Tag Archives: children’s novel

Jun3

New Library Additions May ’16

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Added some books to my home library this month!

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Physical Books:

E-books:

What new books did you get in May?

May23

CBCA Shortlist for 2016

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The Children’s Book Council of Australia announced their Book of the Year shortlist for 2016 on Friday. I get so excited waiting for this every year!

Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators of these wonderful books!

I am looking forward to reading as many as I can. Unfortunately there never seems enough time to get through all of them.

 

In the early childhood category;

  • Piranha’s Don’t Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
  • The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood
  • My Dog Bigsy by Alison Lester
  • Mr Huff by Anna Walker
  • Perfect by Danny Parker and illustrated by Freya Blackwood
  • Ollie and the Wind by Ghosh Ronojoy

 

In the picture book category;

  • My Dead Bunny by James Foley with text by Sigi Cohen
  • Suri’s Wall by Matt Ottley  with text by Lucy Estela
  • And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Bruce Whatley with text by Eric Bogle
  • One Step at a Time by Sally Heinrich with text by Jane Jolly
  • Ride, Ricardo, Ride! by Shane Devries with text by Phil Cummings
  • Flight by Armin Greder with text by Nadia Wheatley

 

In the younger readers category;

  • Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars by Martine Murray
  • Soon by Morris Gleitzman
  • Run, Pip, Run by J. C. Jones
  • Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master by Emily Rodda
  • Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
  • The Cleo Stories: A Friend and a Pet by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Freya Blackwood

 

In the older readers category;

  • The Flywheel by Erin Gough
  • Cloudwish by Fiona Wood
  • The Pause by John Larkin
  • Inbetween Days by Vikki Wakefield
  • Freedom Ride by Sue Lawson
  • A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay

 

Information books;

  • Phasmid: Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect by Rohan Cleave and illustrated by Coral Tulloch
  • The Amazing True Story of how Babies are Made by Fiona Katauskas
  • Ancestry: Stories of Multicultural Anzacs by Robyn Siers and illustrated by Carlie Walker
  • Lennie The Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony by Stephanie Owen Reeder
  • We are the Rebels: the Women and Men who made Eureka by Clare Wright
  • The White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake by Peter Gouldthorpe

 

I am quite keen to read The Flywheel, it sounds interesting. I’m also looking forward to sharing the early childhood and picture books with my kids, they are always worth a read. We already love The Cow Tripped Over the Moon and Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, so now I am excited to discover the others.

Which of these books have you read? Which ones do you think will be Book of the Year?

 

Mar19

Meeting of the Mustangs by Cathy Kennedy

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mustangscoverMeeting of the Mustangs by Cathy Kennedy, e-book novella, published in 2015.

A black colt is born into a band of wild Mustangs. At a young age he learns that life is not easy, and danger lurks around every corner. When he is accidentally separated from his family, he journeys on alone, and lonely in the hope that he will find them again. He encounters dangers, both in nature and at the hand of man, as he grows into a stunning and spirited stallion.

This was a fairly short and easy read. It was different in that it was primarily about the horse and his experiences, interaction with people was just collateral. The first part of the story was a bit slow, but it became more interesting once the horse came into contact with people. He wasn’t with any of the people long enough to get to know the characters very well though. The horse was very determined and mistrustful of people, understandably, he really should have been left in the wild. It made me feel angry that someone would capture a wild horse and then force him into captivity for no reason other than financial gain.

The plot was both realistic and logical. However, the story felt truncated to me, ending abruptly and too soon. I would have liked a little more about the last man that the horse finds, and how their relationship would go on to develop. All of the time spent with people felt too short, though it was probably necessary to fit with the nature of the story and the horse.

Perfect for horse lovers, Meeting of the Mustangs is suitable for middle primary school students and up.

 

*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.

Mar15

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson

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landwithoutcolorcoverThe Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson and illustrated by Kevin Cannon, paperback, 168 pages, published by Beaver’s Pond Press in 2015.

For his birthday, Alvin is given a special pocketknife, which comes in very handy when he finds himself transported to another world. The Kingdom of Color does not live up to its name; when Alvin arrives, the colour has been leached from the land and its inhabitants. With his new friends, Permy the squirrel and Ronaldo the mouse, Alvin sets about discovering the cause of the colour loss and how to recover it.

