Month: November 2012

Apollo The Powerful Owl by Gordon Winch ill Stephen Pym

Apollo the Powerful Owl finished his supper and thought, ‘I must change my diet. All I do is eat … eat … eat nothing by meat … meat… meat for every meal.’

BURP!

Apollo the Powerful Owl finished his supper and thought, ‘I must change my diet. All I do is eat … eat … eat nothing by meat … meat… meat for every meal.’

Apollo has a moment of introspection and decides that it’s time to change his life. No more will he eat, eat, eat. No more will he frighten all the other forest occupants. And perhaps then he won’t be so lonely. So, day by day, he alters his diet and, he hopes, his life and position in the forest. But no matter how he tries, instead of improving his lot, his efforts seem to make him feel worse and worse. Finally he seeks counsel from a wise old owl. Only then does his role and his life make sense. Illustrations are full page and include many other forest dwellers. An information page at the end of the story provides more details about this threatened species.

Apollo wants to be more like the other animals in the forest and perhaps then they will be his friends. But it’s not as easy as that and Apollo discovers that he has a role to play in the ecosystem and that there are other ways and other places to seek friendship. It is a story about being yourself as well as discovering that everyone has a role to play in the world. There is opportunity to use this story in a classroom to introduce an Australian animal, an Australian environment, discuss food chains and ecosystems. Readers will empathise with Apollo and his need for companionship and will celebrate with him at the story’s conclusion/solution. Recommended for pre- and early-readers.

Apollo the Powerful Owl

Apollo the Powerful Owl, Gordon Winch ill Stephen Pym
New Frontier Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9781921928284

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Pearlie and the Flamenco Fairy by Wendy Harmer ill Gypsy Taylor

It was a bright and beautiful afternoon when Pearlie flew into sunny Spain.

From the back of Queen Emerald’s magic ladybird she had a wonderful view of the plazas, fountains and the royal palace in the lovely old city of Madrid.

It was a bright and beautiful afternoon when Pearlie flew into sunny Spain.

From the back of Queen Emerald’s magic ladybird she had a wonderful view of the plazas, fountains and the royal palace in the lovely old city of Madrid.

Pearlie is off on a new adventure, leaving her home in Central Park and winging all the way to Spain. After she lands in The Royal Botanic Garden, Pearlie meets up with her new friend, Florentina. Florentina has a surprise for Pearlie: she has organised a party so Pearlie can meet all her friends. But in a less welcome surprise, Florentina has planned dancing lessons and a dancing exhibition for the party. Pearlie is anxious, when it comes to dancing, she has two left feet. She must quickly learn to dance or she will embarrass herself and her friend. As the party time approaches, Pearlie’s anxiety grows. <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781742755403&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/affiliate_show_banner.php?ref=271&affiliate_pbanner_id=46024611″ border=”0″ alt=”Pearlie and the Flamenco Fairy”></a> is fully illustrated.

It’s very exciting to visit friends, particularly when you are keen to see more of their beautiful home. But it can also be daunting if you discover that they are expecting you to join them in dancing when you have no skills in that area. But Pearlie wants to please her friends and puts all her energy into learning the unfamiliar steps. And she’d be happy to be able to dance as beautifully as her friend. But lest the reader think Pearlie is being too compliant, the visiting fairy takes control of her outfit for the night. She takes comfort from looking gorgeous, even if she’s sure she won’t be able to dance well. Pearlie, of course, triumphs as only a fairy so far from home could! Recommended for lower primary readers.

Pearlie and the Flamenco Fairy
Pearlie and the Flamenco Fairy, Wendy Harmer, ill Gypsy Taylor
Random House Australia 2012 ISBN: 9781742755403

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Avaialable from good bokstores or online from Fishpond.

Mice by Gordon Reece

My Mum and I lived in a cottage about half an hour outside town.

It hasn’t been easy finding a home that met all our requirements: in the country, no neighbours, three bedrooms, front and back gardens; a property that was old (it had to have character) but at the same time had all the mod cons – a modern central-heating system was essential, as we both hated to be cold. It had to be quiet. It had to be private. We were mice, after all. We weren’t looking for a home. We were looking for a place to hide.

