Tag: harper collins

Rosa and the Veil of Gold, by Kim Wilkins

When an ancient golden bear is found hidden in the wall of an old St Petersburg bathhouse, Rosa Kovalenka calls on her ex-boyfriend, Daniel St Clare, to examine it. Daniel has seen nothing like this bear, but is curious and sets out with his colleague Em to have it examined by an expert. But a series of inexplicable events causes them to become lost and in the dead of night they unwittingly cross the divide between their own world, Mir, and the land of enchantments, Skazki.

As Daniel and Em wander the wilds of Skazki, trying to return the bear to its rightful owner and find a way back home, Rosa is back in Mir, desperately trying to help them. She possesses ancient magic, but it is not yet strong enough to cross the divide and rescue Daniel, the man that she loves.

Rosa and the Veil of Gold is a fantasy set in both modern day and historical Russia, as well as in its magical realms, Skazki. There are some familiar events and characters – including various Tsars and Rasputin, who plays an interesting role. There are also, as befits any fantasy, many unfamiliar beings adding danger and mystique to the adventures of Daniel and the icy Em.

This is an absorbing read, with the Russian setting adding plenty of interest.

Rosa and the Veil of Gold, by Kim Wilkins
Harper Collins, 2005

Louisa May Pickett, The Most Boring Person in Class, by Rod Clement

My name is Louisa May Pickett and I have only one talent – Show and Tell. At my old school I was voted ‘The Most Interesting Person in Class’ three years in a row.

When Louisa May Pickett moves schools, she aims to spend all her spare time collecting incredibly interesting stuff to share in Show and Tell. What she doesn’t count on is that her classmates have even more interesting things to show. When Louisa brings her juggling mouse, Ruby brings a tap-dancing, singing rat; when Louisa takes her pet octopus, Lianne brings a giant squid; and when she brings her rare pink polar bear, Beverly turns up with King Kong. There is nothing Louisa May can do that will make her seem interesting – so she gives up and does just that – nothing. But it seems that doing nothing could be the most interesting thing she has ever done.

Louisa May Pickett, The Most Boring Person in Class is a delightfully silly book about the challenges of finding something for Show and Tell. Whilst Louisa May and her classmates’ offerings get increasingly unbelievable, parents and children will be able to relate to the underlying problem – the pressure of school ‘news’ sessions.

Great for home reading, this would also be a wonderful classroom resource for junior and middle primary.

Louisa May Pickett, The Most Boring Person in Class, by Rod Clement
Harper Collins, 2005

There Where the Pepper Grows, by Bem Le Hunte

There is no sense of any tragedy looming, even though the Germans are moving into the house of the wealthiest Jew, just down the street…Things will be just the same as they always were—so we are assured by the elderly of Piaski.

When Nazis invade Poland, Benjamin is forced into hiding with his wife and her child, Benjamin’s adopted son Daniel. After a dramatic escape from a concentration camp, the trio undertake a risky trek across the country and into Russia, before reaching Japan and being helped to find passage to Palestine. When the boat they are travelling on has engine problems, they find themselves stranded in Calcutta and it is in this city that they find a home and an unlikely sense of belonging.

There Where the pepper Grows is a moving historical story of a family affected not just by war, but by religious persecution. Set amidst the backdrop of World War II and its aftermath, including the movement towards India’s independence from Britain, this is much more than one family’s story. Rather, it is a tale of survival and of humanity, and a lesson in the need for tolerance and understanding.

The author, Bem Le Hunte, uses her own experiences – she was born in India – and those of relatives and other real people, to build the stories of Benjamin and Daniel.

A gripping and humbling read.

There Where the Pepper Grows, by Bem Le Hunte
Harper Collins, 2005

Australian Wine Companion 2006, by James Halliday

James Halliday is widely known as Australia’s most respected wine writer. He is constantly travelling, researching and tasting wine around the world as well as regularly judging at wine shows both in Australia and overseas. His annual publication, Australian Wine Companionprovides a wealth of information about Australian wine and wineries.

This 2006 edition profiles 2001 wineries (including 172 new entries), rating 5957 wines, with expert notes for 4414 wines. There is also a section discussing corks and screwcaps, a listing of the top-rating wineries of the year and a Best of the Best both by price and by variety.

