The front cover shows a skewed motor vehicle and two animals sitting in the front, their eyes staring out to the right. I laughed out loud, wondering what they are looking at, and where they are going, questioning what the bear's name is if the bird is Bertie. The happy pair motors down the road with a rhyming refrain telling us about Bertie and the dog travelling together, 'My bird, Bertie' repeated often, giving children a solid dose of alliteration, rhyming words, repetition, predicting rhymes and singing along. All good fun.
Then Gertie is seen along the road, and the car stops for her. Now there are three, the driver, my bird Bertie and giggling Gertie. All too soon silly billy Tilly is added to the crowd. By now, the looks on the driver's and Bertie's faces tell a different story from the looks on their passengers' faces. And children will be laughing out loud repeating the words and predicting the rhyming words within the verses. When the crowded interior of the car becomes suffocating for the driver and his friend, Bertie, they spy a bus! And just in time as another larger group of people is waving down the car.
A clear, large font, with a text that uses repetition, alliteration, prediction and humour, sit beautifully with wonderfully fluid illustrations, the detail of which will cause eager eyes to pick out lots of smaller elements featured on each page. I love watching the changes in facial expressions, and enjoyed the detail in the end papers.
The old adage 'two's company, three's a crowd' takes on a life of its own in this humorous book, impelling children to think about the application of this adage to the story.
With Sumo Cat, Ninja Bird and Kung-Fu Worm on the case, what could go possibly wrong. These three intrepid heroes make up The Don’t Panic Gang, their promise, We Are Right Here to Help emblazoned across the rooftop near their house on top of a small apartment building, atop a pizza shop. Next door is Sumo Cat's favourite restaurant, Joe's Doughy Donuts, Sumo Cat's favourite food.
One day the trio is quietly resting when across the rooftops comes a cry for help. Without a second’s hesitation, they dress themselves in their superhero costumes: Cat pulls on his Sumo wrestler's loin cloth (mawashi), Bird grabs his disguise which covers his head and eyes, while Worm ties a red scarf around his head. They leap over the apartment buildings around them, crossing from one to another, each time coming closer to the cry for help. As the cry gets louder, their anticipation peaks, until they look over the window sill in the bathroom to assess the problem.
Children will laugh out loud at the twist in the tale, as the one calling for help is not the one children will expect at all, and a fourth member is inducted into The Don't Panic Gang
The illustrations will keep children laughing as they spy detail on each page furthering the story of our superheroes. The detail of the high street with its array of businesses, the apartment buildings of all different shapes and sizes, the detail of the superheroes' living room, all conspire to give readers a richly humorous understanding of what lies behind this outlandish team's aim to help.
Readers will love talking about what scares them and how they deal with it, what things may lurk in their house or garden which need to be avoided, and just who is the superhero they could call on in need.
This is Number 27 in the series involving the intrepid Stephanie Plum. (This reviewer confesses that this is her first introduction to this determined and feisty character, but the book is easily read as a stand-alone book.) Stephanie faces conflict head-on and with her multiple odd sidekicks is able to carry out her job as ‘bounty hunter’, bringing in those who have avoided their court appearances threatening the loss of their bond (bail surety). She is also attempting to assist her grandmother to find a ‘treasure’ that an ageing crime syndicate has hidden. Unfortunately, the clues they seek are often protected by some nefarious characters or are at risk of being lost as the ageing crooks die.
With a mix of humour and action (very much like a Lethal Weapon movie with a female lead), Stephanie leads her entourage of willing and less-enthusiastic family, friends, law enforcement specialists and new acquaintances on a thrilling chase through tunnels and side streets, and with bullets and bad guys aimed in her direction. With a movie-like action narrative, with punchy dialogue, this will appeal to lovers of US Crime drama. Stephanie is portrayed as a character with flaws, foibles and failings and is intensely likeable (and is also conflicted in her romantic life), somewhat akin to the Mel Gibson character – Riggs, from the Lethal Weapon movie series. This will be enjoyed as a great holiday-read escape for adult readers.
Recommended for adults as a light crime drama.
Themes Thriller, Suspense, Crime drama.
Carolyn Hull
The hospital dog by Julia Donaldson. Illus. by Sara Ogilvie
With a lively dog bouncing happily from one ill child to another over pages filled with colour and movement, verve and laughter, children will readily pick up and read about Dot, the hospital dog.
