The Book of You #2: Rania by Randa Abdel-Fattah

My name is Rania and I love the colour purple. Some people are curious about what their first word was but when I was old enough to ask, I had a different question for my mum. Which colour did I first recognise?

Ever since I can remember I’ve loved colours, especially purple. There’s something magical and mysterious about it. It makes me imagine wizards’ robes, juicy grapes and beautiful cloaks on the shoulders of queens. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of good things have happened to me when I’ve been wearing something purple.

My name is Rania and I love the colour purple. Some people are curious about what their first word was but when I was old enough to ask, I had a different question for my mum. Which colour did I first recognise?

Ever since I can remember I’ve loved colours, especially purple. There’s something magical and mysterious about it. It makes me imagine wizards’ robes, juicy grapes and beautiful cloaks on the shoulders of queens. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of good things have happened to me when I’ve been wearing something purple.

Rania lives with her mum and is in her final year of primary school. She’s a high achiever, has great friends and is happy with her life. It can only get better when her cousins move nearby and her favourite cousin Andrea joins her at school. Last year, she and her friends Jodie and Deyana found a ghost diary of a girl, Betsy, who had lived in their school a long time earlier. Last year, it was Jodie who found help in Betsy’s ghost messages. This year, it seems that Rania needs assistance to sort her life out, particularly now Andrea seems to be competing with her. But the diary messages are never quite as straightforward as they seem. In fact they are downright confusing. And there’s just so much going on, that Rania struggles to know just what to do first.

Rania loves school. She is good at her studies and loves making art. Her plans to become school captain are altered by Andrea’s plan to run for the role too. The first person narrative allows the reader to perhaps understand more quickly than Rania the pressures Andrea is under at her new school. Rania experiences jealousy and resentment and doesn’t really understand why things have changed between them. There are strong themes of family and friendship and a little hint of magic in the appearing diary entries from Betsy. Rania, with the help of her friends, navigates her way through a challenging time and rediscovers her friendship with her cousin. She also connects with her absent father via her spectacular art project. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

 

The Book of You #2: Rania , Randa Abdel-Fattah Omnibus Books 2014 ISBN: 9781742990118

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

1914 by Sophie Masson

‘Come on,’ urged Hansel. ‘We haven’t got all night!’

‘Oh, yes we do,’ I teased, looking at my cards. I had a lousy hand, but I wasn’t going to let Hansel beat me.

‘Hurry up!’ he yelled at me, good naturedly, flinging a pillow in my direction, scattering my cards on the floor.

I ducked, recovered the pillow and launched it back at him.

‘Oh, what’s the use?’ he grinned, catching the pillow and settling it behind him. ‘I was going to beat you anyway.’

‘Never. But if you want to think so then …’

I was staying the night at Hansel’s house. His father, the Baron von Leitner, had retired hours ago, and we were making our last night together in Vienna last as long as we could.

‘Come on,’ urged Hansel. ‘We haven’t got all night!’

‘Oh, yes we do,’ I teased, looking at my cards. I had a lousy hand, but I wasn’t going to let Hansel beat me.

‘Hurry up!’ he yelled at me, good naturedly, flinging a pillow in my direction, scattering my cards on the floor.

I ducked, recovered the pillow and launched it back at him.

‘Oh, what’s the use?’ he grinned, catching the pillow and settling it behind him. ‘I was going to beat you anyway.’

‘Never. But if you want to think so then …’

I was staying the night at Hansel’s house. His father, the Baron von Leitner, had retired hours ago, and we were making our last night together in Vienna last as long as we could.

Louis and his brother Thomas are French/Australian and their father works for the French Embassy in Europe. They have friends from all over Europe. The family are on holiday near Sarajevo when the Archduke is assassinated and before long, WWI is declared. This means that Louis and some of his friends will now be on different sides of this conflict. As the war begins and then continues through 1914, Louis and friends all make decisions about how to contribute. Louis is too young, and not fit to be a soldier, but he finds his own way to be involved. His decisions do not always keep him out of danger, and his family do not escape unscathed, but Louis stays true to himself and to his friends. ‘1914’ includes newspaper articles, photos, letters and other text types.

