The Book Curator: October 2015

-THE BOOK CURATOR 10 OCT_Layout 1 6/10/15 11:43 AM Page 1

BookCurator THE

THE LIBRARIAN’S GUIDE TO BOOKS FOR KIDS & TEENS

INSIDE

The Legacy of Harper Lee

OCT 2015

ISSN 2204-5708

Go Set a Watchman vs To Kill a Mockingbird

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Detailed reviews on the latest fiction to help you choose

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER The Book Curator is published by Apt School Resources, an Australian business jointly owned by two families who share a passion for books and a determination to provide outstanding service to our members.

We help schools all over the country by providing them with access to helpful information, detailed reviews and the latest fiction titles for their libraries.

Our goal is to provide the resources librarians need to choose the best books for their school library across a wide range of genres, age groups and formats. We provide a wide range of services to help support our members so they can get the best return for their time and their budget.

This magazine (previously called Review) and our service have developed based on what our members want. We invite your ideas, suggestions, feedback and constructive criticism to help us provide solutions to the challenges you face as you work to build an outstanding library for your school community.

In addition to library titles, we source and supply a wide range of interesting and effective resources to help teachers, counsellors and chaplains work with and support their students.

We also help equip teachers and school leaders with professional development resources.

WELCOME

EDITORIAL Welcome to Term 4 and the downhill run to the summer holidays! It won’t be long until we are all enjoying the joys of Christmas. I very much hope that for each of you the lovely things - the celebration, the time spent with loved friends and family, the gratitude for all we have been given - far outweigh the preChristmas busyness.

When the thought of everything you have to get done before the year comes to a close seems overwhelming, I find it’s a great time to reflect on what has already been achieved.

Our small, hardworking team are celebrating the completion of our first year as The Book Curator magazine. In that time we’ve delivered more than 450 reviews in over 400 magazine pages.

We’ve interviewed some great authors, caught up on industry news, expanded our Book Week Ideas and Activities publication to include over 50 blackline masters and launched it to the wider school community.

There is so much more we want to do, but I really hope that you have found our service valuable. The goal we never lose sight of is our desire to be the best support team we possibly can, so that librarians like you can do what you do best - engage your school community with all the wonders of the written word.

Thank you for working with us this year. We appreciate you very much and look forward to all that 2016 brings.

For more information about our services or to provide feedback please contact us.

ROWENA BERESFORD

Apt School Resources PO Box 2707 Mansfield QLD 4122 AUSTRALIA

PS. If you have any comments on The Book Curator or suggestions on what we could improve or include in future issues, please call 02 8985 9435 or email your feedback to mag@aptschoolresources.com.au

P 02 8985 9435 F 02 8007 0510 W aptschoolresources.com.au E mag@aptschoolresources.com.au

The Book Curator ISSN 2204-5708

» To access a PDF of this issue, please follow the instructions on page 11.

Disclaimer: The reviews contained in this magazine are based on each individual reviewer’s opinion only. While we do our best to pick up every potential concern in fiction titles, we cannot guarantee that to be the case. Should you purchase a book based on our reviews and then discover an issue of serious concern to you that was not included in our review, please contact us.

2 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Contents » ARTICLES & FEATURES 4

FEATURE ARTICLE Harper Lee: A Literary Legacy

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NOTABLE DATES

8

THE iLIBRARIAN

9

NEWS & VIEWS

18

COCO BANJO HAS BEEN UNFRIENDED N.J.Gemmell

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KIZMET AND THE CASE OF THE TASSIE TIGER Frank Woodley

19

KIZMET AND THE SMASHED VIOLIN Frank Woodley

13 BE BRAVE, PINK PIGLET Phil Cummings

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MISTER CASSOWARY Samantha Wheeler

13 A FERRET NAMED PHIL William Reimer

20 DARA PALMER'S MAJOR DRAMA Emma Shevah

13 HORACE THE BAKER'S HORSE Jackie French

21

» BOOK REVIEWS

14 MUSTARA Rosanne Hawke

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14 SIMON’S NEW BED Christian Trimmer

KATY PARKER AND THE HOUSE THAT CRIED Margaret Mulligan THE TOURNAMENT AT GORLAN: RANGER'S APPRENTICE THE EARLY YEARS # 1 John Flanagan

14 BEASTLY BABIES Ellen Jackson

22 STORM HORSE Nick Garlick

15 HENRY HYENA, WHY WON'T YOU LAUGH? Doug Jantzen

23 LIFE ON MARS Jennifer Brown

15 POLES APART Jeanne Willis 15 THE CROW'S TALE Naomi Howarth 16 THE BOY, THE BEAR, THE BARON AND OTHER DRAMATIC TALES Gregory Rogers 16 THE FOOTBALL'S REVOLT Jan Le-Witt & George Him 16 AUSTRALIAN KIDS THROUGH THE YEARS Tania McCartney

23 PETUNIA PERRY AND THE CURSE OF THE UGLY PIGEON Pamela Butchart 24 BREATH OF THE DRAGON: MAPMAKER CHRONICLES # 3 A.L.Tait 24 THE FLYAWAY GIRLS Julia Lawrinson 25 CRYSTAL KEEPERS: FIVE KINGDOMS # 3 Brandon Mull 26 EREN Simon P.Clark

17 THE SINGING BONES Shaun Tan

26 BIG GAME Dan Smith

17 LIFE IN COLONIAL AUSTRALIA: OUR STORIES Marion Littlejohn & Doug Bradby

27

LOCKDOWN: URBAN OUTLAWS Peter Jay Black

27

SING A REBEL SONG Pamela Rushby

18 THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE PERFECT PRINCESS PARTY Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

29 HOUSE OF WINDOWS Alexia Casale 30 THE RIVER AND THE BOOK Alison Croggon 31

REPLICATE Adele Jones

31

THE WOLF WILDER Katherine Rundell

32 SUNKISSED Jenny McLachlan 33 ZEROES Scott Westerfield et al 34 CODENAME EAGLE Robert Rigby 34 VELOCITY Chris Wooding 35 SOLACE OF THE ROAD Siobhan Dowd 36 A SWIFT PURE CRY Siobhan Dowd 37

SILENCE IS GOLDFISH Annabel Pitcher

38 INBETWEEN DAYS Vikki Wakefield 39 DUMPLIN' Julie Murphy 40 ASKING FOR IT Louise O’Neill

» IN EVERY ISSUE 41 USEFUL INFORMATION Great websites and apps, festivals and literary events, conferences and seminars 42 INDEX This issue’s titles in alphabetical order 43 UPCOMING TITLES What’s on the horizon

28 THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN John Boyne

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FEATURE ARTICLE

HARPER LEE: A LITERARY LEGACY With more than 30 million copies of To Kill A Mockingbird in print, Harper Lee’s powerful words have been challenging racial prejudice for over 50 years.

Lee has long been viewed as almost legendary, despite the fact she is still alive. With one life-changing Pulitzer Prize winning novel to her name and her long-avowed determination to never write another, the release of Go Set a Watchman (the title comes from Isaiah 21:6) has been one of the most feted publishing events in years. It has been reported that more than 1.1 million copies were sold in the first week alone. Three months down the track there are many million more copies in print.

It has also caused some consternation. There have been concerns that Nelle Harper Lee, now in her late 80s, may have been the victim of manipulation or even outright fraud, particularly as her protective older sister Alice (who died at 103 and still practiced law until close to her 100th birthday), passed away late last year.

However those who have since had first hand contact with Nelle report that she is still of very sound mind, so the picture of her as a decrepit old lady doesn’t quite ring true. It is probable that there will always be questions about how this publishing coup 4 | The Book Curator: October 2015

came about, and I’m not sure we will ever know what really transpired.

Putting all that aside, Go Set a Watchman provides a rare and interesting opportunity. Despite being spruiked as the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, it is actually the first draft.

The transformation that took place between the two is quite profound and reflects with considerable credit on the skills of Tay Hohoff, her editor.

She recognised Lee’s potential as a writer and saw something in that first draft worth the effort.

After two years of hard work, the end result was a very different book.

Mockingbird has endured for 55 years and will likely endure for many more.

I have to admit that I had never read To Kill a Mockingbird until just recently. I quickly realised how much I had been missing and why it continues to be a

popular choice for class texts (not sure how my class missed out)! It’s no surprise that the core message seems to stay with many students long after their school days are over.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

Go Set a Watchman would make an excellent comparative text for use alongside Mockingbird, allowing students to study the development of story, the role of an editor, the way altering the narrator age and focal points of the story (amongst other things), completely changed its core message and the political aspects of the racial conflict that were excluded from Mockingbird.

enduring brilliance of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to a classic. » OUR REVIEW

Go Set a Watchman Author: Harper Lee ISBN: 978-1785150289 Published: 14/07/2015 Publisher: Random House Format: Hardback » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-sixyear-old Jean Louise Finch – ‘Scout' – returns home from New York City to visit her ageing father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her closeknit family, the town and the people dearest to her.

Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past – a journey that can be guided only by one's own conscience.

Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humour and effortless precision – a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the

Heading back to Maycomb, Alabama from New York, fills 26year-old Jean-Louise (aka Scout) with mixed emotions. The main draw is her father – Atticus Finch.

Of downsides there are many.

Aunt Veronica is one of them. She personifies the societal expectations that go so deeply against the grain for Jean-Louise.

Then there’s Henry Clinton (aka Hank). He’s dragged himself up from his ‘white trash’ beginnings to become a lawyer and ultimately Atticus’ right hand man. JeanLouise loves him, but doesn’t know if she is ‘in love’ with him. He has wanted to marry her for years. So far she has resisted but in many ways he knows her better than most.

There is so much of Maycomb that is familiar and comfortable to her.

But there has been a more than subtle shift in attitudes and as those attitudes come to light, JeanLouise is faced with the reality that neither her father nor Hank are the men she thought they were.

When she discovers that both Atticus and Hank are members of the Maycome County Citizens’ Council and hears the vile words being spouted at their meeting, her world falls apart.

Atticus is her hero. The man who has never let her down. The one she thought she knew better than she knew herself. It was through his example that she learnt to be color-blind.

The lines she thought were nonexistent have been well and truly drawn.

The rise of the Citizens’ Council is attributed to the success of the National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in overturning segregation in schools. At what point in that process the story is set is uncertain, as it took four years and many legal cases for them to achieve success.

The conversations between Atticus and Jean-Louise in relation to the rights of the Negroes (and the fear that is driving the white response) would provide worthwhile material for classroom discussion and further study.

For example, Atticus explains that if the Negroes were to get the vote, they were too ‘backward’ to make good choices. This means they would vote in ‘their own kind’ (encouraged by the NAACP), men who at this point in time were incapable of doing those jobs well (p243). Jean-Louise argues in response that they should have helped the Negroes live with the consequences of the court’s decision, instead of taking it out on them (which is what caused the NAACP to step in).

Within those themes and perspectives there are some powerful parallels with the issues of our time.

‘We’ve agreed that they’re backward, that they’re illiterate, that they’re dirty and comical and shiftless and no good, they’re infants and they’re stupid, some of them, but we haven’t agreed on one thing and we never will. You deny that they’re human.’

‘How so?’

‘You deny them hope. Any man in this world, Atticus, any man who has a head and arms and legs, was born with hope in his heart … They are simple people, most of them, but that doesn’t make them subhuman. You are telling them that Jesus loves them, but not much. You are using frightful means to justify ends that you think are for the good of the most people …You’re no damn better

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[than Hitler], you just try to kill their souls instead of their bodies.’ (p251-252) ‘How they’re as good as they are now is a mystery to me, after a hundred years of systematic denial that they’re human. I wonder what kind of miracle we could work with a week’s decency.’ (p252) Ultimately, in facing the imperfections of her father, JeanLouise faces a pivotal moment in her own life. Is her conscience her own, or her father’s? And can she love a man who has such very different beliefs to what she thought?

‘Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as collective conscience.’ (p265) ‘now you, Miss, born with your own conscience, somewhere along the line fastened it like a barnacle onto your father’s … you confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings … You were an emotional cripple, leaning on him, getting the answers from him, assuming that your answers would always be his answers.’ (p265) Ultimately, the racial ‘hero’ in this story is Jean-Louise, far more than Atticus, which is a paradox given she is in effect his ‘fruit’.

‘You’re color blind, Jean Louise … the only differences you see between one human and another are differences in looks and intelligence and character and the like. You’ve never been prodded to look at people as a race, and now that race is the burning issue of the day, you’re still unable to think racially. You see only people.’ (p270) There are some interesting thoughts regarding the comparative nature of man – the way we want to make someone less than us so we can build ourselves up. It is that need to have someone ‘lower’ than ourselves so we can feel good in 6 | The Book Curator: October 2015

comparison that drives some of the racial prejudice and hatred as portrayed in this story.

that I noticed. Yet another indicator of the extensive re-writing that occurred.

“For years and years all that [white] man thought he had that made him any better than his black brothers was the color of his skin.

He was just as dirty, he smelled just as bad, he was just as poor.

Nowadays he’s got more than he ever had in this life, he has everything but breeding, he’s freed himself from every stigma , but he sits nursing his hangover of hatred …’ (p197)

This is not a perfect book, nor does it flow as easily as Mockingbird. It is slow to start, taking some time to really engage the reader.

However, having seen quite a few first drafts from authors (or even much later drafts than that) over the years and knowing just how long it can take to turn them into anything worth printing, I am still profoundly in awe of Harper Lee’s writing ability and the insight of Tay Hohoff, her editor, to guide her in such a powerful direction.

Go Set a Watchman is set in the 1950s as opposed to the 1930s of Mockingbird. The focus of Watchman is really the emotional separation between Atticus and Jean-Louise in her development as an adult and it is told in third person narrative, rather than first person, past tense.

The rape trial that is the pivotal point in Mockingbird only gets a passing mention. Dill is a very small part of this original story, whereas he is a main character in Mockingbird (the inspiration for whom was apparently Harper Lee’s childhood friend Truman Capote). Jem died some years previously aged 22, of a heart attack like her mother. The main supporting character is Hank, who doesn’t exist at all in Mockingbird.

Atticus’ brother, known as Uncle Jack, was only briefly mentioned in Mockingbird, but has a strong supporting role in Watchman. The other major shift in terms of characters is that in Watchman, Jean-Louise comes to the realisation that Calpurnia doesn’t love them the way she thought. To them, she is family, but for her it may in fact be the opposite. After having effectively been raised by her, this is a painful reality for Jean-Louise to face.

Interestingly there are very few passages - or even sentences shared between the two books.

Perhaps three brief paragraphs

Having now read both, I am very glad she did.

Major themes: life in the American South in the 1950s, segregation, racism, father/daughter relationships, growing up, letting go, realism vs idolism, bigotry, societal expectations, politics, conscience, family, sexism, disillusionment

Please be aware: 1. Language: bitches x 5, bloody x 3, bastard x 2, for Christ’s sake (p257), Jesus Christ (p258) 2. When Jean-Louise is distressed, Uncle Jack (who is a doctor) smacks her across the face and gives her whisky that makes her a little drunk (p260).

Recommended age: 14 to Adult Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Save 20% off RRP on Go Set a Watchman when you order by 6th Nov 2015

NOTABLE DATES

Rudyard Kipling 150 years 30 December, 1865 Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay and attended school in England. At the age of 21 he launched his literary career with the publication of Departmental Ditties (a volume of short stories). Enduring favourite The Jungle Book was published in 1894.

He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Literature in 1926.

He was also a gifted poet, whose works included the inspiring poem, If, written for his son. http://tinyurl.com/pg2xctl

Television breakthrough 90 years

The Lord of the Rings trilogy 60 years

2 October 1925

20 October, 1955

In his Soho laboratory, Scottish engineer John Logie Baird made a significant breakthrough in his invention when he televised the first human subject - William Taynton.

