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On Gallant Wings

Apr25
On Gallant Wings

On Gallant Wings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Gallant Wings

Helen Edwards

Riveted Press, 2025

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

9781763526051

Darwin, December 1941.  Even though her dad is a navigator for the RAAF and is stationed somewhere overseas, for 12-year-old Ava the war is a distant thing and she goes about her daily life with her mum and older brother Fred, playing with her best friend Kazuo, whose dad was born in Japan, and raising her pet pigeons. She lives by her own self-imposed rules and rituals and her greatest delight is watching the progress of her new chick Essie, her favourite pigeon, who is already showing signs of leadership, ready for her first flight early. while dodging Billy the Bully is her greatest fear.  Life is okay, under the circumstances – until it isn’t.

Fred lies about his age so he can join up and “do his bit” and is to be sent to training camp shortly; Pearl Harbour is bombed by the Japanese and Kazuo and his family are sent to an internment camp, even though both Kazuo and his mother were born in Australia; and then Darwin, itself, is bombed and Ava and her mum barely escape with their lives.  Forced to evacuate, Ava and her mum join the other families in making the long and arduous trip south to stay with Grandma Dot and Grandpa RaRi in Lake Boga near Swan Hill, Victoria, a town as different from Darwin as it could be. And such a change means a new set of rules -including the one about making no new friends because everyone leaves anyway. Yet despite the difference in location, the war follows Ava, both in reality as a secret Catalina flying-boat maintenance base is built on the lake and her mother joins the WAAAF and works at the base,  and in her head as the sights and sounds of the bombing continue to haunt her.  Infrequent letters, heavily censored, keep her in touch with her dad and Fred who is now with the Signals Directorate working with Essie and the other pigeons in preparation for deployment to New Guinea and despite her rule not to make friends because friends leave and heartache follows, she teams up with Pete, Jenny and Stevo and with school and swimming in the lake, watching the Catalinas and the pelicans, there is a semblance of normality again. That is, until her life is turned upside down when Kazuo appears in the dead of night having escaped from the family internment camp, terrified of being send to the single men’s camp where Japanese prisoners of war will see him as a traitor to their nation. Ava is torn between helping him and living by her rules of telling no lies to her grandparents… Can she find a way through her ethical dilemma so she doesn’t break her grandparents’ trust, can keep Kazuo safe and yet remain true to her self?

Written by Ava, and interspersed with those precious letters, this is an intriguing and engaging story for independent readers about a little-known period of Australian history.  While even our youngest have a sketchy knowledge of why we commemorate ANZAC Day, the wars and the conflict and upheaval they caused, are fading into the memories of even their great-grandparents now and the stories of the children’s lives of the time are disappearing. Life before the internet is tricky to remember, let alone life before television, and so a war fought in a time when soldiers had to roll cable out through the jungle and rely on carrier pigeons for communication is almost unimaginable and so this is an important story for giving today’s readers a glimpse into a life that was very real for their great-grandparents, and ultimately influenced who they, themselves, are. (My own grandchildren proudly volunteer as flag bearers each ANZAC Day at the Australian War Memorial, commemorating the service of their great-grandfathers, grandfathers and other family members, continuing that contribution to community through their Scouting activities.)   Meticulously researched, it also fills in gaps for those of us who are older but whose parents chose not to talk about their wartime experiences – too raw, too scary and too incomprehensible if you weren’t there and didn’t live through it.  It may even spark an interest in investigating personal family histories, or perhaps the story of someone whose name is etched on the town’s war memorial. 

As well as Ava’s own experiences, there are also broader issues that can be discussed and explored such as the automatic internment of those Australians deemed to be enemies because of their heritage; the secrecy surrounding the devastation of Darwin;  even the impact of PTSD on children and how seemingly unrelated events can cause triggers.  More general teaching notes following these themes and others, including the uncensored letters, are available here.

Through Essie, Tommy and the other pigeons, we also learn about the role they and other animals have played in wars -so many  more than Simpson’s donkey – and those with an interest can not only read about the Dickin Medal which was awarded to Essie, but can also read more in Pidge’s Poppies and Wear a Purple Poppy. 

Given the unpredictability of today’s world, the 24/7 news cycle and television and the internet bringing the world’s conflict into our students’ lounge rooms, many are feeling great anxiety about their future so want to escape into fantasy adventure where they have the power to control events, but with carefully selected historical fiction such as this, we can show them that previous generations have faced just as dire circumstances and come through – challenged and changed, but resourceful and resilient – and that there is hope for them too.  Humanity will prevail.

From pigeons and Morse code to satellites and cyberspace: 100 years of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals

"Rat on wings": the little pigeon that won a gallantry medal

“Rat on wings”: the little pigeon that won a gallantry medal

Down the Plot Hole

Apr19
Down the Plot Hole

Down the Plot Hole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down the Plot Hole

Annaleise Byrd

Walker Books, 2025

192pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760659059

Imagine if you preferred to be playing any sport in the world on a Saturday afternoon instead of having to stop indoors to practise your reading.  Especially with a kid you have nothing in common with.  Or, on the other hand, you enjoy reading but you’ve been assigned the task of helping someone with theirs, someone with whom you have nothing in common and who wants to be anywhere else instead. 

And then, suddenly, one of the characters leaps from the pages of the book and you are dragged into it and a wild adventure….

That’s the situation for Basil Beedon and Terry Clegg, who are neighbours but the street they live in is the only thing they have in common.  But since Basil’s dad and Terry’s nan got talking and it transpires that Terry will be kicked off the football team if his schoolwork doesn’t improve. Basil has been assigned to helping him with his reading. Every. Single. Saturday. 

Because boys of that age who don’t like reading prefer a bit of action and gore, Basil chooses some of the original versions of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, but neither is prepared for what happens next…

Last time, they found themselves plunged into the fairytale world, where everyone was losing the plot. This time, words – well, chickens – are disappearing! Realising their fairytale friends are in danger of being sucked into oblivion by plot holes, the boys don’t hesitate before diving back into the Grimm world to warn them. It’s up to Basil and Terry to find out what’s going on and how to stop the plot holes from destroying everything … including their way home.

Once again, the author has crafted a fractured fairytale that not only engages Basil and Terry, but also the independent reader who is just discovering the fantasy adventure genre, and still prefers to keep a fingerhold on what they know before immersing themselves in a completely unfamiliar world with unfamiliar characters, situations and magic. With its clever wordplay and humour, and narrated by Basil as the reluctant tutor so the reader feels an integral part of the adventure because they have access to Basil’s thoughts, feelings, actions and responses, with appropriate promotion this is a series that may well capture both the quest for adventure and the fun of reading as it did for Terry.

Perhaps offer the first one to a reluctant reader to ‘test-drive’ to see if this new addition and any subsequent titles should be added to the collection.  Maybe even set a challenge to discover the original titles that feature in the stories, provide access to them so they can read the originals rather than the more common sanitised versions for young children, and see where it goes, and what learning emerges that goes beyond the stories. Who were Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and why did they write such grisly stories?  After all, the CBCA Book Week theme is Book an Adventure… 

Wolfgang and the Magic of Music

Apr14
Wolfgang and the Magic of Music

Wolfgang and the Magic of Music

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolfgang and the Magic of Music

Didier Lévy

Lorenzo Sangio

Thames & Hudson, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780500653838

When Wolfgang posts a notice on a big tree in the forest about wanting to start a band, he is very disappointed that no one comes to join until, just as he gives up and decides to take it down, a rabbit appears and asks to audition.  Even though Wolfgang has more culinary ideas about the rabbit than musical, nevertheless he listens and rather than seeing Rex as a tasty snack, Wolfgang sees him as the perfect partner. The Big Bads group is born. They are an immediate hit, and their fans come to listen from all over the forest. And even though sometimes Wolfgang’s tummy rumbles, all it takes is for Rex to start playing and the music overwhelms them.

This is a story about how the most unlikely of friendships can be formed through the shared love of something common like music or sport, that offers much food for thought for those wanting to look beyond the storyline and charming illustrations. So while little ones will enjoy identifying some of their favourite fairytale characters who make up the audience, perhaps even listening and moving to the sort of music that some of the newly-formed bands create, older readers could delve a little deeper.  Why might Wolfgang have struggled to find band members? Could there be more to the Big Bad Wolf than his reputation?  After all, even Little Red Riding Hood comes to listen to The Big Bads Play. Are characters, or even real people, one-dimensional? What is the meaning of “stereotype”? What can we learn about characterisation from this story that we can apply to our own?

While building connections through the universal language of music is not an uncommon theme in children’s literature, and those focusing on unusual friendships even moreso, stories that readily enable young writers to focus on their own storycraft are rarer and that is the real appeal of this one for me  Now I am keen to get my hands on its predecessor, Morris and the Magic of Stories.

Dreaming Soldiers

Apr8
Dreaming Soldiers

Dreaming Soldiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreaming Soldiers

Catherine Bauer

Shane McGrath

Big Sky, 2025

36pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781923300255

Jimmy Watson and Johnno Hogan were the best of friends – swimming-in-waterholes, camping-under-the-stars, sharing-water-bottles kind of friends. Throughout their lives they did everything together and even when their paths diverged because there were different rules and expectations for “white” and indigenous children then, they still came back together as close as they had ever been.  And then one day they went into town for supplies, heeded the call for men to fight in a war far away and enlisted…

This could be the story of any number of friendships of the early 20th century when ‘white’ and indigenous kids on farms formed friendships that were blind to colour, cultural differences or any other racial prejudices and its strong focus on that friendship is its positive. While the treatment of indigenous soldiers during the conflicts that Australia has been involved in since the Boer War in 1899 could have been its focus, its power lies in that spotlight on the friendship, the shared adventures and stories, the fears and hopes that are common regardless of skin colour. 

This is a new release of this book, and is particularly timely.  While the Trump regime tries to reshape US military history including removing thousands of records of Black, Hispanic and female war veterans from official websites, including that of the Arlington National Cemetery (where those of the ilk of John. F. Kennedy are buried),  this book is one of not many that acknowledge First Nation Service Men and Women. 

Within the Australian Curriculum, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures, and so this book offers the opportunity to help our younger students understand that despite rules against their enrolment (those not of “substantially European origin” were excluded from enlisting by the Defence Act 1903) and not being recognised as citizens until 1967, their neglect and exclusion on their return, indigenous people have fought for Australia in many overseas conflicts and their contribution has been vital.  Now, each year following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, there is a special ceremony acknowledging their service. 

This edition includes some pertinent questions to pose to encourage students to reflect and remember,  teachers’ notes extend the experience and the learning. and further information, including some of the stories of the estimated 1000 who managed to enlist can be found on the Australian War Memorial site while an internet search will provide links to further valuable resources.

Click poster to download

Click poster to download

Elephants Never Forget

Apr7
Elephants Never Forget

Elephants Never Forget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elephants Never Forget

Venita Dimos

Natashia Curtin

Walker Books, 2025

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

9781760658427

Mini the elephant has the best memory in the whole animal kingdom. She remembers the good stuff, the bad stuff and everything in between. And because Mini remembers everything, she also remembers mistakes. Usually other people’s mistakes. So when her best friend Milo the rabbit  accidently loses Mr Cuddles, Mini has to learn how to forgive … and forget.

The tag on this book is “Big Skills for Mini People” and it is a series written for our youngest readers to not only help them manage their emotions but help them navigate their way through relationships as they venture into the world of friendships beyond family and have to learn about competitiveness, managing inner voices, learning to listen, and communicating effectively. (Others include The Teeny-Tiny Voice,  Big Flappy Ears,  Elephants Can’t Jump, and The Last Plum. Learning to negotiate, compromise and consider others as they emerge from that egocentric world of toddlerhood can be tricky and so books like these, read with sensitive adults who can ask questions like “What could Mini have done instead of …?” can help develop skills and strategies that will provide well for the future.  

While using animals as the main characters to portray human behaviour, particularly that of young children, is a common trope in these sorts of stories, doing so enables a lot of humour and unexpectedness to be injected into the story so it doesn’t become didactic and overbearing, putting something that is common for target audiences to have experienced at arm’s length so they don’t feel as though they are being admonished but can put themselves in the place of both characters and start to understand feelings.  Did Milo mean to make Mr Cuddles vanish?  How did he feel when it happened, and how did he feel when Mini got cranky?  But why did Mini get so cranky?  Teachers’ notes for both teachers and parents can help guide the discussions further. 

One for the mindfulness collection that will help young people learning about the issues associated with assuming things.

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.  

 

 

Fantasy Adventure Trilogy

Apr3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarlet Defender of the Universe

James Davis

Dotty Sutton

HarperCollins, 2025

240pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9780008653620

 

Heartseer: The Tale of Anise Star

Rowan Foxwood

Usborne, 2025

336pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781803707372

 

Inkbound- Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

Philippa Leathley

HarperCollins, 2025

384pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9780008660956

The genre ‘fantasy adventure’ is described as combining “the elements of fantasy (supernatural, magical, and often imaginary worlds) with the adventure genre (epic journeys, quests, and exciting undertakings), resulting in stories with magic, danger, and exploration.”  Unique landscapes, societies and cultures are the background to seemingly ordinary human characters embarking on personal quests that involve action, risk and danger and usually in company or conflict with imaginary beings to quell the malicious intent of those who seek to harm them.  As they seek to ensure that good triumphs over evil, often with unique and mysterious powers, they also learn much about themselves, who they are, what they stand for and what they can accomplish and achieve as regular people.  

Popular since the days of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree series when young readers transported themselves away from the horrors of World War II to lands where fairies, elves and other magical beings dwelt and life was so different to their lived reality, continued through the 50s as my generation went through the wardrobe into Narnia, then brought into the realm of the modern young reader through the exploits of Harry Potter and his friends and  the making of the movies based on Tolkien’s classics of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings  trilogy, and perpetuated through any number of video and computer games, it is a firm favourite with independent readers across the ages.  Those written for children not only allow the child to dwell in an alternative world that may be more appealing than the one they are in, but also enable them to become the hero with both power and powers that the real world denies them.  They are in charge, they are calling the shots and making the decisions – something rare in the  pre-teen’s life.

Therefore, these three new releases from British authors will fit the genre, the demand and the library collection perfectly.

Scarlet Defender of the Universe, is a smart, 9-year-old redhead who answers an advertisement for the role of Defender of the Universe to prove to her annoying younger brother that it’s not a real thing. Thus, she’s a little surprised to be told that she’s got the job and is now responsible for the safety of the entire galaxy. Along with her co-Defender Jasper, Pom-Pom, the cutest alien in existence, and Bot, the cleverest AI robot that’s ever been invented, Scarlet is thrown into a whirlwind adventure that takes her to the furthest reaches of the cosmos and back again, on a mission to prevent the destruction of planet Earth by an alien species who will do anything for a warm cup of hot chocolate.

In Heartseer: The Tale of Anise Star the reader discovers that there are more deities and daemons in the world than stars in the sky but only Heartseers like Anise Star can see them because only they still believe… Anise’s job is to help humans and daemons live happily together. But when the villainous Mr Babbitt tries to steal her home in the White Woods and drive the daemons out, she is forced to travel to the capital to ask the High King for help. First, though, she’ll have to convince him that daemons still exist. Accompanied by loyal daemon-dog Wolf, Anise sets out on a spellbinding and treacherous journey, meeting magical musician Robin and fox god Whin, and facing the cunning Magpie Queen and a deadly poisonous ink monster. In the midst of her battles she learns that it’s not just the daemons of the White Wood she must save, but all the daemons of the world.

Inkbound- Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo also has a female protagonist about the same age as the intended reader as on her tenth birthday, Meticulous ‘Metty’ Jones receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical tattoo on her hand. She hopes that her tattoo will reveal an exciting destiny: travel, discovery or adventure. What appears is a skull in the palm of a violet glove – Metty’s fate is to be a murderer.  When Metty’s father disappears in mysterious circumstances, Aunt Magnificent takes her to the glittering city of New London, filled with magic, wonder and enchantment. But when Metty hears rumours of a shadowy organisation known as the Black Moths, she begins to suspect they are connected to her own dark fate …

Each feature those essential elements of the fantasy adventure genre with fast-paced narrative that draws the reader into both the setting and the action, while dropping tiny but important clues along the way whose significance only becomes apparent as the climax approaches.  There are elements that echo the reader’s world making the transition to the imaginary one seem more seamless as they take on the role of the protagonist as they are able to relate, perhaps even empathise, with the struggles they face, yet each features a lightness of touch that makes them ideal read-alones or read-alouds.  They also all seem to set themselves as the possible beginning of a new series that keen readers will seek out.

Currently, in the school library in which I volunteer, it is series like these that seem to be constantly circulating, so to be able to bring some new reads to the selections will definitely spike interest as our long winter nights approach. 

Ariana Treasure (series)

Mar13
Ariana Treasure (series)

Ariana Treasure (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ariana Treasure (series)

The Missing Book

9781761111808

The Secret Ingredient

9781761111822

The Lost Frog

9781761111860

The Perfect Day

9781761111884

The Lucky Shoes

9781761111846

Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern

Karen Erasmus

Wombat Books, 2025

64pp., pbk., RRP $A10.99

 

Ariana Treasure and her mum own the Treasure Chest, a thrift shop  begun by her grandfather, and in this new series for young readers, various donations inspire simple stories that focus on friendship, working together and problem solving.  The stories are short without complex setting, character or plot development, making them ideal for those readers just venturing on from structured instructional readers who are consolidating their skills. Brief chapters, large font and illustrations and stories which feature everyday happenings, such as The Missing Book, in which Ariana’s favourite books – a gift from her grandfather – is accidentally sold to a petulant, new boy in town and she has to work out how to get it back.

Two are available now with six more being released throughout the year.

 

Ella and the Sleepover Safari

Mar7
Ella and the Sleepover Safari

Ella and the Sleepover Safari

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ella and the Sleepover Safari

Cassy Polimeni

Hykie Breeze

UWAP, 2025

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

9781760803018

Moving house and starting at a new school hasn’t been easy for Ella, but now she has settled in and bonded with Mai over a shared interest in frogs. She hasn’t forgotten her best friend Viv who lived next door to her old house, but they haven’t seen each other since the move. Now, for a birthday treat, Ella’s aunt has gifted her a safari sleepover at the zoo and Ella has invited both Viv and Mai.  But will the two get along.

It seems not until a midnight visit to the loo has an unexpected outcome…

Continuing this series for newly independent readers, Cassy Polimeni has continued to combine both a credible story with relatable characters and situations with more information about the natural world as the girls tour the zoo with Frankie the guide, weaving facts about the exhibits together through the underlying tension between the girls.    Anyone who has spent time with children of this age will recognise the ebb and flow of friendships that are so common as independence and autonomy mature, while readers themselves will learn that is possible to have more than one close friend.

Already identified in the CBCA Notables for 2025, this is a series that is going to appeal particularly to girls with an interest in the environment and the protection of its creatures, and they will be delighted to know that there are two more coming soon to complete the collection.. 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Little Wombat!

Mar3
Happy Birthday, Little Wombat!

Happy Birthday, Little Wombat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Little Wombat!

Charles Fuge

Walker Books, 2025

28pp.,. hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760655341

It’s Little Wombat’s birthday and it is going to be a great day.  Koala gives him an explorer’s stick “for bashing through the undergrowth” and Bilby has made him his very own flag to “stick in the ground when you discover somewhere new.”  

And that’s just what they did as they made their way to the river where Mum has made a special surprise picnic.  But not only did Little Wombat discover his other friends waiting for him,. but also an even better use for his new presents!!

Little Wombat and his friends are fast becoming a preschool favourite series as not only are the creatures familiar and seemingly the same age as they are, they do the sorts of things that little ones do while there is always a subtle message to gently absorb as they read –this one about being safe when messing about on boats.  But even if they haven’t spent a birthday on a boat, nevertheless young readers will have plenty of stories to share about their own birthday celebrations and wishes while there is also the opportunity to learn about calendars, months and making a graph of who celebrates when with each creating a candle or a cupcake to add to the relevant column.