Karen M. McManus, author of the very popular One of us is lying and other mysteries, continues to draw in her readers with her latest mystery thriller, scattering numerous red herrings throughout the book. These keep the reader glued to the page, eagerly trying to work out who murdered Mr Larkin, Brynn’s favourite teacher.
The story is told from the viewpoint of two engaging teens, Brynn and Tripp. Brynn is returning to Saint Ambrose School after an absence of four years. She has just been given an internship in a true crime show and is determined to discover who murdered Mr Larkin. Tripp was once her best friend and with his friends Charlotte and Shane discovered the body of the teacher. The killer was never identified, the police finally putting the murderer down to somebody passing through, but Brynn has always believed that there was something to be uncovered. However, she (and the reader), are amazed at the secrets that she uncovers as she investigates.
The narrative flows along at a fast pace, as Brynn probes into the motives of all the people who could be involved. Her chapters concentrate on motives and opportunity. Tripp is a vital key to solving the mystery, and his narratives show his family background and what was happening at the time, giving an insight into his motivation while keeping the reader guessing.
McManus does not disappoint with Nothing more to tell. The pace is fast, the interlocking mysteries are well developed, and Brynn and Tripp are very likeable characters. Readers of her other mysteries will love this one, and fans of The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson, or A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson will welcome another great mystery.
Themes Murder, True crime,Thriller.
Pat Pledger
Against all odds. Young Readers' Edition by Craig Challen and Richard Harris
When a Thai boys’ soccer team becomes trapped within a cave system by rising waters, the Thai rescue needs experienced cave divers to facilitate their rescue. Experienced Australian Cave divers, Craig Challen and Richard Harris, become part of the team that works against the odds and the elements to bring the boys out alive.This is their story. Craig Challen is a retired Veterinarian from Western Australia, Richard Harris is an Anaesthetist in a South Australian Hospital, and they both are well-respected and experienced members of the Cave-diving fraternity. It is their medical expertise that makes them so vital in this risky rescue as the boys must be protected from panic and drowning as they are extracted through narrow underwater channels and through difficult underground terrain. At every stage of the rescue they must also consider what might happen if even one of the boys dies during their rescue procedure.
Even knowing the result was a success, the chronicle of the rescue is exciting and adrenaline charged. The Australian lead participants in the rescue were just part of a team and their humility is evident in this account. But the pressure of taking a medical risk in anaesthetising the boys before taking them out of the cave system is also made very plain. I really loved this real-life adventure. Having just finished listening to the Adult/Mature audiobook version of this book, I read this Young Reader’s edition wondering what might have been omitted. I was delighted to discover that the Young Reader’s edition has lost none of the excitement and tension of the original book and none of the important detail. It retains the tension and implies the psychological strength of the rescued boys and their rescuers. I would be happy to recommend this memoir to readers aged 13 -18 who are impressed by the drama of cave exploration and are interested in a factual account of a significant rescue story.
Wild bush days by Penny Harrison and Virginia Gray
Midnight Sun Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9780987380906. (Age:4+) Recommended.
I love anything about Australia’s past and to read a book about an unknown bushranger and a woman at that, working in the twentieth century is amazing. Jessie Hickman worked as a cattle duffer and thief in what is now the Wollemi National Park part of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Born in 1890, she trained as a circus performer, her horse riding skills well known and this riding ability stood her in good stead when she and her husband took to the hills.
Two children in this picture book walk over her trail through the hills, over brook and stream, through the craggy hills, searching for the cave where she held out. In lines begging to to be read aloud, we follow the children as they see the sights associated with Jessie, and her search for freedom.
The story winds its way around the hills, the children following her whispers, balancing on the logs over the creek just like Jessie did with her tightrope act, or threading their way through the undergrowth, the bracken grabbing at their knees. They hear her urge them forward, hear the hooves of the horses, aware that she is watching from the shadows.
Forgotten in history, she is now being given a place as two books and a picture book have been produced about her.
More information which will intrigue readers of all ages can be found here and here.
The sites carry photographs of Jessie and the cave in which she hid, the teapot now residing in a museum.
Themes Bushrangers, Australia - history, Women, Circus, Wollemi National Park (NSW), Adventure.
