Boofheads, by Mo Johnson

Change tiptoed into our lives with her eyes down, like a shy chick coming late to class. We checked her out as you do and found nothing there worth bothering about. Too many other hot girls were standing in line and Casey, Ed and I had our hands full. If we’d deemed her worthy of a second glance we might have noticed the ruthless determination in her eyes. We may even have asked what she had planned for us, but we ignored her and that was our biggest mistake. Not that she cared. She just went right on doing her thing.

Tommo, Casey and Ed have been best mates forever, and none of them expects that to change. But change comes in year eleven, as the boys’ lives start to diverge and become more complicated. As Ed tries to get his break as a professional footballer, Casey deals with family breakup and Tommo acts as an agony aunt for a teen magazine, it seems that the boofheads have less and less in common.

Boofheads is a humorous title, likely to attract teen readers, and the book does have plenty of humour. It is also, however, a serious book, dealing with many issues which teens are likely to face. It is refreshing to see such an issues-based book dealing particularly with teen boys, although the book will appeal equally to male and female readers.

There is a lot going on in Boofheads but, then again, there’s a lot going on in any teenager’s life, and author Mo Johnson brings together all the different plotlines and issues with aplomb. This is a wonderful book.

Boofheads

Boofheads, by Mo Johnson
Walker Books, 2008

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

Belmont and the Dragon – The Forest of Doom and Gloom

Long, long ago, in the mad-cap medieval metropolis of Old York…there lived an orphan boy named Belmont. He was small of stature but in his heart he had a very big dream.

Belmont dreams of one day becoming a knight. When the other orphans scoff at the suggestion, Belmont sets off on an adventure, determined to prove he can be brave and heroic. Along the way he meets a SNAD (Sensitive New Age Dragon) named Burnie and together they must rescue the beautiful princess Libby from the Putrid Pink Pixies and their mistress, the Redwitch.

Belmont and the Dragon: The Forest of Doom and Gloom is the first in a gorgeous new junior fiction series. The 48 page full-colour format, mixes adventure and humour, with a fast-moving, slightly silly story and cartoon-style illustrations for a combination which emerging readers will adore. The author-illustrator team have both worked in animation, and the book has the feel of a cartoon episode, with the illustrations having depth and the twists of the storyline offering both surprises and laughs. There’s nothing not to like here.

Belmont and the Dragon (Belmont and the Dragon)

Belmont and the Dragon: The Forest of Doom and Gloom, by Mike Zarb & RobinGold
RandomHouse Australia, 2008

This book is available online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Atomic Testing, by Alan Tucker

Dad warned us we’d either love it or hate it here. Mum hates it. Or at least I think she does, because she’s done a mountain of grizzling since we arrived last Saturday. She hates the dust and the flies. And she hates that there are hardly any other women here. Dad said she’ll meet a few at the barbecue this weekend.
I love it. There are a lot of kids my age. They’re friendly because they’re all fairly new to town. They don’t call Woomera a town. They call it ‘the village’.

Moving from Townsville to isolated Woomera is a big change for Anthony’s family. His father works for the army and has been assigned to work on the top-secret atomic testing programme. His mother, who had friends, a garden and a pleasant lifestyle in Townsville, hates Woomera, and doesn’t agree with the atomic testing. For Anthony, though, life at Woomera is great. He has spent the past six years recovering from polio, and Woomera gives him the freedom to rediscover his childhood. He soon makes friends and has fun exploring the desert around the town site, playing cricket, and having loads of adventures.

Atomic Testing is a new title in the My Australian Story series and, like others titles in the series, uses diary format. Anthony is a likeable narrator, and the use of a background of childhood illness allows his adventures an extra element – as he finds added delight in doing things which for other young teens might be run of the mill, including riding a bike for the first time, and being allowed to play cricket. As well as being an interesting story, the book offers a glimpse at a significant part of Australian history which many young readers may know little about, and explores issues both of the time period and of contemporary times, including war and weaponry, family breakdown and childhood illness.

Atomic Testing (My Australian Story)

Atomic Testing, by Alan Tucker
Scholastic, 2009

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

Five in the Bed

As much a toy as it is a book, this cute little offering is lots of fun and likely to delight kids well outside the stated age range of Baby to 2. Five in the Bedis a hand puppet board book, comprising a good sized hand glove with a small board book attached, enabling an adult reader to wear the glove, reading and acting out the story with the five finger puppet characters.

