Month: August 2015
Samurai vs Ninja 2: The Race for the Shogun’s Treasure by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers
On Honshu, the largest island in Japan, is a city called Tokyo. Three hundred years ago, Tokyo was called Edo. The streets were dark and dusty. The houses were made of paper.
It was a city of mystery and magic.
It was midnight. Somewhere in the darkness a pig snuffled. Nearby an old man picked his nose. But nobody noticed. There were not lightbulbs in Edo Period Japan.
A thief, dressed in black, raced through the city streets.
On Honshu, the largest island in Japan, is a city called Tokyo. Three hundred years ago, Tokyo was called Edo. The streets were dark and dusty. The houses were made of paper.
It was a city of mystery and magic.
It was midnight. Somewhere in the darkness a pig snuffled. Nearby an old man picked his nose. But nobody noticed. There were not lightbulbs in Edo Period Japan.
A thief, dressed in black, raced through the city streets.
The Great Bear has been stolen from Edo Castle and the shogun has promised a wonderful reward for the return of his most prized possession. Whoever brings back the Bear will become ruler of the Hidden Valley. Kingyo-Sama, head of the samurai, and Buta-Sama, head of the ninja have woken to a normal day which includes flying ninja poo and other treats. But before their battle can escalate, both are called to Edo Castle to participate in the quest to find the Great Bear. How hard can it be? The brothers are both sure of victory and equally sure that victory will allow them to finally outwit and oust the other. There are black and white illustrations on every opening and text sometimes wanders around, up and down the page.
The Race for the Shogun’s Treasure is the second adventure in this silly and ridiculous new series from Random House. Kingyo-Sama and Buta-Sama are very different characters. And they are brothers. Their rivalry is as fierce as it is relentless. And it’s hilarious. The insults are inventive, the action fast-paced and outrageous. Newly independent readers will revel in the silliness.
Samurai vs Ninja 2: The Race for the Shogun’s Treasure , Nick Falk & Tony Flowers
Random House Australia 2015
ISBN: 9780857986368
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
Kerenza: A New Australian by Roseanne Hawke
‘Kerenza! Come back here! You have to pack your trunk.’ Wenna’s calling me, but I won’t go to her. I’ve had enough of packing and looking after Kitto. I race away from my sister, down the cobbled street, past the chapel and past my friend Maylene, who waves at me, but I don’t even stop for her. I turn into the lane to the stile and climb over it into Penponds woods. This is my favourite place. I walk under the huge trees and sit beside the stream. It bubbles and gurgles past my feet, and the sound calms my breathing.
‘Kerenza! Come back here! You have to pack your trunk.’ Wenna’s calling me, but I won’t go to her. I’ve had enough of packing and looking after Kitto. I race away from my sister, down the cobbled street, past the chapel and past my friend Maylene, who waves at me, but I don’t even stop for her. I turn into the lane to the stile and climb over it into Penponds woods. This is my favourite place. I walk under the huge trees and sit beside the stream. It bubbles and gurgles past my feet, and the sound calms my breathing.
Kerenza and her family are leaving the only home she’s ever known in Cornwall to travel by ship to Australia. What makes it even worse, her sister and grandmother are not coming with them. She is going to miss the woods, her home, her friends. But with the closing of the mine where her father works there’s little choice. The contrast between Cornwall and the Mallee where her father and his brother have bought land couldn’t be more marked. For a start, there’s no house. In fact there’s very little, except bush. They are living in tents, while the men and older boys help with land clearing. One of her cousins seems determined to ridicule her, while the other helps her find her way in this new country. But slowly the country, and its people begin to grow on her and she finds beauty in the bush, and friends in unexpected places.
‘Kerenza : A New Australian’ tells the story of a girl taken from everything familiar and taken to a totally foreign environment. Although a story of a specific girl, it offers an opportunity for young readers to inhabit the skin of any ‘New Australian’ and to try to see Australia from their perspective. Kerenza tells her own story and this leaves room for the reader to use their imagination to fill in some of the gaps between her words. Why is her cousin so horrible? Why doesn’t her mother understand? Kerenza also offers the opportunity to understand the challenges for a new family trying to make a home and displaced occupants trying to find a way to continue with their way of life. Roseanne Hawke credits both family and historical sources in the creation of this novel. Young readers will empathise with Kerenza’s challenges and rejoice with her when she finds her way in her new home. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.
