Archives

Ginger’s Courage

Nov26
Ginger's Courage

Ginger’s Courage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger’s Courage

Lynsey Patterson

Angela Perrini

Little Steps, 2025

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

9781923306042

Ginger the dog loves playing football with her two friends, a kelpie and a terrier, playing every day regardless of the weather.  She has developed remarkable skills over time, kicking, dribbling, heading the ball and defending the goal.  But one day, when she is more intent on the ball than the traffic she has an accident that results in a leg being amputated, and for months she lies in her bed, getting more and more disconsolate convincing herself she will never get to play again.  Until the day she at last got up and went to the park and saw another little dog, also with only three legs, who seemed to be having lots of fun regardless of the missing leg…

This is a story that may well resonate with some children who have had to suffer major setbacks in their lives, have fallen into a funk of “Poor me” and are having trouble seeing a brighter future.  Like Ginger it is natural to grieve for lost dreams and aspirations, and the grief can overwhelm the ability to set new ones, particularly for young people who live in the here and now, without the experience to appreciate the old adage that “life goes on.”  So perhaps they will draw strength from Ginger’s story that they are not alone with a disability or whatever catastrophe has befallen them, that they can accept and love their new self,  and find a workaround that with persistence and perseverance, pulls them back into friendships and fun again.  So that while they might not be kicking goals in the way they envisaged, they are kicking them in their own way. They are not defined by their disability, but rather the courage it takes to get back up and try again.  Just as Ginger’s new team embraces others with different abilities, disabilities, strengths and challenges, so too can they find acceptance and inclusion and extend that to others. 

Written in rhyme that bounces along, with energetic and empathetic illustrations, I shared this with my preschoolers during my weekly story-sharing session and while they responded positively to it, a couple of the sharp-eyed budding football players remarked that the ball was the wrong shape.  It should be round if it is going to be dribbled and headed, they told me, and “that shape doesn’t roll like soccer ball.” Out of the mouths of babes…

That aside, there are extensive teachers’ notes aligned to the Australian curriculum available to explore the story further with young readers. 

 

 

 

 

Ava Spark: Hello, I’m Here!

Jul9
Ava Spark: Hello, I'm Here!

Ava Spark: Hello, I’m Here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ava Spark: Hello, I’m Here!

Alex Field

Joanna Bartel

New Frontier, 2025

142pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781923145924

London, the new school term has started and the class is settling in with their new teacher Mrs Hare who wears shoes with Velcro and squelch as she walks down the corridor.  They’re looking forward to Sports Day and everything seems to be as it always has been when Deputy Head Mrs Taylor tells the class that a new girl is about to join them and she wants Ava to look after her as Liv is from Australia, and will be living with her grandmother so perhaps she is going to feel very disoriented.  

Which all sounds very ordinary and familiar and the theme of new-kid-in-school is common in stories, but this one has a twist because Ava has cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair and uses a special gadget to speak – an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) so she looks at the letters on the keyboard, it converts them to text and then speaks Ava’s thoughts for her, in the same way the author’s son communicates with her.   But the beauty of this story is that Ava’s disabilities and Jack’s need to be doing the right things and Miya’s passion for running are all accepted as just part of who they are as people, and their focus is on making Liv feel welcome and comfortable in her new surroundings and circumstances, starting by turning the Sports Day into a themed carnival with teams representing countries around the world – naturally, the friends choose Australia. It celebrates kids being kids, kids accepting kids and just getting on with things, adapting to suit individual needs as though it is the most natural thing to do. They are who they are, it is what it is, just get on with things.

While those new-kid-in-school stories are familiar, their focus is usually on the new kid having to adapt and overcome the mean-kid/school bully reaction, but this one has a different slant because while Ava uses a device to communicate, Liv is painfully shy and uncertain and scarcely puts two words together, so how are they going to get to know each other? And so communication, in all its forms, becomes the focal point as Jack arrives with a toy koala for Liv (even though at 10 years, 1 months and 2 days, Ava thinks they might be a bit old for soft toys) and Liv’s common interest with Miya in running and the planning for Sports Day begin to break down the barriers. Teaching notes also emphasise   the need for communication and how this has been and can be achieved even if speech is impossible, making it the ideal class read-aloud for any investigation into how humans have moved from etchings on cave walls to sophisticated devices like Ava’s.