The Return of the King, the third and final volume in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien was published on this date. The following year it was serialised for BBC Radio.

www.bairdtelevision.com

http://tinyurl.com/nqdlw3j

For Whom the Bell Tolls 75 years

UNESCO – 70 years

21 October, 1940

Known as the ‘intellectual’ agency of the United Nations, UNESCO’s intent is to help people harness the power of intelligence to innovate, expand their horizons and sustain the hope of a new humanism.

Ernest Hemingway, author of For Whom the Bell Tolls was a high school student columnist before he became one of America’s foremost writers. http://tinyurl.com/qf6auxz

16 November 1945

http://tinyurl.com/lstkuqz

Slavery ends in the US 150 years

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s death 75 years

6 December 1865

21 December, 1940

Slavery was officially abolished by the ratification of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution. Within days the Ku Klux Klan was formally founded.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote three of the great American novels and several brilliant stories. He was best known for The Great Gatsby. which captured the wild times of the roaring twenties.

http://tinyurl.com/ksjhw9v

http://tinyurl.com/6vohsph

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” ― Jane Austen, Emma

Jane Austen's Emma 200 years 25 December, 1815

Merry Christmas

This classic about Emma Woodhouse, who is handsome, clever and rich, has been called one of the greatest novels in the English language. http://tinyurl.com/p9o9skm

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THE iLIBRARIAN

Weeding: The key to keeping your library collection fresh The last term of the school year is always a busy one, but there are some tasks that are too important to overlook. Weeding is one of them.

Of the various libraries I have worked in, or visited as guest or mentor, I have often been surprised by the amount of old books to be found on their shelves.

One school's collection was almost full of second hand books from the 1980's, donated by parents thirty years ago.

In one school I was very fortunate to have experienced professional TLs as casuals to replace me during network training days, secondment and leave.

At one stage in Term 4 my casual offered to commence stocktake and do some weeding. I was both thrilled and challenged on my return to find boxes and boxes of books ready for weeding. After a quick browse I agreed with her selection and quickly disposed of them. I have found it can be

perilous to take a second glance.

I’d start wondering if a teacher might find something relevant should they look.

But will teachers naturally take the time in their overcrowded schedule to search through books with brown pages for gems of wisdom? Should 21st Century students be expected to borrow older books or will they just go to Google?

When doing my Teacher Librarianship studies I participated in a group visit to a public library where we were informed that they weeded 25% of their collection each year. We were impressed that they went to such lengths to keep their collection so fresh.

Weeding or culling is a very subjective thing and depends on one's own philosophy and how

ruthless in disposing and recycling one tends to be.

I'm sure we all have books on our shelves that we would hope would always be part of our collection. Purchasing newly published versions of old favourites is a positive way to keep those classics attractive.

The Australian Curriculum, changing interests of students and the inclusion of ebooks are now factors affecting what we want in our library collections.

During this busy season, enjoy your stocktaking, data repair and weeding as they will set you up for an even better year in 2016.

I hope you have a great Christmas break and look forward to bringing you more of the iLibrarian in the New Year, Di

Di’s background includes a short term exchange to Denmark to work in a school library, past member of Nepean Blue Mountains CBCA, organiser of Literary Lunch for local schools, Relieving Editor, writer & reviewer for NSW DET SCAN magazine, participant in Australian Govt Summer School, recipient of NSW DET Excellence in ICT 2007; INTEL Teach Master Trainer, conference junkie and presenter. She holds a Grad Dip in Teacher Librarianship from CSU. Image Attributions - Notable Dates: 1. Oil portrait of Rudyard Kipling by John Collier, 1891 (partial image only displayed). This image is in the public domain. https:// commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collier_1891_rudyard-kipling.jpg.

2. Christina Fernandez de Kirchner at Unesco at the ceremony for the Felix Houphouet-Boigny award for Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo for “Pursuit of Peace”, Paris. Date 13/9/11. Attribution: Presidencia.gov.ar. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

8 | The Book Curator: October 2015

TOP TOOLS FOR TELLING STORIES WITH PICTURES The creation, writing and telling of stories is now on a whole new playing field in this era of multi modal texts. Whereas once a story was a collection of text, our stories can now be composed of colour, animations and audio with a minimum of actual text included. Authors are now composers as well as writers.

available in their library, plus images that can be purchased.

You can find examples of digital citizenship posters created on this platform. Lesson plans for recounting stories with images across all subject areas can be found on the useful education page. Also included are guides and design tips on using Canva.

school, house, ocean or fantasy can be dragged and dropped into the six slide storybook. Students can use a paint brush to add their own drawings and background scenery can be chosen.

Stimulus to motivate students in story writing is helpful. In our twenty first century learning environment students are often tuned to the visual and interactive. Where a long epilogue may seem unachievable to them, asking them to write short bites or blogs hyphenated by images may result in a more positive response.

Threading Images into Stories

Culture Street Picture Book Maker is a UK website that is easily accessible. Several preloaded children’s drawings, animals and objects can be added directly onto the cover and pages of this six page picture book. These can be altered in scale and rotated. This excellent publishing program for K - 4 grades could also be included as an engaging lunch time activity. When completed the picture book maker becomes an onscreen e-book to scroll through. It can also be printed and saved into an email address.

Focussing on a theme is often a good approach to story writing.

Users can build a theme related to a topic or an emotion using images and text.

Richard Byrne’s digital literacy website freetech4teachers.com continues to provide outstanding material for lesson plans.

Here are some of the tools for creating stories based on images that Richard recommends.

Although they are mostly free, many require a log in and some are very commercial.

Creating Collages Canva Design School tinyurl.com/qa4tx9r Create infographics, slides and connected collages using Canva.

These products are very professional in appearance.

Images may be imported and there is some free clip art

Thematic www.thematic.co Up to twenty images can be imported, arranged in sequence and then text added. Images need to be high quality. In order to ensure intellectual property rights are protected, their party images would include a source reference.

Storehouse - Photo & Video Stories, Visual Journals apple.co/1QfpNLM Only in its second year of production this award winning app for visual storytelling can be linked with friends on social media. Storytellers are encouraged to visually recount their adventures and portray their aspirations.

Creating Picture Books MyStorybook www.mystorybook.com Suitable for primary and younger students this website clearly takes the user through the steps to combine their thoughts and ideas. Sample characters can be added into the story with colours and body parts able to be changed. Objects related to

Culture Street Picture Book Maker tinyurl.com/bu2oe9l

Little Story Creator tinyurl.com/poaumrv This well appointed iPad app is an engaging tool for creating illustrated stories with multiple pages. Students can insert their own photos, pictures and text.

Their original artworks can be created and embedded in the story with the drawing tools.

Learning difficulties affecting story writing are no longer a restriction as audio narration can be recorded. Teachers could also make their own audio books in this way. What a wonderful world of colourful and interesting stories there are to learn about and explore.

Source: tinyurl.com/q35qog5

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NEWS & VIEWS

Preparing for Life in Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is known around the world as the place for high level computer engineers to work with some of the world’s top companies.

You would think that schooling in this area would have a strong focus on technology, however that is not the case.

Many of the families employed in the Valley send their children to the Waldorf Peninsula School which is modelled on the principles of Rudolf Steiner schools. The school's promotional video paints a positive picture of a school which encourages problem solving, resilience and creativity. Students are trained in thinking, collaborating and communication.

Their teachers are expected to care and really understand the personal growth and needs of each student. The focus is that pupils will eventually see their own capacity to work and do in a resilient manner.

Rather than the fast paced assessment focus of many American schools, Waldorf starts students later on formal learning. Kindergarten is a place for unstructured free play where children can naturally develop their fine motor skills and have the freedom to be a child and think like a child. Further on through the grades the curriculum is academically strong, with arts and music woven through literature, maths and the sciences. Most of the school is unplugged and technology is not introduced until higher grades to try and ensure it does not become their sole focus.

Paradoxically, the focus on problem solving and creativity before technology may actually be what creates better computer engineers, as those skills are highly sought after by tech companies. They are skills that students will benefit from no matter what career path they take.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/p5bdyvj

Free rides for readers It’s easy for those of us in western nations to think we are more advanced than the former eastern bloc, but that is far from the truth.

In order to encourage more reading, the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca offered free rides on local buses for a week back in June to those reading during their journey. Victor Miron, a local book lover, suggested this clever gimmick after the local mayor called for suggested events to celebrate the cities newly won title of ‘European Youth Capital 2015’. The idea was warmly received on social media so they decided to put it into action.

Other reading ideas they adopted included displays of quotes by various authors, handing out bookmarks and a short term book club to be held in the local botanical gardens. Victor also devised the idea of Bookface, whereby people post photos of themselves reading a favourite book on their social media pages. Some of these ideas might be useful to those of us celebrating the theme, 'Australia: Story Country,' in Book Week 2016.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/nu44b63 10 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Negative effects of screen time before bed A recent video by Business Insider reinforces the dangers of screen use before bed. Dr Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA, explains some of the health problems created by using computer screens late at night and just before bedtime. Results have shown that the constant impact of screens affecting our eyes with bright light beams sends confusing messages to the brain that we shouldn't be going to sleep.

The glial cells clean up toxins in the brain while we sleep, but that won't happen if we are taking bright screen light into our eyes before bedtime. It is not just a tradition to allow 7 to 9 hours for a healthy sleep pattern – scientists have confirmed it is a medical necessity.

One solution is to prioritise sleep by turning off screens one hour before bed time. This may help to avoid memory affected problem solving weaknesses, insulin levels that may cause weight gain and toxicity to brain cells.

This concern coming from neuroscientists highlights the potential negative effects of students studying with devices late into the evening and teachers being expected to program and mark work as well as being available online to parents after hours.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/ nlw4skh

Community helps school library recover Tropical cyclone Marcia left immense damage in its path near Rockhampton in Central Queensland, earlier this year. Tiny Thangool State School bore the brunt of this Category 2 storm. The school is situated between two creeks which flooded, bringing debris in from two directions.

Preparations were made with over 100 volunteers sand bagging and lifting furniture, however damage was unavoidable and sadly the library received the major amount of damage and disturbance. Books that were moved from lower shelves to desks were upturned into metre high levels of rushing muddy waters. Following the rainstorm it took three days to clear out the mud from the library and to rip up floor coverings. While repairs and cleaning were undertaken buses took students to the local township for lessons. The librarian hoped to rescue picture books and teacher reference books but she soon realised that they were damaged beyond repair. High school students assisted in removing thousands of damaged books which made up 80% of the collection. Walls had to be cut over the one metre water line, with insulation and electricity connections replaced. The local council mobile library came once a week for student borrowing for 6

Understanding traffic light ratings The traffic lights are a grading system to assist schools with conservative collection policies to easily identify which reviews they should read more closely.

There are no concerns with the book.

There are very mild concerns which we consider unlikely to be an issue for the age group, but you should check them out just in case.

Mild to medium concerns, whether this book is suitable will depend on your collection policy.

Medium to high concerns. These books may be unsuitable for most of our members.

A high level of concerns which are likely to make this book unsuitable for the vast majority of our members.

When considering how to rate each book, we weigh up the level of concerns with the quality of the book and the benefits to be gained from it. More information about the ‘scales’ process has been provided in a previous article. For a copy, please contact mag@aptschoolresources.com.au Your feedback on the traffic light rating system is very welcome.

months. The typical Queensland hospitality and mateship has been reflected in the way the community have combined to assist with repairs and rebuilding.

Donations of resources came pouring in from across the state.

From remote cattle stations as far away as Longreach, children have been sending donated books accompanied by notes of encouragement. One young boy sent in his two favourite Dr Seuss books. An exstudent from year 4 in Bundaberg collected books from his new school mates to be sent to Thangool. A shipping container was brought in to store the new and donated books. The work of cataloguing and shelving is now well established and the library is now buzzing.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/ owymu22

Need a PDF version of this magazine?

1. Go to: aptschoolresources.com.au

2. Select the keyhole icon from the top menu 3. Enter the login details from your invitation email (subject heading ‘Apt School Resources Member Access’ sent from admin@apt) 4. Scroll down to ‘Access to Your Member Resources’, then choose the ‘downloadable PDFs’ link from the list.* 5. Choose the relevant magazine and download the file * not available to e-members

aptschoolresources.com.au | 11

The role of emotional intelligence A recent article on heysigmund.com makes some good points on Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids. It deals with handling anger and controlling one’s feelings. Of all our personality aspects the smart skill for a happy life seems to be emotional intelligence. All of our feelings are important. Happiness, feeling good and even fear and sadness are all a part of our complex nature. We would not want our students to suppress their emotions but rather to learn to address and manage them in a healthy way. It can help to explain the feelings of anger and to give students keys to handle it. Anger affects every part of the body, from the expression on our face to our posture. It influences our breathing, heart rate and muscles. It can make us feel like crying or yelling. It can make us feel like hurting someone with words or violence. It can make us feel sick or shaky.

Our students in this charged and complicated world have many issues to deal with. Some of the tips in the Hey Sigmund article that may help them include the awareness that we can use anger in a positive or a negative way. It helps us to know when something isn’t right and it might give us an energy charge to help us deal with an issue. If we begin to understand our emotions we can learn ways of responding in healthy safe ways. Making a conscious effort to breath can help to calm us down. Moving away from the situation or taking a walk can be a smart thing to do. Verbalising in a calm, clear voice can make your feelings heard. Getting active by going for a run can calm your body down. Decide on the person that you want to be and be better than those who lose their cool. Give yourself permission to accept all of your feelings and talk to a reliable person about how to cope. Get to know your triggers and be equipped to protect yourself.

Let’s be mindful of the pressure on our students and help them to become the boss of their brain and be safe.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/pkhfjxh

The latest from the awards ...

The Pause by John Larkin has taken out the Griffith University Young Adult Book Award while A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay received the Children’s Book Award (both authors receive a $10,000 prize).

The Incredible Here and Now by Felicity Castagna, Banjo and Ruby Red

by Libby Gleeson and Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf for inclusion in the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour List for 2016.

The Educational Publishing Awards Australia have been announced for 2015. Winners in each category can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/oqyppaq

12 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Same gains a wider audience In the August issue of The Book Curator, we featured an interview with Katrina Roe to coincide with the release of her new picture book, Same.

An incredibly touching video of Katrina’s brother Charlie, who has cerebral palsy, is now available on YouTube.

It is Charlie’s act of love towards his niece that inspired Katrina to write Same.

Their story is now coming to wider attention, and Katrina has recently been interviewed live on ABC Breakfast (ABC News 24).

On the 7th of October, Katrina’s article My Disabled Brother is a Pretty Normal Guy was published on The Huffington Post Australia for World CP Day. These resources could all be used to help students understand that it is normal to feel a bit strange when someone is different, but those feelings can be overcome.

As Katrina said in her Huffington Post article, when you look beyond the disability, what you see is a real person, who's not that different from you.

YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/ pqhmc7s Huffington Post: http:// tinyurl.com/oxxxfhh ABC Breakfast interview: http:// tinyurl.com/otgv7hd

BOOK REVIEWS

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Be Brave, Pink Piglet

A Ferret Named Phil

Author: Phil Cummings ISBN: 978-0734415912 Published: 29/09/2015 Publisher: Hachette

Author: William Reimer ISBN: 978-0994295002 Published: 01/09/2015 Publisher: Other

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

A timid little piglet learns to be a brave explorer, confronting his fears and finding hilarity along the way - but still loves coming home to Mum. This warm and lively story will delight youngsters and parents alike with Phil Cummings’ adorable characters and superb artwork from Crichton Award-winning illustrator Sarah Davis.

This is the story of a small ferret who overcomes a big bully without resorting to violence, told completely in rhyme. A Ferret Named Phil will appeal to small children for the fun and bouncy rhyme. Older children will be able to appreciate the book for its simple, yet meaningful storyline and the gorgeous watercolours illustrated by local artist James Moore.