Kerenza : A New Australian, Roseanne Hawke
Omnibus Books 2015 ISBN: 9781742990606
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
Keepers of the Crystals 2: Eve and the Fiery Phoenix by Jess Black
‘Race you!’ Eve took off down the wide footpath that led to the town centre and main beach, her long black curls bouncing madly as she ran. She could hear her friend Oscar sprinting after her. It didn’t’ take him long to catch up.
‘Face it, Eve,’ Oscar teased, ‘you’ll never beat me!’
Eve scowled as Oscar overtook her. He could be so annoying!
Even though she felt as if her chest might burst, Eve managed to stay on Oscar’s tail.
‘Race you!’ Eve took off down the wide footpath that led to the town centre and main beach, her long black curls bouncing madly as she ran. She could hear her friend Oscar sprinting after her. It didn’t’ take him long to catch up.
‘Face it, Eve,’ Oscar teased, ‘you’ll never beat me!’
Eve scowled as Oscar overtook her. He could be so annoying!
Even though she felt as if her chest might burst, Eve managed to stay on Oscar’s tail.
They raced each other the four blocks from Eve’s grandmother’s house to the sleepy main street of Marigold. Oscar reached the low stone wall above the beach ahead of Eve. It’s holidays and Eve and Oscar were planning a swim. But a sudden rain shower sends them (and Eve’s grandmother Silvie) racing for shelter inside an odd shop. While they look around Eve discovers a crystal and she and Oscar are whisked off on a magical adventure. They find themselves in a jungle full of tigers and other creatures. This world is shrouded in darkness and the jungle is dying. If they ever want to return home, they have to solve the mystery of the growing darkness.
Eve and the Fiery Phoenix is a second title in a new series from New Frontier, with a third due for release late in 2015. The two main characters have quite different interests but it is in working together that they achieve success in their adventures. Eve’s story begins in the contemporary world, but they are transported to a more magical place with the help of a crystal. Their quest is important for the world they visit but imperative for them to return to their own world. Eve is a proactive hero and Oscar an able sidekick. Recommended for newly-confident readers ready for a short novel.
Keepers of the Crystals 2:Eve and the Fiery Phoenix , Jess Black
New Frontier Publishing 2015 ISBN: 9781925059441
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
Samurai vs Ninja 1: The Battle for the Golden Egg by Nick Falk & Tony Flowers
In the deepest depths of Japan, high in the hills of Hokkaido, were two mighty mountains. The Mountain of the Tiger’s Claw was steep and stony, covered in rocky ridges and crumbling cliffs.
The Mountain of the Dragon’s Tooth was tall and twisty, filled with tangled trees and craggy caves.
In the Edo Period, when the shogun ruled Japan, these were the mountains of Bushido, home of the ninja and the samurai.
In the deepest depths of Japan, high in the hills of Hokkaido, were two mighty mountains. The Mountain of the Tiger’s Claw was steep and stony, covered in rocky ridges and crumbling cliffs.
The Mountain of the Dragon’s Tooth was tall and twisty, filled with tangled trees and craggy caves.
In the Edo Period, when the shogun ruled Japan, these were the mountains of Bushido, home of the ninja and the samurai.
The serious samurai and the scheming ninja both claim to be the best. They cannot agree so a contest is held, a contest to win the ultimate prize: the Golden Egg. There are rules to be followed, but both sides are determined to win, and rules are not going to get in their way. What follows is a wild battle full of hot custard and exploding puffer fish. And insults and outrage. Black and white illustrations appear on every opening. Added extras include a glossary, samurai battle dress and more.
Never was there such a battle between brothers! ‘Samurai vs Ninja’ offers a feast of ridiculousness, at full volume, as they battle for the Golden Egg. The brothers may be opposites but they both are sure they are superior. The neat and tidy samurai cannot believe the scruffy, silly ninja are a real threat, but the latter make up for their scruffiness with excessive cunning. Newly independent readers will revel in this silliness.
Samurai vs Ninja: The Battle for the Golden Egg by Nick Falk & Tony Flowers Random House 2015 ISBN: 9780857986054
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
Phyllis Wong and the Waking of the Wizard by Geoffrey McSkimming
‘Great,’ said Phyllis Wong. ‘Another parent talk.’
The young magician was reading the latest school newsletter on her webPad. Her headmaster, Dr Bermschstater, had recently taken to sending out the newsletters electronically, even though he wasn’t very experienced in such matters.