Well written and beautifully illustrated with relatable characters in everyday situations, this is an engaging story for those transitioning to more sophisticated novels, but, for me, its power and beauty is in the relationships between the kids – it’s just so natural and normal and could teach many adults a lot about acceptance and tolerance. 

 

My Name is Jemima

Jun22
My Name is Jemima

My Name is Jemima

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Name is Jemima: A tale of a guide dog superstar

Olivia Muscat

Allison Colpoys

Scribble, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761380457

These days, it is no longer uncommon to see official assistance dogs in their official coats accompanying their owners out and about in the community.  On the one hand it is sad that it is no longer uncommon suggesting that the need for these special friends is so high; but, on the other, perhaps it just means that people who required their support for medical or mental reasons are now able to be out and about in the community rather in isolation at home.  Not so long ago, the only assistance dogs that were known were like Jemima – guide dogs (or ‘seeing-eye’ dogs) who helped their blind owners navigate daily life, usually large, placid labradors with their soulful eyes and gentle nature that made regular people want to reach out and oat them, almost instinctively.
But assistance dogs are working dogs, and in this heart-warming story, young readers are introduced to the life and work they do through the real-life partnership of the author and her dog, Jemima. Told from Jemima’s perspective using humour and mischief, and accompanied by Colpoys’ distinctive illustrations in a limited palette of orange, pink and purple  they learn that Jemima, like most dogs, loves hugs, pats, cuddles, playing games and food, but when she is wearing her vest and harness she is working and cannot be distracted, no matter how well-meaning someone is. Her job is to keep her owner safe and she needs to stay focused.  As a team, they have undertaken a lot of training to be able to be independent in public and her handler’s life depends on Jemima being alert and aware at all times.
Assistance dogs like Jemima are different to companion dogs and emotional support dogs because they help their human who is living with a disability in accordance with Australian Disability laws, responding to needs that are specific to their human’s disability by using their advanced skills which must meet international training and behaviour standards.. This allows their human to engage in activities that may otherwise have been too difficult or challenging. According to the Assistance Dogs website it takes two years to train and costs up to $60,000 to provide a qualified Assistance Dog. free of charge to their clients who may have to wait for two years.. This covers all training, veterinary treatment, kennelling costs and placement with a client. They receive no government funding, and are reliant solely on the generosity and philanthropy of individuals and organisations, so perhaps this could be an opportunity for students to share what they have learned by reading this book and raise some funds too. 
A light blue vest for pups-in-training and a darker blue for graduated, working Assistance Dogs. Image from Assistance Dogs Australia

A light blue vest for pups-in-training and a darker blue for graduated, working Assistance Dogs. Image from Assistance Dogs Australia

As well as the physical book, there is also a QR code that can be scanned to access an audio version, acknowledging that not all have the capacity to read and thus improving accessibility for a wider audience.  One to be shared and promoted so everyone is aware of the role of these animals, their responsibilities and their rights as they contribute to their handler’s wellbeing.  

A Lemon for Safiya

Jun17
A Lemon for Safiya

A Lemon for Safiya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Lemon for Safiya

Jemima Shafei-Ongu

Nisaluk Chantanakom

Lothian, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780734422224

“It was Safiya who first spotted the woman sitting on the edge of the footpath, sock-sandalled feet in the gutter, busy cars speeding past.”

And so begins a compassionate and compelling story of Safiya and her parents taking their time to find where the old woman has come from, because clearly the gutter is not her home.  Yet no one else has bothered to stop to help this elderly lady who has become invisible to society because of her ethnicity, race, religion, language, age and now dementia – a story that is sadly echoed as so many develop tunnel vision as they race about their daily lives.  

But to Safiya’s family, particularly her mother who speaks Arabic and can communicate with the woman, she is neither invisible or ignored and not only do they manage to find her family but learn a little about the life she has lead, including the significance of the lemon she is clutching.  “Every line on her face seemed to hold a story.” The final image is touching and suggests that not only has Maryam lived many stories but a new one has begun.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages and dementia and other age-related illnesses take their toll, sadly there are many who seem to be forgotten and unseen by society generally and the isolation is compounded when communications break down through either a lack of English or the loss or memory.  Luckily, Maryam’s family had ensured she had an identity bracelet to help with just this situation but the fear of a loved one wandering off is ever-present.  

