Despite the wild weather that has plagued Australia's east coast recently, many will have enjoyed a beachside holiday and some will have wondered about what actually lives in that deeper water out beyond the breaking waves.
So they will enjoy this exploration and explanation told in a mixture of regular text and cartoon illustrations as Brownbeard the pirate, his first mate Alan the parrot and a knowledgeable scientist take them on a journey that spans the development of the discovery of the deep from those who first dived to find food to the development of modern sonar and submersibles, the things they found and saw and the legends that they sparked. There is an introduction to some of those mysterious creatures that can survive the incredible pressure of being kilometres below the surface, as well as the cold and the permanent darkness. But as well as the humour there is also a serious side as it is revealed that on a recent trip to the Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of the ocean on the planet, a plastic bag was discovered floating in the depths and the darkness, raising awareness that despite its size and still being relatively unexplored, the ocean is in danger.
This is a unique way of piquing the interest of curious readers, all of which is factually accurate, and sparking a desire to learn more through more conventional presentations.
Barbara Braxton
The adventures of William Brambleberry: Aviator Mouse by Genevieve Hopkins. Illus. by Alexandra Heazlewood
As war rages above the skies of the Cornish town of Perranporth, a little mouse watches the Spitfires of the RAAF Squadron 453 fly overhead and dares to dream... "One day I'll be the bravest, most adventurous aviator mouse in all the world."
The other mice laughed at him and told him he was too small to fly planes, but William had faith and one day, instead of just looking at them, he took the first step in making his dream come true - a step that had the most remarkable consequences.
Based on thorough research and including actual air and ground crew characters at the time, this is not only a story to encourage young readers to work towards making their dreams reality, but it will also appeal to those with an interest in military aviation and Spitfires in particular. Diagrams and accurate illustrations add authentic information and there is also the most adorable soft toy available. It is the first of three proposed stories so young readers can look forward to learning more as they read more.
With the commemoration of ANZAC Day on April 25, this is something different to add to that collection of Australia's military history to appeal to those looking for a new avenue to explore, particularly families whose families may have served either in the squadron itself, or in the RAAF generally as something other than stories featuring ground troops.
The book is available from the Military Shop and similar outlets as well as selected Australia Post shops, so an internet search would be the best way to identify your best supplier.
Themes Aviation, Spitfires, World War 2.
Barbara Braxton
My dream for you by Ash Barty with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Gentle verses tell the story of the love between a mother and her baby, as the author tells of the sorts of things the mother wishes for the baby and its future. These dreams begin before the child is born, as the expectant mother sits and ponders. She dreams of the child in her arms walking through the trees, listening to birds singing while she shares her stories. She dreams of hugs and kisses, teaching the baby to take every shot, as she may climb mountains, swim oceans and see the world. They will meet new people, cook together, make art together. The baby will be encouraged to be whatever it wants to be, the mother’s dream is that it finds its own way, flying freely to make its own decisions about life, based on the love and support it gets from home. And home and the heart will be where it always resides.
This is a loving book to share, encompassing all the hopes a mother has for her new baby.
Soft, gentle illustration complete this lovely picture book, adding to the image of a loving family, already shown in the text.
Younger readers will be encouraged to predict the rhyming words and learn a stanza or two to share.
Themes Family, Babies, Love.
Fran Knight
Wongutha tales: Bawoo stories & Badudu stories by May L. O'Brien
The delightful and accessible book Wongutha Tales is distinctly set up in two parts. The first half, The Bawoo Stories, are four traditional teaching stories of the Wongutha people. The second half, The Badudu Stories are four stories from the author’s early life as a child of a mission.
The stories were first published individually in 1992 by May O’Brien, a First Nations woman born in 1933 in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia (WA). Home of the Wongutha people, May’s early life was immersed in traditional culture until at the age of five, May was taken to Mount Margaret Mission where she lived for the next 12 years. May became the first Aboriginal woman to graduate from a tertiary college and taught for 25 years before she became the first Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in WA. May achieved many accolades in her life, fought tirelessly for First Nations people, and died in 2020.
Each of the four classic Indigenous stories in first section are told in English with traditional language used throughout. The Bawoo Stories include How Crows Became Black, Why The Emu Can’t Fly, The Kangaroo Who Wanted to be People and Barn-Barn Barlala, the Bush Trickster. All are told with a distinct message about what happens when the right thing has not been done. The second section contains four stories told with a sense of humour about situations in the Mission where there were misunderstandings due to English not being the first language. In the final pages is information about May L O’Brien as well as a pronunciation guide which would be a valuable teaching resource when looking at First Nations culture.
