Month: January 2009

A Duel of Words, by Dee White

The ‘duel of words’ took place at a difficult time in Australia’s history. In the lead up to Federation…on 1 January 1901, Australia was struggling to build its identity. The gold rush was over, sheep farmers couldn’t sell their wool and the country was in severe drought.

Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson are two of Australia’s best-known poets. What is perhaps less known is that although they wrote extensively for the same newspaper, The Bulletin, they had quite different ways of showing life in the bush. Duel of Words, a hardback non-fiction title sets the scene at the end of the nineteenth century and introduces the two poets and their backgrounds. The ‘duel’ takes place over several months as they respond to the other’s description of outback life. Paterson’s poems tended to idealise the bush and the characters who inhabited it, perhaps reasoning that Australia needed positive images to pull them through the Depression. Lawson, on the other hand, was of the view that glossing over ‘discomfort and isolation’ would not help Australians understand the realities of their land.

A Duel of Words gives insight into the difficult period in Australia’s history which followed the boom of earlier years. It also showcases the talent of two men, who observed the same landscape, yet reflected it quite differently. Double page spreads include photos and illustrations, including the diversity in paintings of the period (including one of my favourite Drysdale paintings, ‘The Drover’s Wife). Page embellishments are iconic and include rusting corrugated iron, ants, Bogong moths, bark, leaves and more. There is a taste of the poetry of both men, with enough information for interested readers to track down more. A Duel of Words’ doesn’t set out to decide who was right and who was wrong in this duel, rather to stimulate thinking about history and how it was recorded. There is a contents page, a glossary of challenging words and an index for ease of navigation. White has given the reader a chocolate box of historical titbits for sampling. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

A Duel of Words, Dee White
Insights series, Heinemann Library 2008
ISBN: 9781740707367

Hope for Hanna, by Dee White

AIDS is a small word for a big sickness. It is more terrible than a crazy lion or a maama hyena with babies in her belly. HIV/AIDS kills many people in our village.

Hanna is an 11 year-old girl living in a village in Uganda. Her mother is very ill with AIDS and as oldest child, Hanna helps care for her three younger sisters. Her father is angry and there is little money for food, and none for medicine. As if life weren’t difficult enough, rebels invade the village regularly stealing older children to become soldiers. Ignorance and fear make outcasts of the sick and those who help them. But in the midst of the hardship there are also good people. There is Kunata, Hanna’s friend; Tenywa, an older village boy; and Ally and her father Steve. They help Hanna to maintain hope that she may one day be able to help improve life in her village, in her country. Most spreads include sketches from talented illustrator, Kylie Dunstan.

Life for most 11 year-olds in Australia is relatively easy. There may be challenges with friends and other choices but most Australian children have food and shelter. But life is seldom easy in many of the world’s poorer, war-torn countries. Illness and disease take their toll on already undernourished communities. War steals the children and makes them soldiers. Fear and ignorance make already difficult lives even more difficult. In Hope for Hanna, Dee White has taken very few words to paint a rich and detailed picture of life in a Ugandan village. Although there is plenty to be despondent about, it is the resilience and determination to bring change that shines through in the main character, Hanna. Hope for Hanna is told in the first person and brings the reader in close, to understand what it is to be Hanna. Strong support characters include her grandmother, her teacher and a new friend. Themes for discussion include tolerance, security, strength and hope. Recommended for upper primary readers.

Hope for Hanna, Dee White
Rigby Blueprints series Pearson Education 2008
ISBN: 9781741402025

Pip – the Story of Olive, by Kim Kane

Olive Garnaut looked ever so slightly like an extraterrestrial: a very pale extraterrestrial. She had long thin hair, which hung and swung, and a long thin face to match it. Her eyes were pale green and so widely spaced that if she looked out of the corners of them, she could actually see her plaits banging against her bottom.
Olive’s eyelashes and eyebrows were so very fair that they blended right into her forehead and people could only spot them if the sun caught her at a strange angle. When she stood, her feet turned out at one hundred and sixty degrees (like a ballerina in first position), and her shins were the exact colour of chicken loaf.

Olive Garnaut is an unusual girl who lives with her mother, Mog, a hippy-turned-QC who is working on a judgeship. Olive and Mog live in a big house full of Mog’s bits and pieces. It has the potential to be a ‘magazine house’ but because Mog is so busy, it stays rather ramshackle. Olive has a best friend Mathilda, the only friend who comes to the house. Olive admires Mathilda’s much more ‘regular’ family. Year Seven can be a time of great challenges and so it is for Olive. It’s the year her friendship with Mathilda changes. It’s the year she becomes more curious about her absent father. And it’s the year she meets Pip, who brings the biggest change of all.

