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Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Aug9
Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Dianne Wolfer

Tony Flowers

Walker Books, 2023

224pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760655860

As the school year comes to an end at the Arcadia Boarding School for Young Ladies, Scout has only two plans for the long summer holidays – to enjoy the time with her trucker dad and to persuade him that Arcadia is not the best fit for her and she shouldn’t have to go back there.  She has only been there since her mother died from cancer and having kept that a secret from the other girls, she has found it hard to make friends.  And now her teacher has set  the class a summer project of reaching out to three others to establish stronger friendships… and , of course, two of her three assigned contacts are her greatest tormentors.

But, Dad has one last run to do before they can escape to their farm near Beechworth – a philanthropist has donated a load of dog food to be delivered to animal rescue shelters in anticipation of the increased numbers they experience over Christmas – and soon Scout’s school-based problems fade into perspective as she meets carers and dogs and even makes a new friend through Ms Lawler’s initiative, all the while facing the threat of bushfires sweeping the countryside. 

Set against the backdrop of the unprecedented fire season of 2019-2020 and travelling through south-eastern Australia through country that is so familiar to me – I’ve been to every one of the towns mentioned so many times – this was a story that kept me reading well past my bedtime and into the early hours.  Wolfer has created a character who tells the story of that dreadful time through a child’s eyes – the interminable days of smoke and ash, the concern for the native wildlife, the fear of ember attacks and worse – and while, as an adult who evacuated twice because of the imminent danger, I could cope with the memories, it may open wounds that are just beginning to have scar tissue for some readers. But, at the same time, it is a story of love,  the importance and power of memories,  friendship, the camaraderie amongst strangers as communities rally together as they do in dire times, and of hope as Scout comes to terms with her situation through her deepening relationship with her dad and her own philanthropic enterprises.  And threaded through it to lighten the mood as the real-life issues are addressed, is the greatest collection of the WORST Dad Jokes ever!!!

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

 

The Wish Sisters (series)

Aug3
The Wish Sisters (series)

The Wish Sisters (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wish Sisters (series)

Allison Rushby

Karen Blair

UQP, 2023

108pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9780702265938

When Flick and Birdie’s Grandma Aggie found an imp in an old bottle and wished for her granddaughters to have unlimited wishes, it seemed like it would be a lot of fun.  But then Imp twisted the wish so that only  Birdie could have the wish, and that can get tricky when one so young and immature has so much power.  So Flick has to be really careful how things are handled.  

This is a new series for emerging independent readers that has everyday situations as their base, but shows how these can be easily turned into turmoil and need rescuing.

In The Party Wish, Flick discovers her little sister has a special gift. Birdie has wished for a super-fabulous unicorn party and it has magically appeared in their backyard! There’s a rainbow slide made out of sour straps, a ball pit full of marshmallows and a real-life unicorn that poops cupcakes while in The Big Wish  Flick is nervous about leading book club for the very first time. It doesn’t help that her little sister is super cranky and won’t stop wishing. Birdie is filling the pram with her favourite snacks and getting puppies appear out of thin air.  In The Running Wish, it is school sports day but how can she make sure her team wins fair and square when Birdie starts meddling with the most important race of the day? And things turn very tricky in The Pet Wish when the girls are helping local seniors group The Busybodies raise money for animals in need and suddenly there is a rainbow cat and a dancing dog in the mix.

Throughout the series (The Christmas Wish is due in November) there is an emphasis on family and friendships and the importance of strong, positive connections between them.   This will be a popular series for young girls, particularly, who want a bit of escapism without too much tension, especially those with younger sisters who can be troublesome at times.  It is very much a book about being careful what you wish for. 

Scar Town

Aug1
Scar Town

Scar Town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scar Town

Tristan Bancks

Puffin, 2023

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

9780143791812

Imagine watching your old town emerge from the depths of a lake – a town that was drowned seven years ago taking untold secrets with it, secrets that were thought to have been hidden forever but now, as the water drops,  are rising and threatening to reveal mysteries, crimes and their perpetrators.  

Buildings and bridges rise from the depths of Lake Eucumbene as water levels drop during the severe drought in 2007. Taken on the Old Snowy Mountains highway near Anglers Reach. What secrets did they divulge? (My photos taken while we were living in Old Adaminaby, 2007)

Buildings and bridges rise from the depths of Lake Eucumbene as water levels drop during the severe drought in 2007. Taken on the Old Snowy Mountains highway near Anglers Reach. What secrets did they divulge? (My photos taken while we were living in Old Adaminaby, 2007)

Will,  and twins J and Dar are fascinated as an old house starts to appear and despite Will’s misgivings, they decide to swim out to explore it.  But when they discover a large stash of cash in the walls and then human remains, they expose old secrets that were presumed buried forever.  Could the bones be those of Will’s dad who, along with eight others, disappeared seven years ago? Should they keep the money a secret because J sees it as the twins’ path to financial freedom from their deadbeat, alcoholic, broken dad and Will sees it as a ticket to somewhere else for his mum and him, away from the memories and their current money problems? And who else wants it so badly they are willing to beat up kids, kidnap Dar and trash houses? 