Themes First Nations Traditional Teaching Stories, Bilingual, Wongutha Language, Mission Life.
Seven days is all it takes for grieving Noori and run-away Aamir to realise that despite false starts and misunderstandings, they have enough in common to make a lasting relationship.
In modern day Bristol, 16-year-old Noori is grieving the death of her best friend and cousin Munazzah. She is preparing to spend a year in Lahore, where Munazzah died, in an attempt to deal with her loss. Not far away, 17 year-old Aamir has fled Cardiff after a fight with his traditional Punjabi father and is hoping that he can stay with his older brother while he sorts out his priorities and responsibilities.
Both are struggling to develop their own identity; Noori with progressive professional British/Pakistani parents and Aamir living in the shadow of his brother’s success and his beloved mother’s death.
The dual narrative encompasses seven days of Noori and Aamir getting to know each other, with each day a new section, and chapters alternating between both their points of view.
Over the seven days Noori resorts to various amusing ruses to overcome her best friend’s and family’s objections to her seeing Aamir again. They reflect on their feelings of sadness, and bond over their common experiences of death of a loved relative and being the subject of pernicious lies. As their feelings develop, they talk philosophically about running away from trouble, and seeking solace in poetry.
Growing up as a ‘third-culture’ child herself, Rebeka Shaid has written a heart-warming story of young people navigating through grief, cultural identity and parental expectations.
At a level appropriate in a YA novel there are interesting references to the Sufi poet Rumi, the fallout from the Indian Partition, and reactions of others to a young woman wearing a traditional headscarf.
This is a highly recommended story of finding yourself with the help of friends and family, with the added dimension of a cross-cultural context.
The devout Jewish Rosenthal family implodes following the death of Yosef, a Holocaust survivor. Each of the three Rosenthal children, Gideon, Elsie and Tovyah, has a last moment with their grandfather; and the impact on each of their lives is profound. Gideon becomes cynical and detached, Tovyah confronts the horror of human beings judging each other, and Elsie, the highly intelligent girl who learned at Yosef’s elbow and eavesdropped his conversation on the stairs, is overcome by the sense that her grandfather’s spirit is not at rest because his family do not honour his wish to be cremated, rather than have the traditional burial.
Yosef declares that he did not survive the Holocaust, he got out. It is later in the book that we discover the reason he is haunted by the ghost of a little boy, Ariel, and the terrible secret that lies behind his desire for his body to be destroyed by flames. The young Elsie takes on his burden, and her obsession with dark stories leads her family to believe her to be mentally disturbed. The family trauma is compounded by formidable family matriarch, Hannah’s drive to expose their life stories in print, first the life of Yosef, and then that of her daughter Elsie. The fallout for Elsie of having her famous journalist mother publish her story is horrendous.
It is a complex story of a dysfunctional family mainly told by narrator Kate, a student friend of Tovyah, and it interweaves themes of religion, politics, spiritualism, and mental health. There is a lot that the reader could go back to reread, and plenty to generate a book group discussion. Its appeal would be for the more mature reader interested in family dynamics and questions of religion and spiritual beliefs. It makes for an impressive debut novel.
Themes Holocaust, Jewish religion, Tanakh, Family dysfunction, Mental health, Trauma.
Helen Eddy
Science Factopia! by Rose Davidson. Illus. by Andy Smith
Britannica Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781804660256. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Science FACTtopia! is the sixth book in the FACTopia! series. This latest book follows the same format of the earlier books and this time allows the reader to follow the trail of 400 explosive STEM-tastic facts. These facts are all linked in some way and once again this latest handy-sized hardcover book is full of surprising and engaging information.
Filled with full colour striking graphic images, illustrations and photographs, the book begins with a contents page explaining how to use the connecting dots to each new and engaging topic. The first image presented in Science FACTtopia! is that of a young girl, Mary Anning, chipping away at the first ever discovery of a marine fossil, the Ichthyosaurus. This leads onto other discoveries including the interesting fact that palaeontologists will lick a rock if they are unsure if it is a fossil or rock. If their tongue sticks to it, it is a fossil.
Throughout the book, readers are encouraged to move away from the broken lines to turn to page numbers about other interconnected and related topics. At the end is a Sound Like a Scientist Quiz, a detailed index, plus information about the FACTtopians, as well as a sources page and picture credits.
This highly engaging series is a treasure trove of information that will excite readers of all ages. A wonderful factual book for home, school or public libraries.
