Reviews

E-boy: Robofight by Anh Do

Ethan has spent a week on the run. He has transformed from being a teenager with a brain tumour to a super-human with power to hack any electronic computer system using his thoughts only. Doctor Penny, a well-renowned surgeon and roboticist, has joined Ethan as a fugitive from both the evil President Bonner and her own android creation, Gemini.

Book Two of this fast-paced story is set in an arena where The Robofight Games are being held. The Games are an opportunity for each land to showcase their mastery of robotics. In this final event six incredible robots fight each other to find the eventual winner. Each robot is highly unusual and skilled in various ways. The participants are Arachnatron from Harkland, Nightmare from the Nations of the Arid Plains, Battle Moon from France, Gardener from Oceania, Hammerhead from Equatoria and Gemini from Titus. Without the detailed illustrations by Chris Wahl the reader would have a difficult time to visualise how complex and different each of these robots are. While the fight is taking place Ethan and Penny are desperate to track down Gemini and re-programme him in order to eliminate his desire to eliminate E-Boy. On their mission, they have to outwit Agent Ferris, a People's Service Agent as well as using Ethan's amazing skill to dismantle numerous computer systems. Ethan and Penny also become aware of a disastrous plot being set in motion by the nefarious President Bonner. To thwart this becomes their prime objective but the cost will lead to the unravelling of the pair.

Anh Do continues to entertain his readers with his understanding of what appeals to his readers and how to maintain this engagement. Hopefully Book Three is not too far away.

Themes Robots, Androids, Good vs Evil, Fighting, Computer Systems, Trust, Danger, Team Work.

Kathryn Beilby

Give me some space! by Philip Bunting

A bemused Una looks at the readers from the font cover, dressed in a hand me down space suit, Mum’s old Ugg boot, Neil’s home (Neil is a goldfish) on her head and her old ski gloves, floating about in the dark blue space a long way from Earth. Since birth she has been focussed on becoming an astronaut and going off into space, a far more interesting place than the planet she lives on. After several failed attempts she is there, moving from one planet to another, checking each out, seeing if she can discover one that supports life. And each is scrutinised: Mercury moves so quickly that each of her years is equivalent to 88 Earth days, Saturn has no life, but one of its many moons has its own atmosphere, Jupiter, 11 times the size of Earth is all gas, Venus has an average temperature of 465 degrees Celsius, Uranus is shrouded with stinking layers of clouds of hydrogen sulphide,  and Neptune the one furthest away from Earth has a temperature of minus 214 degrees Celsius. All planets are exposed as unsuitable to support life, so she sits on the Kuiper belt and eats her sandwiches. She spots a blue planet in the distance. What could it be? Kids will explode with laughter as they recognise the planet that is habitable, and join with the author in his plea for us to look after it.

This entrancing trip around our Solar System will intrigue and delight all readers, from the youngest to those reading it to their kids. The information given is readily absorbed, illuminating and funny in a way not usually used as a vehicle to describe the planets.

Themes Space, Space travel, Imagination, Planets, Solar system, Earth.

Fran Knight

The good sister by Sally Hepworth

The Castle sisters are twins. Fern is autistic and as high functioning and likeable as Don Tillman of The Rosie Project series. However, she is, in equal measure, very susceptible to sensory overloaded situations. The girls have always been inseparable, and Rose has always felt the need to protect Fern - now it's Fern's turn to help Rose who is struggling to fall pregnant.

Hilariously, Fern decides to approach a random, attractive, intelligent stranger, bed him and carry her sister's long-awaited baby as a surprise. A nomadic software designer, Rocko, aka Wally, is the surprise package - tender, understanding and often stricken by his own anxiety. He has no idea he is the target sperm donor. Despite hitting it off, Rose persuades Fern to dump him rather than tell him about the baby.

Sally Hepworth very gradually reveals the girls' true natures but not before this family thriller ends in at least two murders. This is a layered narrative with conflicting versions of reality - Fern groomed to believe her own ineptitude and Rose writing a journal about her mother's supposed cruelty and preference for Fern. Moreso it is a revelation about sociopaths convincingly exploiting humankind's strong 'default to truth' bias to actualize their long-term plans.

Uplifting us from these dark turns of events, is the support of Wally and Fern's work colleagues and friends at the library. Fern has little means and no status but her diligence, skill, and forthright kindness makes her deserving of respect and care. Can Fern find happiness and peace at last?

This is destined to be a very popular title for all teens and adults.

Themes Thriller, Family.

