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The Vanishing

Jul15
The Vanishing

The Vanishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vanishing

Mark Greenwood

Fremantle Press, 2024

112pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760993962

October 21, 1978.  A clear Spring night perfect for flying and a small Cessna plane takes off from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne bound for King Island, a trip that should take just over an hour to complete.  At the controls is a young pilot Frederick Valentich  whose intention is to land at King Island, pick up some crayfish and return home to his parents.

With a full fuel tanks giving him five hours flying time and a range of 800 kilometres, Fred checks in with Melbourne Flight Service, and hugging the Victorian coastline, advises them when is over Cape Otway before heading over Bass Strait to the island.  But six minutes out from Cape Otway, Fred contacts them again asking for information about any other aircraft in the area because there is something mysterious flying below him.  What follows is a six-minute conversation in which he remains calm but confused about this other craft, which ends in a series of strange sounds followed by silence but which begins one of Australia’s most baffling aviation mysteries.  For no trace of Fred or his aircraft has ever been found…

Another in the History Hunter series, this is an intriguing story made all the moreso because not only is it true, but it is also recent and there will be many parents who remember the publicity surrounding the disappearance.  Complete with the transcript of the conversation between Steve Robey of Melbourne Air Traffic Control Flight Service, the story details the flight of the Cessna and the subsequent search for it, including the many theories and sightings of what were then known as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and what are now labelled UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). What was the strangely lit, cigar-shaped craft that seemed to be travelling faster than any known aircraft at the time, and able to come at him from every direction, turning almost at whim?

The plaque commemorates the landmark of the disappearance of Frederick Valentich.

As with The Dragon’s Treasure, this is a compelling read that raises more questions than it answers -because the mystery has never been solved – and while it is written for a younger readership, it is one that is going to appeal to anyone with an interest in real-life mysteries, aviation and UAPs. As well as the more-to-explore pages, a simple online search offers lots of avenues to find out more and rabbit-holes to wander down.  Teaching notes can guide these explorations but the one question that remains unanswered, apart from what happened to Fred that night, is are we alone in the universe?

Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra

Jul14
Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra

Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra

Cassy Polimeni

Hykie Breeze

UWAP, 2024

92pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760802899

Life is a tad tough for Ella right now = her family has just moved house and, as she unpacks,  she’s finding it hard to let go of her old room and its familiarity, particularly her BFF Viv living next door.  No matter how hard her dad tries to make things fun, the constant rain and mess are really getting her down.  So when the rain does stop, she takes the opportunity to go outside into the fresh air and open space.  

Outside the garden seems full of promise for the future, but when she hears a strange crick-crick sound it’s seems the future is here.  What could be making that noise?  Bending down, by her gumboot she sees a tiny frog, no bigger than her thumb and it seems to be wanting her to follow it.  And so she does – and finds herself in the midst of something so special she is entranced.  For in front of her is an abandoned, overgrown pond full of an amazing variety of frogs, all calling to each other and creating her private frog orchestra.  

And when she starts at her new school, Ella learns that protecting the local frogs is a major focus of her classmates and she discovers so much more about the species as her new friend Mai shows her the school’s frog bog.  With her new knowledge and respect, Ella is devastated to discover her neighbour’s yard being dug up and her frogs have disappeared… 

This is a new series for newly independent readers that not only has characters that they will resonate with – so many will recognise the anxiety and other emotions that come with moving house and starting a new school – but which also has an original storyline that offers new insight into a common curriculum focus.  Who knew that frogs have a homing instinct that means they can find their way home because they know just where they belong?

As well as being one of the most common species investigated when it comes to learning about life cycles, frogs are also an indicator species, demonstrating that the local environment is healthy, although sadly, in Australia alone, there are more than 40 species listed as endangered or vulnerable.  Thus, building awareness of their importance through an engaging story, including instructions for building their own frog pond in their backyard, young students can begin to appreciate that while Ella’s frog orchestra  may be the turning point in her new life, they have a critical role in the bigger picture.  

