Tag: scholastic

Countdown to Danger: Bullet Train Disaster by Jack Heath

It doesn’t look like any train you’ve ever seen.

It has the usual parts – sliding doors, plastic windows, massive grinding wheels – but it’s facing up. The mountain is so steep that the rails are almost vertical. How is that supposed to work? It’s only one carriage long, but still. Can trains even go uphill?

Despite the strangeness, it seems familiar. As if you have taken a ride on it before. Unsettled, you glance at your watch. Wasn’t the train supposed to depart an hour ago?

It doesn’t look like any train you’ve ever seen.

It has the usual parts – sliding doors, plastic windows, massive grinding wheels – but it’s facing up. The mountain is so steep that the rails are almost vertical. How is that supposed to work? It’s only one carriage long, but still. Can trains even go uphill?

Despite the strangeness, it seems familiar. As if you have taken a ride on it before. Unsettled, you glance at your watch. Wasn’t the train supposed to depart an hour ago?

‘Countdown to Danger: Bullet Train Disaster ’ happens over the space of 30 minutes. A 30 minutes that stretches and contracts depending on the actions of the viewpoint ‘You’. ‘You’ are taking a ride on a prototype almost vertical bullet train in an unnamed but obviously mountainous location. Your friend Pigeon is there, and as the train takes off, a boy named Taylor comes hurtling down the central aisle, headed for injury or death. Like a puzzle, your decisions may lead to survival, but other paths may lead you to very different (and less pleasant) outcomes. In total there are 30 paths that you can take.

‘Countdown to Danger: Bullet Train Disaster ’ is the first title in a new series from Jack Heath and Scholastic. It is told in the second person so that even the gender of the main character is not fixed. Readers can choose to follow different paths – and predict which way to proceed. Instructions at the end of each chapter direct the reader, or offer them options. With thirty paths – only ten of them leading to survival – and a digital clock countdown as chapter heading, the pace accelerates, no matter which option you follow. The chapters also become shorter as time ticks away. Great for critical thinking, also ideal for reluctant readers and those wanting to control their progress through a story. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Countdown to Danger: Bullet Train Disaster , Jack Heath
Scholastic 2016
ISBN: 9781760159627

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Teresa: A New Australian, by Deborah Abela

’This is it. The beginning of our new lives. Ready?
Teresa and her mama nodded. ‘Ready.’
They stepped into the cheers and music and beneath flying streamers and confetti. All around them were people in tears, hugging and laughing.
People made sure they stood together to take their first steps onto Australian soil. When they did, he wiped his sleeve across his eyes. Mama kissed his cheek. ‘You old softie.’

War rages across Europe, and Teresa and her family endure tough times in their homeland, Malta. There are bombing raids every day, and her father is away fighting alongside the allies. Even when peace finally comes, life is difficult, so Teresa’s family make a difficult decision – they will leave Malta and start a new life in Australia.

In Australia life is safer, and Teresa’s parents find jobs, but there are still many obstacles to overcome, including getting used to Australian ways. Not everyone is welcoming of new Australians, but Teresa is determined to succeed in this strange new land.

Teresa: A New Australian is wonderful new historical fiction, exploring the life of one new migrant in the years following World War 11. Teresa is a feisty, loyal girl who faces each new challenge head on. Readers will enjoy getting to know her and at the same time will become familiar with aspects of Australia’s history they may not know.

Teresa is an outstanding addition to the New Australian series.

Teresa , by Deborah Abela
Omnibus, an imprint of Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781742990941

Space Alien at Planet Dad by Lucinda Gifford

Every Saturday,

Jake set out on a mission to

PLANET DAD.

Planet Dad was AWESOME.

There were BATTLES

TOWERING space stations …

Every Saturday,

Jake set out on a mission to

PLANET DAD.

Planet Dad was AWESOME.

There were BATTLES

TOWERING space stations …

Every Saturday, Jake spends time with his dad at his dad’s place. They both love Space and spend the day happily together, playing, exploring, eating and sharing movies. But one day Jake arrives to discover a Space Alien. He is not happy. And not shy about letting the Space Alien know it. Over the next visits, he does everything to repel the Space Alien, but nothing works until he loses his cool completely. Paperback with bright and colourful illustrations, with much of the text large and loud.

