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The Secret Lives of Mermaids

Feb21
The Secret Lives of Mermaids

The Secret Lives of Mermaids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Lives of Mermaids

Prof Anuk Tola

Anja Sušanj

Flying Eye Books, 2020

34pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

 9781911171874

At the School of Merology (SoM), Professor Anuk Tola (aka Anja Sušanj has been studying the lives, habits and habitats of merpeople for many years in an attempt to be able to communicate with them and those studies have revealed that

  • The word “mermaid” is a misnomer because there is more than just one gender, their societies are large and varied, and each is a unique individual
  • Merpeople are “a highly complex, curious, social, fierce, intelligent and incredibly secretive” species and what little is known has taken hundreds of years to glean
  • Because the ocean is changing so are the merpeople and they and the merologists (those who study merpeople) have to find new ways to work together. 

In the meantime, she has gathered all that is currently known into this highly informative book, a companion to The Secret Lives of Dragons   and  The Secret Lives of Unicorns. Beginning with a section entitled  “What is a merperson?” the reader is introduced to the species, visits the various kingdoms in the world’s oceans and learns about their beliefs, language and so forth. But perhaps the most important section is the final one which examines how and why the oceans are changing , how that is affecting them and what we, as humans, can do to protect both them and their environment. 

Mermaids (and unicorns) continue to be a source of fascination for many, particularly young girls, and this is a really imaginative way to introduce them to the concept of ocean conservation as well as non fiction generally, . To build a complete world in this way, albeit one based on a fantasy, is a clever way to make the reader stop and think about what might live between the waves and pause before they chuck their plastic bag in the water or let their balloons go into the sky.  Somehow it gives a whole new slant on this year’s CBCA Book week theme, “Dreaming with eyes open…”

In the meantime, put March  29 aside to celebrate International Mermaid Day!

The Magic of Magnolia Moon

Feb10
The Magic of Magnolia Moon

The Magic of Magnolia Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magic of Magnolia Moon

Edwina Wyatt

Katherine Quinn

Walker , 2021

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

9781760652722

Magnolia Moon is nine years old, likes Greek mythology, her best friend Imogen May (who understands the importance of questions like, “If you could be one fruit, any fruit, what would you be?”), wishing trees, and speaking crows. She knows instinctively that buffadillos are armadillos crossed with buffalos and believes there are walramingos living in her garden. She’s also the kind of person who can be entrusted with a great many secrets.

But  Magnolia Moon also has other talents – she can walk like a crab, dance with her eyebrows and tidy her room using only her toes. But she can also make magic, and knows that it a way to solve problems. And when you’re starting a new class at school -she’s ten now and about to go into Year Five at Thistledown Primary- and your best friend doesn’t live across the road anymore, problems seem to come easily particularly if you feel you are just put of reach, sailing alone even though others are sailing beside you.

In her latest adventure, the sequel to the award-winning The Secrets of Magnolia Moon Magnolia Moon invents everyday magic to help her navigate the pitfalls of friendship, school, family, and being ten. It’s not your abracadabra type magic though – it’s the sort you see when you’re curious and observant and take the time to be in the moment in the world around you, something that her family and others around her seem too busy to do. “Magnolia felt that Real Life was happening all around her. There was no yesterday, or tomorrow. Only right now.’” With her familiar friends still in the story, including the moon who whispers to her every night, as well as a red robin, Hetty, who makes a home in Magnolia’s feather-filled hair, and a ticking, tutting grandfather clock that nags her for being late to add to the fuss made by her creaking, groaning staircase, her adventures with such recognisable issues not only offer the young reader strategies to apply to their own life but also encourages them to enjoy the now, rather than continually rushing to the next thing as though life is some great race with an intangible reward for some mysterious win. 

And just as she was captivated by the drama and high stakes of the Greek myths in the first book, in this one, Magnolia is inspired by her book of fairytales and she tries to make real-life connections with the stories she reads. It helps her work out who she is and her place in the world, when others are trying to define her in ways that don’t fit her well. 