Rhianna King’s debut novel opens with Beth’s voice telling how she always felt the odd one out in her family – but this is not the familiar trope of the artistic one stifled by a conservative family – but the complete opposite: Beth is the sane and sensible one in a family that is bohemian and unrestrained. She is the one that works hard and saves, whilst her sister Jarrah just trusts to her lucky stars. Beth’s feelings of frustration and resentment are so well described, they are sure to resonate with many readers.
Beth’s soulmate is her grandmother Elise, sharing a love of nature and environmental conservation. So when Beth does something uncharacteristic for her and buys a Lotto ticket, and actually wins a large sum of money, she wants to do something special for her grandmother. That becomes the challenge of tracing the whereabouts of Elise’s lost first love, from before her marriage to Beth’s grandfather. However that first relationship was complicated, and not acceptable in society at the time.
King’s novel lays bare old attitudes towards homosexuality, juxtaposing the secrecy and taboo nature of Elise and Gerry’s relationship in the past with the current day where Beth shares an office with Alannah, clearly of non-specified gender. It’s an interesting story that exposes past prejudices towards same-sex couples, perhaps providing a historical perspective that modern day LGQBTI+ readers might be hazy about.
Beth’s journey with her grandmother leads to a relaxing of her own attitudes to romance and fate, and helps her gain a better understanding and acceptance of her family. There may even be a romantic possibility for her as she spends more time with Gerry’s nephew Nick.
Both romantic threads are underwritten by themes of environmental conservation and female pioneers in nature science, with many references to the work of ornithological illustrator Elizabeth Gould, whose husband John produced ‘The Birds of Australia’. So while ‘Birds of a feather’ may be regarded as a feel-good story of love rediscovered, there are historical details that enrich the themes of female empowerment, trust and acceptance. That, combined with the gentle humour that pervades the novel, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Themes LGBQTI+, Romance, Acceptance, Women scientists, Humour.
Snowballs, written and illustrated by Matt Stanton is the thirteenth book in the Funny Kid series, and delivers a snowstorm of laughter and heart in this hilarious adventure. Readers will not be disappointed, as they are taken on a wild escapade in the snow-capped mountains, blending humour with valuable life lessons.
The story follows Max, aka the Funny Kid, on a winter getaway with his family and friends. He is fixated with finding happiness, which he believes is achieved through having money, and then when he falls madly in love with Kirby, a ski lift operator who is four years older than him, further chaos ensues.
Max is supposed to be looking after his friend Hugo, but when Hugo embarks on his own quest for happiness, their friendship pathways divide. Max is left fixating over money and pursuing his ‘true love’. Without Duck and Hugo to talk to, Max is left being assisted with the unlikely help of Abby. Will Max discover the true meaning of happiness and rectify his friendship, or will everything snowball out of control?
Snowballs is filled with awesome black and white cartoon illustrations; each perfectly complementing the story's zany tone. These illustrations add depth to the audience’s engagement level and enhance the comedic elements to immerse readers in Max's wacky world.
The presentation of the novel, with clear font and extra wide line spacing enables an easy read and should appeal to everyone, even those reluctant readers. This is a highly engaging, well planned layout and will hit the mark for anyone who loves lots of laugh out loud moments and a fast-paced storyline. Stanton strikes the perfect balance between humour and heart, creating a story that is as touching as it is hilarious.
Funny Kid is an awesome series that is filled with entertainment and regular side-splitting moments. Snowballs will have everyone laughing and enjoying another one of the Funny Kid's escapades!
Monsters do not always look ugly. In this amazing story the fragile relationship between humans and the monsters (who all look like humans) is revealed through a glimpse into a parallel timeline. Joan is a monster who is brought face to face with a human, Nick, who she was once romantically connected to in an alt-timeline, but then was required to ‘unmake’ to restore her own family. Their existence together in their current timeline is complicated because the gentle and gorgeous Nick has no memory of their previous connection, and Joan does not have a firm understanding of her own Monster family powers. As they slowly reinvent a close connection they are also required to work together to confront and quash a formidable power originating from a monster family. Both of them have family griefs that complicate their relationship, and it is hard for them to totally trust one another, but a future in a different timeline with the potential for awful possibilities must be avoided, even if their own connection suffers. Can they work together, forging connections with other monsters with varied powers, to fight against monster manipulations of the timelines and save humanity in the process?
