Joseph Coelho (text) and Freya Hartas (illustrator), Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad, Walker Books Australia, September 2020, 192pp., RRP $18.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781406389661 We all know the classic story of Cinderella, but what if it went a bit differently? Was a little more… gory? Well, that’s where Zombierella comes in. After an embarrassing death caused by her fake sisters, Death takes the place of a fairy godmother and grants Cinderella her life back for the three nights of the ball and a chance to steal the prince’s heart. Zombierella is a fun twist on the classic fairytale and isn’t afraid to delve into the unconventional. It has death, bugs, faeces, zombies, vampires and more. The book…
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Lev Grossman, The Silver Arrow, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 248 pp., September 2020, RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781526629418 Kate’s Uncle Herbert is a bad person. At least that’s what Kate thinks, since she’s never actually met him. But when he gives her a life-sized steam train for her birthday, all that changes! Her parents have very little time for her, but here’s Uncle Herbert offering her and her brother Tom a chance to conduct the train for a very special mission: to deliver animals back to their homes, from jungles to glittering islands and even the North Pole. This poignant allegory about the need to protect animals and their habitats, is full of charm but also thrilling twists and turns. The animals explain to Kate and Tom that humans have become so…
Sha’an d’Anthes, Bandits, Lothian Children’s Books, September 2020, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734419675 Bandits tells the story of Fern, who lives in a black and white world where nothing grows, nothing changes. She loves the stories of old times when trees and plants and animals thrived. That is no more. Until something happens in this grey world, and Fern must find out who has scattered rubbish all through their neat and tidy town… Bandits, they must be! This book is accompanied by vibrant and enticing illustrations which are equally important to the text. This, together with the strong environmental message, make it a relevant read for young readers…
Sami Bayly, The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals, Lothian Children’s Books, September 2020, 126 pp., RRP $32.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734420015 Sami Bayly who bought us the award-winning Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals is back with another illustrated encyclopedia; this time it’s all about ‘Dangerous Animals’. In this volume Sami describes sixty different ‘dangerous’ animals, with a special introduction that sets the tone for reading – that these animals are often misunderstood, and they are fascinating creatures in their own right. I appreciate this open attitude and focus Sami has chosen in both her books; towards an understanding of animals that we would otherwise perhaps fear or reject. An important message for…
Jessica Townsend, Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow, Lothian Children’s Books, September 2020, 528 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780734418241 Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow written by Jessica Townsend is the third book in the Nevermoor series. I haven’t yet read books 1 and 2 of the Nevermoor series, so I was a little behind the eight ball when reading this book. However, there was enough detail within the book that I was able to understand the plot and the characters well enough to enjoy the book. Where that failed, a little tutoring from my daughter (13) helped immensely (see her review below). Book 3 finds the heroine, Morrigan Crow,…
Oliver Phommavanh, Brain Freeze: 12 Deliciously Wacky Stories, Penguin Australia, September 2020, 224pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760897147 This collection of twelve short stories is diverse and entertaining for young readers. Written from various viewpoints of first and third person, they include many aspects young people may encounter. For instance, in The Man Who Lives in Slaughterhouse Road we have the ubiquitous urban recluse who lives by himself in the old house on the top of the hill, and by the very name of the road he lives in this man must be a murderer! Of course, the opposite is true, and readers will delight in this story.…
Serena Geddes, Rosie and Rasmus, Simon & Schuster, May 2019, 48pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781481498746 Serena Geddes, Where the Dragons Live, Simon & Schuster, September 2020, 48pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781481498760 Rosie and Rasmus is a charming story about unexpected friendship and what being a good friend looks like. It is perfectly suited to the early childhood years, probably the 2-6 years age range, though my 8-year-old voiced her approval after just one read. A young girl named Rosie lives in a village seemingly quaint and unremarkable. Upon venturing out of the village she is approached by Rasmus, a dragon, with a…
Keri Smith, Wreck This Picture Book, Penguin UK, November 2020, 64pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780241449455 ‘Did you know that a book is not able to be itself without you?’ This is an idea that I try to get across in all my teaching about literature – a book does not mean anything much without a reader. You are the one that brings a book to life and ultimately you must enter a conversation with the book. Smith, of Wreck This Journal fame, takes this idea even further and urges us to listen to a book, play with the pages, make sounds with…
Brooke Graham (text), and Robin Tatlow-Lord (illustrator), Go Away Worry Monster!, EK Books, September 2020, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925820393 Late one night Worry Monster creeps into Archie’s bed. Archie’s head begins to throb, his tummy flutters and his heart pounds as he thinks about starting at his new school the next day. What if he gets lost trying to find his classroom? Maybe they won’t play sport at his new school and will he make any friends? Worry Monster grows larger. Archie thinks about hopping into bed with his parents but then he remembers the steps that he and his Mum followed last time Worry Monster appeared. Maybe he could…
Alison Hart answers some questions about her latest book, School Rules Are Optional. Thanks to Alison, Allen & Unwin and Reading Time reviewer Renee Mihulka for this interview. When did you start writing this book? What challenges did you face? I actually started writing this book several years ago in bits and pieces. Then in 2017, my daughter was away for two months and I set a personal goal to complete it during that time. After that, I got the manuscript assessed through Writers Victoria which gave me some very useful criticism and direction for the process of rewriting and editing it. I submitted it for commercial publication at the beginning of 2019. The challenges I faced were sort of retrospective – I wrote what…