Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781760526061. (Age:8-Adult) Highly recommended.
Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica is a glorious coffee table-style book that will appeal to readers both young and old. The striking photographs and stunning illustrations will provide endless hours of engagement and enable younger readers who may not yet be ready to read the text to pour over the pages and images, thereby gaining a wonderful snapshot of this mysterious and magical land of big seas, ice, snow and the natural environment.
Author Alison Lester and illustrator Coral Tulloch share their memories of journeys to this southern continent with both candour and reflective thoughts. They have interspersed their own narratives with quotes and stories from the past, and discussions in the present. There are historical facts, journal entries, quirky titbits of information, diagrams, tables, illustrations and maps, plus superb photographs of varying aspects of Antarctica.
The book begins with the story of the trip in 2006 where they experienced a storm at sea. The reader can feel the anxiety and the fear but also the trust they have that the crew and the ship will keep them safe. The first sightings of an iceberg leave them in wonder of the majestic size and … 'heralding the entrance to an old, ancient world, seen new.' Through their eyes, there is so much newness to see, read and learn. Along with the weather, the landscapes and the history, the creators share their impressions and heartfelt emotions.
Into the Ice would make a beautiful gift to be treasured and browsed through time and time again. The text is highly accessible and it is a story waiting to be read and devoured. In the final pages are detailed lists of sources, images and acknowledgments. I cannot recommend this fabulous book highly enough. A fascinating read.
Winner of the CBCA Picture Book of the Year, Are we there yet? has been republished for its 20th anniversary in a special foiled collector's edition. The National Year of Reading, 2012, chose this picture books as its focus for reading and book activities in Australia in 2012, and rightly so. It is an amazing book, considered a classic, detailing the exploits of a family and their trip around Australia in their family 4 wheel drive. With the refrain of 'are we there yet' common to everyone, everywhere, the family hits the grey nomad trail, one increasingly covered by younger families as well. A map at the start helps set the scene as the family packs up grandpa's old camper trailer with everything they think they will need for the three month trip.
A small Australian map every few pages acquaints the reader about how far they have gone and reinforces the position of the places they have stopped at. From The Cooroong to Uluru, Wave Rock to Sydney Harbour Bridge, the sights and sounds of Australia are presented in Alison Lester's beautiful illustrations and economical words. What better introduction to the Australian scenery could we hope for? I can imagine every classroom using this book as an introduction to any unit of work based around Australia, its land and its people. Reading Australia has published an unit of work for teachers.
The glowing pictures of various places around Australia are set against the family's trials and adventures, with the group pictured in their various costumes suited to the climate they are travelling through. The whole is presented with warmth and humour, underlining the vastness of the land through which the family moves, and also its friendliness and comraderie.
Editor's note. This review was first published in 2012 and has been updated.
Fran Knight
Mackenzie Arnold: Game play by Mackenzie Arnold and Jess Black. Illus. by Hannah McCaffery
Mackenzie and her friends are in the supermarket ready to compete in the Supermarket Lottery for Macca’s 12th birthday. This is a competition to see who can find certain food items and get back to the checkout first. Vying to be the winner are Ryder, Otto, Sofia, Edwin and Smiley. The winner will receive two packets of chocolate biscuits and the loser has to eat a bag of spinach. Even Macca is playing and she is thwarted by her school principal casually perusing the ice cream section. Macca is agitated and wishing she would hurry up. Of course, Macca is last but is grateful to be celebrating her birthday with her friends. Hamish and Sage join the group at the park and more birthday games are played. The first game is called Dizzy Penalties and involves a lot of spinning and trying to kick a goal. This is followed by more games, party food and a sleepover. A huge birthday celebration.
As Ryder and Macca tied in the birthday games, there is talk of one more game to finally find the winner. A football game is organised and both Ryder and Macca need to select their teams. But Ryder is on to it early and Macca is not happy. She is also in charge of organising her class fundraising idea for the school leaving gift at graduation which she has not yet done. Unexpectedly in a History lesson, Macca learns about a charter for miners’ rights and decides to create one for the upcoming soccer match much to Ryder’s annoyance. Will they be able to sort this out amicably? Or does it have far-reaching effects on the school and community? Will Macca be able to organise a fundraising event in time?
Game Play provides readers with soccer terms and plays, visual clues for readers who prefer less writing on the page and important lessons about friendship, competition and teamwork. It is an engaging fast-paced story that will be enjoyed by middle grade readers.
