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Jawsome: Licence to Rock

Feb25
Jawsome: Licence to Rock

Jawsome: Licence to Rock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jawsome: Licence to Rock

R. J. Timms

Albert Street, 2024

272pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761068607

Deep under the ocean in the Shallow Side of Chumville Finley the reef shark lives with his dentist parents Su and Shi, and his siblings, Dash, Smash, Crash, Flash , Splash and Bash.  During the day Finley goes to school with his mates Hunter the tiger shark, Gnash the pointer shark and Gilleon the lemon shark, but at night, they are secretly the super-famous rock band JAWSOME!

In this, the second in the series, the band is off to play at Euro-fishin, and international music competition, where there will be bands like Swim Shady and Mertallica. But at the airport as departure time draws closer, Gnash (aka Gnarly Gnelson) hasn’t turned up, and a phone call to his parents reveals that he is missing. Immediately suspicious, and the police not taking the matter seriously, the band members find themselves deep in mystery and intrigue which includes  stopping evil A.B.B.A. (Alliance of Brutally Bad Anglerfish) agents from destroying the ocean. Then, in the second story, unmasking a strange new band called the Killer Wails, that everyone seems to follow, and having to use all their rockstar skills to save Chumville from becoming mindless zombies.

This is a fun series for those emerging readers who like a light-hearted read, peppered with pun humour and plenty of illustrations.  Verging on a graphic novel because so much of the action happens in the illustrations as it does in the text, it will also appeal to those students who like to be seen with thick books – it has over 300 pages because of the large font and copious graphics.  With most of the puns printed in bold, it is also a good opportunity to investigate that literary technique and how its use adds humour to many situations, as well as identifying the common elements and themes of such stories so readers start to understand the concept of genre, in this case the tropes of spy stories. 

Released at a time when so many of our students are swept up in the Swifties craze as Taylor Swift tours the nation, this is an engaging and enjoyable read on many levels that will have wide appeal. 

Voice of the Sea

Feb11
Voice of the Sea

Voice of the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voice of the Sea

John Williamson

Andrea Innocent & Jonathan Chong

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761344237

Described as “an unrequited love song to the ocean, a national anthem of the sea”, this is the picture book version of the iconic song by one of Australia’s most loved musicians that has become so integral to the campaign to conserve the oceans that it won an ARIA award.

With references to global warming, overfishing and the risk of losing some of our incredible marine wildlife a turtle swims through what were once pristine waters, narrowly escaping the clutches of a plastic bag already filled with precious creatures, lamenting, “Where did it go? Where has it gone, your love for me?” From the time that the first European settlers landed, the oceans of this country “girt by sea” have been exploited and now, with the personification of the ocean as a friend in need, students are encouraged to think of how we can preserve this natural wonderland – how we can give rather than take.

Written specifically for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, there are both teachers’ notes and a free education kit  to encourage not only an awareness of humans’ impact on the ocean but also how we can embrace it as a friend again including investigating the projects already in place like The Accidental Penguin Hotel.  the seahorse hotels and others that they might become involved in, offering hope for those who are concerned about the planet’s future. 

This is most definitely one for any collection, and the perfect starting point for any investigation of the oceans, it creatures and their challenges. 

 

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas

Dec17

 

 

 

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas

Matt Lucas

Forrest Burdett

Farshore, 2023

288pp, pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780008519926

Leo LOVES Christmas.
And this Christmas needs to be absolutely perfect, because it’s the first one without Mum. Only it all keeps going wrong!

The fairylights are in a tangle
The Christmas cards aren’t finished
The tree isn’t decorated
And the Christmas cakes have all been destroyed!

Soon Leo decides he’s had enough – he makes a heartfelt wish that it would all GO AWAY.  But, then when he wakes up on what SHOULD be Christmas Day –  it’s gone!! All of Christmas! But Leo isn’t going to let it escape that easily . . . So Leo  sets out on a mission to undo his wish and get Christmas back.

With a premise that will sadly resonate with some of our students and who just wish they could sleep through this festive family time, this is a story that might provide a little relief in those long days where every emotion and activity is tinged with the sense of loss.

Written for independent readers who enjoy funny stories by actor and comedian Matt Lucas, this is unique in that there are QR codes to scan so the reader can listen to the songs included  as the story progresses. (For those without the technology, all the lyrics are included at the end of the book.)  It is also liberally illustrated so the thickness of the book shouldn’t daunt young readers,

Definitely a story of being careful about what you wish for but one that might add some joy to a tricky time.

1. Our Christmas Tale/Dear Father C from The Boy Who Slept on Vimeo.

 

Here Comes a Merry Christmas

Dec4

 

 

 

Here Comes a Merry Christmas

Here Comes a Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here Comes a Merry Christmas

Justine Clarke

Arthur Baysting & Peter Dasent

Heath McKenzie

Puffin, 2023

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

9781761049521

There’s a feeling in the air,
We’ve been waiting all the year…

Heath McKenzie has used his iconic stylised digital illustrations to bring to life this cheerful song about the excitement and anticipation of families on Christmas Eve as preparations are made. for the big day.. There are all the things that we associate with the celebration – Christmas lights, special food, the tree, decorations, traditional songs – all bound together like a tangle of lights in the love, joy and fun shared by the family. and all overseen by a new bright star “like the angel sitting on top of the tree, looking down from above, shining her love”. 

