Ginger Queen Play Date Queen: The Only Friend by Kim Kane & Jon Davis

My name is Ginger Green.

I am seven years old.

I am the Play Date Queen.

Today my friend Maya is coming over after school.

My name is Ginger Green.

I am seven years old.

I am the Play Date Queen.

Today my friend Maya is coming over after school.

Ginger Green has invited Maya to come and play after school. Maya is excited too and things start well, despite Ginger’s younger sister’s antics. But things soon start going wrong. Ginger is accustomed to being in control of play dates, but no matter what she tries, this time things seem to be going wrong. For the first time, Ginger feels left out. There are black white and purple illustrations on every opening.

Ginger Green Play Date Queen is a series for newly independent readers transitioning away from fully illustrated text to first chapter books. Ginger and the rest of the ‘cast’ are anthropomorphised foxes, but the stories will be recognisable to young students navigating the everyday challenges of school and home life.  Each episode/instalment presents a realistic dilemma and offers solutions that restore harmony. Recommended for newly independent readers.

Ginger Green Play Date Queen: The Only Friend, Kim Kane Jon Davis
Hardie Grant Egmont 2016
ISBN: 9781760127855

Lola's Toy Box: Party at Cuddleton Castle, by Danny Parker

‘This party must be for a very important toy,’ said Lola.
She was right. On the cake, written in sprinkles, it said:
Happy birthday,
Great High Bear!

Lola has a magic toy box. When she opens it and jumps inside, she is never quite sure where she will end up. This time it has taken Lola and her toy friend Buddy to the great High Bear’s castle, where his birthday party is just about to start. But Lola notices something suspicious about the cake.

Party at Cuddleton Castle is the sixth title in the Lola’s Toy Box series. There is enough backstory and explanation for readers new to the series to read this one, and fans of the earlier books will enjoy this new adventure.

Good sized font, full page illustrations in each chapter (by Guy Shield), and fast paced action make Party at Cuddleton Castle accessible for newly confident readers.

Party at Cuddleton Castle, by Danny Parker
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016
ISBN 9781760126858

Bro, by Helen Chebatte

Image result for bro helen chebatte hardie grant’Bro, listen to me,’ Diz pleads, sliding to the edge of his seat and holding out his hands. ‘Fight club’s for posers. Lebs fight for good reason, not to show off. You don’t need to prove nothing’.’
’He’s challeng
ed me, bro. What do you want me to do? Say no? Do you want him to tell everyone Lebs are chickens? He’s had one Leb fight him and he’s already bagging us out.’

Romeo Machlouf is in year ten at a boys school. He has good mates and tries to stay out of trouble, though it isn’t always easy. When a fight club starts up, he isn’t interested – he doesn’t want to fight. But he might not have a choice, because Lebs stick together, and don’t take any crap from Ozzies, or from Fobs either.

Bro is a coming of age story about growing up: first love, identity, violence and its consequences are all explored through the first person voice of Romeo. At the same time, the themes of belonging and race are explored both dramatically and poignantly. Romeo and his friends are all ‘Lebs’ – Australian born but of Lebanese descent (though Romeo’s mother was not Lebanese) – and the school and their broader social circle is very much divided into racial groups . The other groups include the Fobs (‘fresh off the boat’), Maoris, Samoans, Tongans and other islanders ; the Rez (an Arabic word for rice, Asian students; and the Ozzies, “white skinned boys”. Tensions between the groups often run high, and the fight club that springs up in the school is contested along race lines.

An emotional read, Bro tackles important issues in a really accessible way.

Bro, by Helen Chebatte
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016
ISBN 9781760125509

Lifespan of Starlight, by Thalia Kalkipsakis

Every gram of courage that I possess is going to be barely enough to make me step off the curb. An intake of air and I bail out, my toes gripping the soles of my boots for all I’m worth and the rest of me teetering over the edge. A car flashes past and I jump back. That was close.

Scout has to live her life unseen. She is an illegal, with no chip, hidden by her mother since birth. But neither her nor her mum want it to stay this way, so when she has a chance to take a chip, she does. Little does she know that the owner of the chip had a skill like no other: the ability to time travel. She finds herself sought out by two other teens to want to know how to time travel. Soon the three are experimenting with something both exhilarating and dangerous.