Phyllis read on and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, no, please don’t let it be her.’
Phyllis’s friend Clement came and sat on the bench beside her. ‘Don’t let it be who?’ he asked, slinging off his backpack and pulling his webPad out. (He also accidently pulled out three text-books, a squished-up egg-and-tuna sandwich, one of his many portable games consoles – this one with the new version of Zombie Apocalblitz- his wallet and a false beard made out of genuine human hair. All of these things spilled onto the ground.’
‘Great,’ said Phyllis Wong. ‘Another parent talk.’
The young magician was reading the latest school newsletter on her webPad. Her headmaster, Dr Bermschstater, had recently taken to sending out the newsletters electronically, even though he wasn’t very experienced in such matters.
Phyllis read on and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, no, please don’t let it be her.’
Phyllis’s friend Clement came and sat on the bench beside her. ‘Don’t let it be who?’ he asked, slinging off his backpack and pulling his webPad out. (He also accidently pulled out three text-books, a squished-up egg-and-tuna sandwich, one of his many portable games consoles – this one with the new version of Zombie Apocalblitz- his wallet and a false beard made out of genuine human hair. All of these things spilled onto the ground.’
Phyllis Wong and the Waking of the Wizard is the third title in the Phyllis Wong series. In this adventure, Phyllis joins her great-grandfather’s search for one of the greatest magicians in history. Luckily Phyllis and her great-grandfather have discovered the secrets of time-travel and can search separately to save time. This is handy given the first task is to discover whether or not this legendary magician exists at all. Phyllis is assisted (hampered) in her quest by her friend Clement who has a different set of skills, and by her dog Daisy. Together and separately they travel the halls of time, back and forth, discovering what is true, and what is myth. To complicate things, they are competing with another time-travelling magician who has his own dastardly mission.
Readers will almost feel the whoosh of air as they are whisked from time to time by Phyllis in search of the truth. Phyllis is a dynamic sleuth and Clement her trusty offsider in this break-neck paced mystery adventure. She knows when she needs help and is fortunate enough to have an ally in the police commissioner. But mostly she’s an independent, quick-thinking, creative conjurer. Mystery, humour, history and magic intertwine to keep the reader turning the page. Recommended for mid-primary readers.
Phyllis Wong and the Waking of the Wizard, Geoffrey McSkimming
Allen&Unwin 2015
ISBN: 9781760113384
Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe by Samantha-Ellen Bound
There were thirty seconds to spare when I ran into jazz class on Wednesday. I passed my best friends, Eleanor, Ashley and Paige, coming out of the dressing room just as I dashed in.
‘What a surprise,’ said Jasmine, Silver Shoes’ resident ballerdiva.
‘Get a life,’ I called out, as I tore off my school sweatshirt.’
‘Or find the one you lost,’ I heard Ellie add.
I didn’t catch Jasmine’s reply. But I’m sure it wasn’t any good.
Today was hot and I was already sweating a bit, so my jazz gear was extra hard to get on. After some harsh words with my leggings, I was finally ready. I pushed my school clothes under the bench, took a deep breath and walked out.
There were thirty seconds to spare when I ran into jazz class on Wednesday. I passed my best friends, Eleanor, Ashley and Paige, coming out of the dressing room just as I dashed in.
‘What a surprise,’ said Jasmine, Silver Shoes’ resident ballerdiva.
‘Get a life,’ I called out, as I tore off my school sweatshirt.’
‘Or find the one you lost,’ I heard Ellie add.
I didn’t catch Jasmine’s reply. But I’m sure it wasn’t any good.
Today was hot and I was already sweating a bit, so my jazz gear was extra hard to get on. After some harsh words with my leggings, I was finally ready. I pushed my school clothes under the bench, took a deep breath and walked out.
Riley loves ballet, and she’s good at it. She loves the Silver Shoes dance school. She also loves athletics and basketball. She’s good at them too. But as each of them demands more of her time, she finds herself running to be able to manage them all. And it’s more than a little exhausting. But Riley is determined not to give up anything. No matter the cost. But it’s harder than she can imagine, and no one seems to quite understand the effort she’s putting in. They all want her to focus more, to work harder. Or to make a choice. Riley is determined to prove them wrong, to show that she can do it all. On her own. Added extras include a Riley biography, a dance tutorial, a glossary and a chapter from another ‘Silver Shoes’ title.
