The Magician and the Fairy, by Grace Oakley

Along with the wierd trousers, Isabella was wearing a gold nose-ring the size of a full stop, at least six microscopic earrings and a pair of spiky-heeled pink sandals. In her belly button was a teeny weeny green gemstone – some sort of fake emerald. Not a good look on a tooth fairy!

Tim isn’t sure what is going on. His tooth fairy, Isabella, has decided to change her wardrobe – and her career. Next he’s visited not just by Isabella’s mother, trying to get her back on the straight and narrow, but also by Isabella’s brothers – all sixteen of them.

If having seventeen fairies in the house isn’t enough, Tim has other dramas. His Nana has come to stay and wants Tim to spend all his time entertaining her. Meanwhile, Tim is trying to get through rehearsals for the drama production he is in. Then there is his friend Ryan and the mysterious trapdoor they’ve found in Mrs Trimble’s back yard. Is it really possible that a magician is living down there?

The Magician and the Tooth Fairy is part of the new Breakers series from Macmillan Education. With magic, secret rooms and a plethora of fairies, it will appeal to children aged 9 to 12, with the levelled reading age identified as 12.

As well as being fun, the story touches on issues of family, friendship and old age, in a subtle manner making it suitable for either in class or private reading.

The Magician and the Fairy, by Grace Oakley
Macmillan Education, 2004

Tropical Dreams, by Sally Odgers

Reviewed by Molly Martin

Keen to follow his dreams, Dad has brought his dream house in Frangipani, for a change of lifestyle. His kids Kim, Hal and Junee aren’t so sure. Moving to the country isn’t exactly a dream come true for them.

But things can – and do – get worse. Out of the blue Mum, Dad and even Gran start acting strangely. Dad is eating like a teenager – and leaving the same amount of mess. Mum is playing around with make up and the latest fashions, and Gran is bopping to the latest music. Do they really think they are teenagers, or is it just an act?

For three days the children are forced to become more adult as the adults become increasingly juvenile – first teeanaged, then children and finally babies. The children are run ragged trying to keep the adults occupied and safe while they try to figure out what to do about it.

Tropical Dreams is a humorous title from author Sally Odgers, part of the new Breakers series from Macmillan Education. Kids aged 9 to 12 will enjoy the antics of the adult characters and enjoy the zany ‘what if’ storyline.

A fun read.

Tropical Dreams, by Sally Odgers
Macmillan Education, 2004

The Lake, by Roland Mugford

Caitlin isn’t so sure about her new life in the country. Her parents are tied up with the new baby, Patsy, and her best friend Jack is still in the city. Soon though, Jack has a new sister too, and he and his parents have moved into the new house on Caitlin’s farm.

The cousins, who are also best friends, are making new friends and having new adventures. Maybe living in the country isn’t so bad after all.

The Lake is part of the Green level of the Breakers series from Macmillan Education. It is also a sequel to The Island part of the Yellow level of the same series, although it stands alone.

The Lake deals with issues such as sibbling rivalrly and growing up as well as the differences between country and city life, but the real focus is on family and friendship.

The Lake is aimed at a reading age of around 11 years and is suitable both for classroom and private reading.

The Lake, by Roland Mugford
Macmillan Education, 2004

The Island, by Roland Mugford

It’s supposed to be a holiday, but Caitlin and Jack seem to be spending a lot of time helping their parents clean out their shack. So when they get a chance to explore they think it will be fun. When they climb the hill they see two people doing something suspicious. Could they really be burying a body?

When the adults don’t believe them, they resolve to solve the msytery themselves. But before they get a chance they are sidetracked by more work and more sites to see. Then they meet two kids from the neighboring farm and the mystery is solved for them. The holiday isn’t over yet and there’s plenty more adventure to be had.

The Island is one of twenty titles in the Yellow level Breakers series from Macmillan Education. It is a nice blend of adventure, mystery and fun, as well as taking the opportunity to show some of the contrasts between country and city life.

The Island is aimed at children with a reading age of around ten and is suitable for both home and classroom reading.

The Island, by Roland Mugford
Macmillan Education, 2003

Who Says Girls Can't Play Football,by Judi Pope

Jac (short for Jacqueline) Jones loves football. She can talk about nothing else. She eats, drinks and sleeps football. And, despite being a girl, she plays football for the under eleven team. When Jac gets the chance to be the mascot for her favourite football team, the Wolves, she thinks all her dreams have come true. She will run onto the field with the Wolves and she’ll get to meet all the players, especially her hero Steve Steen.

Then disaster strikes. Jac chases a ball onto the road and is hit by a speeding car. When she wakes up three days later with a broken leg and arm, she realises she has missed her chance to be the Wolves’ mascot. She’ll never get to meet Steve Steen and she may never play football again. Things turn around, though, when Steve Steen himself pays her a visit in hospital. The two are soon firm friends.