While this story puts a face and personal context to this growing issue it is nevertheless a universal story – one playing out in so many families regardless of their heritage, language and beliefs.  We can only hope that if Maryam were our elderly relative, it would be a Safiya who noticed her. 

Chickenpox

Apr5

Chickenpox

Chickenpox

Chickenpox

Remy Lai

A&U Children’s, 2025

240pp., graphic novel,  RRP $A19.99

9781761068621

Abby Lai is sick of being trapped at home with her  rambunctious younger siblings – Amy, 11, Remy, 8, Andy, 6, and Tommy, 3 – who seem to take their role of embarrassing her in front of her friends very seriously. All she wants is to spend more time with her friends Monica and Julia, far away from the sticky fingers and snooping eyes of her annoying brothers and sisters, particularly as she eventually loses her temper with them and engages in a mortifying argument as Julia and Monica watch on. But then a case of chickenpox leaves all the little Lai kids covered in scratchy red spots and stuck at home for two weeks of nonstop mayhem. Abby thinks this might be the end of her sanity, and her friendships because she is sure her classmates are gossiping about her childish behaviour, but she feels responsible for the situation, because it was her best friend who brought chickenpox into their home.

Set in Indonesia in the 1990s when chickenpox was still a common childhood disease because the vaccine was still very new and vaccinations programs in their infancy, this is an hilarious story that many will relate to, if not because of having suffered the disease but because the theme of annoying younger siblings is universal. It’s bad enough living with them on a daily basis without being isolated indoors unable to escape – and while today’s readers might not be familiar with that disease (which is explained throughout the story), many will still have memories of the COVID era here.

As well as the familiarity of the theme and the situation, its graphic novel format will appeal to a range of independent readers, and, as Abby helps her mother to take care of the children she learns much about herself and how she can be a better sister and person particularly as she starts to see each child as an individual rather than one of a pack, so, too might they reflect on some of their own attitudes and actions,

But it also gives rise to other, more serious issues such as the role of vaccinations in protecting the health of children such as the elimination of polio , tetanus, measles, mumps and even the decline of chickenpox itself through national, free immunisation programs.   However, running parallel with that is the decline in vaccination rates in Australia since COVID and so, as well as its lighthearted side of sibling relationships and that awkward transition to being a teen where peers seem more important than family, there is also the serious aspect of children getting really sick from preventable diseases, perhaps giving rise to family discussions.   While those of us who have either suffered the diseases ourselves or seen friends left debilitated might not question the power and importance of vaccinations, those who have grown up not knowing the misery and the lifelong consequences or such diseases may dismiss them and the protection on offer, so there is the opportunity for research and informed debate within and without the classroom.  

 

 

Croc Candy

Feb17
Croc Candy

Croc Candy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Croc Candy

Claire Thompson

Deborah Brown

Woodslane, 2025

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

9781922800817

Seven-year-old Angus Copelin-Walters is like so many little lads that we all know – he would much rather be outside doing the boy-things that he loves than inside the classroom struggling with reading and maths, especially when the numbers jumble and the letters twist and tumble.

But that could be where the similarity ends because for Angus, who lives in Australia’s Top End, his favourite thing is interacting with the many crocodiles at his local fun park, preferring to wrestle with them than the marks and squiggles on a page that seem to make no sense.  As his self-esteem and belief in himself goes into a downward spiral, despite his mother’s wise words to do things his own way, Angus sees a television doco about homeless people and suddenly his life is changed for ever…

Inspired by a desire to do something, he finds both a purpose and a product, and even though the numbers still jumble and the letters twist and tumble, he perseveres because now he has a need and a reason to tame them.

This is the most uplifting true story of yet another child hero who sees a problem and tries to fix it – in this case, by creating special croc-shaped lollipops that are based on traditional First Nations bush tucker. Now, at 14, an ambassador for global charity Made by Dyslexia, and acknowledged by dignitaries such as the  late HM Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Richard Branson, his story is told and his name known so that he can stand alongside peers like Campbell Remess who is continuing to change the world “one teddy bear at a time” and other Australian child heroes who continue to prove that not only not all superheroes wear capes, but that success can be defined by so much more than a mark on an assignment or a score on a test.

