Tag Archives: book review

Dec17

Don’t Miss the Boat!: Adventures at Arrowhead Island by Deborah Vallez

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dontmisstheboatDon’t Miss the Boat!: Adventures at Arrowhead Island by Deborah Vallez, e-book, 84 pages, published by Archway Publishing in 2016.

The Benson family head to Arrowhead Island for a weekend of water-skiing, swimming and fishing. Brothers Joe and Tom and their little sister Debbie are very excited to be back on Lake Wateree. Their dog, Anna, also joins them on their camping adventure.

Don’t Miss the Boat! is based on the author’s childhood memories of spending family time at Lake Wateree. I was expecting a work of fiction, but this is more of a memoir, a re-telling of summer family fun during the 60s. This is to be the first in a series about the Benson’s adventures on Arrowhead Island.

The story is told quite simply, often with short sentences, which suits a chapter book. It was an easy read which I knocked over quickly. Quite a lot of the book was about the family water-skiing, which I found slightly overwhelming, having no experience or interest in water-skiing. However, I felt like I learnt a little bit about the sport whilst reading, and I didn’t feel excluded by my lack of knowledge in that area. I liked the depth to which each activity was described; it made me feel I was part of the trip to Arrowhead Island.

The Bensons seem like an interesting and likeable family, which I hope will have plenty more adventures in the future. I really liked Anna, the Benson’s long-haired dachshund, such a cute addition to the family. Debbie obviously adores her big brothers, which made them seem rather angelic. This image was sadly shattered when they played a prank on their father! The Bensons are a military family, and there are a number of references to this throughout the book. The kids call their father “Sir”, which is novel these days, but was probably much more common back then. I think being a military family during the 1960s has the potential to add a unique slant to the series.

Don’t Miss the Boat! will suit lower primary school children. It would be particularly good for children interested in the outdoors, camping and fishing.

 

*I received this book from the author as a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Dec12

An Aussie Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison and Kilmeny Niland

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aussiexmasAn Aussie Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison and Kilmeny Niland, hardback picture book, first published by Scholastic Australia in 2005.

Twas the Night Before Christmas gets a makeover, Aussie style!

An Aussie Night Before Christmas is quintessentially Australian. Everything from possums to water tanks, Pavlova and Shazza, to beer left out for Santa. There is so much nostalgia in this Aussie Christmas story! An old rusty ute pulled by kangaroos, with Santa at the wheel in his red stubby shorts and thongs. This is pretty much how I imagined he would be lying in bed on those hot summer nights of Christmas eves past. And we always left out beer for Santa to drink, because delivering presents all over is thirsty work! Now all he gets is a cup of milk that has probably soured in the heat…

The story follows the basics of the original, but spruced up with Aussie colour. The language is lyrical and quirky; great for sharing aloud and having a bit of a chuckle. The illustrations complement the text perfectly. They are festively bright, and clear yet detailed. Santa’s flowered shirt really is something!

I love this Australian version of an old favourite Christmas poem; it is perfect to share with my children on Christmas Eve. I hope this is a tradition that will continue for many years to come in our family.

An Aussie Night Before Christmas is suitable for all ages, but could be read alone by lower primary school children.

 

 

Dec10

Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree by Christopher Awdry

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thomasxmasThomas and the Missing Christmas Tree by Christopher Awdry and illustrated by Robin Davies, paperback picture book, first published in 1999, this edition published by Dean, an imprint of Egmont Ltd in 2011.

The Fat Controller has tasked Thomas with bringing the Christmas tree to the carol party. Thomas is excited to perform this job, but things don’t quite go to plan. A massive snowfall strands Thomas, and his friends set out to rescue him. Will the tree arrive in time for the party?

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends has been a firm favourite in our house for many years, both on the screen and on the page. In fact, Thomas was one of my favourite characters as a child as well! So a Christmas story featuring Thomas was a must for us. With its familiar characters and simple story of camaraderie and heroism, Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree has been enjoyed particularly by my three year olds in the lead up to Christmas (and all year around; it is Thomas after all!).

The illustrations are bold and clear, great for younger children. The unassuming language presented in plain text makes it easy for early readers to have a go reading the story for themselves. My older kids found this to be an easy read, though they still enjoyed it. I liked that there were some of the lesser known trains featured in the story. My boys liked the part where Harold the Helicopter brought Santa!

Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers and lower primary school children. Any little Thomas fan would be delighted with this book.

Dec10

Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

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xmaswombatChristmas Wombat by Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley, paperback picture book, published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2011.

The wombat from Diary of a Wombat is back, and this time it is Christmas. What kind of havoc can she wreak when Santa pays a visit?

Being a wombat sounds pretty good, with all that sleeping, scratching and eating. The wombat’s quest for carrots really is comically singular! She challenges reindeer and even a polar bear to claim all the carrots she can. She has such spunk! The expressive nature of the illustrations bring her to life.

