Alice-Miranda 2014 Diary

Whether to keep track of homework and important dates, or as a confidant, a diary can be a treasured possession. The Alice-Miranda Diary is a lovely offering that  could be used for either purpose and will especially appeal to fans of the Alice-Miranda series.

The diary has  a  beautiful candy pink hard cover, with a ribbon place holder to help the diarist keep her place, as well as lots of extras, including pages for photos, addresses and birthdays, and  Alice-Miranda inspired quizzes, games and even recipes.

For readers who love Alice-Miranda there is much here to please, including quotes from the books, and for those who have not read the series, the diary may prove an inspiration to do so.

A lovely gift idea.

Alice-Miranda Diary, Jacqueline Harvey

Alice-Miranda Diary 2014
Random House, 2013

ISBN 9780857980526

 

Available from good bookstores or <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9780857980526&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>online.</a>

 

 

The Girl in the Basement, by Dianne Bates

‘Karl!’
Before Karl can react to the urgency in my voice, the man pushed him to the ground from behind.
I’m frozen with fear as Karl drops. The man then turns and walks towards me.
‘Serena?’ His voice is soft and husky.
‘No, no. That’s not my name. I’m -‘
He grabs me. An arm jerks around my throat. I’m gasping for air.
This can’t be happening!
‘Serena!’
‘I’m Libby. Don’t do this. Not Serena. Libby. Libby!’

Bored with her sixteenth birthday party, which she has to share with her parents’ wedding anniversary, Libby sneaks out to party with a guy she’s just met. She knows it’s wrong, but she can have no idea just where her decision will lead her. Her date is not a success, but it’s what happens afterwards that changes her life for ever. Grabbed off the street by a man who wants her as his daughter, she finds herself held captive in his basement. The stranger wants her to be Serena, his daughter, and he tries to complete the family by finding her a brother as well. Libby has no idea if anyone is looking for her and the boy, and no way of escape.

The Girl in the Basement is a suspenseful psychological thriller examining the roles of both the psychopathic kidnapper and his teenage victim. Told chiefly from the first person voice of Libby, there are also glimpses into the workings of the man, allowing some understanding of his intentions.

Not a fun read, but one which is gripping and will appeal to teen readers.

 

Picture

The Girl in the Basement, by Dianne Bates
Morris Publishing, 2013
ISBN 9780987543417

Available from good bookstores and online.

The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt, by Tracy Farr

A second spot appears at stage left and, as the light reveals it, I raise my arm towards my theremin as if in a distant embrace.The audience roars; they stamp, they hoot, they call like cats, like cattle, like owls, like mad things. This is what they’ve come to hear, to see: this instrument, this tangle of wire I have played for so long, made for me all those years ago, not a museum piece but a working musical instrument, that has seen more and lived longer that any of them; nearly as old as me, it is my darling, and I play it like a lover I cannot touch.

Lena Gaunt lives the quiet like which may seem to befit an octogenarian. She enjoys a morning swim in the sea, and lives simply in her nearby cottage. But once she was a famous musician, and a local festival has asked her to make an appearance with her instrument – a theremin. She can’t resist the chance to perform once more. Afterwards, she is contacted by a film maker who wants to make a documentary about her remarkable life. At first resistant, Lena finds herself revisiting the highs and lows of her life from a childhood in Malacca and boarding school in the Perth hills, to an international career as a musician. But there are some parts of her life that may be too painful to share with the film maker.

The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt is a fictional autobiography told by the ageing woman as she nears the end of her life. Her recollection is interspersed with events from her current life, and her meetings with Mo, the documentary maker. As such the reader gets to know both the events which shape her, and the woman she subsequently becomes, simultaneously.

Lena’s life is intriguing and her voice, too, is inviting, creating a sense of intimacy. The instrument at the centre of Lena’s life – the theremin – lends a feeling of otherness which echoes Lena’s individuality.

A fabulous read.

 

The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt, by Tracy Farr
Fremantle Press, 2013
ISBN 9781922089465

Available from good bookstores and online.

Pureheart, by Cassandra Golds

She was looking out her window when she saw him.
She had spent all her life looking out windows. But this was the first time she had ever looked out on someone who was already looking back at her.
He was too far away from her to be able to see his face clearly. Anyway, it was dark, and the mist obscured everything. And yet, the moment she caught sight of him, standing under the streetlight, she was seeing, not him, but a long vista of halls and doorways shooting out, as it were, behind him.
That was how she knew he was family.

