March 2015 – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

Anders and the Comet by Gregory Mackay

Hello, I’m Anders and this is my mum and dad.

I like reading and having all sorts of adventures.

It’s almost time for the holidays and I can’t wait to get started.

Hello, I’m Anders and this is my mum and dad.

I like reading and having all sorts of adventures.

It’s almost time for the holidays and I can’t wait to get started.

Anders is excited about the impending school holidays. On the last day of school, a new student, Bernie, joins their class and the teacher sets them a holiday assignment. As Anders walks home, he discovers that Bernie lives just around the corner from his house. Cue myriad adventures with Anders, cousin Eden, new friend Bernie and Anders’ new pet Skip. By the end of the holidays, Anders has both everyday and fantastical stories to share with his teacher and class. ‘Anders and the Comet’ is a graphic novel/comic set out in chapters. In final pages, Dr Larsen explains what a comet is and there’s a sneak preview of the next Anders’ adventure.

Anders and the Comet is the first in a new series of graphic novels/comics about Anders and his friends. Anders is enthusiastic, curious and imaginative. He leads his friends in adventures both local and further afield, from home to space and back again. Anders is clearly the leader but his cousin, his friend and even his new pet have their own strengths in each adventure. Anders and the Cometis novel-sized and will appeal to both independent and developing readers. A variety of family dynamics are subtly portrayed. As with picture books, there is plenty of information offered only visually, and plenty of material for discussion either at home or in the classroom. Anders is an engaging character, full of energy, sure to quickly attract fans. Recommended for early- to mid-primary readers.

Anders and the Comet, Gregory Mackay

Allen & Unwin 2015 ISBN: 9781760111151

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Duelgum: The Story of Mother Eel by Uncle Joe Kirk, with Greer Casey and Sandy Harrold ill Sandi Harrold

Duelgum, the mother eel, lived in a large waterhole, near the banks of the Brisbane River.

She loved her waterhole. It had everything she needed – reeds and waterlilies that gave her shelter from the hot midday sun, and yabbies, shrimp and frogs to eat whenever she was hungry.

Duelgum had made herself a cosy home under an old log where she could sleep peacefully, safe from danger.

Duelgum, the mother eel, lived in a large waterhole, near the banks of the Brisbane River.

She loved her waterhole. It had everything she needed – reeds and waterlilies that gave her shelter from the hot midday sun, and yabbies, shrimp and frogs to eat whenever she was hungry.

Duelgum had made herself a cosy home under an old log where she could sleep peacefully, safe from danger.

Duelgum opens with the mother eel happy in her watery home. One autumn night she realises that it is time for her to travel far away to lay her eggs. She sets out on her journey by travelling overland between her waterhole and the river that will lead her to the sea. She makes her journey and lays her eggs. The story then shifts to the story of the hatchlings who grow and grow before making their own journey back to the waterhole that was home to their mother. Illustrations set most of the text in white on colour on the left side of each opening, with paintings set in white on the right side. The final page offers information about the author, the story and the reason eels are an important part of the ecosystem.

Duelgum: The Story of the Mother Eel is a traditional story from Uncle Joe Kirk, a Brisbane and Wakka Wakka elder about the life and travels of eels. It offers an introduction to these amazing animals who travel from fresh water to salt to lay their eggs. Told simply, Duelgum is a rich resource of story, nature, and culture. It offers multiple threads for classroom and home discussion and has resonance for a wide range of readers. Recommended for early- middle-schoolers.

Duelgum: The Story of the Mother Eel by Uncle Joe Kirk, with Greer Casey and Sandy Harrold ill Sandi Harrold.
Scholastic 2014 ISBN: 9781743623114

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

State of Grace, by Hilary Badger

‘Actually, no,’ I say. ‘As you can see, I’m about to go horseriding.’
I smile then, even though I Haven’t said anything particularly funny. Seriously, it doesn’t take much to make me smile. That’s how I am. Laughing, joking, having fun – it’s how Dot created me. It’s how she created all of us.
Except, of course, Blaze.

Wren and her rescinds live in a garden where everything is perfect. Nothing exists outside of the garden – except Dot, who created the people, plants and animals which fill the utopia. But as completion night draws nearer, Wren is troubled by strange visions of people and places outside of the garden, visions that feel like memories, even though she knows they can’t be. The gorgeous Blaze seems to have similar visions, but this worries Wren even more. If they are not Dotly enough, neither of them might be chosen on completion night. As she starts to question what s happening, Wren feels herself being pulled further away from Dot.

State of Grace is an eerie book. From a cover featuring a girl with surreal green eyes, to an Eden-like existence and on to the cracks which appear in this life, the reader experiences a growing sense of discomfort at the world which Wren and her friends inhabit, and as Wren unravels the truth, the reader journeys with her. The use of a special vocabulary for this world is a clever tool, adding the sense of this place being elsewhere. The reality, when it is revealed, is shocking.

