Archive | August 2025

Bitsy & Boozle Tell A Story!

Aug21
Bitsy & Boozle Tell A Story!

Bitsy & Boozle Tell A Story!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bitsy & Boozle Tell A Story!

Sara Goetter

Natalie Riess

HarperCollins. 2025

160pp., graphic novel, RRP $A39.99

9780063326620

What better way to combine Book Week and this year’s theme Book an Adventure than to have a story that combines both books and adventure? 

Bitsy is an ogress who, as the youngest of the three Point-of-View sisters, is a storyteller through family tradition. She is still learning her craft which is not as easy as it seems so she uses her friend Boozle, a grumpy old wizard without a lot to say, as the reluctant protagonist and together they embark on  the adventure of a lifetime as they make the journey up Story Mountain, discovering the magic, mystery and technicalities of storytelling along the way.

Using all the visual characteristics that the format of a graphic novel allows to convey action, thoughts and feelings, the journey unfolds as they meet characters such as Mayor Dilemma and her grandchildren Tension and Suspense and find themselves in situations that help both Bitsy and the reader begin to understand the basics of narrative structure and the technicalities of storytelling better.  Literary elements such as ‘protagonist” and ‘antagonist’ and “character motivation’ and ‘denouement”  and a host of others that are not only essential for creating an engaging story but which have been the focus of their English lessons but which have not yet had purpose or context that is meaningful to them, become clear as they are seamlessly embedded in the plot. And because this is a graphic novel which demands a 1:1 relationship with text and illustrations the reader is intimately engaged and the learning becomes contextual, meaningful and personal which is supported by a handy glossary full of educational terminology including some illustrative elements of the graphic novel that help interpret Boozle’s thoughts and demonstrating that a single punctuation mark can say so much!

This was chosen as a School Library Journal Best Children’s Book of 2024, and would be an ideal suggestion for the already-budding writer to expand their knowledge as well as those who have been inspired to try by the fun and games of this special week.

And to make a complete package, add Graphic Novel Builder, You Rock My World, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Picture Books, Inside Story – Creative Writing for Students and Unleash Your Creative Monster – a children’s guide to creative writing.  For those who are a little younger, consider The Story Factory, Little Word Whizz, The Greatest Book in the World, It’s a Story, Rory ,My Storee   and Use Your Imagination– all will encourage young readers and writers to book their own adventure.   

 

The Amazing Spencer Gray

Aug20
The Amazing Spencer Gray

The Amazing Spencer Gray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Amazing Spencer Gray

Deb Fitzpatrick

Fremantle Press, 2025

176pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760996338

Spencer Gray could be almost anyboy, anywhere… he’s 12, lives in the suburbs with his mum, dad and sister Pippa, loves soccer, enjoys cross-country running, rides his bike everywhere, and has a great group of mates. But not every boy has a dad like Spencer’s – as well as being a country doctor, his dad loves flying in his glider, Drifter.  Spencer’s mum says  his dad is a ‘fanatic” although his dad says that’s a bit harsh. But whatever adjective might describe his dad’s passion, Spencer himself has been waiting for the day that his dad says he is old enough to fly with him.  And now it’s come.

His mates are very envious but Spencer is the most excited.  And as he and his dad soar above the landscape, he understands the buzz his dad gets – until the weather suddenly deteriorates and they don’t make it back to base in time…

In a week that has its focus on Book an Adventure, this is truly an adventure that young independent readers are going to relish as they get involved in the action and relate to Spencer’s fear that his dad is dead, his relief when he finds he is just unconscious and his resolve and resilience that he will get them out of this mess.  But does a 12 year old boy have the cool and the courage to keep his head, particularly when he realises that it will be hours before anyone realises that they haven’t returned home? Does he stay with his dad or leave to find help?

Shortlisted  for the West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards.in 2016, this is the re-release of this 2013 title in advance of the imminent re-release of The Spectacular Spencer Gray  making an engaging mini-series that will offer readers a story in which they may well put themselves into the role of Spencer and perhaps even move on to the classics Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (and its sequels) or The Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. 