A fantastical adventure with dragons, goblins, man-eating plants, talking animals and free ice-cream and candy for all! The Land Without Color is a wonderful lollop through a magical world that will appeal to a wide range of children. It is well written with good description and some black and white illustrations scattered through the book. Character development was really good, and I got to know Alvin as I followed on his adventure. Though only twelve, he is brave and compassionate with a well developed sense of right and wrong. I liked him a lot, however, Permy was definitely my favourite. The dragon with two heads was an interesting creature, long necks and a giant coiled body. I liked that one head was blue and the other red, and the blue one could breath ice cream instead of fire. That’s a pretty nifty trick!

Junk food is extremely bad for the residents of the Kingdom of Color, as it is the conduit for the colour loss. It also results in a loss of energy and drive, whereas eating vegetables and fruit gives the people back their colour and energy. The message was clear; “Eat Your Vegetables!” I liked this as a theme, and I thought it was well executed. At first the message was subtle, but it became quite strong by the end, and was reinforced through the story. I hope it works to help kids eat veges and fruit!

The Land Without Color is suitable for middle and upper primary school students. Adults will most likely enjoy sharing this book with their child too, I did! This book is the start of a series, with the next book, The Great Sugar War, expected out in late 2016.

 

*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.

Feb16

The Ship of Sight and the Hand of Shadow by Brydie Walker Bain

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shipofsight coverThe Ship of Sight and the Hand of Shadow by Brydie Walker Bain, e-book, 136 pages, published by Smashwords Editions in 2015.

Nat and the gang are back, ready for a new adventure! When Barnaby accidentally uncovers a skeleton, a necklace is thrust upon Nat, and she must take it home. With Abraham guiding them, they begin a journey through the North Island of New Zealand to prove themselves worthy of the task set them. The task’s challenges are only part of the difficult journey, as they are hunted by Drake and her new off-sider, the Scout. They are determined to stop the children by any means necessary, but the gang are just as determined to complete their task.

This is the second book in The Natnat Adventures series. It is a fast paced and exhilarating jaunt across the North Island of New Zealand, over waterfalls and cliff tops, through forests and along beaches as Abraham guides the youngsters to their destination. There is action, adventure, and villainy, all wrapped up in fantasy and myth. It is a wonderful page turner, that I really got into. I liked the fantasy elements best, especially the talking trees. It’s all described so well that I could picture it just as if I had experienced it myself. It was fun to go on another adventure with Nat. I hope there are many more to come!

Nat and Riki are my favourite characters out of the kids. They possess courage and ingenuity, and are down to earth too. The boys are all a little bit over the top, racing about, being loud and loutish, though mostly in a lovable way. The boys really developed in this story, gaining knowledge, wisdom, and a sliver of decorum! Again, Abraham was my favourite, he seems to know everything, predicts the future, pops up where he is most needed, and never gives up on the kids. He’s an omnipotent grandfatherly figure, very trustworthy, generous and wise. There were hints as to his relationship with Drake through the story, and I am very curious to find out where she fits in. Drake is horrible, well written, but malevolent.

The Ship of Sight and the Hand of Shadow answered some of the questions left from the first book in the series, The Secret of Sinbad’s Cave, but it also created a lot more! The mystery is complex and intriguing. Hopefully the next book, The Lost River (coming soon), will hold more clues and answers!

This series is great for middle to upper primary school children, and adventure fans of all ages.

 

*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.

 

Feb5

The Architect’s Apprentice by Colin Garrow

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architects apprentice coverThe Architect’s Apprentice by Colin Garrow, e-book, 124 pages, published in 2015.

Young Tom has been forced to work for the unscrupulous Mr Savidge in London in 1630. He has been working hard to help support his mother and sister since his father disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Mr Savidge has Tom do many jobs for him, which sometimes includes Tom helping him to steal from houses late at night. On one such trip, Tom discovers a book that has the wrong printing date, it is a date in the future, so it must be a mistake, right? When the owner of the book, the architect Martin Deacon approaches Tom, explaining that the date is in fact correct, Tom’s life suddenly becomes much more complicated.

