Pan Macmillan – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

As Stars Fall by Christie Nieman

‘Robin? Robin Roberts?’

This is what I imagined was happening in my form room at that moment. I imagined some old-time bespectacled schoolmistress reading my name out over and over from her roll, and in the silence after each call the crickets chirping, the tumbleweed tumbling. I had to imagine it because I wasn’t there. I was lost.

‘Robin Roberts’

Yes, that really is my name. You’d think that two parents with the surname Roberts would think twice before calling their only daughter Robin, wouldn’t you? You’d reckon. And when you heard that those two parents were Rodney Roberts and Roberta Roberts, you’d think they were just mean – like, if they’d had to suffer all those Rs, then they’d make their kids suffer too. But if you actually knew my parents, you’d get that giving me a Rolls-Royce name was just their cute way of including me in their club: the R&R club. Well, that was their thinking anyway.

‘Robin? Robin Roberts?’

‘Robin Roberts’

A terrible fire sweeps through north-eastern Victoria. In its aftermath, Robin’s parents split up and Robin and her mother move to the city. In her first day at her new school, Robin meets Delia. Delia befriends Robin, although Robin sometimes struggles to understand why. Delia and her brother are also reeling from the effects of the fire, although they are not as able – or perhaps ready – to articulate their loss. A Bush Stone-curlew appears in the local park, far from its natural habitat and connects Robin, Delia and Seth. Life is challenging for each of the teenagers, but it may prove deadly for the out-of-place bird.

As Stars Fall is a gritty, real novel, with hints of magic realism. Three teenagers respond to major trauma in their lives caused by catastrophic fires. Their grief defines every aspect of their behaviour and their responses to those around them. The out-of-place curlew links them and forces them to think beyond themselves and their individual loss. Robin is the main character and her story is told in first person, with Delia and Seth’s stories in third person. Their stories progress, the novel progresses as fast and as intensely as any fire, sweeping all before it and building to an inevitable crescendo. Readers will be swept along too, holding their breath to see who survives. Recommended for mid- to upper-secondary readers.

As Stars Fall, Christie Nieman Pan Macmillan 2014 ISBN: 9781743517697

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Once Upon a Slime by Andy Griffiths ill Terry Denton

1.Bad Mummy & Daddy cartoons

Some of my favourite characters in all of the books that Terry and I have created are Bad Mummy, Bad Daddy and the kid who always asks permission to do something really stupid and/or dangerous. Most normal parents would say no, but I wanted to play with the idea of parents who do the opposite, that is, say yes when they should say no. They then surprise us again when, instead of being upset at what happens to their child as a result of their bad parenting, they simply shrug and say, ‘Oops!’
Once Upon a Slime offers 45 ways to get writing … FAST! Griffiths uses the same conversational style as in his myriad titles to inspire young readers to become young writers. With illustrator, Terry Denton, he offers wild and wacky ways to write based on their work. Beginning with cartoons and ending with a Random Idea Generator, each chapter offers insight into how Griffith begins and continues his stories, then offers suggestions for writing activities. There’s Dos and Don’ts lists, free writing exercises with prompts, jar labels, How to Create a Monster and many, more. There are info boxes, cartoons, and illustrations on each page.

Once Upon a Slime is simply brilliant. Even the most reluctant writer will be drawn in and their imagination revealed via these writing prompts. For young writers, there’s an exercise for all their moods and inclinations. For teachers and parents, there’s support to get young writers over ‘white page fever’ that besets many. For writers for children, there’s a reminder to be child-like in creating work for young readers. And if you’re not in any of the aforementioned categories, there’s something for you too: a reminder of childhood, an insight into the minds of a very talented pair of creators. Aimed at middle primary readers, ‘Once Upon a Slime’ will be a hit with many more. Recommended for anyone who likes to mix crazy with their learning/teaching.