Lifespan of Starlight is a gripping dystopian novel for young adult readers, set in a future where identity and activities are closely monitored and controlled. Scout is smart and resourceful, but she isn’t perfect, which makes her all the more believable. Kalkipsakis’ version of time travel is very different from other time-travel stories, an originality which young readers will enjoy.

The first in a trilogy Lifespan of Starlight will appeal to young teen readers.

Lifespan of Starlight, by Thalia Kalkipsakis
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015
ISBN 9781742978710

Available from good bookstores and online.

The Flywheel by Erin Gough

As far as English teachers go, I could do worse than Mr Hammer. He’s a smart guy with a good haircut and an admiral passion for punctuation. He’s taught me since the start of high school and I have only two misgivings: his views on the semicolon and the fact he ruined my life.

To be fair, when he paired me with Georgina Trump for a class project probably wasn’t his intention. Class Harmony is Mr Hammer’s big thing, and I understand that bridging the gap between those in the class who carry pink clutch purses and those who don’t is a legitimate part of that.

It was in a similar spirit of goodwill that I decided to make an effort with Georgina. This was despite the fact that when Mr Hammer said, ‘Georgina, you’re with Delilah,’ she pretended not to know who I was, even though we’ve gone to school together for over four years now.

As far as English teachers go, I could do worse than Mr Hammer. He’s a smart guy with a good haircut and an admiral passion for punctuation. He’s taught me since the start of high school and I have only two misgivings: his views on the semicolon and the fact he ruined my life.

To be fair, when he paired me with Georgina Trump for a class project probably wasn’t his intention. Class Harmony is Mr Hammer’s big thing, and I understand that bridging the gap between those in the class who carry pink clutch purses and those who don’t is a legitimate part of that.

It was in a similar spirit of goodwill that I decided to make an effort with Georgina. This was despite the fact that when Mr Hammer said, ‘Georgina, you’re with Delilah,’ she pretended not to know who I was, even though we’ve gone to school together for over four years now.

Delilah has more freedom from parental supervision than most 17 year olds. Her father is taking what seems like an adult gap year, extending his overseas trip in the belief that she’s brilliantly managing their café, The Flyway. However, she may have overstated her competence and the café’s success, in her conversations with her travelling father. She may also have overstated her achievements at school. Delilah lurches from disaster to disaster, digging herself deeper into the stories she tells her father, trying to keep ahead of school bullies, manage the challenges at work and trying to contain her growing crush. In her growing desperation, she both needs and rejects the assistance of friends and family.

The Flywheel is the second publication from The Ampersand Project and Hardie Grant Egmont. This debut young adult novel is both touching and hilarious. Delilah is a delightful mix of wisdom and naivete, bravery and hesitancy, maturity and childlikeness. Her parents are caught up in their own worlds and Delilah is seriously lacking strong role models. Well, actually she’s not – she just needs to work out who she can rely on. And she needs to learn which of her own instincts to trust. The Flywheel is a rollercoaster coming of age story, speeding from highs to low and back again, exploring the nature of friendship, responsibility and love. Recommended for mid secondary readers.

 

The Flywheel, Erin Gough
Hardie Grant Egmont 2015 ISBN: 9781742978178

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

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.

Fallout, by Chris Morphew

Luke turned his attention to the truck. I watched him cycle through the keys, dirty fingers fumbling in the cold, and the low-grade dread I carried everywhere with me swirled up to the surface again, clawing holes in my stomach.

He was going to die.

If that old surveillance video of Kara’s was to be believed, he’d already died.

There are only 14 days until the end of the world, and Luke and Jordan are desperate to find the answers which will save the human race. They are among the last free people in Phoenix, with the rest of the town trapped in the concentration camp which used to be the town centre. In the Vattel Complex where they are hiding, tension is high. The one person who could help them is unconscious, and lack of food and the constant stress is testing relationships. Of course having the man who they know will murder Luke in the rapidly approaching past captive in the complex doesn’t ease the tension.

Fallout is the fifth title in the popular Phoenix Files series. There is plenty of action, and plot twists that keep the reader guessing, as the story builds towards the final installment on the series. Of course the book will work best for those who have read the earlier offerings, but there is lots happening here which will draw a new reader in and have them looking for numbers one to four. Author Morhphew’s ability to pace the story whilst building character and mystery is a winning blend for young teens.