The title Scar Town has a lot more meaning than just being short for Scarborough as old wounds that have thin scars are opened up.  

As with his other suspense thrillers like Cop and Robber  and Detention, Bancks has again written an un-putdownable read that races along and puts the reader firmly in the position of having to consider what they would do if they were in that situation. By creating characters that are, in so many ways, just like them, Bancks hooks the reader into being more than just an observer, and places them in the position of having to take a stance.   Would they go to the police, which is what Will wants to do, because, after all, his father was the local policeman before his mysterious disappearance, or would their loyalty to their friends persuade them to follow the belligerent, seemingly fearless J?  Can kids outsmart crooks or would adult help be better?  But which adults can you trust? 

Apart from sheer entertainment, one of the purposes of contemporary realistic fiction is to place the reader in situations where they can experience life vicariously and consider their own responses, and although they might not be exactly in Will’s situation, there will be times when they are torn between friendship and doing what they know to be the smart thing. Thus, this is a perfect example of this year’s CBCA Book week theme of Read. Grow. Inspire.

Dads and Dogs

Jul30
Dads and Dogs

Dads and Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Mick Elliot

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760655044

For every dog there is a dad and for every dad there is a dog and together they romp through this hilarious celebration of the companionship they offer each other.  

With its clear illustrations and simple text this is an excellent book for empowering young people to believe that they can not only read, but they can write. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

By looking at the pictures the child can work out what is happening and predict the text. But the final page shows the child, his dad and his dog so why not ask the child to add their own picture and caption.  But wait – there is a challenge.  Take a closer look at the author’s caption and look for the alliteration (as well as the upper and lower case versions of each letter) and see if they can follow that same pattern making the adjectives align.  An opportunity to not only write but to extend their skills and vocabulary. 

My page would be easy – Snoozy dad with a sooky dog.  What would yours be? 

The Wheelbarrow Express

Jul29
The Wheelbarrow Express

The Wheelbarrow Express

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wheelbarrow Express

Sue Whiting

Cate James

Walker Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A25.99

9781760654627

It’s Tommy’s last day at Pa’s farm and it’s time to say goodbye. Tommy doesn’t want to go. Not yet. He loves the farm and its playful pigs and clucking chickens and galloping goats and the dam that is deep and blue and perfect for skimming stones. And he loves Pa.

But Pa has a plan: there’s time for one last run on the Wheelbarrow Express. Toot! Toot! All aboard!

The best stories for little people are those that involve familiar settings, situations and people and this is one of those.  Who hasn’t had a holiday with their grandparents that they want to last a little bit longer? And who wouldn’t like a ride in the wheelbarrow express?  Even if the farm setting is not familiar, it will be after sharing this story as a remarkably fit but rapidly tiring grandfather pushes Tommy around all the animals to say goodbye, making sure there is time for one last special time at the dam.

This is a charming story celebrating the special bond between grandparent and grandchild that is destined to become a family favourite. 

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. 

 

Meet Me at the Moon Tree

Jul24
Meet Me at the Moon Tree

Meet Me at the Moon Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Me at the Moon Tree

Shivaun Plozza

UQP, 2023

252pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780702266171

“On the thirty-first of January, 1971, Colonel Stuart Roosa flew into space aboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, carrying hundreds of tree seeds for an experiment to see if being in space made trees grow differently…and then he took them home and germinated them and planted them all over the world and they grew up and now they’re called moon trees.”

And on the same day that Colonel Roosa took those seeds into space. Carina’s dad was born and he always told Carina that they would find a moon tree together – they would travel the world and visit every moon tree on earth. Because the trees were magic.  Apart from being the only trees on Earth whose seeds had been to the moon and back, because they had they were bursting with stardust which made them extra magical.  And, according to Carina’s dad, science is about learning how the magic works.

But before they could make their round-the-world journey, even before they could move to their new home in the forests of the Otway Ranges where he was sure there would be a moon tree, her dad was stricken with acute myeloid  leukaemia and died. Carina is almost crippled with grief and is determined to keep the memories of her dad alive by finding the moon tree. But, despite her scientific plan to search for it, it is not easy and is made even less so because of the attitudes of her mum and her older brother, Jack, both of whom are also grieving but expressing it in ways that a 10 year old doesn’t really only understand. As her mum pours her heart and soul into renovating their new home, Carina is convinced she is unloved now, and it’s the last straw when Jack breaks the gift she got her dad for the Christmas her mum seems determined not to celebrate.  Only Gramps, who loves gardening and birds, and is desperately trying to hold the fragile family together, seems to understand but even then, he has his moments… The only highlights in this miserable, sad new life are her friendship with Betty who believes in the moon tree and Colin, a black cockatoo who seems to understand her need to reconnect with her dad somehow. 