Jake has a wonderful time with his dad each weekend, but when his dad starts seeing someone, everything changes. Space Alien at Planet Daduses wonderful space-themed language, huge letters and voice bubbles to let the reader know just how upset he is. Dad does all he can to convince Jake that the Alien is worth knowing, but Jake continues his resistance. This is a wonderful book for families adjusting to new and unfamiliar configurations. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers, particularly those in changing family circumstances.

Space Alien at Planet Dad, Lucinda Gifford
Scholastic 2016
ISBN: 9781760153687

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Echidna Jim Went for a Swim, by Phil Cummings & Laura Wood

The animals floated on the waves.
They BOBBED and BOUNCED.
SURFED and SPLASHED.
They were having a wonderful time.
Until…
Echidna Jim went for a swim.

It’s a very hot day, but the animals don’t mind. Dingo has fixed the old blue bus that used to sit in the creek – and he’s taking everyone to the beach for a swim. At the beach everyone blows up their inflatable toys and swim rings, and has a lot of fun – until Echidna Jim joins in. His spikes wreak havoc, popping the inflatables – which could be a disaster, but instead, adds to the fun as the animals whoosh around.

Echidna Jim Went for a Swim is a humorous picture book story featuring lots of favourite Australian animals, including the echidna, the wombat, a platypus, an emu, a kangaroo and more, as well as all the fun of a bus ride and a trip to the beach. With lots of golden sand and watery aquas and blues, as well as the colourful inflatables and the browns and greys of the animals themselves, the illustrations fill the pages with movement and fun.

Echidna Jim Went for a Swim, by Phil Cummings & Laura Wood
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781760152994

Cyclone, by Jackie French & Bruce Whatley

Outside, a giant
groans and growls.
A wind that
batters
shrieks
and howls.
A crack,
A lurch,
our house
is torn
Ripped
to paper
by the storm.

On Christmas Eve in 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed most of the city of Darwin, with houses ripped apart and families fighting for their lives as they sought shelter. Christmas Day revealed the extent of the damage and, in the days that followed, families were separated as most were evacuated until it was safe to return. While other cyclones and storms have hit Australia before and since, the scale of Cyclone Tracy and the damage she wrought, nothing has matched the scale of that storm – with 71 people killed, 41 000 left homeless and 80 percent of the homes destroyed.

Cyclone tells the story of that night from the perspective of a child who, initially, is sure that nothing is going to spoil Christmas, until s/he is woken in the night by Dad, who ushers his family out of their disintegrating house to hide under their brick barbecue. The rhyming text gathers the momentum of the storm – starting and finishing calmly but with pace and fury in the middle, and the chaos reflected by short line breaks.
The illustrations too, match the text with brooding skies in the early spreads, lightening slightly to illuminate the chaos of the storm, then brighter in the pages that follow. The use of muted tones and washes reflects both the tone of events and the photography of the 1970s which was used as reference material.

From the team who previously produced Fire and Flood, Cyclone is another outstanding offering.

Cyclone, by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781743623596

Harry's Secret, by Anita Heiss

Harry takes a seat, all alone, and in one quick second, grabs a palm-sized sketchpad he’s got wedged between his jeans and stomach, and pulls a small HB pencil from behind his ear. He starts to draw quickly, nervously checking that he’s not being watched. Harry knows everyone thinks skating is cool, but he also knows that his best friends think drawing isn’t.

Harry loves hanging out with his mates – skateboarding, or camping, or swimming at the pool. But he has a secret – he also loves to draw, and is pretty good at it, too. The problem is, his mate Gav thinks art is dumb, and Harry really wants to be cool. So he draws in secret, and doesn’t tell anyone what he’s doing– until he sees an advertisement for the local art competition and knows that he has to enter it.

Harry’s Secret is an upbeat novel for junior readers. Harry and his friends are funny, warm-hearted and energetic, always on the go and looking out for each other. Harry’s dilemma is one many kids will relate to – whether it’s an artistic talent or some other hobby or ability that they fear being teased for.