As the new Australian school year gets underway and some students are embracing it while others are dreading it, this is a must-share. Not only does it demonstrate that success takes many forms, that doing things in your own way and wanting to make a difference and believing that you can can have great rewards and “numbers that jumble and letters that twist and tumble” or any other learning challenges can be overcome, it encourages children to identify their own hopes and dreams,  set their goals and pathways to them, and understand that trial and error, practice and patience are all part of the journey.  They can learn to harness their personal superpower that, as Sir Richard Branson says, “helps us to see the world differently and come up with new and exciting ideas.”

How many green ant lollipops will they have to taste-test until they find the combination that is just right?

 

The Kindness Project

May15
The Kindness Project

The Kindness Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kindness Project

Deborah Abela

Puffin, 2024

338pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761340185

Nicolette’s favourite time of the day is when she visits her grandmother in “Alcatraz” – the local nursing home – each afternoon and together they complete a jigsaw, every piece fitting perfectly with its neighbour, just like Nanna and Nicolette.  Because Nicolette is a loner and a worrier and believes that her copy of the how-to-make-friends manual either got lost in the post or given to someone else.  School is a misery, for although she loves her teacher Ms Skye, she has to deal daily with DJ the bully who has always called her “knickers” and Layla, perfect, pretty but condescending and who apparently snubbed Nicolette’s birthday years ago and it still hurts.  

When a new boy with a weird name, peastick legs and oversized glasses comes to school – a boy with an amazing talent for drawing and creating stories about superheroes – tiny, tender tendrils of friendship twine them together, giving Nicolette a little bit of hope.  But then Ms Skye announces The Kindness Project and deliberately pairs the four children together, which has to be a recipe for disaster. Or is it?  

When Nicolette and Nanna bust out of Alcatraz for a day at the beach there are consequences far more wide-reaching than the police searching for them, particularly when Nicolette’s mum bans Nanna and Nicolette from seeing each other… consequences that open eyes, minds, hearts and doors for more than just the four children.

Written as a verse novel where every word is devoted to the who and their here-and-now, the choice of language is sublime and with clever use of fonts    and formatting that enhances the reader’s understanding of Nicolette’s emotions, this is one that moved me to tears as I binge-read it early one morning, and not just because of the story itself.  If we ever needed a reminder to not judge a book by its cover, to look beyond the behaviour to the circumstances driving it, for the story behind the story, then this is it.  Dealing with  issues like a grandparent with dementia, a mum with a mental illness, divorce and dealing with new parents and siblings, parents absent because of work deployments, over-the-top anxiety and feeling isolated if not abandoned,  the author has not shied away from exposing the real-life concerns that confront our students daily, and thus, the stories within the stories will resonate with many of our students – some of whom who will relate directly to the characters’ situations, others who might rethink their own words and actions.  

But it not only demands that we think about what is happening in the lives of our friends (and students) but also sheds light on the stories of those behind them.  While Nicolette may be having to come to terms with a grandmother who can no longer look after herself safely, that grandmother wasn’t always that way – she has her own backstory that guides her to guiding Nicolette; Leaf’s mum doesn’t spend every day in hospital receiving treatment for schizophrenia, DJ’s dad has made choices for altruistic reasons that a young DJ can’t yet understand. – and thus they, too have a voice in a world that seldom hears them talking.

Ms Skye sets the class The Kindness Project as a “way to change the world” and while Nicolette and her classmates are sceptical, Ms Skye assures them that “big changes come from small beginnings”.  And so it could be with this book.  One story shared could become the catalyst for so many more. 

Mitchell Itches

May11
Mitchell Itches

Mitchell Itches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mitchell Itches: An Eczema Story

Kristin Kelly

Amelina Jones

EK Books, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A4.99

9781922539724

Ever since he was born, Mitchell has been itchy – so much so that even as a baby he had to wear special mittens and socks to help him control his constant need to scratch.  And while he is young, surrounded by family who understand the condition and do all they can to alleviate it, things are okay, but when he gets to school things take a turn for the worse with the lack of understanding leading to taunts, bullying and isolation.  Yet, when there is a family holiday by the seaside things ease, and Mitchell finds a way to distract himself from the need to scratch.  But holidays can’t last forever and school returns – will he find a way to be accepted for the little boy he is, itches and all?

