Month: July 2007

Another Fine Mess 002, by Norman Jorgensen

The bathroom was in complete darkness. Where was the light switch? Not on the doorframe. Where could it be? He fumbled about. Not on the wall either. He stumbled into the room and groped in the darkness. Where was the bloody toilet? He found the basin. By now his bladder was due to explode, literally. I need to pee, it screamed to his brain. He found the basin but still no loo. Suddenly he felt the edge of the bathtub. No choice. The bath would have to do.

Michael Hardy has a knack of landing himself in trouble. From watching the town fire truck sink in the sewage pond, to kidnapping garden gnomes and suffering the indignity of a wardrobe malfunction in front of the whole school, Michael and his friend Woody go from one misadventure to another. But suddenly Michael finds himself labelled a hero. How will he cope with his newfound status?

In the meantime, Michael has made a start on his future career – as a novelist. Chapters of his high-action spy novel are sprinkled throughout this tale, adding to the humour of the whole. Michael’s alter-ego, Dirk Fleming, Junior M16 Agent, lands himself in far bigger scrapes than Michael does – including being captured by the Russians after an air-fight – but he always saves the day.

Another Fine Mess 002 is a sequel to A Fine Mess, but can be read independently. Both are ideal for readers aged 10 to 14, and will appeal equally to boys and girls.

Great stuff.

Another Fine Mess 002, by Norman Jorgensen
FACP, 2007

Love Like Water, by Meme McDonald

She stole a look at the man in the driver’s seat. Sometimes, Jay seemed as familiar as her own self. Other times he was as different as another language.

When her friend Margie suggests they seek adventure in Alice Springs, Cathy agrees. It’s been ten months since her fiancé was killed and there is no future for her on the station where she grew up. But it’s a long way from cattle country to Alice Springs, and Cathy isn’t used to change. Is this place where everything is so different really the place for her?

Margie, too, finds it hard. She’s a city girl looking for fun and adventure, but perhaps what she really wants is love and acceptance.

Jay, too, has come to Alice Springs looking for change. He’s working as a dj for the local radio station, but he’s a saltwater man and here in the desert it’s even harder than usual for him to belong. When he and Sarah meet, neither can remain unchanged.

Love Like Water is in places a story about love, but it is much more than a love story. Cathy and Jay face the challenges of white girl meets black boy but each must also deal with much deeper issues unique to themselves – Cathy’s search for a purpose in life and Jay’s search for self. Margie must cope with facing life as she’s never seen it, and with a friend who seems increasingly hard to understand. What is common to all three is a search for identity.

A thought provoking, far-reaching tale.

Love Like Water, by Meme McDonald
Allen & Unwin, 2007

Eagle of the East, by L.S. Lawrence

It was a sword. Three hand spans of fine steel. Ardavan half-drew it, and the hilt fitted into his hand as if moulded for it. Credit was earned, for a Roman. And using this sword, he could earn it.

In ancient Parthia the battle of Carrhae has had disastrous results for the Roman army, with over forty thousand soldiers lying dead. Only a group of one thousand men have survived, kept safe by their leader, Pontus. Forced to surrender, Pontus and his men swear allegiance to the Parthians. Now Ardavan, the Parthian son of a Roman slave, has been assigned as a translator, living with the Romans as they march across the country to protect the Eastern boundaries. But it might not be just the Romans who are at risk from the Parthians, and Ardavan is in a unique position to uncover the plot.

Eagle of the East is a historical novel which explores a part of ancient history which most children (and adult readers, too) would be unaware of. This in itself makes it an interesting read – and the story is well told, with the insights of the viewpoint character, Ardavan, adding a very human perspective of events.

With battles, murder and plenty of intrigue, this is an offering most likely to appeal to male readers, especially those with an interest in history.

Eagle of the East, by L. S. Lawrence
Omnibus, 2007

The Buried Biscuits, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Jacks are nimble, Jacks are quick. Jacks are always ready for a scrap. I tugged free and snapped my jack-jaws around a hairy leg. Someone yelped. Sharp teeth closed on my tail. I yelped. Teeth clashed, ears flapped.