Good stuff.

Harry’s Secret, by Anita Heiss
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781760152024

Sing a Rebel Song, by Pamela Rushby

The men seemed to be having a vote. They raised their hands. Dad came back to Mr Callan. ‘Every man here is a member of the Shearers Union,’ he said. ‘We have agreed that we can only shear under the verbal agreement of our union. If we sign your Shearing Agreement we will not be upholding the union. We’ll be blacklegs.’
The men muttered angrily among themselves. ‘We won’t sign!’ someone shouted.

Its 1891, and Maggie McAllister, whose dad is a shearer, gets a firsthand experience of one Australia’s most dramatic events: the Shearer’s Strike, where shearers fought for better pay and conditions and the pastoralists in turn tried to get them to work for less. While Maggie’s Dad and his fellow workers strike, march and protest, Maggie and her mother help to report on events and distribute notices.

But Maggie’s friends don’t all agree with the strike – or with her actions. Her friend Clara is the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and her other friend Tom needs work to help support his family. It seems that friendship doesn’t always survive. And for Maggie, witnessing the events of the strike make her aware that both sides have some valid viewpoints – and some questionable tactics.

Sing a Rebel Song is an exciting, moving account of the strike, and of the part one fictional character plays in it. It also provides an insight into Australian life in the late nineteenth century, and the birth of the union movement through an accessible story.

Rushby has a knack of making history come alive for young readers.

Sing a Rebel Song, by Pamela Rushby
Omnibus Books, 2015
ISBN 9781742991344

My First Day at School, by Rosie Smith & Bruce Whatley

On my first day…

From dressing themselves, to eating breakfast, meeting new friends, counting, playing and even home time, My First Day at School takes youngsters through fairly typical things that happen on the first day of school. The use of a range of animal characters adds humour and interest. The character on the spread with the line “I dress myself”, for example, is a centipede, sporting brightly patterned socks on each of its numerous feet. Other spreads feature rabbits, dogs, owls, a rhino and more.

This use of the animal characters to illustrate what is very simple text does not remove it too far from children’s experience and the use of both familiar and less familiar animals – including a sloth, a puffin and a tapir (?) – creates room for discussion both about what is happening at school and about the animals themselves.

Perfect for a young child starting school, My First Day at School is a treasure from one of Australia’s bets loved creative teams in Bruce Whatley and Rosie Smith.

My First Day at School, by Rosie Smith & Bruce Whatley
Scholastic, 2016
ISBN 9781743622964

Nellie Belle, by Mem Fox & Mike Austin

Is it fun in the yard,
Nellie Belle, Nellie Belle?
Is it fun in the yard,
Nellie Belle?

Nellie Belle is a an adorable brown and tan dog who is off on an adventure – digging holes in yard (and escaping), exploring the street, the beach and, finally, the park – before getting spooked by the dark and hurrying home to her safe warm bed.
With a rhythm and repetition reminiscent of the folk song “Billy Boy”, Nellie Belle is a fast-moving, happy celebration of dogs and adventure. The illustrations, rendered digitally, have textures reminiscent of children’s paint sets and of marble, collaged into delightful scenes. The joyful expressions of the animal characters is especially appealing.
Suitable for reading aloud to the very young, the repetition will encourage youngsters to join in.
Nellie Belle, by Mem Fox & Mike Austin
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781760274108

I Need a Hug, by Aaron Blabey

I need a hug.
Won’t you cuddle me, Lou?
What? With those spikes?
Get away from me! Shoo!

A poor old prickly hedgehog is desperate for a hug, but nobody will give him one. They run away from him/her, complaining about spikes and prickles. It seems s/he’s destined not to be hugged, until something scarier than a prickly hedgehog scares the other animals away – and the hedgehog meets a snake, who only wants a kiss.

A funny rhyming tale about friendship, hugs and kisses, I Need a Hug will delight young readers with its humour and its gentle message about acceptance and not judging others by their appearance.
From the creator of Pig the Pug, I Need a Hug is lots of fun.

I Need a Hug, by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743629093