» OUR REVIEW Pink Piglet’s mum gently sends him off to explore the farm. But everywhere he turns there is another farmyard animal to be frightened of. It’s much more fun once he finds some ground to wriggle in, berries to eat and a pond to splash in. By the time he’s finished he is so camouflaged by his adventures, that on his way home he is the one scaring the farmyard animals – except his mum of course, she knew exactly who he was! A gentle look at bravery and being scared of the unknown with lovely fun illustrations.

Recommended age: 3 to 6 years

» OUR REVIEW This wonderfully engaging picture book about bullying was brought into being through crowd funding, by a 21-year-old first time author.

Following an encounter between Phil the ferret and Hugo the bullying hawk, the rhyming verse tells how Phil stands up to his nemesis and turns the tables with the help of a few friends. An entertaining story that also raises some good points, which can be further discussed.

Recommended age: 3 to 7 years

Horace the Baker's Horse Author: Jackie French ISBN: 978-1921953255 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Other » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Horace is a very big horse with an even bigger heart. Every day he pulls the bakers cart and helps Old William, Big Bill and Young Billy take bread, buns and other doughy delights to all the people in the town. But when a terrible flu makes everyone sick, who is going to deliver the bread to hungry families?

Written by Jackie French and based on a true story told to her by her grandmother, Horace the Bakers Horse captures a time when horses were part of everyday life.

Set in 1919 during the Spanish influenza epidemic, it tells the story of how, when the baker and his family are struck down by illness, Horace sets off on his welltrodden round to deliver bread to the townsfolk all by himself. Peter Bray’s illustrations bring the story to life in vivid detail. » OUR REVIEW Though fiction, this delightful Aussie themed tale is grounded in fact. Set just after World War I, it depicts life in a rural Australian town when horses still ruled the roads, though as the story progresses we see their numbers diminish. Horace is the bakers faithful delivery horse and when his master falls ill with the Spanish

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Flu (which swept across Australia in 1919) it’s up to him and young Billy to soldier on and make sure that food gets out to those who need it. Beautifully told (as one would expect from Jackie French), with great detail and insight into the times. The illustrations are a delight, full of detail and humour.

Definitely recommended.

Recommended age: 5 to 9 years

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daughter after a dust storm opinions are revised.

about his new bed: there’s plenty of room for two ...

A lovely story accompanied by absolutely phenomenal illustrations which really bring the book to life.

Mustara was short listed in the NSW Premier Awards and was a CBCA Notable title when it was first released in 2007. It has been out of print for some time, and with 2016 being the United Nations’ International Year of the Camelids (a family that includes camels, llamas, alpacas) it’s a good time to make sure you have this wonderful book in your library.

Recommended age: 5 to 9 years

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» OUR REVIEW One can’t help but feel for Simon, especially if you know how cats operate! All Simon wants is to try out his new dog bed, but there’s a cat shaped problem named Miss Adora Belle. She got there first and isn’t budging. Despite all his efforts he can’t dislodge her, so there’s only one thing for it, they’ll have to share!

The lovely illustrations beautifully depict his emotions, which run the full gamut and almost make the insightful text superfluous. A well constructed and pleasant story about picking your battles.

Recommended age: 4 years +

Mustara Author: Rosanne Hawke ISBN: 978-1925139259 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Wombat Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Every day Mustara and Taj look out onto a sea of yellow-red dust and stones. Taj longs to take his young camel into the desert to explore, but like a storm in the ocean, the desert can turn wild. Taj and Mustara must prove their strength and courage » OUR REVIEW A wonderful collaboration that brings the world of the Afghan cameleers of outback Australia to life. Set in South Australia during the colonial era, Mustara offers a glimpse of how important camels were to early settlement, exploration and trade.

The story follows a young boy named Taj and his equally young camel, Mustara. Both are deemed not old enough for exploration, but when Mustara rescues both Taj and the station manager’s

14 | The Book Curator: October 2015

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Simon’s New Bed Author: Christian Trimmer ISBN: 978-1481430197 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Simon’s new dog bed has been claimed by ... a cat?! Laughter, scheming, and cuddles ensue in this fun nap time tale you’ll want to share, from debut author Christian Trimmer and illustrator Melissa van der Paardt.

Simon’s been looking forward to trying out his brand-new dog bed all day. He may be ready for the best nap of his life, but Miss Adora Belle the cat has other ideas. She’s taken over his bed before he even gets a chance to try it—and she’s not budging. As Simon struggles to find a way to free his bed for the Greatest Nap-time Ever, he may just discover something wonderful

Beastly Babies Author: Ellen Jackson ISBN: 978-1442408340 Published: 01/09/2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION From wriggling chicks to jumpy kangaroos, this hilarious rhyming picture book showcases different kinds of babies, all of which are perfectly, adorably beastly! Making mischief, having fun each is precious, every one. In a knoll, a hole, or nest, Mama’s love their babies best.

In this delightful rhyming readaloud, author Ellen Jackson and illustrator Brendan Wenzel introduce readers to all sorts of

mischievous baby animals—and the grown-ups who love them no matter what. Featuring puppies that slobber, kittens who spill, and young gorillas who won’t sit still, this book is sure to resonate with beastly babies of all ages. » OUR REVIEW A fun, rhyming picture book full of colourful and playful illustrations, captivating verse and some wonderful varied vocabulary.

Theres plenty of opportunity for additional reader engagement around counting and names of animals and their offspring as well as acting out actions. The illustrations grow on you and seem to reveal more the longer you look.

A worthwhile and enjoyable book.

Recommended age: 4 years +

even muster up a smile. Will a visit with a wise old giraffe, Dr. Long, help Henry find the key to laughing harder than ever? » OUR REVIEW An important lesson, endearing illustrations and clever rhyming text make this enjoyable picture book worthwhile. Whilst the other hyenas tease the zoo’s occupants, Henry has stopped laughing at them and thanks to some sage counsel, has empathy for their misfortunes. Alerting his fellow hyenas to how hurtful their actions are bring about a change of heart and Henry is soon laughing with, rather than at, his new found friends. A lovely story with an important message. Highly recommended.

Recommended age: 4 to 7 years

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» OUR REVIEW The Pilchard-Browns (a family of penguins from the South Pole) take a wrong turn on the way to a picnic and end up at the North Pole. There they meet a polar bear for the first time and an unlikely friendship develops. When they become home sick, the polar bear - Mr White - agrees to accompany them on the mammoth return trip.

They travel from country to country, experiencing some local flavor along the way, and eventually reaching home. Mr White is happy to stay for a while, but the time comes when he must make the long journey back to the North Pole. Thankfully it’s not goodbye forever!

An endearing story of unexpected journeys, making friends, broadening your horizons and following your dreams. There’s a two page spread on each of the places they visit along with some local lingo and typical images of the country (Australia features Sydney Harbour, the bridge and the Opera House of course). Humorous and easy to read, there’s also plenty of opportunity for further activities.

Recommended age: 4 to 8 years

Henry Hyena, Why Won't You Laugh?

Author: Doug Jantzen ISBN: 978-1481428224 Published: 01/09/2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION When a hyena can’t find his funny, a friend offers a sweetly surprising solution in this adorable picture book, winner of the General Mills Spoonful of Stories contest.

Henry Hyena is feeling blue. He usually chuckles at monkeys swinging from trees, giggles as he chases hares, and belly laughs when he hears an elephant burp.

But one day at the zoo, Henry can’t

Poles Apart Author: Jeanne Willis ISBN: 978-0857634924 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Nosy Crow » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Everybody knows that penguins belong at the South Pole and polar bears live at the North Pole-but what would happen if, one day, a family of picnicking penguins accidentally got lost?

When the hapless Pilchard-Brown family find themselves at completely the wrong pole, they need Mr White, the friendly polar bear, to guide them all the way home...

The Crow's Tale Author: Naomi Howarth ISBN: 978-1847806147 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Walker Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION In the dark depths of winter, snow is falling and the animals are freezing and famished. Brave Crow sets out on a dangerous journey to aptschoolresources.com.au | 15

find the Sun, and beg for warmth.

Will Crow succeed, and what will happen to his colourful rainbow feathers? Inspired by a Lenape Native American myth, this beautiful debut picture book shows how courage and kindness are what really matter. » OUR REVIEW A nice take on a native American Indian legend explaining how crow got his black feathers and croaky voice. In the depth of winter the animals are starving due to the severe cold. Wise Owl comes up with a plan for one of them to ask the Sun for some heat. Only Rainbow Crow is suited to the task, but having received a long branch of fire on the return trip he becomes sooty and scorched and very black, to the point that he hates his appearance. However, he soon realises that his new look is an honoured gift from the Sun for his brave deed. A lovely tale with a good sentiment of self sacrifice and of character being so much more important than appearances.

theatre and onto the worlds most famous stage? Midsummer magic - and a chase through the streets of Shakespeare’s London. And thats just the start of it. Join the Boy and the Bear in three dramatic and captivating adventures: The Boy the Bear the Baron the Bard, Midsummer Knight, The Hero of Little Street » OUR REVIEW A composition of the exquisite works by CBCA winner Gregory Rogers who passed away in 2013.

With three books in one this is an excellent opportunity to add this acclaimed Australian artists work to your library. Though wordless, the richness of the drawings and the depth of historical detail show pictures really do tell a thousand words. The stories depict a London boy who magically travels back in time to the Shakespearean era, where he befriends a bear.

Together they always end up in trouble! Brilliant and definitely recommended.

Recommended age: 5 to 9 years

Recommended age: 4 years+

The Boy, the Bear, the Baron & other Dramatic Tales Author: Gregory Rogers ISBN: 978-1760112394 Published: 26/08/2015 Publisher: Allen & Unwin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION What happens when a boy bursts through the curtain of a deserted

16 | The Book Curator: October 2015

had enough and remains in the air, in spite of the townspeople’s heroic attempts to bring it back down. It is left to the children of the town to come up with a plan to save the match. » OUR REVIEW This reissue of an original 1939 edition is an endearing and gentle tale that not only gives the reader a sense of times gone by but also offers up some life lessons. Picture books have changed a lot over the years, so this is in the traditional style with full pages of large print text and some illustrations. Two football mad towns are competing in the annual Silver Cup Match.

With the on-field action frenetic, the ball soon decides it’s had enough of being kicked hard and stays floating in the sky. After ever increasing attempts to grab it, the adults fail to find a solution and it is up to a group of young boys to save the day. Some good takes on rivalry, making assumptions about children’s abilities and dealing with unusual situations.

Recommended age: 6 to 9 years

The Football's Revolt Author: Jan Le-Witt & George Him ISBN: 978-1851778478 Published: 26/08/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION The excited citizens of Kickford and Goalbridge turn out for their annual football match only to have it cut short. After a particularly violent kick, the ball decides it has

Australian Kids Through the Years Author: Tania McCartney ISBN: 978-0642278593 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: National Library of Australia » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Many thousands of years ago, the first people arrived in Australia and made this land their home, but

when Europeans arrived in the late 1700s, things changed forever.

Now, Australia is home to children of many cultures and backgrounds.Australian Kids through the Years takes a look at childrens lives, from the time of the first children, to the colonial era and Federation, and through the decades of the twentieth century to the present day. For each period, the book introduces a particular girl and a boy who then feature in the following spread.

The spreads show what Australian kids liked to eat, the games they played, the clothes they wore and the activities they enjoyed. See how these things have changed through the years. What games did Aboriginal children like Kiah and Mandu once play? How did Meg and William wear their hair in colonial times? What books did Matthew and Ming read during the 1970s? Which toys were huge in the 1990s? » OUR REVIEW An informative and compelling look at the changing face of Australian children – what they wore, ate and did, starting from the traditional owners and progressing through various significant historical periods. It examines the cultural differences as well as changing fashion and technological change and our immigrant roots. Each period is covered over a few pages with various facts and examples of that era depicted or listed. At the back of the book are comprehensive notes with historical photographs.

An engaging look back in time for today’s kids, who are likely to enjoy the old photographs and examples of what games were played in particular. A useful book, with plenty of scope for extra study, laid out in an easy to understand format.

Recommended age: 7 to 12 years

makes it an art book, but then you have the folk tales ...As usual, Tan leaves one thinking. Theres also a highly informative forward about the Brothers Grimm and extensive footnotes.

Recommended age: 8 to Adult

The Singing Bones Author: Shaun Tan ISBN: 978-1760111038 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Allen & Unwin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION In this beautifully presented volume, the essence of seventyfive fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm is wonderfully evoked by Shaun Tan’s extraordinary sculptures. Nameless princes, wicked stepsisters, greedy kings, honourable peasants and ruthless witches, tales of love, betrayal, adventure and magical transformation: all inspiration for this stunning gallery of sculptural works. Introduced by Grimm Tales author Philip Pullman and leading fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes, The Singing Bones breathes new life into some of the worlds most beloved fairy tales. » OUR REVIEW Shaun Tan's reimagining of Grimms fairytales, through evocatively carved and created sculptures, will hopefully open up the brothers work to a curious new generation.

Tan’s nuanced interpretations, through carefully crafted figurines, which draws the reader in and begs for closer scrutiny of the original tales. With excerpts from many well known and obscure tales the challenge is there for further reading and research.

This is not an easy book to pigeonhole but what else would we expect from Shaun Tan? The quality of the pictures and the way they have been created really

Life in Colonial Australia: Our Stories Author: Marion Littlejohn and Doug Bradby ISBN: 978-1922179951 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Walker Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION What was life like for ordinary people in Colonial Australia? Can it really be called The Good Old Days when the work was backbreaking and the days were long, even for children? Life in Colonial Australia shows us exactly how it was. » OUR REVIEW A fascinating look at early colonial Australia, which attempts to answer the question of whether the ‘good old days’ ever really existed. With vivid accounts of early life from initial starvation and appalling conditions to a more settled and regimented society, it’s easy to see that those days were not so good in many ways and we have much to be grateful for.

Some interesting facts, engaging information and lots of old photos make this a very enjoyable read.

Recommended age: 8 to 14 years

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The Princess in Black & the Perfect Princess Party Author: Shannon Hale & Dean Hale ISBN: 978-0763665111 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Walker Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Today is Princess Magnolia's birthday party, and she wants everything to be perfect. But just as her guests are arriving... Brring!

Brring! The monster alarm! Princess Magnolia runs to the broom closet, ditches her frilly clothes, and becomes the Princess in Black! She rushes to the goat pasture, defeats the monster, and returns to the castle before her guests discover her secret. But every time Princess Magnolia is about to open her presents, the monster alarm rings again. And every time she rushes back - an inside-out dress here, a missing shoe there - it gets harder to keep the other princesses from being suspicious. Don’t those monsters understand that now is not a good time for an attack? » OUR REVIEW Princess Magnolia has a secret! In times of trouble she transforms from an ordinary princess into the monster fighting Princess in Black.

Today is no ordinary day. It’s her birthday and loads of fellow princesses will be attending her party. Unfortunately for her, the monsters are particularly active and just as it’s present opening time her monster alarm goes off and she has to make her excuses 18 | The Book Curator: October 2015

and leave. How frustrating! Will she ever get to open her presents?

And how on earth will she explain her absences? A fun and likeable read for early readers, with a positive and monster-defeating heroine who shows that heroes can’t always choose when they have to leap into action!

to join Belles group. Has Coco been UNFRIENDED? Can Miss Trample really ban Coco from the disco? Could this camp get any worse? Coco needs an amazing plan to make things right. Maybe the Prime Minister can help!

