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Over or Under?

Nov23
Over or Under?

Over or Under?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over or Under?

Pip Harry

Hilary Jean Tapper

Lothian, 2024

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

9780734421807

I’m jumping waves at the beach with Dad.
If they’re small I can leap over their frothy peaks.
Easy!
But further out, when they’re big, you have to duck dive under.

It’s time for a break at the beach, and Maisie is learning to navigate and negotiate that waves as they constantly roll in  Some are gentle and float her off the sand but then comes one that is a bit more vigorous and she has to make a decision to go over or it or under it. Before she makes up her mind, it has her in its grasp and she is tumbled over and over, unsure which way is up until Dad’s strong hands guide her and take her to shore.  And like any of us who has been dumped in that fashion, Maisie decides to spend the rest of the holiday close to mum and safely onshore.  But come the last day, does she have the courage to venture into the waves once again?

This is a story that will resonate with many young readers as they start to look forward to a long hot summer at the beach, maybe because they find the waves and their endless motion as though they are the planet’s heartbeat, either exhilarating or daunting.  There will be few who have not been dumped and experienced that momentary panic as they seek the surface, and the relief as someone’s hands guide them back to shore. They will also understand Maisie’s dilemma as she wants to be both safe with her mum but also out there with her dad, so this is a time to review and reinforce those rules for safe swimming that are provided on the final page.    

But then, just as the sea has many levels, this is written by Pip Harry who gave us both August and Jones, and The Little Wave, and so as well as being Maisie’s story, it is also one for older kids who find themselves being knocked about by the waves of life and having to dig  deep and find the resilience and courage to put their toes in the water again.  End of year can bring extra stress for many as the safe haven of school and its routines are not there, Christmas holidays with their emphasis on family togetherness can mean heartache and hurt, and the uncertainty of the new year, perhaps with a new school, as well as any number of other factors.  So while there is the surface level of Maisie’s experience and the re-iteration of water safety, perhaps it’s an opportunity to review strategies and services that older students may need to draw on during this time.  And, just as Maisie’s dad is there to help her up, and her mum there for a safe refuge, there are those who can offer them similar help. 

In her blog post about the book’s birth, Harry says she likes ” to imagine that Maisie goes on to become a strong ocean swimmer or surfer and it’s that special, triumphant day on the beach that ignites a lifetime of connection to the coast. ” But it just might be the impetus for someone else to dip their toe in the water – so to speak – to try again, to try a new way, or to try something new altogether and celebrating each step conquered.  Or maybe, just learn to pick their battles – which ones do we float over, dive under or face head on – at the risk of being dumped.

An excellent example of a picture book being for all ages.  

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Oct2
Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Catherine Norton

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9781460763179

London. 1866. And Hester Hitchins’ life has been turned upside down.  Her mother has died while giving birth to twins, and her father is “Missing, presumed dead” when the ship he served on burned and sunk on the high seas.  So Hester, the twins, and her brother and sister have been sent to live with their unmarried Uncle Henry, not for altruistic reasons but because he sees the older three as free labour.  Her older sister Joyce is immediately made the housekeeper including raising the babies, Horace becomes his apprentice in his rope-making business and Hester, herself, is pulled from school which she loves, to spend her day braiding the dreaded whip known as a cat-of-nine-tails.  (She is so disgusted and fearful of them that she only makes them with eight lashes, but that proves to be her downfall.)

Life is so different and not easy for the children and Hester is convinced that her father is still alive – after all, “presumed” does not mean definitely.  As a young girl he taught her about the stars and their movements, particularly the Pole Star, and told her that as long as he had a compass, a telescope and could see the Pole Star he could find his way home to her. And so Hester believes that with the same tools, she should be able to find her way to him.  Under scary circumstances she gains a lodestone,  but her life changes again when she surreptitiously enters a test for admittance to Addington’s Nautical Navigation Academy, and wins a scholarship – at the same time that her deception with the whips is discovered and Uncle Henry decides to send her to be a scullery maid – the most a girl of her age and position can hope for in those times.

With the help of her sister Joyce, Hester dues find herself at the Academy but the problem is – it is only for boys!  

This is a glorious adventure story for independent readers that has a cast of intriguing, well=crafted characters, each of whom shines a spotlight on the customs and conditions of the time, not the least of which is the circumstances of girls, oppressed by their gender.  Many will see themselves in the resourceful, problem-solving, never-say-die Hester as she encounters problems and obstacles that only her determination and her new friends Nelson (despised by others at the school because of his Asian heritage) and Pru (a nature-loving girl who collects insects to draw), not to mention the wise Marguerite,  and will want to keep turning the pages to see if she does indeed discover what happened to her dad. 