I have stumbled into the Only a Monster series in Never a Hero, but would recommend finding book 1 before launching into Book 2! Despite that, Book 2, Never a Hero, stands alone in its own right and the premise of monsters vs humans in the shifting sands of time is explained with sufficient clarity to enable this book to be read on its own. The complexity of the fantasy time travel intricacies is so powerful in this story that it is an amazing journey backwards and forwards in time. The inter-relationships between competing monster families and the humans (who unwittingly power the time travel opportunities at the expense of portions of their life), are fraught with uncertainty and so there is automatic tension. But in addition to that, the amnesia of time travel has made a hero into a schoolboy, and removed attachments for Joan that were once very important to her. Was he ever a hero? Her confusion and uncertainty about her role and place in time helps us to feel the tensions of this unusual fantasy world. When the tensions ramp up, readers also feel the challenge of life in this unusual world where trust is a victim, and romantic connections can be lost so easily. What I loved about this book was the deft way that Vanessa Len was able to address all complexities in the time travel genre and mesh this with a monster vs humanity drama, incorporating a complex romantic relationship that was not guaranteed, and do this in a way that was not trite or offensive to readers’ intelligence. Although describing the plot framework in thus book initially made me feel foolish, I have to say that it is far more intelligent than it might seem. Another feature that adds significantly to the traversing of time is the attention to detail in ‘costume’ and social history descriptions woven into the story - evidence of Len’s intricate crafting of her story. This is a book for readers who revel in complex fantasies, and who enjoy the complications of time travel. It could be recommended to readers aged 16 - Adult, as long as the angst-laden, or on-again/off-again, potential for teenage romantic intimacy is not a deterrent.
Themes Time travel, Monsters, Revenge, Metaphysical powers, Romance, Trust, Fantasy.
Carolyn Hull
Racing Legends: Max Verstappen by Maurice Hamilton. Illus. by Cat Sims
Macmillan, 2024. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Racing Legends: Lewis Hamilton by Maurice Hamilton. Illus. by Cat Sims. ISBN 9781035035137
Young diehard fans of the Australian Formula One (F1) Grand Prix that takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia will enjoy these accessible reads about racing legends Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Set out in a novel format with illustrations throughout, these books give plenty of facts and figures for racing fanatics.
Beginning with a coloured photograph of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on their respective covers, the books then have a detailed contents section beginning with an Introduction to Formula One sharing interesting facts about the race including the astonishing detail that the cars can race up to speeds of 320 kph, and that the drivers are incredibly special and brave.
The drivers are introduced in Chapter One, with further facts spread through the books, and both have amazing stories to tell. Lewis Hamilton is the only Black driver in the F1 series and the most successful driver ever with 103 wins. He has won seven World Championships and has been racing F1 since 2007. In 2020 Hamilton was knighted by Prince Charles and became Sir Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen is the youngest driver at 17 to have ever started in and to ever win a F1 Grand Prix. Both of his parents raced cars with his mum racing karts. Racing was in his blood!
Each of the racing legends have had a full and interesting life to date and these two new releases will provide plenty of engagement for young readers who are fans of F1. There are illustrations throughout with tables, diagrams, maps, comparison facts, highlighted key words, F1 terminology as well as the opportunity to learn about what goes on behind the scenes.
Coming soon are two more books in the series featuring Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. These books are perfectly pitched at those often reluctant students who prefer fact over fiction with illustrations to break up text and are sport enthusiasts.
Themes Racing Cars, Drivers, Family, Competition, Biography.
Kathryn Beilby
The buffalemu by Paul de Guingand. Illus. by Nandina Vines
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833761. (Age:4-7)
Set in Oodnadatta, South Australia (there is a Welcome to Oodnadatta sign), the illustrations portray a dry, desolate outback with red dirt and lots of flies. These illustrations alongside a cast of Australian animals and Aussie lingo evokes a strong sense of place. The animals are worn, bandaided, scruffy and skinny. Catchphrases and slang abound (barking up the wrong gum tree, flown the coop, been around the block) that could be analysed further.
The band of old animal mates (Chewy the one-eyed red 'roo, Smokey the wombat, Johnno the crow, Roosta the three-legged dingo, Sad-Eyes the ancient goanna) have heard that their mate Aggie the emu is feeling upset. 'We'll go sort it out, with a chinwag, a yarn, have a chat. We'll head up the creek, hear out her deep thinking, and figure out where her head's at.' After a bit of an outback journey they reach Aggie, who is feeling a bit like she doesn't fit in. She wishes she had four strong legs instead of two spindly ones. 'I'd be Buffalemu!', she says. Her friends are no help so Aggie heads off on a walk, where she comes across the Australian Government logo and realises maybe she is suited to this place in her own special way. 'There's all sorts of creatures that live here and there and each of them great in their way'.
