Julia Donaldson (text), Lydia Monks (illus.), What the Ladybird Heard Next, Macmillan Children’s Books, 25 August 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781447275954 In the sequel to What the Ladybird Heard, bestselling creators Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks have brought their ladybird to life with all its glittery, buzzing and colourful goodness. The biggest appeal is the vibrant and textured illustrations. They cleverly and magnificently showcase animated characters, scanned materials like wool and cloth, and those kin-aesthetically luring embossed sparkles that demand immediate interactivity with the book. And of course, Julia Donaldson’s wonderfully whimsical, lyrical prose that exudes fun, adventure and wit.…
Author: Admin
This is a great initiative that should help to promote the work that school libraries do. All the details are here, but basically this is an opportunity for people to nominate a school library that inspires learners, and that encourages a passion for critical thinking, collaborative team-work, and a whole range of reading! The organisations partnering on this project are committed advocates, and will be able to offer publicity through a whole range of social and mainstream media. Use the hashtag #greatschoollibraries and get into the spirit of showing just what school libraries can do. The website has many ideas…
Deborah Ellis, The Cat at the Wall, Allen & Unwin, Sept 2015, 160pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760112448 Acclaimed international author of the Parvana series, Deborah Ellis explores the raw and contentious themes of war, conflict and adolescence. The story is spoken from a unique, first person perspective, testing the ideologies of two completely different states of being, in two completely different circumstances. A once 13-year-old North American teen, Clare, faces all new issues and societal rules when reincarnated as a stray cat in Israel’s West Bank after her sudden death. In a fight for survival, she joins two Israeli soldiers…
Everyone needs books for the holidays! A ‘Great Holiday Book Swap’ will be held at The State Library of Queensland, South Brisbane Thursday December 17 at 10.30am. Swap or buy books for just a gold coin and help raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. There will be a story reading by the Hon Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Housing and Public Works, Science and Innovation, and poetry reading by Sam Wagan Watson. Bring as many books as you wish to swap (you might even like to inscribe the book with a message for the next reader). We will also have…
Knife & Packer, Rainforest Rumble (Wheelnuts! #5), Scholastic Australia, 1 Sept 2015, 96pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781743627266 Tearing down the final freeway in this mad race are the six crazy cars that have endured a multitude of life-threatening, car reeling, and exhilarating challenges over five thrilling courses set by eccentric multibillionaire, Warren ‘Wheelie’ Wheelnuts. In the fifth book, Rainforest Rumble, the teams experience wild adventures and obstacles that both independent and reluctant readers will lap up with eyes ablazing! Keeping with the consistency of the previous titles, the somewhat predictable plotline makes for a comprehensible, satisfying read, but the occasional…
Anna Branford (text), Lisa Coutts (illus.), The Elf Flute (Lily the Elf), Walker Books, 1 August 2015, 48pp., $7.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781925081077 Anna Branford (text), Lisa Coutts (illus.), The Wishing Seed (Lily the Elf), Walker Books, 1 August 2015, 48pp., $7.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781925081060 ‘Lily lives with her dad in a tiny elf house, hidden under a bridge in a busy city.’ So begins this tale of a friendly, helpful and plucky elf. In The Elf Flute, Lily is very excited to receive a shiny, silver flute in the mail from Aunt Daisy. With the Grand Elf Concert coming up, she…
Summer Gillett, Beneath the Turquoise Waters, JoJo Publishing, 1 Sept 2015, 32pp., $16.99 (pbk). ISBN 9780994183897 What immediately grabs your attention with this book, are the vibrant greens and blues of the seas and the swirling golds of the beach and ocean floor. This is a richly illustrated book, which instantly invites you into the lush tropical home of the dugongs and sea turtles at the heart of this story. It tells of a mother dugong and sea turtle, who both give birth, as their mothers did before them, and follows the babies as they grow and do the same. The simplicity…
Mo O’Hara, Jurassic Carp (My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish #6), Pan Macmillan, 1 August 2015, 208pp., $9.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781447263838 This is the 6th book in this series starring Frankie, the zombie goldfish who, along with his owner Tom and best friend, Pradeep, get into all sorts of fishy and not so fishy trouble. Frankie wasn’t always a zombie goldfish, this only happened when Tom’s evil big brother dunked him in toxic green gunge and Tom zapped him with a battery to bring him back to life, but when he did there was something not quite the same about Frankie.…
Dan Metcalf, The Curse of the Cairo Cat: a Lottie Lipton adventure, Allen & Unwin, August 2015, 80pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 978 1 4729 1178 0 Nine year old Lottie Lipton has lived in the grounds of the British Museum since she was four, cared for by her Great Uncle, Professor Bertram West. He is the Curator of Egyptology and when “The Golden Cat of Cairo’ statue arrives complete with curse and legend the real adventure begins. The Golden Cat goes missing and with the help of her uncle Bert and kindly caretaker, Reg, Lottie must find it. Sir Trevelyan…
Jane Massam (text) Caroline Keys (illus), Tales From The Gum Tree, Scholastic Australia, 1 Jan 2016, 24pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 76015 442 4 Inspired by May Gibbs’ original Gumnut babies stories and illustrations, Tales from the Gum Tree continues the adventures of the lovable Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and all their bush friends. In the first of the three tales, they go to the dragonfly races and take a butterfly ride into the sky. The second tale involves Cuddlepie being rescued by Snugglepot after falling into the creek when his seed pod canoe starts to sink. In the third they…