 

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck

Aug19
Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck

Justin Somper

Teo Skaffa

A & U Children’s, 2025

224pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761182044

What better way to continue the CBCA Book Week theme of Book an Adventure than with a swashbuckling pirate adventure?

But this isn’t one of the traditional pirate era of the 17th/18th century for the year is 2507, the oceans have risen and a new dawn of piracy led by the Pirate Federation has begun.

Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock are students at the elite Pirate Academy where, as members of already famous pirate families, they study for 10 years under teachers who are all legendary sea captains. to become pirate captains themselves. . But this is no ordinary school because lessons range from Knots Class and Sailing to Combat Workshop.  The pressure is always on and friendship is everything. So trust is a big issue. But who can be trusted?

However, when a new kid – the mysterious Neo Splice – arrives, everything changes  very quickly. Suddenly, the dangers are no longer at sea but stalking the classrooms and corridors of Pirate Academy. In the face of real peril, the students of Barracuda class must put everything they have learned to the test against an unexpected and ruthless new enemy.

Written from the perspectives of the various characters,  with different chapters jumping from Jacoby’s, Jasmine’s and the new kid Neo’s viewpoints, it offers the reader an opportunity to uncover and understand  their  thoughts, actions and motivations so not only were the characters more rounded, the explanation for their choices is clearer. They might even consider just which character they would be if they were in the story. 

This is a fast-paced adventure story that combines old traditions and new challenges but in terms of relationships, even when things get tricky and Jacoby and Neo react in questionable ways – reflecting the real world of today-  the same valued traits of initiative, reliability, dependability,  and so on endure. 

One for independent readers who like a daring adventure with the prospect of more to come – the initial series will have three books.

In the meantime, they might like to investigate Vampirates, by the same author and which is set five years later but there are some cross-over characters, including Jacoby, Jasmine and Commodore John Kuo, Headcaptain of the Academy.

You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril

Aug18
You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril

You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril

George Ivanoff

Penguin, 2025

240pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761353499

“Book an Adventure” is the theme for this year’s CBCA Book Week and could there be a better way to kickstart this week than this new choose-your-own -adventure by the master of the genre, George Ivanoff?

This time, the reader is on a school trip to the new dinosaur-themed education centre but…

Do you go to the animatronics exhibition, and discover dangerous robot dinosaurs?

Or the research institute, where a rogue scientist has been experimenting with dinosaur DNA?

Or perhaps you uncover the secret time travel project, where pressing the wrong button accidentally transports you back in time!?

Or do you have an entirely different adventure as you follow a different path…?

With the reader as the protagonist and the setting one that has proven appeal, this is another in the popular You Choose series the power of where the story goes is put into the reader’s hands as they choose their own adventure by deciding what action to take when they are confronted by a dilemma and therefore where to move next in the story, rather than the author’s predetermined storyline. And each time the book is read a different choice can be made and a new story created. As well as giving the reader the power to determine the action combining interactivity and reading, it enables the reader to think about cause and effect, to consider the options, to take the time to make a decision, and to take risks in a safe environment -all traits we encourage. 

While it mimics the appeal and importance of gaming in young readers’ lives, it also offers scope for more in-context exploration as they  are encouraged to map the story, its choices and consequences on a flow chart; including a few twists of their own, and then discuss how these can have an exponential effect on the outcomes. Then set a new scenario and start to explore the pathways and fun of “what if…”, encouraging the students to let their imaginations go, push the boundaries, think beyond the usual as they draw on their own knowledge of the period and its inhabitants…

As well as offering an engaging read, skilled teachers could use this as a model for an absorbing, integrated project that would draw in their writers, their illustrators, their mathematicians, their gamers and  computer coders  to create something new that accentuates the need for a team, encourages negotiation and compromise as well as the skills of seeing things from another perspective and looking for alternatives.

This is a read that offers all sorts of adventures – not all of them in print. 