Christmas Wombat is easy to read and the illustrations are gorgeous. This is a great book for sharing with the kids around Christmas.

Christmas Wombat is suitable for toddlers through primary school children.

Nov25

Bigfoot Trails: Pacific Northwest by S.A. Jeffers

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bigfootBigfoot Trails: Pacific Northwest by S.A. Jeffers and illustrated by Catherine Straus, picture e-book, 24 pages, published by Jeffers Publishing in 2016.

Come on a journey through the Pacific Northwest to see if you can spot evidence of Bigfoot. Look for his footprints, nest or broken trees; you might even spy Bigfoot himself!

I had a lot of fun looking for Bigfoot on each page. The illustrations are very detailed, and evidence of Bigfoot is well hidden, so it was quite satisfying when I was able to spot him! It’s really difficult to decide which scene is my favourite, as they are all great, but I think I like the gold-panning river scene best. I really liked the way the trees on every page were depicted.

The story is told through simple rhyme, and contains facts about the myth of Bigfoot. The language is basic, suitable for younger children, and the text is quite clear, despite the busyness of each page. Some of the story is spent reminding the reader to keep an eye open for the ever elusive Bigfoot.

I read this as an e-book. Unfortunately, in this format each page didn’t align with it’s pair, as it would when the paperback version is opened to any given page. Ergo, I would have preferred to read the physical book, but it was really only a minor inconvenience, and I still enjoyed it very much.

Bigfoot Trails: Pacific Northwest is suitable for children and adults, though I think primary school students would enjoy it the most. It is good to share with children, helping them to spot evidence of Bigfoot, and talking about the legend. We also spoke about other things we could see in each scene, such as explaining gold-panning.

 

*I received this book from the author as a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Nov24

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! by Julia Lassa

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goOn Your Marks, Get Set, Go! by Julia Lassa and illustrated by Merve Terzi, picture e-book, 30 pages, published by Bower Maze in 2016.

On a sunny day three friends decide to have a race. One is a little girl, Ladi, another is a lizard, Liz, and the third friend is a chameleon, Cam. Each place that they choose to race gives an unfair advantage to one of them, so how can they race fairly?

This is a simple picture book, yet also a lovely one. The text is large and easy to read. The story is fun and easily understood by younger children. It also sets the stage for a discussion about equity. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. Every page is so bright and enticing, with wonderful use of colour. I particularly like Cam’s facial expressions.

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! is ideal for younger children from toddlers through to lower primary school.

 

*I received this book from the author as a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Nov23

Bees in Loretta’s Bonnet by Lois Wickstrom

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beeslorettaBees in Loretta’s Bonnet by Lois Wickstrom and illustrated by Francie Mion, picture e-book, 34 pages, published in 2016.

While bringing in wood from the woodpile during winter, Loretta finds a leafcutter bee’s nest. She puts the nest back in the woodpile and watches it to see what happens when spring arrives.

Bees in Loretta’s Bonnet blends facts and fiction into a delightful and educational picture book. Information about leafcutter bees is integrated subtlety; the kids won’t even know they are learning about nature! The story is easy to read and the text is clear. Quaint illustrations feature throughout the book.

At the end of the book there are instructions for making a home for solitary bees, such as the leafcutter, to encourage them into your garden. This looks like an easy and fun activity for kids, as well as something that will help your garden flourish.

Suitable for primary school children, Bees in Loretta’s Bonnet makes for lovely shared reading time.

 

*I received this book from the author as a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Nov22

The Bird Who Was Afraid of Heights by Lola McClane

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birdThe Bird Who Was Afraid of Heights by Lola McClane and illustrated by Angel dela Peña, picture e-book, 64 pages, published by Xlibris in 2015.

Augie and his sister, Snookie, are newly hatched young birds. Together they eat, laugh, learn and grow, until it comes time for their flying lessons. Snooki takes to the air, but Augie finds himself unable to leave the nest due to an intense fear of heights. He is very lonely while his sister and mum are off flying until a cat appears at the edge of the nest. The cat, Coleman, helps Augie to overcome his fear of heights.

This is a pleasant story of a wonderful and unlikely friendship that brings about a huge change in a little bird’s life. It is about persistence, patience and determination, as well as the faith and trust found between friends. I quite liked the feel-good nature of the story. This book could be a good starting point for talking about fears and phobias in general with kids. While it is specifically about overcoming a fear of heights, many fears can be tackled in a similar way.

The illustrations are appealing to children and very cute. Augie reminded me of the chickenhawk from the old Looney Tunes cartoons I used to watch as a kid. I read a digital copy, but I think that reading the physical book would help align the illustrations with the relevant text better.