My Mum and I lived in a cottage about half an hour outside town.

It hasn’t been easy finding a home that met all our requirements: in the country, no neighbours, three bedrooms, front and back gardens; a property that was old (it had to have character) but at the same time had all the mod cons – a modern central-heating system was essential, as we both hated to be cold. It had to be quiet. It had to be private. We were mice, after all. We weren’t looking for a home. We were looking for a place to hide.

Shelley is nearly sixteen, and home-schooled by tutors paid for by the education system that failed her. She and her mum have fled the city to live in an isolated English country cottage to escape horrific bullying. Surely now they can relax in the safety of their new home. But the isolation of their cottage proves both a blessing and a burden. When they encounter an intruder, Shelley’s response is spontaneous and has far-reaching consequences. She has had enough of being a mouse. But nothing in her past could prepare Shelley for what happens next. She and her mother are unalterably changed by this random encounter.

‘Mice’ tells Shelley’s story in first person, so it’s not always clear how flawed her perceptions are of what’s happening around her. But the reader can feel her confusion, fear and shame, and quickly empathises with her and her mother. Mice doesn’t draw a pretty picture of the confident, the ‘successful’ characters. They are cruel and manipulative, secretive and vindictive, all the while managing to convince most of their peers that they are innocent of any wrong-doing. Mice shows how easily bullies can escape the consequences of their actions. ‘Mice’ is a gripping novel that will have readers holding their breath as they turn each page. Recommended for mature middle- and upper-secondary readers.

Mice

Mice, Gordon Reece Allen & Unwin 2012 ISBN: 9781742379173

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available in good bookstores or Mice.

Christmas is Coming by Susannah McFarlane ill Lachlan Creagh

‘Christmas is coming soon!’ cries Connor.

It is time for Connor and Chloe from Crystal Creek to get ready!

‘Christmas is coming soon!’ cries Connor.

It is time for Connor and Chloe from Crystal Creek to get ready!

Christmas is Coming is part of the Little Mates series from Scholastic. Each title focuses on one letter while telling a story about Australian animal characters. So far, the alphabet to ‘P’ has been covered, as well as a Mum title and a Father title. Each gift-sized and -priced book features water colour illustrations and simple text. Illustrations (in this Christmas title) include opportunities to find other ‘C’ items and animals as well as some Christmas traditions. Recommended for early readers.

Christmas is Coming! (Little Mates)

Christmas is Coming, Susannah McFarlane ill Lachlan Creagh
Scholastic Australia 2012 ISBN: 9781742831688

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online

Mary MacKillop: Australia’s First Saint by Gabiann Marin ill Angela Grzegrzolka

The woman who would one day become Australia’s first saint was born in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Fitzroy on 15 January 1842. There was nothing about Mary Helen MacKillop that hinted at how important she would become. She was a sweet, but ordinary baby.

She caused her mother very little trouble as a child, which was fortunate because Mary’s father, Alexander MacKillop, caused more than enough trouble for the whole family. It was not that Alexander was a bad man, or a bad father. In fact, he was loved dearly by little Mary. It was just that he wasn’t a very good businessman.

The woman who would one day become Australia’s first saint was born in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Fitzroy on 15 January 1842. There was nothing about Mary Helen MacKillop that hinted at how important she would become. She was a sweet, but ordinary baby.

She caused her mother very little trouble as a child, which was fortunate because Mary’s father, Alexander MacKillop, caused more than enough trouble for the whole family. It was not that Alexander was a bad man, or a bad father. In fact, he was loved dearly by little Mary. It was just that he wasn’t a very good businessman.

Mary MacKillop was born in Australia to Scottish parents, the eldest child in a large family. Her father was very intelligent and had at one stage studied for the priesthood. But he changed his mind and married instead. He was a loving father but an erratic businessman who lost all the family money in failed business schemes. Mary realised early on that she would have to help support the family. This pathway led her to Portland in south-western Victoria and Penola in South Australia where she met Fr Woods. With his help and encouragement she founded an order of nuns with the aim of offering an education to all children. Mary and other sisters worked hard in often challenging conditions to offer free schooling to poor children. There were times where this brought her into conflict with church hierarchy and for a time meant that she was ostracised from her own church. But she endured and leaves a legacy of kindness and persistence. Colour illustrations appear on most openings.

