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Cub and Brown

Sep25
Cub and Brown

Cub and Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cub and Brown

Edwina Wyatt

Evie Barrow

Walker Books, 2023

160pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760654641

Cub is eight years old and he likes nothing better than being in the woods and using all the knowledge and skills he has learned through being a cub in the local Scout pack.  On one of his walks be meets a bear -something he has never anticipated doing before so he isn’t prepared as he likes to be- and so begins a series of adventures as the two navigate each other’s world and the sometimes tricky twists of being friends. 

Brown is an expert in living outdoors and Cub would like to be and his openness to learning allows the two to confront problems and find solutions aligned to the tenets of the scouting movement such as checking the weather or making a plan, together.

This is an engaging read of short, stand -alone-but-connected stories, for newly independent readers, particularly those who are Joeys or Cubs themselves. The strength of the trust and friendship between Cub and Brown is heart-warming while the subtle messages in each story can only help readers be prepared themselves.  

 

Odelia and the Varmint

Sep3
Odelia and the Varmint

Odelia and the Varmint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Odelia and the Varmint

Jenny Moore 

New Frontier, 2023

275pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781922326713

When a pair of unruly fictional pirates escape out of her mother’s book into Victorian London, 11-year-old Odelia Hardluck-Smythe’s lonely life is turned upside down…

After the sudden death of her father leaves her family struggling financially and emotionally as the life of luxury and comfort that they knew disappears, things change dramatically in the Hardluck-Smythe’s household,  Trying to support her children, Odelia’s mother spends her time writing an adventure story for a publisher who has rejected all her work so far, while Odelia makes sure the family are able to survive on a daily diet of toast (the only thing she can cook).  But when the villain of her mother’s story, pirate Captain Blunderfuss, the ship’s cook and Dog, the oddly named ship’s cat, suddenly come to life and appear in their house, their lives take a remarkable turn.

But rather than freaking out, even though Captain Blunderfuss and Cook are rude, dangerous and obsessed with marzipan fruits, the family adjust to having these unexpected guests, and Odelia sees an opportunity to join the pirates in a search for the treasure she believes her father hid in the family home prior to his death. During their search, Odelia learns that varmints, villains and heroes may not always be as easily identified as they first appear. Who is trustworthy? And while Odelia thinks pirates mean treasure and treasure means buried chest of precious jewels and riches, she discovers that it can have other meanings too.  

Despite their somewhat gloomy circumstances, the drama of both the setting and the situation are offset by Captain Blunderfuss continually mispronouncing and misusing the language, which Odelia has to translate to make sense, such as when he promotes her to ship’s basin (bosun) and his regular cry of ‘Ankles away!’ (anchors) offering some light relief as well as the opportunity to explore various terms and phrases.  Written for independent readers who like a swashbuckling adventure and mystery, it takes them to Victorian England, a time many will still be unfamiliar with, offering insight into a life where industrialisation in just emerging, far away from the one of instant communication and gratification that they are more likely to know. 

As well as exploring a world so different to their own, the endpapers and the teachers’ notes could both take the reader into the world of steampunk, or even into historical fiction generally, opening up a world of new reading adventures.

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Aug21
Dog Squad: The News Hound

Dog Squad: The Newshound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Clare Vulliamy

HarperCollins, 2023

128pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

 9780008565336

Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, and, together with her friends Simone and Ash, the she produces  the Newshound newspaper for her school readers.  While they’ve written a few stories, there hasn’t been anything really significant, so when she finds a stray dog outside her home, Eva thinks she might just have found her first case.

The dog follows her home but living in a block of flats where pets are banned is problematic and although her mum says it can stay overnight, secretly Eva has other ideas.  The dog, which she determines is a whippet, is so thin she calls it Wafer and even though tracing its owner might offer The Newshound its biggest story yet, Eva soon realises that she might not want to get to the bottom of the mystery after all – because won’t that just mean she just has to give Wafer back?

Even with its English setting, this is a story that is going to resonate with a broad audience of young newly-independent readers because if they are not budding writers like Eva and her friends wanting to get to the bottom of these sorts of stories, then they are animal lovers whose hearts reach out to stray, mistreated creatures that so clearly need a home.  They may even be non binary  like Ash and enjoy seeing themselves in a story affirming their identity. As well as being an engaging read, it also provides food for thought as it raises issues about the treatment of animals by humans, from breeding in puppy farms for profit to their disposal when they are no longer wanted, perhaps even inspiring some to delve deeper.