Sadly this story could be that of my husband – and the one in five children living with eczema – right down the special mittens, the allergy to eggs and milk, and the special care of his family. And while he has now grown out of the condition, what he had as a child shaped who he is today as a mature+ – aged grandfather.  Although he doesn’t have Mitchell’s special talent, he did have the bullying, the shame and the ostracisation that went with such conditions in the 50s and 60s.  So stories like this that not only help the Mitchells to understand that the condition is more common that they realise, but also educate those around them that it is not catchy and underneath the irritated skin is a regular person can play an invaluable part in making life less miserable than it is.  

And while this is specifically about eczema, there is also an underlying message about discovering something that we love to indulge in and completely distract us from whatever is troubling us.  In fact, it is not indulgent, it’s necessary to give the brain a break so it can be refreshed and renewed when reality impacts again.  So all sorts of lessons for all of us. 

 

Grace the Amazing

May3
Grace the Amazing

Grace the Amazing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace the Amazing

Aleesah Darlison

Wombat Books, 2024

192pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

 9781761111174

Like many 11-year-olds, Grace Marshall is struggling to straddle that divide between childhood and independent young woman. While she would like to be seen as Grace the Awesome, Grace the Incredible and Grace the Miraculous, she believes others have a different view of her, particularly her mum, a zookeeper who is juggling work and home almost as a solo parent. A chance remark to the “most popular girl in school” some time ago means she appears to have no friends at school, her little brother is a pain, and while her dad loves her to bits she misses him terribly, he is a FIFO worker only home one week in four.  

Grace recognises that she is different, perhaps eccentric, certainly straight-talking, a girl of “many moods [and] many colours” but never boring.  But sadly, she also believes that being just Grace is never enough. Currently, her passion is doing magic as she strives to be known as Grace the Amazing, and when she discovers her one true friend at school is Pamela, her art teacher, has been away for the past few weeks because she has terminal cancer, Grace is determined to find the magic to fix her.

But even though the reader secretly hopes for a different, miraculous ending, there can be only one and this is an engaging, endearing story of how a child deals with the news and its consequences, while at the same time learning much about herself and life, love and friendship along the way. From a little boy in a foster family with a weird name, to Dr Granger the Stranger, to Emma who she thought despised her, to Pamela herself, this is a coming-of-age story that will resonate with many who also feel isolated, a misfit and misunderstood, as once again, Darlison has created credible characters who could be the kids we know and so the reader fits right into the story.

In a Q&A with fellow reviewer TL Sue Warren, Darlison says, “A great story often starts with a simple idea.  Ideas for stories bombard me each and every day. Ideas are everywhere I go. In everything I see and do. And in everything I hear.  If you’re interested in writing stories, you can find ideas in the world around you too. You see, stories abound in all the many subtle nuances of our life – you just have to keep your eyes and ears and mind open to them…” Given the dedications in this book, there is a suggestion that this story is more than one of imagination -it’s one of those ideas that Darlison has seen or lived, and that, in itself, gives it a reality and poignancy that is going to have wide appeal. 

 

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

Nov18
Emma Memma's Alphabet Day

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma Memma’s Alphabet Day

Emma Memma

 Puffin, 2023

26pp., board book, RRP $A16.99

9781761343780

Behind the the curly red hair, pink shirt and orange dress of the main character is  Emma Watkins, once known as the “yellow Wiggle” but also a woman passionate about raising awareness  of Australia’s deaf community, who already has formal qualifications in Auslan and who is currently undertaking her PhD in “the affective, artistic integration of sign language, dance and film editing.” In consultation with artists who themselves are deaf, she is producing and releasing a range of formats that as well as the storybook will include, an ebook, audiobook and an Auslan video translation so that all young readers can be entertained through “movement, creativity, inclusiveness and friendship”.

In this new release Emma Memma takes a walk through her day teaching young readers how to sign each letter of the alphabet relating the letter to something she sees or does. 

There is a lot of research relating to learning a second language in early childhood, not just because it is easier for the child but because of associated benefits so learning Auslan alongside learning the English alphabet makes a lot of sense.  By using a recognised character, everyday situations and multi-modal delivery, Emma Watkins is doing much to normalise this way of communicating so that all children can be included.