1914 is the first of what will be five independent novels about WWI. Each will have their own story and be written by a different author. Each will concentrate on a particular year of the war. Louis’s story includes a non-soldier perspective of the war and helps to introduce readers to one of the less well-known ways (actually more than one) that people were involved. Many readers may know how WWI began, but Masson takes them on  location in Eastern Europe and allows them to feel the shockwaves that roll in so many directions. 1914 offers many opportunities for classroom discussion, including friendship, politics, loyalty and security.

Recommended for secondary readers.

 

1914 (Australia's Great War)

1914 , Sophie Masson Scholastic Press 2014 ISBN: 9781743622476

www.clairesaxby.com

Paper Planes by Allayne L. Webster

I woke with a bad feeling. I didn’t know why I had a bad feeling – I just did.

The phone rang.

‘I’ll get it.’ Untangling limbs from blankets, my brother stumbled from our bedroom. I buried my head in my pillow.

Then he was at my side. ‘Niko, come quick.’

Maybe it was the look on his face that had me on my feet. Or maybe it was that strange feeling I had, growing stronger. I scoped Siki from the end of my bed. I’d have to tqke him for a walk soon. If he peed on Mama’s rug again, she’d be upset. She said I could have a dog only if I cleaned up after him.

I followed Jarko to the living room. He picked up the handset and stood, listening. I was wondering why he’d got me out of bed when he covered the mouthpiece and pointed. ‘Open the blinds. Go outside and look.’

I woke with a bad feeling. I didn’t know why I had a bad feeling – I just did.

The phone rang.

‘I’ll get it.’ Untangling limbs from blankets, my brother stumbled from our bedroom. I buried my head in my pillow.

Then he was at my side. ‘Niko, come quick.’

Maybe it was the look on his face that had me on my feet. Or maybe it was that strange feeling I had, growing stronger. I scoped Siki from the end of my bed. I’d have to tqke him for a walk soon. If he peed on Mama’s rug again, she’d be upset. She said I could have a dog only if I cleaned up after him.

I followed Jarko to the living room. He picked up the handset and stood, listening. I was wondering why he’d got me out of bed when he covered the mouthpiece and pointed. ‘Open the blinds. Go outside and look.’

War is coming to Sarajevo and Niko and his family are warned to leave while they can. But Niko’s father is sure that the warring sides will soon see sense and all they have to do is keep life as normal as possible until things settle down. Niko, his parents, his brother Jarko and his sister Danijela are soon among only a few remaining occupants of their apartment building. But rather than settle, the war escalates. Others leave but Niko is reassured that the family of his friend, Nedim, are also staying. Food becomes scarce, the streets become dangerous and still the family stay. Niko’s brother and sister have been at university but although some classes continue, it’s not always safe to travel. It becomes more difficult to know who to trust and even Niko and Nedim quarrel. Escape seems the only option. But it’s not easy, and it’s not available to all.

Niko has been oblivious to the tensions that have led to the Balkans war. But no longer. War will not be ignored. Page by page, the reader travels with Niko as life in his home town changes and people flee. Others stay, but not all for good reasons. Niko’s family is a close one, but as with all families, there are differing opinions. War brings out the best in some people, the worst in others. Nothing in Niko’s life has prepared him for the world he now lives in. Family loyalties and friendships are tested as Niko and his family struggle to survive in a war that makes little sense to them, but which affects them anyway. Paper Planes is based on a true story, from the Balkans War that reaches all the way to Adelaide Australia. Recommended for upper primary readers.

 

Paper Planes

Paper Planes, Allayne L. Webster Omnibus Books 2014 ISBN:9781742990699

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Lucky Thamu by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker & Jaylon Tucker

‘Come on, Eli!’ shouted Dad. ‘Just throw your jocks in the bag next to your socks – that way you’ll remember to change your jocks as well.’

‘Ahh. Don’t embarrass me, Dad,’ replied Eli.

Ten-year-old Eli was a Noongar-Wongi kid. His mum was a Noongar from the south-west of Western Australia and his dad was a Wongi from the north-eastern Goldfields. Elie was a gentle, shy boy with a birthmark shaped like a boomerang just above his right eye and shiny black hair down to his collar. Eli had four older brothers, two older sisters, two dogs named Bunthar (look out) and Moorditj (solid), and a fat, fluffy ginger cat named Inni (yes).

