war against the English invasion of Wiradyuri country in the early 1800s.
The novel centres on young Wiradyuri woman Miinaa, the fictional sister of Windradyne, and her life as a servant on an Irish Catholic couple’s property, Cloverdale, near Bathurst. When handsome Irish convict Dan O’Dwyer comes to serve out the last years of his sentence at Cloverdale, love blossoms between the two. It is a gentle love story, the two having to gradually learn about each other’s culture and build a trusting relationship. It is an opportunity for Heiss to draw parallels between the Irish and Aboriginal experience of dispossession at the hands of the English. Just as Dan swore to fight for his homeland of Ireland, Miinaa also wants to join Windradyne to fight for their country and protect their culture. Some of the conversations Miinaa has with Dan provide the most compelling insight into Aboriginal connection to country and their culture of respect and sharing, a culture that is disrespected and crushed by the brutal incursions of the invaders.
The love story is romantic and will keep the reader engaged until the end, but the true power of this book is the portrayal of historical hero Windradyne, his heart torn between safeguarding his family, and a determination to resist and rise up – dirrayawadha! As his people are killed, and traditional sites are overrun, Windradyne draws different clans together in a united resistance, in what came to be known as the Bathurst wars, with loss of life on both sides. Eventually the toll is too much, and a tentative peace process is pursued.
Religion is another strong theme running throughout the story with comparisons made between Catholic and Wiradyuri ideas of god, prayer and moral values. It further illuminates the Wiradjuri values of respect and family, and gives credence to their unique spirituality.
Wiradyuri language is woven throughout the novel, and generally the meaning may be understood by context, but a glossary is also available to refer to at the front of the book. It is part of Heiss’s determination to reclaim and maintain the traditional language of her people.
Dirrayawadha is brilliant way to engage readers with Australian history from an Aboriginal perspective and help people understand the loss and dispossession, the injustice and violence that characterised the colonial years, and the repercussions that continue to be felt today. Heiss writes that ‘we can create a better future for all if we can be honest and brave in our storytelling, in truth-telling, and in being willing to listen to what needs to be heard, particularly around warfare across the land, which in the main still goes unheard’. Following the disappointment of the 2023 referendum, Heiss sees truth-telling as the path forward. This book is a part of that.
Mum would love to play tennis with her sports addicted kids, but in the Kimberley, there is little opportunity to do this as there are no courts. Like Backyard footy (2023) this is a delightful look at what kids get up to in the Kimberley, using what resources they have to join together and have fun.
Mum and her daughter take some hits with the racquets and balls, and Chelsea puts her head over the fence, asking what ‘you mob’ is up to. The refrain ‘come and play’ is repeated throughout the story as more and more kids see an opportunity to jump in and have fun.
As the story is read, the audience will join in with the question about what the mob is doing and sing out the refrain, ’come and play’.
Thai puts his head over the fence, then Ja’lae, Angel and others so the backyard becomes too small. They hunt around for a bigger area as their arena, and Mum makes drinks for them all.
This wonderfully engaging story stresses the involvement of all the kids as they work out how to learn the game in circumstances beyond those known by kids in the towns and cities. I loved the illustrations which clearly show the environment in which these kids live. The white plastic chairs, the tennis net, the stump which the umpire sits on, the bare feet, the cyclone fences, the mango tree, all gave me a feeling of life in such a remote area.
A very warm and satisfying look at kids in the Kimberley making do with what they have, the story stresses the closeness of family and friends.
The next famous racing car driver joining legends Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is Lando Norris. This very popular Racing Legends series is written by Maurice Hamilton who has attended over 500 Grand Prix races all around the world and has commentated on F1 races for BBC Radio 5 Live for 20 years. His knowledge of all things racing related is second to none.
The book has a colour photograph of the driver on the front cover and contains 101 facts about Formula One. The Contents page begins with Chapter one: An introduction to Formula One and the second to last chapter in each book has the heading ‘How can you be like Lando Norris?’ Throughout the book are illustrations as well as tables, diagrams, maps, comparison facts, highlighted key words, F1 terminology as well as the opportunity to learn about what goes on behind the scenes.
The exciting facts about each driver provide readers with snapshots of their lives. Lando Norris was the youngest ever Karting World champion at the age of 14. He then progressed onto faster cars to finally becoming the youngest British driver to compete in Formula 1 at the age of 19 in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.
Each of the four books in the series are proving to be entertaining reads for those middle to upper primary readers who are sport enthusiasts and prefer information over fiction. With engaging facts and numerous infographics to absorb and discuss with their friends, these books are flying off library shelves.
Themes Racing Cars, Drivers, Family, Competition, Biography.
