Author: Admin

Nova Weetman, Sick Bay, University of Queensland Press, June 2019, 280 pp., RRP $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9780702260322 Having met in sick bay, Riley and Meg are intrigued by each other and little by little, as circumstances contrive to bring them together, become friends. Twelve year old Riley must choose between her popular group or the very unpopular Meg. There is a reason behind Meg’s odd behaviour. She appears to be a loner, wears slippers and the same ratty t-shirt to school each day, spouts bookish quotes and carries a paper bag. On the surface, Riley appears cool and confident, hanging…

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Eric Veille, Encyclopedia of Grannies, Gecko Press, April 2019, 32 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781776572434 Inside every granny, there’s a small house, and in that house is that same granny when she was a little girl. That’s where she still lives. Though not a comprehensive collection of every Granny in existence, this little volume is a cute compendium of the quirks and features of the breed of human known as grandmother. This book collates and categorises Grannies by their physical attributes (Creases, Flexibility), their habits (Knitting, The Waiting Room) and offers little-known facts about their inner lives. This book…

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Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz (YA Edition), Allen & Unwin, June 2019, 352 pp., RRP $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760686031 Imre Kertesz, an Auschwitz survivor, and a novelist writing about the Holocaust and its aftermath, won the Nobel prize in 2002 for upholding the ‘fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history’ (The Paris Review #205, p 224). The story of how The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lale Sokolov, survived is a moving account of one such experience. It is a challenge to live through those horrors and then manage to describe them in a way that is bearable and acceptable, but…

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Michael Earp, (ed.), Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories, Walker Books Australia, June 2019, 320 pp., RRP $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760651039 The twelve short stories in this collection reflect the inclusive and intersectional Australian LBGTQIA+ community. Some are more successful than others. In several stories, the use of non-gender specific pronouns for non-binary characters takes a bit of getting used to, but like all new terminology, the more it’s used, the more comfortable it will be. According to wikipedia “Some non-binary/genderqueer people prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns. Usage of singular ‘they’, ‘their’ and ‘them’ is the most common; and ze, sie,…

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Robie H. Harris (text) and Chris Chatterton(illustrator), Now What? A Math Tale, Candlewick Books, June 2019, 32 pp., RRP $34.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780763678289 Puppy and his teddy, Bear, share their project of constructing a bed for themselves out of blocks. This is no easy task, especially when the blocks are all different sizes and shapes. Together Puppy and Bear make decisions regarding direction and space, while also problem solving, experimenting and trialling different ideas and solutions to reach their goal. Puppy and Bear demonstrate persistence and creativity in tackling their task and share in celebrating their success. Puppy is an inviting character who is illustrated…

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Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti (text) and Teresa Lawrence (illustrator), Around the Globe with Gramps, Celapene Press, November 2018, 60 pp., RRP $14.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781925572155 There are many examples of memorable grandparent characters in children’s literature, but there are few as realistic and engaging as the loveable grandfather in Around the Globe with Gramps. Gramps has invested a great deal of time, energy and love into his active relationship with granddaughter Lucy. Fridays have been their special day. An ex-geography teacher, Gramps fills their time with learning activities based on places around the world. Craft, research, cooking, dress-ups: this energetic grandfather is…

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Mandia Robertson, Mortimer Goes to School, Forty South Publishing, January 2019, 24 pp.,RRP $19.95 (hbk), ISBN 9780987628916 Mandia Robertson, Mr and Mrs Mouse Move In, Forty South Publishing, January 2019, 24 pp., RRP $19.95 (hbk), ISBN 9780987628923 In Mortimer Goes to School, the first day of school has arrived, but rather than being excited, Mortimer feels sick. His tummy and head hurt and he wants to stay home. He tries to convince his parents he will be well behaved if they let him stay at home, but his parents help him prepare and take him to meet his new teacher.…

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Kim Z Ladiges, Zeph and the Yeti, Forty South Publishing, March 2019, 48 pp., RRP $24.95, ISBN 9780987628930 Zeph longs for daring adventure. He thinks that school is the dullest and boringest beat … He read of explorers daring and bold who didn’t need homework, or do what they’re told. And so the search for a Yeti came to his mind and off he set. Told in well-maintained rhyming couplets – great for reading aloud – we see Zeph set out to find a Yeti and tested on his search by challenging situations, all of which he overcomes with daring…

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James O’Loghlin (text) and Matthew Martin (illustrator), Unpopular Me (The New Kid), Pan Macmillan, May 2018, 224 pp., RRP $10.00 (pbk), ISBN 978176055425 Sam and his parents have just moved from Adelaide to Canberra and so Sam is the new kid in a new school – a tough and recognisable situation for many kids. The book describes his sometimes hilarious, sometimes pathetic attempts to change others’ perceptions of him. Sam’s first person narrative, often as an internal monologue, shows his naivety and occasional maturity as he navigates this challenging situation. Martin’s cartoon-like illustrations complement the text. I was occasionally troubled…

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James O’Loghlin (text) Matthew Martin (illustrator),Very Popular Me (The New Kid #2), Pan Macmillan Australia, June 2019, 216 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760554835 James O’Loghlin writes very funny books. It is easy to laugh out loud at Sam, his mother and father as they blunder through James O’Loghlin’s version of their family life, school life and life in general. The story of this little novel isn’t as important as the fun we have along the way—that’s what really matters. Sam, in this installment of his adventures, finds himself suddenly very popular at school, then just as abruptly very unpopular…

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