Kim Kane’s Pip: the story of Olive is a story both exquisite and agonising. As if approaching adolescence isn’t enough, Year Seven brings a whole new system of schooling, and an almost completely new peer group. There might be a few students familiar from primary school, but often the new environment means that familiarity fades very quickly. Main character Olive’s insights are age appropriate – alternately wise and naïve. Her mother is loving but absent. Her father is a mystery her mother would rather not recall. Olive’s calls for help are largely unheard, so Olive must help herself. Pip offers help but Olive has then to decide whether Pip’s advice is the advice she wants to take. Told in third person intimate, the reader sweeps along with Olive, feeling every joy, suffering every setback with her. Recommended for upper primary, early secondary readers.

Pip: the story of Olive, Kim Kane
Allen&Unwin 2008
ISBN: 9781741751192

Puzzles Down Under, by Richard Morden

Keep your eyes peeled if you go on walkabout in Australia because there are puzzles to be found all over the place!
Have a squiz at this puzzle and you might spot a sleeping koala, a lamington, a hat with corks and a Christmas beetle.

‘Puzzles Down Under is Aussie, Aussie, Aussie from the surfing kangaroo on the cover to the wallowing wombat on the back cover. In between, readers can visit a wide variety of Aussie landscapes and some of their occupants. There are puzzles that follow the burrows of animals, others that set a race between a fly and an ant as they chase the sauce trail all the way to the pie. From the outback to the ocean, from the cuddly to the downright dangerous, from the fish and chip shop to the back yard shed, follow trails, find differences and puzzle your way through.

Puzzles Down Under includes enough Australian slang to fill an Aussie dictionary. The scenarios are Australian, as iconic as a meat pie, although Richard Morden occasionally makes a feature of the bits that don’t fit. There is a volcano arising out of Sydney Harbour near the Opera House and there are bushrangers in the fish and chip shop. The colours reflect our landscape, and there is plenty of humour for young readers. Each page opening has at least two puzzles, often more. Recommended for 5-8 year olds.

Puzzles Down Under, Richard Morden
Black Dog Books 2008
ISBN: 9781742030494

Rhyming Boy, by Steven Herrick

‘Jayden, what’s the score, darl?’
Mum’s in the kitchen, doing some cooking of her own.
‘I’m reading, Mum.’
She appears, wearing a blue and white butcher’s apron and the lilac ugg boots I gave her for her thirty-fifth birthday. Hanging loosely around her shoulders is a striped football scarf. She’s holding a spoon full of a mysterious dark-red liquid. She runs her finger along the spoon and tastes it, smacking her lips loudly.
‘Keep an eye on the game, darl! Whistle if the hunk scores again. I’m not wearing this blessed scarf for fashion, you know.’
The hunk is Jayden Finch, in his farewell season for Souths. He’s so famous people name their children after him.
Like Mum,…

Jayden is about as unlike his namesake as it’s possible to be. Jayden Finch is a football star. Jayden Hayden, nicknamed ‘Rhyming Boy’ because of his name, is a wordsmith. He sets himself the daily task of learning and then using a new word. He happily immerses himself in the world of words, facts and story. Then the principal, Mr Bartog, decides to hold an event to promote reading. Great, except the event is titled, ‘Boys and Books and Breakfast’ and the idea is to encourage boys to read with their dads. And he doesn’t have one. With the help of new girl, Saskia, Jayden begins to delve into the mystery that surrounds his father.

Rhyming Boy is Steven Herrick’s first prose novel, written after his many successful verse novels for children and young adults. The lyricism of his verse novels echoes through Rhyming Boy, drawing the reader on. Jayden is a delightfully warm and inquisitive character whose questions about his father are cued by the approach of ‘Boys and Books and Breakfast’ morning. As he searches, the reader is treated to different models of ‘fathering’, from the Thompsons next door, to his forthright friend Saskia’s novelist father and his elderly neighbour. Jayden’s dictionary habit introduces some less familiar words and provides their meanings. They often indicate his mood, or flag upcoming issues. Rhyming Boy is written in first person and provides an up-close, very personal and often humourous view of an intelligent and inquiring twelve year old boy examining his world. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

Rhyming Boy Steven Herrick
UQP 2008
ISBN: 9780702236730

Short Stuff, by Mark Stevens

(from Winning the Wink)
Henson Hobecker loved soccer. He was a soccer fanatic. He was a soccer freakoid. He loved it more than chocolate, even. Which is’t to say that Henson Hobecker didn’t like chocolate – he would have thumb-wrestled just about anyone for a handful of chocolate! He just loved soccer more.
Henson’s team was the Highcliff Cove Under 12s, and his bedroom was a shrine to the sport he worshipped. Every centimetre of wall was covered with posters and clippings of his favourite Manchester United players, even the ones who didn’t play that often.