Once Upon a Slime

Once Upon a Slime, Andy Griffiths ill Terry Denton
Pan Macmillan 2013 ISBN: 9781742612096

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Winter's Light, by MJ Hearle

Her thoughts struggled to accept what had happened. Somehow the power of the stone had transported her into the body of a stranger. She was seeing through another’s eyes. The scene in front of her lurched again, making Winter feel like a passenger trapped in a speeding car, and she was suddenly standing over a pool of dark water. The light of the candles shimmered along the surface, softly illuminating the pale reflection she saw there. If she had a mouth it would have fallen open in silent shock.
The reflection in the water belonged to Blake.

Blake is gone. He died in order to protect Winter, and now she is alone, haunted by dreams of everything that happened. But the lodestone around her neck, her token of Blake, is acting strangely, and she is being taunted with visions of Blake, alive, but imprisoned. Is it possible? She saw him die – yet these visions are frighteningly real. If Blake is alive, Winter will stop at nothing to find and save him

Winter’s Light is the excellent sequel to Winter’s Shadow, though stands enough alone for new readers to engage with. Set in a unique paranormal world inhabited by beings unique to this series – the Skivers, the Demori and the Bane making a refreshing, though frightening, change to the werewolves and vampires so popular in recent paranormal offerings. At the same time though, the quest, the strong female protagonist, the modern world meets alternate reality, are all familiar elements teen paranormal fans will enjoy.

In places dark and frightening, this is an absorbing read suitable for teen readers.

Winter’s Light, by M.J. Hearle
Pan Macmillan, 2012
ISBN 9781742611037

Available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Wind in the Wires, by Joy Dettman

It had been like being sucked back to that other time. Like the missing years, like every year between their saying goodbye at the Sydney station had been wiped out. He’d been twenty=two again, and whole for a time – until she’d come to Ringwood.
In the light of day, those years had come rushing back – and they hadn’t stood still. He wasn’t twenty-two. She wasn’t eighteen. You can’t wind back time to where you lost it. And she hadn’t come out there looking for him, but for Jimmy.

It’s 1958 and times are changing in Woody Creek. Jenny’s children have grown up. Georgie and Margot are living in Granny’s house. Georgie is running the local store, but Margot doesn’t do much at all, though she has a secret, and odd, relationship with Teddy, from next door. Her other children Jenny knows little about. She hasn’t seen Jimmy, her only son, since she was tricked into giving him up, believing her sweetheart Jim to have been killed in the war. And her youngest daughter Cara, she gave up at birth – and has never told anyone about.

Now though, that daughter, Cara, is growing up, and starting to suspect she’s adopted. When she tries to find out about her birth family, she and Georgie connect, but neither can even begin to imagine the consequences of the secrets their families have buried.

Wind in the Wires is the fourth title in the Woody Creek series and will best appeal to those who have read the previous titles. I was new to the series, and was aided by the front of book summary of the characters and action so far, but still took a while to get into the story. I was, however, glad I persisted, being drawn into the lives of this strange, intriguing family.

The characters are diverse and compelling. Some, like Georgie, Cara and Jenny are likable for their determination and persistence. Others, like Margot, are hard to like, but are nonetheless intriguing. It is easy to be drawn into this family’s life and want to know more, though it is then hard to witness the hard twists of fate. The portrayal of life in the Australia of the 1950s and 1960s is also fascinating.

With plenty of room left for at least one more sequel, readers will be left wanting more.

Wind in the Wires, by Joy Dettman
Pan Macmillan, 2012
ISBN 9781742610788

This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Quiet the Mind, by Matthew Johnstone

For anyone new to meditation, or who has perhaps been put off by difficult mystical concepts, this is an excellent starting point.

Although this book offers many visual analogies to consider, the most important thing to remember in meditation is your nose and the breath that flows in and out of it.
Think of your nose as a lighthouse from which you take all your meditative bearings.
If you get lost in a sea of thought, think of your lighthouse and ome back to your breath.
If you hear a dog bark, come back to your breath.
If you feel uncomfortable, move gently and come back to your breath.
Breathing in and out, nice and slow and steady.