Loosely based on real-life characters of the time including Janet Taylor  an English astronomer who was an expert in nautical navigation, and Mary Ward  whose stories are outlined in the author’s notes, this is a story that will lead the reader down many rabbit-holes (as it did the reviewer) not the least of which is a reflection of how life has changed so much for girls, particularly, in 150 years.  Once again we give thanks for the courage and determination of those on whose shoulders we stand.  

Too Many Acorns

Sep22
Too Many Acorns

Too Many Acorns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too Many Acorns

Susannah Crispe

EK Books, 2024

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

9781922539748

As Patrick steps out of the door, hand in hand with his dad, an acorn plops at his feet and he picks it up, enjoying the feel of its warmth and smoothness in his hand. It’s a feeling he’s known before and he likes it so much that he begins to collect every acorn he finds – and being Autumn and surrounded by oak trees, that’s a lot.  He puts them everywhere, stores them everywhere, the finding of them and the growing collection becoming an obsession – blocking out all the other feelings that are threatening to overwhelm him, the cause of which can be identified by the astute reader examining the details in the illustrations.  

Then one day, when the collection is so large it bursts out of the house, so too do the emotions that Patrick has been feeling….

On the surface, this is a story about a young boy finding joy and comfort in little things, and seeking to repeat that warm fuzzy feeling by collecting and keeping more of them, and who finds fun and satisfaction in seeing his collection grow, until it becomes bigger than he ever imagined. Whether it is acorns, soft toys, or books, or anything else, it will be familiar to those who are collectors – you should see my stash of fabric and yarn – and each addition, whether found or gifted or earned, is a cause for celebration, often to the chagrin of those around them.

But, at a deeper level, perhaps for the slightly older reader who is able to take a step back from the here-and-now, it is the collecting itself that becomes the driver as they seek to recreate that initial feeling, particularly if it masks others that are not so pleasant or gives them a buzz because there is a hole in their heart. In some ways, it is like the precursor to the drug addict who needs bigger and more frequent fixes to get the high.

And so the story can become a conversation starter for helping little ones begin to articulate their feelings, particularly those big emotions like loss and grief and anger that are hard to put into words, building both self-awareness and self-management as they learn to identify their emotional responses and express these appropriately.  Just as Patrick’s house becomes consumed by acorns, blocking off everything  physically, so his heart is consumed by loss and he is blocked emotionally from his dad as he, too, deals with his grief alone while trying to keep things normal for Patrick. But there are touches of humour, particularly in the illustrations, that not only brighten the storyline but demonstrate that it is okay, and necessary, to find laughter and lightness even in the darkest times. 

Grief , even though it might not be caused by something as profound as Patrick’s loss, is a journey we all travel through at our own pace and deal with in our own way and so stories like these, which not only demonstrate that such feelings are common and natural, are a valuable way of building a child’s emotional intelligence so if they find themselves in that situation, they have a better understanding of themselves and those around them.  But perhaps the most important message of all comes in the endpaper where Patrick is sweeping away all the acorns because he and his dad have found a way to smile again,  and, as novelist Victor Hugo said, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”. 

Nobody Likes Monday

Aug26
Nobody Likes Monday

Nobody Likes Monday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody Likes Monday

Kelly Lee

Amy Calautei

EK Books, 2024

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

9781922539847

Poor Monday, Nobody  likes her so she is tempted to stay in bed but, despite all the hate letters, she realises she has a job to do starting the week and so best to get on it.  But rather than just accept all the complaints and whinges, she decides to make changes by swapping with other days of the week.  But Tuesday is not prepared to give up being Taco Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday; Wednesday loves being the day for daydreaming; Thursday, named after the God of Thunder is too busy being a superhero and so it goes on.  No one wants to change places…  Is there any way the Monday will change her image, and  lose her bad rep? Or does she just have to change the way she thinks about herself?