Short Stuff is, as the title suggests, a series of short stories about all sorts of ‘stuff’. Read about amazing soccer games and the dangers inherent in trying to change your appearance…even the tiniest bit. Discover what it is that makes someone special and experience the creepiest of practical jokes. It’s all here. There are stories about good luck and stories about the advantages of honesty. Ten short stories. Ten tall tales. Titles range from the intriguing, ‘$42.10’ to the mysterious, ‘Flathead at Porcupine Beach’. There is also the identifiably gross ‘Tom’s Magic Booger’.

Short Stuff, a collection of ten short stories, is a mix of unbound imagination and outrageous humour. Mark Stevens sets off on a riotous adventure and pulls readers with him into a world often unfettered by reality. It’s a great fun place to visit. Stories are short enough to entice reluctant readers and there is an index at the front so they can skip through to whichever story most takes their fancy. Characters seem to be around 11-13 years old and all exhibit the enthusiasm and physicality of the age group. There are challenges, mysteries and journeys into self-awareness. But more importantly, the stories are fast-paced and laugh-out-loud-funny. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers, and older reluctant readers.

Short Stuff, Mark Stevens
Working Title Press 2008
ISBN:9781876288945

The Sunken Kingdom, by Kim Wilkins

‘Asa! Sky Patrol!’
Asa’s heart jumped. She leapt to her feet and glanced up the muddy slope at her younger brother, Rollo, who waved madly and pointed at the sky.
‘I’m coming!’ she yelled, pocketing in her damp skirt the coloured stones she had been collecting. She sped away from the mud, up the slop and onto the grass. A gull swooped overhead, and the heavy salt smell of the sea stuck to her clothes. Breathless, she grabbed Rollo’s hand and kept running.

Asa and Rollo are the two remaining children of the deposed Star Lands royal family. An evil sorcerer has overthrown their benevolent rule, buried half the world under water and killed Asa and Rollo’s parents and baby sister. Now the children are in hiding, in the care of their aunt Katla. The sorcerer, Flood, sends out sky patrols, boats borne aloft by hissing black balloons. These patrols search constantly for the two royal children, the only threat to his domination. So far, the children have avoided capture. They are as innovative and brave as Flood is evil. Rumours and fear rule their world. Two young children against an accomplished sorcerer, it’s going to be a tough battle. There are whispers that their baby sister may still be alive and the children are given a ghostly boat. So the quest begins.

The Sunken Kingdom is a collection of the four stories originally published as individual titles. Each title follows the quest of Asa and Rollo as they attempt to set their flooded world to rights. The two children have lost their parents and younger sister, as well as their kingdom. Their quest will impact not only on their family but on the whole of their kingdom. If they succeed, they will save the kingdom, if not, their world will perish. Each story sees their cause advance, but at each turn the two characters are tested. Each has been given a magical power, but the power must be used sparingly because its use brings consequences. The two innocent children must battle evil in many forms, and the children learn lessons in trust. Their judgements about other people, friend and foe, are forged by both successes and failures. They learn that appearances can be deceptive. These are grand stories, full of drama and excitement. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

The Sunken Kingdom, Kim Wilkins, ill D.M Cornish
Omnibus Books 2008
ISBN: 9781862917941

My First Fairies, by Jen Watts

This sparkly four-book set of board books is presented as a boxed set. The individual titles introduce the characters from the ABC television series. Main characters Rhapsody and Harmony have their own books. Rhapsody’s book is pink, her favourite colour. Harmony’s book is also in her favourite colour, purple. Fans can discover about their favourite characters. Each of the other two titles features two characters from the series. Twinkle and Wizzy share a book, as do Barnaby and Elf. Their individual personalities are detailed, and the attributes they share. The background colour is consistent throughout each title and matches the cover. Characters float above a bed of flowers.

