After thoroughly enjoying The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood, I decided to find and read some of her other books. Under a dancing star is another recommended book, combining romance and history as well as alluding to Much Ado About Nothing. It is 1930’s England and Bea is stifled by the expectations of her parents and the society that they move in. She is expected make a good marriage and be a dutiful spouse and daughter. However, Bea is fascinated by nature and prefers to study insects and plants. Then her parents decide to send her to Italy to stay with her uncle in the hope that she will settle down. When she arrives, she finds a fascinating new world with a group of young artists living in the villa, and when she is challenged to have a summer romance with handsome Ben, sparks begin to fly.
The novel is divided into five sections, each headed with a quote from Much Ado about Nothing, and the reader is gradually brought into the heady world of bohemian society and watch Bea emerge from the restrictions that have been placed on her in England. She is highly intelligent and the witty repartee between Ben and her is a delight to read. Wood describes her historical background with a light hand but it is sufficient to intrigue with the references to Mussolini, Fascist Italy and the conflict in Spain and make me want to learn more about this period of history. Her descriptions of life in an Italian villa and especially her references to the wonderful places in Florence like the Uffizi and the Natural History Museum will have readers wanting to visit Italy.
Under a dancing star will delight readers who enjoy romance and captivating main characters. It is very entertaining, and many readers like me, may want to continue reading other books by Wood or if looking for romance, try books by Eva Ibbotson like The secret countess (previously published as A countess below stairs).
In verse form the ingredients of how to make a friend are given. The book supports the positive things that friends do, aiming to inspire children to be the best friend they can be while recognising what a true friend does for them.
Their third collaboration after The Love that Grew and Nice and Slow, author Sarah Ayoub and illustrator Mimi Purnell use text in verse alongside illustrations to further stress the ideas of being a friend and what it involves. All the positive aspects of friendship are mentioned: giving and receiving, sharing, the importance of being there when we are needed, being inspirational, while the positive aspects of our society are shown in the illustrations: diversity, inclusivity and acceptance. It does not baulk at the truth because life is not always positive. A lot of issues are touched upon in the book through its text and illustrations, but the overall message of respect is most importantly promoted.
The illustrations reveal more than the text can offer in words, and children will see many of the aspects of friendship revealed in the images. Details will be spotted, role models copied and above all, the positive aspects of being a friend displayed for all to see.
Themes Friendship, Family, Acceptance, Diversity.
Fran Knight
Astronomy for curious kids by Giles Sparrow. Illus. by Nik Neves
For young readers who love all things space-related, this wonderful new release from CSIRO Publishing will certainly provide hours of engaging reading. The striking black cover complete with four glossy-coloured images plus smaller graphics will draw readers to this highly accessible and beautifully illustrated book full of diagrams, drawings, tables and snippets of information in ‘Out of Curiosity’ boxes. The contents page lists a Welcome to Astronomy plus six chapters with distinct headings and sub-headings, as well as a glossary and index.
The welcome page clearly states that some of the ‘big’ questions may be answered by this book but there is still so much that is unknown about astronomy and astronomers are forever learning and theorizing. The first chapter gives some valuable information for how to be an astronomer including three ‘Golden Rules’: wait for darkness, avoid light pollution and beware of ripples caused by weather. The second chapter gives an important insight into early stargazers with Australian First Peoples cultures recording comets and meteors as well as having theories about solar and lunar eclipses. This chapter also shares information about Copernicus and Galileo as well as other important astronomers including Henrietta Swan Leavitt who in 1908 discovered a special type of star with regular changes in brightness if the star is brighter. This meant that astronomers could better chart the distance of stars.
The vast and varied information found in this book will enthral budding astronomers. Detailed facts about planets, galaxies, dark matter, the Big Bang theory, explorers on the moon - the list is too long to mention. A fabulous resource for home, school or public library.
Themes Astronomy, Space, The Universe, Questions.
