Dragon Towers by Pip Bird. Illus. by David O'Connell
Farshore, 2024. ISBN: 9780008641863. (Age:5+)
Ten-year-old Theo LOVES dragons. In fact, he is obsessed by them and he knows every dragon type, has every dragon book there is and has even made his own Dragon Rider jacket. So when he gets his letter inviting him to dragon school it's a dream come true.
At Dragon Towers every child is paired with their very own dragon best friend, and every dragon has their own special magic power, from fire-breathing to going invisible and even making slime. Theo can't wait to find out what type of dragon he has. But when he meets his dragon Wanda she doesn't seem to have any powers at all.
A recent query about books about dragons for a young reader obsessed with dragons revealed that this is a much sought-after topic, particularly among boys in middle primary who are perhaps imagining themselves as the hero that Theo dreams of being at the beginning of the story before he is rudely awakened by his mother. Complete with all the fantastic creatures that one would expect to encounter as well as the adventures and quests as the young students aspire to be First Riders like the famous Ada and Faust, this is one for those transitioning to longer novels but still needing some of the supports of stepping stones.
With the next episode, The Ghostly Surprise, not due until late September this could be one to give to your dragon fanatics to decide whether it is a series worth collecting for the library. As well as feeding their interest, they will have a reason for reading.
Themes Dragons.
Barbara Braxton
The dog who danced on the moon by John Boyne. Illus. by Ashling Lindsay
This wonderful rhyming text tells the tale of Jeremy and his dog, Maxwell. Jeremy is besotted with space and watches the night sky with a passion. Maxwell is a dancing dog whose footsteps can be heard hopping over the ceiling, on the bed and even Jeremy’s head. Jeremy is dismayed when he tells his class of his interest, but Maxwell notices an ad in the paper, asking for adventurous people to fly into space. The pair goes along to NASA, but their age is against them. But they pass the tests set by the important man who finds that they are suitable and spins them off into space. Here they fix some of the satellites, discover new rocks and some new flowers.
While jetting to Mars and Venus they notice a comet coming their way. They work out it will hit the earth and its projected point of landing will be Perth, Western Australia. They make suggestions to the NASA base suggesting the comet be turned towards a black hole. Maxwell knows what to do: he stands on the rocket dancing, which spreads space dust out into the night sky, diverting the rocket into the black hole. On arriving back home, they find they are famous, feted by newspapers and cameramen.
People who had underestimated them now have to eat humble pie while Maxwell becomes a celebrity being the first dog to have danced on the moon.
Glorious illustrations cover each page, with lots of images of space to dwell on, with planets and stars, satellites and the moon, trails of space dust, comets and rockets all thrilling the readers, learning some of the words which apply to things in the night sky.
A wonderful exploration of being underestimated, of having skills that are derided by others, this book has huge appeal to all those space nerds out there, anyone who craves adventure and those whose minds are aglow with possibilities. And all told against the wonderfully bright and colour filled background of outer space.
Themes Space, Space exploration, Comets, Adventure, Determination.
Beyond Carousel follows directly on from Carousel. Nox, Izzy and Taylor have escaped the shopping complex and now face the world that Perth has become while they were imprisoned inside. Danger is ever present – wild dogs roam the streets; Loots lurk in alleyways and they now must find food and shelter. It is a post-apocalyptic world, with houses empty, broken roads and no one to repair the energy sources of electricity and gas. They go to the hills where they find a house with solar panels and rest there for a while, meeting Tommy, a photographer who is interviewing survivors and documenting what is happening. The trio know that they must venture out to discover what has happened to their loved ones, so leave the safety of the hills. But their venture is perilous. Will they survive? Will they learn what has happened to all but the artists that they have met?
The book is written in the voice of Nox who is easy to relate to. Isolation from Izzy and Taylor forces him to trust himself and by the end of Beyond Carousel he has matured into a leader who is courageous and caring. Ritchie also sensitively writes about gay relationships and conflict with family members. Combined with the character development are breathtaking chases, encounters with pit bulls and peril from exploding gas.
Pervading Beyond Carousel is a theme of Art and the place of artists in society. A wonderful light show brightens Perth every night, a famous film actress works on a monologue and stunning art works are produced. However, without the Patrons, ordinary people, Perth disintegrates into a broken shell.