Mary MacKillop: Australia’s First Saint is a new offering in the Aussie Heroes series from New Frontier Publishing. Like other titles in this non-fiction series, Mary MacKillop: Australia’s First Saint looks at the life of a prominent Australian. Mary’s work was important in establishing free education for all in Australia. Her story also illuminates some of the history of the time. Readers will discover the different opportunities (or lack of them) available to earlier Australians. Mary MacKillop’s story offers a window on history and there is plenty of material for classroom discussion. It’s also an example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

Mary MacKillop: Australia's First Saint (Aussie Heroes)

Mary MacKillop: Australia’s First Saint, Gabiann Marin ill Angela Grzegrzolka New Frontier Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9781921928192

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available in good bookstores or online.

I Dare You by Aleesah Darlison

‘Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!’ The announcer’s voice bounces around the stadium. ‘Prepare yourselves for THE most extreme, THE most spectacular, THE MOST INCREDIBLE freestyle motocross stunt in HIS-TOOOOOOORRRRRRY!’

The crowd erupts into deafening applause. Row after row of people are packed into the arena, right up to the nosebleed seats. Through the visor on my electric blue helmet, I stare out at them. They’re jumping up and down, waving their arms in the air and chanting my name. ‘Legend. Legend. Legend.’

The place is buzzing with energy.

The million or so white stadium lights are dazzling. Camera flashes pop.

Everyone is here to see me.

‘Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!’ The announcer’s voice bounces around the stadium. ‘Prepare yourselves for THE most extreme, THE most spectacular, THE MOST INCREDIBLE freestyle motocross stunt in HIS-TOOOOOOORRRRRRY!’

The crowd erupts into deafening applause. Row after row of people are packed into the arena, right up to the nosebleed seats. Through the visor on my electric blue helmet, I stare out at them. They’re jumping up and down, waving their arms in the air and chanting my name. ‘Legend. Legend. Legend.’

The place is buzzing with energy.

The million or so white stadium lights are dazzling. Camera flashes pop.

Everyone is here to see me.

Ben has moved with his family from the country to the city. That means less space, and a new school. And with the new school, a new bully and his offsider, determined to make Ben’s life a misery. There’s a girl who might become a friend, if he could just shake off the bullies. But with everyone in the family adjusting to the changes of the move, that’s not as easy as it sounds. His father is adjusting to his city vet job. Mum is working for the bully’s mother. And Ben can’t ride a bike to school and his little brother Joey insists on wearing a roo-suit every day. Life spirals downwards as Ben becomes trapped in Martin’s web.

The ‘Lightning Strikes’ series from Walker Books Australia are short novels with lightning-paced plots. Each is styled to be quite recognisable with silver titles and a single image set in a flared background. They are complete stories designed for readers who might find it challenging to sit still long enough to read a full-length novel. I Dare You examines themes around family, change, bullying and boys in transition between childhood and adolescence. It’s an action-packed story about making choices and taking charge of your own destiny. Recommended for mid- to upper primary readers.

I Dare You (Lightning Strikes)
I Dare You , Aleesah Darlinson

Walker Books Australia 2012 ISBN: 9781921977510

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Avaialable from good bookstores or online from Fishpond .

10 Futures by Michael Pryor

Tara can’t remember life without her AI. Her mum and dad bought the Artificial Intelligence when Tara had her night terrors, when she was little. It used to sit under her pillow and murmur to her. Safe and secure, she was, with Portia keeping the night things away.
Portia used to be classy, state-of-the-art. Her case, the size and shape of a playing card, was originally a stylish black matte. Now, fourteen years later, it’s battered and scratched with the scars of love. Of course, since Portia took over managing the family home … Portia is the home, now, integrated into every aspect of living, taking care of the family, nurturing and protecting.