Who said Girls Can’t Play Football? is a fun read for 10 to 12 year olds. It is nice to see girls playing (and being good at) less traditional sports, and to see other pastimes such as chess given a look-in as well. The importance given to family and friends (new and old) is another positive dimension of the book.

Who Said Girls Can’t Play Football is a sound read for classroom or private reading.

Who Said Girls Can’t Play Football, by Judi Pope
Macmillan Education, 2004

The First Potter, by Tony Stone

Kiami is not yet a man when he realises that clay can be used to fix and to make things. Excited by the possibilities of his discovery, the elders of the tribe ask him to work on perfecting his craft to make more clay baskets for the whole tribe. But can he get it right before the time comes for him to become a hunter and join the other men?

The First Potter is a tale in the tradition of tribal legends, told through the first person narration of a storyteller of the tribe in which the story is set. As well as telling Kiami’s story it also gives one possible explanation of how man came to use clay to make containers, pots and art works.

The First Potter is part of the new Breakers series from Macmillan Education and is an example of how the series makes use of different styles and genres to provide texts which are suitable both for classroom study and private reading.

Well told.

The First Potter, by Tony Stone
Macmillan Education, 2004

Map, by Robert Moore

Fiona lives on the family farm with her parents and big brother. Up the hill, and on the same farm, is her grandparents’ house. Fiona loves to help her Gran and Grandpa with milking and churning and their other jobs, but lately she’s noticed some changes. Grandpa is having trouble breathing and is getting slower. Gran seems to be getting more and more forgetful.

Map is a story about farm life in Tasmania in the 1950s, but it is also a story of the problems associated with ageing and with keeping a family functioning. Young readers will be interested in the differences between farm life in the middle of last century and their own lifestyles in the new millennium. They will also enjoy the story of young Map, the new calf born to one of the family’s cows in the course of the novel.

Map will be a challenging read for many primary aged students, with a recommended reading age of 12 and a style which is more formal than many children’s novels. It is part of the Breakers series from Macmillan Education, suitable both for classroom and private reading.

Map, by Robert Moore
Macmillan Education, 2004

Mysterious Eruptions, by Liz Flaherty

Tom is appalled when he discovers a big pimple on his chin. After all, he is only eleven. He grabs some cream from the bathroom cupboad and slathers it on. Not a good move. Soon his chin is covered in lumps and bumps. His Mum takes a trip to the pharmacy, but it seems each new potion cures one problem only to cause a brand new one. Tom starts to get suspicious when he realises the labels on the different treatments have a similarity. He sets out to solve the mystery.

Mysteruous Eruptions is a humorous story which takes every child’s nightmares of pimples and other bodily mishaps – and makes them ten times worse. The action is fast and far-fetched, making it a sure winner for kids aged 10 to 12.

Mysterious Eruptions is part of the Breakers series from Macmillan Education and is suitable for classroom reading and private enjoyment.

Mysterious Eruptions, by Liz Flaherty
Macmillan Education, 2004

The Fortune Seekers, by Audrey Griffin

Eva and Elliott love exploring – especially the remains of the gold diggings in Dead Man’s Gully. So when Stan Moreton applies for a mining license over the Gully, they aren’t impressed. Then Eva and Elliott make an amazing discovery – there are fossils in a rock face in Dead Man’s Gully. Will this be enough to halt mining?

The Fortune Seekers is a present tense account of Eva and Elliott’s adventures which touches on themes of history and environment as well as focussing on family relationships and peer friendships.

The Fortune Seekers is part of Macmillan Education’s new Breakers series, suitable for both classroom use and private reading. This title is aimed at students with a reading age of 12.5 but will appeal to younger readers too.

The Fortune Seekers, by Audrey Griffin
Macmillan Education, 2004

The Old Johnno Stories, by Barry Carozzi

Old Johnno had a dog…He was so big that he more than filled the back of Johnno’s old Holden ute. People used to say that he was 50 per cent Great Dane, 25 per cent Airedale, 25 per cent horse and 100 per cent stupid! I’d have to agree. He would have to be the stupidest dog I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Old Johnno and his dog Mutt have wild and wacky adventures. There are, the narrator tells us, more stories about Johnno than there are dead fish in a tip. All of these stories are funny, adventurous and just a little bit silly. Some are downright unbelievable.

It is great to see a children’s book told in the best tradition of Aussie tall tales, a form which many kids would be unfamiliar with but which they will love for its humour and down to earth style.

The Old Johnno Stories is part of the Breakers series from Macmillan Education, a series designed for classroom use but just as appealing for private reading.

Good fun.

The Old Johnno Stories, by Barry Carozzi
Macmillan Education, 2004