The Animal Action Squad is a top secret organisation of superheroes dedicated to fighting crime, and Supersquirrel is one of its operatives. With her undercover occupation as a taxi driver, and her superpowers including being able to fly extremely quickly, x-ray vision and superhearing, she has to outwit the fiendish criminal mastermind Dr Drizzle and his sidekick Rocky who have stolen a top secret formula meaning danger if it gets in the wrong hands.
But she can't do it alone - she needs the reader's help, and this is what sets this remarkable little book aside from so many. Part stepping-stone novel, part graphic novel, it is packed full of puzzles and clues that the reader needs to solve, making it as interactive as a print text can be. Being directly involved as a character means the reader has to engage with the story, the text and its illustrations rather than a skim-read-what's next book. It can be read alone or shared as participants stop to consider what they have learned from a particular excerpt and how it fits into the overall scheme of things, encouraging deeper thinking, reflection and synthesising information. Although it doesn't require making decisions to determine the path of the story, it could lead to an interest in the choose-your-own-adventure genre.
This is the first in this series that I predict will become a must-have as it reaches out to newly independent readers, including those who are beginning to think that reading doesn't really hold much for them. So much more fun than pressing or tapping buttons just to accumulate a high score. A book trailer is available.
Themes Puzzles, Super heroes.
Barbara Braxton
The backyard games by Alister Nicholson & Tom Jellett
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180927. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A nostalgic look at the games played in the backyard involving all the kids in the neighbourhood is sure to recall happy times, and nudge the young audience into organising just such a day for themselves. When all the world seems glued to a screen, a boisterous, funny book like this is sure to please, as the kids take it upon themselves to participate in a plethora of games, limited only by their imaginations and the equipment hanging in the shed.
In rhyming pairs of lines, the story unfolds as the kids pool the equipment, thinking about the heroes who have gone before them: Thorpe and Pearson and of course, Cathy Freeman.
Each of the children selects their country and hold a parade of nations around the backyard to open the games, making sure that someone is turning the sausages on the barbecue. The first quest for gold comes as the bows and arrows are used, the targets being plates from the kitchen, something that Mum is not happy about. During a foot race, one child falls over and the sportsmanship of John Landy comes to the fore. A larger child gets the weights ready, buckets of paint strung at each end of the broom handle. The same broom handle comes in handy when the children aspire to doing the high jump onto a mattress conveniently placed beneath. A group of kids bring their bikes in for a bicycle race, and after that the field events come along. All are nervous when the discus flies over the fence into a backyard where a ferocious dog patrols. Tennis and skateboarding follow, and then cricket and hockey. As the day draws to a close, medals are given out to all participants. Everyone wins in these games and as the children depart for their own homes the question arises about whose backyard will be used tomorrow.
A lovely rollicking rhythm is set up by the two rhyming lines on each page, the children encouraged to yell out the predicted rhyming word, as well as involving themselves in the range of games laid out before them. How much equipment is occupying a place in the garden shed, unused and untouched.
Children will love thinking up their own games, getting others in their neighbourhood or class to be involved.
They will delight in the images of the backyard, all the accoutrements of the Australian backyard are all there: a Hills Hoist, a dog, a gate opening onto a lane, an old esky, bits of old bird netting, discarded tins of paint, a broom, all lovingly portrayed by Jellett with his signature household of characters. Children will love looking at the range of children represented in the backyard, and check out the names of the countries represented by them all.
A warm hearted look at the way families can use their backyard, encouraging the children in their neighbourhood to get together and play together.
Both the author and illustrator offer scenes from their childhoods, making it a tender, nostalgic look at something we seem to have lost. Hopefully this book will not only entertain, but remind kids and adults alike of the pleasure to be gained in playing in the backyard.
In schools, the book offers an opportunity for classes to follow the leader and at home for kids to gather together some of their neighbours. A focus on summer, of being outdoors, to trying sports not usually undertaken, this book is a springboard for an active participation, encouraging children to step outside their comfort zones. There will be a host of questions as the story is shared: who is John Landy, Pearson or Thorpe, what countries are involved in the games, what games are involved? And looking at the different ways we all spend our leisure time, with the endppapers there to help.
Electric Postcard, 2024. ISBN: 9780593571545. (Age:14+) Recommended.
Love requires chocolate is American writer and professor Ravynn K. Stringfield's debut novel. It is written from the first person viewpoint of Whitney Curry as she arrives and spends a semester boarding at a posh Parisian lycée situated near the Sorbonne in le Quartier Latin, a short walk from the Seine. Whitney is determined to launch an artistic career by writing and performing a ..."fantastic one-woman senior thesis show...I've got to make a name for myself. The legendary Whitney Curry." She's a list maker and has a bucket list for Paris. The reader is taken on a trip through the real Paris as opposed to the tourist list that Whitney has prepared, guided by her handsome french soccer star tutor Thierry Morgan. Initially reluctant and grumpy, Thierry gradually changes and lovers of romance will not be disappointed. Progress in that department is not smooth. Will Whitney and Thierry's growing relationship just remain a Parisian romance that stays in Paris and lasts but a semester..?