‘Come on, Eli!’ shouted Dad. ‘Just throw your jocks in the bag next to your socks – that way you’ll remember to change your jocks as well.’

‘Ahh. Don’t embarrass me, Dad,’ replied Eli.

Ten-year-old Eli was a Noongar-Wongi kid. His mum was a Noongar from the south-west of Western Australia and his dad was a Wongi from the north-eastern Goldfields. Elie was a gentle, shy boy with a birthmark shaped like a boomerang just above his right eye and shiny black hair down to his collar. Eli had four older brothers, two older sisters, two dogs named Bunthar (look out) and Moorditj (solid), and a fat, fluffy ginger cat named Inni (yes).

Perth-raised Eli is going to visit this grandfather (Thamu) and his grandmother (Garbarli) in Kalgoorlie for the school holidays. He’s visited before but this time is extra-special as it’s the first time he’s going on his own. He wants to be just like his grandfather when he grows up. He loves Thamu’s all of Thamu’s stories. This time, Thamu has an extra surprise. They are going camping and prospecting. Eli is keen to learn everything and perhaps to find a gold nugget of his own.

Lucky Thamu is a new title in the Waarda series of stories from Fremantle Press. They are short, action-packed stories for young readers and are supported by online teacher notes. Each title presents indigenous stories and culture. Lucky Thamu is a contemporary story and portrays the special and important relationship that exists between grandparent and grandchild. Their adventure in the bush is enriched by story and shared experience. Recommended for newly-independent readers.

 

Lucky Thamu , Cheryl Kickett-Tucker & Jaylon Tucker Fremantle Press 2014 ISBN: 9781925161304

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

As Stars Fall by Christie Nieman

‘Robin? Robin Roberts?’

This is what I imagined was happening in my form room at that moment. I imagined some old-time bespectacled schoolmistress reading my name out over and over from her roll, and in the silence after each call the crickets chirping, the tumbleweed tumbling. I had to imagine it because I wasn’t there. I was lost.

‘Robin Roberts’

Yes, that really is my name. You’d think that two parents with the surname Roberts would think twice before calling their only daughter Robin, wouldn’t you? You’d reckon. And when you heard that those two parents were Rodney Roberts and Roberta Roberts, you’d think they were just mean – like, if they’d had to suffer all those Rs, then they’d make their kids suffer too. But if you actually knew my parents, you’d get that giving me a Rolls-Royce name was just their cute way of including me in their club: the R&R club. Well, that was their thinking anyway.

‘Robin? Robin Roberts?’

This is what I imagined was happening in my form room at that moment. I imagined some old-time bespectacled schoolmistress reading my name out over and over from her roll, and in the silence after each call the crickets chirping, the tumbleweed tumbling. I had to imagine it because I wasn’t there. I was lost.

‘Robin Roberts’

Yes, that really is my name. You’d think that two parents with the surname Roberts would think twice before calling their only daughter Robin, wouldn’t you? You’d reckon. And when you heard that those two parents were Rodney Roberts and Roberta Roberts, you’d think they were just mean – like, if they’d had to suffer all those Rs, then they’d make their kids suffer too. But if you actually knew my parents, you’d get that giving me a Rolls-Royce name was just their cute way of including me in their club: the R&R club. Well, that was their thinking anyway.

A terrible fire sweeps through north-eastern Victoria. In its aftermath, Robin’s parents split up and Robin and her mother move to the city. In her first day at her new school, Robin meets Delia. Delia befriends Robin, although Robin sometimes struggles to understand why. Delia and her brother are also reeling from the effects of the fire, although they are not as able – or perhaps ready – to articulate their loss. A Bush Stone-curlew appears in the local park, far from its natural habitat and connects Robin, Delia and Seth. Life is challenging for each of the teenagers, but it may prove deadly for the out-of-place bird.

As Stars Fall is a gritty, real novel, with hints of magic realism. Three teenagers respond to major trauma in their lives caused by catastrophic fires. Their grief defines every aspect of their behaviour and their responses to those around them. The out-of-place curlew links them and forces them to think beyond themselves and their individual loss. Robin is the main character and her story is told in first person, with Delia and Seth’s stories in third person. Their stories progress, the novel progresses as fast and as intensely as any fire, sweeping all before it and building to an inevitable crescendo. Readers will be swept along too, holding their breath to see who survives. Recommended for mid- to upper-secondary readers.

