Ella Diaries: Dreams Come True by Meredith Costain ill Danielle McDonald

Wednesday, after school

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe it. It can’t possibly be true.

But it IS!

Cassi Valentine – the best most excellent pop star in the WHOLE WILD WORLD – is coming here. To my town.

Maybe even to MY SCHOOL!!!

ZOW-EE!

I heart Cassi Valentine SOOO MUCH!

Wednesday, after school

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe it. It can’t possibly be true.

But it IS!

Cassi Valentine – the best most excellent pop star in the WHOLE WILD WORLD – is coming here. To my town.

Maybe even to MY SCHOOL!!!

ZOW-EE!

I heart Cassi Valentine SOOO MUCH!

Ella is back in a new adventure told through her diary. In ‘Dreams’ Come True’ Ella is excited to hear that her music idol is coming to town and that if they can win a competition, Cassi might perform at their school. She has a last-minute brilliant idea and then discovers she has to work with her enemy, Peach Parker. Everything goes wrong and it begins to look like not only will winning be impossible but that Ella will have alienated all her friends. Dreams Come True is written in a handwriting font complete with larger, coloured, all-caps words. Each opening includes doodle-type illustrations in black and red.

‘Ella Diaries’ is a new series from Scholastic, an Australian pitch at the market for ‘Dork Diaries’. Ella is a passionate and energetic main character and she is surrounded by a supportive family and teachers. She is stubborn and loyal and just a tad sure she’s generally right. About most things. In Dreams Come True she is excited that maybe her favourite singer might visit, but very challenged by having to work with Peach. The action is fast-paced and although filtered through Ella’s own words, the dynamics are visible to the reader. There is an intensity of emotion that many parents and teachers will recognise and young readers will empathise with. Recommended for newly independent readers who like a mixture of text and illustration.

Ella Diaries: Dreams Come True , Meredith Costain Danielle McDonald
Scholastic 2015 ISBN: 9781760153045

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

 

Ella Diaries: I Heart Pets by Meredith Costain ill Danielle McDonald

Friday, after school

Dear Diary,

You know how some days are better than others? Well, today was one of those days. It was an exceptionally excellent, outstanding, superb, very, very GOOD day.

Friday, after school

Dear Diary,

You know how some days are better than others? Well, today was one of those days. It was an exceptionally excellent, outstanding, superb, very, very GOOD day.

Ella is excited when Careers Day introduces her and her classmates to people who work with animals. She’s sure she’s found her calling in life. After all, she loves animals. She and her friend Zoe establish a pet-care business and wait for the millions to roll in. But surprisingly, it takes longer than she expects, and there are hurdles she didn’t imagine. Not least, their first job is much less active than they imagine. Written in diary format, there are images on every opening. Text is in a handwriting font, and some words are picked out in colour (green). Cover is decorated with doodles and collage.

Ella Diaries is a new series from Scholastic featuring Ella, her friends, her family and her arch-rival, Peach Parker and cronies. Ella is dramatic and passionate, but her drama and passion are genuine and relatable. Each story in this series is fully rounded and believable, with realistic twists and turns. Ideal for newly-independent readers transitioning to full novels. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Ella Diaries: I Heart Pets, Meredith Costain ill Danielle McDonald

Scholastic ISBN: 9781760153038

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Ella Diaries 1: Double Dare You

Dear Diary

Hello Diary. My name’s Ella and

Once upon a time there was a girl called Ella. She lived

How are you supposed to start a diary? I’ve never had one before. Mum and Dad gave me this one for Christmas because

a) I like writing. I’m always writing stories and they love the poems I make up for their birthdays and other special days.

b) They think I have a good imagination and they think writing something every day is a good way to ‘exercise’ it.

c) I’m going into Grade 5 this year (starting tomorrow!) and Dad says Grade 5 was the best year of his life.

Dear Diary

Hello Diary. My name’s Ella and

Once upon a time there was a girl called Ella. She lived

How are you supposed to start a diary? I’ve never had one before. Mum and Dad gave me this one for Christmas because

a)      I like writing. I’m always writing stories and they love the poems I make up for their birthdays and other special days.

b)      They think I have a good imagination and they think writing something every day is a good way to ‘exercise’ it.

c)      I’m going into Grade 5 this year (starting tomorrow!) and Dad says Grade 5 was the best year of his life.