I found the text on some of the pages was unpleasant to the eye. Where there was a coloured background, each individual word was surrounded by a small white outline, which I hated. It was more difficult to read than the text printed on lighter colours or white, and I felt like I was straining my eyes.

The Bird Who Was Afraid of Heights was too long for my younger children to enjoy in one sitting. It was better for my older kids; my 9 year old particularly liked it. It is suitable for reading to lower primary school children, while middle primary school children could read it for themselves.

 

*I received this book from the author as a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Nov13

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

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wells1Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, paperback novel, 322 pages, published by Corgi Books in 2014.

An English boarding school in the 1930s is the scene for a terrible crime. The science mistress, Miss Bell, suddenly disappears. Perhaps she left of her own volition, but third formers, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells know better. Hazel saw her lying dead in the gym, but someone moved her body before she could fetch help. Luckily Daisy and Hazel are secret detectives, and now they are on the case. Can these girl detectives solve their biggest case or will they just land themselves in danger?

Amateur sleuthing in a boarding school makes for an interesting story. The mystery was engaging and well planned, with some great twists and complex suspects. It kept me guessing! I liked the writing style, and that Hazel shared her suspect list with us as she updated it.

Deepdean is an all girls boarding school, providing a comprehensive education for young ladies. Daisy and Hazel live in House with the other third form boarders, but they have a secret, they are running a detective society right out of their dorm. They are somewhat of an odd pair. Daisy is very outgoing, sporty, charming and well loved, the perfect English girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Hazel is from Hong Kong and is not really any of those things, though she is smart, persistent and pedantic. Daisy can be rather overbearing, and thinks very highly of herself, often discounting Hazel’s theories and ideas in favour of her own. Hazel is more levelled, and I preferred her careful deducting to Daisy’s headfirst charge after leads. They both displayed a number of virtues, complementing each other, making them perfect detective partners. I preferred Hazel as a character, though Daisy has her moments.

All of the characters were well described and easily pictured. The Headmistress was quite formidable! I pictured Miss Parker with hot pink, spiky hair, but I’m not sure that would have been an option in the 30s.

I was surprised by a Miss Marple reference during the story as most of the Miss Marple books were published after Murder Most Unladylike is set. Perhaps the beloved Miss Marple inspired the Wells and Wong Detective Society!

I greatly enjoyed this murder mystery. As soon as I had finished reading Murder Most Unladylike I went out and bought the next two books in the series, Arsenic for Tea and First Class Murder. I am looking forward to reading them and sharing them with my daughter.

Murder Most Unladylike is suitable for upper primary school and high school students. It will suit anyone who enjoys a nice clean murder mystery.

Nov5

How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

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hiccup1How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, paperback novel, 227 pages, first published by Hodder Children’s Books in 2003, this edition published in 2010.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is a boy, but not just any boy, he is the son of the Viking Chief, Stoick the Vast. He is expected to achieve great things and become a Viking Hero. Unfortunately, Hiccup doesn’t seem much cut out for life as a hero; he is scrawny, and already known as Hiccup the Useless by most of the other boys of his tribe. In order to become a full member of the Hairy Hooligans, the boys must pass the initiation tests, including capturing and training a wild dragon.

I’m quite fond of stories featuring dragons; I enjoyed the movie of “How To Train Your Dragon” when I saw it with my kids. I promised myself I would read the books when I had a chance. I was expecting the first book in the series to be similar to the movie, so I was surprised to find the book vastly different. Some of the names are the same, but the bulk of the story was not translated. This was by no means a disappointment though, I thought the book was great. My 9 year old was also very taken with the book, and has asked to read more of the series.

How to Train Your Dragon is funny and action filled, if just a tad silly! It has serious entertainment value, I didn’t want to put it down. It made me laugh and sigh, and glare when Snotlout was being mean to Hiccup. He is quite a bully!

Vikings using small dragons to fish for them is ingenious. Having a dragon companion would definitely have its advantages, though I’d be too afraid to crawl into a dark cave full of sleeping dragons to catch one! Most of the dragons weren’t particularly nice, especially Snotlout’s dragon, nor are they overly loyal. The humongous seadragons were the most arrogant of all. Toothless reminds me of my youngest child: stubborn, disobedient, whiny, always complaining, never stops eating! He is there when hiccup needs him most though. I really like Hiccup and Fishlegs; they aren’t your typical blood-thirsty vikings, but they are trying.

Even the names in this story are humorous. The Hairy Hooligans and the Meatheads are funny names for tribes, but what about names like Fishlegs, Hiccup or Snotface Snotlout? And a dragon called Horrorcow; I love it!

How to Train Your Dragon is suitable for primary school children and up. It is the first in a series featuring Hiccup and Toothless; I want to read all of them and so do my kids. I have already started the second book in the series, How to Be a Pirate.