And just to top it off, it is the start of a new series, with The Race scheduled for early 2024, so readers have something to look forward to. While they wait, they might like to meet Dotty Detective, a series in a similar vein of young girls solving mysteries. 

 

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

Aug19
The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

Anh Do

Dave Atze

A & U Children’s, 2023

280pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761065637

Summer loves sport, and there is nothing she would love more than to charge down the field towards an open goal, or soar through the air over the basket. She would love to be part of a team but instead she always seems to be the last one picked, probably because of her lack of co-ordination which even she recognises. Then one day something amazing happens and Summer discovers she is no longer the spectator but the superstar. The purple gloop that covered her and landed her in hospital has turned her life around. However what is magical for Summer is misery for her older brother Carl who goes from being a talented upcoming footballer to being in a wheelchair, and Summer finds herself with a lot more responsibility.

With her new expertise, Summer decides to enter contests to earn money to support her family, but as it turns out, there are far more important things for her to do, starting with sorting out a witch who looks strangely familiar and is causing trouble in her home town while keeping her new powers secret because  a government agency, armed with a robotic minion, begin to take an interest in her. 

In this episode, the third in this series, the Book Witch and her army of Werewolf Warriorz threaten to ruin the Rockstone Autumn Fair, Summer’s powers are put to the test. Will she be able to save the day, and the fair, without revealing her secret identity? 

Written for those on the cusp of being independent readers with lots of support such as larger font and plenty of illustrations, this is a series that will appeal to those who are taking an interest in the plethora of sport available at the moment, particularly that featuring women. But rather than being blessed with super powers to achieve their goals and vanquish their ‘enemies”, they face seemingly interminable  routine and repetition, recovery and resilience setting up the opportunity for a discussion about just what it takes to get to the top.  

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Aug4
Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Sarah Coyle

Adam Walker-Parker

Farshore, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781405299053

Gwen was very excited about having a fancy-dress birthday party,  the decorations are up and the food set out.  But suddenly the birthday cake that Dad has made disappears!  Who has taken it?

Well, that depends on what the reader decides because depending on whether they choose the unicorn, robot or dinosaur they are taken on a different adventure, each time being able to choose the next chapter in their story.

While choose-your-own adventures have been in novel format for years and been immensely popular because of all the possibilities they open up, a picture book format is unusual. Young readers will love the interactivity that takes them beyond the more familiar lift-the-flap and gives them the power to decide the direction of the story.  And when one is told, they can return to the beginning and start another…  The power of choice.

There are three in this series now – a pirate/alien/jungle/adventure already available and a dragon/mermaid/superhero adventure to be released in time for Christmas – so all those characters that young readers love are covered and they can follow all sorts of paths and trails through the stories. Putting the reader in the writer’s seat is empowering and they might even be able to suggest a new combination or adventure, teaching them that they can not only be readers but writers too.  

 

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A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Jul27
A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Anthony Browne

Walker Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781529507058

Danny is bored. He would have liked to have been playing with his brother Mick but he’s off with his mates so, instead, he takes his dog Scruff for a walk on the beach.  Even though Danny thinks it’s a vast, boring nothingness, especially on a cool wintry day. Scruff loves it and it’s not too long before they are having a game of fetch as Scruff continually chases a stick into the water and brings it back.  But it’s when they see a crowd of people shouting and laughing and waving to someone in the water, that Danny’s afternoon takes a remarkable turn…

As usual, master storyteller Browne offers a visual feast as he combines fairly straight-forward text with his rich illustrations and, just as Danny’ mother suggests he use his eyes closely because “you never know what you might see”, so too should the reader.  But, for me, as much as I love the sea in all its changing moods and colours, and the treasures found along its shore, it is the dedication that underpins this story.  “In loving memory of my big brother Michael” suggests there is a poignant undertone of loss and longing that there could have been a different ending to his brother’s real-life story and this is echoed in the muted palette and flat, almost featureless seascape with just the odd break on the horizon.

So, as well as offering young readers the opportunity to think about what Danny’s mother suggests about finding hidden treasures and sharing their stories of seaside adventures, it is also an opportunity to think about friends and things lost forever and the emotions attached to this.  Given this is the third book about loss and  grief that I have read and reviewed in the last three days, perhaps I am overthinking what might seem a simple story but my experience of Browne’s writing is that like, the beach, there are always hidden treasures to discover. You just have to look. 