Ritchie’s rich and thrilling conclusion satisfactorily answers some of the questions posed in the duology but leaves the reader pondering unresolved ones. Other books featuring people trapped in shopping centres include Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight, and Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne.
This first junior novel by author/illustrator Lorena Carrington is a gentle story about independent Hazel and her fascination with nature. She is a keen photographer and has moved on from collecting natural items to take home, to taking photographs which are thoughtfully spread throughout the entire book.
While out in the bushland near her home Hazel meets Cole, a boy who collects things just as she does, but he stores them in his clothing with multiple pockets. He has a treasure trove of useful items to share with Hazel including the amazing ability to find items to replace the words he does not speak.
While they are closely observing an area of the bush, Hazel and Cole discover a hidden box. Inside the box are some small old fashioned toys plus a book with handwritten clues. The clues are for the finders of the box to try to identify the owner. The two children work closely together to try to decode and solve each of the puzzles and in the end there is a surprise for Hazel.
This delightful story is about friendship, the joy of solving challenging problems, and the beauty of natural world. The black and white photographs add another dimension to the story and the answers to the puzzles are a handy inclusion. There is also an opportunity for the reader to add their own treasures to the book.
This is the way we walk along, walk along, walk along, This is the way we walk along on a sunny funny morning. SLIP SLAP TRIP TRAP FAST SLOW! LET'S GO!
All sorts of young children are making their way across town using any means they can - skateboarding, rising the train, on the zipline, even in a wheelchair. But where are they going? Why are they making such an effort? What could be so important?
This is an engaging story for young readers who will have fun identifying all the ways the children are travelling as their tongues wrap themselves around the familiar rhythm, rhyme and patterns of the classic Here we go round the mulberry bush, and joining in, the anticipation building as they predict where the children are going and why.
But as well as being a fun read for little ones, it's also an excellent kickstart for building vocabulary for those slightly older who are beginning to write their own stories and who need to expand their vocabularies beyond the common but boring 'I went...' Using the examples in the book as a launch pad, there could be a fascinating word wall built of alternatives beginning with modes of transport, but then venturing into creating mood and atmosphere with alternatives like I crept or I stomped. Not only does it encourage them to be more adventurous with their words, it demonstrates the impact of using them to build a story.
American history is not always neat, and this book weaves the tale of the ‘ghosts’ – the long-dead ancestors whose journey as chattels of the slave trade gets remembered and honoured in a modern-day literary exploration and a legal fight. After a horrendous journey, and a shipwreck the survivors wash up on a small island off the Florida coast – Dark Isle. The island is cursed by the formerly African inhabitants and their survival is a miracle, and they are joined by escapees from slavery. In the present day, Lovely Jackson, an elderly woman who was born on the island many generations after the slaves arrived, is keen to have the story of her forbears raised to public attention and writes a self-published account of Dark Isle’s history which comes to the attention of a bookshop owner, a noted author - Mercer Mann, and a pro-bono environmental lawyer. The timing of the interest in this elderly woman’s account coincides with a land grab by a wealthy developer wanting the island for big scale development and Casino construction. Will the history of the island be lost, or can one woman’s retrospective memoir and her legal fight protect the ghosts from the ambush of progress?
Grisham has created a captivating story that almost has a non-fiction quality – an unfolding of history, woven with the fiction threads of intriguing characters, a disquieting setting, and the mystical possibility of curses and danger. The fight for the rights of a woman to protect her ancestral burial grounds feels a little like an indigenous land fight, but in a southern USA and slavery context. The twists and turns of a legal contest are part of Grisham’s literary armoury, and this book reveals how complex the law can be. In addition, the author Mercer’s role in bringing the story to national attention uncovers the complexities of publishing a marketable story. The star of the book though is the character Lovely Jackson, a formidable and forthright advocate for her history, and a reminder that rights are not always easy to argue and sometimes wily activists are needed to enable protection.
Themes Afro-American history, Slave trade, Legal rights, Authors and authorship.