Themes Rhyming Stories, Australian Stories, Australian animals, Belonging.
Nicole Nelson
Beekeeper President by Natascha Shaw. Illus.by Jillian Packer
Soar With Wonder, 2023. ISBN: 9780646884240. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Debut author Natascha Shaw has created a gorgeous positive picture book celebrating careers that young children might aspire to. But rather than just limiting the choice to one role, how about taking on two? This could be as a hot air balloon pilot-Librarian who skilfully lowers library books to her readers on the ground, or a Teacher-Surfer who rides the waves with students floating on surfboards. There are many other clever roles included such as a Deep Sea Diver-Artist who beautifully paints the underwater coral or a Carer-Adventurer who shares the tranquil outdoors with those they are caring for.
The brightly coloured illustrations in autumnal tones by Jillian Packer are stunning. They show incredible detail and will encourage readers to pour over each page. The endpapers and the front cover are striking and set the tone for this quirky and wondrous read. The author has also included a page of thoughtful ideas to unlock the book’s potential.
Beekeeper President is a beautifully presented self-published hard cover book that would be a wonderful addition to a home, school or public library. There so many opportunities to open up discussion of the endless possibilities children could have in the future with this delightful book sending the very important message that any child can do or be anything they want.
Charlie & the Hall of Mirrors by Dr Nickers. Illus. by Aaron Pocock
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833877. (Age:4-7)
Charlie is a cat who helps his human friend Gunter in a balloon shop each day. Today they are packing the van and delivering balloons to a fair. When they arrive, Gunter tells Charlie to wait right there but then a balloon starts to float away. 'He must save the day'. But the balloon is soon forgotten, there are too many wonderful sights and he is soon captivated by the tent of mirrors. 'There were big Charlies, wide Charlies, tall Charlies, short Charlies, upside down back to front Charlies but no proper, right Charlie'. Panicked, he begins to wonder if he will ever find his normal body again. The illustrations are quite dark in this scene, with lots of images of Charlie's scared face and then eventually Charlie smashes the mirrors. 'What had just happened? He had not one idea, but all the wrong Charlies no longer appeared'. Back to the van he quickly races, in time to get back before Gunter notices. 'Charlie, is that dirt on your feet?', Gunter exclaims. Of course Gunter knows Charlie has been off an adventure.
This is a fun story with a loose thread about risk-taking and feeling safe and unsafe. Smudgy, painted illustrations bring the story to life and Charlie is depicted as quite a cute lovable little guy with big blue eyes and a vibrant, curious nature.
Well-known children’s author Jane Godwin has again shown that not only does she write award-winning picture books but that she has a keen sense and understanding of what it takes to write another compelling and engaging YA novel. Following on from As Happy As Here, When Rain Turns to Snow and A Walk in the Dark, Look Me in the Eye is about three girls just beginning high school who are navigating life after COVID lockdowns and are dealing with an intense, complicated yet increasingly fractured friendship.
Bella and Connie have been trusted friends forever but when Connie’s older cousin Mish enrols in their new high school and is in the same Year 7 class as the two girls, their friendship is tested in ways that they would never have thought possible. Living on the outskirts of the city, with the suburban sprawl slowly heading their way, Bella and Connie live in happy, comfortable homes, with Bella’s mother about to have a baby with her partner Pete, and Connie’s stable family of four focused on seven-year-old June who was premature as a baby and has significant health issues. Mish, on the other hand, comes from what appears to be the ‘perfect’ wealthy family but struggles with her own self-worth and a hostile relationship with her fanatical and over-protective father.
Under constant surveillance Mish has no privacy or independence at all. Her father tracks her every move, monitors her conversations, is scathing with his words, with his treatment of Mish bordering on abuse. What else can Mish do but try to break away from his rigid set of rules in the only way she knows how, through lying, stealing, and denying her body of food. Mish drags Bella and Connie into her dangerous schemes with serious consequences and valuable life lessons for all three girls.
There are many important and relevant themes discussed in this story. The use of tracking apps, hidden devices for recording, coercive and manipulating behaviour, mental health, body image, plus the ever-increasing issue with vaping amongst high school students. Perhaps though, the more important and most complex theme is that of trust. Who do you trust? How do you know you can trust them? What happens when that trust is broken? Can trust be repaired?
A very thought-provoking and insightful read. Teacher's notes are available.