An excellent story to springboard to greater investigations. 

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.  

Fluff: Mess Up!

Jul3
Fluff: Mess Up!

Fluff: Mess Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fluff: Mess Up!

Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2024

208pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9780733342110

When Gilbert’s father left – this time it’s because he was eaten by a sea monster –  Gilbert’s mum gave him a big fluffy bunny toy.  But this is no ordinary squishy soft toy – Fluff can talk and he has attitude.  

When their caravan is a pigsty after a food fight, Gilbert’s mum insists they clean up their own mess, but that’s not an idea that appeals to them. And so Fluff suggests they call in the professional cleaners…

Written for young readers who are transitioning to longer stories, with its minimal text on each page, madcap characters and an outrageous plot laced with young-lad humour, this will appeal to those who don’t want their reading to be a complex, time-consuming task but still want to enjoy a good story. Stanton knows how and what to write to reach those who are still looking for a reason to read and this series, likes his others which include The Odds,  Funny Kid  and Bored  nails that brief.  And when they look for what’s next, then there’s always Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths!

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Jun24
Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Russell Punter

Josh Cleland

Usborne, 2024

80pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781805315889

The Animal Action Squad is a top secret organisation of superheroes dedicated to fighting crime, and Supersquirrel is one of its operatives.  With her undercover occupation as a taxi driver, and her superpowers including being able to fly extremely quickly, x-ray vision and superhearing, she has to outwit the fiendish criminal mastermind Dr Drizzle and his sidekick Rocky who have stolen a top secret formula meaning danger if it gets in the wrong hands.

But she can’t do it alone – she needs the reader’s help, and this is what sets this remarkable little book aside from so many.  Part stepping-stone novel, part graphic novel, it is packed full of puzzles and clues that the reader needs to solve, making it as interactive as a print text can be.  Being directly involved as a character means the reader has to engage with the story, the text and its illustrations rather than a skim-read-what’s next book.  It can be read alone or shared as participants stop to consider what they have learned from a particular excerpt and how it fits into the overall scheme of things, encouraging deeper thinking, reflection and synthesising information. Although it doesn’t require making decisions to determine the path of the story, it could lead to an interest in the choose-your-own-adventure genre. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

This is the first in this series that I predict will become a must-have as it reaches out to newly independent readers, including those who are beginning to think that reading doesn’t really hold much for them.  So much more fun than pressing or tapping buttons just to accumulate a high score.  

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Jun21
Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Rob Lloyd Jones

Wazza Pink

Usborne, 2024

16pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781805312185

This is a board book with just 16 pages, but in those 16 pages the reader is taken on the most remarkable journey along a river that is the world’s largest drainage system and which, because of the forests through which it flows, has been called “the lungs of the earth”. 

Through remarkable illustrations that leap off the page and a lift-the-flap format that make it interactive and thus more engaging, the reader is introduced to the Amazon’s flora and fauna in the canopy, along the river, in the jungle and on the ground as well as some of the peoples who have lived there for over 10 000 years. 

But this is not a mere travel guide and neither does it tell the entire story for there is so much more to be discovered.  Its purpose is to begin raising awareness of this remarkable, crucial landscape that is critical to the health of the planet. but as we are told, “While you’re read this book thousands more trees have been cut down [and] at this rate, the Amazon rainforest will be gone.” And so will its ability to counteract some of the pollution that is pumped into the planet’s atmosphere each day.

Part of the Extreme Planet series which includes Journey to the Earth’s Core, in which young readers are introduced to some of the amazing habitats of Earth and their inhabitants, in a way that is accessible to them through both format and text, it inspires a desire to know more as the narrative directly embraces the reader as their boots “squelch on the rotting woods and fallen leaves” and insects scurry through the gloom because so little sunlight reaches the forest floor. But beware – bright and colourful as they may be, some are deadly… Use this link to see for yourself.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

And for those who do want to know more, there are the usual Quicklinks which are such a unique and integral part of this publisher’s presentations. Perhaps students could use what they learn and the format of the book to develop a wall display to help raise the awareness of their peers. 

