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My Big Secret

My Big Secret

My Big Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Big Secret

Felice Arena

Penguin, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761349706

Everyone, and that means EVERYone in Piggy’s family go for the red team.   Mum, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, even his guinea pig… they all like the red team. It’s a family tradition.

But Piggy likes the blue team.  

He has to sit there silently cheering for the blue team because to show his preferences might mean they won’t love him any more. Until the day when the blue team beats the red team in the dying seconds of the game and…

As footy season begins once again, this is a story that will resonate with many as memorabilia and merchandise appear and families again begin to follow their favourites.  And little ones are expected to follow the family allegiance, regardless of who their particular heroes are, fearing rejection and exclusion if they don’t conform . Inspired, by his own childhood experiences, Felice Arena says he  wanted to create a story that would show children that they are loved and accepted for who they are even if their interests and feelings are different to those around them, and that compassion and understanding and love are bigger than that.

While for younger students this may be about supporting a particular team and being fearful of the family’s reaction, for older students it could be about any number of deeper things such as gender identity, religious views, their moral compass, or any number of diverse beliefs and values and so as well as the teachers’ notes expanding the story for younger, on-the-surface readers, there are also opportunities to approach those bigger picture issues with those who are more mature, including encouraging them to put themselves in the place of the one who is “different” and thinking about their thoughts and feelings. Using anthropomorphism is a clever technique to put the characters at arms length so discussions are safe and not personal, but nevertheless give readers an opportunity to think about and respond to “What if…?” as they also begin to explore the concept and  impact of peer and social media pressures, and develop strategies to withstand them.  

The best picture books span all age groups, and this is definitely one of those.  A hidden gem for those prepared to look.

All the Colours of the Rainbow

All the Colours of the Rainbow

All the Colours of the Rainbow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the Colours of the Rainbow

Rae White

Sha’an D’Anthes

Lothian, 2025

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

9780734423061

Sometimes when Jem bounces out of bed in the morning, they feel like wearing their yellow dress and blue sandals, and on other mornings, blue jeans and orange sneakers get the nod.  Some days they feel like a girl, others like a boy, but most importantly, what they choose to do is not defined by their biological gender.

But, sadly, some adults only see the world through a black and white (or blue and pink) lens and try to limit Jem’s choices because of their stereotypical views of what what boys and girls should do, wear, enjoy and live. Fortunately, Jem has an understanding mother who shows her that anybody can be any colour of the rainbow at any time and this can change as often as they choose.  

For a while gender fluidity was becoming a non-event in society with people being accepted for who they are and stories for young readers contained characters who were diverse so readers could read about themselves, see themselves as just part of life and accept their differences which became less and less important.  For most, who a person chose to love or sleep with or not had no bearing on their public life.  That was until a certain extreme right-wing president got elected, anything not seen as being on the straight and narrow got banned from school curricula and even public libraries, and now, in his second term, within 24 hours of inauguration has made the “two sexes” policy official. Disturbingly, there are right-wing politicians in Australia, already elected, who believe the same thing and hope that a change in government here will bring about similar legislation.  

Therefore, books like these which gently explore gender diversity and subtly educate those who share them, particularly the adults who have set-in-concrete views because, just as in real-life it is the adults in the story who disapprove of Jem’s choices, have an even more important role to play as we encourage children to love and accept themselves no matter what colour of the rainbow they are.  As  The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, said during her sermon at the inaugural prayer service at that president’s inauguration,  there are “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families,” across the country “who fear for their lives.” and our kids have enough to deal with without having who they are denied.  Children need to read about those who look, live and love like they do.

Even without referring to gender, White’s clever use of the colours of the rainbow and D’Anthes illustrations help little ones understand that it’s okay and completely natural to be different whether that be related to our heritage. our feelings, our beliefs, our activities or whatever – it’s the colours of the rainbow, as they merge and separate and merge again that give the world its beauty.  

Not Scary, Jonathan!

Not Scary, Jonathan!

Not Scary, Jonathan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Scary, Jonathan!

Peter Carnavas

Amanda Francey

New Frontier, 2024

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

9781923145320

Jonathan’s favourite activity is to dress up and scare his family as they go about their daily lives. But, sadly for him, they always seem to know who it is and take little notice.  Down, but not out, Jonathan has one last surprise- but does he go too far?

 A re-release of a popular story from 10 years ago, this is a simple rhyming tale that will appeal to young readers who are practising to be pranksters.  They might even like to copy Jonathan’s costumes which are all made from easy-to-find objects.

But fun aside, it’s also an opportunity for little ones to share what scares them – what could Jonathan dress up as to make them scared?  They may well find that others share the same fears and perhaps find comfort in that.  