Her owner, Rose takes her swimming each day - then they hop onto the bus to get to the hospital where Dot spends her time being a companion in the Wallaby Ward, full of children. Rose and Dot love their work and this is reflected in the wonderful rhyming lines, impelling readers to predict the last word of each pair of lines, adding some of their own as they reread the story, while the sometimes repeated lines:
Here is a dog, a Dalmatian called Dot Is she quite ordinary? NO SHE’S NOT!
form a refrain that children can easily learn and repeat while the story is read.
The stunning illustrations show the range of children in the ward; a bored teenager, a child without hair, kids on crutches or bed bound, children in wheelchairs, kids who are unsure or unhappy, and Dot visits each helping in some way to make them smile.
I love the depiction of the hesitant mother and toddler, both wary of the dog, but seduced by Dot's enthusiasm and love. The sting in the tale where a deaf boy is about to cross the road without looking brings Dot's abilities to the fore, putting herself in the place of the boy, taken to a different sort of hospital. A wonderful resolution sees the Wallaby Ward children returning the love shown them by Dot as they visit her.
A warm hearted story, children will eagerly talk of their visits to hospital or the vet with their animals, opening the classroom conversation to illness and hospitals. For some who are hesitant about going into hospital, this book provides a model of just what a hospital is and who is in them, and shows the range of things which best children causing them to be taken into a hospital.
The illustrations depict all the sorts of things children might see in a hospital, encouraging them to talk of charts, sanitiser, doctors and nurses. The comparison with Dot in her own form of hospital, recovering from her own accident, is a great lead in to calm children’s inexperience.
But above all The hospital dog is funny and lively, entertaining and absorbing as Dot careers around the hospital, making everyone smile.
By the same author and illustrator who produced The detective dog (2018).
Themes Hospitals, Accidents, Illness, Dogs.
Fran Knight
The thing that goes ping! by Mark Carthew and Shane McG
Ford Street Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781925804669. (Age:4+) Recommended.
A funny look at the animals and activities which occur on a farm is presented in this lively picture book pursuing the sound that goes 'ping'.
In the town of Figgy-tra-ling is the ring of something that goes ping. Intriguing the reader, the quest continues over the hills and down the dales, around the houses and across the fields until the source of this noise is found. And all in rhyme.
Animals in their enclosures are asked: a koala (I am not a bear) over there, a snake in the lake, a hen in a pen, a donkey that likes to chat as long as you give it a pat, a duck near the truck and a pig in a sty. All respond to the question about the ping, but to no avail, So the quest continues.
The fun of the rhyming lines will not be lost on the audience, as they predict the rhyming lines, learn some of the lines to repeat when the book is next read, and laugh at how the rhymes are resolved. I spent a few minutes thinking about how the author would think up a rhyme for donkey, only to find that the sentence was twisted around to make something else instead. I did laugh, as will the audience.
The lively illustrations full of detail will invite readers to take a closer look at the animals and activities of living in a small community or on a farm. They will learn the words that apply to the enclosures some animals live in (sty, pen, bog, lake etc) while absorbing some of the things found on a farm (windmill, dam, lake, farmhouse, truck etc). This is a cute introduction to life on a farm, which very few of our kids are involved with, so widening their horizons. And combining the idea of the farm with a quest adds to the intrigue and adventure. Younger readers will love offering information about animals they have come across, or farm activities they have been involved in, but best of all, hearing the story read again. Teacher's notes and other activities are available.
Themes Farms, Animals, Humour, Quests.
Fran Knight
The virus by Ben Martynoga
David Fickling Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781788452106. Highly recommended.
From the Blurb :
WHERE DID IT COME FROM, AND HOW CAN WE BEAT IT? It's 15,000 times smaller than a flea and we can kill it with a bar of soap - so how did a tiny, fragile virus change the world? Join science expert Dr Ben Martynoga and illustrator extraordinaire Moose Allain on a fascinating, sometimes funny, and occasionally scary journey through the world of viruses. Explore the science behind viruses and the COVID-19 pandemic in a fascinating story of hijacked human cells and our own internal emergency services.
In a world of misinformation this book gives students and children the information they are seeking in a fun and easy to read format.
The book has a huge range of information about the Corona Virus and viruses in general along with how our bodies become infected and how we fight the invasion of our bodies by viruses and the COVID-19 virus. The appeal of this book lies in the illustrations that show the size of the virus compared to an average teenager (1.5metres tall); there are also fabulous illustrations of what is going on inside a healthy cell and one that the virus has infiltrated. The illustrations will appeal to children and help to explain the information in an engaging way.