Ella starts Grade 5 with high hopes, but from the beginning her first day is disastrous. It begins with the no-show of her best friend Zoe, and goes downhill as everyone else sits at the classroom tables in pairs. Only Ella is alone. And just when she thinks this is the worst thing that can happen, the door opens and in comes mean girl, Peach, who isn’t even supposed to be in this class. Of course, she sits in the only spare chair – on Ella’s table. As the days and weeks pass, Ella records her life both in and beyond school. Peach continues to cause trouble. Ella’s diary is written in a handwriting font and includes ‘hand-drawn’ images and words picked out in red. There are also crossed out spelling mistakes and phrases. Ella includes some of her poems. At the end there is room for readers to make their own diary entry, write their own poem and draw their own picture. There’s also a sneak-peek of ‘Ballet Back-flip’, the next title in the ‘Ella Diaries’ series. Cover art includes ‘doodles’ that give hints about some of the adventures within.

‘Ella Diaries’ is a new series for mid-primary readers, primarily girls. Double Dare You begins with the new school year and establishes the characters and the world Ella occupies. Ella is a bright, energetic student who displays a positive outlook on most of her world (with the exception of her relationship with bully Peach). She is a leader, a supportive friend and keen to learn. Young readers will recognise characters from their own classroom, the good and the less so. When Ella has to make a decision about whether or not to do a dare, or in this case, a double-dare, she thinks about what it would be like to be the victim. Double Dare You lets the reader peek into Ella’s innermost thoughts, fears and enthusiasms. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

 

Ella Diaries 1: Double Dare You , Meredith Costain ill Danielle McDonald
Scholastic Australia 2015 ISBN: 9781743628638

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Ella Diaries 2: Ballet Backflip

Saturday, before dinner

Dear Diary,

You will never ever EVER believe what happened today!

I was at ballet class like I normally am every Saturday morning. My ballet class is held at La Madame Fry Ecole du Ballet (which is just a fancy way of saying Mrs Fry’s ballet school). Except, actually, the school isn’t very fancy at all.

The main reason for this is because ballet is held in our local scout hall which means when we’re not there, the scouts ar, which is a VERY BAD THING.

Reasons why sharing your SPACE with SCOUTS is BAD:

Scouts are (mostly) boys
Boys often SMELL BAD (especially when they have been running around playing sweaty scouty games. Ewwww.)
Boys leave old bits of chewy under the seats.
They also leave BOY GERMS all over the wooden barre …

Saturday, before dinner

Dear Diary,

You will never ever EVER believe what happened today!

I was at ballet class like I normally am every Saturday morning. My ballet class is held at La Madame Fry Ecole du Ballet (which is just a fancy way of saying Mrs Fry’s ballet school). Except, actually, the school isn’t very fancy at all.

The main reason for this is because ballet is held in our local scout hall which means when we’re not there, the scouts ar, which is a VERY BAD THING.

Reasons why sharing your SPACE with SCOUTS is BAD:

  1. Scouts are (mostly) boys
  2. Boys often SMELL BAD (especially when they have been running around playing sweaty scouty games. Ewwww.)
  3. Boys leave old bits of chewy under the seats.
  4. They also leave BOY GERMS all over the wooden barre …

Ella is getting the hang of diary-keeping. In it she can talk about anything she wants to without fear of discovery, except perhaps by her snoopy little sister Olivia. In Ballet Backflip ’, Ella dreams of being the lead in the ballet recital. She and her friend Zoe, hatch plans to make sure they can share the limelight. Meanwhile at school, Peach is demonstrating new skills learned at gymnastics. Her backflip is very impressive, even Ella has to admit. The school playground is transformed as Ella’s classmates all try their own moves. Text is presented in a hand-writing font and there are illustrations scattered throughout. Some words and parts of the illustrations are picked out in purple. Ella includes some of her poetry too. If there are words that Ella thinks might not be understood, she includes a footnote explaining what she means. There is room at the back to write a shape poem of your own and decorate it however you want to.

Ballet Backflip is book 2 in the Ella Diaries series. Ella is in Grade 5 and reveals all in her diary so the reader is able to share in her ups and downs, excitements and frustrations. Ella is passionate about ballet and thinks her friend, Zoe is just as committed, but gradually comes to realise that changing interests don’t have to mean a betrayal of friendship. She demonstrates the difference between enthusiasm and obsession, and also the benefits of learning to adapt to new challenges. Young readers will recognise themselves and their dilemmas and potential solutions. There’s plenty here for young dancers, and gymnasts and their families. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

 

Ella Diaries 2: Ballet Backflip by Meredith Costain ill Danielle McDonald

Scholastic Australia 2015 ISBN:9781743628645

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Of Poetry Collections

I’ve been pondering poetry of late, particular poetry for children, inspired both by some study I’m doing and by the rediscovery of some of the poems of my childhood, including that of A. A.  Milne, some of the earliest poetry I remember loving  (along with Dr Seuss).