As well as learning the words to the song, little ones will love seeing all those things that are so familiar to their family as much as they are to the book family, but they might like to talk about those things they do, say and eat that are different too.  

One to share after your family night of decorations and preparations. 

 

 

Jawsome

Aug11
Jawsome

Jawsome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jawsome

R. J. Timms

Albert Street, 2023

304pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761068591

Deep under the ocean in the Shallow Side of Chumville Finley the reef shark lives with his dentist parents Su and Shi, and his siblings, Dash, Smash, Crash, Flash , Splash and Bash.  During the day Finley goes to school with his mates Hunter the tiger shark, Gnash the pointer shark and Gilleon the lemon shark, but at night, they are secretly the super-famous rock band JAWSOME!  But not everything is cruisy. Can JAWSOME get to the bottom of an ocean of shady shark-nanigans while keeping their secret identities watertight?

This is a new series for those emerging readers who like a light-hearted read, peppered with pun humour and plenty of illustrations.  Verging on a graphic novel because as much of the action happens in the illustrations as it does in the text, it will also appeal to those students who like to be seen with thick books – it has over 300 pages because of the large font and copious graphics.  But woven among the puns and other fishy jokes are facts about sharks that will de-mystify and maybe un-demonise these creatures so there is learning as well as laughing, as well as a strong lead character that has to learn to face his fears of singing in public step up to help his mates.

One to look for and perhaps give to some reluctant readers to determine if it is worth adding upcoming additions to the series to the library’s collection. 

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Jul16
Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big

Dolly Parton

MacKenzie Haley

Puffin, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761342837

French bulldog Billy the Kid was born with an ear for music. And not just any music. He loves barking to the beat of country music! So Billy sets out to Nashville to sing his heart out.

But when he meets some big bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows, Billy worries he’s barking up the wrong tree. But when they start to pick on one of his new friends, one much smaller than all the others, he knows it is up to him to stand up and call out the bad behaviour.  But he knows he will need the help of his new friends, and so he comes up with a clever plan…

Based on the theme of one of Dolly Parton’s own songs, Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny, based on her own life experiences, the anti-bullying message is strong as young readers are encouraged to celebrate differences rather than mocking them, a theme underlined in the illustrations which show dogs of every shape, size and colour. But as strong as that message is, there is  an equally strong one about following your dreams, believing in yourself and persevering to make them happen as Billy the Kid faces adversity and rejection before he finds his niche. 

Parton, herself, is well-known for her Imagination Library, a free book gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere (including in some parts of Australia) with over 211 million books given to young children to help foster a love of reading and encourage them to dream. “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” So this copy will find its way into the local community as part of the hidden books initiative that is growing daily. 

Khawaja

Jul2
Khawaja

Khawaja

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Khawaja

Paul Kelly

Avinash Weerasekera

Puffin, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761340611

As Australia’s men and women’s cricket teams continue to do amazing things in this year’s Ashes series in England, the name of Usman Khawaja is now well-known well beyond cricketing fans and families, if it wasn’t already.  The top scorer in both Australian innings in the first test, following his two centuries in the 2022 New Year’s game, having been recalled after being sensationally dropped from the team in 2019, Khawaja was headline news well beyond the sports pages.

And it is this rise and fall and rise again that is captured by music legend Paul Kelly in this tribute to the man’s determination, patience and resilience, given that Khawaja himself thought he would never represent his country again. Now in picture book format so all little cricket lovers, and Khawaja fans especially, can have it forever at their fingertips, this is the print version of Kelly’s song that he wrote and released on social media after that 2022 performance.  

With the music based on the Hank Williams tune Kaw-liga, it is a catchy tune that will not only have young readers easily able to read the words for themselves, but also show them that perseverance and self-belief underpin success, regardless of whether it is cricket, sport or any dream. For even though Khawaja himself will likely be remembered for being the first Pakistani-born Australian and Muslim to wear the prized baggy green, it is the message of dedication, hard work, going-back-to-basics to make things better, application and commitment that will remain with the reader and inspire them. 

 

Speak Up!

May6
Speak Up!

Speak Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speak Up!

Rebecca Burgess

HarperCollins, 2022

272pp., graphic novel, RRP $A39.99

9780063081208

Twelve-year-old Mia is just trying to navigate a world that doesn’t understand her true autistic self.  Mia would be happy to just be herself, stims and all, but the other students have trouble understanding her and even bully her, while her mother is full of strategies to help her attempt to mask her autism.  Although she wishes she could stand up to her bullies, she’s always been able to express her feelings through singing and songwriting, even more so with her best friend, Charlie, who is nonbinary, putting together the best beats for her.