Kathryn Beilby
The perilous promotion of Trilby Moffat by Kate Temple
This is the sequel to The dangerous business of being Trilby Moffat. While not absolutely necessary, I do recommend starting with the first book before this one as there are a lot of characters and background that are hard to make sense of without that context.
Having said that, I have not read the first one, so launched into this book blind. It’s funny and clever and crazy and brilliant, with no 'talking down' to the reader. The pace is fast and the story is twisty, with the narrator voice (a thylacine named Benjamin) reading like a delightfully bonkers conversation that you never want to end.
In the first book, Dream Sickness struck the land. People were suddenly baking ancient cakes, speaking dead languages and then falling into endless sleep. While 12-yo Trilby’s mother was affected, Trilby inherited the treacherous job of Time Keeper and was tasked with reversing the sickness.
In book two Trilby is almost 13. The story starts with a cliffhanger and delves into uncovering more of the mystery of what is happening on the island outside of time, and in the world outside. Friendships and loyalties are tested, and we see whether Trilby proves worthy of her role.
This is magical realism at its absolute best for middle grade readers. A clever inclusion is the presence of crossword clues as chapter names (answers in the back for anyone who needs help!)
Sharon Shinn is one of my favourite authors of fantasy books, one whose books I reread when I need a feel-good story to lift my spirits. In Whispering Wood, she returns to the Elemental Blessings series with a new heroine, Valentina Serlast, the sister of Darien, who is to be crowned the king of Welce. She is hunti, loving the forest and wood, and is much happier living on her country estate, but Darien persuades her to come to the city for the coronation, and then to stay on for an extended visit. She becomes involved with the unpredictable Princess Corene and her vivacious friend Melissande and works to unravel their secrets. When Sebastian Ardelay her friend from childhood, turns up again, she is thrilled but worried as he engages in another of his nefarious and dangerous plans.
Whispering Wood is a coming-of-age story. Valentina is not always the most likeable of characters and must work to overcome her teen-like attitude to Darien, who she believes abandoned her when their mother died and when she needed him most. Sebastian is charismatic and heedless of danger. Shinn shows their growth and understanding of the importance of family and country in a very engaging way. The dangers that both face move the plot along with a stunning climax in the whispering wood that will stay in my memory.
Whispering Wood could be read as a stand-alone, but readers would gain a deeper knowledge of the characters and their motivations if they read the other books in the series, starting with Troubled waters. Readers may also enjoy books by Robin Mckinley and Juliet Marillier.
Kids love joke books. The appeal and demand are such that I can’t keep them on the shelves at my school library and so snapped up the chance to review this one and add it to the collection.
A joke book breaks reading into bite size chunks, with no expectation to sit down and read from start to finish. It makes reading more enticing for a reluctant or less confident reader, with the instant ‘reward’ of fun and a laugh. It provides a simple way for kids to interact with those around them - after all, no one sits and silently reads a joke book to themself, where's the fun in that?! And joke books challenge thinking and increase general knowledge and vocabulary – a reader often needs to put together different parts of a joke and/or visualise concepts to understand WHY it’s funny.
This particular joke book is for all the lovers of ‘dad jokes’. Lots of the jokes are tried and true, while others are new.
The blurb says 'jokes so silly, so bad, so annoying, your friends and family will never forgive you'. Don’t say you haven’t been warned! This book is a mix of laugh out loud and absolute groaners. It is broken into 15 chapters/categories, from school jokes, ridiculous riddles and animal jokes to Christmas, Halloween, Easter, knock-knock, toilet humour and sport jokes. For readers 7+ this will become a firm favourite.
Themes Humour.