An intriguing read for teens.

State of Grace

State of Grace, by Hilary Badger
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014
ISBN 9781760120382

Available from good bookstores and online.

Hurry Up Alfie! by Anna Walker

Good morning, Alfie. It’s time to get dressed.

The sun is shining and we have a busy day.

Alfie’s not here.

Oh, that’s a pity, I thought Alfie might like to come to the park with me. Bert will be there.

Good morning, Alfie. It’s time to get dressed.

The sun is shining and we have a busy day.

Alfie’s not here.

Oh, that’s a pity, I thought Alfie might like to come to the park with me. Bert will be there.

Alfie is a young anthropomorphised crocodile. Mum says they are going to the park and that Alfie needs to get ready. Alfie finds all manner of distractions get in the way. First there’s breakfast, then the process of getting dressed. Mum offers to help but Alfie wants to do things Alfie’s way. Illustrations are a mix of pattern and collage and more. Mum is relentlessly patient and encouraging, but time is running short. Eventually, Mum and Alfie reach the park, ready to play.

Hurry Up Alfie is a delightful observation of a day in the life of a small child. Alfie is easily distracted but simultaneously easily entertained. Meanwhile, the reader can see both familiar and different elements in this particular home and its routines. There are plenty of details to pick out and they will enjoy watching Steve McQueen the cat as he joins in or stays safe from Alfie’s antics. Parents will recognise the challenges, and the futility of trying to hurry an imaginative and self-entertaining child. Recommended for pre-schoolers.

Hurry Up Alfie, Anna Walker Scholastic Press 2014 ISBN: 9781742839912

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Summer's Gone, by Charles Hall

I’ve had a long time to think about it; I wish to God I could stop but sometimes, even now, it just happens: I go over and over exactly how it was that Helen came to die, and all that came before, and all that came after. About all the things I might have done, and all the things I might have not done; and all the things other people might have done and not done. Like Mitch, and Alison.

In 1960s Perth, teenager Nick meets three new friends who share his interest in music. Soon, guitarist Mitch has hooked up with one of the girls, Alison, and Nick is keen on her sister, Helen. He thinks she’s interested in him, too, though their relationship is slower to develop. The foursome form a folk group, and are soon popular on the local music scene. But things start to fall apart when Mitch decides to leave the group, and Helen gets called back to Melbourne. Although Nick and Alison join her there soon after, and have what seems to be a bliss-filled summer, tragedy is just around the corner.

Summer’s Gone is a touching, down to earth story of life in the 1960s. Shifting between the events leading up to and surrounding a death, and Nick’s revisitation of key locations many years later, the narrative is cleverly arranged so that the mystery of Helen’s death, revealed on page one, is only gradually made clearer. At the same time,many of the issues of the 1960s – including conscription, sexual liberation, feminism, societal change and worker’s rights – are explored in a way that avoids being issue-heavy. Nick is an entertaining narrator and as he criss-crosses the country, it is a pleasure to travel with him, even in dark times.

Summer’s Gone is an absorbing read.

Summer’s Gone, by Charles Hall
Margaret River Press, 2015
ISBN 9780987561541

Available from good bookstores and online.

Meet My Book: The Country Practice, by Meredith Appleyard

Another visitor! Today I welcome Meredith Appleyard here to answer my quick questions about her new book. Over to you, Meredith.

Meredith Appleyard (Photo credit: Nan Berrett, Word Solutions 2014)

1. Give us the details – title, publisher, illustrator, release date.

Title: The Country Practice
Publisher: Penguin Group (Australia)
Release date: 25 February 2015

2. Why did you write the book?
I can’t imagine life without books. I’ve read and enjoyed so many. I want to make a contribution, and I love making up stories.

3. How long from idea to publication?
About 7 years.

4. What was the hardest thing about writing it?
Writing it was a joy. The hardest thing was having the confidence to ‘put it out there’.

5. Coolest thing about your book?
The cover – Penguin did it so right.

6. Something you learnt through writing the book?
That I could do it – that I had the tenacity and downright doggedness to keep going.

7. What did you do celebrate the release?
Celebrations started when I received the advance copies in the post! The high point, and probably the best night of my life, was a local book launch on 25 February 2015 attended by friends and family. On the night the local Collins book shop sold out of their 80 copies of The Country Practice! And, I received flowers from the Penguin Team and a letter of congratulations from the Premier of SA. Doesn’t get much better than that.

8. And how will you promote the book?
I have been doing radio interviews, locally and interstate, blogs and Q&As. I’ve been interviewed by journalists for local and interstate publications and I have a raft of author talks across SA.

9. What are you working on next?
Book 2 is almost done. When I’ve finished it will go off to my agent and hopefully you’ll see it in print sometime in the not too distant future.

10. Where we can find out more about you and your book?
penguin.com.au
meredithappleyard.com.au
On Facebook – Meredith Appleyard Author.

Thanks for visiting, Meredith.