Like its predecessor, the book spans a year in Magnolia’s life giving the story continuity, each chapter is a separate entity so it is perfect for that bedtime read when just a chapter is enough to transition to the world of dreams. With its recognisable hero mixed with just a touch of fantasy, it is just right for newly independent readers who are reading on and consolidating their love for reading and honing their skills each day. And for those who love this series, there is a third one coming! 

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

Feb8
MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MerTales 3: The Great Treasure Hunt

Rebecca Timmis

Albert Street Books, 2022

136pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760526573

It’s the day of the Great Treasure Hunt and everyone is joining in! Coral is excited to lead her team of best friends to the treasure first. But soon they discover that there is a bigger mystery to solve…  Who is the mer-sterious Count Frumplesquid, and what does he really want in Cockleshell Cove?  Can Coral and her crew work together to uncover the truth and keep the precious treasure safe?

This is the third in this series designed for newly-independent readers who love to read about mermaids and all the other creatures that inhabit that watery world, particularly as many will be fresh from coastal holidays and may even have spotted one of these elusive creatures.

With all the supports needed for those transitioning to more complex novels including short chapters and lots of illustrations, the adventures of the mermaids of Cockleshell Cove will delight those who are fascinated by these mystical beings but who want some substance to their stories. As a new school year approaches and a new batch of readers invades the library looking for something new to feed their passim, this is a series worth promoting. 

The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes 3: The Super Spy

Nov10
The Super Spy

The Super Spy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes 3: The Super Spy

Brenda Gurr

New Frontier, 2021

108pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781922326157

Zoe Jones has a hidden talent and a secret identity.  Daughter of one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world, sadly dead now, and a secret globe-trotting international food critic, at the age on nine, she has inherited her mother’s interests and talents, and when she is not at school she creates masterpieces that are highly sought after, aided and abetted by her guardian Aunty Jam and her magical cat Coco.

In this, the third in the series for newly independent readers, Zinnia’s class is organising a super fun sleepover in the school’s library while their parents are having a spy-themed party in the school hall. They even order a fabulous Zinnia Jakes cake. Everything is going according to plan until the parents set up a spy trap to catch the secret pastry chef …

Given the rise in the interest in home baking over recent lockdown periods in several states,, it can be assumed that there might be many budding pastry chefs like Zinnia Jakes emerging from kitchens this will be a welcome addition to this series that includes  The Crumbling Castle  and The Tumbling Tortoises, As with the others it includes a recipe for an orange cake with a special surprise inside!

During this year’s Book Week one of the favourite at-home activities was interpreting a book as a cake, and this is the perfect series to inspire that in a bake-off.

 

Spellbound Ponies (series)

Nov9
Spellbound Ponies

Spellbound Ponies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spellbound Ponies (series)

Magic and Mischief

9780008402815

Sugar and Spice

9780008402907

Wishes and Weddings

9780008402938

Fortune and Cookies

 9780008402969

Ribbons and Rainbows

9780008403003

Dancing and Dreams

9780008403027

Stacy Gregg

HarperCollins GB, 2021

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

The ponies of Pemberley Stables have been bound by magic and each of them is trapped in time. Can two brave girls help get them back?

Each story in this new series for newly independent readers focuses on the plight of one of the ponies… Bess the highway pony is very good at robbing the carriages and loves life just the way it is; Prince the racehorse isn’t as speedy as he used to be and his love of fine dining isn’t helping matters; Sparkle the white pony has been magicked to be messy and can’t stop rolling in mud; and Champ the palomino pony has been magicked to be exceptional – or that is what he is telling everyone! Gus the riding school pony is very grumpy and Margot the dressage pony is getting all the steps wrong.   How can Olivia and Eliza help each one?.

