Tag: abc books

How to Give a Wedgie! by Dave and Joe Borgenicht

Bored with board games?
Sick of charades?
Had it with hide-and-seek?

This new offering promises to teach kids some ‘real’ kidskillz. There are step by step instructions on all sorts of things from how to win a staring contest or thumb wrestle, to how to hang a spoon from your nose, and, of course, how to give a wedgie.

While some adults may wonder at the wisdom of giving kids any more ammunition, the book is written in good humour and most of the new skillz they will learn are harmless. There is also the added benefit that each new skill is written as a step by step procedure – with a goal, an equipment list and instructions on how to master the skill. This is attractive to literacy teachers as it could be used to brighten up procedure writing lessons.

The books is illustrated by Matt Phillips with cartoon-style drawings, and has plenty of laughs. Good holiday reading for kids aged 8 and up.

How to Give a Wedgie & Other Tricks, Tips and Skills No Adult Will Teach You, by Dave & Joe Borgenicht, drawings by Matt Phillips
ABC Books, 2006

Snott Henderson and the Orsom Towers Gang, by D G Harris

All this time I was listening to Snott Henderson’s voice and watching his movements. There was something strange about him. His voice was very croaky, like he had a bad cold or was a heavy smoker (which seemed unlikely, since he looked like he was only about 11). And his movements were kind of wooden…

Ben Brady is not happy when his parents announce they are moving to the city. But once he’s there Ben discovers it’s not so bad – especially when he meets the other kids who live in his apartment block. Soon, Ben is a member of the Orsom Towers gang, and when they are suspected of vandalism, Ben and his friends are hot on the trail of the mystery. They need to find out who is responsible. But the biggest mystery of all is Snott Henderson, the leader of the Orsom gang. Where does he live and why does he always wear dark glasses?

Snott Henderson and the Orsom Towers Gang is the first title in a new series aimed at 9 to 12 year old readers. While the mystery is a little predictable to an older reader, there is plenty of humour and enough action to keep the pages turning. There are also themes of friendship and honesty and an appealing range of characters of all ages.

This is a fun read and the series is likely to attract a steady following among primary aged readers.

Snott Henderson and the Orsom Towers Gang, by D. G. Harris
ABC Books, 2006

Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers, by Lynley Dodd

Glimmering,
shimmering,
brilliantly bright,
the tree was a truly
MAGNIFICENT
sight.
But…
someone was waiting
to meddle and play,
to get up to tricks
in his usual way.

Slinky Malinki is surely one of the world’s best loved cats – certainly amongst those adults and children who have been fortunate to meet him in Lynley Dodd’s picture books. Christmas Crackers sees Slinky pitted against a Christmas tree. He waits till the family has finished decorating then creeps out to explore – with hilarious results.

Dodd has a brilliant way of blending the rhyme and rhythm of her stories with delightful illustrations, filled with detail. They are fun for adults to read aloud, and children just adore listening to them.

This is a real Christmas treat.

Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers, by Lynley Dodd
ABC Books, 2006

Puppy's Christmas Star, by Odette Ross

Puppy has made a special Christmas star, but now he doesn’t know where to put it – all the special places have been filled. Kitty’s bells are in the hall and Ducky’s wreath is on the door. Where can Puppy hang his star? The answer is soon apparent – Puppy’s star is hung on top of a special tree – the Christmas tree.

Puppy’s Christmas Star is a board book offering for the very young, with simple text, bright colours and cute animal characters. The bold blue backgrounds make a pleasant change from all the reds and greens of so many Christmas offerings and there is also a counting element in the illustrations, which parents may pick up on – there is one star, two stockings, three candles, four bells and five Christmas tress on subsequent pages.

This is a cute offering for babies and toddlers.

Puppy’s Christmas Star, by Odette Ross
ABC Books, 2006

Jack Brown and the Trail of the Python, by Greg Pyers

Jack looked outside, to the shrubs and the carpet of ivy in the office garden. He couldn’t see it, and he certainly couldn’t hear it through the glass, but somehow he knew. An animal was out there.

Jack Brown can communicate with animals. Not in a Dr Doolittle way, but he can sense their distress and they can sense his empathy. In this second adventure, Jack Brown and the Trail of the Pytho’, Jack is staying with his cousin Molly and his Uncle Frank in the City Zoo. He sees a python that can’t possibly exist and hears noises in the night. He and Molly investigate but there are many dangerous twists and turns before the mystery is solved.

This adventure is set mostly in a city zoo in Australia. Jack begins to understand his gift. Together he and Molly (a martial arts expert) form a formidable team. Their combined skills help them protect animals from money and power-hungry humans. They make mistakes and take wrong turns but still manage to solve the mystery with little or no help from the professional investigator or other adults around them.

Jack Brown and the Trail of the Python is the second adventure in the Jack Brown series. It reads well as a stand-alone title, but readers might be curious to learn more about Jack’s discovery of his talent. This is a fast-paced adventure with plenty of detail about animals and the inner workings of a zoo. It is sure to appeal to upper primary readers.

Jack Brown and the Trail of the Python, by Greg Pyers
ABC Books 2006
ISBN: 9780733317538

Night Vision, by Rory Barnes

‘Well, you’ve got to do something,’ Rosemary said. ‘Have a go at being an actor and maybe you’ll end up on television. You’ve already got good diction.’
‘Good what?’ I said.
‘Diction,’ she said. ‘You speak well.’
‘Oh, that,’ I said and then I told her about the lawyer guy. ‘The lawyer guy said I was a brilliant actor because I didn’t speak well. He said I was the most convincing mumbler that ever showed fake remorse.’