The Run Team, Ghost, Patina, Sunny and Lu have been chosen for their particular abilities and they all know Sunny can’t be beaten in long distance running events. It is coming up for Sunny’s thirteenth birthday but that is also his mother’s death day, the day she died giving birth to him, a difficult day to remember. She was a runner too and Sunny’s father always tells him he must run for his mother and how proud she would have been of his success. When Sunny stops running in the middle of a race it is because winning doesn’t feel right anymore but he can’t explain it. He tells the coach he would rather dance. Aurelia, Sunny’s home-school teacher, had suggested Sunny put his feelings down in a diary rather than yelling and so now, with feelings going 'boing boing in my brain' he starts again. Through the diary Sunny teases out his feelings; his relationship with his father, his reliance on his teammates, the only friends he has. The diary helps examine big feelings which supports big conversations with loved ones with humour and fun wordplay. When the coach comes up with a way for Sunny to make new moves and stay in the team it is the team support that helps Sunny find his way forward. This, the third in the Track series is a great addition, dedicated ‘To the weirdos'.
Themes Athletics, Friendship, Family relationships, Death of a parent, Teamwork.
Compared to the big and boisterous city of Biggerborough, Charlie's home town of Little Import is very staid and sedate, which is extremely embarrassing for someone who is supposed to slay monsters and keep people safe. But in reality, Charlie had never even seen a monster, let alone fought one, and she spent her days reading about them in her Big Book of Beastly Brutes and imagining them.
But what she didn't realise was that the slow demise wasn't being caused by the brashness of Biggerborough and the knights there fighting mile-high monsters and ogres, but by a host of little monsters that were hiding in plain sight in her own town. It starts with her helping the baker get rid of the Triple-Tier Hungerbeak who has been eating his pastries every night for a week and the word of her knowledge and bravery spreading...
This is one of the most original stories I've read and reviewed for a long time, one that will have readers of all ages engaged in Charlie's adventures. As each character presents Charlie with their problem, there is a description of the monster in a separate box and so astute readers will want to use the clues to see if they spot it before Charlie does.
A peek inside...
The ending is a delightful surprise demonstrating that solving small problems can lead to big changes, not only in Little Import but also in life itself, offering a subtle message that having the courage to confront small issues when they arise can prevent bigger problems. The old adage 'A stitch in time saves nine' comes to mind and older readers might want to probe the meaning of that.
Themes Knights, Monsters, Courage.
Barbara Braxton
This is Skateboarding by Hannah Wilson and Peter Phobia
Farshore, 2024. ISBN: 9780008614102. (Age:9-12)
While the name Tony Hawk may be familiar to some, the name Arisa Trew will be well-known to many of our students as this young Australian has just been named the action sportsperson of the year at the prestigious Laureues Awards, up there alongside the likes of tennis player Novak Djokovic and footballer Aitana Bonmatí. At the age of 13, Arisa became the first female to land the notorious 720 trick in skateboarding competition, a feat first performed by skating great Tony Hawk in 1985.
And with the Paris Olympics in view, she will be among the topline skaters displaying their craft for a generation of young athletes who are embracing those non-traditional sports and inspired by them, setting their own goals to make their dreams come true. So this new book that is a guide to all things skateboarding celebrating celebrate the rise of the global skateboarding scene, from the streets of LA to its first Olympic Games and including iconic skateparks, gravity-defying tricks, trailblazers, activists and medal-winning champions, and how skateboarding has influenced everything from shoes to art and urban design will be a perfectly timed addition to the collection.
With bite-sized pieces of information in amongst the many illustrations, the text speaks directly to the reader encouraging them to express their individuality in so many ways.
With COVID restrictions keeping us indoors in 2020-2021, many were introduced to skateboarding as an Olympic sport as we watched it at the Tokyo Olympics, and marvelled at how young some of the leading competitors were, as well as their athletic ability. Since then the sport has grown in both stature and followers, particularly for women, and with Australian names sure to be at the forefront in the Paris competition, skateboarding is going to be an in-demand subject as studies of the Olympics generally, step up.
The Other Shadow is a stunning read; full of intense emotion, broken children and finally, hope and healing.