With fairly simple plots  and capitalising on young girls’ love of horses and magic, this is a new series for those who are moving to reading independently yet who still need the support of short chapters and illustrations to consolidate their skills.  With the first two available now, and two more in early July, this is a great series to introduce young readers so they can while away the winter weeks ahead with reading.  They will put themselves in the shoes of either Olivia or Eliza or become their friend and be engrossed in the stories and waiting for more. 

Rosie-May Blue: Mayhem at the Pet Show

Oct26
Rosie-May Blue: Mayhem at the Pet Show

Rosie-May Blue: Mayhem at the Pet Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosie-May Blue: Mayhem at the Pet Show

P. E. Woods

Pene Chadwick

Little Steps, 2021

125pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780648267430

Rosie-May Blue and her family have just moved to the township of Waterfall Way. While Rosie-May is excited about that, she is also worried about starting a new school and making new friends, particularly because she is missing her old friends dearly.

When Rosie-May’s pony, Carrie, goes missing, Rosie-May fears for the worst. Her newfound friend Ellie is a comfort at her new school and together, they share a love of horse-riding. However, will their friendship survive the secret that Rosie-May uncovers? Will the secret spoil Rosie-May’s chance at winning a prize at the Waterfall Way Pet Show?

This is a new series for newly independent readers that will appeal to that huge cohort of girls who love horses and anything to do with them.  With characters and situations that will resonate with them, they will see themselves embedded in the story, always a positive for capturing attention and ensuring satisfied readers.  Series are important element in developing competent, confident readers as there is not the need to establish new characters and their relationships and circumstances each time a new book is started – the reader can pretty much continue from where the last one left off – and so to have a new one that will have such broad appeal is always welcome. 

Truly Tan Shocked

Aug6
Truly Tan Shocked

Truly Tan Shocked

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truly Tan Shocked

Jen Storer

Claire Robertson

ABC Books, 2021

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

9780733334146

Dear Diary

I am writing to you with the aid of my Ballerina Panda pen. You know, the one that makes your words dance across the page.

Guess who is number one on my Secret Spy Watch List?

Go on. Guess!

It’s Miss Dragone.

Miss Dragone has always been an ordinary, boring, Grade Four teacher with no surprises and a loud voice.

But not anymore.

These days she is acting weird, strange and highly suspicious.

I’ve been watching her very closely.

Conclusion: Miss Dragone is in danger.

I just know it!

Truly

Tan

Described by Megan Daley of Children’s Books Daily as “the 21st century version of the Secret Seven”, Truly Tan is a series for independent readers confident with their skills and ready to immerse themselves in more complex novels which feature characters and scenarios that they recognise and relate to. She is  the youngest of four very different sisters, each with their own personality- bossy Emerald, girly Amber, and  Goth-aspirant Rose – while she, herself, loves adventure, new words and making the most out of being a kid.  She loves a mystery and uses her ‘Great Detective’ brain to solve them. But she is also very real with a mix of determination, humour, smarts and quirkiness to appeal to her audience.

The first book in the series  begins…” Dear Diary It’s official. Our whole family has moved to the country. The pets are disturbed and restless. My sisters are disturbed and restless – although that’s normal. What is not normal is a cursed fox and a haunted clubhouse. That is definitely unnormal. At least the country people now have an expert in their midst. Someone with a cool head and a sharp eye. Someone who can solve intriguing mysteries and knows how to keep detailed Secret Spy Files. Really, it’s lucky I came along when I did.” and sets the scene for the seven that have followed. 

With enough intrigue to keep the reader engrossed but not scared, this is a series that will particularly appeal to girls and given the threat of looming lockdowns, would be perfect to have on hand for a binge read if it is new to the reader, or to catch up if it is already a favourite. 