As Stars Fall, Christie Nieman Pan Macmillan 2014 ISBN: 9781743517697

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Spud and Charli by Samantha Wheeler

‘Kill it!’

‘Quick! Make it die!’

The girl perched on the top bunk was practically emptying a whole can of fly spray into the corner of the room while three others stood watching, their backs pressed flat against the wall. By the looks on their faces, the monster receiving the blasts must have been nothing less than a spiny-legged cockroach – like the ones that lurked around our bin in the middle of the night.

Each of the girls took turns screaming instructions.

‘Here it comes!’

‘Spray it! SPRAY IT NOW!’

I peered inside the door. A tiny brown spider about the size of a ladybird was huddled helplessly in the corner, making a feeble attempt to hold out its front legs while being drowned in torrents of Mortein Fast Knockdown.

‘Kill it!’

‘Quick! Make it die!’

The girl perched on the top bunk was practically emptying a whole can of fly spray into the corner of the room while three others stood watching, their backs pressed flat against the wall. By the looks on their faces, the monster receiving the blasts must have been nothing less than a spiny-legged cockroach – like the ones that lurked around our bin in the middle of the night.

Each of the girls took turns screaming instructions.

‘Here it comes!’

‘Spray it! SPRAY IT NOW!’

I peered inside the door. A tiny brown spider about the size of a ladybird was huddled helplessly in the corner, making a feeble attempt to hold out its front legs while being drowned in torrents of Mortein Fast Knockdown.

Charli is excited to be at riding camp, where she will finally learn to ride. And then, it’s just a short jump to owning her own horse. Well that’s what she hopes. But from the minute she arrives, things are not quite as she imagines. Firstly, she’s sharing a room with the snobbish Mikaela. Not her choice, but she’s already rejected the other options. Then she’s beaten to choosing the beautiful palomino and nothing, it seems, will convince Mikaela to swap. Charli is stuck with the massive retired racehorse Spud. This is not how it worked in her dreams. And as if this isn’t enough, there are bats. According to Charli’s research, bats and horses are a recipe for disaster.

Spud and Charliis perfect for horse-loving preteens. Jam-packed with horse details from grooming to saddles, to riding terms, they’ll eat it up. Charli discovers that Spud is not as scary as he at first appears, and before too long, she is smitten. Along the way, Charli learns the difference between dreams and reality, making good and bad decisions and why it makes sense to gather all information before judging others. Despite some hasty decisions, Charli’s good sense and caring nature shines through although she has to learn some lessons the hard way. Recommended for mid-primary readers, particularly horse fans.

 

Spud and Charli

Spud and Charli, Samantha Wheeler UQP 2014 ISBN: 9780702250187

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Weirdo 2: Even Weirder by Anh Do

I was out shopping for a birthday present for the seventh-best-looking girl in the class. So why do I have five years’ worth of toilet paper in the trolley?

Because my life is weird.

If something’s on sale at the shops, Mum will buy lots of it.

And guess what was on sale today?

That’s right, toilet paper.

There we all were … looking like the family that does the MOST poos in the world.

I was out shopping for a birthday present for the seventh-best-looking girl in the class. So why do I have five years’ worth of toilet paper in the trolley?

Because my life is weird.

If something’s on sale at the shops, Mum will buy lots of it.

And guess what was on sale today?

That’s right, toilet paper.

There we all were … looking like the family that does the MOST poos in the world.

Weir thinks his family is weird. He is new to the school and keen to make a good impression, but he’s sure his family’s weird habits and behaviours are going to make it hard. They might even cause him to be un-invited to Bella’s party. That’s if he makes it through the school excursion to the zoo. His weird grandfather is one of the parent helpers. At every turn, his family seem determined to embarrass him, and stymie his best plans. There are illustrations on every page and text and font sizes are varied for maximum comic effect.

‘Weirdo 2: Even Weirder! ’ is a laugh-a-minute feast for the newly independent reader. Readers will empathise with Weir’s embarrassments as he tries his best to impress Bella and get to know his classmates. Everything goes wrong (or at least, not as right as planned) until finally everything wrong turns out right. Recommended for newly-independent readers and anyone who appreciates the humour inherent in everyday life.