Tara can’t remember life without her AI. Her mum and dad bought the Artificial Intelligence when Tara had her night terrors, when she was little. It used to sit under her pillow and murmur to her. Safe and secure, she was, with Portia keeping the night things away.
Portia used to be classy, state-of-the-art. Her case, the size and shape of a playing card, was originally a stylish black matte. Now, fourteen years later, it’s battered and scratched with the scars of love. Of course, since Portia took over managing the family home … Portia is the home, now, integrated into every aspect of living, taking care of the family, nurturing and protecting.

10 Futures imagines ten futures, in ten short stories across the century from 2020. In each, the future world is lived by the same two friends, Tara and Sam. They are mid-teen, and best friends. That is constant, when very little else is. The stories are not told in chronological order, but instead skip forward and back and then forward again. Technology succeeds, technology fails. There are stories set in times where climate and population growth challenges have overwhelmed, and stories where these have been managed. But these are just the settings. In each of the stories, there are dilemmas for the friends, whether on a micro or macro scale. In each it is their personalities and actions that drive the stories. In each, it is friendship that looms large.

What does the future hold? No one knows, but Michael Pryor has had a go at speculating. Not once, but ten times. Each is a micro-glimpse of what the world could be. Some of the worlds are very bleak, others show worlds that suggest that humans have learned to work together for the good of all. Themes range very widely and there is plenty here to initiate classroom discussion on a range of topics: ethics, morality, power, compassion and more. Tara and Sam are very different personalities but firm friends. Their friendship provides support through very different challenges, demonstrating the see-sawing of need and knowledge that underpins and sustains enduring friendships. Engaging spec fiction, recommended for mid-secondary readers.

10 Futures
10 Futures, Michael Pryor

Woolshed Press/Random House 2012 ISBN: 9781742753768
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

Avaialable from good bookstores or online.

Greylands by Isobelle Carmody

‘That’s not the beginning,’ Ellen said, pointing to where Jack had written about the sky.
‘Stop reading over my shoulder,’ he ordered.
‘But you said you were writing about how it was after Mama died.’
‘I am, but I’m telling it my way.’
‘What does that mean? You’re making stuff up?’
Jack thought about it. ‘You have to. Real life isn’t like a story with a beginning and a middle and an end. It’s everybody’s stories all muddled together. But this will be my story and I’m starting with me dreaming that Mama told me she had wings.’
She did tell us she had wings,’ Ellen said.
‘I know she did. That’s why I put it in.’

‘That’s not the beginning,’ Ellen said, pointing to where Jack had written about the sky.

‘Stop reading over my shoulder,’ he ordered.

‘But you said you were writing about how it was after Mama died.’

‘I am, but I’m telling it my way.’

‘What does that mean? You’re making stuff up?’

Jack thought about it. ‘You have to. Real life isn’t like a story with a beginning and a middle and an end. It’s everybody’s stories all muddled together. But this will be my story and I’m starting with me dreaming that Mama told me she had wings.’

‘She did tell us she had wings,’ Ellen said.

‘I know she did. That’s why I put it in.’

Jack, his sister Ellen and their father are mourning the death of their mother. Their world seems to have lost all colour. Ellen has questions he can’t answer, and their father won’t. Their father is retreating more and more into unrecognisable and impenetrable sadness, while Jack is being seduced by the curiosities and questions and potential answers in Greylands. There he encounters Alice, a unknowable girl who carries a precious bundle that she will not relinquish, and a sad laughing beast. There are cats and towers, wolvers and those who can fly. Greylands is fascinating and compelling and Jack finds himself pulled into the unfamiliar world.

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665677&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Greylands</a> inhabits the world of grief. Each character who enters Greylands must make their own journey through, without being sucked into the wanting. Jack, like so many children, nurtures a hidden guilt that his mother’s death is partly his fault. Readers will see much that Jack cannot. ‘Greylands is a portrait of grief, but also of the strength and clarity that can be found by navigating through difficulty. It is a picture of family bonds and love. Recommended for upper primary and secondary readers. Some readers will enjoy the fantasy, while others may unpack the symbols and metaphors.

 

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665677&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/affiliate_show_banner.php?ref=271&affiliate_pbanner_id=46298769″ border=”0″ alt=”Greylands”></a>

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665677&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Greylands</a>, Isobelle Carmody Ford St Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9781921665677

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

 

Available from good bookstores or <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665677&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Online</a>.