One thing is for certain – by the time they have read this book, the word “Amazon” will be so much more than a large online shopping mall.  

Dragons of Hallow (series)

Jun15
Dragons of Hallow (series)

Dragons of Hallow (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragons of Hallow (series)

Spellhound

9781761180057

Fledgewitch

9781761067365

A & U Children’s, 2024

352pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

The first in this series begins… There are Three Great Secrets in Hallow, a country that loves secrets almost as much as it loves green jellybabies. No, I’m not going to tell you anything more about them. I am a loyal citizen of Hallow, and would never betray—
Oh, you have jellybabies?
Green ones?
Well, I suppose I could tell you a little more.
Come closer. Open your ears and your heart, and pass the green jellybabies.
I will tell you a story about an enormous magical pup, a child Queen and a very small minch-wiggin with the unfortunate title of Destroyer-of-Dragons…

And continues with a tale of “falsehoods, fortitude and friendship” about how a minch-wiggin, a Queen, and a rather large magical pup need to find the dragon that has turned their worlds upside-down-even if it means revealing all they want to keep hidden…

Two years later in Fledgewitch, life has moved on and Queen Rose is now twelve, and ruling Hallow with the Regent, Uncle Edwin and this story centres on ten-year-old Brim taken by Count Zaccar and Countess Xantha  to the School for the Prevention of Witches  because are the three Laws of Quill, carved in stone outside every town hall, and learnt by every schoolchild:
There shall be No Witches.
There shall be No Dragons.
There shall be NO SECRETS.

But Brim, despite having feathers sprouting from her elbows, and being the only one who can remember Snort, the Horned Glob, doesn’t believe she is a witch, one to be feared and outcast because of their dangerous, evil ways.

And so the story unfolds in a tale deeply rooted with themes of family, faith, loyalty and courage with engaging characters who display all those traits that we expect as they are pitted against dastardly, devious villains.  With its length, its seemingly unrelated stories  as well as the twists and turns in the plot, and the opportunity to put clues together if they are picked up, this is a series for fantasy-loving independent readers looking for something to sustain them over long winter nights, best read in order and best to read the first to establish the characters and their history and relationships – although these may not be what they seem.  

For those who want to know more about the author and how the series came to life, read this Q&A. 

 

 

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Jun14
Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Joanna Grochowicz

A & U Children’s, 2024

272pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761180590

Sir Douglas Mawson. His face is on the $A100 note; he has streets, suburbs and places named after him scattered across the country; and  the longest continuously operating station south of the Antarctic Circle bears his name.

So who is he and what did he do to deserve these honours? 

To learn that we need to go back to winter in Antarctica in 1912, just months after Amundsen and Scott have reached the South Pole, and a young Australian driven by his passion to contribute to scientific knowledge leads the Australian Antarctic Expedition intent on establishing research bases on the continent and sub-Antarctic islands to explore and chart the east Antarctic coastline  and learn from it.  As disaster befalls his team and gradually they perish, Mawson finds himself alone but is so determined to take both data and specimens back to base that he struggles on alone for 30 days, arriving just a few hours after the ship sent to retrieve the party had left..

Mawson’s remarkable tale of determination, endurance and resilience is retold in this absorbing narrative non fiction, the latest addition to this series which includes the journeys of Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton . Using a range of primary and secondary sources, its polar historian author tells the stories of these early pioneers of Antarctic exploration in a way that brings them to life, with all their foibles and faults as well as courage and tenacity, engaging the reader in a way that facts and figures, bare statements and grainy photographs can’t.  

And for those for whom a 272page book might be a bit daunting, there is also Douglas Mawson in the brilliant Meet… series, so an  opportunity for all to know a little about this remarkable real here. 