 

Carly Mills Pioneer Girl : The Lady with the Lamp

Jul30
Carly Mills Pioneer Girl : The Lady with the Lamp

Carly Mills Pioneer Girl : The Lady with the Lamp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carly Mills Pioneer Girl : The Lady with the Lamp

Jane Smith

Big Sky, 2021

120pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

 9781922488220

On a trip to Sydney before being sent to boarding school in Brisbane, country girl Carly Mills visits the sights and sites of Sydney’s past with her new friend Dora. At Customs House they are refused admission because the exhibits are being changed. but when Carly picks up two shawls that drop off a trolley she is told to keep them as they are probably being discarded.

But what she doesn’t realise is that hers has a magic of its own when she puts it on- it transports her back in time to meet some of the influential women in  history.

In this, the fourth in the series, Carly is in London on holiday and finds herself transported back to the mid-19th century where life and expectations for women were very different from modern times and she meets the iconic “lady with the lamp” Florence Nightingale recognised as being the founder of modern nursing, travelling with her to the battlefields of the Crimea.

Much has been written about Nightingale and her exploits and achievements over the years, but with nurses so much in the frontline of this new battle with COVID-19, this is a timely release that allows young independent readers to learn about the early beginnings of this profession and how far it has come because of the courage and determination of women like its subject. 

 This  series mixes fictional characters like Carly and real-life women who have shaped the world, thus bringing history alive in a more personal way. By becoming involved in the narrative, perhaps even putting themselves in Carly’s shoes, the reader understands how the lessons the characters learn can be applied to the modern world. Other in the series focus on Caroline Chisholm, Dr Lilian Cooper, and Dame Nellie Melba, with Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and Miles Franklin to come.  

The Ballad of Melodie Rose

Jul16
The Ballad of Melodie Rose

The Ballad of Melodie Rose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ballad of Melodie Rose

Kate Gordon

UQP, 2021

224pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780702263217

When Melodie Rose is abandoned on the doorstep of Direleafe Hall with just a note pinned to her coat, she realises she must be a ghost. Her memories have vanished and her past is dim, but strangely, she is not sad. With the three other ghostly girls Florence, Lucy and Nell who also haunt the school and Hollowbeak, the gloomy crow on her shoulder, Melodie has never felt more at peace. Finally, she has a place to call home.

But just as she is finding her place and coming to terms with the past, a Lady in White arrives with plans to flatten the beloved school  Melodie Rose must act fast to save all she holds dear. But what can one powerless ghost do? How can her new friends and Hollowbeak help? 

This is the second in this series for younger independent readers, a companion to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn. a CBCA 2021 Notable, yet, at the same time, it is a stand-alone story. Like its predecessor, it is a gentle ghost story, sensitive and poignant and beautifully written with a focus on being true to oneself, and having the courage to do what you know must be done even if it is scary. 

Again Gordon has selected vocabulary and painted pictures superbly so  that the story becomes alive in the mind, even for those who are only just venturing into this genre. Rather than being scary, it celebrates kindness, love and friendship, and grief becomes just another one of the normal human emotions. For those who are in its midst, there is understanding and hope embedded in Melodie’s continued optimism and strength to keep on trying.  The use of the word “ballad” in the title is entirely appropriate.

One to recommend for those who want something that wraps around them.

 

Over the Moon: Let Love In

Jul14
Over the Moon: Let Love In

Over the Moon: Let Love In

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the Moon: Let Love In

Colin Hoston

Yujia Wang

HarperCollins, 2021

32pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9780063002418

After losing someone, special, Fei Fei a bright young girl fueled with determination and a passion for science, builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess who may hold the answers  to her questions.  There she ends up on the adventure of a lifetime and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. 

Based on the Netflix original animated film, this picture books retells the story of Over the Moon. Based on a classic Chinese myth, it is a timeless tale of keeping the faith, keeping the love and embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination.  Young readers will enjoy reliving Fei Fei’s adventures long after the screen image has faded with its simple, direct text and stunning illustrations, and perhaps encourage them to move on to the novelisation..