Neatly, the story is bookended by, at the start, Monsieur Polignac (her escort from the airport to the Lycee International Des Arts a Paris) when he tells Whitney that the magic of Paris must be discovered by wandering-not through lists, guidebooks and websites and at the end when she realises that Monsieur Polignac..." was right all along. The only way to do Paris is not by list, but by love."
The reader cannot help but feel for Whitney as she stumbles well meaningly but clumsily through homesickness, schoolwork and friendships whilst struggling to master the french language. She grapples with the production of her play (which aims to honour the life of black American Josephine Baker- music hall artist, philanthropist and French resistance worker) and working through her Parisian bucket list along with the emotional rollercoaster of a first romance. Love of chocolate is an important ingredient of this novel.
Fresh, funny, and sweet, Love requires chocolate is a very enjoyable and recommended read for young people who like romance novels. Love requires chocolate navigates young people's emotions, aspirations and interests (especially mid- twentieth century theatre and soccer) through the eyes of Whitney-a feisty, black- American girl in Paris.
Themes Paris, Drama, Student life, Romance, Friendship, Coming of age, "The universal black girl struggle".
Wendy Jeffrey
My encyclopedia of very important dinosaurs by Dorling Kindersley
2024. ISBN: 9780241656549. (Age:5+) Recommended.
If there is one thing every teacher librarian knows about collection development, it is that you cannot have too many items in your 567.9 section - that's the section where you will find little and a-bit-bigger ones, gathered as they pore over the stories and information of those fascinating creatures that ruled this planet until 65,000,000 years ago.
So this publication from the non fiction experts will be a welcome addition as it is written especially for those who are almost independent readers but still need lots of illustrations and accessible text.
It includes everything from an in-depth exploration of the triassic, jurassic, and cretaceous periods and how fossils are made, to detailed profiles of popular dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus, to more unfamiliar species such as Microraptor, Guanlong, and Spinosaurus.
For decades DK have had the best reputation for delivering quality non fiction for young readers and this is no exception. Pitched perfectly for its intended audience, it will satisfy the curiosity of those with a passing interest, while leading others on to more complex texts.
This fourth and final book in The House at the Edge of Magic series sees Nine and her unique assortment of friends journeying to the moral realm in search of a stargold locket. Hidden in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures and guarded by Nine's old foe, Pockets, the locket holds the key to shaking a tricky witch off their tail. But even if they can get the locket back, will they be able to find a way to unlock its power?
Wonderful characters and their sense of belonging within this strange makeshift family unit make this series beloved by many. Flabberghast the wizard provides some dry humour, Eric the troll is short on words but loyal and caring and Cas is a pessimistic gargoyle who only recently joined the crew. Flabberghast's sister and his two aunts are the other main protagonists in this final installment, but not all welcome ones, as they have their own reasons for wanting to find the locket.
This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order, with lots of characters from previous books popping in and out and loose ends being tied up. Fans of Nevermoor, Harry Potter and similar magical realism series are obvious targets. Additionally, these are heavy on teamwork and relationships and light on sinister magic or tragedy, so for those children who might find some fantasy books too heavy, this series is a good starting point.
In this fantasy world, redolent of early 20th century Russia, two sisters, Sera and Galena, have gods grafted inside their bodies, caging a demonic power that they can draw on in moments of danger. It is part of a plan by their now-dead mother Irina, to create two living weapons in the revolution against the cruel queen Isidora and the Imperial elite who all have god-like powers. However the experiment is not entirely successful, as both girls struggle with their internal dragons. For Sera, it is particularly difficult as her god hates her, and will only respond to her call if she cuts herself and draws blood.
There is a lot of backstory to this novel which is only revealed casually in snippets as the novel progresses, to such an extent that reading it I wondered if I had missed something, and thought this must be a sequel. But no, it is the first of a planned duology. My advice is to thoroughly read the inside cover flap to get a good summary of significant background events. For example, we find out that Sera at one time had a husband; it is only when Vitaly appears in the plot that we learn of their past relationship. It seems that May is more interested in the conflicts and relationships within the fantasy world rather than providing context and character development.
The characters use various Slavic sounding diminutives when addressing each other and there are terms from an imagined language, with a short glossary at the end. At the same time they often use modern day expletives which sound jarring and out of place. The writing style is frequently melodramatic and rushed. Perhaps it is the use of strong language and occasional steamy sex scenes that have led publishers to describe this as a book for adults rather than YA but there is a definite YA flavour to the writing and the plot.
For romance-fantasy readers there may be aspects that will keep them reading this book: the central concept of drawing on caged internal gods is interesting, and there are also two romances to follow, the antagonistic love-hate relationship between Sera and Vitaly, and the Sapphic attraction between Galena and Princess Vasilisa, daughter of the enemy queen.
There is a dramatic, though predictable ending, and the novel can stand on its own, but still offers possibilities for a sequel. Readers will know when they finish it whether they want to continue with the next in the duology.
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781760877033. (Age:9-14) Highly recommended.
In a very powerful way this book enables us to experience the awful disaster of flooding as we walk alongside Max and his family during the Brisbane flood of 2022. Max lives on a street where everyone gets along well. They share the big and small joys of life, and Max has even spent a year being home-schooled alongside his near-neighbour, Bianca. He is now at a new High School and enjoys sport and riding his bike, and occasionally hanging out with Bianca, who is a bit of an environmental junior-warrior. When the weather events of late 2021 and early 2022 send a combination weather-bomb to South-east Queensland, dams are already full, creeks can’t take any more water, and yet the heavens have opened and dumped an enormous volume of water in their environment. Flooding is the only consequence for Brisbane suburbs on the floodplains. Max tells us what this is like, through his eyes. He also rescues a young boy that he has recently befriended, and we feel the impact of rising mud and displacement for his community.
This series is so powerful in giving an empathetic view of disasters and how they affect real people. This story is fiction, yet it is based on the real experiences of people from the time. (Max’s mother is a News Helicopter pilot, and her experiences during this huge weather event give an insight into this work role, particularly during a horrific weather event.) I was impressed with the way Prue Mason built the tension in this story as the water rose and was gripped by the real-life dilemmas for each character in the face of an unstoppable weather event. Every character was engaging and the cross-cultural customs for Max’s Eurasian family added another interesting insight. This is a book to recommend to readers aged 9-14 who enjoy real-life adventures. Teacher's notes are available.
Prim and Pree by Sue Neudegg. Illus. by Aaron Pocock
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833433. (Age:5-8)
This is a tale of two very different towns named Prim and Pree. Prim is a grim, stern, predictable town, full of people who dream only of expensive things. They dream of a Biff-Boff, an expensive and rare machine that does nothing at all. The mayor of Prim believes the world is completely flat. In comparison, Pree is a place of colour and cheer, full of singing and music. The mayor of Pree knows the world is beautifully round. When she cannot persuade the mayor of Prim to come and explore the world around them, she uses her magic on him. 'I must see these places!', he cries. They stroll through varied lands of wonder and delight until they get back to Prim, where he leads the people of Prim out of their dark, narrow place and into the round and amazing world.
This story carries a lovely message of opening our hearts and minds to the world around us and finding joy in diversity.
Themes Rhyming story, Adventure.
Nicole Nelson
Curious creatures talking together by Zoë Armstrong and Anja Sušanj
Flying Eye Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781838740351.
Communicating and connecting with others is a critical part of human behaviour and essential for their well-being, whether it be through the spoken word, body language or other means like sounding a siren or wearing a school uniform. But the animal world is just as 'talkative' whether it be through sound, movement, colour or smell and in this book , the third in this series, young readers are introduced to some of the ways animals communicate and why and how they do it.
There are spiders that dance, whales that sing and lemurs that communicate with seriously smelly stink fights! Australia has its own entries including the tiny peacock spider that displays a colourful fan as part of its mating routine, and the satin bowerbird with its propensity for all things blue (and the focus of the 2024 National Simultaneous Storytime).
Throughout, there is a link to how the animals' behaviour is similar to that of humans, such as the wearing of bright clothes to attract attention much as the peacock spider does, and there is an underlying message of trying to understand what they are 'saying' so we become more empathetic and protective of them.
Absolutely fascinating, particularly for those who are interested in the animal kingdom already, and worth seeking out the others in the series.
The Night Ends with Fire is a dark retelling of the Ancient Chinese folk story of Mulan, a young woman who disguises herself as a man, enlists in the army and finds great glory. Gone is the clumsy, naïve, and loveable heroine of the Disney imagining however, and in her place is Meilin, angry, troubled, and desperate to make a name for herself in a world of men.
Traumatised by her opium addicted father and haunted by her mentally ill mother’s death, Meilin reaches her breaking point when her father decides she must marry so he can clear his debts with her dowry. While the original Mulan is driven by filial piety, choosing to sacrifice herself for her aged and sickly father in the imperial draft, Meilin decides that the front line of a battle between war lords is preferable to her violent household and impending marriage.