The Country Practice is out now.

The Tunnel, by Dennis McIntosh

‘Where have you been working…’ He glanced down his clipboard for my name. ‘Dennis?’ He looked up.
‘I’ve been shearing down the Board of Works farm out of Werribee.’ I didn’t tell him this job was my get-out plan from shearing.
‘Worked underground before?’
‘No.’
He was taken aback. ‘Never?’
‘No, never.’

Twenty-seven years old, a recovering alcoholic, and with a faltering marriage, Dennis McIntosh goes to work on an underground construction site in Melbourne’s west. He hates confined spaces, so working underground constructing sewer pipes probably isn’t his ideal job, but he knows he needs to stick at it. And he does, for seven long years, before resurfacing a changed man.

The Tunnel is an honest and open account of one man’s working life and the way he uses it to confront his past and his perceived failings. McIntosh enters the tunnels poorly educated and with not a lot going for him, but decides in his time underground that it is time to take control of his life, get an education and achieve the things he wants to achieve.

A Penguin Special, The Tunnel is a quick read, exploring the role of unions as well as issues of education and self-determination.

A gritty, powerful read.

The Tunnel, by Dennis McIntosh
Penguin Books, 2014
ISBN 9780143572220

Available from good bookstores and online.

The Last ANZAC by Gordon Winch ill Harriet Bailey

On a cold winter’s day James and his dad stepped off a plane in Tasmania.

James was going to meet Alec Campbell, the last living Anzac. The year was 2001.

On a cold winter’s day James and his dad stepped off a plane in Tasmania.

James was going to meet Alec Campbell, the last living Anzac. The year was 2001.

James and his dad travel to meet Alec Campbell, the last living Anzac. James is bubbling with questions about all sorts of aspects of war. He wants to know whether Campbell was injured, whether he was scared, what he and the other soldiers ate. Interspersed with the questions from James, the story of Alec Campbell’s war service is explored. Illustrations swap between the present and 1915, with the latter images shown either full page or surrounded by a border, a bit like an old photo. The last ‘present’ image, with Alec Campbell and James together is also presented as a photo, perhaps suggesting the lasting memory of their meeting.

The Last ANZAC is based on a true story of the meeting between James and Alec Campbell. It’s not easy to share the enormity of a war with young readers. Gordon Winch has put the reader in the story in the form of a character, James, who is about their age. This way James can ask the questions that a young reader might ask. Illustrations also present more information sure to generate more questions and opportunities for discussion either at home or in the classroom. ‘The Last ANZAC’ offers an introduction to WWI for early primary readers, showing them Gallipoli through the eyes of someone who was there. Endpapers include copies of wartime letters, postcards and envelopes.

The Last ANZAC, Gordon Winch ill Harriet Bailey New Frontier Publishing 2015 ISBN: 9781925059298

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjery Williams Bianco ill Helene Magisson

There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy’s stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.

The rabbit in The Velveteen Rabbitis a Christmas gift to a young boy. Although the Boy has many toys, he comes to love the Rabbit and for a long time they are close companions. Another toy in the nursery, the Skin Horse, tells the Rabbit that if a child really loves you, for a long time, then you become Real. The Rabbit longs to become Real, but there are many twists and turns along the path he wants to travel. Illustrations are in gentle blues and greens, lyrical and lovely. Endpapers offer two views of an empty toy room a

The Velveteen Rabbitwas first published in 1922 and has been a favourite of many young and old. This beautiful edition of the story about the magic of love is sure to win a new generation of fans. Readers will enjoy their visit to a different time, and empathise with the longings of a loved companion. Observant readers may also find extra details in the endpapers. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

The Velveteen Rabbit, Marjery Williams Bianco ill Helene Magisson New Frontier Publishing 2015 ISBN: 9781925059304

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

What’s In My Lunchbox? by Peter Carnavas ill Kat Chadwick

Today in my lunchbox

I happened to find …

Today in my lunchbox

I happened to find …

A young boy opens his lunchbox to find an apple. He doesn’t like apples, but that’s just the beginning. Over the next days he finds increasingly unlikely things in his lunchbox, each of which he likes even less than the previous offering. His apprehension in opening the lunchbox grows. Font size is large and the text simple. Illustration backgrounds are in pastel colours with the main character, the lunchbox and the ‘contents’ of the lunchbox in more intense colours. Endpapers feature a range of lunchbox possibilities, only some of which are included in the story.

What’s in My Lunchbox is a timely story for new school children and younger children experiencing lunchbox offerings for the first time. The rhythm and repetition of the text will soon have young children ‘reading’ along. Illustrations provide offer extras for young readers to identify. Young readers will also be able to empathise with the growing apprehension illustrated. Plenty of opportunities to generate discussion about lunchbox choices. Love the grinning lunchbox! Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

What’s in My LunchboxPeter Carnavas ill Kat Chadwick New Frontier Publishing 2015 ISBN: 9781925059038

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller