Tag: lothian

That's the Trick! by Krista Bell

it’s, it’s
It’s cool when a nasty smell escapes and does its best to stink out the classroom.

Homophones (also commonly known as homonyms) are those tricky pairs (or threes or even fours) of words which sound the same but are spelt differently and, of course, have different meanings. These pesky words lie in wait just looking for a chance to trip up young spellers (and adult ones, too). Award-winning author Krista Bell has compiled a book which explains the difference between each homophone set, by putting them into entertaining sentences.

Each set of homophones – arranged alphabetically – is included in a sentence which manages to demonstrate the differences between all the words in the set. It is then accompanied by a humorous cartoon (drawn by Sarah Dunk) that further demonstrates the meaning. At the back of the book is a dictionary which provides a definition of each word in each set, for further enlightenment.

This is a handy little book which has classroom and library appeal but which would also make an excellent at-home reference – as well as being simply an entertaining read.

Bell has a love of words which is obvious in this little offering.

That’s the Trick! by Krista Bell, illustrated by Sarah Dunk
Lothian Books, 2006

Bad Bad Thing, by Julia Lawrinson

You could hardly blame my mother for not having been model parent material. Given that she practically had to rent a room at my primary school for all the ‘discussions’ she was called in for, Mum was on edge with me a fair bit. She didn’t understand why I couldn’t restrain myself from committing the kinds of acts that led to those ‘discussions’, and I couldn’t explain it to her.

Seb has always been a difficult child. She is late for class, gets into trouble with teachers and fights with her mother constantly. But when she gets involved with the school bad girl, Bonnie, her past seems tame indeed.

Bonnie is the self-crowned Queen of the school and she will stop at nothing to stay that way. When Bonnie’s boyfriend, Alex, dumps her for the new girl, Rachel, Bonnie is determined to get retribution. Seb is involved because she just happens to live next door to Alex and is also best friends with Bonnie’s sister Lavinia.

Seb knows that getting involved with Bonnie is not a good idea, but she doesn’t even begin to imagine how horrible the consequences will be.

Bad Bad Thing is a fairly intense novel for teen readers about loyalty, inegrity and bullying. Author Julia Lawrinson creates a scenario that will have readers squirming as they follow a plot too horrible to be true and yet frighteningly real.

Lawrinson’s characters are skilfully rendered with flaws and foibles that are believable. All except the nasty Bonnie and her equally horrible mother have both positive and negative traits. Seb is somewhat self-focussed and rash, but we see her grow through the book and learn from her mistakes. Her friend Lavinia is the nicest girl in the school and shows courage and integrity throughout, yet finds it hard to be there for Seb, perhaps because of her own problems. Seb’s mother may not know how to deal with her unruly daughter, yet when things turn bad, she is there to offer support.

The plot is gripping, with a sprinkling of humour, some dark, dark depths and a dash of optimism.

High school aged readers will be drawn into this story and will like that Lawrinson has left them to draw their own conclusions about some of the issues covered.

Compulsive reading.

Bad Bad Thing, by Julia Lawrinson
Lothian, 2005

Who Dares? by Krista Bell

Rhys rode that wave like the champion he hoped to become this week, right here, where he’d been surfing all his life. He pumped it all the way to the beach, until he expertly flicked off the back of the wave. Totally satisfied, he watched as it dissolved into nothingness right next to the rocks. Brilliant, totally utterly brilliant.

This is Rhys and Toby’s second trip together to Lorne. Last time they managed to form a pretty good friendship and solve each other’s problems. This time the trip is all about surfing – they hope.

Both boys are entered into the Easter surfing competition and, in the days before, all they plan on doing is getting in some practice. But when Toby’s board bag is stolen from the beach, they are determined to track down who has taken it and other missing surf gear, even if it means time away from practice.

Before the comppetion begins, there is time for more than one mystery to be solved.

Who Dares is a mix of surfing, skateboarding and mystery, which is a blend sure to appeal especially to young male readers, but it is also a story of friendship, family and keeping an open mind. Whilst the focus is on the growing friendship between the two main characters, there is also an exploration of their developing understanding of the other characters they meet. The boys’ lessons about making judgements and valuing family are gently shared with readers without being preachy or didactic.

Who Dares? is a sequel to Who Cares? (the winner of the 17th Australian Family Therapist’s Award for Children’s Literature), but also stands alone as an entertaining read.

Who Dares?, by Krista Bell
Lothian, 2005

Who Cares? by Krista Bell

Nobody wants to share a secret with a stranger. So when Toby and Rhys are forced to spend their holidays together, they are determined to keep their secrets to themselves. They may be from the same school, but they don’t know each other at all, and that’s how they’d like it to stay.

Toby has a secret he doesn’t want anyone at school to know. If the other boys knew what he does in his spare time, they might make life difficult for him. Rhys also has a secret, but his is far darker than Toby could imagine. In a week at the beach, both learn a lot about each other.

Who Cares is a tale of friendship, family and secrets. The beach setting will appeal to teen readers, especially those with an interest in surfing, with much of the action taking place on the beach as Rhys shares his passion for surfing with Toby.

Who Cares deals with some serious issues, including alchoholism and its effect on family, but it is not preachy or unrealistic. The teen characters have problems – some of which are solved simply by sharing them, and others which require both adult help and time. Author Krista Bell shows that even the biggest problems can be addressed with the right blend of help and understanding.

Who Cares was the 2004 winner of the Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, for its postitive portrayal of family relationships.

A great read for ages 12 and up.

Who Cares? by Krista Bell
Lothian 2003

Dragons of Galapagos, by Bruce Whatley

The land dragon looks for a place to lay her eggs. She needs shelter, safety and warmth. There is only one place suitable – on the floor of the volcano.

Risking her life, the land dragon climbs down into the volcano, digs a burrow and lays her eggs. Some time later her eggs and the eggs of others hatch. The hatchlings must climb out of the volcano and evade the circling hawks. One little dragon battles the odds to eventually find a safe place.

The Dragons of Galapagos is a story of survival, by acclaimed author/illustrator Bruce Whatley. Youngsters will be enthralled by the factual basis of the book as well as the outstanding illustrations. Great for classroom sharing as well as home collections.

The Dragons of Galapagos, by Bruce Whatley
Lothian, 2003

Sniffy the Sniffer Dog, by Krista Bell

Born into a family of outstanding sniffer dogs, no one can understand why Sniffy is such a failure at sniffer dog school.

Sniffy’s problem is that his nose seems to be doing the bidding of his stomach. He can always find lollies and chocolate, but this is no help when he’s supposed to be finding seeds and fruit.

When Sniffy is thrown out of sniffer dog school, he thinks his life is over. But really it’s just begun. He finds a new home with a family, where he gets the chance to prove he really is an excellent sniffer dog.

Sniffy the Sniffer Dog is a delightful new chapter book by versatile Aussie author Krista Bell. With illustrations by the talented Craig Smith, this is a great title for six to eight year old readers.

Sniffy the Sniffer Dog, by Krista Bell and Craig Smith
A Start-Ups title from Lothian, 2003

No Strings, by Krista Bell

He might be only thirteen, but Felix is a brilliant saxophonist. Attending a workshop with the best saxophonist in the world should be an inspiration for him, but it isn’t. Suddenly Felix is wondering if he really has the ability to be a world-class musician.

Felix has other worries too. Filling out a passport application has reminded him that he has two surnames – and two families. His parents divroced when he was a baby and he has two sets of parents and two sets of siblings. Now he’s wondering if he really belongs in either family. Is he really wanted?

Things seem likely to spiral out of control when Felix learns that his dad has been in a serious accident. This could be the beginning of the end, but instead it allows Felix to start building a fresh perspective. When his bullying room mate at boarding school assaults him, Felix realises that it is the bully’s regular attacks which have gradually eroded his self-confidence and allowed these other doubts to creep in. Dealing with the bully is the first step in getting his life into some sort of order. After that, the sky is the limit.

No Strings is a moving story with messages about bullying, friendship and the importance of family. Most of all, though, it is about self-belief. Felix learns to believe in himslef but also to allow those around him to offer him help and support.

Krista Bell has a lifetime of experience with children’s books as a book store owner, reviewer and author. This shows through in her skilful rendering of a tale which is compassionate, humorous and real, all in the right measure.

Superb.

No Strings, by Krista Bell
Lothian, 2004

Rats! by Lian Tanner

Nicky (Nicola) Bell has had too many changes in her life lately – her dad has left, her mum has sold their house and now Dad is moving in his with his new girlfriend. So Nicky has declared her world a ‘Change-Free Zone’ – no exceptions – and when a new girl called Megan arrives at school Nicky is determined to get rid of her.

Soon, though, Nicky is in trouble. She and her friends play a trick on Megan that sees Megan bitten by Nicky’s pet rat, Monty. Megan’s step-mother threatens to kill Monty if Nicky doesn’t leave Megan alone. Megan’s step-mother is a scary woman and Nicky becomes increasingly convinced that she is up to something bigger than just threatening Monty. The trouble is, not even Nicky’s best friends believe her. It is up to Nicky to catch Mrs Stoat out at whatever she’s up to – and at the same time, to try and restore her friendship and her family.

Rats! is funny, exciting and moving all at once. Kids will enjoy the combination of mystery and humour and the prevalence of rats.

Lian Tanner is a playwright and children’s author. This is her first novel.

Rats is likely to grip readers aged 10 to 12.

Rats!, by Lian Tanner
Lothian, 2004

Code Name Unwanted, by Jacqueline Harvey

Penelope Scott (she prefers her friends to call her Snot) is happy. Her secret operation to find a new man for her mother has been so successful that they are getting married. The wedding goes off without a hitch – unless you can count a dog that is covered in cow poo, but when the wedding is over there are some surprises in store for Snot.

Some parts of the new marriage are perfect. Her new step father, Frank, is a builder, and he’s building them an unreal new home. It’s also great to see her mum so happy. But what Snot hasn’t predicted are some of the surprises Mum and Frank are about to spring on her. Could it be that she is unwanted?

Code Name Unwanted is a funny yet moving story of blended families, friendship and growing up. It is a sequel to author Jacqueline Harvey’s earlier title Code Name Mr Right, but can be comfo rtably read as a stand-alone title.

Suitable for readers aged 10 to 14, Code Name Unwanted is full of laughs. Kids will love it.

Code Name Unwanted, by Jacqueline Harvey
Lothian, 2004

Angel Fever, by Isobelle Carmody

Eely has spent most of her life being unnoticed. Damaged at birth, she is simple and unattractive, and people seem to ignore her. But when Eely finds a winged man lying injured and helpless in a cave, she finds the strength to save him.

In the weeks that follow, Eely tends to the injured stranger, who in turn develops her self-confidence. Those around her can see Eely changing and growing more beautiful, but could it be that she actually holds within her the secret of beauty?

Angel Fever is just one of the wonderful titles in the innovative Quentaris Chronicles series. Each book in the series stands alone, but all are set in the magical fantasy city of Quentaris. The series, overseen by creators Michael Pryor and Paul Collins, is written by a number of Australia’s finest authors.

Angel Fever is a lovely tale. Author Isobelle Carmody creates a story which will draw young readers in, eager to learn what will happen to the ‘angel’ and where his missing stone will turn up. The message of the story, that beauty is not just about appearances, is subtle and not over-stated.

Recommended for young fantasy fans aged 10 to 14, this is excellent reading.

Angel Fever, by Isobelle Carmody
Lothian, 2004