Archives

Ratbags 5: Dummy Spit

Jul10
Ratbags 5: Dummy Spit

Ratbags 5: Dummy Spit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratbags 5: Dummy Spit

Tim Harris

Shiloh Gordon

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761346088

Rats, in general, do not have a good reputation for being friendly and kind, and The Ratbags are no exception.  Their goal in life is to make trouble and to look for naughty things to do.  They dream of mayhem and believe rules are for losers.  Except for one – Jigsaw.  He got his name because he does not fit in, like a puzzle piece that won’t squeeze into place no matter how much you twist and turn it. Jigsaw likes both rules and humans so he doesn’t fit in with the other rats and they shun him. 

In this, the fifth in this series for readers transitioning to full-length novels, the Ratbags have their hands full when a toddler ratbag crashes into town. But where did Blitz come from? Between the muffin mayhem and hairy heists, can Jigsaw and his friends find the missing parents in time? in fact, who are his parents?  Or will they have to deal with the dreaded dummy spit?

With its humour and action-packed plot, supported by minimal text and many illustrations, this is one that will appeal to any young reader who has experienced having a toddler in the family, and the disruption and destruction they can cause, even though they don’t always mean to. But sometimes the natural exploration and experimentation can lead to trouble, and when Blitz is caught by Crackers the cat , the Ratbags feel responsible for his safety, despite the grief he has caused them. Because, like the others in the series, there is always the basis of friendship, standing your ground against peer pressure, being yourself and caring for others on which the story is built. Both author and illustrator clearly know their target audience and their likes, so this is a series that has the potential to turn the reluctant reader into an avid one, particularly if they are directed towards the early works of Paul Jennings, Andy Griffiths, Christopher Milne and the other works of Tim Harris himself while they wait for the next episode.  

Astrochimp

Jul5
Astrochimp

Astrochimp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astrochimp

David Walliams

Adam Stower

HarperCollins GB., 2024

224pp., graphic novel., RRP $A22.99

9780008649555

Chump the chimpanzee from Central Park Zoo, New York was always being silly. He would make rude noises from both ends, pick his nose with his little toe, eat the skins of bananas, hurling out the tasty part inside…  NASA’s scientists thought he’d be the PERFECT chimp to send into space. Little did Chump know that he had been selected for a deadly-dangerous mission. If a chimp could orbit Earth, then chances were a human could too.

With Chump the chimp at the controls of a spacecraft, what could possibly go wrong? Just about everything, it would seem, because when he has a celebratory banana after the launch,  he is catapulted 50 years into the future and confronted by Dmitri, a dog who claims to be a Hellhound of Space,  a notorious space pirate feared across the galaxies. Blasted into space many years before by humankind, but with no plans to bring him home, Dmitri rebelled and stalked the galaxy attacking and taking ships to add to his own. Chump is his latest conquest, and soon to be one of his worst. 

And so begins a series of adventures, with dog and chimp at loggerheads to begin with but realising that they are going to have to work together to survive that will appeal to those who enjoy David Walliams’ brand of humour, this time in colourful graphic novel format.  Yet, underlying the crazy plotline is the more serious issue of how all sorts of creatures, including fruit flies, a gerbil, dogs, cats and others, have been launched into space to determine whether it is a viable environment for humans – all with no plans to return them to Earth.  Walliams has taken those journeys a step further to explore what might have happened next…

For many, this will be a light-hearted read that continues Walliams’ intention of providing stories that kids want to read so they actually do so, but if some want to find out more about those early experimental flights then Laika the Astronaut could be a good start although there are a number of authoritative summaries available online.  

 

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

Jun27
Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

Li Chen

Penguin, 2024

208pp., graphic novel, RRP $A17.99

 9781761049477

Everyone knows that detectives are not the real deal unless they have a hat,  And so it is for Cat Town’s Detective Beans who has misplaced his.  His investigations take him all over the town as he meets and interviews different quirky residents, follows the clues and tries to solve the mystery – all before he has to be home in time for dinner with his mum.  

For independent readers who like graphic novels, this is the first in a new series that introduces them to the detective/crime genre with a mystery to solve,  twists and turns in the plot, a trusty sidekick and dodgy characters, and the need to sift the real from the not-so and put it together to reach a logical conclusion as the suspense and intrigue guilds – all within a story with a setting and theme suitable for younger readers.   