Bert’s Adventure in Bubbly Forest

Aug17
Bert's Adventure in Bubbly Forest

Bert’s Adventure in Bubbly Forest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bert’s Adventure in Bubbly Forest

Nicole Steyn

Amanda Letcher

JEAN Enterprises, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781764196017

When Bert finds a book about Bubbly Forest hidden on the library’s shelves, he is determined to go on an adventure to investigate it for himself.  And so the next day he sets out and finds himself in a dark forest that gets scarier by the minute as the shadows get deeper, the trees make spooky sounds and all seems deserted. Even the bids aren’t chirping.  But just as he starts to have second thoughts about things, he notices bubbles emerging from a dark, mysterious cave.  

What could be making them?  Is it something sinister? Does he have the courage to venture forth?

Released in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon just in time for this year’s CBCA Book Week theme of Book an Adventure, this is a new story for young readers that celebrates their curiosity and courage.  The preschoolers I shared it with enjoyed predicting what might be creating the bubbles as well as discussion about whether Bert would go into the cave or head for home, as well as what they, themselves might do.  The majority thought both they and Bert would be brave, but none of them predicted who was the bubble-blower.

For many little ones, dark forests and strange creatures can invoke fear and trepidation, even in stories, but this allows them to see that not everything is at it first appears and, like Bert, they can explore unknown places and face their fears in safety, because sometimes a little bit of courage can open up unexpected friendships and opportunities.

Something to help littlies begin to appreciate the adventures that can be found between the pages of a book – and they can have them all while safe at home or at school. 

Australia’s Dangerous Bush Creatures

Aug16
Australia's Dangerous Bush Creatures

Australia’s Dangerous Bush Creatures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australia’s Dangerous Bush Creatures

Myke Mollard

Woodslane Press, 2022

64pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925868869

For one who comes from a land where the only venomous creature is the  katipō (Latrodectus katipo), a spider related to the Australian redback and now on the endangered list, it was quite disconcerting to move to a country that has some of the most dangerous animals in the world including venomous snakes, spiders, fish , jellyfish, sea snakes, and a deadly octopus, crocodiles and sharks that can eat you and birds that can take your eye out!!!  While I lived in the city I wasn’t too bothered because human movement and noise and so on meant that I was unlikely to encounter anything too sinister – nothing that a can of bug spray wouldn’t account for – and even though my scuba diving took me into the ocean, I was with those who knew what was what. But living in the bush is a different matter and there is a new awareness and respect for things that rustle and slither and hide and lie in wait.

Yet, despite being more cautious as I go about the day, this book fascinated me  – as it will so many of our young independent readers.

From its intriguing cover that has a collage of what’s to be found inside – who can identify what already? – and covering a selection of snakes such as the Eastern Brown and the Red Belly Black, a collection of sharks, jellyfish, crocodiles and creepy-crawlies and even creatures that are considered more “benign” like the magpie, kangaroo, platypus and dingo, each double page spread introduces a species that can harm us if we don’t respect them and give them a wide berth.    With lifelike, full-page illustrations, a distribution map and other information in easy-to-read text, Mollard draws on his own experiences with each species to engage the reader to explore the what, where, how and why of these creatures, and thus offering  the knowledge of how to stay safe.  Forewarned is forearmed and all that.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

But for all that they might have deadly weapons, these have been developed to catch prey and to protect themselves from other creatures which are not primarily human, and thus readers not only come to recognise them and understand them better but also appreciate them for what they are, how they contribute to the biodiversity, health and survival of our natural world and to treat them with caution and common sense rather than fear. 

We know that there are students who much prefer to explore non fiction when they can choose freely, and there is a certain age and stage at which some boys, particularly, like to find things that are bigger, better, and scarier than their peers so they can outdo them with their extreme nature – this is one of those books that will keep them engaged for hours, if not days, and all the time they are learning as well as consolidating their reading skills.  Winner, winner… 

Best (Worst) Farmer Ever

Aug15
Best (Worst) Farmer Ever

Best (Worst) Farmer Ever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best (Worst) Farmer Ever

Pat Cummins & Michael Wagner

Louis Shea

 HarperCollins, 2025

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460764749

Farmer Pat and his son Albie are ready for a great day on the farm.  They don’t have a specific plan but, “If you keep your eyes open you’ll always find something to do!” Farmer Pat tells Albie.  Sure enough, it’s not long before they spot a hole in the fence where the cows have broken through -again.  It’s not the first time but clearly the previous mends using sticky tape and then the big pieces of bark or even the glued-together ice block sticks haven’t worked.  But Farmer Pat has a better idea this time…