Deborah Robins

How to make a friend in 6 easy steps by Dhana Fox. Illus. by James Hart

Rosie has a new book which is all about making friends. According to her book it only takes six easy steps. The first step is to smile, the second is to introduce yourself with a fun fact, the third is to say something nice, the fourth is to entertain with a party trick, the fifth is to share your favourite game or hobby and the final step is to ask your new friend to play. These are all excellent ideas for finding a friend and Rosie tries them all. However Rosie is a shark with lots of teeth and the other sea creatures are scared of her and she is left alone. Will Rosie ever find a friend?

This is a very appealing picture book for younger readers who will love the bright illustrations and simple text. A perfect book for the start of the new kindy or school year for teaching children how they might make a friend.

Themes Friendship, Sea Creatures.

Kathryn Beilby

A really short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson has an insatiable curiosity about how things began and all things Science related. He is well-known for his books on travel, the English language, science and other non-fiction topics. In A Really Short History of Nearly Everything the author has condensed his extensive research into a large, colourfully illustrated book which will appeal to those younger readers who love facts about all sorts of scientific fascinations. The single topic double page spreads have cartoon-style drawings with various facts highlighted and the information presented in a clear and easy to read and follow format. The detailed contents page has the myriad of topics covered listed under seven distinctive headings. Following this is a welcoming foreword by Bill Bryson where he gives the reader an overview of his questioning and searching and where this has lead him. All sorts of facts about atoms, dinosaurs, meteors, inventors and scientists, the age of Earth as well as our own body bacteria are some of the engrossing areas of interest. For those of us who have had to learn and memorise the Periodic Table there is some interesting background information given and an explanation of how the table was formed. At the end of the book there is an extensive index as well as picture credits.

This book would be a welcome and valuable addition to a classroom or home library.

Themes Science, History, Time, Space, Human Body, Our Earth.

Kathryn Beilby

Wolf Girl 4: The Traitor by Ahn Do

The Traitor is the fourth thrilling book in the Anh Do series about Gwen, her newest companion Rupert, a pack of dogs and an eagle who are searching for lost humans in this dystopian setting. The dogs are searching for their owners and the two children are on the trail of their parents. In this story the pack are attempting to follow the scent of Gwen's mother's scarf and heading into unknown territory. When the wolf Sunrise splits mysteriously from the pack after sniffing the scarf, Gwen is both devastated and disappointed as she strongly felt the pack was bound by trust. The pack then makes a decision to track Sunrise. It is up to Nosey to follow her trail and they are lead into a dangerous reptile park where gigantic lizards, Komodo Dragons, anacondas, rattlesnakes and iguanas do their best to trap the intruders. After a challenging battle and difficult escape the pack are led by Sunrise's scent to a heavily guarded mansion with satellite towers and guards, both human and animal. It is there they find Sunrise who has reunited with her family. Will Sunrise choose her family over her new pack? Will Gwen, Rupert and the pack escape from the dreaded Captain Stone? Will Gwen and Rupert find a new lead to tracking down their parents? Two of these questions will be answered but one will be revealed in further books.

The pack has a difficult journey ahead but Anh Do keeps the young reader on the knife-edge wanting to know more and see a resolution for all who are searching.

Lachlan Creagh's illustrations continue to support the text making this series an excellent read for those reluctant readers who enjoy visuals images to maintain their interest.

Kathryn Beilby

Port Adelaide to Shanghai by Andrew Hunter

This book is not simply for the Port Adelaide Football Club true believers, it is not just for AFL supporters. This story is an example of how determination and hard work can strengthen ties, both cultural and commercial, between two very different societies. It demonstrates that ties formed through non-political associations can create bonds that can outlast the current political machinations.

For anyone who has visited China they will be aware that one old cliche is true "We have a lot more that connects us than divides us". This was apparent to the players led by their captain Tom Jonas, through to the CEO and Chairman. Port Adelaide Football Club has a fantastic history of inclusion and that has held them in good stead through this experience.

Andrew Hunter holds a Master of Philosophy (Asian Studies) and is an athlete in his own right. He was hired by the Port Adelaide Football Club to advance its engagement with China. This engagement was an ambitious strategy for an AFL club struggling both on and off the field.

The author details the challenges involved where such different business, social and political cultures exist. However what comes through is just how many people from both societies had only the best of intentions for this project.

Robert McNair     

Old enough to save the planet by Loll Kirby. Illus. by Adelina Lirius

Old Enough to Save the Planet champions children and teenagers who are involved in climate change projects. What an uplifting and engaging book which shows that even simple activities such as turning school food waste into compost for the city makes a big difference. Twelve children from across the world have been chosen as ambassadors.

Felix from Germany began Plant for the Planet when he was nine, encouraging local school children to plant new trees when forests are cut down. When she was twelve, Adeline from Indonesia formed Friends of Nature after flooding impacted the native mango trees and caused problems with the natural environment. Shalise from Australia began a campaign to clean up beach pollution at the age of eleven.