Ten year old Thomas and his two year old sister Tilly have just lost their beloved dad to cancer. Their mother is bereft. Her grief is incomprehensible and life as Thomas and Tilly once knew it is about to change dramatically. When their mother does not come back from the shops, the children are taken into foster care while their mother heals in hospital. On returning back to their mum, life settles down for a while until it unravels and foster care is again sought. This is not an ideal placement and the children are moved once more to a new family, the Henare’s, where they find acceptance, stability, security and love.
Running parallel to the struggle Thomas and Tilly have coping with their mum’s mental illness and the foster family roundabout, is Thomas’s Other Shadow. Appearing after his dad passed away, this shadow is there for Thomas always but is it friend or foe? At times Thomas feels it is a guide and something to rely on but at other times it causes Thomas angst and leads him into some challenging situations. In the final dramatic scene in the story, the Other Shadow’s true purpose becomes evident.
South Australian author of The Other Shadow, Tania Ingram, is a former clinical psychologist who is well qualified to write about the deep and lasting effects parental mental illness can have on children. In the final pages of this compelling story Tania explains bipolar disorder, briefly shares her experiences of children whose parents were struggling and provides contact details for children who may need support.
For those adults who educate, care and work with children in any capacity, The Other Shadow may open conversations for more understanding and support for these children whose own personal stories may not be quite what they appear to be.
New South, 2024. ISBN: 9781742237978. (Age:12-17, adult)
Vanessa Pirotta describes herself as a science communicator and this communication is very personal. A lifetime interest in whales has led her to take on many jobs associated with marine mammals and dolphins, leading to her academic studies in whale research. Central to this is the Humpback Highway along Australia’s east coast where whales make their annual migration from Antarctica to the warm waters off the Queensland coast. Hunted almost to extinction the humpback is a story of conservation success but our knowledge of them is still relatively sparse. Looking for non-invasive ways to sample whale material in the wild, Pirotta and her team pioneered the use of drones to fly over spouting whales, capturing whale snot on a petrie dish to investigate what bacteria and viruses inhabit whale lungs.
The book is slow to start with lots of short sentences and unconnected narrative. We are introduced to the breakout boxes so we can “learn something” but the boxes often repeat what is in the text, just disrupting the flow but randomly contain new information which could be interesting. I would rather have had some whale identification line drawings and diagrams or even a glossary of whale jargon like “mugging,” ”breeching” and “logging”. As she gets into the swing of the personal account we are drawn into Pirotta’s world of whale research and the six pages of colour photos in the middle are very personal. Her team approach, academic rigour and research achievements are awesome and her enthusiasm is contagious; a must read for anyone interested in whale research, a comprehensive list of references is included.
Themes Whale research, Science communication, Popular science.
Milly and her family, including Gilbert the dog, are back for their annual summer holiday with Grandad, and while she is rummaging in the attic to build a pirate fort, Milly discovers a beautiful rainbow flag. It sparks a discussion about how Grandad used to march in the Pride parades, celebrating the diversity of the community and sharing the message that regardless of who they love or their gender, everyone should be treated with equality and respect.
When Milly suggests going to a parade in the old camper van, and Grandad tells her his partying days are over, she has an idea... and Pride comes to Grandad and the village!
Not only is this a joyous celebration of Pride and all that it means, it is also a down-to-earth explanation that young children can understand immediately, and many will delight in seeing children just like them portrayed in the illustrations as the villagers come together to make this a brilliant celebration. Like Grandad's camper, its predecessor, while gender diversity is at its core, it is more about relationships and communities and connections regardless of differences like skin colour, beliefs or living arrangements. After all, we are all humans striving to be loved and treated with dignity and respect.
Fans of Saint’s other books Ariadne (2021), Elektra (2022) and Atalanta (2023) will eagerly reach for her latest, Hera, about the sister and then wife of Zeus, a queen of the gods with a reputation for jealousy and cruel revenge. Saint is expert at bringing to life the overlooked women in Greek mythology, telling their stories of resilience, rebellion and empowerment in a male-dominated world. This is another.