My own connections to the Antarctic were outlined in my review of Into the White – Scott’s Antarctic Odyssey but these are stories of real-life heroes that don’t require that sort of legacy to inspire their reading – these are for any independent reader of any age who enjoys true stories of doing the seemingly impossible, particularly in times when it is the human endeavour rather than the technological wizardry that determine success or otherwise.  Who knows – introducing a young person to this series just might be the trigger for a lifetime.

How to Build a Home

Jun12
How to Build a Home

How to Build a Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Build a Home

George Clarke

Robert Sae-Heng

Farshore, 2024

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

9780008587895

At a time when some of our students are living in less-than-ideal conditions and the term “housing crisis” seems to be mentioned incessantly, houses and homes are receiving more attention than usual.  And it’s not just the lifestyle programs with their innovative construction techniques and fancy interior design that are featuring – it’s the provision of one of the basic needs of human beings -shelter. And because it is a basic human requirement there are homes all around the world, each different from each other is shape, size, construction and materials, yet all providing for that same purpose. 

In this new addition to the Little Experts series, architect George Clarke examines the who, what, and how of construction of a home in this modern time providing an introductory insight into the processes involved from design to the build to the completed product, demonstrating why it is a more complex task than it appears and why there is no magic wand to the problem of not enough for everyone. But there is hope as forward-thinkers  explore new materials like the fibre from mushrooms or the seed pods of the cacao tree and even consider new technologies that might automatically adjust the room temperature by measuring body heat. 

As well as the basic explanation of home building, readers are invited to “think like an architect” and redesign their own bedrooms, offering all sorts of scope to plan and design model homes using anything from old shoeboxes to Lego or letting the imagination go wild with dreams that may become reality.  Why not have a toilet that analyses the products it collects for potential illnesses? Or a window that changes the ‘view’ to whatever will calm and relax the viewer at the time? In the past, and even now for some, the size of the home was a status symbol that announced the owner’s level of prosperity to the world and the power they wielded – in the past some countries introduced chimney and window taxes as revenue raisers – and today fewer and fewer young people envisage owning their own homes because of the cost.  Perhaps, after reading this, our young people will consider the purpose of the home and  there will be a shift in thinking to value more environmentally friendly dwellings that just do their job of providing shelter and something more than a tent in winter won’t just be a pipedream. 

This is another in this excellent series which looks at the ordinary and discovers the extraordinary.  

The Secret Doorway

Jun8
The Secret Doorway

The Secret Doorway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Doorway

Catherine Sheridan

Little Steps, 2023

236pp., pbk., RRP $A18.95

9781922833297

Anna and her brother Peter are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, leaving their home in Australia for a holiday in Ireland. Just before they leave, Anna has a dream about black birds, a huge, gnarly tree and an old key, and being in danger. But despite having special gifts of seeing and feeling things that others cannot, Anna has no idea that what she dreamed may become reality.

Their holiday home backs onto a forest, and having met up with some local kids and enjoying camping in the backyard, when a peculiar fog lit by strange lights roll in,  they can’t resist investigating and find themselves in a world of magical folk and mysterious happenings.  But getting back to their home isn’t as simple as finding the fence and climbing over it… 

The subtitle of this book – the first in a series – is “Four  go on an Adventure” and for those of us of a certain vintage it immediately stirs images of the much-loved stories by Enid Blyton and certainly the connections continue as the story unfolds and the children find themselves in an enchanted forest having to help those who live there but facing situations that have to be confronted and solved.  While there are many portal stories for young independent readers to choose, this is one that is a safe, gentle escape, perhaps the next step on from The Magic Faraway Tree series that they can now read for themselves; maybe  even a gateway to those series about The Adventurous Four,  The Famous Five, and The Secret Seven connecting them not only to the stories of a bygone era that sparked daydreams but also to their older relatives who may have enjoyed them just as much.