Deirdre is alone in the world. Her grandmother has just died, and Deirdre is left watching over a block of fats, which have been condemned by the council. But when she sees a boy standing watching the building, she knows she must go to him. Soon, she realises that this is Gal, who she knew when she was 5, and again, briefly, when she was 12. They share some kind of history, but it’s something she doesn’t really understand. Together they must unravel the secret of their past, and of the old building.

Pureheart is a haunting tale of love, and secrets. Bringing fable and mystery together in a blend which is satisfyingly difficult to define, the result is intriguing and will appeal to teen and adult readers.

Exquisite.

 

Book Cover:  Pureheart

Pureheart, by Cassandra Golds
Penguin, 2013
ISBN 9780143204275

Available from good bookstores or online.

 

An Aussie Year, by Tania McCartney & Tina Snerling

We are going to take you on a journey – from the sea to the outback and through all the seasons of the year. Join us on this glorious tour through twelve months in the life of Aussie kids! Let’s go!

Ned, Zoe, Lily, Kirra and Matilda are from different ethnic backgrounds, but they have one thing in common – they are all proudly Australian. After being introduced individually on the first spread, together they take the reader on a journey through the months of the year , focussing on special celebrations, seasons, past times and more.

Each month is explored in a double paged spread highlighting both well known and lesser known features of that time of the year, drawing on the children’s differing backgrounds. For example, the April spread highlights Easter, April fool’s Day and Anzac Day, as well as the Antipodes Festival, celebrated by the Greek community, and National Youth Week. The text is supported by divine illustrations from debut illustrator Tina Snerling, and design highlights include text embellishments to highlight key words.

A wonderful tool for helping Aussie kids learn about, and celebrate, so many wonderful aspects of our eclectic culture, An Aussie Year would also make a wonderful gift for an overseas relative.

Delightful.

 

An Aussie Year

An Aussie Year, by Tania McCartney & Tina Snerling
Exisle Publishing, 2013
ISBN 9781921966248

Available from good bookstores or online.

 

You can read about the creation of An Aussie Year here

The Andy Flegg Survival Guide, by Mark Pardoe

Let me start by saying that this sucks.
‘What sucks?’ I hear you say.
No, actually that’s stupid. I don’t hear you say that. How could I?
For a start I don’t even know who you are, so what would you be doing here talking to me in my bedroom?

Andy Flegg does not want to write in a journal. but if he wants his parents to buy him an XBox, he has to write in it every day until his birthday, which is 124 days away. He has no idea what he is going to write about, but he desperately wants that XBox, so he’s going to do it. Luckily (in an unlucky kind of way), life is about to send lots of curve balls Andy’s way, so he’ll have plenty to write about – as the book’s title The Andy Flegg Survival Guide to Losing Your Dog, Your Dad and Your Dignity in 138 Days suggests. The journal might even help him get through it all.

While the use of a journal of diary written by a reluctant protagonist is not new, but it is a format which works, allowing the reader direct insight into the character’s thoughts and feelings. Of course it also allows for plenty of humour in the form of an unreliable narrator and plenty of misunderstandings. Readers will enjoy Andy’s voice, and also empathise with the pain of the quite traumatic events he experiences, a pleasing blend.

The Andy Flegg Survival Guide is suitable for middle and upper primary readers.

 

Book Cover: The Andy Flegg Survival Guide to Losing your dog, your Dad and your dignity in 138 Days

The Andy Flegg Survival Guide to Losing Your Dog, Your Dad and Your Dignity in 138 Days, by Mark Pardoe
Puffin Books, 2013
ISBN 9780143306771

Available from good bookstores and online.

Extra Time, by Morris Gleitzman

As we hurry towards the under-fifteen training pitch, I start to get a feeling in my tummy that something isn’t right.
It’s the right game, soccer.
And there’s skill all over the place. Which is perfect for Matt because he won’t have to get into any arguments about changing sides.
And the pitch looks brilliant. Smooth and green and completely free of wombat activity.
And yet something’s a bit weird.

It’s probably never easy being the manager for a star football player, but when you’re ten years old and the star is your fourteen year old brother there can be all sorts of complications. Ten year old Bridie is so proud of her bother, and is sure that she can help him land a contract to play in England, and follow his dreams.