So I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is that makes a poem, the different forms used, and the ways that poetry is collected.  The poetry I’ve been sampling is pretty varied – from Blake, to Ted Hughes,  to AA Milne , to Michael Rosen and more. And, of course, because I’m a proud Aussie, I’ve been revisiting some of my favourite Australian poets. Which has reminded me that there aren’t a lot of children’s poetry books published in Australia, particularly single author collections. For now I’m not going to attempt to analyse why – that’s perhaps a whole series of blog posts.  Instead, I thought I’d start with a list of the poetry collections published in recent years. Initially I looked for those published in t past 5 years, and asked friends on Twitter and Facebook to help.  I ended up with a few titles that were more than five years, but in order to prevent the list being too depressingly short, I’ve kept those in.

So, here it is, my list of single-poet poetry collections for children published in recent years.  I’m hoping I’ve missed some, and that this post will draw some comments from those who remember what I and my friends haven’t.

From Lorraine Marwood:

A Ute Picnic (Walker Books, 2010)

Note on the Door (Walker Books 2011)

Guinea Pig Town  and Other Animal Poems (Walker Books, 2013)

Redback Mansion (Five Islands Press, 2002)

 

Elizabeth Honey

Mongrel Doggerel (Allen & Unwin, 1998)

The Moon in the Man (Allen & Unwin, 2002)

Honey Sandwich   (Allen & Unwin, 1993)

I’m Still Awake Still  (Allen & Unwin, 2008)

 

Steven Herrick

Untangling Spaghetti (UQP, 2008)

 

Doug McLeod

 Sister Madge’s Book of Nuns (most recently Working Title Press, 2012)

 

Colin Thompson

 There’s something really nasty on the bottom of my shoe (Hodder, 2003)

My Brother Drinks Out Of The Toilet (Hodder, 2000)

The Dog’s Just Been Sick in the Honda (Hodder, 1999)

 

Meredith Costain

Doodledum Dancing (Penguin, 2006)

 

Anne Bell

Muster Me a Song (Triple D Books, 2002)

 

Christobel Mattingley

Nest Egg: A Clutch of Poems (Triple D Books, 2005)

 

Max Fatchen

Poetry Allsorts (Triple D Books,  2003)

 

Andrew Lansdown

Allsorts: Poetry Tricks and Treats (Wombat Books)

 

Rosemary Milne

There’s a Goat in My Coat (Allen & Unwin, 2010)

Duncan Ball

My Sister Has a Big Black Beard (Harper Collins, 2009)

Michelle A. Taylor

If the World Belonged to Dogs (UQP, 2007)

 

Janeen Brian

By Jingo! (ABC Books, 2005)

 

Geoffrey McSkimming

Ogre in a Toga (Scholastic, 2007)

John Hay-Mackenzie

Cautionary tales for boys and girls (Murdoch Books, 2009)

 

Jill McDougall

Anna the goanna: and other poems (Aboriginal Studies Press, 2008)

 

So, have I missed any? If you know of any single poet collections published in Australia in recent years, do drop me a line and I’ll add them. I haven’t included verse novels here, because I’m intending to compose a separate list of these, and perhaps also  of anthologies.

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.

Dumped, by Meredith Costain

I hate u ur a cow
I quickly drop my phone on the bench, like it’s a flaming coal that’s just burnt my hand. Then I pick it up again, and check the sender details. Still not a number I know.
The phone beeps again while it’s still in my hand.. ‘So are you!’ I yell at it, then stop, my hand to my mouth. What am I doing? Yelling at a freaking phone? This is getting really silly.

Michi has made some great new friends at highschool, but she’s still finding it hard to fit in. So when she starts getting nasty texts and emails she doesn’t really know what to do. Why do Amira and her mates hate her, and what can she do about it?

Dumped is the second title in the Year in Girl Hell series from Aussie author Meredith Costain. Each of the four books is told using the first person narration of a different girl in a group of friends as they go through their first year of high school. Michi, the narrator in Dumped battles cyber bullying and the weight of parental expectation as she prepares for an important music exam, but also has support from the other three girls.

Aimed at tween girls, this is a series which hits its mark.

Dumped (A Year in Girl Hell)

Dumped (A Year in Girl Hell), by Meredith Costain
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond.