This is a highly original story that not only takes the reader on a romp through the days of the week with all the activities that that can inspire but also encourages some self-reflection on how we perceive ourselves, particularly focusing more on the positive aspects of our personalities and circumstances rather than only looking through the pessimistic lens.  Teachers’ notes suggest the reader creates a character profile for Monday and reflect on what she learned about herself and how her thinking changed through the course of the story, encouraging them to do the same so they begin to develop their emotional intelligence, focusing on their positives yet still being sensitive to how their thoughts and actions impact those around them.  So even though the other days of the week enjoy who they are, how does their response to Monday’s request to swap impact her perception of herself?

The theme of self-acceptance, self-worth and being enough is common in stories for young children, but this one which comes from the starting point of actually not liking oneself because we perceive others don’t like us  is a different springboard from which to start conversations.  

A valuable addition to any focus on mindfulness, emotional intelligence and positive mental health.  

One day...Day one

 

Walls

Aug14
Walls

Walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walls

Tania Ingram

Ruth-Mary Smith

Wombat Books, 2024

32pp., hbk, RRP $A26.99

9781761111518

Knight and Viking live on opposite sides of the book, and each believes his side is superior to the other.  Their arguments escalate to the point that each feels threatened by the other, and so, as has so often happened in history (and modern times), each decides to build a wall to keep the other out.  

Meanwhile, their children continue to play happily with each other ignoring the posturing and blustering of their parents until the wall separates them.  But even then they find a way to connect, although their parents are still so busy squabbling and indulging in one-upmanship, that they don’t notice.  

And then the wall crumbles…

This is a most intriguing picture book that has so many layers and levels,  It is told entirely in speech bubbles (the dialogue could hardly be called “conversation”) between Knight and Viking while their children say nothing at all – their entire connection is made through the powerful, expressive illustrations, and as their parents’ belligerence increases, so does their ingenuity so that they, at least, stay connected. 

Sadly, so many of our young students have already faced conflict in their lives, whether that has been at the family vs family or the country vs country level, and thus, are familiar with friction if not fear, so this is a simplified, child-lens view of how such disputes begin that teachers and parents can use to explain the circumstances that children might find themselves in, or to interpret increasing uncertainty in the world that makes so many anxious,

However, they can also use it to demonstrate hope. While the adults continue to indulge in their battle for power, driven by ego and emotion, oblivious to the destruction of the lives and environment around them, it is the children who have the solution.  As our children play together in the playground with no language barriers, or racial, religious, cultural, social, economic or other prejudices,  they are learning tolerance and acceptance of differences, celebrating what each brings to the game – and, as in the story, that can be the way forward.  The work we do in teaching them how to resolve the inevitable arguments, how to negotiate, compromise and connect is not wasted and this story offers many riches in how to explain, explore and resolve conflict no matter the scale it is on.  

Unique and a must-have in any collection.

The Girls Who Changed the World (series)

Aug13
The Girls Who Changed the World (series)

The Girls Who Changed the World (series)

The Girls Who Changed the World (series)

Ming & Flo Fight for the Future

9781460760208

Ming & Marie Spy for Freedom

9781460760215

Ming & Hilde Lead a Revolution

9781460763445

Ming & Ada Spark the Digital Age

Jackie French

Harper Collins, 2022-2024

288pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

If ever there were a series that encapsulated the 2024 CBCA Book Week theme of Reading is Magic, then this would be it.  By opening any of these books and reading the stories, the reader is transported to a different place and time in history to meet real people, largely unacknowledged because they are female, and to learn about the significant contribution they made then that still impacts our lives today.  What could be more magical than that?

When Ming Qong puts up her hand in Mr Boors’ history class and asks him why they only ever learned about men in history, never girls, she has no idea the chain of events that she was about to set off.

Suddenly the class is silent and still, as though frozen in the moment, except for a strange, almost ethereal woman dressed in purple sitting in the window sill -someone Ming feels she knows but doesn’t.  The woman introduces herself as Herstory, the sister of History, a woman passionate about the part women have played alongside men as the centuries have rolled past and is as frustrated as Ming that those stories have not been told because “men wrote the history books and they mostly wrote them to please kings or generals or male politicians.” Even though the women’s stories are there in letters, diaries and even old newspapers waiting to be discovered, the past has always viewed through a male lens.  She then offers Ming a way to travel back to the past for just 42 days, to see it for herself (even though it wouldn’t always be pleasant, pretty or comfortable) and be part of it although she, herself, would not be seen or heard and she couldn’t change anything that happened.