After a run of bad luck for their family, it seems things are looking up when they get the chance to travel to England and try out for a big-league soccer club. Once they’re there, though, Bridie begins to have her doubts. There’s something strange about the other players they meet: nobody is happy. What if Matt stops being happy, too?

Extra Time has award winning-author Morris Gleitzman’s familiar blend of humour and heart-tug. Bridie’s love of her brother, and the rest of her family, and her sometimes-wise, sometimes-naive world view is endearing. The adult characters are almost pantomime in their wackiness, which adds to the fun, balanced by the tough times faced and hinted at.

Likely to appeal to readers aged nine and over, Extra Time.

 

Book Cover:  Extra Time

Extra Time, by Morris Gleitzman
Penguin Books, 2013
ISBN 9780143307754

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Wishbird, by Gabrielle Wang

The girl’s hands came up to the bars and she gripped them tightly. She was speaking to Boy with her eyes, pleading for help.
Then a strange and beautiful sound came from her throat, rising and falling like the wind. Boy had never heard anything like it.
And yet it was familiar.

Oriole has never left the Forest of Birds. She is happy living here with the Wishbird, Mellow, and all the other birds. But Mellow is ill, and the only way Oriole can save him is by visiting the City of Soulless and seeking the help of the king.

Boy has never left the city. He doesn’t even know what a bird is. When he and Oriole meet it seems like fate – but can two children heal the city, the King and the Wishbird?

The Wish Bird is an exquisite tale of courage, friendship and magic. Boy and Oriole are intriguing characters, each needing to dig deep to overcome the obstacles they face. The land they inhabit, and its residents, are intriguing, and he artwork, pen and ink line drawings by the author, are exquisite.

Suitable for children, The Wish Bird will equally delight all ages.

 

Book Cover: The Wishbird

The Wish Bird, by Gabrielle Wang
Penguin Australia, 2013
ISBN 9780143307525

Available from good bookstores or online.

Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend by Tania McCartney

Young Caroline Jones tucked a auburn curl behind one ear and arranged a chain of tiny wooden dolls on the windowsill of her family’s front room. Her tongue played at the corner of her mouth in concentration. Outside the window, faded roses crowded the sill. Through the petals, Caroline caught a glimpse of her father, William Jones, working in the garden.

Caroline caught sight of her father sprinting across the yard towards two local men who were lifting a wounded soldier from the carriage. The soldier had a rickety old crutch splayed at his side, and as her father helped lift him the soldier’s face twisted with pain. One of his legs was missing.

Young Caroline Jones tucked a auburn curl behind one ear and arranged a chain of tiny wooden dolls on the windowsill of her family’s front room. Her tongue played at the corner of her mouth in concentration. Outside the window, faded roses crowded the sill. Through the petals, Caroline caught a glimpse of her father, William Jones, working in the garden.

Caroline caught sight of her father sprinting across the yard towards two local men who were lifting a wounded soldier from the carriage. The soldier had a rickety old crutch splayed at his side, and as her father helped lift him the soldier’s face twisted with pain. One of his legs was missing.

Caroline Chisholm was born into a large, loving and socially liberal family in England in the early 1800s. From an early age, she was aware that life was different for many other people. She developed a keen interest in travel, but also in guiding those who she was sure with a little help could improve their own lives. Her work started on a small scale, helping her mother support families around their home. After she married, she lived in India for a while before travelling to Australia. There, as in India, she found girls and women who lacked the skills necessary to gain meaningful work. For a year, she helped train and place women in towns and regions around Sydney. But her work broadened over time so that she could help more and more people. Her policies helped bring families to Australia. Most openings are accompanied by colour illustrations from Pat Reynolds.

‘Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend’ is a new offering in the Aussie Heroes series from New Frontier Publishing. Each showcases an influential Australian, who may or may not be well known to a present generation of young readers. ‘Caroline Chisholm’ introduces the child Caroline, showing the foundations that led to her adult work. A time line at the end of the book provides the ‘facts and figures’ allowing the narrative to read like a story without being bogged down with numbers. The narrative mixes non-fiction with fiction, providing a warm introduction to a character who has sometimes polarised historians. There are hooks here that will encourage further research and exploration. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

 

Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend, Tania McCartney ill Pat Reynolds
New Frontier Publishing ISBN: 9781921928482

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com