 

Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures

Jul7
Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures

Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures

Jason Pamment

A & U Children’s, 2023

288pp., graphic novel, RRP $A19.99

9781761067488

Fitting in can be hard, especially when you’re as small as Ember. He can’t remember anything from before he lived in an attic in a city where everything was giant-sized. He longed for friendship, but when he ventured out to try to make a connection, he was accidentally swept into a storm drain and out to a beach. He hopes his his luck will change when Lua, a kindly sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on a wondrous island, and he meets creatures like Ana, a salamander, and Viggo, a stroppy blue-tongued lizard.   Ember learns that first days can also be hard – especially when your friends read your journal and mock you.  Lessons at school involve intriguing discussions of camouflage and mimicry and introductions to the unique denizens of the island and surrounding sea but it his adventures involving  fantastical cave-dwellers, ferocious storms and classmates that aren’t interested in making friends that teach him the most.
As he struggles to adapt to his school, Ember finds himself at the heart of an otherworldly mystery, facing a strange monster from the deep. And though Ember’s classmates may seem of little help, any good student knows appearances can be deceiving – and friendship can come from the most unexpected of places.
For those independent readers who like the graphic novel format, this is an intriguing story with clear, detailed pictures that in a lot of cases carry the story without speech, that reinforces the message of being and accepting yourself, building friendships with unlikely folk, persevering to get to know them better, and being open to new ideas and perspectives. 

Meet the Weather

Jun27
Meet the Weather

Meet the Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Weather

Caryl Hart

Bethan Woollvin

Bloomsbury, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781526639813

Join the children in their hot air balloon as they journey through the skies to encounter all sorts of weather and learn a little more about it.  

Like its predecessors  Meet the Planets and Meet the Oceans , this is one for younger readers who are just beginning to notice the phenomenon of changing weather patterns and starting to ask why it’s windy or sunny or who might be frightened by the lightning and thunder.  Written in rhyme with bold illustrations,  this respects the child’s intelligence by offering them the basic facts in a format that takes them on a journey of learning as well as discovery so they have a basic understanding of the science that will either satisfy their curiosity for now, or lead them to seek more information.  

This is a series of non fiction titles that most definitely has a place in the school library collection as it offers information at the child’s level of understanding in a style and format that is appealing without being overwhelming.  Given acknowledgement of the date and the weather forms part of the morning routine of any Kindergarten classroom, this is a great introduction that takes the learner beyond the basic observations and may even invoke a discussion about the impact of the weather on their daily lives beginning a basic understanding of cause and effect. 

 

Tumbleglass

Jun23
Tumbleglass

Tumbleglass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tumbleglass

Kate Constable

A & U Children’s, 2023

288pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781760526962

Thirteen-year-old Rowan is helping her older sister Ash paint her bedroom when she discovers a mysterious silver ring  and when she slips it on it transports them both back in time 20 years to 1999. To a party being held in the very same house!

While Ash dances, Rowan unwittingly disrupts the laws of time, and when she wakes up back in the present day, her sister is missing, and – even worse – everyone in their family seems to have forgotten she ever existed.

With the help of her magical neighbour Verity, Rowan must find the courage to travel back through the history of the house. But can she find everything she needs to rescue Ash before her sister disappears forever?

This is one for older independent readers who enjoy time-slip novels with a fantasy twist.  

A Girl Called Corpse

Jun22
A Girl Called Corpse

A Girl Called Corpse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Girl Called Corpse

Reece Carter

Simon Howe

Allen & Unwin, 2022

352pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781761066788

Find the thing the Witches call a treasure,’ says Old Man, ‘and you’ll get back all those memories you’re missing.’

With a body made of wax, seaweed for hair and polished abalone shells for eyes, Corpse is bound to haunt the Witches’ sea shack forever. She has no memory of the kid she was before she was snatched and ended up on the rock-that-doesn’t-exist, using magic to hold herself together so she doesn’t cross over the Death Proper. Her dearest wish is to escape the rock, find her family and live. But she appears to be bound on the rock off the coast of the tiny forgotten town of Elston-Frigh forever, until the delivery of an unexpected message sets her off on a surprising quest, searching for answers to the old and familiar questions that have filled her not-brain since the day she first woke up a ghost. Questions about her name. Questions about her family. With only her eight-legged friend Simon for company, Corpse heads into the unknown. There will be danger – cruel Witches, a silver-eyed sea monster and a cunning Merchant with a hungry grin – but Corpse is not afraid. She’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth about her past. Only some answers, it turns out, are much closer than she thinks.

Shortlisted for the ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children (7-12 years) this is a debut novel that has a strong message about the power of family, friendship, trust and believing  and trusting in yourself and what you stand for.  For older, independent readers who can let reality go and cope with twists and turns in the plot, this is a new series that will captivate those who like the Nevermoor series, with a sequel The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright being released in October 2023.