Kylie Grant
Dear Unicorn by Josh Funk. Illus. by Charles Santoso
Viking, 2023. ISBN: 9780593206942. (Age:4+)
It is the beginning of the school year and Connie's art class is partnering up with pen pals. Both Connie and Nic's teachers encourage them to to ask their pen pals questions, to talk about their own lives, to be creative, share their likes and dislikes and to enjoy themselves. Even though Connie is a little reluctant to start with, soon both love exchanging letters despite the two of them seeming so very different. Connie takes her art seriously and thinks things like kittens are nothing more than a distraction, while Nic has a more whimsical approach to painting and knows the value of a good cupcake. Both are eagerly awaiting the end of year pen pal art festival where their two classes will finally meet, but what is the surprise that is in store for both of them?
Building on the original concept of Dear Dragon, the story has some clever wordplay (like Connie's surname summing up her pessimistic outlook) that leads to some misunderstandings that carry both the letter-writing and the story along, and young readers will immerse themselves in the fantasy particularly as, through the illustrations, they can see what Connie and Nic don't. What would it like to have a friend such as Nic? Can we be friends with those who seem to be so different from us (even if that is not as extreme as this relationship?)
As well as being useful for exploring the essential give-and-take nature of relationships, and how we can learn from those around us to seek common bonds despite being unique individuals, the book also opens up the almost-extinct concept of penpals, letter-writing and the anticipation of a letter in the mailbox. Perhaps it will be the spark for building some new connections between classes in this new school year.
Themes Letter writing, Unicorns, Friendship, Individuality.
Barbara Braxton
Sensational Australian animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder. Illus. by Cher Hart
Children learn about the five senses from a very early age. They understand that sight, sound, taste, smell and touch are an integral part of their daily life. For our Australian wildlife including sea creatures, insects, birds and all other animals, they too have senses - some which are extraordinary.
Sensational Australian Animals written by Stephanie Owen Reeder is a striking book full of information, images, questions, and sensational fact boxes. The information presented is easily accessible, written in sections with highlighted key words and surrounded by colourful illustrations. The Contents page clearly shows each of the five senses being discussed with four main headings underneath. There is a very detailed glossary in the final pages as well as a handy index to locate each animal.
Each of the five senses is introduced with a full page labelled diagram showing the particular sensory organ. In the sense of sight chapter there is some wonderful information about birds including the fact that the male Satin Bower Bird uses the colour blue to attract a mate. In his bower he has blue objects on display which he may pick up in his mouth and perform a noisy dance. In the sense of sound chapter, it is mentioned that the Emu creates sound by inflating a pouch in the windpipe of its neck. Their sounds can be heard up to two kilometres away. For the sense of smell there are many odorous facts including the Eastern Long-necked Turtle that suck up water through their bottoms to provide them with oxygen when underwater and they happily live in raw sewage. If you touch one, you may smell of rotting cabbage! The sense of taste gives some very interesting facts including the remarkable Rakali (native water rat) that knocks the cane toad on its back, uses its sharp front teeth like a scalpel to open up the stomach and scoops out the non-toxic heart and liver. Finally in the sense of touch chapter, the Pufferfish has enough deadly poison on its skin to kill up to 30 people so do not touch dead ones on the shore ever!
This engaging and beautifully illustrated book is a treasure trove of amazing facts that will delight and entertain both young and older readers. A fabulous resource for a home, school or public library. Teacher Notes are available.
Another novella starring Learned Penric and his Temple demon Desdemona will thrill fans of the series. When Otta, a six-year-old girl, becomes possessed by a brand-new demon Penric is called to the village that has taken her in. Unable to control the fire that she can call she has been cast into a well to keep everyone safe, and Penric must rescue her. His duty to his god means that he should cast out the demon, but Desdemona rejects this and the pair are cast into conflict. As usual, the pair’s quest is to help whenever they are called upon, but this time their difference in opinion is very painful. How will they resolve this problem and bring harmony back?