The book explains why we can't just eradicate all viruses even if we knew how to and shows that while it is scary and having an impact on how we live our life, the COVID-19 virus may actually benefit the world and humans in some way - think climate change and slowing down. This book aims to educate and inform both children and adults and ensures that the reader will finish the book better informed and more optimistic for the future.
The addition of a glossary at the back helps the reader to understand some of the bigger words or concepts in the book and is a welcome and necessary addition.
Mhairi Alcorn
The mysterious disappearance of Aidan S. by David Levithan
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922330918. (Age:12-17) Recommended.
Twelve year old Aidan shares a room with his 11 year old brother Lucas; they are not only close in age but Lucas thought they were close in everything, that is, until Aidan goes missing for six days. The search becomes more and more serious as the day pass and Lucas is subjected to intense questioning as to why his brother should have left and where he might have gone. By day five there is a sense they are looking for a body rather than a missing child, then, on the evening of day six Lucas hears a sound in the attic and finds Aidan sprawled in front of an old dresser, looking lost. When Lucas asks where he has been he says "Avienieu". Once the joy of reunion fades, the need to know where he has been takes its place. Everyone wants to know Aidan's story but a story can be real or made up and once a story is shared it can be taken over by other people and you lose control of it. Lucas resolves to record Aidan's story without judgement and we learn more about his Narnia like experience of Avienieu, a fantastic otherworld, and his complicated feelings about returning. Lucas also records how his brother is changed and seems lost, the target for the frustrations experienced by his family and the judging world we live in.
This is not a fantasy story, there is little world building, it is about the scariest thing that ever happened to this family, the aftermath of Aidan's disappearance and how they find a way to move on. The subtitle "(as told to his brother)" places the narrative firmly inside the family as they struggle to understand. There is the constant tension as we anticipate a 'true' explanation while their relationships with their community, school and each other deteriorate. It seems that when something like this happens the best we can hope for is that something more suprising will happen to someone else, to divert attention elsewhere. As for the boys, what turns out to be important is Lucas's belief, support and protection of his sibling, a positive message delivered in a fluent, engaging narrative.
Recommended for middle school students and lovers of Levithan's many other YA books.
Themes Siblings, Family.
Sue Speck
What Zola did on Thursday by Melina Marchetta
Penguin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760895181. (Age:6+)
When Zola is rude to her neighbour, Mr Walton, her mother is unhappy with her and Zola comes to realise that perhaps what she did is not the best way to approach the reclusive man next door.
An opportunity comes around for her mother to get the two together when the school runs a music competition in which students are invited to play a musical instrument alone or in groups. Zola interest is intensified and she practices her trombone, despite Mr Walton calling over the fence about being in tune. She seeks out her friends to join her and together they find a place to rehearse. But all they need is to decide together what tune to play and then of course, find a leader.
This series of books, set one on each day of the weeks and showing Zola's activities on each day, is a joy. She is a singleminded young girl, intense and forthright, but sometimes oversteps the mark, being pushy and bossy. The stories show her needing to calibrate her behaviour in response to her friends' needs, as well as those of her mother and nonna, who lives with them.
The family background is warm and encouraging, the friends and school easily recognised by all readers, offering a glimpse into a life that parallels their own, but has a few truths to contend with as Zola must learn to keep out of trouble. Readers will sympathise with Zola's behaviour as she sometimes does not stop to think things through, but a solution always occurs which rounds everything off beautifully.
Hudson's black and white drawings reveal a street with similar houses, backyard gardens, and produce sold a the Farmers' Market on the weekend. Readers will enjoy the humour in the drawings as Zola and her friends try to achieve their dream of being in a band.
I have read all the books, beginning with Monday and love them all for their quiet intensity of a child growing up, learning her place in the world.
A page turner of a political thriller by journalist Brissenden oozes with background knowledge of gangs and corruption at a high level as Sid Allen a veteran of Afghanistan now working with Australian Federal Police, but seconded to a specialist terror unit, trawls through the multi layered slush that lies on Sydney's streets.