Using the popular nursery rhyme (variously called ‘five in a bed’, ‘ten in a bed ‘or ‘roll over’) as a basis, this version uses five Australian animal characters – Koala, Cockatoo, Emu, Wombat and Little Roo – and has a slight twist at the end with Little Roo declaring himself lonely, inviting the other animals back into the bed.

This would be a great tool for read aloud games, both in the early childhood classroom and at home, and will also be loved as a toy, although the size of the glove is better for adults than for children.

A cute concept, which would make a lovely gift.

Five in the Bed

Five in the Bed, illustrated by Claire Dowe
Little Scholastic, 2009

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

Cindy-Ella, by Tom Champion & Glen Singleton

Cindy-Ella is a hardworking outback girl. Every day her stepmother and her stepsisters, Rochelle and Sheryle, keep her busy cleaning the dunny, feeding the budgies and cooking the meet-pies for tea. When an invitation arrives for the Gundaroo Sheep Shearers Ball, Cindy-Ella is told there’s no way she can go. But after the others have left, Cindy-Ella’s Fairy Godnanna arrives. With a few waves of her wattle branch, she has Cindy ready for the ball.

This delightful picture book is an Australian version of the Cinderella fairytale. With plenty of Aussie icons, including the wattle, blue thongs and a red kangaroo, this cute version is undoubtedly Aussie and is brought to life in humorous illustrations by Glen Singleton. Part of the Aussie Gems series, this hard cover offering, with cute flocked-sheep embellishments will be enjoyed by young Aussies.

Cindy-Ella: An Aussie Cinderella (Aussie Gems)

Cindy-Ella, by Tom Champion, illustrated by Glen Singleton
Scholastic, 2008

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

Theodork, by Jessica Green

She boomed out names and we stepped into lines. When she got to me she stared at the list and roared, ‘The-o-dore!’ Some creep sniggered. I stepped forward and tripped over a foot which came out from nowhere. Bumped into Mrs Anostopoulous. Big Crash. Soft landing for me.
there was dead silence as I wallowed about, trying to get off my teacher and onto my feet. Then the sniggerer sniggered again and whispered thunderously into the silence, Theo-DORK’. My fate was sealed. I was now the class dag.

Starting high school is hard – but for Theodore, it seems to be a complete disaster. On his first day he is labelled Theodork, upsets the prettiest girl in the class, offends the teacher and gets the first detention in Year Seven. And it doesn’t look like things are going to get better any time soon.

As the year progresses, Theo battles to find his place in the class, at times almost succeeding before a new obstacle arises which sees him once again despised by everyone in the class. The best times are when he is being ignored – at least when he’s invisible no one is picking on him – but the worst are when he is being severely bullied. It seems no one can help Theo – not even Theo himself.

Theodork is a funny look at a serious topic. Theo is cruelly bullied for much of the book, but his humorous first person narration and the funny situations he sometimes finds himself in, keep the story from being bogged down, without trivialising the issue.

Suitable for readers aged 10 to 14, Theodork should be well received.

Theodork

Theodork, by Jessica Green
Scholastic, 2009

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

Blondetourage, by Allison Rushby

All right, all right. I have to admit it – even for me, little Miss Uber-surly, this is all a tiny bit exciting. Just a tiny bit, mind you. I mean, even though I don’t watch the show, you always see bits and pieces of it on the ads, don’t you? You still hear about it on the news and from friends and stuff. And this is it. Actually it. The kitchen. Romy and Anoushka’s kitchen. The kitchen that millions and millions of viewers all over the world see when they tune into Rich Girls every Sunday night.

Ellie thinks she is the only person who doesn’t think the Rich Girls are hot. Sure, they might have their own reality television show, but surely Romy and Anoushka are over-rated. They are gorgeous, rich and have never worked a day in their lives. What’s so good about that?

Ellie is about to find out, because her mum, chef to the stars, has been employed to be their personal chef. Ellie finds herself first in New York and then in Paris, London and LA as she joins the Rich Girls’ entourage. As well as Elli and her mother, JJ, the blondetourage includes the television production crew, four other teenagers, and their tutor. Being part of such a group is bound to have its problems, but Elli soon discovers that even the rich girls are not all that they seem. Is being rich all that it’s made out to be? And could it be that Elli can help the girls?