There is a reason for Hera’s fury. She fought by her brother Zeus’s side when he and their siblings defied their father Cronus and defeated the Titans, seizing power as supreme gods. She expected that seven of them would share the glory in the halls of Mount Olympus and that she would sit alongside Zeus as his equal. The three male gods divide the realms between them, the goddesses have instead to argue for their place. Hera discovers that instead of being granted her rightful status, as daughter of Cronus, Zeus decrees that her position is to be his wife, subservient to him. She will be the goddess of marriage, patroness of brides. Her realm is one of ‘empty promises, of stunted hopes and ruined faith’, whilst Zeus assuages his rapacious appetite with conquest of goddesses, nymphs and mortals.
Hera’s rebellious spirit rises and she determines to avenge herself. She undertakes many secret plots, but each seems to turn back on her. Zeus even seems to enjoy the challenge of trying to outwit her. Their marriage is one of distrust and constant sparring.
Saint’s novel become one long tale recounting one misadventure after another, and she references many of the famous myths. There is a simplified, but still complicated, divine family tree at the beginning of the book showing primordial deities, Titans and Olympians and their offspring. This is helpful, but there are still many more characters encountered along the way. Because of this, the story of Hera is not as enthralling as Saint’s previous novels, lacking a more dramatic central plot. I would recommend reading the other books before this particular one, and then if the reader still has a thirst for tales of strong female characters in Greek mythology, this latest book provides a grand overview of many familiar characters and stories.
Allen the Alien and his pet Byte decide to visit Earth. They believe that the Earthlings are very friendly, but they run away in fear when they appear. Allen has some favourite toys with him – a ninja star, x-ray gun, double headed axe and alien lazer sword – and thinks that the children will love to play with them, but when they flee, he decides that they want to play hide and seek. Byte wants to play fetch in the park but dogs don’t like to play with him. In the meantime, news reporters are gathering around and a breaking news flash is telling people to run for their lives.
The hilarious illustrations are opposite to the simple text. While Allen and Byte think that the children are happy to see them, the expressions on the children's faces and their actions tell a different story, one that children will have lots of fun examining and talking about. The ‘illustrations were created in biro then finished in a digital collage of photos, paint and mixed media’ and are sure to appeal to children. Young children will have fun listening to the text and following the contrasting story, while older children (and adults) will delight in the sly humour in the illustrations and funny captions.
Another layer can also be found when thinking about Allen the Alien. Children could discuss people’s fear about the alien creatures and talk about accepting difference and how easy it is to have differing beliefs about the same things.
A fun book, with quirky illustrations, Allen the Alien has instant appeal.
I listened to a podcast of this author speaking at Sydney Writer’s Festival, and was so intrigued I checked that it was on Audible to listen to. Bird is on the run. And while avoiding the places where others may be looking for her, she uses burner phones and leaves cold trails for others to follow. She is always on the lookout. Bird has been transferred to Birmingham to work in an outpost of the Secret Service set up to check others within the organisation, with hints she may be tapped on the shoulder for the top job. Initially I felt disheartened at her introspection, but with hints along the way of a stronger theme, I kept listening.
Bird is running presumably for her life, from the clutches of the Secret Service where she worked. Her father had been a spy, and in her 30’s after being discharged from the army she was tapped on the shoulder and offered this post. But in debt, with her chief of staff complicit in withholding information about this breach of conditions, she runs to a small town in Scotland’s north, when her situation is exposed. This is a place where she has happy memories spending time with her friend Flavia and her daughter. It is a strange relationship, intriguing and almost self combusting. Bird goes there for refuge after escaping Birmingham, but finds since their time it has become a rental. All the while she recalls moments of their friendship, and Bird questions her romantic interest in Flavia.
But spine tingling episodes invade the introspection, as she must plan her route carefully, watching those who might be looking for her, using a burner phone and giving little away at her infrequent stops, sometimes sleeping rough.
I wanted to know what happened so kept on listening, all the while asking myself how I would cope having to step away from my house and its comforts to avoid disclosure.
Bird is the single figure in the plot, the others almost shadows to the central figure, but important to the succession of events. There are some with clout, and many whose loyalty she must question.
I was surprised when the end of the story came somewhat abruptly, and seemed to leave a few threads unresolved, which may lead to a sequel.
Themes Spying, Thriller, Iceland, Norway, Secret service (London).