Major themes: princesses, being

A tale of betrayal set against the excitement of an overnight school trip to Canberra. Cocoa and N are BFFs, but come room allocations N chooses the ‘in’ girls rather than sharing with Coco. Feeling devastated and upset at being unfriended, Coco nevertheless responds in her usual upbeat and positive manner. Whilst the mean headmistress Miss Trample has it in for her, Coco rises above the pettiness and is eventually reconciled with N after exonerating her of blame for a food fight. To top it off she even gets to meet the Prime Minister. Young readers will enjoy the cartoon style and slightly chaotic narrative. There are plenty of illustrations to accompany the minimal text, so it’s ideal for early readers. Though mainly featuring girls it has appeal for both genders and the underlying themes of friendship, loyalty and betrayal is universal. A good topic handled well and more importantly in an easy to understand manner.

heroic, self sacrifice, alter ego, monsters, not judging by appearances, birthday party

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 5 to 9 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Need to catch up?

Save 15% on The Princess in Black # 1 when you order by 6/11/2015

» OUR REVIEW

Major themes: school camp, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, exclusion, positivity, reconciliation

Coco Banjo Has Been Unfriended Author: N.J.Gemmell ISBN: 978-0857987358 Published: 01/09/2015 Publisher: Random House

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 6 to 9 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION It's time for school camp and some spectacular, Coco-licious adventures! But two problems could ruin everything . . . Jay Page is hiding his pet rat in his bag.

Worse, Cocos best friend N wants

Need to catch up?

Save 15% on earlier Coco Banjo books when you order by 6/11/2015

father and being the real brains of the outfit. It’s quite amusing in parts and also a little scary. Lots of illustrations throughout.

Major themes: Detective work, Tasmanian Tiger, mystery, research, company promotion, laboratory mishap

Please be aware: Page 96 has a

Kizmet & the Case of the Tassie Tiger Author: Frank Woodley ISBN: 978-0143308546 Published: 29/07/2015 Publisher: Penguin

very detailed drawing and commentary of an attacking wolf like creature.

Recommended age: 7 to 9 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION From Frank Woodley, much-loved comedian, storyteller and talented artist, comes a hilarious series about an inquisitive young girl, a cheeky currawong bird and a bumbling detective. Kizmet, Gretchen and Detective Spencer are called to investigate serious claims of livestock being attacked by a creature in the bush ... and the possible sighting of a Tasmanian tiger. But Tassie tigers are extinct, aren’t they? Can Kizmet get to the bottom of this mystery? » OUR REVIEW Kizmet, her Dad, Detective Spencer and her pet Currawong, Grechen are a crime fighting team like no other. Working for IMPACT, the International Mysteries, Puzzles And Crime Taskforce they can be sent anywhere at a moment’s notice and often are. In this investigation strange goings on take the team to Hobart, where a giant Tasmanian Tiger is terrorising the countryside. But with TTs extinct, could there be another explanation and does it have anything to do with the Tiger Pop soft drinks company? Kizmet must use all of her deductive capabilities to work this one out, especially when cranberry sauce is the chief clue!

An entertaining read, with the daughter outsmarting her hapless

violins. When one is wilfully smashed during a performance, a cat and mouse chase occurs, as Kizmet uncovers an insider conspiracy where all is not as it seems and false trails abound. A neat little story, with the usual buffoonery and Kizmet outsmarting the adults.

Highly readable and interspersed with detailed illustrations pertinent to the text.

Major themes: Europe, concert, Stradivarius violins, crime, trickery, ego, fake, detective work

Please be aware: P63: "My God"

Recommended age: 7 to 9 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Kizmet and the Case of the Smashed Violin Author: Frank Woodley ISBN: 978-0143308553 Published: 29/07/2015 Publisher: Penguin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Kizmet, Gretchen and Detective Spencer are in Hugelstein to protect the priceless Stradivarius violins, but during a performance one of the instruments is mysteriously destroyed. As Kizmet and the gang follow the trail of evidence in this case, they find themselves in more danger than ever before! » OUR REVIEW The team travel to Europe where Detective Spencer is tasked with guarding two priceless Stradivarius

Mister Cassowary Author: Samantha Wheeler ISBN: 978-0702253881 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: UQP » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION City boy Flynn is taken to Mission Beach by his dad to ready his Grandad Barney’s banana farm for sale. Flynn has never been north before, even when his grandad was alive, and the last thing he wants to do is to be stuck in the middle of woop-woop with his dad who thinks he is too young to be trusted with anything! But when Flynn meets local girl Abby and two lost baby cassowaries things become interesting.

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What does Abby know about Grandad’s mysterious death? And why does Dad refuse to talk about it and seem so scared of the cassowaries? Did this dinosaur-like bird kill Grandad? Time is running out and Flynn and Abby need a plan. Can Flynn solve the mystery before it is too late for the cassowaries? A thrilling and heartpounding adventure for animal lovers everywhere.

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 9 to 12 years Suitable class novel: YES Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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» OUR REVIEW Although the subject matter and location are firmly Australian, the underlying themes of this book are universal. Ten-year-old Flynns dad is a FIFO (fly-in/fly-out) miner who spends little time with his son.

When they’re thrown together on a trip to Northern Queensland its obvious Steve has no idea that his son is growing up.

The trip opens up old wounds for Steve, as he’s going in order to sell his childhood home, following the death of his estranged father a year prior. With his father reluctant to take him seriously and engage with him, Flynn gets increasingly frustrated, especially by his strange secrecy regarding Flynn’s grandfather.

This well constructed story revolves around Steves fathers passion for cassowaries. Grandad Barney threw himself into fighting for their protection after his wife’s death, at the cost of his only son. Steve has never forgotten, but with Flynn’s innocent discovery of two orphaned chicks old memories surface which have to be dealt with. This eventually leads to a better relationship between father and son. An enjoyable read that offers plenty of information on cassowaries and their protection.

It’s always great to come across a book like this that has a uniquely Australian flavour.

Major themes: family, father/son relationship, death, secrets, cassowaries, wildlife protection, animal habitat 20 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Dara Palmer's Major Drama Author: Emma Shevah ISBN: 978-1910002322 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Chicken House » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Dara is a born actress, or so she thinks but when she doesn’t get any part in the school play, she begins to think its because she doesn’t look like the other girls in her class. She was adopted as a baby from Cambodia.

So irrepressible Dara comes up with a plan, and is determined to change not just the school, but the whole world too. » OUR REVIEW The publishers have put a lot of effort into making this book look ‘fun’. It has a quirky cover, a catchy title and extensive page decoration inside. In reality it is so much more.

Dara is obsessed with Hollywood.

Both she and her best friend Lacey consider themselves to be the next big thing, destined for fame and fortune. When she doesn’t get the part of Maria in the school production of The Sound of Music (or any other part for that matter), she is devastated.

Could the reason possibly be that she is Cambodian? Eventually faced with the truth that she just isn’t as good as she thinks, Dara starts attending drama classes. To become a good actor, she must learn to see life from another person’s perspective. Her project is her younger sister Georgia.

As she starts to really pay attention to Georgia – who she has never understood – it sparks a gentle but profound epiphany. There is much more to Georgia than she ever knew. As the introverted younger sister, she is often overlooked, and Dara realises she has not been a very nice sister. Even more so, she is not the only one struggling with her identity.

While Dara was adopted from a Cambodian orphanage, Georgia was adopted from Russia. Dara has envied the fact that she could pass for English (like their parents and older brother), but the reality for George is quite different.

Georgia feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere. Dara may be from Cambodia, but she has Vanna - her oldest and dearest friend who was adopted by another family from the same orphanage.

Georgia has no-one. She spends her time giving back to others and trying to please their parents.

Meanwhile, Vanna has travelled to Cambodia with her parents to try and find out more about where she came from. The opportunity was there for Dara to go but she just couldn’t face it. When Vanna returns and shares with Dana what she learned about their past, Dana is inspired to tell the story of what it is like to come from another place, and struggle to find where you really belong. Unlike Lacey, who still believes she has what it takes to be a star (despite being unable to act or sing), Dana has already given up on the vapid stars that plastered her bedroom walls and realised you need to work for your dreams. Her brother Felix helps her to find other role models

and together with Georgia, Dana writes a play that tells the story of a girl a bit like her. When her drama group performs the play, she gets the opportunity to do what she has always wanted - play the lead.

Even more importantly, she realises how much she belongs exactly where she is - with her family.

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

This is an outstanding book inspired by the life stories of adopted Asian children and their families. It provides some insights into the challenges they face without in any way feeling forced. A really enjoyable and fun read that is also very worthwhile. The relationship between Dana and her wise older brother Felix is really lovely.

When Katy is assigned a history project on World War Two, she moans and groans with the rest of her class. Work? On the holidays?

Simply not fair. But when Katy and her brother wake to find them themselves in the midst of War time England, the woes of school projects are pushed far from their minds. Can Katy change the course of history by preventing a little girl from dying in a terrifying air raid? Will she make it back to the present day before she becomes another victim of the war? A captivating and powerful journey back to one of the most terrible wars in history.

Major themes: fame, Hollywood,

» OUR REVIEW

starstruck, sibling relationships, jealousy, feeling like an outsider, adoption, international adoption, life in an orphanage, friendship, working for your dreams

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 9 to 13 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

SO TITLE

Katy Parker and the House That Cried Author: Margaret Mulligan ISBN: 978-1472908780 Published: 01/11/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury

Katy and her younger brother Patrick used to be close, but now Patrick is just annoying. After he plays a mean trick on her, Katy conspires with her best friend Lizzie to scare him at the local haunted house, an abandoned mansion that the kids tell stories about. When they are given an assignment on World War II, the girls decide to find out more about Willow Dene (the old house) and the people who lived there.

They meet Hillary, an old lady who everyone is scared of, but its not until they meet her brother Charlie that they discover why she is so sad and withdrawn. Charlie tells them about the family that lived there, and the tragedy that struck their home when a single bomb landed on the local movie theatre.

Hillary was babysitting their adventurous 3-year-old that afternoon, but she got out of the house and made her way to the theatre, desperate to join in the fun with the older kids. Her life was lost and Hillary has blamed herself ever since.

A return visit to the house changes everything. Katy and Patrick find themselves back in 1940 in the days before the bomb was dropped. Its an adventure that will

not just change their lives, but the lives of those around them. An enjoyable read that contrasts children’s lives today with those in the 1940s.

Major themes: timeshift, sibling relationships, friendship, evacuees, changing history, courage, thankfulness

Please be aware: There are no concerns in this book.

Recommended age: 8 to 12 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

SO TITLE

The Tournament at Gorlan: Ranger's Apprentice the Early Years # 1 Author: John Flanagan ISBN: 978-1742759302 Published: 16/09/2016 Publisher: Random House » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Before they became the most famous Ranger in the land and the hard-working Ranger Commandant, Halt and Crowley were young friends determined to change the world. The scheming Baron Morgarath is drawing other powerhungry knights and barons to his banner. King Oswald is wasting away and, if gossip can be believed, Prince Duncan is causing havoc in the north. Halt and Crowley set out to find the prince, uncover the truth, and re-form the aptschoolresources.com.au | 21

weakened Ranger Corps. Once-loyal Rangers are scattered across the country, and it will take leadership, determination and skill if they’re to come together as one.

Can the Rangers regain the trust of the Kingdom, or will the cunning Morgarath outwit them at every turn? » OUR REVIEW Corwley and Halt are on a mission to right a grave injustice meted out to their fellow Rangers. Once begun though, it morphs into a bigger undertaking, with the discovery of a plot by the evil Baron Morgarath to overthrow the King, discredit the Prince and install himself on the throne. When Crowley and Halt have united their disbanded and vengeful Rangers they seek the help of the only Baron who can stand up to Morgarath. A plan is hatched to reveal his machinations.

This is a very enjoyable prequel to a wonderful series. With the author already familiar with his characters, the relationships and story flow easily and the book reads all the better for it. Set in a medieval time there’s plenty of action and adventure, with some interesting minor details, such as what foods they ate whilst camped out in the forest. The final showdown is well handled and fast paced and leads to the reader wanting to know more.

A great read. Highly recommended.

If you haven’t already got the Ranger’s Apprentice series in your library, this will be a welcome addition. For those that don’t, this is a great opportunity to introduce it. It is sure to be popular.

Major themes: medieval times, quest, Rangers, scheming, discrediting, imprisonment, justice, jousting, rescue

Please be aware: 1. Reading an old book which mentions dragons, mythical beasts and mind control (p177-80). 2. Drinking, drunkenness (in an Inn scene), p256, 267.

22 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Recommended age: 9 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Need to catch up?

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SO TITLE

Storm Horse Author: Nick Garlick ISBN: 978-1910002599 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Chicken House » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION With his mother missing and his father dead, 12-year-old Flip’s new home becomes the distant Dutch island of Mossum. Lost and lonely, menaced by the bullying Mesman Boys, his whole life changes the day he rescues a drowning stallion from the waves of the cold North Sea.

Flip’s mum left home three years ago. She promised she would save up the money to take him away from his nasty thieving father. He has been waiting for her to return ever since. During the trip his uncle tells him he didn’t like his father, thought he was lazy as well as a thief, and that he wasn’t sure he trusted Flip anymore than he trusted his brother. It’s not exactly an auspicious start to their relationship. His family are poor, hardworking farmers, on a farm that has been owned by them for generations. Thankfully his Aunt Elke turns out to be much warmer, and he is welcomed by her and his 7-year-old cousin Lorentia (aka Renske). Cars haven’t reached the island, and Flip has no experience with horses. But it is clear from the way his cousin’s horse Laila greets him that he is a natural. She takes to him straight away. He befriends a girl called Sophie who doesn’t speak, and when a horse is washed ashore during a bad storm, the two of them rescue it from the ropes and metal cables dragging it down.

As Mr Mesman, the local hotel owner, does his best to drive Flips family off their farm - and uses Storm as a way to do it - it is Flip’s courage and determination that not only save them, but change their lives for the better. A lovely story set sometime after World War II.

Major themes: grief, change, hope, bullying, greed, courage, horses, family, friendship, determination

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

» OUR REVIEW Within a few short days of his father’s death, 12-year-old Flip finds himself on the way from Amsterdam to his new home - the tiny island of Mossum. He will be living with Uncle Andries - a man he met for the first time just two days before. His uncle is large and grim and somewhat scary.

Recommended age: 8 to 12 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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SO TITLE

Life On Mars Author: Jennifer Brown ISBN: 978-1619636712 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Twelve-year-old Arcturus Betelgeuse Chambers comes from a family of stargazers and his quest to find life on other planets is unstoppable. But when Arty’s family announces they’re moving to Las Vegas, the City of Lights threatens to put an end to his stargazing dreams foreverespecially when he has to stay with his scary next door neighbor while his parents look for a house.

As it turns out, Mr. Death isn’t terrifying at all - he’s actually Cash Maddox, a bonafide astronaut! But when Cash falls ill, will Arty find the courage to complete his mission by himself? And might he actually prove, once and for all, that there is life on Mars? A heartwarming story of true friendship-earthly or otherwise.

to leave his best friends and the only life he’s known. His sisters aren’t happy either.

Meanwhile a creepy new neighbour moves in. Arty and his best mate Tripp believe he’s a zombie, due to his night time excursions. The truth is even more amazing - Cash was a real life astronaut. Gradually a friendship develops between Arty and the old man based on their shared obsession with space and alien contact. Unfortunately it’s to be short-lived, as Cash is dying, but each gets something good out of the little time they have together.

This is an engaging story with lots of positives. Arty’s dad is devastated at losing his job, but there’s a nice passage where he explains how he has to make caring for his family his first priority. Arty’s eventual love for his grumpy new neighbour and their mutual respect is also well told. His love/hate relationship with his sisters raises a few smiles, as does his mum’s stress baking.

All in all this is a snapshot of a fairly ordinary family with a particular obsession, going through a stressful time. As such it is well told and an enjoyable read.

Major themes: family, friendship, space, obsessions, job loss, moving, neighbours, cancer, dreams, positivity

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

» OUR REVIEW The importance of family, friendship and never giving up on your dreams shines through in this enjoyable novel.

Twelve-year-old Arty’s family are space obsessed, to the extent that every person in his immediate and extended family is named after a star. When his dad loses his job at the local university observatory, their lives are turned upside down, especially when he’s offered a new position in Las Vegas, twenty hours away. This means Arty has

Recommended age: 9 to 13 years Suitable class novel: MAYBE Good read rating: Literary value rating:

SO TITLE

Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon Author: Pamela Butchart ISBN: 978-0857634887 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Nosy Crow » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Petunia Perry has decided to write her memoirs. She wants the world to know what its like to start secondary school with a best friend who stages one-person flash mobs in the canteen, a mother who over-shares at parent’s evenings and an unwelcome suitor who draws pictures of her as a unicorn. But its when she decides to start a band with a spoonplayer and a lead-singer who’s a cat that things take a turn for the truly crazy... » OUR REVIEW This is a wildly imaginative journal of 11/12 year old Petunia (aka Peri) Perry written in the early hours of the morning in her wardrobe about the band, The Spoons, she started with her best friend Cammy, (short for Camembert) and her best friend’s cat, Margaret, who is no ordinary cat. It also involves caring but eccentric parents of both girls and teachers, some more help than others, and a little dash of romance (Edward) and nonromance (Max). There’s a very talented hacker (anon) and a very gifted spoons player (Cara). There is a mad gran who makes great costumes and, of course, an ugly pigeon who dies early in the story aptschoolresources.com.au | 23

although his curse lives on in the hands of the mean girls headed up by the popular Jessica Clark.

Mix that cast of flawed characters with a plot that involves some misunderstandings, some hacking, some embarrassing moments, some complete disasters and its a certainty that everything will get sorted and come out right in the end.

Major themes: growing up, friendship, family, taking a chance, schoolyard politics, secrets, bullying

Please be aware: 1. The curse is really a case of bullying. 2. The suggestion is made that the cat is having a "psychic migraine" and Cammy's mum's spiritualist arrives (p294). However the vet also arrives and brings them back to reality - the cat is about to have kittens.

Recommended age: 8 to 12 years Suitable class novel: MAYBE Good read rating: Literary value rating:

SO TITLE

Breath of the Dragon: Mapmaker Chronicles # 3 Author: A.L.Tait ISBN: 978-0734415813 Published: 29/9/2015 Publisher: Hachette Australia » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Quinn, Ash, Zain and the crew of the Libertas are racing against the clock to get back to Verdania 24 | The Book Curator: October 2015

before the King's deadline. Will they make it in time? Will Quinn complete the first map of the whole world? Will Zain bring back enough treasure to satisfy the King? Will they win the race to the end of the world? Or will their enemies stop them from getting back at all? » OUR REVIEW The crew of the Libertas must soon find food or they will starve.

Their supplies have been running low for weeks now. To make matters worse, Quinn’s incredible memory has not been the same since his accident. Zain is relying on him to help them win the race but Quinn is more worried than ever that he might fail them.

With Kurt sabotaging them on board, and the captains of the Wandering Spirit and the Fair Maiden determined to win by fair means or foul, the odds are well and truly against them. When they’re captured by Deslonders, Quinn, Tomas and Ash manage to escape and determine to release Zain and the crew from prison before Morpeth raises a mob against him.

Only Zain knows why Morpeth is so relentless in his attempts to stop them. It is the same reason Zain has given Kurt way more leeway than is wise. The Great Race is the king’s attempt to help put things to right, but when the Libertas fails to return to Verdania before the deadline, it seems that the injustices of the past will stand.

Until the wisdom and foresight of Cleric Greenfield, the gentle old man they still mourned, changes their lives forever …

A really great ending to a very enjoyable and adventurous trilogy that will appeal to both boys and girls. Highly recommended.

Major themes: adventure, race, betrayal, loss, grief, motivation, betrayal, cheating, team work,

courage, leadership, restitution, restoration, friendship, family

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 10 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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SO TITLE

The Flyaway Girls Author: Julia Lawrinson ISBN: 978-0143308652 Published: 26/08/2015 Publisher: Penguin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Telia makes her movements graceful as well as technically perfect. And when she finishes with a full straight-body somersault - something I have never been able to do - her delighted grin makes everybody else smile. Even the judges. Even me. Even though I am wishing, more than anything, that I could perform like that. And knowing, with a horrible sinking feeling, that I never will.

Chelsea is the hardest worker in her gymnastics club and she’s determined to make the Nationals team, and then the Olympics. But

new girl Telia has more natural talent. Chelsea gets jealous, which feels awful, because she really likes Telia, who isn’t stuck-up like some other girls at gym. And its not only envy thats bothering Chelsea - she’s got family issues to worry about and her school friends are acting weird. Its time for Chelsea to figure out whats really important - and just maybe take a leap into the unknown . . . » OUR REVIEW Chelsea is a committed gymnast.

All she wants is to be chosen for the Nationals, in the hope that one day she will have a shot at the Olympics. Her best friends don’t really understand her level of commitment, but do their best to work around her incessant practicing and single minded focus. When new girl Telia shows incredible natural talent and is chosen for the Nationals instead of Chelsea, the situation escalates. As Chelsea struggles with her jealousy, she also struggles with the changes in her family situation.

After her parents split up, her dad moved away with his new girlfriend Brianna. Chelsea doesn’t like Brianna, and doesn’t want to go skiing with them, but it is this trip - and the pleasure of participating in a sport just because you enjoy it - that helps her realise what is really important.

And with Telias help, she recaptures the joy that gymnastics once gave her ...

Major themes: A pleasant story about sport, friendship, family and dealing with disappointment.sport, gymnastics, ambition, jealousy, family, broken families, friendship

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 9 to 12 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Crystal Keepers: Five Kingdoms # 3 Author: Brandon Mull ISBN: 948-1471122194 Published: 01/07/2015 Publisher: Simon & Schuster » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Cole is unprepared for the dangers in front of him... Now he's trapped somewhere between reality and imagination in a bizarre world called The Outskirts. A place where jumping swords, castles and powerful enemies are an everyday occurrence. Cole must mend the magic that has taken a sinister turn and find his friends who are lot and scattered over the Five Kingdoms. And if he fails Cole and everyone he needs to save will be stuck there forever.

results.This instalment doesn’t quite contain the same level of overt action as the previous books, its more cat and mouse with a lot more background information and political intrigue. This doesn’t make it any the less enjoyable, but provides the reader with a better understanding of what’s going on and sets the tone for the final two books still to come.

Reviews for books 1 & 2 can be found in the August 2015 issue of The Book Curator.

Major themes: fantasy, adventure, friendship, other world, technology, rogue super computers, robots, resistance, secret bases, subterfuge, palace intrigue

Please be aware: There are no specific concerns and the language is good throughout, however, this is a fantasy novel and magic, illusions, sorcery, call it what you may, is pervasive. That said, its never referred to in those terms and only the top exponents are called enchanters, with many people able to shape. The terms wizard, witch or magic are never used and what people do and how their world works is just normal.

» OUR REVIEW This is by far the heftiest tome in this enjoyable series to date. At nearly 500 pages its a long and intricate read with Cole and associates journeying into the technological kingdom of Zeropolis - the most Earth like realm - but also dangerous due to their surveillance technologies. Here Cole meets up with the Unseen, but their presence triggers an onslaught by the City Patrol, and even more worryingly, the Enforcers. Fleeing from hide-out to hide-out, Cole must eventually call on Aero, a malevolent rogue supercomputer which almost took over Zeropolis, in order to thwart an even greater threat. Meanwhile a planned meeting with Queen Harmony leads to some surprising

Recommended age: 10 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Need to catch up?

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aptschoolresources.com.au | 25

SO TITLE

Eren Author: Simon P.Clark ISBN: 978-1472110985 Published: 29/07/2015 Publisher: Murdoch » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION People are keeping secrets from Oli. His mum has brought him to stay with his aunt and uncle in the countryside, but nobody will tell him why his dad isn't with them.

Where is he? Has something happened? Oli has a hundred questions, but then he finds a secret of his own: he discovers the creature that lives in the attic ...

Eren.

Eren is not human. Eren is hungry for stories. Eren has been waiting for him. Sharing his stories with Eren, Oli starts to make sense of what's happening downstairs with his family. But what if its a trap?

Soon, Oli must make a choice: learn the truth - or abandon himself to Eren's world, forever. » OUR REVIEW This is a really intriguing story, a little reminiscent of A Monster Calls

by Patrick Ness (one of the best books we have ever reviewed).

Oli and his mum are on an unexpected visit to her family home, where her brother Rob and his wife now live. Oli has been expecting his father to join them, but it soon becomes clear that won’t be happening. His mum won’t tell him why. His dad is an ex-property developer who now works for the government and as the story unfolds we discover that

26 | The Book Curator: October 2015

he has been accused of stealing millions of pounds from the pension fund. He is being pilloried in the press and journalists are sniffing at their door.

It is not just Oli’s mum who is keeping secrets. Oli has one too. In the attic of Uncle Rob’s house, there is a creature called Eren.

Eren is desperate for stories and he finds Oli’s particularly tasty.

Interspersed between fairly ordinary scenes of Oli hanging out with new friends Emma and Takeru are folk tales that have told for generations. But the line between lies and stories can be a thin one.

‘A lie is something that hasn’t happened. … [A story is] the truths that didn’t have time to happen’.

As Oli struggles with his mother’s choice not to tell him about his dad, Eren draws him further and further into the world of stories, appealing to his desire to be different, to be seen as special, until his real life has almost disappeared. The reader is left wondering if Eren is real or just a figment of Oli’s imagination.

There’s lots of dark and shade, and many powerful themes regarding storytelling and the importance of recording people’s stories, so even when they die they live on through those stories.

that spark of humanity that makes us what we are."

Major themes: family secrets, loneliness, myths and stories, the power of words, stories as cultural heritage, fraud, the magic of stories, truth and lies, beginnings and endings, oral tradition, history

Please be aware: 1. Language: bugger x 2 (chapter 3, chapter 11).

2. The stories told throughout are folk tales/local legends/cultural stories/moral tales and as you would expect there is some darkness and elements of magic in some of those stories.

Recommended age: 11 to 14 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Big Game

The ending is circular, taking you back to the beginning of the story.

A thought-provoking tale that is not easy to pin down. Eren would make an excellent class text.

Author: Dan Smith ISBN: 978-1910002797 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Chicken House

Favourite quotes: Tales go on and on. They come from before you were born, and they echo on after you leave.

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

"The world turns and there are more horrors and terrors every day. But it's like....like there is something deeper, something truer going on And if we can just tell the right story, we might all work it out. Poets and writers have tried for years to capture n words

Oskari is sent into the cold wilderness on an ancient test of manhood. He must survive armed only with a bow and arrow. But instead, he stumbles upon an escape pod from a burning airliner: Air Force One. Terrorists have shot down the President of the United States. The boy hunter and the worlds most powerful man are suddenly the hunted, in a race against a deadly enemy... Written

by acclaimed childrens novelist Dan Smith, Big Game is a stunningly told survival story set in the icy wilderness.

and destroy the computer virus.

But is that the end of him?

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» OUR REVIEW Oskari is about to face the trial that is part of his people’s tradition. He must go into the freezing Finnish wilderness with the huge bow that every boy must use in the hunt that signifies his becoming a man.

He has almost no confidence in his abilities, especially as he can’t even pull the bow back all the way.

His tribe are not confident either.

He is the runt, the one they expect to fail. In the wilderness he hears a helicopter and sneaks up to take a look as illegal poachers are an ongoing problem. Instead he sees a man he knows (who brought the poachers in) get shot. The men responsible are setting up all kinds of technology and he cant work out what they are up to ... until he comes across an escape pod.

Inside is the American President. It will take all Oskari’s skills to get them both out alive, and along the way he will discover he is made of far more courageous stuff than he ever imagined. An enjoyable action packed tale that pits technology against Oskari’s traditional skills.

Major themes: Finland, adventure, survival, courage, coming of age, tribal rituals, technology, American President, terrorism

Please be aware: 1. There is some violence, but it is not graphic. Patu is shot in front of him, p48-49.

Dead bodyguards, p111-112. Bodies in the plane p204-206. 2. Jesus x 1 (p238). 3. The bad guy is supposedly a psychopathic hunter, who wants to kill the President for sport. In reality that is just a story he made up to cover up terrorist activities.

Recommended age: 11 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Lockdown: Urban Outlaws Author: Peter Jay Black ISBN: 978-1408851470 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION The Urban Outlaws have been betrayed - and defeated. Or so Hector thought when he stole the worlds most advanced computer virus. But Hector will need to try much harder than just crossing the Atlantic if he wants to outsmart Jack and his team . . .

With the help of a shadowy figure known as The Shepherd, the Urban Outlaws risk everything and head to the States. They plan to take Hector down and stop him from using the virus as the ultimate hacking tool - the worlds secrets, and their own, are in his fingertips and if they don’t act fast, our lives will be changed forever.

A fun and enjoyable read with plenty of gadgetry and computer wizardry to keep this tech savvy generation engaged. With both male and female characters given equal recognition, it’s suitable for either gender, with lots of mutual appreciation for each others abilities. The notion of good planning is also instilled along with group inclusion, so everyone knows what is going on and what their role is. This means that as well as a great yarn it promotes some excellent life skills.

Major themes: friendship, crime fighting group, computer hackers, New York, Hollywood studio, rescue mission, retrieval, gadgets, good planning

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 10 to 15 years Suitable class novel: NO Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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» OUR REVIEW In this third instalment of a very enjoyable action-packed series, the Outlaws travel to New York on the trail of their arch nemesis Hector. With Hector using the stolen super computer virus to break into multiple computer networks and set up innocent people, Jack and the crew once again take life threatening risks, face near impossible situations and play a dangerous cat and mouse game. With the help of the shadowy Shepherd and two new contacts in the Big Apple, they are eventually able to thwart Hector

Sing a Rebel Song Author: Pamela Rushby ISBN: 978-1742991344 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Omnibus Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION It's 1891. Maggie McAllister and her family are caught up in one of the most dramatic events in Australia's history: the Shearers Strike. The trouble that erupts between the aptschoolresources.com.au | 27

Shearers Union, the pastoralists and the government has never been seen before on the quiet streets of Barcaldine. Maggie plays her part in the Unions struggle in no small way herself, through her writing.

Her friends, a local pastoralist family, do not see things the same way, and for Maggie, singing a rebel song may yet have heartbreaking consequences. » OUR REVIEW Maggie McAllister’s father is in the shearers union, working with the other members to try and improve the shearers conditions. When the unions start making demands regarding pay and conditions, the pastoralists unite to make their own determination about what they will and won’t offer the workers.

Maggie and her mum get involved writing out notices for the union and posting them around town to keep the men appraised of what is going on. Maggie believes in what the union are doing - she has seen first hand what the poor wages mean for their family and many like them. Mr O’Harrigan, an aging shearer who comes to stay with them, tells her of the ridiculous penalties imposed on the shearers and she knows those things are unfair.

Her best friend Clara is the daughter of a pastoralist, and she is also quite close with Clara’s older brother James. Maggie’s mum used to be their governess so the ties between the children have been strong. James tells her some of the issues facing the pastoralists times are tough, the banks are closing in and some owners are losing their properties. One of the only ways they see to cut costs and make sure they survive is to cut wages. But they have little understanding of the impact this will have on the families of the workers.

Torn between two worlds, Maggie has a bird’s eye view as the conflict between the two groups unfolds.

28 | The Book Curator: October 2015

More and more soldiers are sent by the government, shearers are involved in arson attacks on the wool sheds, more of the men are talking of taking up arms and the situation is fraught with danger.

One spark and it could all go up in flames. When the union leaders are eventually arrested for plotting rebellion, the union strike collapses.

After all, the men need to feed their families.

A couple of years later, disillusioned with the imbalance between the rich and the poor, Maggie’s parents decide to join William Lane on the long trip to South America in the hope that his utopian ideals of a fair society for all can be realised ...

An interesting fictionalised account about the events that birthed the Trade Union movement in Australia. This would be a great resource for the Australian Curriculum. The title comes from Henry Lawson’s poem Freedom on the Wallaby which is included in the story.

Major themes: Australian history, 1890s, the Shearer's Strike, birth of the Trade Union movement, working together for a common cause, journalism, writing, gender roles, classes of society

Please be aware: There are no concerns with this book.

Recommended age: 11 to 14 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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The Boy at the Top of the Mountain Author: John Boyne ISBN: 978-0552573542 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Random House » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains.

But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler.

Quickly, Pierrot is taken under Hitlers wing, and is thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal, from which he may never be able to escape. » OUR REVIEW A powerful story depicting how a controlled environment and persistent brain washing can turn an innocent child into a rabid believer. Pierrot’s life wasn’t ideal, his parents both loved him, but his German father grew distant and drank more and more in the years after the Great War. Suffering from what we now know as PTSD, he had no help and eventually abandoned his family.

Pierrot’s mother is forced to work and takes on her husbands old job in a Paris restaurant. For a few years life goes on, but the rise of Nazi Germany overshadows Europe and when his mother dies

of typhoid, Pierrot must leave his childhood home and best friend Anchel, who is a Jew. After a brief stay in an orphanage he’s claimed by his aunt and whisked off to Austria. There he learns that his new home atop the mountains - the Berghof - is actually Hitler’s retreat and his aunt is its housekeeper. So begins a very different life and education.

His name is changed to Pieter and he’s indoctrinated into the National Socialist creed. And thus an innocent boy is eventually turned into a monster, who causes the death of his aunt amongst others.

A fascinating read with some great historical insights into Hitler’s time spent at the Berghof and how his presence was felt in the surrounding area. The stand out is Pierrot’s transformation and many years later his remorse. Another must have book from this acclaimed author.

Major themes: war, grief, loss, life between the wars, family, friendship, betrayal, PTSD, death, orphanage, The Berghof, Hitler, Nazism, indoctrination, abuse of power, remorse

Please be aware: Infrequent violence (not graphically described), nothing you wouldn';t expect given the war themes.

Recommended age: 11 to 15 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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House of Windows Author: Alexia Casale ISBN: 978-0571321537 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Allen & Unwin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION The body is a house of many windows: there we all sit, showing ourselves and crying on the passers-by to come and love us.

Nick hates it when people call him a genius. Sure, he’s going to Cambridge University aged 15, but he says thats just because he works hard. And, secretly, he only works hard to get some kind of attention from his workaholic father. Not that his strategy is working. When he arrives at Cambridge, he finds the work hard and socialising even harder. Until, that is, he starts to cox for the college rowing crew and all hell breaks loose...

in the place. Uni is a place where lifelong friendships are made, or so they tell him. It certainly was for his dad, whose friendship with Bill (Nick’s godfather) has endured the years that have passed since.

Nick is not just younger than everyone else – he is very smart and driven to succeed at any cost.

His friendship with the acerbic Professor Goswin (who knows his dad and godfather well) offers the one haven from the pain of continuously failing to connect with his fellow students (and his father) despite his best efforts.

But when the elderly Professor suffers a stroke – and Nick is the one to find her – he begins to discover for himself the truth she wanted him to know more than any other – that family is far more than just biology.

This is a wonderful book with detailed descriptions of Cambridge and university life. The gradual unfolding of the story behind Nick’s rather blunt exterior is very well handled, as are the relationships which eventually help him to see that he is both loved and worthy of love. It is literary in style (in that it is character driven rather than plot driven) but very accessible for the target age group. A great read.

» OUR REVIEW

Favourite quotes: “You’re not

Nick has been living with his dad since his mum had a breakdown and his stepfather threw him out.

He never saw his mother again. His father is a busy lawyer angling for a partnership and Nick has become used to taking responsibility, being left alone and being let down.

Work always comes first. At just 15-years-old, he has been accepted into Cambridge University. He insists he’s not a genius – just a hard worker. His father has instilled in him the importance of getting top marks, but has done little to help prepare him for life on the campus when you are three years younger than every other student

“You can’t just go out with someone in the hope that they will become their best self … You can hope, but you can’t count on it.

You’ve got to pick people for who they are already. And yes, people change, but you never know how they’ll change. If you don’t start by

listening. Like so many people, you think that the important moments in the story of a life are big and loud, where really they’re small and quiet.

Someone on the outside would think those moments unworthy of note, but you must recognise the important moments of your own life when they happen, Nicholas. It is very important.” (p185).

aptschoolresources.com.au | 29

thinking a person, as he or she is, is good enough already then …

Well, you’ll spend your life looking to be with someone who isn’t the person you’re with.” (p213).

Major themes: child prodigy, mental illness, absent parents, workaholics, grief, loss, blame, university life, Cambridge, friendship, kindness, the meaning of family, love

Please be aware: 1. Language: dick x 2 (p9, 172), f**k x 1 (p342). No other language. 2. There is quite a bit of drinking by the students,and this exacerbates Nick’s isolation from them. He joins the rowing team to try and make friends and ends up drunk and in the cells, after his so-called mates encourage him to drink and then abandon him when the police turn up.(p169-182).

3. Nick’s mother committed suicide due to mental illness (p245). Tim’s parents both died in an accident.

Both of them at different times try to drown their grief in alcohol without success, eg. p233. 4. Tim is known to sleep around (no descriptions) but it is clear from the story that he is using that as a method of overcoming his loneliness and his grief and that it is not working for him or for the girls he gets involved with.

mother to daughter and has been that way since time immemorial.

Now, age 15, it is Sim’s turn.

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The River and the Book Author: Alison Croggon ISBN: 978-1925081725 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Walker Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION In our village we had two treasures: the River, which was our road and our god; and the Book, which was our history, our oracle and our soul.

Simbala is a Keeper of the Book, the latest in a long line of women who can read the Book to find answers to the villagers’ questions.

As developers begin to poison the river on which the villagers rely, the Book predicts change. But this does not come in the form that they expect; it is the sympathetic Westerner who comes to the village who inflicts the greatest damage of all. » OUR REVIEW

Recommended age: 12 to 16 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Sim grew up in a very small village of about thirty-five houses, along the River. The people live simply but happily, working hard but enjoying the company of family and friends.

They have two treasures – the River that shapes their lives, and the Book, which is their history, their oracle and their soul.

The only visitors who come to their village are the trader Mizan, who is treated as an honoured guest, and the tax collector, who no one trusts.

The Book records “everything that had been, everything that was and everything that was to come”.

Sim’s family are the Keepers of the Book. It is passed down from

30 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Only the Keepers have the right to handle the Book. If anyone in the village had a question they couldn’t answer, they would ask the Book.

Then a young man arrives with his dying wife and small baby. They come from a village further down the river. A corporation decided it was a good place to plant cotton.

The people thought it might bring trade to their village, but then the pesticides affected the water, and the river level kept dropping.

Fights broke out and the army got involved. The villagers no longer had a village and many lives were lost. It is only a matter of time before Sim’s village is also affected.

A year or so later, a white woman named Jane Watson arrives with Mizan the trader. She is writing a book about the people who live along the river, and wants to know about their lives. Jane stays for a month, taking photos of them and eating with them. When she leaves Sim cries at her going.

Then they discover the Book is also gone.

Jane’s theft has casually destroyed hundreds of years of tradition and torn a large hole in the soul of their village that will never heal. Sim is determined to follow her and get it back. It will take three years before she finds her, only to discover that some things can never be returned…

This is a small but profound, thought provoking and beautifully written story. It moves between fable and realism, and raises some large issues in a very accessible way. Amongst its many themes is the realisation that as westerners we can very easily negatively impact on those in other cultures – even with our compliments and suggestions. The power of words and actions cannot be underestimated.

Favourite quote: “I know I cannot give them what they want. A gift must be received as well as given, a poem must be listened to with the ears of the soul, and their souls are crying so hard they can hear nothing.”

Major themes: the power of stories, oral tradition, history, magical realism, friendship, courage, journey, poverty, wisdom, cultural vandalism, environmental vandalism, selfishness, corporate greed, government corruption, refugees, theft

Please be aware: No concerns.

Recommended age: 12 to 17 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Replicate Author: Adele Jones ISBN: 978-1925139570 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Rhiza Press » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Blaine Colton is pulled into a chilling conspiracy when he discovers embryonic clones with his name on them. Convinced the research has breached ethics agreements, he brings close friends, Sophie and Jett Faraday, in on a scheme to find answers.

Immediate threats reveal not everyone is happy about his discovery. The reappearance of an identity from Blaine’s past unsettles him further, and then a crisis fractures his world.

Convinced his research objections and the tragic events are linked, Blaine pursues justice.

But someone is watching him.

Someone wants him dead ... » OUR REVIEW Replicate continues the story of Blaine Colton which began in Integrate. Blaine is now 18-yearsold, and is faced with the discovery of who he was, is, and will be. When Blaine finds embryonic clones with his initials on them, he begins to suspect that the Advance Research Institute is breaching ethical agreements.

With the help of his close friends, Sophie and Jett Faraday, he begins to search for answers. However, not everyone seems to be happy about their investigation. Blaine receives threats against him and the ones he loves, which leads to him being beaten up in a public park. Bloody and broken, he still doesn’t give up his search.

As a consequence, Jett Faraday is killed in a deliberate car crash while Blaine is in the car. Blaine and Sophie are crushed and become disconnected. After the funeral, Blaine’s distant biological mum returns and now wants to be part of his life. Convinced that these tragic and unusual events are linked, Blaine sets out to avenge his best friend. The truths he discovers nearly cost him his life and he is forced to go into witness protection to protect the people he loves.

Another engaging story in this trilogy with Blaine reaping both the rewards and the consequences of scientific achievement, human greed and the pull of friends and family.

Major themes: Cloning, embryonic research, friendship,conspiracy, witness protection, family, comingof-age, scientific discovery, first love

Please be aware: Jett is murdered in a car crash; there is gun violence

at the end of the novel between the criminals and Blaine.

Recommended age: 13 years+ Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Need to catch up?

Save 15% on Integrate when you order before 6/11/15.

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The Wolf Wilder Author: Katherine Rundell ISBN: 978-1408872352 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces.

Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves.

Feodoras mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training.

A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans.

When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves. aptschoolresources.com.au | 31

» OUR REVIEW Feodora and her mother live in their isolated hut with three wolves.

Marina is a wolf wilder introducing wolves who have been raised as pets back into the wild. They run foul of the Tsar’s Imperial Army and its commander for that area, General Rakov, a vicious man, when the wolves are accused of killing a young elk.

Another wolf is dropped off. Feo calls her Tenderfoot and doesn’t realise she’s pregnant until she gives birth to a pup just as they’ve been found by a soldier of the Imperial Army.

Rakov had told them to shoot any wolves that came to them.

However, this soldier is a boy, Ilya, 13 years, not much older than Feo. He’s fascinated by the pup and wants to come back to help with the wolves.

Ilya comes to warn Feo and Marina that the soldiers are coming. Feo and Ilya escape but Marina is taken prisoner and their hut is burnt down. Marina is taken to St Petersburg for trial. Feo, Ilya and the wolves meet Alexei and his sister and baby. Alexei is an agitator and wants to fight the system that allows the Tsar’s army to steal food and people and burn villages.

Feo has a price on her head because she took out Rakov’s eye with her ski when he attacked their home. They get a following amongst the children at a neighbouring village. To escape the cold, they move to a burnt out castle. While there, Ilya’s talent as a dancer is discovered and he receives an offer to train at a local ballet school. The children join them and they plan an attack to free Feo’s mother. This works well and even ends up involving the parents in the village. Feo finds her tormentor, Rakov, hiding in the prison. She confronts him and then leaves his fate to the two remaining wolves.

Feo and her mother and the

32 | The Book Curator: October 2015

wolves make the derelict castle their home.

A great story with a fairy tale touch to it set in the snowy woods and villages of Russia outside Petersburg. A well-paced read set in an exotic location in interesting political times.

Favourite quote: “It’s inhuman to take your books away before you know the end.”

Major themes: Tsarist Russia, wolf wildering, winter, people's revolution, fire, domination, dance, people/animal relationship, wolves

Please be aware: There are some references to Rakov’s cruelty eg p89 he orders the oldest of the soldiers, the ones with no teeth and arthritis to fight each other to the death while others bet on them ... he barricades people inside their homes and sets fire to them.

Recommended age: 12 to 15 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Sunkissed Author: Jenny McLachlan ISBN: 978-1408856116 Published: 26/08/2015 Publisher: Bloomsbury » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Kat cant believe her family are sending her to Sweden for the summer. But without her friends, or even a phone signal, can Kat make it on her own? In a land of

saunas, nudity and summer sun, Kat soon realises she has nowhere to hide. It’s time to embrace who she really is, underneath what she’s been thinking people want her to be. Especially if she’s going to win the heart of mega fit Swede Leo! Can Kat find her inner strength and prove she’s got what it takes? Kat soon finds that when you’re surrounded by phosphorescence and wonder its easy to sparkle. Or maybe that’s what happens when you fall in love ... Or maybe you only shine when you’re true to yourself. » OUR REVIEW After some silly behaviour puts her parents offside, they are no longer willing to leave Kat at home with older sister Britta while they go on a trip to the US. Instead, she is being shipped off to her Swedish aunt Frida, who lives in Stockholm.

She’ll be there for a month.

But when she arrives, it’s not the delights of Stockholm she’ll be experiencing. Her aunt is taking her to a little island called Strala, very beautiful but totally isolated.

There is no mobile phone signal, no shopping, no electricity, no cars and nothing to do except enjoy the great outdoors. As a girl addicted to the delights of modern life – including her hair straightener – she is not impressed.

Things get better when she makes a new friend – Leo. They are getting along fabulously when his friend Peeta turns up and it becomes obvious they are an item.

Their plan is to compete in Tuff Troll (one of the world’s toughest endurance races) that is being held in the islands. You have to compete in pairs. Devastated that Leo has a girlfriend, Kat blurts out that she will be racing too with her totally fit friend.

Only problem is – she doesn’t have one. Her only hope is to convince one of her best friends back in

England to travel all the way to the island and compete with her.

With the help of her young friend Nanna and tough old Otto, she starts training anyway. She’s doubly shocked when the friend who eventually steps off the ferry is Pearl – her tough, touchy, smoking friend who definitely isn’t fit. Even though she will probably offend everyone on the island, Kat is really glad she’s there.

They might not win, but they sure work out what is important along the way. It’s a very different pair of girls who return to England …

A very fun, enjoyable read with a splash of romance and an underlying theme about not losing sight of what really matters, especially when there is a cute boy around who could easily turn your head.

Major themes: friendship, family, romance, jealousy, endurance racing, team work, Sweden

Please be aware: 1. Some kissing (all very mild). 2. In a stereotypically Swedish manner, Aunt Frida isn’t that keen on clothes. 3. Some mild/brief references to other people drinking vodka at the Midsummer festivals in Sweden. 4.

Inspired by her aunt, Kat decides to go skinny dipping and is running to the water when she realises they are not alone – Leo is in his kayak and is greeting them. Very embarrassing! 5. Language: dick x 1, bloody x 2.

Recommended age: 13 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Zeroes Author: Scott Westerfield, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Bancotti ISBN: 978-1925266955 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Allen & Unwin » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Don't call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. Ethan aka Scam has a voice inside him that’ll say whatever people want to hear, whether its true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t - like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery.

The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.

Enter Nate, aka Bellwether, the group’s glorious leader. After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together.

But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases. Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening instalment of a thrilling new series. » OUR REVIEW They might not know why they have powers, but they have one thing in common … they were all born in the year 2000. Hence their name - the Zeroes. They were a

team, the five of them. Possibly even friends. Then Ethan’s ‘voice’ ripped them all to shreds, exposing their hidden secrets. It’s been 12 months since they saw each other.

Then Ethan gets into trouble. His need for a ride home starts a chain reaction whose effects ripple through his life and those around him. He is a bystander in a bank robbery, and his superpower (the voice) does its’ usual trick of talking him out of a tight corner.

The only problem is, the words it chooses not only set the robbers against each other until there’s a shoot out, but also brings him to the unwanted attention of the police.

He has to get away from the police before the ‘voice’ tells them everybody’s secrets. Especially given his mum is the Assistant District Attorney and has no idea about his ‘gift’. The others band together to make it happen. But things don’t exactly go to plan, and a policeman gets seriously hurt when Chizara (aka Crash) brings down the computer systems and inadvertently opens the cell doors.

The bad guys are after them, and it will take all their powers, their ingenuity and ultimately some important lessons for them to realise that there are consequences for everything they do, and that perhaps they really do need each other after all. A great start to what is sure to be a popular series that could well end up as a movie.

Major themes: super powers, friendship, teamwork, risk, jealousy, regret, manipulation, consequences, choices, crime, hope

Please be aware: This is not an edgy book at all, so these issues need to be considered in that context. 1. Language: shit x 25, dick/head x 7, bastard x 2, Jesus x 1 (p153), f**k x 2 (p160, 459). 2.

Kelsie’s father was involved in the bank robbery, trying to recover money to pay off drug dealers, aptschoolresources.com.au | 33

p163, 303-304. The consequences of his choices are very clear. 3.

When Ethan’s voice ripped into the other Zeroes, he says to Nate ‘you want to bang your little sister don’t you’ (he’s referring to Nate’s crush on his friend Flick who is like his little sister), p353. 4. Kissing (p355).

5. Kelsie’s mum was physically abusive (p431).

Recommended age: 12 to 15 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Codename Eagle Author: Robert Rigby ISBN: 978-1406346671 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Walker Books » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION After his failed escape to England across the Pyrenees, Paul Hansen is living, once again, in France.

While the Germans blitz London and other major cities, Paul is getting more and more restless.

Though he’s part of the resistance movement, the past six months have been quiet. Then one night, like phantoms, they arrive by parachute: six men from the German Brandenburg Regiment, a special force of elite soldiers. Do they have information about Paul’s father, who was mysteriously shot in London? Is Paul their target now? » OUR REVIEW France, Belgium and the Netherlands surrendered to Germany in June of 1940. The northern part of France

34 | The Book Curator: October 2015

is now under the control of the Germans, while the southern ‘Free Zone’ is governed by a French administration based in Vichy. But few are fooled. The Germans still hold the southern zone in an iron grip. Even though they aren’t actually present, their spies and collaborators are.

Since he almost lost his life crossing the mountains from Spain six months before, 17-year-old Paul has been hoping for action. He is no longer willing to wait for it to come for him. Paul determines to make his way back across the mountains and then travel to England so he can join the army.

But the action is about to come closer than they imagined. A group of Germans have parachuted in and with the aid of French collaborators, are now disguised as gendarmes and farm workers.

Their target is a nuclear scientist called Max. If they can’t capture him, they will kill him.

Only Paul and his resistance friends can stop them. It’s a risky operation and not everyone will make it out unscathed. To make matters more complicated, Paul thinks he has worked out where his father (who was the leader of the resistance movement in Antwerp before he was killed by the Germans) has hidden his detailed plans of the German harbours and their defences. Can he get the information to the allies before it is too late?

An enjoyable read that follows on from The Eagle Trail (reviewed June 2014) but could also stand alone.

Major themes: The Resistance, World War II, friendship, family, courage, determination, betrayal, greed, fear, regret, courage

Please be aware: 1. Minor infrequent language: shit x 2, bastard x 3, bloody x 3. 2. Some violence as you would expect from the war themes, but not graphic.

Recommended age: 14 to 17 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Need to catch up?

Save 15% on The Eagle Trail (book 1) before 6/11/15.

SO TITLE

Velocity Author: Chris Wooding ISBN: 978-1407124292 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Scholastic » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION A story of reckless ambition, unshakable friendship and the perils of fame, set in a broken future... Cassica and Shiara have grown up in an outback settlement far from anywhere. Life’s hard where they live, but these two girls have a dream. The biggest sport on the planet is The Free Race, a dangerous off road rally in which competitors drive souped-up racers through the badlands.

Cassica is a talented driver; Shiara her engineer and navigator. Their mission: to win the ultimate race, a course called the Widowmaker, a three-day rally through the most dangerous stretch of the badlands.

Pursuing them will be the Wreckers, a colourful bunch of psychopaths driving monstrous armoured vehicles, hell-bent on destroying any racers they catch.

The winners are crowned

champions of The Free Race. The losers don’t survive. . . » OUR REVIEW In post-apocalyptic Merrica, car racing is more Mad Max than Bathurst. It is also the sport of choice, and an opportunity for the very best racers to escape to a better life.

America as it once was, no longer exists. The economy collapsed, Los Angeles and San Francisco were drowned by a tsunami following an earthquake, and the dangerous ruins of LA are now known as Lost Angeles. The OmniWars almost wiped them out.

The survivors are now even more clearly segregated into the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, and Shiara and best friend Cassica are definitely in the ‘have not’ category.

Shiara’s dad owns a mechanic shop in a dusty town called Coppermouth. Shiara is his best mechanic but as a girl could never inherit the shop. That will go to her brother. Cassica is like a sister to her. They have never formally adopted her but she has been with them for years since her mum died of the killing dust (red dust full of nanobots that blows in and blows out leaving lung disease in its wake).

The girls are a racing team and compete in the Outer League. Until a man called Harlan comes knocking and offers to be their manager and take them to the top of their game. It means going to Anchor City for the Ragrattle Caves Race in the hope of making it into the Widowmaker as a wild card.

The winners of the Widowmaker will win a golden ticket to Olympus.

It’s an outpost on the edge of space where the Celestials live – a vast and wondrous habitat far from the cares of those on earth.

Only the rich and famous live on Olympus, and numbers are strictly limited.

Against Shiara’s better judgement they go – she knows if they don’t then the day will come when Cassica will leave her behind.

It soon becomes clear that Cassica will do anything to win – and that those who go to watch the races are more interested in seeing people get hurt than in who is the best driver. It is the spectacle they want.

Shiara also discovers that Olympus is not exactly what it seems. You might make it there, but then you have to stay there, and only the popular survive. They are all performing seals for a reality TV show. People think its Utopia but it’s not – it’s a stage and everyone has to perform for the crowd.

As pawns in a bigger game the time will come when the girls have to choose – will they do what is expected of them, or change the rules altogether?

he was using his fame (and her being starstruck) to intentionally manipulate her so they could get her out of the race. 4. Violence and guns p224 and elsewhere but not graphic.

Recommended age: 14 years+ Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Solace of the Road

A fast paced engaging story with Hunger Games style themes set in a Mad Max type background (without the graphic violence of either). Very enjoyable and could be used as a class novel.

Author: Siobhan Dowd ISBN: 978-1909531147 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Random House

Major themes: post-apocalyptic

Memories of Mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school and the way everyone is always on at her.

society, fear, reality TV, car racing, survival, greed, manipulation, family, friendship, choices, freedom

Favourite quote: ‘…because politics are meant to be entertainment. The fate of the world is too damned important to be decided on who gives the best soundbite’ (p202)

Please be aware: 1. You ought to see how the kids do it these days.

References to the outrageous things the young ones will do to get – and keep – their fame (p112).

2. References to people having been injured or killed in the races, but no descriptions. 3. She kissed him fiercely. ‘take me somewhere’ and so he did. P166, p170, Cassica reminiscing internally about the night with Keran, p189 (absolutely no descriptions). It becomes clear

» PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blonde locks she feels transformed. Shes not Holly any more, she’s Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the supersharp talk. She’s older, more confident - the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland and find her mum.

The kind of girl who can face the world head on.

So begins a bittersweet, and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through

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memory, discovering her true self, and unlocking the secrets of her past. Holly’s story will leave a lasting impression on all who travel with her. » OUR REVIEW Holly Hogan has been in a children’s home for years. All that time she has dreamed of going to Ireland and looking for her mum, who she hasn’t seen since she was a small child.

She has been on a slide downward at the home. Holly’s given up going to school and things aren’t getting any better. Then Miko tells her they have a placement for her a – a family with no kids is going to give her a trial. She’s horrified, but he insists this will give her the break she needs.

Holly’s mum was a dancer. They came to England when Holly was just 5-years-old. Holly knows the only reason her mum hasn’t come for her is that she doesn’t know where to find her.

Her foster parents are okay. Fiona is obviously trying hard, Ray not so much. When she tries on a wig she found in the drawer upstairs (Fiona had cancer which is why they don’t have children) Holly looks and feels like a different person. She sees herself as older, more adventurous. Unhappy with her life, she determines that in her new persona of Solace she will travel to Ireland and find her mum like she has always wanted to do.

Her journey takes her across Wales and on to the ferry for Ireland. As she travels she meets a number of different people who help her for no real reason (other than human kindness) and also has some close calls.

As she gets closer to her goal, she begins to remember what her mother was really like. When she loses her wig, Solace is gone and Holly Hogan aged 15 years and 1 day is back again. Realising what she has done, she goes to the 36 | The Book Curator: October 2015

ferry master and tells him she is a stowaway. She may never get to set foot on Ireland, but there is something far more important that she needs – the opportunity to start over – no more illusions, no more lies. Just hope and a family that loves her.

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A wonderful, emotionally honest story by an exceptional writer.

Major themes: foster kids, institutionalisation, dysfunctional families, broken dreams, false memories, facing the truth, getting help, love, hope, kindness

Please be aware: This book is not edgy in style, so these concerns need to be considered within that context. 1. Language: f**k x 6 (p9, 22, 27, 46), bloody x 15, bastard x 2, Christ x 2 (p69, 115), bitch x 2. 2.

Holly’s mother was a prostitute and drug user, who handed her over to social services after burning her ear with an iron. Holly had blocked this out but after returning home she asks to see her file and this confirms the memories that have started returning. 3. Her two best friends (Trim and Grace) at the home were having sex. No descriptions, just references to it (p124-5). 4. Flashbacks to what happened in her home when her mum left (p236/chapter 43). 5.

Grace (so-called friend) tries to provoke her to suicide, and there is a moment when Holly contemplates it p125-6. 6. Holly contemplates the existence of God (p173). 7. Holly goes into a club (as Solace) and goes home with a guy because he will drive her closer to where she wants to go. He thinks she has gone home for another reason but when her wig falls off and he realises how young she is, he kicks her out (p114-5).

Recommended age: 14 to 16 years Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

A Swift Pure Cry Author: Siobhan Dowd ISBN: 978-1909531185 Published: 01/10/2015 Publisher: Random House » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, charming, eloquent and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the centre of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again. » OUR REVIEW It’s 1984 in the South of Ireland, and Shell and her family are living in the aftermath of her mother’s death. The loss affected them all differently – as these things do.

Her father, who used to just ‘go through the motions’ has now become ‘religion-mad’, giving up his job and spending most of his days collecting for the church – except for a couple of afternoons in the local pub. As well as being an incredibly harsh man he’s not exactly honest with how much of

those charitable contributions get passed on.

Local boy Declan has been pestering both Shell and her best friend Bridie. He tries to talk her into meeting him ‘just to kiss’. She ends up pregnant and alone. She never got to tell Declan about the baby – he left without warning to go and work in America, leaving his parents a note.

Shell has no-one to help her. She doesn’t dare tell her father that she’s pregnant – or anyone else.

Bridie is not even around any more. They had a bust up over Declan. Her family reckon she has gone to stay with her aunt, but Shell is almost certain she must have gone to America with him.

After hiding her pregnancy, she has no-one to help her during labour except her little brother and sister (who had already guessed her secret). Then tragedy strikes.

Her perfect baby is stillborn.

Devastated, she buries her in the back field.

When a dead baby is found in a local cave, she is immediately suspected. It appears her pregnancy wasn’t quite as secret as she had thought. What follows is a tale of prejudice, self sacrifice and the very real possibility that a terrible injustice will be perpetrated. It is only with the intervention of Father Rose that the truth is ultimately revealed at great personal cost.

Along the way Shell realises that there is more to her father than the man he has become …

Please be aware: 1. Shoplifting (p32). 2. Declan quotes a book that says Mary Magdalene married Jesus and had a baby (p42-3).

Declan jokes about going in the field and getting naked (p44) and then talks her into a kiss instead (p45). Bridie attacks her for kissing him (p48-9). 3. Dad comes into her room drunk and thinks she is her mother, Moira (she looks more and more like her). She avoids him and runs out, leaving him out cold on the bed. Crying, she goes outside and meets Declan (had no intention of doing so before that).

They end up having sex (no description). References to them naked and smoking (p101). Shell realises she hasn’t had her period (p108-110). Sex – not described (p134). 4. Unbeknownst to Shell, her dad woke up in her bed and thinks that something happened.

He thinks the baby is his and is overcome with guilt at what he has done to her. He confesses to killing her baby to protect her (thinking that she killed it), p215. It is only when she tells him who the father is that he believes her (about nothing happening) and retracts his confession. 5. Language: bloody x 4, bastard x 1, Christ x 1 (p265), Jesus x 2 (p266, 270)

Recommended age: 15 years+ Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

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Silence is Goldfish Author: Annabel Pitcher ISBN: 978-1510100435 Published: 29/09/2015 Publisher: Hachette » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION I know what planet I am, thank you very much and I am sick of trying to bump myself up the solar system when my true position is obvious, just ask the dinner lady with the crinkly face who spotted it a mile off. At primary school when people tried to find friends, I tried to find space that my imagination could fill with whatever it wanted nearly always butterflies, because to me they were perfection, like real-life fairies, with prettier wings.

Tessie-T has never really felt she fitted in and after what she read that night on her fathers blog she knows for certain that she never will. How she deals with her discovery makes an entirely riveting, heart-breaking story told through Tes'ss eyes as she tries to find her place in the world. » OUR REVIEW

Major themes: grief, loss, poverty,

Tess has always felt different. So when she reads a blog post on her dad's computer and discovers her biological father was a sperm donor, her world comes crashing down. Suddenly dad is not dad anymore - he's Jack.

prejudice, isolation, crisis of faith, alcoholism, predatory behavior, friendship, sibling relationships, motherless family, teenage pregnancy, 1980s Ireland, police harassment, bullying, gossip,

In her struggles to come to terms with who she is (including the hunt for the sperm donor), Tess becomes a selective mute in silent protest. The story is therefore told through her conversations with her

A profound and masterfully written tale that provides significant opportunity for discussion of deeper themes. It would make an excellent class novel.

aptschoolresources.com.au | 37

imaginary talking fish torch (it sounds quite strange but actually works quite well).

This brings the bullying at school to fever pitch. Even her secret best friend Isabel seems involved.

Strangely, it’s Anna – the bully who has made her life a misery all through high school - who stands up for her. Whether she is to be trusted is another question.

When she witnesses a moment her relief teacher Mr Richardson doesn’t want known, she has to find the words to bring the lies out into the open. It’s a moment that opens up the truth for all of them, and Tess discovers that it isn’t the man who gave her life in a biological sense whose her dad, but the man whose been there for her ever since – even if he wasn’t sure how to be.

making it clear that she is the one behind the rumours and cyber bullying. 5. Mr Richardson has been making a play for one of the other teachers (hiding he is married). He uses Tess to get to her, and then when Tess witnesses him kissing her he threatens to tell her parents she stole his phone (chapter 44). His lies are uncovered when Tess speaks up. It becomes clear this isn’t the first time he has done this. His marriage breaks down as a result.

Recommended age: 14 to 16 years Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

A quirky, intriguing story that looks at some interesting themes in a very interesting way. A great read.

Major themes: sperm donors, body image, self esteem, belonging, family, jealousy, friendship, bullying, passive resistance, cyber bullying, unfaithfulness, selective mutism, trust, truth

Please be aware: 1. Language: bloody x 10, Jesus x 3, dickhead x 1, shit x 6, bitch x 1, bastard x 3. 2.

After Tessie’s shock discovery, Isabel realises she’s keeping a secret but thinks it might be about her sexuality. She encourages Tess to tell her she is gay, but she isn’t (chapter 8). There is a discussion about celebrating her sexuality and Tess basically asks why are you happy to celebrate if I’m a lesbian, but not if I’m a heterosexual?

3. The cyber bullying involves rumours that Tess is actually male.

This results in some crude comments at school, particularly from male students. 4. Anna pushes Tess into joining them at a club (they are sneaking in underage). Henry is smoking cigarettes. Anna and her friends get drunk and Anna verbally tears Tess to shreds, 38 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Inbetween Days Author: Vikki Wakefield ISBN: 978-1922182364 Published: 23/09/2015 Publisher: Text » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION At seventeen, Jacklin Bates is all grown up. She’s dropped out of school. She’s living with her runaway sister, Trudy, and she’s in secret, obsessive love with Luke, who doesn’t love her back. She’s stuck in Mobius - a dying town with the macabre suicide forest its only attraction - stuck working in the roadhouse and babysitting her boss’s demented father. A stranger sets up camp in the forest and the boy next door returns; Jacks father moves into the shed and her mother steps up her campaign to punish Jack for leaving, too. Trudy’s

brilliant façade is cracking and Jacks only friend, Astrid, has done something unforgivable. Jack is losing everything, including her mind. As she struggles to hold onto the life she thought she wanted, Jack learns that growing up is complicated - and love might be the biggest mystery of all. » OUR REVIEW When Jack’s sister Trudy returns after five years without even a phone call or a postcard, Jack is determined to move into a place with her and experience life. Her decision is the final crack in the foundation of her family. Jack thinks she understands life and love, but in reality she is flailing around without a life raft. Her socalled boyfriend Luke thinks that she is the only uncomplicated girl he knows – the only one who doesn’t expect or want anything from him other than their stolen Sunday afternoons. But in reality she wants far more. She just can’t find the words to tell him.

Since it was bypassed, her home town of Mobius has been dying by degrees. Jack’s job at the local store might not be much but it’s something – until it isn’t. Her boss Alby owns half the town but it’s not worth owning. His dad Mr Broadbent has dementia, and Jack keeps an eye on him between shifts.

Mobius’ only claim to fame is the number of people who have committed suicide in the abandoned mine shafts nearby, fuelled by the mistaken belief that the first person chose to die. In reality he was the unwitting victim of an unfortunate accident. The locals watch with concern to make sure there’s not another one.

Childhood next door neighbour Jeremiah returns to town to keep an eye on his mum while she gets treatment for mental illness. Jack starts spending time with him and his best mate Roly.

Jeremiah is the opposite of Luke: Completely available, totally committed and unswerving in his devotion. But Jack has taken on her sister’s lessons – now she is the one keeping him at arm’s length and watching the pain on his face mirror the pain within her own heart. It’s only as her life increasingly unravels and she uncovers the truth about her sister’s location for those six years, that Jack discovers just how important it is that we learn to say the words she has left unspoken …

A deftly woven story with vividly drawn characters, that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish and conveys meaningful themes about life, growing up and the importance of communication. It would be no surprise to see Inbetween Days pop in the CBCA awards short list in 2016.

Unfortunately the language and sexual content (although not graphic) will make this a problematic choice for schools with a conservative collection policy.

Major themes: dysfunctional families, growing up, letting go, facing the truth, relationships, family secrets, friendship, sibling relationships, dementia, sex, suicide, hope, faith, the importance of communication

Please be aware: 1. Language: Fairly frequent use of f**k, and infrequent use of other words. 2.

Jack and Luke have sex, and later in the story so do Jack and Jeremiah. These scenes are not graphically described, and the relationships clearly illustrate how painful it can be to care for someone who is only interested in sex, rather than in you. Jack has learned from her sister to keep her feelings to herself (a family trait) and that causes problems in the way she treats others, and the way she allows others to treat her. 3.

Trudy’s boyfriend often stays over.

The first time Jack goes into Trudy’s room because she thinks

she hears her crying. They are having sex. She quickly gets out (this is not graphic). 4. Use/abuse of alcohol but not in a way that makes it attractive.

Recommended age: 16 years+ Suitable class novel: Yes Good read rating: Literary value rating:

Dumplin' Author: Julie Murphy ISBN: 978-0143573401 Published: 16/09/2015 Publisher: Penguin Amber/Red » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION Willowdean Dickson (Dumplin, to her mum) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body?

Really, the criteria is simple. Do you have a body? Put a swimsuit on it. But life as Willow knows it is about to change, and when this happens she suffers an unaccustomed, and unwelcome, attack of self-doubt. In an effort to take back her confidence, she enters into the local Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs and a wildly unforgettable heroine Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart. And send you out to buy that bikini! » OUR REVIEW Dumplin (as she is called by her southern belle mama) is 16-year-

old Willowdean. Will is a large girl and with the encouragement of her aunt Lucy she hasn’t let it stop her from doing whatever she wants - including wearing a swimsuit. But Lucy - who weighed over 220kg - has been dead for six months now and the only messages Will is getting are those that remind her of how she just doesn’t fit in.

For half of every year, her mum is obsessed with the Blue Bonnet Beauty Pageant, having been the Miss Teen winner many years before.

She is also fixated on cleaning out Lucy’s room and turn it into her pageant preparation room.

Will is determined to rescue as much of Lucy as she can, and in the process finds a pageant application form in her drawer. But Lucy had never been interested in that stuff had she? Will realises the only restrictions have nothing to do with size and decides to enter, as do a few of the other so-called ‘misfits’.

With the help of some drag queens, her new mates and her own choices, Willowdean isn’t going to let life tell her what she must be like.

This is a wonderful exploration of self esteem, body image, body shaming and the ways in which we diminish ourselves and others.

Unfortunately the level of language will make it a hard choice for many of our members, despite its many great qualities.

Favourite quote: “And who the hell was that twiggy bitch?” As soon as it’s out of my mouth I regret it. All my life I’ve had a body worth commenting on and if living in my skin has taught me anything it’s that if it’s not your body, it’s not yours to comment on.”

Major themes: positive body image, self esteem, family, grief, loss, friendship, bullying, romance, breaking down stereotypes, choices

Please be aware: 1. Language: shit x 55, f**k x 14 (p32, 36, 103, 163, 164, 173, 174, 207, 285, 290, 318,

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325, 339, 356), Jesus/Christ x 10 (p33, 79, 91, 103, 143, 174, 213, 220, 257, 339), bitch x 4, dick x 3, bastard x 2. 2. Will’s best friend Ellen decides to have sex with Tim (her boyfriend of 18 months). There are no descriptions of the sex, just conversations between El and Will about her mixed feelings, or Will’s thoughts about it (p16-18, 35-36, 43, 50, 80, 81), eg. I felt in control ...

And loved . But I feel funny, too ... I expected to feel like this whole new person, but really it was me plain old me - making this decision that I can never unmake. 3. Will and Bo passionately kissing (p51-3, 58-59, 73-4). 4. Drag queens p265, lesbian p325, Bo’s mother hosts ‘romance parties’ (lingerie/sex toys), p276, references to ‘gay sin’ (p294-5).

Recommended age: 16 years + Suitable class novel: No Good read rating: Literary value rating:

RED TRAFFIC LIGHTS

Asking For It Author: Louise O'Neill ISBN: 978-1848664173 Published: 08/09/2015 Publisher: Hachette » PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O’Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident.One night, there’s a party. Everyone is 40 | The Book Curator: October 2015

there. All eyes are on Emma. The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She cant remember what happened, she doesn’t know how she got there.

She doesn’t know why she’s in pain. But everyone else does.

Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don’t want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the towns heroes . . . » OUR REVIEW This is a tragic and complex story about an incident that is all too possible and shows the baser side of humanity. It challenges the reader in a number of areas as the protagonist, Emma O’Donovan, is not a pleasant character. She is very attractive but seems uncomfortable in her own skin needing to behave as she thinks is expected. She defends her social position by being mean to others.

The author has done a great job of making her point-of-view character appear as a shallow, quite silly young woman whose dress style, drinking and drug use places her in a vulnerable position but attracts little sympathy - a young woman, 18 years old, unsure of herself and seeking approval. One night at a party where she drinks too much, has sex with someone else’s boyfriend, she is given a pill and passes out. In this unconscious state, she is violated, exposed, vomited and urinated on with the whole thing photographed by boys she grew up with, that her family knows. The photos are loaded onto Facebook. Emma is found by her parents returning from an anniversary weekend away on their front porch. Everyone sees the photos. Emma has no memory of what happened to her. The rest of the book is the disintegration of Emma, her family and her relationships. Her brother talks her into bringing charges. This is a difficult situation as the boys

belong to well respected families, are part of the high status football team with bright futures. Involving the police and courts is threatening this. Its all her fault. Emma feels the blame of the whole community which turns on her savagely using social media. She attempts suicide a couple of times and anon trolls encourage her to try harder. In the end, she withdraws the charges much to the relief of her parents and everyone else. The book shows how entrenched victim-blame is for these situations in our culture.

Never is the question seriously asked: What right do these young men have to behave in such a barbaric and disgusting manner to a young woman - what right does any person have to treat another person in this manner? Another villain in this piece is social media wonderful when used well but a savage and violent player in this situation. The one ray of light is a quiet hero, Conor, who also grew up with Emma, loves her unreservedly and is a steady voice of reason and hope. Not an easy read.

Major themes: sexism, rape, public shaming, social media, friendship, social standing, community pressure, growing up

Please be aware: 1. Language: Very high level language, including multiple uses of f**k, Jesus/Christ.

2. Discussing masturbation, blow job and social media being used to blackmail and shaming resulting in suicide (p20). 3. Emma has continual flashbacks to the photo (legs spread apart). There’s also the constant refrain in her mind of the insults - slut, liar, skank, bitch, whore and references to other derogatory and body shaming. 4.

Suicide attempts (no details) and emails encouraging her to kill herself p289

USEFUL INFORMATION

Great websites and apps

Festivals and literary events

Conferences and seminars

Canva Design School

CJ Dennis Festival

19 October, 2015

Some useful and relevant design and teaching materials can be found on this website. https://designschool.canva.com/ teaching-materials/

17 -18 October, 2015 Toolangi, VIC http://tinyurl.com/n9tayho

The Power of Reading Tour Melbourne, VIC http:/tinyurl.com/odw4u3v

Little Story Creator Students can use this iPad app to make Digital Scrapbooks and Photo Collages. http://tinyurl.com/poaumrv FreeTech4Teachers A selection of tools to tell stories with pictures is included in this recent website post. http://tinyurl.com/q35qog5 Thematic Students can use this program to formulate multi modal presentations based on specific themes. http://www.thematic.co Storehouse - Photo & Video Stories, Visual Journals Personalised stories can be created using a collection of photos from one’s own phone or device. http://apple.co/1QfpNLM Business Insider New warnings and advice from neuroscientists may help us to maintain a healthy brain and better sleep patterns. http://tinyurl.com/nlw4skh

Book Expo Australia 17 - 18 October, 2015 Sydney Olympic Park, NSW www.bookexpoaustralia.com City of Rockingham Writing and Reading Expo 24 October, 2015 Rockingham, WA http://tinyurl.com/o92jqn2 Home Grown Literary Festival 25 October, 2015 Hervey Bay, QLD. Romancing the Snowy 31 October– 1 November, 2015 Jindabyne, NSW romancingthesnowy.com.au Toowoomba Writers Festival 14 November, 2015 Toowoomba, QLD toowoombawritersfestival.com

30 – 31 October, 2015 Celebrate Reading National Conference Fremantle, WA www.celebratereading.org.au 5 – 7 November, 2015 Learning & Teaching Conference Gold Coast, QLD http://tinyurl.com/nkj6hkw 7-11 November, 2015 LIANZA 2015 Library & Information Professionals from NZ and across the world Wellington, New Zealand http://tinyurl.com/nmx7eqd

Quote of the Month One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.

— Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

Do you have a quote, website, conference or other news you’d like to share? Please email mag@aptschoolresources.com.au

aptschoolresources.com.au | 41

INDEX

This issues titles in alphabetical order A Ferret Named Phil William Reimer....................................13 A Swift Pure Cry Siobhan Dowd....................................36 Asking For It Louise O'Neill.....................................40 Australian Kids Through the Years Tania McCartney................................16 Be Brave, Pink Piglet Phil Cummings...................................13 Beastly Babies Ellen Jackson.......................................14 Big Game Dan Smith............................................26 Breath of the Dragon: Mapmaker Chronicles # 3 A.L.Tait..................................................24 Coco Banjo Has Been Unfriended N.J.Gemmell.........................................18 Codename Eagle Robert Rigby.......................................34 Crystal Keepers: Five Kingdoms # 3 Brandon Mull......................................25 Dara Palmer's Major Drama Emma Shevah....................................20 Dumplin' Julie Murphy........................................39 Eren Simon P.Clark.....................................26 Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee.............................................5 Henry Hyena, Why Won't You Laugh?

Doug Jantzen.......................................15 Horace the Baker's Horse Jackie French.......................................13 House of Windows Alexia Casale......................................29 Inbetween Days Vikki Wakefield..................................38 Katy Parker and the House That Cried Margaret Mulligan.............................21

42 | The Book Curator: October 2015

Kizmet and the Case of the Tassie Tiger Frank Woodley....................................19 Kizmet and the Smashed Violin Frank Woodley....................................19 Life in Colonial Australia: Our Stories Marion Littlejohn................................17 Life On Mars Jennifer Brown...................................23 Lockdown: Urban Outlaws # 3 Peter Jay Black...................................26 Mister Cassowary Samantha Wheeler...........................19 Mustara Rosanne Hawke.................................14 Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon Pamela Butchart...............................23 Poles Apart Jeanne Willis.........................................15 Replicate Adele Jones..........................................31 Silence is Goldfish Annabel Pitcher..................................37 Simon’s New Bed Christian Trimmer..............................14 Sunkissed Jenny McLachlan...............................32 Sing a Rebel Song Pamela Rushby..................................27 Solace of the Road Siobhan Dowd....................................35 Storm Horse Nick Garlick.........................................22 The Boy at the Top of the Mountain John Boyne..........................................28 The Boy, the Bear, the Baron and other Dramatic Tales Gregory Rogers..................................16 The Crow's Tale Naomi Howarth..................................15 The Flyaway Girls Julia Lawrinson..................................24

The Football's Revolt Jan Le-Witt & George Him..............16 The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party Shannon and Dean Hale.................18 The River and the Book Alison Croggon..................................30 The Singing Bones Shaun Tan............................................17 The Tournament at Gorlan: Ranger's Apprentice the Early Years # 1 John Flanagan.....................................21 The Wolf Wilder Katherine Rundell..............................31 Velocity Chris Wooding....................................34 Zeroes Scott Westerfield, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Bancotti.....................33

What’s on the horizon in 2016

aptschoolresources.com.au | 43

-THE BOOK CURATOR 10 OCT_Layout 1 6/10/15 11:43 AM Page 2

GET SET FOR 2016 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS OUT NOW!

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