By putting their own detective’s hat on and engaging with the clues and puzzles, perhaps they will solve the mystery before Detective Beans does!

Or perhaps it will lead them into seeking other stories in this genre or maybe even beginning to recognise and understand the concept of genre itself and that each as its own particular themes, structures and devices that carry the tory along in a fairly predictable way.

 

Lily Halfmoon (series)

Apr30
Lily Halfmoon (series)

Lily Halfmoon (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily Halfmoon (series)

The Magic Gems 

9781761180354

The Witches’ Council

9781761069727

Xavier Bonet, translated by Marie Trinchan

A&U Children’s, 2024

80pp., graphic novel, RRP $A17.99

Nine-year-old Lily Halfmoon has just moved to the town of Piedraville. New house, new school and … new powers?

Surprise – Lily is a witch! She must learn magic, and find her animal guardian and gemstone, while keeping her new identity a secret. Not even her family can know.

Protecting the people of Piedraville from evil is no easy task. Especially when a dangerous creature is on the loose. Will Lily finally discover her gem’s unique power with the help of her new friends, Gigi and Mai, all without attracting attention? But a mysterious person is after her rare moonstone, and if they get their hands on it, it could threaten everything Lily holds dear. Will Lily have the strength to fight for what she believes?

The concept of ordinary children discovering magical powers as they become more independent, having to find their particular protective talismans and staving off those who want them is becoming a familiar trope in literature for the emerging reader, but nevertheless, as the enduring popularity of Harry Potter demonstrates, it is one that remains popular and with a constant stream of newly independent readers emerging, discovering it, it will continue to fascinate.   

So with its familiar themes, what sets this series apart?  Firstly, it is in graphic novel format so the reader has to be able to cope with that format, although this one has more dialogue to carry the story than others, the panels track left to right in a logical sequence and it is in regular font, rather than all capitals, making its appearance more familiar, as well as ‘regular’ pages that add more information and background – so, all in all, making it a solid introduction to this popular format. It also has potential to become a sought-after series, as in The Magic Gems, as well as the plot and premise being introduced, the characters and their relationships are established setting the platform for any number of adventures to come, particularly given the cliffhanger ending..  

 

When the World Was Soft

Apr5
When the World Was Soft

When the World Was Soft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the World Was Soft: Yindjibarndi Creation Stories

Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation
96pp., graphic novel, RRP $A34.99
9781761180651
Yindjibarndi people traditionally lived in the area near the town of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and believe “all creation is written in our landscape and was sung long ago, filling our Ngurra (Country) with sacred meanings and deep religious significance. At the dawn of time, Ngurra Nyujunggamu, the world was soft as clay and the sky was very low. Our Creator, Minkala, sang the songs from which all life and Ngurra evolved.”
Encapsulated in this new publication with dramatic artwork by Alex Mankiewicz  in graphic novel format, including paintings by members of the Juluwarlu Art Group are some of these stories including Ngurra Nyujunggamu – Creation;  Jargurrungu Wangangga Garranyga – Wedgetailed Eagle, Crow and Black Kite; Nyinkara the Stoneman; Jiruna Yuya -Pelican and Quail; Bunggaliyarra – Fallen and Barrimirndi – Water Serpent. Each story not only has deep significance about the origins of the place and its people, but embeds the timelessness of respect and responsibility for the land making it as relevant today as it was for the ancient elders.  And while the characters and their circumstances may vary from other indigenous nations, nevertheless that deep-held connection to Country and the continuity of life is common to all. So although these songlines are of the Yindjibarndi people, there is the opportunity to understand that unique relationship with the land and its inhabitants that all indigenous communities share and perhaps seek out those stories that are unique to the particular part of Country that the reader lives in. 
There are also a number of pages at the back explaining who the Juluwarlu Group is, as well as a glossary of specific cultural words, explanations of the paintings and other relevant information that offers even greater depth and understanding.   

Pablo and Splash

Jan30
Pablo and Splash

Pablo and Splash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pablo and Splash

Sheena Dempsey

Bloomsbury, 2024

240pp., graphic novel, RRP $A17.99

9781526662606

Pablo and Splash are two penguins, and even though they are very different in that Pablo loves his icy home and Splash is sick of the cold, they both agree that a holiday would be a good thing.  But it’s tricky when you live at the bottom of the planet in Antarctica and warm places are too far to swim and without wings, you can’t fly.

But Antarctica means there are scientists nearby and surely they have a solution… However on their way to visit them, they fall down a hole in the ice into the clutches of Professor O’Brain and her Timebender machine and before they know it they are on the beach they were dreaming of, but they are sharing it with dinosaurs.   Can these accidental explorers find their way home?  Or will they be stuck in the past, avoiding becoming the next meal for the locals?

With its classic theme of “be careful what you wish for” as well as the familiar time-travelling theme that takes readers to times past and future,  this is a full-colour graphic novel that will delight fans of this genre. Stories about penguins and dinosaurs individually are always favourites so combining the two into a story that engages while it educates will have broad appeal, and its undertones of the enduring friendship between two characters despite their differences will resonate with many. 

This is the first in this series that has the potential to not only appeal to its intended audience of young independent readers but also introduce them to times past that might spark an interest in further investigation.  I wonder where they will go next… Where would the reader like them to go? If they came to Australia at a particular time in our history, such as the gold rush, what hazards might they encounter? Perhaps an interesting story starter that could show you what the students know…

Ratbags 4: Take Flight

Oct28
Ratbags 4: Take Flight

Ratbags 4: Take Flight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratbags 4: Take Flight

Tom Harris

Shiloh Gordon

Puffin, 2023

192pp., graphic novel, RRP $A14.99

9781761340505

Rats, in general, do not have a good reputation for being friendly and kind, and The Ratbags are no exception.  Their goal in life is to make trouble and to look for naughty things to do.  They dream of mayhem and believe rules are for losers.  Except for one – Jigsaw.  He got his name because he does not fit in, like a puzzle piece that won’t squeeze into place no matter how much you twist and turn it. Jigsaw likes both rules and humans so he doesn’t fit in with the other rats and they shun him. 

In their fourth adventure in this series, The ratbags are on holiday on the trash-filled Scum Island, where everything is just how the ratbags like it – terrible! Even cats are kept in line by a high-flying falcon, who puts on a show for the ratbags! But when Cracker is carried away to the falcon’s lair, Jigsaw starts to worry… is the pesky falcon a feathery friend or foe? One thing’s for sure, with the ratbags in town, the holiday is packed with action, danger and VERY bad manners.

In previous reviews I have focused on the popularity of characters and subjects that make adults squirm and their power to appeal to reluctant readers as well as the attraction of a format that is text-light, illustration-heavy but has a quality story that focuses on familiar elements of friendship, standing your ground against peer pressure and being yourself , and this has been proven by a request from a young lad asking if I had the latest one yet. Not known for his affinity for reading, this was a surprise and one I took pleasure in satisfying (as did my contact at Penguin Random House). Who knows where this series might take this newly-independent reader as he explores the wide world of stories in print.

Maybe this will be the way forward for one of your students to…

Pebble and Wren

Sep23
Pebble and Wren

Pebble and Wren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pebble and Wren

Chris Hallbeck

Clarion, 2023

240pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9780358541288

Based on his webcomic of the same name, Pebble and Wren follows human girl Wren and her live-in monster, Pebble, as she teaches them all about how the human world works—from why the moon changes shape to why we don’t eat candy wrappers—while trying to unlock special abilities without which Pebble will have to return to the monster forest.

Pebble, a young monster,  must venture out of the hidden forest and into the world of humans as a monster’s rite of passage to unlock their skills but everything seems daunting., until one house seems to be welcoming. Living there is  a young girl called Wren ,and her two fathers. The little monster is fond of food or, in fact, anything that can be eaten, including books, rocks, and furniture. Pebble’s special skill seems elusive as the pair become close friends.

While Pebble is a shape-shifter, Wren has talents of her own. She enjoys explaining things and instructing Pebble on a variety of topics: moon phases, humans’ inner ear structure and skeletal anatomy, and the thermodynamics of refrigeration and gradually the pair begin to understand each other and share adventures that help Pebble gradually realise that their special skill has been discovered.