When Jack wakes up smelling biscuits, he knows something strange is going on. He goes to see his friend Foxie, but soon he and Foxie are fighting – because someone has thrown biscuits into Foxie’s yard. Now both of the dogs are in trouble, and soon every dog in town is grounded, because someone is stealing biscuits. Jack is determined to solve the mystery – after all he is a dog detective.

The Buried Biscuits is the seventh title in the very popular and highly entertaining Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, by Darrel and Sally Odgers. Narrated in the first person (or should that be first dog?) voice of the feisty Jack and sprinkled with Jack’s facts, Jack vocabulary and more, the story is bound to delight young dog lovers, aged 7 to 10.

The Buried Biscuits, by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2007

Freaks Ahoy, by Leigh Hobbs

One-eyed Eileen had been kept in after school. That’s how she found out her teacher’s secret. Scary Miss Schnorkel was really wimpy Miss Corker in disguise. One-Eyed Eileen couldn’t wait to tell her gang. It wasn’t going to be a secret for long.

When One-eyed Eileen discovers Miss Schnorkel’s secret, she is determined to unmask the teacher, and she expects the rest of 4F to help her. But then Miss Schnorkel takes the class on a field trip where they run into a boatload of teachers on long-service leave. In the chaos that follows, Miss Schnorkel knows just what to do, and 4F aren’t so sure about Eileen’s plans.

Freaks Ahoy picks up where the first book in the series, 4F for Freaks left off, both plot-wise and in terms of the level of fun. Author/illustrator Leigh Hobbs has an innate sense of what kids (and kids-at-heart) will enjoy, and renders it with an apparent simplicity which is really very complex.

The freakish pupils of 4F are bound to find a firm place in every reader’s heart.

Awesome.

Freaks Ahoy, by Leigh Hobbs
Allen & Unwin, 2007

Ogre in a Toga, by Geoffrey McSkimming

If I were a little Iced Vo-Vo,
then I guess my life would be crummy:
I’d sit around with others the same,
and end up in somebody’s tummy.

Poetry for children should be fun, and what could be more fun than rhymes filled with silliness? In Ogre in a Toga author Geoffrey McSkimming (best known for his Cairo Jim series) provides page after page of silliness, guaranteed to have young readers laughing aloud.

The offerings are varied, ranging from quick limericks to the five part tale of The Vicious Vicuna, and the subject matter is also varied. There are poems about cows, fleas, vicuña (this one had the reviewer scurrying for a dictionary to learn that the vicuña is a real South American animal), as well as fantasy creatures such as the ogre, and plenty about people, too.

McSkimming’s verse is delightful to read and lends itself to oral reading and sharing. The hard cover format of the book and the comic line drawings of illustrator Martin Chatterton add to its child appeal.

Lots of fun.

Ogre in a Toga, by Geoffrey McSkimming
Scholastic Press, 2007

Sick to Death, by Hedley Thomas

When Dr Jayant Patel was banned from surgical practice in the United States he packed his bags and came to Australia. In Queensland, his background not investigated, he worked at Bundaberg Base Hospital for two years. In that time he botched procedures, mishandled cases, ignored safe hygiene practices and lied to and deceived colleagues, authorities and his unwitting patients. When nurses tried to take action, they were treated as trouble-makers and their concerns were ignored or glossed over.

Finally a courageous nurse, Toni Hoffman, determined that no more patients should die, blew the whistle on the doctor whose colleagues privately called Dr Death. Hoffman’s courage, and the actions of local politician Rob Messenger and journalist Hedley Thomas lifted the lid on this unfathomable chain of events, not stopping until the public outcry forced the government to take action not just to stop Dr Patel’s medical mishandlings (he left the country soon after the matter became public), but to also investigate how this could have been allowed to happen and what was needed to reform the Queensland health system.

Sick to Death is Thomas’s version of events, pieced together by his extensive research, interviews and investigations whilst covering the issue as a journalist and key player in its unveiling. It is not a pleasant read – readers will be shocked at the loss of life and the political cover ups, and moved by the very human elements of the story – but it is a story that should be told, so that whistleblowers like Toni Hoffman can be vindicated and applauded for their courage to change what is wrong, and so that stuff ups like this one do not happen again, especially in the health system, where human lives must be recognised as more valuable than politics or budgets.

A must read.

Sick to Death, by Hedley Thomas
Allen & Unwin, 2007

You can buy this book online at Fishpond.

It’s Every Monkey for Themselves, by Vanessa Woods

When Vanessa Woods’ heart was broken, she did what any woman would do – and took off for Costa Rica. Okay, perhaps not every woman would do that, but Vanessa did. She took a job as a research assistant, observing capuchin monkeys in the Costa Rican jungles. Having worked in television before, she also had a contract with the Disney Channel to film animal documentaries on her days off.

Costa Rica, though, had surprises in store for Vanessa. Instead of recovering from her break up, she found herself falling for another man, nearly dying at least twice, and seemingly moving from crisis to crisis. Her time in Costa Rica had more twists and turns than a soap opera, but she lived to tell the tale.

It’s Every Monkey for Themselves is Woods’ account of her year – the friends (and enemies) she made and the challenges she faced, as well as her experiences with the monkeys, whose lives also seemed to play out like a twisted soap opera – with murder, infighting, sex, births and more. It is an intriguing read, with Woods’ honesty and humour a very readable blend.

It’s Every Monkey for Themselves, by Vanessa Woods
Allen & Unwin, 2007

The Big Bazoohley, by Peter Carey

The King Redward Hotel welcomes finalists in the Perfecto Shampoo ‘Perfecto Kiddo’ competition.
‘Perfecto Kiddo,’ said Sam. ‘It’s not even English. It doesn’t make sense.’
‘Why would it make sense, kiddo?’ Earl Kellow grinned. ‘It’s a nonsensical situation. It’s a whole lot of crazy parents trying to make money from their children.’

When Sam Kellow and his parents arrive in Toronto, Sam knows they are in a lot of trouble. Their money is almost gone and his mum can’t find the millionaire who is going to buy her latest painting. But that night, when Sam sleep walks his way around the hotel, he meets Nasty Muriel and Droopy George, two desperate parents who force Sam to enter the Perfecto Kiddo competition. Their own son, Wilfred, has chickenpox.

Sam realises that if he can win the competition he will be able to help his parents, so he goes along with the idea, even though it means having his hair curled and learning to dance. If he can win the Big Bazoohley – $10 000 – his family’s problems will be solved.

The Big Bazoohley is a fun children’s novel from one of Australia’s most decorated authors, Peter Carey. His novels for adults, including The True History of the Kelly Gang and Oscar and Lucinda have twice won the Booker Prize as well as numerous other awards. The Big Bazoohley is Carey’s only novel for children, and is sure to delight.

The Big Bazoohley

The Big Bazoohley, by Peter Carey
Random House, 2006

The Taste of Lightning, by Kate Constable

Perrin was exhausted; he looked forward to hearing the bark of military orders again. Orders from Doughty were one thing, but he was damned if he would take any more bossing from that laundry-maid. He wondered how the boy-king had come to choose a laundry-maid for a girlfriend.

Tansy, Perrin and Skir have only one thing in common – their youth. Apart from that their backgrounds are poles apart. Tansy is a laundry-maid with a fear of the dark and a love of horses; Skir a Priest-King who lacks the powers he’s supposed to have and is a prisoner of war; and Perrin is a swordsman with a gift of chantment that gives him power over animals. When Perrin is sent to rescue Skir in a botched night time raid, the three find themselves travelling companions, on the run from two armies and the sinister magic of the Witch-Woman. Will their quest bring peace to the Threelands?

The Taste of Lightning is a thrilling new fantasy offering for young adult readers. With overlaps with Constable’s earlier trilogy, The Chanters of Tremaris, the book still stands alone so that readers don’t miss out on anything through not having read the earlier series. Still, those who have read it will be delighted to eventually recognise a familiar character and to see what has happened in the universe created for the Tremaris books.

Readers will find the ending satisfying, but will be eager for another instalment.

The Taste of Lightning, by Kate Constable
Allen & Unwin, 2007

You can buy this book online at Fishpond