Every day our mind processes up to 70, 000 thoughts, even when we sleep – roughly one thought every 1.2 seconds. With so many ideas buzzing round our heads, it’s no wonder that we need to stop and try to quiet the mind. However, it is difficult to find a way to still our thoughts, when we are constantly stimulated by the world around us – television, the Internet, music, mobile phones and more, keep our minds constantly busy. Quiet the Mind offers a simple way to counter all that activity – through meditation.

Using simple text and cartoon-style illustrations, the author (who has previously written two successful books about depression) first explains why meditation is important and how it can help, before giving a simple step by step rpocess to meditate. There is no mumbo-jumbo, and nothing confronting in terms fo spirituality or religion, making it accessible to people of all beliefs and backgrounds.

For anyone new to meditation, or who has perhaps been put off by difficult mystical concepts, this is an excellent starting point.

Quiet the Mind, by Matthew Johnstone
Pan Macmillan 2012
ISBN 9781742610733

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Six Impossible Things, by Fiona Wood

saw Estelle for the first time that day.
She stopped outside our place and stared up into the bare branches of the footpath plane tree. First checking there was no one nearby she turned slowly around and around and around, framing her view of the twig-snaggled sky with a hand to her eye.
Then she walked into the house next door, half-dizzy, smiling and carrying my heart.
There’s this sky she likes.

Dan Cereill’s life is filled with upheaval. First the family business went broke, then his dad announced he was gay and moved out, leaving Dan and his mother to cope on their own. Now Dan’s living in a new house and going to a new school, while his mother flails around trying to set up a wedding cake business and listening to sad music. When he sets eyes on his beautiful neighbour, he wonders if there’s hope after all – but he soon realises Estelle is way out of his league.

Six Impossible Things is a witty journey through crushes, family break up, teenage reinvention and general chaos. Dan is a likeable narrator who has a lot to deal with. He gets himself into lots of scrapes – not always his own fault – and from time to time does some pretty dumb things, but he has a good heart and is doing his best to survive more changes than any kid should have to deal with in one hit.

A loveable character and a gently humorous storyline.

Six Impossible Things, by Fiona Wood
Pan Macmillan, 2010
ISBN 9780330426060

This book can be purchased in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Vulture of Sommerset, by Stephen M Giles

‘NO!’ It came from the front of the house and stopped them all dead. And then…
‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!’
The cry seemed to grow like a wave, rolling down the vast corridor and crashing into the kitchen. the voice was unmistakable. Time seemed to float. Fearful looks were exchanged.
‘Aunt Rosemary,’ whispered Adele.
They raced from the kitchen, her scream still ringing in their ears.

Adele, Isabella and Milo are happy living at Sommerset House, which they inherited when their evil, but wealthy, uncle died. But when their beloved Aunt Rosemary disappears mysteriously after a disastrous dinner party , their lives are thrown into chaos. Milo battles demons, and bad dreams, Isabella battles her own vanity and a maid who seems to always get wrong, and Adele battles to hold everything together and solve the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance. It will take all their combined courage and skill to overcome the odds and save Aunt Rosemary before it is too late.

The Vulture of Sommerset is a sequel to Silas and the Winterbottoms and will appeal especially to readers who have read the first title. A blend of mystery, gothic adventure and humour will satisfy upper primary readers.

The Vulture of Sommerset, by Stephen M Giles
Pan Macmillan, 2010

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Wildkin's Curse, by Kate Forsyth

Next shall be the king-breaker, the king-maker,
Though broken himself he shall be.

Zedrin, Merry and Liliana are very different – Zedrin is a starkin lord, Merry is a hearthkin boy and Liliana is a wildkin girl – yet the three must journey together on a perilous, secret mission to rescue a Princess.