Together, they’ve taken the internet by storm; little do Mia’s classmates know that she’s the viral singer Elle-Q! Ironically, one of her biggest fans is also one of her biggest real-life bullies, Laura. But while the chance to perform live for a local talent show has Charlie excited, Mia isn’t so sure.

She’ll have to decide whether she’ll let her worries about what other people think get in the way of not only her friendship with Charlie, but also showing everyone, including the bullies, who she is and what she has to say. Though she may struggle with some of her emotions, Mia does not suffer because of her autism. Rather than  a cure as though there is something about her that needs to be fixed,  she just wants acceptance, understanding and tolerance, just like the other characters who have other issues that drive their behaviour. 

For older, independent readers this is a graphic novel by an autistic author/illustrator offering a sympathetic depiction of one young person’s experience of autism, and because it is by one on the spectrum it is an authentic voice giving an insight into what it is like to be different at a time when peer acceptance is so important to who we are. 

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Apr21
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Eric Bogle

Bruce Whatley

Allen & Unwin 2015

hbk., 32pp., $A24.99

9781743317051

 

Is there a more haunting tune about World War I than Eric Bogle’s classic And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda? 

Beginning with

Now when I was a young man, I carried me pack, and I lived the free life of a rover

From the Murray’s green basin to the dusty outback, well I waltzed my Matilda all over

it tells the story of a young man, almost any young man of 1915 in Australia, who took up arms to fight in the war at a time when Australia was trying to meet its quota for Britain and to not fight for King and Country branded you a coward.

They gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun, and they marched me away to the war.

Throughout the song and the journey, from the ship departing, the slaughter of Gallipoli, the hospital for the wounded and the arrival of “the crippled, the wounded, the maimed…the legless, the armless, the blind, the insane” at Circular Quay there is the poignant refrain of the band playing Waltzing Matilda, the iconic song that many believe should be our national anthem as it connects us in a way like no other. And finally, as an old man, he sits on his porch and watches the parade with his comrades passing before him and he knows that soon, as more old men disappear, “Someday no one will march there at all”. But how proud and amazed would those who came home -and those who didn’t-  be to see that this is not a forgotten war, they are not forgotten heroes and rather than no one marching, each year the crowds at the annual commemorations wherever they are get larger.

However, the most provocative stanza is   

And the old men march slowly, old bones stiff and sore

They’re tired old heroes from a forgotten war

And the young people ask, “What are they marching for?”

And I ask myself the same question.”

Written in 1972 at the height of the protests against the Vietnam War, many were wondering that aloud and as still engulfs parts of the world and threatens Australia’s future, we may well all ask ourselves the same question again.

With superb illustrations by Bruce Whatley that show every emotion of the text –drawn with his left hand because he has discovered he draws “with much more emotion” with that hand –using the restrained palette that one associates with Gallipoli,  this is a book that has to be in your library’s collection as it is a song that should be known by everyone before this year is done.  However, this is so much more than one of Australia’s leading illustrators putting pictures to an iconic tune. There are teachers’ notes  that provide many ideas for exploring the content, its imagery and its images and the full lyrics are available via an internet search

A memorable contribution to the collection of books on this topic. 

First published April 21 2016

Updated April 21 2023 

Song in the City

Mar6
Song in the City

Song in the City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song in the City

Daniel Bernstrom

Jenin Mohammed

HarperCollins, 2023

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

 9780063011120

Sunday morning in the city, and Emmelene is accompanying her Grandma Jean to church where there is a choir singing and trumpets blowing  and hand-clapping to hear and join in with. But Grandma Jean is getting cross because Emmelene is lagging behind because she is listening to the music of the city – the tap-tappa-tap, the yip-yippa-yip, the pitter-patter-drip and all the other sounds that her ears hear but her eyes can’t see.  

And in church, when Grandma Jean’s music makes little impression on Emmelene , Grandma gets even crankier and just doesn’t understand what Emmelene can hear – although she does try. And then Emmelene shows her…

A long time ago, I read a poem about the sounds of night falling and it made such an impression on me, that now, mosquitoes willing, one of my favourite wind-down activities is to listen to the dark creep across our bushland home.  I have to admit that I’m a bit like Grandma Jean and haven’t heard the music of the city so maybe I should sit in the park in town and close my eyes… Certainly, it is something we can do with our kids on a nice day – take them outside, let them lie on the grass in the sun and just listen to the music of the outdoors.  And if someone falls asleep, that’s fine – either they needed the rest or the activity had the desired effect of putting them in the zone for a while.  

But, while this is a great book to inspire an awareness of our surroundings and be mindful in the moment, on a more practical level it is also one for exploring the concept of onomatopoeia as the sounds of the vehicles and other things that Emmelene hears are illustrated in a way that makes you see them as well as hear them.  Another opportunity to explore and experience our language.