 

Weirdo 2: Even Weirder! , Anh Do ill Jules Faber Scholastic 2014 ISBN: 9781743622711

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Poppy Cat by Sara Acton

Poppy Cat is a copy cat.

She follows me wherever I go.

She does whatever I do.

 

A small girl shares stories of life with her loved cat, Poppy Cat. Poppy Cat follows her around and shares many of her daily activities. But each of them likes to do things by themselves too, with varying levels of success. Poppy Cat begins with early morning happiness and ends with bedtime happiness, shared with a pet. Illustrations are loose watercolours with black outline. Images sit in white space.

Poppy Cat is a gentle story of a child and her pet, the two of them learning and sharing throughout an ordinary day. The mischief Poppy Cat gets to is seen as humourous rather than troublesome and there appears to be an understanding that everyone needs time on their own. The white space in which the simple text and images are set allows the reader to make this story their own. It’s a slow-down-and-live-in-the-moment story, revelling in the simplicity of everyday. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

 

Poppy Cat, Sara Acton Scholastic Press 2014 ISBN: 9781743620168

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Rescue Ark by Susan Hall, ill Naomi Zouwer

The children gazed gloomily all around,

Oh dear! Oh dear!

Waste and rubbish littered the ground,

Oh dear! Oh dear!

The land was polluted, the rivers all dry,

with their habitats ruined the creatures would die.

So the kids decided to build an ark

To save all their animal friends.

The children gazed gloomily all around,

Oh dear! Oh dear!

Waste and rubbish littered the ground,

Oh dear! Oh dear!

The land was polluted, the rivers all dry,

with their habitats ruined the creatures would die.

So the kids decided to build an ark

To save all their animal friends.

The children are concerned about the impact of humans on the environment and the challenges this poses for animals displaced or threatened by humans and their activities. So they build an ark, and load it with as many endangered Australian animals as they can. They set them off to sea and then spend their time cleaning up and repairing the land. Eventually they deem it safe to bring the animals home again. The text is set to the rhythm of ‘The Ants Go Marching’ and illustrations are presented on coloured pages as if looking through a telescope, with the action spilling beyond the edges of the circle. Images are a combination of painting and collage. Final pages include images from the NLA collections and information about the animals featured.

NLA are producing a number of books for children which use images from their collections. ‘The Rescue Ark’ has a clear conservation theme, and suggests that children can play a role in addressing/redressing environmental impacts on Australian fauna. It also introduces young readers to the Library’s collections. There is ample opportunity for conversation, at home and in the classroom about Australian animals, habitat destruction and pollution, and the ability for each and all to effect their surroundings. Recommended for early- to mid-primary schoolers.

 

The Rescue Ark, Susan Hall ill Naomi Zouwer NLA 2014 ISBN: 9780642278104

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Hokey Pokey by Ed Allen ill Sarah Hardy

Okey dokey, let’s do the wombat hokey pokey!

Put your right paw in, put your right paw out,

Put your right paw in and shake it all about.

Do the hokey pokey and turn around,

That’s what it’s all about!

Okey dokey, let’s do the wombat hokey pokey!

Put your right paw in, put your right paw out,

Put your right paw in and shake it all about.

Do the hokey pokey and turn around,

That’s what it’s all about!

Hokey Pokey Aussie Edition features Australian animals doing the hokey pokey in their own distinctive style. The wombat puts a paw in and out, the kookaburra a wing, the platypus a fin. Illustrations are cumulative and each opening includes the featured animals, those that preceded, and also the animal that will feature on the following opening. Text curves across the pages, with lead words in larger, different colour fonts. Hokey Pokey  is accompanied by a CD with music from Colin Buchanan, and includes an instrumental version in addition to the song.

Many children, and most of their families will be familiar with the Hokey-Pokey song and actions. This new Aussie version offers an opportunity to look at the similarities and differences of the native fauna. Readers can play the CD and read along. Pre- and early-school classrooms will be hopping and spinning as they join in the celebrations. The instrumental track on the CD also offers the chance for teachers/parents/family to improvise with their own words. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

 

Hokey Pokey,  Ed Allen ill Sarah Hardy Scholastic 2014 ISBN: 9781742836454

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com