After the murder of highly respected politician Dan LeRoi along with an unknown drug dealer, the reports are all of terrorism and fear which feeds into the Prime Minister's calls for greater surveillance. Attending the man's funeral, a shot rings out and the Prime Minister is whisked away: another reason to call for more power to the anti terror squads.
We've heard it all for real, so this book crystallises some of the misgivings many have about political knee jerk reactions. But journalist Zephyr Wilde is there, investigating LeRoi's murder, linking it to her investigation into the death of her mother, brothel owner Shirley Wilde, twenty years before.
Sid's relationship with Zephyr becomes more personal as she returns home to find her cat killed, the body left with a warning note. Her leads have seen her interviewing the two cops still alive from amongst those stationed at Newtown when her mother was killed, and when both are murdered Zephyr is in the spotlight. But Sid’s delving has caused ripples in higher places and his team is disbanded and he is put on semi permanent leave with their investigations whisked off to Canberra and the AFP.
Something is on the nose, and Sid keeps delving, Brissenden taking the reader along for a most enjoyable ride. The last two chapters wrap it all together with a high octane eye popping intensity, leaving the reader wanting to read more.
Themes Corruption, Police procedure, Political crime, Murder.
Nia longs to tell her magical stories and to continue with her education, but the life in the slums where she lives in Jakarta is not kind for the girl with dreams of more. After surviving a serious accident, she is feted as a miracle and the superstitious locals flock to her fried banana stall to seek her good luck. The irony of this is plain to the reader but reveals the complexities of life for many in the slums. Will her luck remain or will poverty and misfortune be her constant companion, or will she be rescued by a man who showers her with attention? Will her father’s alcoholism stand in the way of her future or is there something else that offers hope?
This story reveals much about the circumstances for those who live with poverty, superstition and limited education in Indonesia. But it is also a gentle story of a young girl who is not prepared to remain silent and who wants to be heard and to be appreciated. It also has her 'fantasy tales' woven through the story as she shares these stories with her younger brother. Written powerfully, so that we feel the pain of living with an alcoholic parent and mourning the loss of another, but also can recognise the pride and self-worth of the young girl. This is a book that will resonate with young women who desire to be valued, even though its cultural setting is so different. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Dreams and aspirations, Indonesian culture, Poverty, Alcoholism.
Once again, I was rivetted by the story of Lee Westfall, as she fights against the injustices that she and the mining community of Glory face. In this conclusion Lee must survive the machinations of a powerful billionaire who is determined to destroy her little band of friends. She has finally found a place to settle and is surrounded by the misfit gang from the wagon train but is determined that the little town of Glory should be given its own charter and sets off to San Francisco. There while trying to retrieve the house that Becky Joyner’s husband had had dismantled and sent by sea, they uncover all the dishonest things that the billionaire, Hardwick, has in place to defraud the local people out of what should rightfully be theirs. Therein follow some very exciting and dangerous adventures, while a twisted complicated plot is hatched to bring Hardwick down.
The historical aspects of this trilogy are beautifully described and brought to life by Carson, who obviously has done a lot of research into early gold mining and the history of San Francisco. I could almost smell the mud and see the ship Charlotte which had been refitted to house not only Lee and her friends, but the horses as well. In this book, she also brings to light the struggle that women had, not being able to own property once they married. Becky Joyner is denied access to claiming her house because she did not have a husband, and Lee has second thoughts about marrying because it means her husband will own everything. The plight of the poor, African Americans and Indians is also examined.
Lee continues to be a strong, thoughtful leader and readers will be delighted with the conclusion to this trilogy.
Themes Strong female character, San Francisco - History, California, Gold mining, Adventure, Fantasy.
The second in the historical fantasy series by award winning Carson, sees Lee Westfall finally stopping in an area rich with gold where she can use her magic powers to seek out the rich ore and help her friends from the wagon train find gold as well. The team gradually build up a community, name their little settlement Glory and start to construct a town of sorts. Jefferson, Lee’s best friend, continues to woo her, but her Uncle Hiram is still a menace, determined to get her under his control.
Like a river glorious sees Lee's powers becoming stronger, giving the book more of an element of fantasy than the first in the series, Walk on earth a stranger. Not only can she sense gold, but she can also now draw it to her, and this ability is one that helps her out in times of danger. There is some action and adventure as Uncle Hiram sends his men after Lee, but what I found most fascinating about this book was the descriptions of life in a mining camp, the loneliness of the miners who were happy to eat Becky's poorly cooked food, the way gold was panned and the shafts built, and the treatment of the Indians and Chinese at that time.