Although each page of this graphic novel has only uncomplicated frames, and the nine chapters seem to be connected as a developing story, this is very much driven by the development of the characters rather than a series of adventures or quests so it’s appropriate for independent readers who enjoy this format and like to delve into the lives of the personalities. 

 

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

Sep7
Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

Xavier Bonet

A & U Children’s, 2023

80pp., graphic novel, RRP $A16.99

9781761180354

It’s Lily’s birthday and she has moved to a new village, a new house and now it’s time for her to start a new school. She has all the same trepidations about it as other children do but when she gets there she finds things are a bit different from her previous school because this one is especially for witches to learn their craft!  Lily had no idea she had magical powers but now a lot of things in her life start to make sense. 

And now, in The Royal Academy and Library of Magic Studies, Creatures,  Potions and Spells (aka The Library) she must learn magic, and find her animal guardian and gemstone, while keeping her new identity a secret -even her family can’t be told. With her friends Gigi and Mai  she is part of a group of witches who have to protect the people of Piedraville from evil, tricky when there is a dangerous creature on the loose. And she’s found a rare and unique gem that no witch has ever had before – what does it all mean?

There are so many stories in this vein for emerging independent readers to choose from, and this one appeals because it can be both a stepping stone to more complex reads like Harry Potter as well as to the graphic novel format because it combines the new-to-some format with elements of a traditional layout. There are the familiar panels and speech bubbles of the former, although the text is written in the usual way with capital letters, lower case and punctuation, as well as the conventions of the latter for introductions, instructions, maps and other diagrams.  

Those readers who are verging on independence often view “real readers” as those who can read thick books or graphic novels and that is the yardstick by which they measure their success, so this is the ideal bridge for them capturing their imaginations through a popular theme but putting it in a setting that they can relate to.  Genius. 

Ratbags 3: Best of Pests

Jul11
Ratbags 3: Best of Pests

Ratbags 3: Best of Pests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratbags 3: Best of Pests

Tim Harris

Shiloh Gordon

Puffin, 2023

192pp., graphic novel, RRP $A14.99

9780143777472

Rats, in general, do not have a good reputation for being friendly and kind, and The Ratbags are no exception.  Their goal in life is to make trouble and to look for naughty things to do.  They ream of mayhem and believe rules are for losers.  Except for one – Jigsaw.  He got his name because he does not fit in, like a puzzle piece that won’t squeeze into place no matter how much you twist and turn it. Jigsaw likes both rules and humans so he doesn’t fit in with the other rats and they shun him. 

Now, after their antics in the second in this series by the author of the Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables series, the humans have had enough of rats and their ratbag ways. Even Mr Pecky has stopped giving them pizza. But things get taken to a whole new level when robot minks with laser eyes roam the streets, ready to destroy all ratbags, stray cats and jazz musicians! How are the ratbags to survive the humans’ latest pest control? By joining forces with their enemy, naturally! With Cracker and the ratbags on the same team, things are about to get really hairy!

Way back when, about 25 years ago, authors like Paul Jennings, Andy Griffiths and Christopher Milne brought a new style of writing to the children’s literature available at the time – a style that featured what became known as “toilet humour” in which bodily functions and similar subjects became normal and regular rather than the taboo territory they had dwelt in, and these stories, which immediately appealed to boys of a certain age, became a challenge for some adults to share – which, in turn, gave them even more appeal but, in the process, also turned a generation of lads into readers as they were determined to read the stories themselves.

Now, in a similar fashion, the availability and accessibility of the graphic novel format combined with characters and situations that make a lot of adults squeamish, is having the same impact.  Both author and illustrator have a sound understanding of what their target audience is looking for and its method of delivery, so that they are drawn away from the screen and into the world of print where books can be shared and passed around and available on demand. They also know that kids are impatient and so this series has delivered a new episode every two months (the fourth due in September) so there is no interminable wait in between to see what happens next or have other distractions overtake the anticipation.

So regardless of what teachers and parents might think of this as that subjective, elusive concept of “quality literature”- and I would argue that the strong threads of friendship, standing your ground against peer pressure and being yourself take it into that realm anyway –  if you have reluctant readers or those who just haven’t found a reason to read yet, then this is a must-have series.