Another in the Dinosaur Roar series is sure to please young children. This time the Ankylosaurus is featured. The embossed cover picture of Dinosaur Bash! will have instant appeal with its brown, raised scales, similar to that of a crocodile, and golden claws, while the rhyming story is good to read aloud.The Ankylosaurus is called Dinosaur Bash because he had a large club on his tail that he loves to swing around. This doesn't help him to make friends as he is always smashing it down and frightening other dinosaurs away. It is not until Dinosaur Roar tells him to take care that he learns how to make friends.
The illustrations are cute and will appeal to the pre-school audience. All the dinosaurs are coloured in vivid shades, set against a white background. Their cute faces are very appealing and readers will recognise some of the dinosaurs that feature in other books in the series like Dinosaur Whizz!
A double page spread of facts about the Ankylosaurus at the end of the book will give young children some fascinating facts about this dinosaur. This is a great series for everyone who is fascinated by the lives of dinosaurs.
A joyous evocation of what country means to First Nations people is presented in this colourful, vibrant two language picture book. With Dharug and English alongside each other, the opportunity is given for younger readers to learn some language, and be educated as to its importance in Australia.
The opportunity is here for discussions about why both languages are presented and readers may question why so little First Nations languages have been seen since European settlement.
Award-winning creator of Baby Business (2019) and Cooee Mittigar(2019), Jasmine Seymour has produced a stunning bilingual story of healing and belonging.
Told in English and Dharug, Open Your Heart to Country is a visual account of re-connection to Country from a First Nations perspective. Returning home means revitalisation, being surrounded by the healing properties of country, being educated by all that is seen and heard, and being immersed in the language of the people who live there. Each brings a sense of belonging and underscores the importance of country to First Nations people.
With exquisite illustrations using mixed media, printmaking and digital collage, each page holds a fascination for eager eyes checking out the detail and evocation of country. I love the overlay of flora and fauna found on the land, the bright bottlebrush and white flannel flowers, the parrots, butterflies and fish. And I love the range of landscapes shown to the readers, as well as the array of things people do when they are there. People are not static, but involved, learning and passing on knowledge.
At the end of book the text is given in both languages alongside each other, as well as an explanation of why language is so important and why Dharag people who are from the Sydney Harbour area are working hard to bring it back to life. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Sydney Harbour, Dharug, Belonging, Aboriginal language.
Fran Knight
A semi-definitive list of worst nightmares by Krystal Sutherland
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761048777. (Age:Adolescent, Young adult) Recommended.
Not usually a fan of magical realism, I was thoroughly engaged by Sutherland’s portrayal of a team of four quirky friends and their seriously dysfunctional families. This is an outrageously over-the-top romp through teenage angst, family dynamics, love and other relationships, while also tackling the seriousness of mental illness, anxiety, suicide, compulsive behaviours and physical abuse and neglect. If this sounds over-whelming, the endearingly eccentric characters of 17 year old twins Esther and Eugene and their friends Jonah and Hephzibah keep the novel uplifting and light.
Esther has long been convinced that her family is cursed by Death, so she has compiled a semi-definitive list of 50 fears that she must avoid, but when her primary-school crush, Jonah, reappears, he forces her to tackle each fear head-on, in a series of wild adventures.
These adventures, involving geese, lobsters, moths, abandoned buildings, graveyards, small spaces and lightening, to name a few, are the backdrop to Esther and Jonah’s rekindled relationship, as well as the tender care that Esther displays towards Eugene as he succumbs to his own demons. They also enable Esther to reflect on the ambivalence that she feels towards her neglectful, gambling mother, and her father who has effectively deserted the family, consumed by his own fear.
Although the conclusion felt a little rushed and contrived, Sutherland has managed the extraordinary feat of delivering a series of rollicking escapades that seamlessly address a variety of mental health issues. In the final chapters, Esther practices a number of techniques to address her fears and anxiety, which Sutherland, in her Notes, says have been invaluable to her personally, and the book could be an effective springboard to discussions about the importance of speaking out about, and seeking help for, mental health issues.
Little Book Press, 2021. ISBN: 9780645027099. (Age:0-12 months) Recommended.
From the platypus on the front cover to the fairy penguin at the end, this little book of Australian animals and their offspring is sure to be a constantly shared experience between babies and their parents and siblings. Seven animals including an emu, koala, ringtail possum and barking gecko are shown in detail and their correct names given, while their young are all represented in a detailed drawing alongside the correct word used to describe the offspring giving readers a range of chicks and joeys, as well as a hatchling and a puggle.
Children will love viewing the black and white illustrations, seeing the detail clearly laid out for them. The contrast makes the features of each animal clear and unequivocal helping younger children to see exactly what thee animals look like.