Princess Rozalina is a powerful enchantress and a wildkin princess, cruelly imprisoned in a crystal tower. Her three rescuers must use all their combined skills to rescue her.

A companion to The Starhorn Tree, The Wildkin’s Curse is an exciting fantasy tale set in a magical world filled with magic, heroes and villains, about the power of stories. With a diverse cast of characters, both likeable heroes and clearly portrayed villains, this will delight young fantasy fans.

The Wildkin’s Curse, by Kate Forsyth
Pan Macmillan, 2010

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Littlest Witch, by Martine Allars

Gwen Henderson stared out of the car window miserably. They were in the slow lane on the freeway and the other cars were speeding past their red station wagon.
As they hit a pothole in the road the entire car, including the trailer, the luggage and its four passengers, bounced into the air.
‘Sorry,’ Gwen’s father said as a box o books toppled over on the back seat.
The car landed wit a massive thud and a loud metallic crunch. Gwen sighed and flicked her red fringe out of her eyes. ‘Dad, I think you broke the car.’ She paused. ‘Maybe we should just go back to Smithville?’

Gwen and her triplet sisters Nel and Rain are tired of moving all the time. They’ve moved so many times in the past 12 years, and Gwen just wants to stay put. From the beginning though, their time in Jamestown is different. For a start there are people who seem to know who they are. That’s unusual. They also know that the girls are about to turn 13. And they’re staying in their Auntie Sylvie’s house. Gwen didn’t even know they had an aunty! Then there’s Stephanie at their new school. She’s beautiful, talented and oh-so-very nice. She’s so nice that Gwen is suspicious. Rain is enchanted by Stephanie and Nel fails to see why Gwen is suspicious. Soon after their birthday the girls discover they have some exceptional gifts, if only they could work out how to use them. There’s a prophecy too, but none of the girls can believe it refers to them.

The Littlest Witch is the first in a trilogy about fighting evil across worlds. The girls have teachers and protectors but ultimately it’s up to them to work out what they can do and how they will respond to the ‘call to arms’. Each of the triplets has their own unique personality. Gwen is the fiery one, the leader; Nel is the peacekeeper and Rain just wants her world to be normal so she can dance. The bond between the three girls is sorely tested, but the challenges they face require them to work together. The Littlest Witch is told from Gwen’s point of view and the reader shares her turmoil as she adjusts to their life in a new town, with new skills and a new world view. Recommended for upper primary readers, although the cover might attract younger readers.

The Littlest Witch, Martine Allars,
Pan Macmillan 2010
ISBN: 9780330423571

Reviewed by Claire Saxby Children’s book author. www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Aztec Attack and Battle Bust-Up, by Charlie Carter

YAHOO!
Napoleon loved hurtling through time. It always took his breath away.
‘How exciting is this, Skin?’
‘Excitement is not in my Behaviour Reaction Bank,’ said Skin.
‘Sorry,’ said Napoleon. “I keep forgetting you don’t have feelings.”
‘Apology unnecessary,’ said Skin. ‘My non-existent feelings were not hurt.’
Skin hummed and buzzed as his nano-computers targeted their location.

Most of the time, Napoleon is a fairly normal boy, but when his friend Professor Purdis needs him, he becomes Battle Boy 005, hurtling through time to experience famous battles, fix problems and gather evidence of what happened.

In Aztec Attack Naploeon finds himself in 1519, on a mysterious mission in Mexico, and in Battle Bustup he needs to untangle two famous battles that have somehow got tangled up.

These two are offerings 5 and 6 in the Battle Boy series a fast moving time travel series blending military history with the marvels of high-tech gadgetry and time travel.

likely to appeal to middle and upper primary aged readers, especially boys.

Aztec Attack and Battle Bustup
both by Charlie Carter
Pan Macmillan, 2010

These titles are available from Fishpond by clicking on the titles above. Buying through these links supports Aussiereviews.