Each double page spread is beautifully illustrated showing the environment where each ambassador began their campaigns. The text flows throughout the colourful pages, describing how the children began their actions and notes about the impact of climate change, human pollution, gas emissions, poaching and rainforest decimation occurs. Empowering statements written in bold are the titles for each changemaker, Hengde School in China - 'we're dedicated enough to save water.'

Old Enough to Save the Planet is an excellent resource for Environmental Education, in primary and lower secondary schools. Adeline Lirius uses natural tones and brings the different environments to life. Finally, there are action plans for ways for children and teens to begin their own campaigns and make their causes heard. Real photos and links to websites would have added the impetus for further research.

Rhyllis Bignell

Yorick and Bones by Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard

This is an hilarious story about a skeleton who is roused from his death when a hot dog vendor collides with a witch causing a potion she's carrying to spill from her hands and seep into Yorick's grave. He awakens, surprised to find he has slept so long that he has lost his memory until a dog digs him up. All that Yorick wants is a sausage and someone to share it with but while he finds the sausage easily enough, finding a friend is a harder task.

Subtitled The lost graphic novel by William Shakespeare, this is a graphic novel for the upper end of the readership of this blog because the text has been written in Shakespeare's language and iambic pentameter rhythm, making it one for those independent enough to cope with that. At the same time, it may well capture older readers' imagination, particularly those familiar with Shakespeare's works as there are references that have been cleverly adapted throughout. Something different to offer those who declare that they have 'read everything'.

Barbara Braxton

Treasures of the deep by Andrew McGahan

The Ship Kings is a series set in created lands where ocean-going travel, warfare and magical mysteries swirl together in complex narratives. Having read the first of the series - The Coming of the Whirlpool, I was interested to return to this latest book, Treasures of the Deep, threaded with the stories of the 'Scapegoats', the good luck or bewitched seers who travel with the sailors in McGahan's created North Sea world. These blighted souls live difficult lives as they see into the future, and their stories are compelling and awful as the mystery of Dow Amber (the original 'hero' of the Ship Kings series) continues as an undercurrent to the action. With lives lost, ships floundering in frozen wastelands or locked in the grip of a creature of the deep, there is mystery and horror aplenty for the crippled and tortured scapegoats and the sailors who sail the cruel seas and traverse time in this book.

This book could potentially stand alone, a 'lone ship' in the Ship Kings series, but it will be most enjoyed by those who have discovered the mysterious adventures of the previous books. This is more intense and more magical than the Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband series, but it would be a wonderful next step for those who have discovered this action-adventure genre. 

The writing of this book is elegant, intelligent and mature and readers aged 15+ will be most impressed with the adventurous ride.

Themes Fantasy; Sailing; Mystery; Adventure.

Carolyn Hull

Harry Potter:The broom collection by Jody Revenson

The Broom Collection and Other Artefacts from the Wizarding World is a beautifully presented companion to The Wand Collection in which all the magical wands used by each character in the ever-popular Harry Potter movies were profiled in a visually stunning book. This next book is just as appealing and discusses enchanted broomsticks, the characters who ride them and their creators. For example, Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody’s broom was designed by concept artist Adam Brockbank who was inspired by Moody's 'gun-slinger-style' coat and wanted an Easy Rider look for the broom. It has a seat plus legs forward to look like a motorcycle. Draco Malfoy rides a jet-black Nimbus 2001 with a straight handle and a snake-like tip. The foot pedals on this broom are similar to a bicycle.

The book begins with a Contents page and leads in with a brief introduction about brooms followed by a detailed chapter about Brooms in the Wizarding World where the reader is able to learn about the process for the construction and usage of the brooms throughout the books and movies. In each chapter individual brooms are described as well as other interesting facts about all aspects of Quidditch. There are also captivating facts about brooms assisting the main charades in escaping danger and information from behind the scenes from some of the cast and crew. Towards the end of the book are the blueprints for the brooms and a detailed and cleverly presented broom index.

The Broom Collection would make a wonderful addition to the library shelves of Harry Potter fans world-wide and a welcome addition for new readers to gain a rich understanding into the world of wizardry.

Themes Harry Potter, Wizards, Quidditch, Brooms.

Kathryn Beilby

Wild Symphony by Dan Brown. Illus. by Susan Batori

Before he wrote classics like The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown wrote music. It was a secret sanctuary for him bringing peace and calm and solace. And in this wonderful, interactive book he has combined those two gifts into a remarkable story for children that offers messages of affirmation and guidance. It is a place for them to seek that same peace and calm and solace.

Led by Maestro Mouse, the reader is taken on a journey of the animal kingdom and invited to learn something from each one that helps them deal with life. At the same time by using a QR code or going to the website, and downloading the app, they can tune into the music of the creatures. Along the way, Maestro Mouse has left surprises - a hiding buzzy bee, jumbled letters that spell out clues, and even a coded message to solve - making this a book that has many layers and which begs to be explored again and again.

Watch the videos for the whole experience, here and here.

Barbara Braxton

I'm a Hero Too by Jamila Rizvi. Illus. by Peter Cheong

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and most of them don't wear capes - that's the lesson we can learn from this pandemic that has rocked the nation, indeed the world.  In fact, in some countries people have stood outside at a certain time and applauded the local heroes, particularly the health care workers . However, while the children have joined in, many have been left bewildered about the changes in their lives. Children like Artywho doesn't understand why he can't listen in on Mum's conversations any more; or why his dad is working at home and often grumpy; or having to be atthe end of the skipping rope from Granny and not being allowed to play in the playground.   

Why are there all these changes?  Why can't the world go back to the way it was?

When his dad finally explains that that can't happen until people like Arty's mum find a way to beat the virus, Arty realises he can do things that will help to beat it too. That he is not powerless and that he can be a hero fighting this invisible, supersonic virus by doing ordinary, everyday things like washing his hands properly and often; not touching things like supermarket trolleys and his face; coughing into his elbow and putting his tissues in the bin; and helping at home by getting dressed when he is told and waiting for his dad to finish his video calls before interrupting. He can even  draw beautiful pictures and post them to Granny.  And one day, if he and everyone else is a hero, things will change back to the way they were.

Our kids are remarkably resilient and if they understand why they have to do certain things they will adapt and adopt quickly, but sometime we adults forget the explanation.  This is a remarkable book that takes the time to talk to the children and show them how they too, can be heroes just by doing what they have been asked.  That while restrictions may be tiresome and boring, every little bit helps and together, we can defeat this insidious enemy. 

Share the story, and make a wall display in a cape-shape that details the things that our kids can do to be heroes and then let them look for their friends being heroes so they can add their name to the display.  Reinforce the everyday hero concept so they feel empowered and powerful. That's the way to win.

Barbara Braxton

Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Upside of Unrequited and Leah on the Offbeat took the YA world of fiction by storm with the focus on LGBT+ characters. This novella is definitely a must for fans of the Simonverse books and a satisfying conclusion to that series. A light enjoyable read for those who are unfamiliar with the other books although it could take a while to get the characters sorted as this short book is told entirely by emails. A bit like hacking a bunch of friends' accounts, we get a personal look at the relationships between the characters as they navigate the world after high school.

A more contemporary take on the concept of the epistolary book, this should resonate more strongly with the target audience (although this format is possibly already left behind by the preference for texts and social media). Using such a personal medium, there is an intimacy and immediacy with this book which enables the reader to follow the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. The physical side of the romances are discussed although there is nothing particularly in-depth or graphic, as we follow the friends' transition to college and adulthood, and the obstacles that this time of lives and distances involved place on their relationships. This novella may contrast well with other more established epistolary books.

Themes LGBT+, Transitions, Relationships.

Gaye Howe

Havoc! The untold magic of Cora Bell by Rebecca McRitchie

This book is aptly titled. Characters exist and events happen in a somewhat chaotic enchanted world.

There is a cast of multiple enchanted, magical beings in this story. Not only are they numerous but they all have different names, magical powers and allegiances which are a challenge for the reader to sort out as the story proceeds at a cracking pace. The central character, Cora Bell, is simultaneously escaping from an unspecified past and proceeding on an indeterminate quest. As the story progresses it all becomes clearer but it certainly requires a highly determined and able reader to hold the multiple threads together.

Cora is a determined girl, who has suffered much sadness and loss at the hands of evil magic. She is adaptable and full of grit as she meets each new peril on her quest to find her home and the people who are like her. Cora has two fairy friends (Tick and Tock) who stay loyal throughout the quest. She has to discover her true identity as a Syphon and all that that entails. She has to understand her own and her adopted powers and how to control them. She has to race against time to avoid a possible future as a Havoc as she is progressively overcome by an evil magical spell that has been cast within herself.  Together, they confront all manner of evil characters: vampires, demons, shapeshifters, warlocks, necromancers, witches, and hobgoblins- a whole gamut of fantastical creatures.

The narration is lively, dialogue is snappy and the plot is action packed. This is a very busy fantasy. It's hectic and demanding on the reader. Although threads begin to clarify at the end, for full satisfaction one has to read the sequel.

This book is for accomplished lovers of fantasy, who are capable readers able to follow multiple plot twists and characters.

Wendy Jeffrey