Next up, Albie spots the leaky drinking trough for the sheep, and again, his dad has a cunning plan -as he does for turning the old boat into a treehouse and stopping the birds from eating the apples…

This is a very funny book for young readers written by new-dad and apprentice-farmer Pat Cummins (who also happens to be the captain of the current Australian cricket team – and keen eyes will pick out the references in the illustrations.)  Despite his ingenious eco-friendly solutions, they aren’t as successful as he would have hoped -although he is oblivious to what’s happening and readers will LOL at the pictures which reveal what is really happening.  The humour, detail and energy will appeal as they spot things going on behind Farmer Pat’s back that Albie also sees even if his dad doesn’t.

But, it is the relationship that is building between father and son that is the most important thing – dads might not always get it right but they are doing their best. Even if things go a bit awry, it’s the time and working together that are special and create the foundation for the future. It’s based on Cummins’ own experiences as he tries his hand at farming and at being a dad (Albie is now four) and together with Wagner they have created a story that is authentic and heart-warming that most kids with a bit of a goofy dad will relate to as they enjoy sharing their own experiences. 

 

Wombats Poo in Cubes?

Aug14
Wombats Poo in Cubes?

Wombats Poo in Cubes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wombats Poo in Cubes?

Dr Audrey Shen & Briana Heinrich

Little Steps, 2025

28p., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781922678270

 Winston is a baby wombat who wonders why his poo is shaped like cubes! He notices that Greta the cow has big flat poos, Billy the goat has small round poos and Charlie the cockatoo has white sloppy poos that splat when they hit the ground. So why are his cube-shaped? Is it because he has a square stomach or a square bottom?  and why does he sometime find piles of them neatly stacked on each other?

Perhaps Dr Audrey and Nurse Brie at the Possumwood Wildlife Hospital can tell him.

This is another story for young readers that helps them understand that every living creature on the planet has to poo, normalising the function as well as helping them understand that all species have different outputs and that it is possible to identify what has passed by from the scats it leaves.  Told from Winston’s point of view and accompanied by bright illustrations it is one  of an intended series designed to introduce, inspire and educate  preschoolers to nurture an interest and appreciation of our Australian wildlife.

 

 

 

 

Powerful Like a Dragon

Aug13
Powerful Like a Dragon

Powerful Like a Dragon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powerful Like a Dragon

Christopher Cheng

Jacqueline Tam

Roaring Brook Press, 2025

40pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9781250829399

Christmas Day 1941 at the height of World War II.  Japan has bombed Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, bring the USA into the war, and the governor of the British colony of Hong Kong has just surrendered to the imperialist Japanese army as they continue their seemingly inexorable march south towards Australia. Shu Lok was too young to know there was even a war on until it literally arrived on the doorstep of his village home and he hid behind his Baba as the soldier shouted and poked and spat. And before he knew it, he was put into a large basket with his cousin to be carried with another cousin in another basket for hundreds of miles into China, fleeing the invaders along with many of the villagers, mostly relatives.

However, Shu Lok’s parents decided not to leave,  and the last words he heard were his father telling him to be “powerful like a dragon”.

Thus, hoisted on the end of a pole on his uncle’s shoulders, Shu Lok’s new life began – a life of being bounced around for endless hours, the occasional opportunity to climb out of the basket to stretch his cramped body and feast on cold bean curd cake, after having had only a few soybeans tied in a bag around his neck to nibble on during the day. As they moved into the mountains and his uncle removed his own shirt to keep Shu Lok a little warmer at night, he learned what the snow-covered mounds at the side of the road meant, and still they travelled on…

But whenever  things got tough he remembered his father’s words “be powerful like a dragon” and from somewhere deep inside came the strength to take one more step…