I found the background to Demon daughter very appealing. Scenes of domesticity are described and Penric’s love for his wife Nikys and daughter are very evident. The story is often told from the point of view of Otta who describes her tribulations in a matter-of-fact way, and Bujold manages to get inside the mind of a six-year-old with skill and empathy. Nikys plays a significant role in the novella; she is helpful, loving and clear sighted about what could happen to Otta and prepared for the upheaval that another child in the family could bring.
Although Demon daughter is short, it is multilayered and has a very satisfying conclusion. It is a powerful and memorable story and left me wishing I had another new book in this series to read immediately.
Themes Fantasy, Demons.
Pat Pledger
Bluey at the beach: A colouring book by Bluey
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761343100. (Age:2+)
Sixteen pages with images of Bluey and Bingo at the beach will tempt all comers to get out their pencils and colour them in. All the activities undertaken at the beach are there: being covered with sand, building a sand castle, the things at the beach to eat, modes of transport found at the beach, lots of images of food, kids playing together and having fun. A family day out will be full of colour as each page is coloured in by the reader. Another in the highly successful Bluey series, this one could be used as the family is watching an episode of Bluey and her family at at the beach.
What a blast! This is the second book involving Al Chaudhury who has previously travelled through time with a hamster. In this book, Al tries to rectify a significant glitch in his life – the absence of his loved father and the new family that he now lives with because of his father’s death. Grandpa Byron, the wise and memory-proficient man who seems to understand the challenges of the space-time continuum and its disruption, adds his input in his inimitable way, but sadly loses his memory in an accident. But it is the journey back in time with Carly (his new step-sister) and Paulie (his mean bully-friend) to the pre-historic era where he encounters a tortoise and several threatening dinosaurs that causes the most disruption. Zig-zagging back and forth in time, Al must solve problems that he has created without appearing like someone who has completely lost his marbles and he weaves in and out of situations that make no sense.
This is an action-packed drama with heart. Al negotiates the death of his father and grandfather more than once and learns to deal with some very difficult situations. Intriguingly, the ‘science’ of the space-time continuum or multiverses does not really need to be understood to enjoy this journey, and there is humour frequently scattered through the back-and-forth narrative. This extraordinary adventure will be enjoyed by anyone who has read any of Ross Welford’s books, but particularly those who began the Time-travel journey with Al in Time Travelling with a Hamster. Aimed at readers aged roughly 12 years old, it can also be offered to readers aged 9-14, and it will be guaranteed that they will lose track of time itself as they read this fun and intriguing story.
Themes Time travel, Dinosaurs, Grief, Space-time continuum.
The stylish cover won me over and when I read that Ashley Weaver was an Edgar-nominated author and that A peculiar combination was set in England during World War 2 with murder, spies and romance, I knew that I was in for a treat.
Electra (Ellie) McConnell is skilled at picking locks and breaking into safes. Her cousins Colm and Toby are off fighting in the war, and when her Uncle Mick’s business as a locksmith begins to fail, in need of funds, the pair decide to break into the home of a rich person. However, they are caught and taken to a large house where Major Ramsey is waiting for them with a proposition – go to jail or break into a safe to retrieve valuable blueprints that may be going to Nazi Germany. Ellie is keen to defend her country and as events unfold her skill set and her bravery make her a useful agent for the British Army.
I enjoyed this mystery, especially the character of Ellie, who emerges as a feisty young woman whose ability to break into safes and pick pockets proves to be just what Major Ramsey needs in the attempt to stop the sale of blueprints to the Nazis. Ramsey is big, handsome and a follower of rules, while Ellie is smart and often prepared to break the rules so sparks fly when the two get together.
All the ingredients for a thrilling spy mystery - danger, murder, narrow escapes, dastardly villains and London in black out - make for a winning combination of cosy mystery and historical fiction. I will certainly be following this series.
Themes Mystery, Espionage, World War 2, London.
Pat Pledger
Absolutely everything! by Christopher Lloyd
What on Earth Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781804660768. (Age:8-Adult) Highly recommended.
This new and expanded 2023 hardback edition of Absolutely Everything! is so packed full of amazing facts that it is quite a heavy book to physically carry. Information shared is from the beginning of the universe - about 13.8 billion years ago, up to the present day. As you can imagine, this book attempts to include as much as possible in an accessible, concise and engaging presentation.
The foreword by author Christpoher Lloyd provides an interesting read as he explains his reason for undertaking such a momentous task to write this factual tome. The sixteen chapters begin with Chapter 1 Nothing to Something where it starts at 13.8 billion years with the Big Bang and ends with Chapter 16 To Be Continued 2002 – present. Each chapter is differentiated by colour and the beginning right hand page has a very useful vertical timeline with a key statement. Throughout the book there are labelled photographs, diagrams and illustrations, as well as quotes and graphic images. In the final pages is a world map with an accompanying map index, plus a very detailed glossary and index. There are also image credits, and further information from the author regarding his research, quote sources and a message of thanks.
This latest edition has been updated with more recent information including the final chapter To Be Continued… where Tupperware (invented in 1948) is mentioned alongside plastic waste, recycling and climate change. There is mention of the recent invasion of Ukraine and the effects of global health outbreaks such as the SARS virus in 2004 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.
This fascinating book provides so much scope for discussion and learning with many unknown facts, milestones and events to be further researched. A worthy addition to a home school or public library.
EK Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781922539557. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
A beautiful watery cover beckons the reader inside, if only to see whose tail it is inscribing the title, the ink dripping down the page.
Enticingly, the title page has two tails beckoning the reader again to look further. A dozen double pages give more clues as to this sea animal as we see images of the thing it has changed itself into on the ocean floor. Mim is a brown flatfish gliding along the ocean floor, then Mim is a sea snake twirling between the tree roots, Mim is a jellyfish floating in the ocean, then Mim is an anemone, its many arms floating above the sand, next she is a seahorse, then a feather star, and a stingray, then a sea shell, mantis shrimp, and over the next page we find out that she is: a mimic octopus. Over the page are several pages showing the animals that the mimic octopus can change into, all mentioned in the text.
The illustrations are glorious, using a variety of methods, including pencils, erasers and the computer, to create the watery feeling of the environment the mimic lives in. Each page reveals a different aspect of the sea below, the animals and fauna that exist there along with the octopus.The endpapers are fascinating, the first showing an array of the animals the octopus can mimic, while the last endpaper shows the octopus in all her glory as herself. And the five fabulous facts about the mimic octopus will keep readers amused for much longer. And the book will be one often borrowed. I loved looking at where her eyes were each time she changed shape, and I am sure younger readers will spot other things to focus on, as the book offers so much.
Join Alexandra Jennings and her friends for one last adventure across Medora, starting with Alex and her friends at the first Kaldoras after the war - with all the changes that came from that, and the new changes that are to come. Alex has a new tradition of taking a piece of cake into the painting in the library, and Kaldoras is no exception to this, so she sets off with a piece of cake and the expectation that she will be met with the same anger and hate - only this time, something is different, something shocking...
Fans of the Medoran Chronicles were ecstatic that Lynette Noni announced that she was going to revisit the series with a new release Kaldoras. While not an overly large book, it does not disappoint! All your favourite characters are back, and even some of your not favourite characters… Joining Alex and her friends after their studies and in their after school lives, in big moments, in significant moments, in everyday life and in seeing where life is taking them. Written in the perfection that fans have come to expect from Noni, the book is written in multiple parts – with a different character being the narrator for different parts. Moving swiftly as other Medoran Chronicle novels do, Kaldoras will take readers through a range of emotions. Some readers will face a difficult choice – reread the entire series before reading Kaldoras, or dive straight in? And then when they finish Kaldoras – what will they do with the questions Noni has left them… An absolute must for fans of the series and fans of Lynette Noni’s work. The book does contain spoilers for the rest of the series, so it is imperative that readers have finished the other books before commencing this one.