Disguised as Ren, Meilin joins a squadron of other young conscripts. At first scorned for her small stature and lack of training, Meilin soon catches the eye of the battalion commander, the royal prince Sky. But as the two grow closer it becomes harder for Meilin to maintain her physical charade. Not only that, ever since she left home, Meilin has begun to hear voices. Is she going mad like her mother or is there something more deadly at work?
The Night Ends with Fire is a story characterised by strength – strong writing, strong world building and strong characters. Meilin is a well-developed and multi-layered figure whose emotional journey adds depth to the novel. Fans of emotional and character-driven stories will find The Night Ends with Fire particularly enjoyable. It is necessary to warn however that the novel contains some scenes and acts of violence and brutality. As such, it is best suited for an audience of sixteen years old and above.
Themes Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, War, Ancient China, Mythology, Magic.
Rose Tabeni
Buried deep and other stories by Naomi Novik
Del Ray, 2024. ISBN: 9781529916225. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Buried Deep and Other Stories is a wonderful collection of 13 stories by Novik, the author the Temeraire series, the Scholomance series, Uprootedand Spinning silver. Many of the stories are set in the worlds of her longer novels, and readers will enjoy visiting the halls of the Scholomance series once again, enter the fairytale worlds of Uprooted and Spinning silver and find new worlds set in history and mythology.
The complexity of her narratives compelled me to keep reading, moving onto the next story in the collection, even though I had initially thought I would only read the ones in the worlds that I had enjoyed. Even though I had not read the Temeraire series I found myself flying on a dragon with Antony in ancient Roman times and then became engrossed by Captain Elizabeth Bennett and her dragon in 'Dragons and Decorum'. I was deeply engaged in the fairy tale settings of 'Spinning silver' and 'Blessings' and had my heart strings wrung by the soldiers in the World War 1 trenches in 'Lord Dunsany’s teapot'. However three stories stood out for me. I loved 'After hours' set in the Scholomance, following the footsteps of Beata and Maceo as they crept out after the curfew to get supplies, danger stalking them all the way. 'Buried deep', the story of Adriadne and the labyrinth left me feeling unsettled, knowing that I would have to revisit the legend and the story again. 'The long way round', with its wonderful sea captain Tessa, sailing an unknown route in a boat made by her brother and finding an unoccupied land with strange architecture, gave me a taste for Novik’s next series, which I am now eagerly awaiting.
The thirteen stories in this collection will be a feast for fans of Novik’s work and a must read for lovers of fantasy.
Themes Short stories, Fantasy.
Pat Pledger
George the wizard by Tony Armstrong. Illus. by Emma Sjaan Beukers
George the wizard is alone on top of the mountain. He tends his gardens, zooms around on his flying cloud, and plays with the animals. At night he uses his magic to draw him a wonderfully hot bath with bubbles. He realises that the one thing missing is friends. But he thinks, if he tried to find some friends, they might laugh at him.
Unbeknownst to George, a girl in the nearby village called Harriet could hear that he was lonely, so sets off to help him find friends. She tells him who she is and what her mission is but, to avoid doing what she suggests, he tells her: I have to charge my flying cloud, and I have to feed the animals. Harriet presses and takes him back to her village. He is enchanted especially when he sees the dragon. But Harriet tells him that the dragon means they are under attack. George sees the damage the Dragon is causing, and uses his magic to help the village survive the onslaught.
After the dragon has gone, Harriet introduces George to her friends. They are at first surprised, and George’s heart does a flip, anticipating rejection. But this does not eventuate. They are all thrilled to have a Wizard in their midst, and tell him how cool he is. His tummy does a flip but this time it is a happy flip as he invites his new friends to come to the mountain and meet his animals.
A deceptively simple story of making new friends has loads of layers as it touches on rejection, fear of the unknown, hiding away, feelings of inadequacy and so on. Discussing the story, kids will bring up times they have felt alone, or not good enough, or shy and the responses by other kids and adults will be to talk about the times they are happy, or feel befriended, or feel they are sharing their lives with others.
Bright bold illustrations cover each page, giving a clear indication of the life George is leading by himself, the wizardry he uses to save the village, and the contentment they all feel at the end, he with new friends, they with someone with a special skill which wil help them out.
Tony Armstrong is no stranger to kids who follow football and sports’ reports, and Emma Sjaam Buekers, with Ngemba/Ngiyampaa, Dutch and Irish heritage, brings lots of different styles and ideas to her work.
Another book by the same pair is Maggie the Dragon to be published in 2025, with the theme of following your dream.