The last double page presents the seven offspring with their correct names, prompting families to recall the name of the parent of each.
This series of little board books, easy for small hands to accommodate, are sturdy enough for lots of holding, grabbing and sometimes rough treatment. The use of black and white makes it easier for young eyes to assimilate the differences, unheeded by background and clutter. They can concentrate on the shapes presented.
Several other books in black and white have been published by Little Book Press: Sing, My first shapes, My every day shoes and My food shapes.
Raising Literacy Australia is a non profit organisation which promotes literacy and more about the group can be found here.
They encourages people to read, sing, talk and play everyday because literacy in the early years matters.
More about Little Book Press, their aims and range of publications can be found on the website.
Themes Board book, Australian animals, Babies, Baby animals, Literacy.
Fran Knight
A reluctant witch's guide to magic by Shivaun Plozza
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761043994. (Age:9-12)
Willa is working at a mill in the town of Bad Faith on the Isle of Dreary. She is on her own, since her parents were stolen by a Clouds-away curse which turned them into clouds. Willa believes it was her fault. Bad Faith lies between two covens of warring witches, Irontongue and Silverclaw. Many of their warring spells are landing on Bad Faith and resulting in mayhem for the town’s people. For example, it rains frogs, fisheyes, and snot. Supposedly Bad Faith citizens are not witches, nor do they want anything to do with witches and magic. However, amidst all the mayhem Willa is identified as a witch, although she doesn’t believe this herself. She must go and live in a castle with the royal family and be tutored in magic. Then she needs to decide on which coven to join or else she will explode! Suddenly people start losing their voices and monster Jumbles appear, which are hideous mixtures of various animals. Willa starts realizing that she is a witch but doesn’t fit the Silverclaw or Irontongue mold. Once it is proven that Willa isn’t responsible for some of these disasters, she tries to figure out who is the rogue witch wreaking all this havoc. She also has to learn how to tame her magic.
Readers need to hang on for a wild ride in this story. Shivaun Plozza has devised many creative devices, bizarre characters, and a frenetic plot. There is a theme of being true to yourself which was imparted to Willa by the healer and keeps Willa on track. “If a swan can’t quack like a duck, is it the swan’s fault?” Also, Willa has some trusted good and honest friends who support each other survive the out-of-control magic. It is certainly light and entertaining and no doubt will really appeal to confident middle year readers who love fantasy.
Another thrilling episode in the lives of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac from twice winning CWA Gold dagger author Michael Robotham is sure to be a favourite with readers of dark mysteries. Cyrus is called to Nottingham to a crime scene, a man is dead and his daughter Maya, is missing. Then another woman is abducted. While this is happening Cyrus is dealing with his brother Elias who murdered their parents. Cyrus has been asked to look after Elias as he is released from a secure psychiatric hospital, and this raises many issues from the past. Evie is trying to behave in a normal way but her past comes back to haunt her.
This is a very exciting book with tense scenes, but it is the psychological aspects of the novel that stayed with me. It is told from the point of view of Cyrus and Evie in alternating chapters giving details about what is happening from two points of view. Cyrus and his struggles to forgive Elias for killing his parents and his fears for the mental well-being of Elias are a focus of the story and left me wondering how he could cope. Evie too has flashbacks to her horrible childhood and must hide her ability to tell whether someone is lying, in an attempt to appear normal.
Supporting characters, including Mitch, a man accused of murder, are well fleshed out and the mysteries surrounding the two missing women are gripping. Robotham always manages to keep the suspense alive, and the final denouement is terrifying but a satisfying conclusion in the last chapter takes the edge off the tension and will leave readers waiting for the next instalment in the lives of Cyrus and Evie.
Winner of the 2021 Banjo Prize for Fiction, The whispering is an Australian rural noir that grabs the reader’s attention right from the beginning. Its plot is original and there are many surprising twists and turns to keep any lover of the mystery genre glued to the page.
Callum Haffenden returns to Granite Creek Far North Queensland when he hears that a local Lachie Briggs has gone missing in the rainforest. He joins in the search, uncovering long buried secrets. Two girls went missing lost seventeen years apart, the body of 2-year-old Amelia never found, and Callum, once an award-winning investigative journalist is determined to uncover the past.