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Einstein: The Case of the Polar Poachers

Iona Rangeley

David Tazzyman

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780008476076

It was a cold December day in London “where the days end early and forget to start on time” when the Stewart family decided to spend the afternoon at London Zoo and six-year-old Arthur and nine-year-old first connected with Einstein and Arthur tells him, “And you, Mr Penguin, must come and stay with us whenever you like.  Penguins are always very welcome at our house.”  So they are very surprised when Mr Penguin actually turns up on their doorstep that evening, with a rucksack labelled ‘Einstein’ on its back…

But what is a fairy penguin from Sydney, Australia doing in London in the first place?  

In the first adventure in this series, Arthur and Imogen reluctantly send Einstein back to Australia, even though it means they may never see him again, but in the second, he returns to London and once again connects with the children.  Now in the third, and perhaps the final, there is another mystery to solve as penguins start disappearing from the South Sandwich Islands, and the children are convinced that there is foul play involved, rather than natural forces. Even though Imogen believes that now she is in Year 7 playing detective is too babyish for her, nevertheless she decides that this is an important issue and decides to help Arthur uncover what is really behind the disappearances -and discovers a lot more than she bargained for. 

Best read in order because of the reappearance of previous characters whose backgrounds are assumed to be known, and references to those previous mysteries, this is a series for independent readers who like to solve mysteries and see themselves in the role of the main characters.  

As with the original, it also offers opportunities to think about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity, the huge illegal wildlife trade and why it is so profitable, estimated to be worth billions of dollars., as well as its impact on the future of some species.  

Mia Megastar 3: In the Spotlight

Mia Megastar 3: In the Spotlight

Mia Megastar 3: In the Spotlight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mia Megastar 3: In the Spotlight

Ada Nicodemou

Penguin, 2024

160pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

 9781761342172

Mia’s life is pretty interesting and amazing. Apart from being the only kid in her class who lives above a shop renowned for its yummy pastries, she dreams of being a megastar and she and her friends have just produced a successful play and now the spotlight is shining on her.

But does she really want to be the megastar she has always dreamed of being?

In this third and final in this series, Mia has to decide what next… she’s discovering that being in the spotlight is not as welcoming as she thought it would be- in fact, it’s making her cringe; she’s been invited to apply for a performing arts scholarship at a prestigious school but worries about how that might affect her friendships with the kids at her current school particularly as they are about to make their own movie; and even though she’s been invited to audition for her favourite television show, what it she does and then doesn’t get the part! Is she ready (and willing) to step out of her comfort zone and try new things, including making new friends? Is there a way she can juggle everything, including the increased business her stardom has brought to the family shop?

Another series best read in order, this will appeal to young independent readers who have aspirations like Mia’s and give them food for thought. If they go to the edge, will they be afraid they will fall, or take the chance to fly? What will Mia do?

 

 

 

Willa and Woof 8: Best Idea Yet

Willa and Woof 8: Best Idea Yet

Willa and Woof 8: Best Idea Yet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Willa and Woof 8: Best Idea Yet

Jacqueline Harvey

Puffin, 2024

128pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781761343575

It’s been a little over two years since we first met eight-year-old Willa Jane Tait  and her best friend Woof, a four-legged albino wolfhound, her same-age best friend Tae Jin whose name means “person of greatness” in Korean; and her old-age best friend Frank Pickles who lives next door in the retirement village and is very old and very grumpy with crinkly skin and bags under his eyes. 

Told by Willa herself with that typical young-person humour, there have been a series of adventures  that have not only engaged young independent readers but demystified old age so that they feel more comfortable building relationships with those beyond their immediate family and school-based friendship circle.  And in this final story in the collection, when  Willa accidentally learns that Sunset Views Retirement Village, and Frank’s only home, is about to be sold, she has a feeling something isn’t right. Trouble is she’s super busy with Clubs and soccer matches, and there’s a fete to prepare for so will she have the time to investigate further, and then come up with a plan to save it?

Saying goodbye to a series, particularly one where the releases have been regular enough for it to be an almost continuous read and the characters can seem like real-life friends, can be tough, but Jacqueline Harvey has written several others including Clementine RoseAlice-Miranda, and Kensy and Max  so it could be an opportunity to introduce fans to one of those as they wait for whatever will come next. 

Giraffe Island

Giraffe Island

Giraffe Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giraffe Island

Sofia Chanfreau

Amanda Chanfreau

Gecko Press. 2024

224pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781776575657

Far away in the middle of the sea there is an island shaped like a giraffe. Nine-year-old Vega lives there with her father and Grandad Hector—a gardener and former ringmaster.  Their shed—the Paraphenalium—is filled with every possible thing you didn’t know you needed.

Although her dad is attentive, he always seems distracted and cannot see the extraordinary animals that inhabit Vega’s life and keep her company. Her bathroom is home to a grey bear with shampoo-lathered fur, and every day she talks with the asphalt beaver and crosswalk zebra on the way to school. However, Grandad Hector can see them and he even has some weird and wonderful creatures of his own that live in his garden which is a magical place.

Vega has never met her mother and when she asks  about her, both her father and grandfather answer her in riddles so she really has no idea what has happened to her, although she longs to know. But she is worried about the changes that she is seeing in her dad as he becomes more distant and forgetful. When he introduces a woman called Viola to her, things start to get colder in the flat. There is a coating of ice everywhere, snow starts to fall and all the food that Dad prepares is cold. When Dad’s heart becomes coated in ice Vega decides to run away and find help. Along with her new BFF Nelson and Hector, transported by the magnificent Muffinmobile, (an invention of her grandfather), they go off to the mainland to seek Vega’s mother. They are convinced that she is living in the travelling circus and will be able to melt Dad’s heart and return life to normal. Using clues from Hector’s garden and a penpal’s letters from a school project, they set out to find answers and find not only a unique circus but also some unexpected answers. 

For independent readers who enjoy  ‘magical realist mystery adventures” , this won the 2022 Finlandia Junior Prize awarded by the Finnish Book Foundation for books in either Swedish or Finnish to “celebrate reading and highlight new Finnish first-rate literature” as well as being nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize.  Detailed illustrations boost the reader’s imagination, and for all that it has the fantasy elements, it is deeply rooted in the need to belong to a family that we all have. 

 

The Hotel Balzaar

The Hotel Balzaar

The Hotel Balzaar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hotel Balzaar

Kate DiCamillo

Júlia Sardà

Walker Books, 2024

160pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781529523782

In the land of Norendy, stands the slowly ageing and slightly shabby Hotel Balzaar where the rule-abiding Alfonse presides over the reception desk and lobby, Norman the bellman has perfected the art of sleeping on his feet, and where Marta’s mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly—like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel’s wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing. She is very worried that he will not find them if they keep moving and he doesn’t know where they are.

Then into her world comes a guest – a Countess no less – with a large blue and green parrot on her shoulder and some mysterious stories to tell Marta.  At first, the stories seem disconnected and incomplete but gradually Marta starts to put the pieces together and connecting them to the words in the last letter she had from her father… Could they hold the secret to her father’s disappearance?

Described as a series where “where tales swirl within tales” , this the second in this trilogy and the ideal start to reviews for 2025 as hopefully there will be many more tales within tales as the year unfolds.  Written for independent readers and supported by black and white illustrations which help the reader put themselves alongside Marta, this is a story that needs to be read to the end – preferably in one sitting – so that all the pieces fall together without interruption.  Underlying Marta’s yearning for her father to come home, even though her mother seems to have given up hope, is a thread of having faith  and believing that there will be a happy ending, something that will resonate with many young readers.  While their resolution might not come through a mysterious old woman with stories to tell and a parrot called  Blitzkoff who may or may not be a bewitched army general regretful of the hurt he has caused, nevertheless they will be encouraged to have courage and continue.  Discussion questions in the teachers’ notes can help guide a deeper investigation.

Kate Di Camillo is recognised as one of the best storytellers, being the author of iconic stories such as Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Desperaux and having won the Newberry Medal twice, and so this is a great opportunity to introduce readers to her works.  

Over or Under?

Over or Under?

Over or Under?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over or Under?

Pip Harry

Hilary Jean Tapper

Lothian, 2024

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

9780734421807

I’m jumping waves at the beach with Dad.
If they’re small I can leap over their frothy peaks.
Easy!
But further out, when they’re big, you have to duck dive under.

It’s time for a break at the beach, and Maisie is learning to navigate and negotiate the waves as they constantly roll in  Some are gentle and float her off the sand but then comes one that is a bit more vigorous and she has to make a decision to go over or it or under it. Before she makes up her mind, it has her in its grasp and she is tumbled over and over, unsure which way is up until Dad’s strong hands guide her and take her to shore.  And like any of us who has been dumped in that fashion, Maisie decides to spend the rest of the holiday close to mum and safely onshore.  But come the last day, does she have the courage to venture into the waves once again?

This is a story that will resonate with many young readers as they start to look forward to a long hot summer at the beach, maybe because they find the waves and their endless heartbeat-of-the-planet motion, either exhilarating or daunting.  There will be few who have not been dumped and experienced that momentary panic as they seek the surface, and the relief as someone’s hands guide them back to shore. They will also understand Maisie’s dilemma as she wants to be both safe with her mum but also out there with her dad, so this is a time to review and reinforce those rules for safe swimming that are provided on the final page.    

But then, just as the sea has many levels, this is written by Pip Harry who gave us both August and Jones, and The Little Waveand so as well as being Maisie’s story, it is also one for older kids who find themselves being knocked about by the waves of life and having to dig  deep and find the resilience and courage to put their toes in the water again.  End of year can bring extra stress for many as the safe haven of school and its routines are not there, Christmas holidays with their emphasis on family togetherness can mean heartache and hurt, and the uncertainty of the new year, perhaps with a new school, as well as any number of other factors.  So while there is the surface level of Maisie’s experience and the re-iteration of water safety, perhaps it’s an opportunity to review strategies and services that older students may need to draw on during this time.  And, just as Maisie’s dad is there to help her up, and her mum there for a safe refuge, there are those who can offer them similar help. 

In her blog post about the book’s birth, Harry says she likes ” to imagine that Maisie goes on to become a strong ocean swimmer or surfer and it’s that special, triumphant day on the beach that ignites a lifetime of connection to the coast. ” But it just might be the impetus for someone else to dip their toe in the water – so to speak – to try again, to try a new way, or to try something new altogether and celebrating each step conquered.  Or maybe, just learn to pick their battles – which ones do we float over, dive under or face head on – at the risk of being dumped.

An excellent example of a picture book being for all ages.  

For those who find this time of year, or life itself, overwhelming…

An infographic listing various mental health support services in Australia, including contact information for Beyond Blue, Suicide Call Back Service, Kids Helpline, and more, with each service's availability and target audience briefly described.

Millie Mak the Mender

Millie Mak the Mender

Millie Mak the Mender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie Mak the Mender

Alice Pung

Sher Rill Ng

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781460763797

Millie Mak is back!  The little girl who loves to recycle, repurpose and upcycle things rather than buy new, returns in the second in this series for younger independent readers  in two more stories that will resonate with so many.

At last her friends at her new school have accepted her and Millie has a group of four close friends who enjoy both her company and her passion, including the snooty Shanelle whose little sister Safire was the recipient of the dolls house that Millie and her Scottish grandma rescued in the first story.  Things are a little better at home because while her mum still works at the aged care home, her dad’s leg has mended and he is now studying to follow his dreams.  Little sister Rosie is still making toddler mischief but because her Chinese grandmother Ahma who lives with them always seems to blame Millie for Rosie’s antics, Millie is convinced that she is not loved as much, and prefers to spend her time at her Scottish grandma’s house.  Ahma also seems to be more concerned with what other people’s opinions and perceptions are about the family which is also troubling, as Millie often feels shy and awkward, particularly in public and they have been invited to a wedding that is very important to Ahma,

But the main focus of this story is Millie’s relationships with the residents at the aged-care facility because, like many young children,  she sees only their age, illnesses and disabilities, rather than their personalities until she starts making them individualised hats and realises that there is still someone young and fun-loving, even adventurous inside the physical appearance.  However, when bully  Geri takes over the hat-making turning it into a public project for her own glory, the relationships between her friends becomes strained and Millie is caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Similarly, in the second story, when Millie’s abilities attract the attention of a television presenter and the Fru-Gals are invited to appear on a national television show. While Millie wants the girls to wear the things they have made, they have other ideas for their own reasons, and there is tension which comes to a head when the show’s producer has different ideas entirely, preferring to stereotype Rita and Veesa based on their cultural identity.

Once again, Alice Pung nails the issues of young girls straddling being the “little girl” and the one finding her identity as independence and the double-digit years loom, complicated by the physical differences and expectations as puberty kicks in.  Millie expresses a lot of those inner thoughts and concerns that most have while trying to negotiate the ups and downs of relationships that involve others with similar insecurities.  But,  as Fru-Gals becomes Ahem Creations with Rita as marketing designer, Veesa as fashion designer and product producer,  Shanelle as publicist and Millie as maker and mender,  above all, there is the belief that each will find their own path, and with that, inner calm and hope for the future.  

This is a series that will appeal widely to those in that Year 3-6 age bracket who are finding their own interests and paths to follow, and need encouragement to keep going despite the nay-sayers. There are detailed instructions for some of the things that Millie makes, including the little dancing toy she makes for Mr Feik’s project, that not only inspire readers to get started but also show that creativity can come in many forms.  So if sewing doesn’t appeal, something else will.