Garth Nix, Goldenhand (Old Kingdom #5), Allen & Unwin, Oct 2016, 400pp., $24.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781741758634 Goldenhand is the fifth instalment in the Old Kingdom series. It works well as a stand- alone novel, although, if you have read any of the others in the series, Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, and Clariel, it does improve your enjoyment in that several familiar characters appear. This novel continues the story of Lirael and Nicholas Sayre, presumably started in Lirael, which I haven’t read. Lirael is now the Abhorsen in waiting, appointed to succeed Sabriel. The Abhorsen is a strong necromancer and mage, the enemy…
Author: Admin
Michael McMahon, Melbourne Word by Word, Little Hare/Hardie Grant Egmont, 1Sept 2016, 64pp., $29.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760126674 Idiosyncratic, quirky and retro are the first words that come to mind as I explore the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Melbourne in this beautifully produced picture book. Michael McMahon’s ‘retro style’ graphic images matched with an eclectic mix of words act as mind maps for exploring the city in an interesting, adventurous way. With an adult at hand the young reader can find himself in discussion about summer in Melbourne or doing some bric-a-brac shopping, smiling at the entrance of Luna Park and…
Tania Lacy (text), Danielle McDonald (illus.) Tracy Lacy is Completely Coo-Coo Bananas!!!, Scholastic Australia, 1 Sept 2016, 288pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760156251 This quirky graphic novel is a thoroughly enjoyable, laugh out loud comedic interpretation of pre-pubescent struggles with identity. Or as Tracey Lacey would say, this is the bestest book ever! Tracey Lacey is a twelve-year-old girl who has experienced enough ‘socially catastrophic catastrophes’ in her seven years of primary school to award her a terrible score on the HA-YA (How Awesome You Are) scale. But all is not lost! High School is looming and it offers a…
Jennifer Higgie, There’s Not One, Scribble Books/Scribe, 29 August 2016, 28pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925321708 There is something special about colour and its ability to captivate and delight. Jennifer Higgie treats us to a riotous palette in this glorious book that celebrates the vastness and diversity of our world in simple but stunning style. We are invited to consider that there are billions, even zillions, of all sorts of things in the world, from baked beans to rain drops, and how they are all part of a bigger picture. It is a seemingly simple concept, but there is so much…
Corinne Maier (text), Anne Simon (illus.), Einstein, Nobrow/Walker Books Australia, 1 July 2016, 72pp., $27.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781910620014 This imaginative and inspired account of Albert Einstein’s life is sure to have received a tick of approval from the great thinker himself. Presented in graphic-novel form, and brimming with sharp and witty dialogue, this book moves through Einstein’s struggles in school, his stormy romantic life, and flight from Nazi occupation. It also studies his difficulties in dealing with fame and family life, and presents some of his biggest theories in simple and entertaining form. Maier and Simon previously tackled Freud and Marx in their…
Kathy Willis (text), Katie Scott (illus.), Botanicum (Welcome to the Museum series), The Five Mile Press, September 2016, 112pp., $39.95 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760403423 Green thumbs and lovers of all things leafy will swoon at the sight of this magnificent tome. Katie Scott (who illustrated the amazing Animalium) and Kathy Willis have created a horticultural museum to make you feel you’ve crossed the threshold into a magical and timeless kingdom of plants. Journey through the history and variety of the world’s plants, from the beginnings of plant life on earth to today; from the most beautiful and exotic, to the strangest and…
Julia Hubery (text), Lucia Masciullo (illus.), The Ballad of Henry Hoplingsea, Hardie Grant Egmont, 1 Sept 2016, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760121259 Oh, sweet Henry – the lengths he will go to to win his darling Carmelita’s heart are certainly admirable. Too bad for farmer Henry, Carmelita has her sights set on the glamorous life of a princess (don’t we all!). Knowing what she wants from a husband, Henry Hoplingsea sets off to become the knight in shining armour his beloved is pinning for. The gorgeous pencil and watercolour illustrations by Lucia Masciullo sit perfectly alongside Julia Hubrey’s text. The images…
Kathleen Glasgow, Girl in Pieces, HarperCollins Australia, 1 Oct 2016, 416pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781460751053 Charlie Davis wants to fit the pieces of herself together but she can’t. There’s been too much pain and sorrow in her life. Instead, relief is a sharp slice. This story follows Charlie as she stumbles along the path to recovery. Girl in Pieces is for older teens, aged 15 and over. It is packed with triggers. It deals with sex, drug abuse, self-harm, alcohol, explicit language, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and suicide. Though the themes are dark, the story is not depressing or bleak. We…
Penny Morrison (text), Gabriel Evans (illus.), Captain Sneer the Buccaneer, Walker Books Australia, 1 Sept 2016, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781922179609 He may be the Captain, he may be after the gold, but we know Sneer the Buccaneer is not really all that bold. Fun rhyming will delight children ages three and over and engage them in this rollicking adventure full of action and surprises. While Miss Five and I are enjoying this book now, it took a few reads for us to embrace it, and appreciate the layered storytelling. We also realised I had forgotten the most important element of…
Sam Winston (text), Oliver Jeffers (illus.) A Child of Books, Walker Books Australia, 1 Sept 2016, 40pp., $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406358315 Endpapers filled with the titles and authors of literary works indicate to the reader they are in for a treat with this exceptional picture book. The verbal text is told in the first person from a young girl’s perspective as she tells of her travels through her reading. The visuals are simple yet complex. For example, she stands on a log raft with a blank page for a sail, the choppy ocean is made from the text of several titles…