When you’re reading a book and you can either hear yourself reading it aloud to a class or you’re composing your review as you go, you know you are on to a winner that will keep you hooked till the end  And so it was with this one.  As an adult you can understand that each of the characters is expressing their grief in their own way, and sometimes they don’t realise the impact of their actions on those around them, but if you’re only 10 it is hard to see that bigger picture. But it is not all gloom and doom- there are elements of humour and insight as everyone is forced to adapt to this new situation, with each having to travel their own path towards healing.  

As well as being a thoroughly engaging read for independent readers. it demonstrates that that path is an individual one, different for each person who travels it, and there is neither a right or wrong way or a timeline or time limit – something that will assuage the feelings of those who are also on the journey as they cope with their own loss, whatever that might be.  Teachers’ notes suggest ways to explore the story in greater depth, including its use of figurative language, but it is definitely a story that could have triggers for some readers so it needs to be used judiciously by someone who knows the audience well.  

Amazing Dad

Jul23
Amazing Dad

Amazing Dad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Dad

Alison Brown

Farshore, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A 19.99

9780008555474

Dads can be busy, whizzy, caring, sharing . . . and so much more. But there’s just ONE dad who gives the best hugs of all. Can you guess who it is?

This is a companion to Amazing Mum and like that, it features all sorts of anthropomorphic dads  doing all sorts of things with their little ones with rhyming captions that really encourage young readers to examine the pictures so they can predict the text. Often these sorts of books focus on actual activities that kids and dads can do together but this one is more diverse and includes acknowledgement of dads who have taken on others’ children, dads who live apart and may only be weekend dads, and even dads who can  only live on in the child’s heart.  So there is something for almost every child to relate to and to share about their own dad.

As well as being a tribute to dads and helping the young reader focus on all the things their dad does, it encourages the development of a lot of essential foundation literacy skills not the least of which is that print is fun.  

Harriet Hound

Jul13
Harriet Hound

Harriet Hound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet Hound

Kate Foster

Sophie Beer

Walker, 2023

176pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760654702

Harriet Hound is pretty much like other girls her age – she is eight years old; she has short curly hair; her favourite letter is H; she lives in a town called Labrador; and she loves dogs.  She lives with her grandparents, her mum, and her older brother Hugo in a huge home especially built to be dog-friendly and now it is a dog rescue shelter.  BUT – she is also autistic and has a superpower that allows her to summon the dogs from her family’s rescue shelter every time there’s trouble afoot… Whether it’s a carnival catastrophe, a sudden storm, or vanishing vegetables, Harriet and her best dog friends use their super special talents and problem-solving skills to save the day!

Told in a series of short stories, this is a delightful book from the author of one of my favourite recent releases, The Bravest  Word  and again, she makes Harriet’s autism such a natural part of her life, something Harriet and her family are comfortable with, and it is this authenticity that not only allows those on the spectrum to read a book about themselves but for those around them to understand the condition better.  As Harriet says, “I stimmed. I flapped my hands out to the side and clicked my fingers out in front of me over and over again. It’s okay. There’s no need to be worried. Stimming is something I do ALL THE TIME. I do it when I’m worried and when I’m angry.  Sometimes I can’t stop my hands from doing it, but I also do it when I’m excited or when I’m happy. I stim to calm myself down.”  Can there be a better, more straightforward explanation By showing that being autistic is just a different way of being human, that there is nothing wrong that needs to be “fixed”, and certainly nothing to be ashamed or frightened of, Foster advances the cause of acceptance immeasurably.  Indeed, she continues this focus on kids with special needs in her upcoming book, The Unlikely Heroes Club. 

Autistic or not, this is a wonderful set of stories for young, independent readers who love dogs and who would desperately like to live where Harriet does, and have her superpower. 

 

Rida and Madiya

Jun24
Rida and Madiya

Rida and Madiya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rida and Madiya

Niyla Farook

Umair Najeeb Khan

Bloomsbury, 2023

96pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

978101991933

Rida and Madiya may have the same mum, but that’s about all they have in common. It’s a blended family, a common scenario for our students, and while Rida is quiet, reserved and looking forward to starting high school Madiya is an energetic and boisterous 6 year old, who has crazy ideas that she believes will be successful because she’s six and that’s how they think! They argue about everything, and when they find out the local library is in trouble, their competition over who can raise the most money only ends up making things worse between them! Working together might be the only way to save the library, but can they put their differences aside to do it? 

Although it is a very readable and relatable standalone story, this is part of a reading series written for young readers beginning to read independently, but which are written by established authors whose focus is on the story rather than being phonics-based or having controlled vocabulary. The UK apparently has national Curriculum Book Bands and this fits into the Dark Red band for those 9-11 and there are more (with teaching notes) available if you are looking for some new novels for those consolidating their skills.