Lee is a character I was happy to follow; she is strong and determined and very loyal to her friends. And she is also a leader, and although she is still in her teens, the group of misfits from the wagon train are happy to follow her advice and support her in her endeavours.
This is quality historical fantasy and should appeal to lovers of the historical genre as well as the fantasy one.
Themes Adventure, Gold mining, California - History, Strong female character.
This is the story of Maverick Carter, the father of Starr, whose story we read in the award-winning novel The hate U give by Angie Thomas. Concrete rose is the prequel to that book, but easily stands alone as an extremely moving story of a young black teenager struggling to come to grips with the burden and joys of unexpected fatherhood.
The setting is one of gangland battles, drug dealing, and racial profiling by the police. With the odds already stacked against Mav ever breaking free of that culture, his problems are compounded by the demands of providing for a baby. How can he ever go straight, finish school, and live up to the responsibilities of a caring father, the challenge set for him by his cousin and close friend Dre?
Thomas writes in the spoken language of the black ghetto, not unfamiliar to most readers due to the plethora of American movies, and it soon becomes a natural flow that you can hear as you read. This is one of the strengths of Thomas's writing, as a former teen rapper.
Concrete rose is an incredibly compassionate story; the love that Mav feels for a baby so totally dependent on him, the overwhelming fatigue, and the brick wall obstacles he faces, help us to empathise with the life of a single young father, a rose struggling to grow up out of the concrete. Fortunately there is a community of caring people who help him.
Themes Single parenthood, Black Lives Matter, Gangs, Toxic masculinity, Responsibility.
Subtitled Find Your Kindred Spirits this simple, black and white graphic novel's central character is depicted draped in a ghostly sheet. We only see the feet and hands of the Sad Ghost, alone with a cat, an unfinished essay and anxiety. When Sam, or S.G. as he prefers, is invited to a party he agrees to go and is immediately anxious, worrying about it so much that he panics on a trip to the supermarket and ends up in a lovely quiet spot overlooking the town where a frog hops over for company. In the lead up to the party S.G. talks to the cat about his worries and gains confidence in his decision and sets out bravely but once there he seems to be invisible to other partygoers and is about to leave when he spots another Lonely Ghost, Socks, on the other side of the room. He tries to make conversation with Socks but finds it difficult. When Socks runs from the room S.G. follows and when Socks says "nothing feels real and I just feel so stuck inside my head" S.G. says "I know exactly what you mean." Anxiety and depression are hard to talk about and sometimes meeting someone who understands the everyday struggle can be life changing. Sam decides to reach out to find his fellow Sad Ghosts and this book reaches out beyond the pages to https://thesadghostclub.com where there are links to helplines, a blog and merchandise.
The book’s poor quality off white paper lets the simple, monotone graphics down, maybe enhancing the feeling of depression but not inviting the reader to turn the page and sometimes making tiny text hard to read. The many frames where nothing much is happening make it a bit long which might add to the damped down feeling of its depressed characters but risks losing the reader. There is a list of resources at the end of the book but they are all UK based, it would be nice to see some Australian resources or a link to them for books destined for overseas distribution.
Teens struggling with anxiety, loneliness and depression will find this a gentle and hopeful book while others might gain some insight and reach out to the lonely ghosts in their circle of friends.
With a front cover to link to the newly released movie based on this book, this book will be reread by the latest generation of Roald Dahl devotees. With his wicked wit and quirky style in which children seem to have more intelligence than adults, Dahl has created an impish story where witches trip over themselves in trying to eliminate children from the world. The young boy who is the central character has a sad start to life and must go to live with his Norwegian Grandmother who tells him stories . . . and particularly stories about witches. An unfortunate encounter with these evil, magic-wielding women leads to hair-growing animal transformations for the boy, but ultimately his goodness and intelligence (and his mouse-like qualities) lead to the downfall of the wicked witches.
Dahl’s style is irrepressible and sometimes naughty, but this book demonstrates that his style is attractive for children who like to see kids overcome difficult circumstances with good grace. Considering the losses that the boy experiences there is no maudlin focus on this loss. The awful witches are quite gross and revolting in manner and appearance and children are more likely to be horrified by this in film than when reading this story. There is a tongue-in-cheek critique of many adults in authority and of greedy self-focused children, but also no respect for the witches.
