Katrina Nannestad (text), Lucia Masciullo (illus), Olive of Groves, ABC Books/HarperCollins, 1 Nov 2015, 272pp., $19.99 (hbk) ISBN 9780733333682 I loved boarding school books when I was growing up – The Naughtiest Girl, The Little Princess, What Katy Did at School. The idea of going away to school seemed so exciting. And so it is for Olive, the main character in award-winning Victorian author Katrina Nannestad’s latest novel. Olive has been raised by her grandparents in a small village and enrols in Mrs Grove’s boarding school to further her education. But this school is not at all that Olive expects.…
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A. F. Harrold (text), Emily Gravett (illus.), The Imaginary, Allen & Unwin, Nov 2015, 221pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781408850169 Step into the world of imaginary friends with Amanda and Rudger. Rudger is Amanda’s best friend. She met him one day when she was hanging her coat in her wardrobe, which is where you meet an Imaginary. Amanda lives with her mother who works from home, and is quite happy to accommodate Rudger, even if she is unable to see him. Amanda realises she is the only person who can see Rudger when she takes him to school to introduce him…
Liz Pichon, Top of the Class (nearly) (Tom Gates #9), Scholastic Australia, 1 Nov 2015, 228pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760155285 Having not read a Tom Gates book before (and this is the ninth in the series, I have been missing out) I was surprised to find at the beginning of the book that Tom has not only made it on to the school council and is about to make a speech to the entire school, but he has also achieved the highest ever score on a particular test. It is shortly revealed, however, that Tom is dreaming in class. Mr Fullerman,…
Damon Young (text), Peter Carnavas (illus.) My Sister is a Superhero, University of Queensland Press, 24 Feb 2016, 32pp., $24.95 (hbk), ISBN: 9780702253928 This is a rhyming fun filled frolic from the creators of My Nanna is a Ninja and My Pop is a Pirate. Another wacky celebration of diverse personalities infused with familial love and an ending that will warm your heart. Carnavas’ delightful ink pen and watercolour pictures conjure four active sisters (the quirkiest being a superhero) from Young’s rich and smooth poetry – combining to produce a double shot of humour. Each sister is accompanied by her own animal ‘sidekick.’ It’s…
Andrew Daddo (text), Jonathan Bentley (illus.), When I Grow Up, ABC Books/HarperCollins, 1 Dec 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733333415 From the outset, this book exudes vibrance, individuality and imagination; with its brightly coloured cover and endpapers and variety of objects associated with different careers. When I Grow Up is written and illustrated by the much-loved team that brought us Check on Me and First Day. Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley beautifully tap into the wondrous possibilities that all young children (and some adults too it seems!) ponder for their futures. When the teacher asks, ‘What do you want to be?’, each child…
Bethanie Deeney Murguia, Cockatoo, Too, The Five Mile Press, Dec 2015, 40pp., $16.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781760401047 Young children will be tied over with this gorgeously amusing, visually and orally pleasing tongue-twister about a flock of dancing birds. Author / illustrator Bethanie Deeney Murguia has cleverly brought together a cocophony of rhythm with the use of a minimal number of words. The combinations of homophones, spelling patterns and punctuation are brilliantly integrated to create a fun phonological reading experience. What begins with one cockatoo soon becomes two. Then another two tutu-wearing cockatoos arrive with a gift addressed to the first two.…
Tim Cahill and Julian Gray, Soccer Superstar (Tiny Timmy #1), Scholastic Australia, 1 Nov 2015, 128pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760158880 Tiny Timmy is another sport book written by a sporting hero – in this case soccer star Tim Cahill. It follows a plot typical of many children’s sports novels. Tim would love to be on the school soccer team. But he is just too tiny to be able to make a real contribution to the game. Tim is disappointed when Coach Roach decides to nominate him as “Orange Boy”, instead of giving him a real “playing” place on the team. With enthusiasm…
Alex Field (text), Peter Carnavas (illus.), Mr Darcy and the Christmas Pudding, New Frontier, 1 Nov 2015, 32pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925059397 Mr Darcy and the Christmas Pudding is a picture book about Christmas with a focus on the traditions of making Christmas pudding. On a cold winter’s day the farm animals gather in Mr Darcy, the duck’s, lovely home which is warmed by a roaring fire. It is Stir-up Sunday and they have come to make Christmas pudding. All are welcome except for the cat, Mr Collins, with whom Mr Darcy is annoyed because he tried to catch Maria, the…
Aaron Blabey, Mission Unpluckable (The Bad Guys #2), Scholastic Australia, 1 Nov 2015, 144pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760154127 Aaron Blabey is best known for his award winning picture books which amuse and engage both young children and adults. In episode two of The Bad Guys he displays a talent also for writing a humorous and action-packed graphic novels. This is an excellent hi-lo (high interest, low reading level) book which is fun for anyone aged 7+, whilst being especially well suited for beginner young readers or struggling older readers. This is a low reading level book because the story is quick and easy…
Samantha-Ellen Bound, Broadway Baby (Silver Shoes #5), Random House Australia, 1 October 2015, 144pp., $14.99 (pbk) ISBN 9780857989031 Samantha-Ellen Bound, Lights, Camera, Dance (Silver Shoes #6), Random House Australia, 1 October 2015, 144pp., $14.99 (pbk) ISBN 9780857989055 This series for younger, independent readers, particularly girls with a keen interest in dance, is brimming with drama and common tween-age matters of the heart. Each book, written by an expert in the performing arts, explores a dancing platform for a different girl (from a group of four friends) from the Silver Shoes Dance School. In the fifth book, Ellie (Eleanor Irvin) is a…