And so the reader is transported back into times past to experience what life was like for girls and women when men were viewed as superior beings in all ways, and females were merely appendages to cater to their whims.  Few had the courage, the independence of spirit, the opportunity and the wherewithal to stand up to make a difference but when they did, they began the changes that have led to the life we lead today.  Whether it is having a say in the governance of the country; putting the contribution and sacrifice of women in war in the spotlight; the contribution that they made to developing Australia’s  wool industry allowing the nation to “ride on the sheep’s back for so long; fighting the scourge of racism and letting a female’s intelligence shine, this series tackles so many issues that women have been confronted with and challenged over centuries. And, just as we are currently discovering the stories or hardship, perseverance and endurance behind our Olympians, so the reader learns that there is much more to the stories of the women that we hold as heroes – it is their hidden histories of facing and fighting convention, prejudice, opinion and oppression, that helped them become who we see them to be today.  

However, as well as telling the stories of these remarkable but very ordinary (in the beginning) people, there is also Ming’s own story unfurling and there is a sense that for her too, there is something more to come, that these adventures and revelations are all leading to something momentous for her.  

Jackie’s meticulous research and her ability to tell a story that is so engaging that the reader wants to learn more once again shines a spotlight on the women on whose shoulders we all stand and for whom we owe a strong debt of gratitude.  

And there is still one more to come in the series.  Bring it on.  

 

The Wobbly Bike

Aug6
The Wobbly Bike

The Wobbly Bike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wobbly Bike

Darren McCallum

Craig Smith

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760656416

Pop’s old bike is wobbly, it wobbles side to side.

It wobbles every single time I take it for a ride…

Learning to ride a bike, to perfect your balance, to master the two-wheeled monster is a rite of passage for so many Australian kids because suddenly they have the ability and the independence to venture further than the front gate to join their friends and have all sorts of new-found fun and adventures.  But what if the bike you are trying to control isn’t some shiny, new, fancy-dancy expensive models that probably uses AI or some other technical wizardry to keep you upright? What if it’s your pop’s own creaky, rusty model that is decades old, covered in cobwebs, and hasn’t been ridden since he was a lad?  Can you still learn to ride it? Can you master its wibbles and wobbles and other issues so you, too, can be a rider?  And does its age and looks matter to your mates as you wobble out the gate to join them?  Or are you just another kid to know the joy of the freedom of wheels?  

This is a humorous story-in-rhyme set against the backdrop of Darwin suburbia that celebrates the fun and falls that we all remember as we learned to ride; the pride we felt when we finally managed those first few shaky metres when the trainer wheels came off and the adult let go; the freedom we had as we ventured beyond the front gate and the joy we felt with all our friends as we did the dopey things that kids do because we knew no fear and no boundaries.  And no matter whether we were in the suburbs of Darwin, the green space in a city, or a dusty dirt road in a tiny country town, had a snazzy new bike or the hand-me-down from Pop, we all learned the same thing – you have to practise, practise, practise, accept the skinned knees,  pick yourself up, dust yourself down and try again. 

This is such a joyous book with its humour, rhyme and illustrations making something very special from something very ordinary, evoking memories, connecting kids and generations, and reminding us that things that are worthwhile are worth striving for.  After all, even Mulga Bill got there in the end!!!

 

 

Jack’s Island

Jul21
Jack’s Island

Jack’s Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack’s Island

Norman Jorgensen

Fremantle Press, 2024

224pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

 9781760992958

World War II, and following the bombings of Darwin, Broome and Onslow, the threat of a Japanese invasion of Western Australia looms large.  Jack’s father, with his specialist skills in road-making, is one of many required to go to Rottnest Island to construct an aerodrome as a first line of defence should Perth be attacked.  

As the local ferry Valkyrie hits turbulent seas on the journey there, with all but Jack hanging over the side in dire straits, it does not presage well for this to be a smooth period in young Jack’s life, and as he himself says, “I’m not that bad – I just get caught a lot.”  Jack soon teams up with Andrew “Banjo” Paterson and together, they find themselves in all sorts of strife as they just do the things that boys of that age in that era did – being in school where corporal punishment at the hands of stern schoolmasters was the norm, building billy carts and canoes, being where they shouldn’t because they are fascinated by what’s going on around them, climbing cliffs and trees with the inevitable consequences….

But as much as this story is about the derring-do of lads who find reserves of courage and resourcefulness they didn’t know they had, it is a story of friendship and loyalty and the acceptance of people for who they are as they are that only seems to happen amongst children.  This is particularly true when it comes to protecting the intellectually-challenged Dafty, and when he is lost overboard at sea, the boys are devastated. 