Blondetourage is a humorous but insightful look into life behind the facade of reality TV, and deals with issues common to many teens, including friendship and a search for identity. It also has plenty of interest, with diverse settings and a range of teen and adult characters. Suitable for teenage girls aged twelve and over.

Blondetourage

Blondetourage, by Allison Rushby
Random House , 2008

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

Salt, by Maurice Gee

An iron door. That’s the way into Deep Salt. It’s wide enough for one man, and they never open it except to let new workers in. Nothing ever comes out. There must be a rail inside, going into the hill. They open an iron shutter and put food and water on a trolley and push it in. Then they close the shutter. And that’s all.

Tarl is all that Hari has in the world, so when Tarl is captured and enslaved, Hari vows to rescue him. But it seems an impossible task – Tarl is being sent to Deep Salt, and no one ever returns from Deep Salt. Still, Hari is special. He can communicate with animals, a skill no one else from the Burrows has. At the other end of the city, Pearl has been raised in luxury, but when she flees an arranged marriage helped by her very special maid, Tealeaf, she must fight for survival. When they meet Hari, Tealeaf knows that the three must travel and work together – although neither Pearl or Hari is keen on the idea.

Salt is a compelling fantasy read , set in a world where constant warring and quest for wealth and power have created destruction and great divides between races. Pearl, Harl and Tealeaf all come from different places, yet work together as equals to try to make a difference for themselves and those around them. It is a bleak setting, but the story offers hope.

Suitable for teens and adult readers, this is a brilliant novel.

Salt (Salt Trilogy)

Salt, by Maurice Gee
First published by Puffin, NZ. This edition text Publishing, 2009

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

Motorbike Bob, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

I pricked up my ears and listened. The yelp came again, and I could tell it was coming from partway down the gully. I trotted back up the road and sniffed the air. I could still smell hot trees and a trace of smoke, but I could also smell another dog…It was Motorbike Bob, the border collie.

When trump meets Motorbike Bob, a border collie who travels around on the back of his owner’s motorbike, Bob tells Trump that he’ll never need the help of Trump or Vet Jeanie. But it isn’t long before Trump hears a cry for help and finds Bob in need of attention.

Motorbike Bob is the third title in the wonderful Pet Vet series featuring Trump, the Jack Russell Animal Liaison Officer (ALO) and her person, vet Jeannie. As always, Trump’s role is to work with and settle the patient so that Jeannie can help him – but in this instance Trump also turns rescuer, when Bob is injured and lost.

This series is a wonderful offering for young animal lovers, and each title stands alone, being preface by material which introduces the main characters of the book. With illustrations by Janine Dawson and different text elements including maps, definitions and pet care tips, this is another excellent book from the creators of the Jack Russell Dog Detective series.

Motorbike Bob, by Darrell & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2009

Pippa's Perfect Ponytail, by Julie Nickerson

Reviewed by Dee White

Anyone who has tried to organise the ‘perfect party’ will know that it’s full of anxious moments.

But Pippa has arranged everything perfectly. She has the perfect party dress, the perfect birthday cake and eight perfect ponies lined up for rides. Now all she needs is the perfect ponytail.

When Pippa’s hairdresser falls sick, she must use all her ingenuity and resilience to come up with the ‘perfect’ solution.

Author Julie Nickerson’s great humour and talent for simplicity are complemented by Janine Dawson’s lively, hilarious illustrations.

This new Aussie Nibble is sure to resound with young readers because of the way it talks to them in such an engaging way about things they can relate to like parties, hair and popularity.

Julie Nickerson uses great dialogue and action to build the tension, and readers will admire the determined, creative way Pippa goes about solving her dilemma.

Pippa’s Perfect Ponytail will resonate with any young reader who enjoys action, a likeable heroine – and a story that makes them laugh out loud.

Pippa's Perfect Ponytail (Aussie Nibbles)

 

Pippa’s Perfect Ponytail , (Aussie Nibble) by Julie Nickerson, Illustrated by Janine Dawson
Puffin Books – Penguin Group Australia, 2009
PB RRP: $12.95

Reviewer: Dee White www.deescribe.com.au

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