My First Fairies is a four-book collection of sturdy eight-page board books, tucked neatly into a sparkly pink box. Each title is small, almost square with rounded edges ideal for little hands to hold and ‘read’. Readers will recognise the characters from the television series and learn more about their individual traits. Each double spread includes a simple statement on the left and an illustration on the opposing page. There is no story as such, rather the intent is to familiarise with the nature of each character, their strengths, and for some, their challenges. For example, not all Wizzy’s spells work quite the way he intends. Recommended for preschoolers.

My First Fairies Jen Watts
ABC Books 2008
ISBN: 9780733322631

Passion for Fashion, by Ellie Royce

[Note passed in class]
Mimi Afro! Want to start a lettabook with me?
Aphra What in the name of Sass’n’Bide is a lettabook?
Mimi It’s this mad thing Jess told me about. You get a book and you can stick stuff in it – memories of what you like, where you go, what you do and stuff.
Aphra That’s a scrapbook, dummy.
Mimi No! It’s different. you write letters to each other too. It’s like a scrapbook corssed with a blog, kinda. You wanna?
Aphra Sounds a bit retro.
Mimi Don’t B boring! It’ll be fun. It’ll be mad, like a retro Myspace, except just for us two. Come on!!!!
Aphra Okay, whatever. You start it and show me. but don’t send me any more notes. Ms Mills is giving me the evil eye.

Mimi and Aphra have been friends for the longest time. Until recently they lived two doors apart and attended the same primary school. Now they’re at the same secondary school but only share two classes. It’s not as easy for them to spend time together like they used to. So Mimi proposes a letterbook. In it, they continue the conversations that they have in person and add more. They are both fashion mad, although Mimi is interested in photography and journalism, and Aphra wants to be a model. They enter a competition in ‘Real Girl’ magazine for a fashion shoot at their school. Life is wonderful. But the letterbook also is a place for secrets, some unspoken. Mimi’s widowed mother is seeing someone and it seems to be moving way too fast. Aphra’s sister is getting married and the house is overwhelmed by wedding fever. The more they tell each other, the more secrets there seem to be.

Passion for Fashion is the second book in the Letterbook series from Ellie Royce and ABC Books. The cover art is bright and funky with photos of the girls and doodles and more. The idea of a letterbook begins with two 13 year old girls just wanting to keep in touch. But although the title alludes to teenage girls’ love of fashion, there are much deeper issues explored as well. Mimi and Aphra have very different family experiences. Mimi is an only child and lives with her widowed mother. Aphra has three sisters and one brother and is part of a traditional Greek family. The letterbook helps both girls work through the daily dramas of life and strengthens a relationship that helps both girls keep perspective. They begin to look at boys differently, experience responsibility, body image, explore new paths (not always successfully). Ellie Royce has produced another very readable, fast-moving story that sympathetically examines big and small issues that affect young teenage girls. Recommended for upper-primary readers.

Passion for Fashion, Ellie Royce
ABC Books,2008
ISBN: 9780733324864

I'm Glad You're My… by Cathy Phelan

I’m Glad You’re My Dad, a new title in the ‘I’m Glad…’ series from Black Dog Books, is an interactive book designed to be completed by a child and given as a gift to Dad. Full of affirmations and ways that love is shared, there are opportunities for a child to draw and write about their relationship with their Dad. From riding Dad’s shoulders, to playing sport in the back yard, there is something for every child/father.

I’m Glad You’re My Grandpa features a grey-haired bespectacled Grandpa with just a few wrinkles. As with the others in this series, it is designed to be personalised by a child and given as a gift. There are opportunities to detail the things built with Grandpa and the funny things that Grandpa does. Although some ‘Grandpa’ activities are listed, there is plenty of room to add the unique features of a particular Grandpa/grandchild relationship.

I’m Glad You’re My Dad and I’m Glad You’re My Grandpa follow the format of previous titles in this series. The books are small and almost square, soft-back and strongly coloured. Illustrations are stylised and engaging. Children can express the love for their particular father/grandfather in whatever way suits them best, in colouring, drawing, writing or all three. A great keepsake, and a novel way to capture memories. Recommended for 4-7 year olds.

I’m Glad You’re My Dad, Cathy Phelan ill Danielle McDonald
Black Dog Books 2008
ISBN:9780742030470

I’m Glad You’re My Grandpa, Cathy Phelan ill Danielle McDonald
Black Dog Books 2008
ISBN: 9781742030487