Good stuff.

Fallout (Phoenix Files)

Fallout (Phoenix Files), by Chris Morphew
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012
ISBN 9781921502439

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Silhouette, by Thalia Kalipsakis

There’s silence as Natasha scans the room and stops on me. ‘You,’ she says, pointing. ‘Show us. from the start.’
The command hits me like a shot of adrenaline. Moss glances at me. It’s just a moment But it pulls me. I want him to look at me again.
Heart racing. I step forwards and begin to dance. This is my moment, my chance to express.

All Scarlett wants is to dance, and she’ll do whatever it takes to earn a place at the National Ballet Company. But first she has to finish her final year at the Academy of Performing Arts. When she decides to audition for a spot as a dancer on a Moss Young video clip,s he doesn’t plan on letting it distract her from her studies. But moss is charismatic, and he is interested  in Scarlett. It can’t hurt to spend some time with him.

Silhouette is a a young adult novel set against the background of a dance academy but isn’t just a tale of a dancer following her dream. Scarlett is a complex character with a past which haunts her, and faces problems which seem universal to teens – peer pressure, the need to balance responsibility with having fun, relationships, friendships, and family dynamics. Though strong and determined she is also at times impetuous, making mistakes and showing flaws.

A gritty tale of growing up, making mistakes and moving on.

Silhouette

Silhouette, by Thalia Kalkipsakis
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012
ISBN 9781921759659

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Hey Jack! The New Friend and The Worry Monsters, by Sally Rippin

Jack is feeling a bit grumpy. His best friend Billie is away, and he has no one to play with. So when he and Dad find a lost puppy, Jack is excited. They take the puppy home until they can find its owner. But Jack wishes that he could keep the puppy for himself.

‘If you were my puppy I would call you Scraps,’ says Jack. He imagines all the fun that he and Scraps would have together.

Jack is feeling a bit grumpy.  His best friend Billie is away, and he has no one to play with. So when he and Dad find a lost puppy, Jack is excited. They take the puppy home until they can find its owner. But Jack  wishes that he could keep the puppy for himself.

The New Friend is part of a fun early reader series from award wining author Sally Rippin and publisher Hardie Grant Egmont. Jack is a regular kid who reacts the way many children would when finding a puppy – he wants to keep it. Told in simple language and large font, to be accessible to new readers, the story is supported by grayscale illustrations on most spreads.

In The Worry Monster Jack is back with a new problem – worry monsters. With a spelling test looming, Jack can’t chase the worry away. He is a bad speller and is sure he is going to fail. he doesn’t want to practise for the test, because that will only remind him of how bad he is at spelling. But then he leaves the study too late and his worry only increases.

Both books stand alone, though readers will enjoy following Jack’s adventures in both these and other titles in the series. The bright covers will appeal, as will the fact that they are about situations to which young readers will relate.

Good stuff.

The New Friend (Hey Jack!)

The New Friend

The Worry Monster (Hey Jack!)

The Worry Monster (Hey Jack!)

Both titles by Sally Rippin
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012

Burned, by Meredith Costain

But I’m wasting my time trying to get a reaction out of them. Any of them. They’re all too caught up in their own little problems. Michi’s freaking out big time because she hasn’t heard from her boyfriend for a whole hour and a half. And Lexi is still stressing over the fact that Alysha would rather spend time with the ‘shiny girls’ than her. And Alysha thinks she’s fat. Fat. Ha!
Hopeless. The lot of them.

It’s the first year of higschool, and everything is changing. Mia has a great group of friends, and she’s always there for them, helping them through tough times. But when it’s her turn for some tough times, it feels like there’s no one there for her in return. Mia’s beloved grandfather is really sick, and seeing him so ill reminds her of another time someone she loved was in hospital. But who would understand that?

Burned is the third title in the Year in Girl Hell series from author Meredith Costain. Tracking the progress of the first year in high school for four friends, this is an absorbing series which tween girls will love. Each book tells one girl’s story, from their first person perspective, letting readers get to know each girl, and exploring a range of issues faced by girls in this age group.

Good stuff.

A Year In Girl Hell #3: Burned

A Year In Girl Hell #3: Burned, by Meredith Costain
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.