This is a comprehensive guide with anyone with an interest in Australian wines – whether a home connoisseur, restaurant owner or anyone involved in the hospitability industry in any way. It would make an excellent gift for a wine buff.

Australian Wine Companion 2006, by James Halliday
Harper Collins, 2005

Selby's Shemozzle, by Duncan Ball

Selby stopped in his tracks. ‘That is so incredibly funny,’ he thought in the split second before he started laughing uncontrollably. He doubled up and fell to the ground, pounding his paws in the dirt. ‘That is sooooooooo funny!’

Selby is back with more side splitting adventures and more shemozzles than one dog could expect in a lifetime. There are fourteen stories all featuring the world’s only talking dog as he gets covered in chocolate, turned invisible, wins the lottery and much more.

As always, Selby’s stories are recounted with the level of clever wit readers have come to expect from the loveable Selby. This is the thirteenth Selby title and marks the 20th anniversary of Selby’s adventures, which makes him one long-living dog.

Kids love Selby, and Selby’s Shemozzle is sure to please.

Selby’s Shemozzle, by Duncan Ball
Harper Collins, 2005

The Innocent Mage, by Karen Miller

Reviewed by Davina MacLeod

Enter the kingdom of Lur, where magic is wielded by few and others are imprisoned if they dare try.

The Doranen have ruled Lur with magic since their arrival as refugees centuries ago when they fled from their homeland and the war started by Morg, the mage who was determined to be the ultimate ruler.

To keep Lur safe, the Olken inhabitants agreed to abandon their own magic. Magic is therefore forbidded them, and anyone who breaks this law will be executed.

Asher has left his coastal village to fulfil his dream of being able to make enough money to buy a boat for himself and his father, to escape from being under the heels of his elder brothers. He is at first employed in the royal stables, but is soon befriended by young Prince Gar, who appreciates Asher’s honesty and forthright manner. Asher soon finds himself with more money and power than he would ever have believed possible.

The Olken have a secret, a prophecy that makes the claim that The Innocent Mage will save Lur from destruction. Unknown to Asher, members of The Circle have dedicated their lives to preserving Olken magic until the saviour arrives. Asher has been closely watched by these preservers of magic. As the Final Days draw near Asher’s life takes a new and dangerous turn.

The back cover blurb tell us about the story and the magic that is a part of it – what it doesn’t tell us about is the magic of the writer of this top-notch fantasy. With excellent use of language in a well-told story that has a quiet raunchiness, and a piquancy that tickles the palate, Karen Miller keeps you wanting more. When an author who has made you laugh, writes that one character tells another that he is “My compass. My anchor. My candle in the dark.”, you know you have come across a master class writer.

The Innocent Mage is Karen Miller’s debut novel, the first of the duology Kingmaker, Kingbreaker published by Harper Collins Australia.

The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
Harper Collins, 2005
ISBN 0 – 7322 – 8079 – 6

Fivestar, by Mardi McConnochie

It all begins with an ad in the paper: Singer/dancers wanted for girl group. Soon, Daryl, the group’s creator and would-be manager, has his group of five girls, from different backgrounds but with one dream – to be famous:

Jules is the natural leader, outgoing, cheeky, bursting with energy and life.
Claudia is the cruel and beautiful fashion queen.
Ellie used to do competitive gymnastics. Now her obsessions need another outlet.
Sam is the one who can actually sing, and writes songs.
And Suzy is the girl next door, with her ponytails and optimism.

Together the girls become Fivestar, make their own reality TV show and become overnight superstars. Sound a bit familiar? It is, but deliberately so. The year is 1993 and the novel set in times and circumstances similar to those of England’s Spice Girls and other early reality television show stars.

Fivestar takes the reader inside the world of pop music and reality TV and back to the world of the early 90s, as the Fivestar girls ride the wave of success and sink to the lows of yesterday’s news. It is funny, sad and often real and will especially appeal to those who were in their early 20s in those years.

The one slight flaw in this book is that with so many main characters and shifts in perspective it is at times hard to find empathy for the girls. Having said that, readers will still be absorbed by the story itself.

A good read.

Fivestar, by Mardi McConnochie
Harper Collins, 2005

They Came on Viking Ships, by Jackie French

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

From the first sentence, ‘When a witch gives you a True Name, it sticks,’ Jackie French hooks readers into this tale of the Scottish Wolfhound, Riki Snarfari, which means Mighty Rover, and his rescuer Hekja. The bond between Riki Snarfari – or Snarf ,as he is more commonly known – and Hekja intensifies after the Viking attack on the village that results in them both being captured. Taken away from her own land, Hekja becomes a thrall or slave, to Freydis Eriksdottir, the feisty daughter of Eric the Red. Snarf emerges as a hero as he smells the icebergs and warns Freydis and her crew, guiding the Viking ship safely through the icebergs.

Taken to the inaptly named ‘Greenland’. Hekja’s first impression is that it is ‘a land of snow.’ As a thrall, Hekja finds she has no rights but can be sold or traded at will by her owner. Life becomes a struggle, made bearable only by the presence of the faithful Snarf.

They Came on Viking Ships confronts readers, with the Viking princess, Freydis, determined to overthrow the idea that only men journey and discover new lands while women stay home. She yearns to one day lead her own expedition.

And she does – to Vinland. But the treachery of Finnbogi, one of her compatriots causes the previously peaceful Skraelings, who already inhabit Vinland, to attack them.

The pregnant Freydis and her thrall stand together and lead the men against the Skraelings.

This historical novel presents an unsentimental view of the society and life in Viking times that will involve readers from the opening line to the last page.

They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French
HarperCollinsPublishers, 2005 ISBN 0 207 20011 4 $15.95 Pb

The Scorpion's Tail, by James Moloney

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

 

The action starts on the first page and keeps up a relentless pace as Berrin escapes from the dreaded Gadges into the tunnels underneath the city. Unfortunately, in doing so he reveals the hiding place of the Doomsday Rats – a group of children consisting of Dorian, Olanda, Ruben, Wendell, Quinn and their adult founder, Ferdinand.

With their secret uncovered the Rats prepare to defend themselves in the tunnels. This time though, the Gadges have a secret weapon – the creature created by Malig Tumora. This created being, known as a ‘probe’, can hear the whispered words and even their heartbeats to detect the presence of the Rats. It seems the days of the Rats are numbered.

If the Rats are eliminated there will be no-one left to fight the Malig Tumora, who keeps the adults of the city compliant and drugged by the fragrance of flowers carried through pipes into all homes in the city. In the course of trying to stop the Malig Tumora’s evil rule and defend their lives in the tunnels, the Rats encounter the Firedrake and a robotic scorpion.

This book is part of a series about the Doomsday Rats. Even those who have not read the first book The Tunnels of Ferdinand, will soon be drawn into the plight of these young survivors and their fight against the evil Malig Tumora and the Gadges. Author James Moloney has won the Australian Children Book of the Year twice, with Swashbuckler in 1996 and Bridge to Wisemans Cove in 1997. His comic novel Black Taxi was shortlisted for the 2004 CBC book for older readers and the Adelaide Festival Children’s Literature award.

The Scorpion’s Tail, by James Moloney
Angus&Robertson- an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Paperback, 2005
RRP $14.95, ISBN 0 2071 9666 4

Emily Eyefinger and the Puzzle in the Jungle, by Duncan Ball

‘Stop the horse!’ the woman yelled. ‘Pull harder!’
‘I-I can’t. There’s something wierd. It’s staring at me.’
‘But it’s facing the other way. How can it be staring at you?’
‘It’s got an eye back here. It’s looking right at me.’

Emily Eyefinger truly lives up to her name – she has an eye on her finger. Having an eye on the end of one your fingers could be problematic – but Emily finds it pretty helpful. She uses her extra eye to solve all sorts of mysteries.

In this, the ninth Emily Eyefinger book, she uses the finger to see out of the back half of a horse suit, catch a quiz cheat, and even to solve an ancient puzzle. Along the way she has lots of fun and adventure.

Emily Eyefinger is the invention of Duncan Ball, perhaps best known for his series about Selby, the talking dog. Ball’s sense of humour and his refusal to let the impossible stand in the way of a good story are what endears him to young readers. His simple language is accessible for struggling readers, without excluding more advanced readers.

Emily Eyefinger and the Puzzle in the Jungle is sure to please 8 to 10 year old readers.

Emily Eyefinger and the Puzzle in the Jungle, by Duncan Ball, illustrated by Craig Smith
Harper Collins, 2005