The landscape that Lando describes is dark and foreboding. The rainforest drips with rain and thick vegetation that clutch at anyone who moves away from the paths. There is a strange whisper from the forest that lures people to the treacherous boulders and the threat of a cyclone makes everything worse. Children chant rhymes and wear bracelets with little bells attached to them to drown out the eerie whispers, and Callum is reminded of the belief that many townspeople have that The whispering wild will take your child if you dare to look away ...
Callum has experienced the danger of the boulders for himself, having a leg caught in a crevice and now wears a prosthetic, making it even more difficult for him to face the peril of the rainforest. Lando strews red herrings across the path of the reader in this complex multilayered story, moving from one suspect to another with the culmination of some surprising revelations at the book’s stunning conclusion.
Readers who have enjoyed books by Jane Harper and Christian White or Wake by Shelley Burr and The wrong woman by J.P. Pomare are likely to enjoy The whispering.
Reid prides himself on two key attributes as a detective, his very forgettable face, and his dogged persistence, not giving up until he has all the answers. However, in him, author Pomare has created a fallible detective hero, who makes mistakes, and who does get recognised when he returns to his hometown to investigate an insurance claim, despite his supposedly forgettable face. And despite his years of experience as a private detective and ex-police officer, he gets himself into a fair bit of trouble.
The insurance claim is the result of a car accident; the passenger Oli, a professor, dead, and his wife Eshana, the driver, in a coma in hospital. The sizeable remuneration offered to Reid overcomes his reluctance to return to a place he just wanted to forget, a place holding more than one secret from his past.
The story is told in two voices, the investigation by Reid in the present, and the voice of Eshana recounting past events in her marriage leading up to the fatal crash. For Reid the mystery is complicated by the earlier disappearance of two local girls; only he seems to think there is any connection.
The threads of the story work well together. Pomare knows how to end each chapter with a question or a discovery that keeps the reader engaged, and gradually the two viewpoints combine to to build up a picture of what might have happened. But as with any well written mystery, it is a plot that will keep you guessing, and it is not until the end that the final pieces come together.
This is a winner for readers who enjoy detective stories with interesting characters and an intriguing storyline.
Tilly's first day twist by Kylie Covark and Robin Tatlow-Lord
Little Book Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780645027044. (Age:3+)
Tilly is most excited about her first day at school. She and Mum have their breakfast and get dressed, Tilly hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. Tilly runs to the classroom but on getting to the door, her legs turn to jelly and her tummy twists up. Mum reassures her, and she counts back from five to calm her nerves. On opening the door the classroom looms big and busy and Tilly turn to her mother asking to return home. Mum who always knows the important things to do, finds a quiet space in the room for Tilly to sit. She blows kisses into her backpack.Tilly looks aound and sees boy reading a book, a girl building a block tower with her dad, a boy sitting by himself playing with the play dough. Tilly likes play dough and mum gives her a big nod of encouragement as she walks over and joins the boy at the table. She has overcome the twists in her tummy at the initial contact and mum can leave.
A warm tale of one girl’s concern at starting school is developed as her mother supports her as she finds a place where she feels confident enough to join in with someone else, mum able to leave. Tilly, like many children, is very excited at starting school, but the reality of the size and composition of the classroom are overwhelming. Mum comes to the rescue, knowing exactly what to do: in reassuring her, calming her and allowing her time to see what she feels happy with, the story provides a template of how adults should behave when a child feels concerned. Young readers will recognise the butterflies in the stomach feeling of facing something new, and be reassured that there are ways to overcome this concern. They will recognise the school situation and see from the illustrations just how daunting walking into an unknown place could be. Children will offer ways around the concerns and see ways of making a place feel more comfortable for newcomers. This story will engender all sorts of discussions touching on mental health issues of confidence and self image.
Simon & Schuster, 2022. ISBN: 9781761107559. (Age:Adult)
Gay Uncle Patrick, aka the Guncle or GUP, has been asked to look after his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, after the sad death of their mother (GUP’s best friend from his College days). His brother, the father of Maisie and Grant, has wisely (or possibly unwisely) decided that Patrick is the best option to care for his children while he seeks rehab for an addiction. Patrick is an out-of-work actor whose career on a much-loved series made him famous a number of years ago; he even won a Golden Globe award. His own grief in the loss of his partner after a car accident has left him hollow and he lives an isolated life in Palm Springs – a gay man, with a quirky view of life and an unconventional perspective on many things. The arrival of the children throws a left-field twist to his life. They are grieving (but so is he), and GUP must protect them and support them, but he does it with Oscar Wilde truisms and Gay Uncle Patrick rules that are eccentric, yet filled with an amazing tender wisdom. His almost accidental success at being ‘in loco parentis’ leads Maisie and Grant through the difficulties of grief.