Norman Jorgensen has delved deep into his family’s past, particularly his father’s adventures on Rottnest during the war, and from this has created something unique – a story that shines a light on a past time when life was much more carefree in some ways, but also so much more restricted in others, not the least being the continuing prejudice towards those who are different in any way as well as rationing, conscription, and the threat of invasion hanging overhead especially when the boys find the helmet and rifle of a Japanese soldier at the base of a cliff. But for all that, there are times when it is LOL funny, and tear-in-your-eye serious, with endearing characters that took me back to my own childhood in post-war years when we roamed our local shoreline freely told to return only “when the tide turned or it got dark”. 

When this was first released, it won the WA Young Readers’ Book Award 2009 and was a CBCA Notable for that year, awards that were thoroughly deserved.  Now, re-released in a new livery, it remains an excellent read, one that will entertain and engage a new generation, including all those young lads who will see themselves in Jack and Banjo.    

To add an essential extra to the read, complete with actual photos of the time, be sure to watch and share this  remarkable book trailer

 

Bea’s Bad Day

Jun30
Bea's Bad Day

Bea’s Bad Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bea’s Bad Day

Tom Percival

Bloomsbury, 2024

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781526651358

Bea is really looking forward to her birthday and all the fun she will have with her Grandma, Bampi and all her cousins.  It was going to be perfect.  Until it wasn’t.  Snow started falling and before long it was too thick on the ground for anyone to travel safely.  This was not how she had imagined and planned her special day to be. Until…

Many modern parents turn themselves inside out trying to protect their children from being disappointed, yet learning to manage when things don’t go the way you expect them too is such an important life skill to learn.  There are always going to be times when things go awry and learning how to not only deal with them but bounce back and find the silver lining is part of learning to manage emotions and be resilient.

This is another in this series for young readers to learn to cope with big feelings that includes  Ruby’s Worry, Perfectly Norman, Ravi’s Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again, Milo’s Monster and Finn’s Little Fibs, each of which deals with everyday situations that our children face and are better off learning to navigate than being shielded from them.

The Sea in Me

Jun18
The Sea in Me

The Sea in Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sea in Me

Cody Simpson with Jess Black

Amandine Thomas

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761049965

A hot summer’s day and everyone seems to have had the same idea – to go to the beach. Rows of beach tents block the breeze, the jingle of the ice cream van is on repeat, the towels are so close they are touching and even the seagulls are grumpy as they squabble over spilled chips.  The sights and sounds are so overpowering and overwhelming that there is just one solution – to go for a swim , dive deep below the waves and relax…

The sounds from above are hazy and lost to me.
I can only hear my heartbeat, slow and steady.

Far below the hubbub above, there is peace and quiet and the sea creatures go about their lives as they have always done in a slow, repetitive rhythm that soothes jangled nerves and calms the soul in a magical way.

Sometimes, whether it is a physical experience like being at an overcrowded beach, or just embroiled in life itself, we will all feel that it is all too much and we just need to get away, to find solace in silence and stillness, to go to where the only sound is the inner voice in your head and listen to it.  And with today’s busy, frenetic lifestyle and all the outside noise imposing itself even on our youngest, this is a wonderful allegory to share to help them find that inner peace, whether that be under the waves or high in a tree or perched on a rock or snuggled under the blankets.  We all have a “sea” that is our sanctuary. 

Cody Simpson is a name that will be familiar to many – as a musician, aspiring Olympian and now writer he is well-qualified to write about the outside noise and pressures on his life.  Listening to an interview with Giaan Rooney immediately after just failing to make the Olympic team to go to Paris, this book could not have a more timely release.  He spoke of a time when he had to shut down all the distractions and listen to the voice of 12-year-old Cody telling him that he was a talented swimmer at that early age and had the potential to go far, and it was up to him to realise it.  The most powerful message though, comes from the ending – even though he didn’t achieve his ultimate goal, he gave it his all and he wasn’t going to go through life wondering “What if…” But it was that initial act of actively seeking that solitude and seclusion that allowed him to hear that voice that sparked the dream that was so critical.

So whether this book is just used as a peek at what is underneath the waves, or as part of a mindfulness program that encourages students to look deep within to find their “sea” and what it is telling them, it has a place for a wide audience and a message that goes far beyond the celebrity’s name on the cover.  Even if not as an Olympian or a musician, Simpson has offered himself as a role model of an entirely different sort.