Natalie Jane Prior (text), Cheryl Orsini (illus.), The Tales of Mrs Mancini, ABC Books/HarperCollins Australia, 1 Nov 2016, 48pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9780733335655 When first presented with the cover of The Tales of Mrs Mancini, one could be tempted to dismiss this book as light and fluffy. The pink tones, the flowers and cakes, could put off those readers who are disinclined to “girly” books. What a mistake that would be, because what Prior and Orsini have created is a thoughtful and smart book which would appeal to all readers interested in relationships between young people. This is a collection…
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Reviewer Heather shares her top picks for 2016… Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner This is a collection of essays – a mix of personal reflections and essays reflecting on some of the criminal cases Garner has sat in on. It was the personal reflections that I loved. It was like dipping into a conversation with an old friend or watching someone beautifully pull out wisps of your mind ala Dumbledore pulling out memories with his wand. Garner writes about the little things in life with such profundity and warmth. Her story about her relationship with her patriarchal father really resonated…
David Benedictus (text), Mark Burgess (illus.), Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, Hardie Grant Egmont, Oct 2016, 216pp., $29.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781405284561 Many years ago David Benedictus wrote a couple of short stories and submitted them to the trustees of the Milne estate. Then they asked him to submit some more, and altogether the collection was eventually published as Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, the first compilation of new Pooh tales since 1928. Throughout this book Benedictus manages to capture the wry humour and innocent attitude of Milne’s original stories and to uphold the themes of friendship, discovery and the…
June Perkins (text), Helene Magisson (illus.), Magic Fish Dreaming, Gumbootspearlz Press, 8 Oct 2016, 48pp., $17.00 (pbk), ISBN: 9780980731187 Helene Magisson’s gentle, whimsical water colour illustrations cleverly capture the essence and magic at the heart of this collection of poetry by June Perkins. Drawing from the natural world of northern Queensland, Perkins explores such topics as the spirit of the cassowary, the dance of the geckos, night hunting of the tawny owl, a child’s dislike of cane toads and the power of the elements using a variety of poetic styles. Although Perkin’s language and analogies may be a little sophisticated for…
Amnesty International UK (Ed), Here I Stand: stories that speak for freedom, Walker Books Australia, 1 Nov 2016, 320pp., $22.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781406358384 Formed in 1961, Amnesty International is the world’s largest human rights organization; it gives voice to the voiceless and aims to protect people’s rights to ‘justice, fairness, freedom and truth.’ As Nicky Parker, Amnesty International UK reminds us, our human rights must be constantly defended and it is this belief that underpins this wonderful collection of short stories and poems by twenty-five leading authors and illustrators. Chris Riddell’s powerful cover illustration sets the tone for this collection of…
Bianca Schulze (text), Shaw Nielsen (illus.), 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up, Oct 2016, Quarto Publishing/Murdoch Books, 144pp., $17.99 (pbk), ISBN: 978163322169751295 Mother, reviewer, children’s book lover and founder of The Children’s Book Review website, Bianca Schulze, has compiled a terrific collection of children’s fiction, both classic and modern, from around the world in a book that will appeal as much to adults as to children. ‘101’ stories categorized by age (4 -11) but suitable for any children’s book lover, cover such topics as adventure, animals, fantasy, friendship, historical fiction, poetry & rhyme and humour to name a…
Laurel Remington, The Secret Cooking Club, Scholastic Australia, Oct 2016, 288pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781910655245 Yummy food, pre-teen angst, social awkwardness, a fraught maternal relationship and an innocent crush – this is a recipe for a great read! Scarlett’s mother is a popular blogger, which is great really except for the fact that she uses all of Scarlett’s most embarrassing secrets as fodder for her online content. The only thing Scarlett can do is quit all of her extra curricular activities and isolate herself from her friends so her Mum has absolutely nothing of interest to write about. Oh, and never let…
Norman Jorgensen, The Smuggler’s Curse, Fremantle Press, 3 Oct 2016, 320pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925164190 “I cannot believe it. My mum has gone and sold me.” From this engaging first line ensues a fast-paced, action-packed adventure story. Red Reading is a normal boy. He goes to school and helps his mum run her hotel, The Smuggler’s Curse in Broome. He gets into a bit of trouble at school and doesn’t always do what his mum asks but surely that’s no reason to sell him off to a deadly smuggler? Red is a likeable character who matures from a mischievous schoolboy into…
Malcolm McNeill, The Beginning Woods, Pushkin/Murdoch Books, Oct 2016, 400pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781782690900 Occasionally a book comes along that has the power to make you reflect on the status quo. The core values, beliefs and social ideologies that are seemingly set. It is all the better when this questioning is wrapped up in a compelling story with beautifully developed characters and an impossible world made possible with ingenious description. The Beginning Woods is one such book and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into its pages and having the ideas take root in my mind when the story was long finished. This…
Michael Adams, Carnage (The Seven Signs #2), Scholastic Australia, Nov 2016, 192pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781743628027 Following on from Skyfire’s dramatic cliffhanger, Carnage, the second instalment of Michael Adams’s brilliant new adventure series The Seven Signs, delivers yet more fast paced action and first rate intrigue. The world is in chaos, the U.N. mystified by the catastrophic computer failures they believe are responsible for the tragic devastation in Egypt. Felix Scott, (a.k.a the Internet King) has taken it upon himself to step up and pledge his support at the U.N. crisis meetings. Meanwhile, Scott’s seven DARE award winning protégées remain…