‘Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe’ is the third ‘Silver Shoes’ title in this dance series from Random House. Each features a different main character who attends Silver Shoes dance school and tells their own story. Riley is talented and determined but stretched too thin. Even so, she refuses to seek help until it’s almost too late. Breaking Pointe offers young dancers a chance to read about the sport they love, while gently pointing out that it’s okay to ask for help. It also suggests that sometimes it’s not possible to be the best at everything and that is okay. Recommended for mid-primary, particularly lovers of dance.
Silver Shoes 3: Breaking Pointe, Samantha-Ellen Bound Random House Australia 2015 ISBN: 9780857983749
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
88 Lime St: The Way In by Denise Kirby
A dark-blue car swung into the gravel driveway in front of the house and stopped in the shade of an enormous fig tree. The rear doors were flung open and three children and a woolly spoodle tumbled out. Barking like mad, the dog began to run backwards and forwards across the garden, chasing all the new smells. The Brewster children stood in a line staring up at the house.
Ben, the youngest, wriggled with excitement, running his hands back and forth through his wild mop of curly hair. ‘Look at the towers!’
His eldest sister, Binnie, wasn’t nearly as impressed. ‘It’s weird.’ Umpteen bangles jangled together as she crossed her arms. ‘It looks creepy.’
Ellen wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Her brown eyes widened trying to take in every detail of the house in front of her. ‘It’s … unusual,’ she said.
A dark-blue car swung into the gravel driveway in front of the house and stopped in the shade of an enormous fig tree. The rear doors were flung open and three children and a woolly spoodle tumbled out. Barking like mad, the dog began to run backwards and forwards across the garden, chasing all the new smells. The Brewster children stood in a line staring up at the house.
Ben, the youngest, wriggled with excitement, running his hands back and forth through his wild mop of curly hair. ‘Look at the towers!’
His eldest sister, Binnie, wasn’t nearly as impressed. ‘It’s weird.’ Umpteen bangles jangled together as she crossed her arms. ‘It looks creepy.’
Ellen wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Her brown eyes widened trying to take in every detail of the house in front of her. ‘It’s … unusual,’ she said.
Ellen and her family have moved to a new house. Well, an old house. A very old house full of secrets. The kids at her new school say there’s a ghost, but Ellen thinks it could be something else, something more. The more she explores, the more mysterious the house seems. There’s the dried up fountain that suddenly spouts water. There are the messages that seem to be just for her. As her family adjusts to their new house, Ellen becomes more unsettled. A trio of local bullies seem to have her in their sights. Only the house can provide the answers. At first, there seem to be only questions. Why can’t they find their way into one of the towers? Ellen is determined to unravel the mysteries of the house, which looks to her to be alive. Its fate seems to be tied up with hers. And time is running out.
This is an imaginative spooky mystery for young readers. Although there are ghosts suggested, there are no ghosts, well not yet anyway. In many ways, this feels like the first in a series. Ellen needs her wits about her, and many other skills besides if she is going to work out just what’s going on. Readers will be racing to see if they can solve the puzzles before she can. What at first seems like a mystery with an old house becomes something much more complex. Look out for the clocks counting up the time. Or should that be counting it down? Recommended for mid-primary readers.
88 Lime Street – The Way in, Denise Kirby
Omnibus Books 2015 ISBN: 9781742991009
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
A Monday Book Quote
Teddy Took the Train, by Nicki Greenberg
Dot loves Teddy, and Teddy loves Dot.
So when Teddy goes missing, she misses him a lot…
When Mum and Dot go on an outing, Dot brings teddy along for the ride. But, in the rush to get off the train, Dot loses Teddy. The kindly stationmaster assures her that the train didn’t take teddy – rather Teddy took the train, and has gone for a big adventure. Although she isn’t sure, Dot gets involved in imagining Teddy’s adventures. Finally, at bedtime, Teddy comes home, delivered by the stationmaster.
Teddy Took the Train is a delightful picture book about imagination, adventures and courage. The rhyming text is fun to read and the illustrations, using a range of media including collage, ink and acrylic are warm and both sensitive and gently humorous. The depiction of Mum in a wheelchair is a wonderful touch, with the disability not forming a part of the written narrative, and thus part of the family’s life rather than the central issue of the book.
A gorgeous offering.
Teddy Took the Train, by Nicki Greenberg
Allen & Unwin, 2015
ISBN Teddy Took the Train
Available from good bookstores and online.