Kosta is on a good behaviour bond after spray painting graffiti on a wall at his school. His old school now, because he’s been expelled. He has recurring dreams about being in a small plane that’s about to crash. After a failed stint as a paper boy, Kosta responds to a newpaper advertisement from Jack, resident of a nearby aged care facility. Jack is legally blind and he wants Kosta to read to him twice a week. Sometimes Kosta reads, sometimes Jack talks about his past, life in the Depression and in World War II. Kosta, tells Jack about the drama group he belongs to, about his girlfriend Kathy, about how life is now.

‘Night Vision’ is a compelling tale of youth and old age. Barnes paints a sympathetic and real picture of the two main characters, Kosta and Jack. Kosta is a teenager with strong opinions and little direction. Jack looks back on his life, unable to make peace with events that occurred half a lifetime, half a world away. Stitching these two stories together are dreams. Dreams of the future, dreams of the past. Suitable for lower and middle secondary readers, this novel offers rich discussion material.

Night Vision by Rory Barnes
ABC Books 2006
ISBN: 0733316220

The Little Crooked House, by Margaret Wild & Jonathan Bentley

You know the rhyme. There was a crooked man…He bought a crooked cat, which found a crooked mouse. And they all lived together in a little crooked house.But the crooked house is too close to a train line and every time a train goes by, the whole house shakes. So the crooked man and the crooked cat and the crooked mouse and even the crooked house all move to a better place – a desert where there are no trains. But the desert isn’t the right place for them either, and soon they are on the move again.

This reworking of a traditional rhyme is full of the humour and joy that can be expected from author Margaret Wild. The whimsy of the storyline is perfectly complemented by that of the watercolour illustrations by artist Jonathan Bentley.

Youngsters will love the silliness of a house which can move from place to place, the detail of the illustrations and the repeated refrain of “Yippee-yi-yay!” which they’ll be joining in with by the end of the first reading.

Lots of fun.

The Little Crooked House, by Margaret Wild and Jonathan Bentley
ABC Books, 2005

Space Dogs, by Justin Ball and Evan Croker

Belka drew a deep breath as the significance of the moment hit him. Gersbacian meets Earthling. Two worlds coming together. The hands of two great civilisations stretching out across the universe. This was it. This was First Contact . A thud threw Belka and Strelka forward in their seats.
‘He’s stuck his nose in our butt,’ Strelka announced, checking his instruments.

In 1957 a Russian dog called Laika was launched into space – never to be seen again. Far away, the residents of planet Gersbach were surprised to meet Laika when she crashed in their midst, but they soon grew to love her. Now, though, Gersbach is faced by destruction by a mysterious force located on Earth. They are sending their two finest Galactanauts to find and destroy it. Their ship should blend in easily on Earth – it is modelled on Laika – a spacecraft that looks just a dog.

On Earth the galactanauts face all sorts of perils – from rebel Gersbachians inside a dachshund-shaped craft, to angry boys on motorised scooters. But they find allies in the Buckley family – a family with problems of their own.

Space Dogs is a fun first novel from a talented pair, who have managed to have the book also published in the US and Canada and are in talks regarding film rights. Kids will like the silliness of the idea of tiny aliens travelling in dog-shaped craft, and the non-stop action of the story.

Space Dogs has been simultaneously released in print and audiobook versions, the latter read by Andrew McFarlane.

Space Dogs, by Justin Ball and Evan Croker
ABC Books, 2006

Whose teeth? tail? house? by Jeannette Rowe

Jeannette Rowe’s brightly coloured Whose?books are loved and enjoyed by parents and toddlers alike. This bind-up offers three favourite titles in one volume, and in a bigger, sturdier format.

Whose teeth?, Whose tail? and Whose house? have each been successful in their individual releases, and are likely to achieve similar success in this new format. Rowe’s bright, deceptively simple illustrations use plenty of bold colours, and the lift the flap component especially appeals to curious toddlers, making the book interactive.

The hardcover binding makes this especially suitable for gift giving.

Lots of fun!

Whose teeth? tail? house? by Jeanette Rowe
ABC Books, 2006

The Little Crooked House, by Margaret Wild & Jonathan Bentley

You know the rhyme. There was a crooked man…He bought a crooked cat, which found a crooked mouse. And they all lived together in a little crooked house.But the crooked house is too close to a train line and every time a train goes by, the whole house shakes. So the crooked man and the crooked cat and the crooked mouse and even the crooked house all move to a better place – a desert where there are no trains. But the desert isn’t the right place for them either, and soon they are on the move again.

This reworking of a traditional rhyme is full of the humour and joy that can be expected from author Margaret Wild. The whimsy of the storyline is perfectly complemented by that of the watercolour illustrations by artist Jonathan Bentley.

Youngsters will love the silliness of a house which can move from place to place, the detail of the illustrations and the repeated refrain of “Yippee-yi-yay!” which they’ll be joining in with by the end of the first reading.

First released in hard cover in 2005, this title has now been released in a paper back edition.

Lots of fun.

The Little Crooked House
The Little Crooked House, by Margaret Wild and Jonathan Bentley
This edition ABC Books, 2006

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond.