Tag Archives: children’s fiction

May15

Iris by Toni Owen-Blue

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iriscoverIris by Toni Owen-Blue, e-book, 85 pages, published by Blue Books in 2016.

Iris is just a child, she thinks of herself as a bit weird, and to the outside world she is pretty average. Behind the closed doors of her house, her family life is anything but normal. Her mother works in surgery and keeps odd hours, while her father is always holed up in the home office working. This leaves Iris in charge of her younger brother, Waltz. She makes him dinner, bathes him, supervises his homework and puts him to bed. Along with her schoolwork and the housework, that is Iris’ whole life. Then Lotus arrives. Lotus immediately befriends Iris, and for the first time in her life, Iris sees how other mums treat their daughters, and it contrasts dramatically with her own experience.

Written in first person from Iris’ perspective, this novel is short, but it packs a big punch. It touched my heart. I felt great sadness and anger, the end brought tears. As the story progressed I became angrier and angrier with Iris’ mother. The way she treats Iris is horrifying. Neglect, emotional and physical abuse. Iris is always having ‘accidents’ at her mother’s hands, believing that she is stupid, fat and useless because that is what she is told every day. And she has far too much responsibility for her age. No one that young should have to raise their younger sibling, ever. When does she get to be a kid?

She talks about her Dad working in the annexe office but he is not in the story. We never see him interact with Iris and Waltz, he never prepares their meals or puts them to bed. He is there, but not, absent from their lives because his work is more important than his family. And it seems that their mother is not there much either, and when she is, she is shaming Iris, guilting her, hurting her, making her feel worthless. What kind of parents are they? They should never have had kids.

Iris is well written and incredibly realistic. The subject matter made it, at times, difficult to read. There were times when I didn’t want to know what else would happen to Iris, but I haboured hope that she would escape her situation. I read this emotional tale knowing that there are too many children in the world suffering as Iris does, but I had to know how Iris’ story ended.

This story raises awareness of an issue that is often undetected or ignored. Iris’ mum was good at putting on an act for other people to hide how she was treating Iris and Waltz, and she was good at making Iris feel guilty and ashamed. These feelings, along with the natural love she has for her mother kept her from telling anyone what was happening. Lotus’ mum knew something wasn’t right, but she didn’t speak up. She may have felt it wasn’t her place to interfere, or that she was over-reacting, or even that Iris somehow deserved it. And did the teachers never wonder about Iris? They must have seen the bruises, seen her lack of confidence and belief that she is stupid and useless. And so, child abuse can fly below the radar, damaging the child sometimes beyond repair.

Iris is suitable for upper primary and high school children. It may be good for young readers to discuss the themes with an adult, as it is quite confronting. Iris will pull your heart-strings, make you want to swoop in, bundle her in your arms and save her, want to save all the children that suffer at the hands of their parents. This poignant story will stay close to your heart for years to come. If you can help an Iris, somehow, somewhere, please do it, no child deserves that.

 

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

May13

Great-Grandma’s Gifts by Marianne Jones

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ggrandmasgiftscoverGreat-Grandma’s Gifts by Marianne Jones and illustrated by Karen Reinikka, picture e-book, 25 pages, published by Split Tree Publishing in 2013.

A quaint book about a little girl that grows up to be a grandmother and shares her love for her children an grandchildren through sewing. Arlene learns to sew from her mother, sewing clothes for her doll. When she grows up, she continues to sew things for her own children, and then for her grandchildren.

I was a little confused about the title, as Arlene doesn’t sew anything for great-grandchildren in the story. On reflection, I suppose the real gift is from Arlene’s mother, who would be a great-grandma, as she is the one who taught Arlene to sew. I also wondered why Arlene would be cutting up shirts, coats and dresses if she had such a large supply of cloth to use? Or was the pile of cloth just old clothes that could be re-purposed?

The text is clear and simple. I liked that some of the words were coloured for emphasis, for example, the phrase “as red as a valentine” was done in red, and the colour words were in their own colours. Each page has a coloured background with simple illustrations, which looked to be done in watercolours.

This picture book didn’t really tickle my fancy. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t capture me.

Great-Grandma’s Gifts is most suitable for lower to middle primary school children.

 

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

May12

Kitty Conquers the Big Bully by KayeC Jones

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Kitty'scoverKitty Conquers the Big Bully by KayeC Jones, picture e-book, 32 pages, published in 2016.

Kitty is having fun playing on her own as a knight when a big bully called Ronnie comes along. He tells her girls can’t be knights and pushes her in the mud. Kitty has an excellent way of overcoming the bully. She picks herself up and imagines all the things that she can become if she wants to, no matter if other people say negative things to her.

This is a delightful and unique book. It screams ‘girl power’ but the main message is good for both girls and boys. Believe in yourself and don’t let the bullies win! Kitty doesn’t retaliate with violence, nor does she stoop to the same level as Ronnie. She is better than that, and stronger. She conquers him in the best way possible, by ignoring his rude and ignorant comments and being herself and knowing that she can achieve whatever she wants.

The story was mostly rhyming, and was good to read aloud, though there were a few words that I had to explain to the kids. I’m not actually sure what a ‘flim-flam’ is myself, or why ladies would need saving from them! The text itself was large, clear and easy to read. Each letter ‘i’ was capped with a little heart where the dot goes. My six year old thought that was pretty neat!

Every page has clear, bright illustrations. I liked that Kitty’s friends, the teddy and bunny, accompany her through each of her ideas of what she could do. Kitty has pretty awesome hair, I especially like it when she is composing music. Ronnie is suitably scary and sour looking!

Kitty Conquers the Big Bully is suitable for preschool and primary school children.

 

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

May2

Waneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu by Jean Ingellis

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wanetacoverWaneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu by Jean Ingellis, e-book, 27 pages, published by Jean and Vic Publishing in 2015.

Waneta is a Walrus with only one tusk. She is very self conscious about this, and the other walruses tease her. When a small walrus pup finds himself in trouble with a shark in the water, Waneta doesn’t hesitate to go to his aid. Can she beat the shark and save the pup?

The text was bold and clear, and the story was easy to follow. Overall I liked the book. The story itself was told through rhyming language, which  is great to read aloud. Waneta was very brave to take on a shark. I’ve never really thought of walruses as being graceful creatures, so the idea of them moving like a ballerina was a little funny too.

Each page had a simple and bold illustration, which reminded me of making drawings with the paint program on my computer when I was a child. Made me a bit nostalgic actually. These simple illustrations are good for young children. I liked the picture of the walruses sleeping on the beach best.

While the story states that teasing others is wrong, this still had a ring of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to it. The other walruses only liked Waneta after she did something that helped them. It’s good that they stopped bullying her, but it shouldn’t take an act of bravery for the others to be nice to her. I don’t want my kids to learn that they have to do something extraordinary or prove themselves to have others treat them nicely.

We also learn that Waneta has two goals that she is trying to achieve, and it’s great to have goals in life. However, one of her goals is to have two tusks. I didn’t like this goal as it suggested that Waneta wasn’t fine just the way she was. This idea of poor body image was compounded by her embarrassment of the missing tusk, where she covered the gap with her flipper to prevent others seeing it. Also, having a missing tusk is something that Waneta can’t change, so she was always going to fail in her goal. It would have been better to make the goal something that was actually achievable, even if in the end she didn’t manage to do it.

Waneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu is most suitable for lower primary school children. Older reluctant readers may also find this a good read. There are more books coming in this series soon.

 

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

Apr29

Big Fat Cows by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

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bigfatcowscoverBig Fat Cows by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, board book, published by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd in 2014.

A hardy board book great for little hands, Big Fat Cows has been a hit with my toddlers (and their sisters, and their dad, and me…). It is funny and silly and reminds me of Where is the Green Sheep?, one of our favourites. The story is ridiculous in the best possible way, and it rhymes, sounding great read aloud. The illustrations are humourous, with plenty to look at and discover without being too overwhelming for the littlies. My kids have enjoyed seeing what each cow is doing, and they very much like the last page! I like the mixed-up cow and the milk carton shaped space ship myself.

Big Fat Cows is most suitable for toddlers and preschoolers, though it really has a much wider appeal. I highly recommend this book to share with your youngsters!

Apr29

The Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins by Ronnie Glaser

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zorkinscoverThe Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins by Ronnie Glaser, chapter book, 118 pages, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2016.

Adam Brown is ten years old, with an older sister, Lizzie and best friend, Howie. Behind his house are some woods that he likes to play in and explore.  As Adam and Howie go on adventures, Adam sometimes hears singing that no one else hears. The voices help him out when he’s in trouble. Whilst in his treehouse in the woods, he hears the singing again, and finally meets the Zorkins. These two tiny magical beings want to befriend Adam, but can he keep them a secret?

This chapter book is a quick read, perfect for early independent readers. It would be nice to share aloud with younger children also. The story is easy to follow and the characters are interesting. The language is age appropriate, but not repetitive. I liked the adventures (and mishaps) that Adam and Howie got into. They are quite lucky the Zorkins were looking out for them!

It took about half the book to get to the point where Adam actually meets the Zorkins, which surprised me. I thought the Zorkins would make themselves known to Adam much sooner. Instead they stayed out of sight, but still accompanied him on adventures until they were ready to show themselves.

All the characters were likeable, except for the school bully, Bobby. He was a mean lump of a boy. I didn’t really get a clear picture of what the Zorkins looked like, just that they were humanoid in appearance and very small. There wasn’t enough description for me, but I don’t think that would matter much to the intended audience. I did like the way the Zorkins complemented each other, with one being somewhat brusque and irritable, while the other one was calm and reasonable. They were funny little creatures.

The Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins is suitable for lower and middle primary school children.

 

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

Apr6

Tyranno-sort-of Rex by Christopher Llewelyn and Scott Tulloch

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tyrannosortofrexcoverTyranno-sort-of Rex by Christopher Llewelyn and illustrated by Scott Tulloch, paperback picture book, published by Scholastic New Zealand Limited.

At the end of a dinosaur dig, the bones are carefully packed and labelled to be shipped back to the museum. Unfortunately, during a rough sea journey, the bones become one big jumbly mess. The museum’s curator tries to put them together again, ready for the big exhibition, but things go a little awry.

Dinosaur books are always a hit in our house, but this book is our new favourite! We’ve only had it for a couple of weeks, and it has been read multiple times every day so far. One of my boys even woke in the night crying because he wanted his new dino book to cuddle! He already knows some of the words, and joins in when the curator gets out his drill.

Tyranno-sort-of Rex is very funny with lovely colour illustrations throughout. It will make your child laugh when they see what the curator comes up with. I especially like when the skeleton ends up with two heads! The lyrical text makes it excellent to read aloud, and the repetition of the curator’s actions will have the kids joining in in no time! I love reading this book to my kids.

Suitable for preschoolers and primary age children, adults will also enjoy the curator’s dino designs in Tyranno-sort-of Rex. Every young dinosaur fan should have this humourous book in their collection.

 

Apr5

The Pirate Train by Nicole Plyler Fisk

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piratetraincoverThe Pirate Train by Nicole Plyler Fisk, with Jack Fisk and illustrated by Chad Vivas, picture book, published by Grog Blossom Press in 2015.

The Yo-Ho-Matey family are seafaring pirates, until one day Pirate Bro develops a nasty case of sea-sickness. The whole family looks for a new method of transportation off the oceans, settling on a train, in which they can travel around looking for treasure.

Overall I liked this fun tale of sticking together as a family no matter what happens. My kids liked it too. It was a good reminder that family is important, and that as long as we have our family around for support we can adapt to any situation we find ourselves in.

Whilst the text does rhyme, it didn’t flow as nicely as I would have liked. It just lacked the rhythm I was expecting, so it didn’t sound as nice read aloud. Having said that, my younger kids didn’t complain, and still asked for a second reading! They did have a giggle over pirates on a train!

The illustrations are colourful and clear, capturing the story well. Boy does Pirate Bro have some seriously thick eyebrows! That feature seemed to jump out from every page. I didn’t like the pirates’ black eyes either. I did like how they are dressed and the way that Parrot Tom is depicted with his little pirate vest and eye-patch.

This book is suitable for preschoolers and lower primary school children. The Pirate Train is the first in a proposed series following the Yo-Ho-Matey family on their adventures. It will be interesting to see where they travel to next and if they find any treasure to add to their hoard.

 

*I received this book from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Apr3

Weeds in Nana’s Garden by Kathryn Harrison

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weedsinnanasgardencoverWeeds in Nana’s Garden by Kathryn Harrison, picture book, published by Flipturn Publishing in 2016.

Nana’s garden is a special place, full of blooms, lush greenery and fairies. A young girl enjoys time with her Nana in the garden throughout the year, until one summer she discovers weeds choking the garden beds. She has never seen weeds like that in Nana’s garden, and she doesn’t know how or why her Nana would let the garden get like that. Her mother explains that Nana has Alzheimer’s Disease, and her brain is developing more and more tangles that make it hard for her to think and remember, a bit like how the weeds in the garden were making it hard for the plants to grow properly.

Weeds in Nana’s Garden is a lovely picture book designed to help explain Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias to young children through a garden analogy. The weeds in the garden are like the tangles growing in Nana’s mind, causing her confusion, frustration and forgetfulness. It is sad to experience a loved one being claimed by dementia, and it can be very difficult to explain the process to children. This book will make it much easier for children to understand what is happening.

Each page is executed with colourful illustrations. Can you find the cat and fairies in each picture? The text is simple and easy to read, and the story is not too long. It is well written for the intended audience.

I think this book would be an excellent resource for families dealing with the onset of dementia in their loved ones. There is a question and answer section at the back that answers some of the common questions that children might ask. This will help parents to explain this disease in simple terms to their children.

Weeds in Nana’s Garden is suitable for preschoolers to primary school children. Sales of this book will also help the Alzheimer Society of Canada, with $1.00 from each book sold being donated to them.

 

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

 

Apr1

Demon Princess by Kassandra Lynn

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DemonPrincessCoverDemon Princess by Kassandra Lynn, e-book, 162 pages, published in 2015.

Mage-in-training, Aldric, has cast a spell to gain his summon beast, a creature that is bonded to the mage for life, and must carry out every command from their master. Unexpectedly, Adriana is summoned forth as Aldric’s summon beast, just as she is about to become Demon King. Mages and Demons are enemies, so Adriana must keep her true identity secret, whilst working out a way to escape her bonds. Aldric’s handsome cousin, Keldrin, is kind to Adriana and agrees to help her. A mage and a demon could never fall in love, could they?

Demon Princess was a quick and easy fantasy read. This book was much shorter than I expected, and I wasn’t prepared for it to end just yet. It made for an enjoyable read though, and with two more books following it, I’m sure all my questions will be answered in those. I liked the quest that Adriana and Keldrin undertake with two companions into Barren Land. It was exciting and dangerous, but I thought that was the best part of the story. I found the writing a little stilted at times, with a number of tense changes throughout. Overall, I was enjoying the story plenty, so it didn’t matter so much.

I hate the idea of any creature being bound to another like the summoning beasts are bound to their mages, but Aldric’s attitude and supposed superiority to Adriana was appalling. Aldric. What a prat! Rude, offensive, ignorant and incompetent to boot. He was an infuriating character that I greatly disliked. His soppy-eyed obsession with the snotty and mean Princess Salvene was pathetic, and his treatment of Adriana, until he discovered her ability to perform magic, was repulsive. He was nothing more than a slug.

I had mixed feelings about Adriana. Sometimes she seemed a bit snobbish and self-centred, but then she was also being held against her will, so I can understand how upset and angry she would be. She was used to being pampered as the Demon Princess, so she had to adjust to being the servant, rather than commanding them. I liked the magic that she was able to perform. I mostly liked Keldrin, he was kind, thoughtful and talented.

Inevitably, Adriana falls in love with the handsome and talented mage destined to be her mortal enemy. This was quite predictable, forbidden fruit and all that, it’s a common theme in young adult literature. A bit of romance is fine, though I thought it probably got in the way of Adriana plotting an escape earlier in the story. I was surprised that Adriana tolerated Aldric and his complete control over her for that long, despite a crush on his handsome cousin.

Demon Princess is suitable for high school students. It will be interesting to see how the story continues in the next book, Demon King.

 

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