Dog Squad, by Meredith Costain

“Hey, Face-ache! You call that a pitch?”
Cheezel waves his bat in the direction of the ball I’ve just powered down to him. What does he mean? It was a good pitch. Sweet and true. So what if it veered off to the side a bit at the last moment. How is that my fault?
He retrieves the ball from a bush and lobs it back to me. “My nana could throw straighter than that.”
Cheezel can be very sarcastic at times. The only reason I hang out with him is because he lives next door. Believe me, compared to some of the losers who live in my street, he’s Mr Personality. And it gives me someone to talk to on the way to school.

Jez, Cheezel and Jez’s dog Crunch are playing cricket in the backyard when a bad bounce sends the ball flying through the lounge room window. Crunch squashes the guinea pig cage, and the ball crunches one of Mum’s treasures. Jez is in big trouble. But Jez has a plan. A hasty, almost-complete plan that solves all his problems. All he needs is some help from his friends, a business plan and some cash. Of course nothing is ever that simple and the closer to a solution he comes, the more complications that arise. Jez, Cheezel and Drago navigate their way from vengeful sister to moneylender, from lost dogs to found dogs and more before their adventure ends.

Dog Squad cracks a pace. From the moment the reader meets Jez and Cheezel in Jez’s back yard, it’s apparent that trouble sticks to Jez like burrs to a sock. What begins as an unfortunate accident – or two – is soon a whole raft of trouble. Jez is a quick thinker, but doesn’t always think things through. Cheezel and Drago help to fill in the gaps, providing information and suggestions to flesh out Jez’s plans. Together they are formidable, if wild. Their actions sometimes lead them into more trouble, but eventually also lead them out. Adults are almost invisible in this adventure, with all the action and solutions being provided by the boys themselves. ‘Dog Squad’ is full of the exuberance and enthusiasm that is the pre-teen boy. Recommended for upper-primary readers, particularly boys.

Dog Squad , Meredith Costain
Walker Books 2009
ISBN: 9781921529160

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

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

Crushed, by Meredith Costain

Last year in art, Alysha, Mia and I always talked about what we were going to do before we started drawing or painting. What the background would be like, and what colours we were going to use. But Alysha’s got other things on her mind. And Mia’s not here. I shuffle the pastels around in the box for a while, then pick out a pink one and start sketching. Two legs. Two arms. A blobby body. But when it comes to the face I can’t think of anything to draw.
Anything at all.

Lexi is starting high school, but she doesn’t like the changes a new school entail. First, one of her two best friends, Mia, is put into a different class, and then the other, Alysha, starts acting strangely. Alysha wants to be in with the shiny people – even if that means ignoring Lexi or putting her down. Mia is still there for Lexi – but she also has a new friend, Mishi, who she has invited to join their group. At home, Lexi’s parents are constantly fighting. This year is shaping up to be hell.

Crushed is the first book in a new series – A Year in Girl Hell – by Meredith Costain. Dealing with issues which many teens will relate to, particularly in the transition from primary school to high school, including changing friendships, peer pressure, belonging, and family conflict, the story is one which will appeal to girls aged 10 to 14. The use of the first person voice also appeals, as we are given Lexi’s perspective of events and how they impact on her.

A great start to a series which is sure to attract a following.

A Year in Girl hell, by Meredith Costain
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2009

My Baby love, by Meredith Costain & Beatriz Martin Vidal

Come to me, my baby love,
my morning child,
my bright-eyed dove…

This beautiful hard cover book is an absolute treasure – a wonderful synthesis of text, illustration and design.

The text is apparently simple – a mother’s voice taking her baby through typical daytime events –waking up, playing, feeding, bathing and going to sleep. This apparent simplicity, however, is actually proof of masterfully wrought poetry, which flows from page to page with a gentle rhythm and unobtrusive rhyme, to produce a perfect read aloud poem for bedtime or any time.

The illustrations present exquisitely realistic babies and mothers (a different pair for each new activity), with whimsical fantasy elements showing the activities in a new light. At bedtime, for example, the baby swings safely from mother’s long braids, being rocked to sleep as mother watches, reclining above on a crescent moon.

The design, too is important., with the cover wrapped in a translucent plastic film, with title and illustration on the wrap, and background illustrations on the hardcover beneath. Inside, the text weaves and sways its way from beginning to end.

These three elements combine to produce a book which is sheer delight and will be loved by both mothers and children, withstanding repeated readings to become a firm favourite.

Breathtaking.

My Baby Love

My Baby love, by Meredith Costain & Beatriz Martin Vidal
Lothian, 2009

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