Riggs Crossing by Michelle Renee Heeter

I wake up with the sun shining through the cracks in the dusty, crooked blinds. Down the hall, other girls are using the showers and toilets. I need to go, but I closemy eyes and hold it in. I usually wait until everyone’s been gone a while before I go to the bathroom, because fat Karen always leaves the place smelling like a sewerage treatment plant. Considering how much she eats, she probably drops a huge elephant turd every morning. Wouldn’t that be the definition of a home, a place where you don’t mind the smell of the other people who’ve gone to the toilet before you?

I wake up with the sun shining through the cracks in the dusty, crooked blinds. Down the hall, other girls are using the showers and toilets. I need to go, but I closemy eyes and hold it in. I usually wait until everyone’s been gone a while before I go to the bathroom, because fat Karen always leaves the place smelling like a sewerage treatment plant. Considering how much she eats, she probably drops a huge elephant turd every morning. Wouldn’t that be the definition of a home, a place where you don’t mind the smell of the other people who’ve gone to the toilet before you?

Len, a young teenager, is in a children’s refuge house. She was found in a wrecked car in a gully after what appears to be more than a car accident. Len’s not even her real name, but a name that was on the jumper she was wearing when found. Her body is healing, but her brain has shut down some of the memories of before. She’s prickly and inward looking. She has little tolerance for those around her, and cleans obsessively. She’s resistant to the efforts of the live-in counsellor and even more reluctant to go to school, though she’s clearly bright. She’s a loner. Gradually, memories return, although she doesn’t tell her counsellor. This is her story and she trusts no one else with it. Not until she’s remembered the worst thing, the memory of how she came to be in that car. And that reminds her that she may still be in danger.

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665707&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Riggs Crossing</a>is the story of one girl’s road to recovery after severe trauma. It’s set in contemporary Sydney and also in the interior world of a young teenager. A teenager whose childhood memories return in unexpected flashes that don’t always make sense. Meanwhile she shuts out the world around her using all manner of anti-social but protective behaviours. Heeter shows the reader that everyone has a story and it’s impossible to engage with anyone without some sense of where they’ve come from. Len’s thirst for knowledge, both of her own history and of the world around her is clear, even when often camouflaged by her prickliness with her housemates and those who would care for her. Recommended for secondary readers.

<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665707&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/affiliate_show_banner.php?ref=271&affiliate_pbanner_id=46298771″ border=”0″ alt=”Riggs Crossing”></a>

R<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665707&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Riggs Crossing</a> Michelle Renee Heeter

Ford St Publishing 2012 ISBN: 9781921665707

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com
Available from good bookstores or <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665707&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>online</a>.

The Missing Case, by Simon Haynes

Beeeeep-BEEEEEP-beeeep-BEEEEEP!
At first Hal thought Stinky’s brain had overloaded, but then he recognised the fire alram. Sirens shrieked, hazard lights lashed, and a panicky voice blared from hidden speakers.
‘Fire alert. Fire alert. Emergency personnel report to the E-section canteen. this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!’
Hal and Stinky staered at each other in horror. now they were really in for it!

When Hal starts a fire in the space station’s kitchen, he is in big trouble. Now he’s going to miss the school camping trip. Unless he can do soemthing to redeeem himself. If he can entertain an important visitor’s child, his paernts will reconsider. But Alex is not at all what Hal expects. For startes, she’s a girl, and then she’s simply not that impressed with what the space station has to offer. It might just be that keeping out trouble is even harder, with Alex arund.

Hal Junior: The Missing Case is the second title in the Hal Junior series, and efatures more humours sci-fi adventures. Hal is a typically cheeky, adveturous kid, living in a settign which is anywhere BUT typical – an ageing space station. He has to use his sharp wits, and a lot of luck, to keep himself out of trouble.

Hal Junior: The Missing Case will appeal to primary aged readers.

Hal Junior: The Missing Case, by Simon Haynes
Bowman Press, 2012
ISBN 9781877034251

Available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond.