Juliet JACKA Night of the Perigee Moon Scholastic (NZ), 2014 206pp NZ$19.50 pbk ISBN 9781775432036 SCIS 1651258 Coming-of-age can be a very disturbing period of time but when it is ritualised and is a significant event in a warring family, then it can become a site of great contestation. This is young Tillys’ dilemma but there is a more profound cause for her sense of foreboding: this event is a time when her true Angelica gifting becomes known. Tilly recalls family histories of the strange and weird talents of other family members (like a large nose and the ability to smell…
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HERRNDORF, Wolfgang Why We Took The Car Scribe, 2014 245pp $19.95 pbk ISBN 9781922070791 SCIS 1634253 Mike Klingenberg is unremarkable, a kid that no-one notices, passing way under the radar of his classmates. Even Tschick, the new Russian student, gets more attention but only because his drunkenness and strange behaviour make him an instant pariah. Mike finds himself unexpectedly abandoned in the holidays as his mother heads off for more rehab, his father takes an extended work-trip with his young colleague, and Mike isn’t invited (unlike nearly everyone else) to Tatiana’s birthday party. The other student to be so carelessly forgotten is…
HALSE ANDERSON, Laurie The Impossible Knife of Memory Text Pub, 2014 A$19.99 NZ$26.00 pbk +e ISBN 9781922182227 SCIS 1641865 Hayley Kincain is in her last year of high school and is struggling to stay afloat, though she won’t admit it. After years of being on the road and home schooled by her truck driving father, he decides that Hayley needs some stability, so they move into her grandmother’s former house, where Hayley spent her early childhood. Hayley is balancing on a knife edge, refusing to remember the past, struggling to keep her veteran father safe from himself, and trying to…
FORSTER, Kate Twice upon a Time Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014 377pp $19.95 pbk ISBN 9781742976792 SCIS 1647263 In the mood for Romance – then try this one! Cinda and her gay friend Jonas are backpacking in Europe when she meets Ludo, he is handsome, charming and rich, and is attracted to the forthright Aussie girl. He invites them to a party on his yacht, then to stay with him, and they discover he is a prince of Sardinia, the playboy of two near-identical twins. His brother, Gus, is serious and conscientious and is being trained as the next king, he…
DALY, Stuart Brotherhood of Thieves: The Wardens Random House, 2014 329pp $17.99 pbk ISBN 9780857983275 SCIS 1654111 With an eye on the map of Britain including a few place names, all suitably and subtly changed, Stuart Daly has created a new sword and sorcery adventure tale. Caspan, a young thief, along with four other teenagers is chosen to join the Brotherhood. They are to be responsible for seeking out magical items from the tombs of kings from a long dead race. While their training is much fun, especially in the company of their new pet guardians, mythical creatures from another…
CORNISH, D. M. Tales from the Half-Continent Omnibus, 2014 216pp $19.99 pbk ISBN 9781742990255 SCIS 1651418 Set in the world of The Monster Blood Tattoo, this engaging book encompasses two ‘novellas’ or long short-stories. These stories are set in some indeterminate past era, very Dickensian in style and tone and peopled by a host of strong, eccentric and memorable characters, where brave young heroes/heroines battle rascals, thieves and monsters. The language is often archaic, incorporating some arcane or invented words and featuring extraordinary people working in obsolete occupations, with weird, often-hilarious names with peculiar spelling. The complex stories are enlivened…
CHAN, Crystal Bird Text Pub, 2014 295pp A$16.99 NZ$21.00 pbk +e ISBN 9781922147707 SCIS 1641852 Secrets can be heavier than a backpack full of bricks. Twelve year old Jewel knows all about secrets. About keeping them and the pain silence can bring. Her family never talk about her brother, John, who died the very day Jewel was born. Nicknamed ‘Bird’ by Grandpa because he loved jumping off things, his body was found at the base of a cliff. Of mixed race, and living in a small town in Iowa, Jewel is aware of how different her family is, a Jamaican…
CASTAGNA, Felicity The Incredible Here and Now Giramondo Pub, 2013 187pp $19.95 pbk ISBN 9781922146366 SCIS 1628580 ‘Some people say ‘West’ like it is something wrong, like ice-cream that fell in a gutter.’ So opens 15 year old narrator Michael’s paean to his little patch in Parramatta. Michael is the son of immigrant proprietors of an electrical goods store. He and Shadi, his best friend, enjoy their after school job at Mohammed’s servo. Michael idolizes his big brother Dom, a gregarious, happy, 17 year old revhead. Life is wonderful … until Dom is killed in a hooning accident. The tragedy…
Kevin BURGEMEESTRE Kate Morris Pub, 2013 248pp $22.00 pbk +e ISBN 9780987543448 SCIS 1657647 Kate is a novel which is challenging and engaging in its choice of subject material. It features a young woman who is facing a number of significant personal challenges. Whilst facing all the normal angst of high school years she must also navigate the recent loss of a family member and changes to her social groups. Adding further complications is the presence of a group of bullies, who always seem to focus on the most vulnerable. Sadly, this is only just the beginning, as far more…
CBCA Notable Australian Children’s Books 2014 72pp $20 pbk ISSN 1037-0668 If you want a window into current Australian children’s and young adult books then this publication is a must. Combining the past publications of Notable Books and The Short List Book this production contains both reviews and author/illustrator comments from the 2104 CBCA shortlisted and notable books. The comments are particularly useful as they contain the personal reflections of the book creators. Ron Brooks has designed the cover and interior illustrations to make this not only a valuable research tool and information guide but also a delightful visual production.…