This is a charming story filled with compassion and LGBTIQ flavour, with insights into the life of a caftan-wearing TV star battling his own personal griefs. The eccentric humour of the gay man totally out of his depth as a ‘replacement’ parent is charming and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. All the decisions he makes in caring for the winsome Maisie and lisping Grant would never be recommended by parenting or grief experts, but the children receive his care and wisdom at just the right time. Ultimately, the children and Patrick are given time to rediscover a healthy way to grieve and remember. Along the route of this story there are numerous examples of portmanteau wordplay – beyond brunch, there is lupper; his LGBTIQ neighbours are in a throuple; and alongside Patrick’s quotations from numerous films or plays there is a theatrical treatment of language that is entertaining. This book is an adult book with heart, but not really recommended for a school library.
Subbie and his mate by Corinne Fenton & Mark Wilson
Ford Street Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781925804980. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
Readers who love a heart-warming story and those who love a story about horses are in for a treat with Subbie and his mate. Subzero was the grey horse that won the Melbourne Cup in 1992 and Fenton has written a moving story about his life, first as a winner of the Melbourne Cup and then as the horse that Graham Salisbury, the Clerk of the Course, rode to conduct horses on the racecourse and to help train apprentice jockeys. Later Graham and Subbie went to schools, hospitals and aged care homes bringing cheer to everyone they met as well as raising money for charity.
In the extensive teacher’s notes, Corinne Fenton tells how she was inspired to write the story and met Graham and Subby, getting to know both well. She wants readers to know their story, about how they influenced horse racing and how they brought smiles to the faces of all they met. Her narrative certainly is successful. It was heart-warming to read the story of how an outstanding racer became a horse who with his beloved Graham, raised over $12 million for charity.
The illustrations by Mark Wilson are outstanding. His pictures of Subby and his surroundings stand out. On the front cover Subby looks like a cute old grey horse with a whiskered nose, while other illustrations show him galloping to the winning post in the Melbourne Cup, chasing after a runaway colt at the races and standing calmly with a young apprentice on his back. Wilson has used a variety of mediums, including doing sketches with lead pencils, watercolours, and acrylic paint, all making the horse come alive on the page. In the teacher’s notes he tells of his use of photographs and films to get a realistic picture of Subby.
This would be an exceptional book to use in a classroom if the Melbourne Cup was being discussed, and an ideal one when talking about human-animal interaction.
The setting of a 1987 coastal community unveils life for teens who love the surf and training for Ironman competitions. But within the idyllic setting there is a disaster waiting to happen. Sam lives in a caring family as the eldest of five sons. His mother is inspired by her Catholic faith to be benevolent and generous to people in need, and his father is hard-working but exhausted due to his long commute. Some of Sam’s friends from school are also involved in surf training, but it is Emily who is his oldest friend, even though they have been estranged for some years. When Emily seeks him out because of her need to escape her dysfunctional family circumstances he is thrust back into her life, but it seems she only wants limited help and on her own terms. School life becomes interesting when new girl, Rei, sets Sam’s head spinning. Her social justice focus challenges his status quo thinking. Sam and Rei’s friendship becomes more intense, and later Sam discovers that there are more issues in his friendship circle than first thought. His own problems at home are minor in comparison to the difficulties that others in his social circle are facing. These difficulties explode in unexpected ways and are confronting.
This story does not hide that there is trauma coming, as it foreshadows the final moments of a horrific event with each chapter giving a timeline countdown to this event.Quotes from onlookers and participants are included at the beginning of each chapter and these are an almost light and ill-informed signpost to the coming trauma. Slowly we travel with the lead characters as the circumstances of their lives progress inexorably towards the distressing event. The story is sad, and yet there are lighter moments scattered through the teen drama. Exploration of sexual experience, examining faith issues, and the challenges of school success and working to save for a car as a symbol of independence are also woven through the story. This story reminds me of Nova Weetman’s Everything is Changed in that we are never unaware that the story will end sadly. Only readers who can cope with the difficult violence of the story should read this book, it is not for the naive. But if it stirs the reader to think compassionately about the struggles some teens face and of life in the era before mobile phones. It is worth recommending, but the gritty details of social distress are quite confronting.
Themes Grief, Poverty, School-based drama, Mental illness, Family dysfunction, Family life - 1987, Violence, Abuse, Murder-suicide.