This is a story that is just like its title.  It’s “powerful like a dragon” and not just because it is the retelling of my friend Christopher Cheng’s family story told to him decades later by his uncle, the real Shu Lok.  It is a story for all ages as Jacqueline Tam’s haunting illustrations offer so much more to think about beyond Cheng’s masterful words, their almost-monochromatic palette echoing the bleakness and uncertainty of the future, but brightening with images of the dragon when Shu Lok recalls his father’s words. No matter the challenge – having to swallow his hunger even through the tantalising smell of the hawker’s sweet corn roasting; having to pay precious money to warlords for the right to cross their land; having to bandage his uncle’s blistered bare feet because his sandals had long disintegrated – he thought of the power of the dragons to overcome and like the others, kept on and on and on…

As well as being a story of courage, resilience and hope because of the belief in a better future, it is all the more poignant because it is true.  And it makes the reader think of how many of our students have had to endure the same sort of hardships as they have been displaced from their homes to flee tyranny, the journeys they’ve had, the challenges they’ve overcome and the courage and resilience they have displayed.  How have they had to be “powerful like a dragon”?  Or perhaps their journey has been one of illness, family breakup or other life-changing circumstance…  And while the journey may have been tough, was it worth it?  How did it impact the you that you are now?  

One might also wonder why Shu Lok’s baba meant when he said be “powerful like a dragon’.  Why not some other creature like a lion or elephant?  Dis he mean physically powerful or perhaps mentally powerful – for Shu Lok to face his fears and  demons and fight them with his mind rather than his fists? Is it possible to be courageous and brave without being combative, belligerent or aggressive? Does the dragon have a different role or symbolic presences in Eastern cultures  compared to Western culture?   

In the extensive author’s notes, Cheng offers a lot of background information about his uncle’s journey, giving it not only authority and authenticity but also opening up the possibility that other families might have similar stories to tell but which have been hidden for decades for one reason or another.  I know both my father and father-in-law never talked about their wartime experiences because while both had extraordinary  times as prisoners of war of the Germans and Japanese, respectively,  their stories pretty much went with them to their graves.  Therefore, perhaps this book could be the impetus for older students to probe their family histories before it is too late.

This review and the possibilities that this story opens up only scratch the surface.  The more times I read it the more it reveals – as I said, it is “powerful like a dragon’.

While One Child will always be my favourite title by Chris for a whole lot of reasons, this one is a close second. 

Sammy Feels Shy

Aug12
Sammy Feels Shy

Sammy Feels Shy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sammy Feels Shy

Tom Percival

Bloomsbury, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781526673947

At home with his dad, Sammy loves having fun but when he goes to school he freezes – there are so many people, and if the spotlight is on him, he can’t even talk.  It seems that no matter what he does or where he goes, something happens to make people look at him, and even though they are sympathetic and tell him not to be shy, he begins to believe that being shy is who and what he is.  Not only that, he starts to turn a vivid shade of pink until he is pink all over!!!

It got to the stage where he was so self-conscious that he didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything … until his dad had an idea.

Shyness is a feeling that smothers many of our little ones, particularly if they are used to being one of just two or three and therefore in control of much of what’s happening around them because they are at its centre,, but when they have to compete with those who are more outgoing, exuberant and boisterous, they can feel overshadowed and overwhelmed so it is much easier to retreat into their own world.  While it’s OK to feel reticent at times – and it’s amazing how many times  that the exuberance of some is a mask for underlying feelings of uncertainty and awkwardness – it can become an issue if, like Sammy, that reticence begins to impact the things we do, the places we go and the people we mix with.  So while Dad’s idea may be daunting at first,  it turns out to be the best thing for Sammy. 

This is another in this series for young readers to learn to cope with big feelings that includes Bea’s Bad Day,   Ruby’s Worry, Perfectly Norman, Ravi’s Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again, Milo’s Monster and Finn’s Little Fibs, each of which deals with everyday situations that our children face and are better off learning to navigate than being shielded from them. 

Apart from acknowledging, confronting and beginning to overcome the emotions that might be holding them back, children learn that they are not alone in their experiences, that everyone has something that makes them uncomfortable in certain situations and that the “negative” emotions we have do not need to define or limit us.  Often “fake it till you make it” isn’t a bad approach. And even if we never quite “make it” who we are as we are is enough.