A complex time slip novel, The Architect’s Apprentice was engaging and intriguing. I tumbled into this fantasy adventure, with its historical London setting, working class English and description that had me wandering the crowded lanes, avoiding excrement and detritus whilst being intoxicated by the cloying odour of the Thames. It was on occassion, a little confusing, with many characters, but I felt satisfied that everything made sense in the end. There were also several surprises that I didn’t see coming!

Time travel stories are always complex due to the nature of moving through time and the possibility of changing the future or the past. This book is no exception. I love that the time breaks are in doorways, and that they exist all over London, yet few people realise it. I also liked that the characters traveled through time, yet never encountered other versions of themselves.

The children, Tom, Sarah and Emily were delightful characters, bright and inquisitive. Though they are of a station that requires them to work at such a young age to survive, they were neither down-trodden nor broken. I enjoyed seeing the way Tom and Sarah bonded with Emily through the story. Emily is rather precocious, yet it fits her superbly. Whilst the children were obviously good, it took a little longer to work out the roles of the adults. I was quite suspicious of Deacon when he first approached Tom, but as I got to know him better, I liked him. For the most part, the adults had a lot to hide, and I was often undecided as to which adult the children should trust, but that mysteriousness only added to the intrigue of the story.

While the book contains some violence, I think it would still be suitable for upper primary school students and high school students. I really enjoyed The Architect’s Apprentice, and I definitely want to read the next book in The Maps of Time series, Mortlake. There was a short preview of Mortlake at the back of the book, which served to strengthen my desire to read it.

 

*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.

Jan30

Gone by Christine Kersey

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gonecoverGone by Christine Kersey, e-book, 230 pages, published by Sapphire Creek Press in 2013.

Morgan is a teenager that thinks she is being treated unfairly by her parents. She also perceives them to be biased towards her younger sister, Amy. So in a huff she runs away into the woods nearby her house. It starts getting cold and Morgan gets lost, finally taking shelter in a little hut she finds among the trees. After a large storm which damages the hut, Morgan must find another way out. She follows a tunnel, which leads her right into an alternate universe, where it is illegal to be overweight, and the government enforces this rule by locking people up in fat farms. Will Morgan ever find her way home?

This novel is set in a parallel universe, where things are the same, but not the same as we know them. The main difference that Morgan finds in her new world is that the government is monitoring everyone’s weight, and it is illegal to become overweight. If this occurs, the person is forcibly taken into a weight loss facility, where they must stay in prison like conditions until they drop the weight. And they have to pay for it themselves, which has created an abundance of very poor families struggling to survive after a family member has been committed for rehabilitation. As a premise, this held a lot of promise, and I quite enjoyed the plot. It was disturbing and intriguing how much everyone was focused on diet, exercise and weight.

One thing that bothered me was what happened to the Morgan that had been living in the alternate universe? She was on a camping trip, and just disappeared, but where to and how? I kept expecting her to turn up and claim Morgan as an imposter. Maybe she was forced into Morgan’s world, which then begs the question of what’s happening back there? I’m just curious…

I found Morgan a little whiny and immature. I’m a bit appalled that she would run away at sixteen because they moved to a new house and her mum said she couldn’t have a new phone, it’s selfish to say the least. And it’s somewhat stupid to wander into a forest during winter without proper supplies or protection, especially in a location with a high likelihood of snow at that time of year. I know she’s young, but a bit of commonsense would have gone a long way to preventing her trip through the time-space continuum! I think she improved as a person whilst in the alternate universe, but not enough to protect her family. She was too proud and self righteous to back down from the nasty girl at school, despite knowing that it wasn’t a good idea. The other characters didn’t make much of an impression on me.

I think this could have been a great book. It was let down by the irritating nature of the main character, and the lack of other interesting characters. It didn’t capture my attention enough for me to seek out the second book in the series.

Gone was an easy read suitable for upper primary school and high school students. The novel is very clean, with a little superficial romance, and no foul language. It is the first book in the Parallel Trilogy.

 

 

Jan15

Time Sailors of Pizzolungo by Scott Abrams and Adam Blockton

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Time Sailors - imageTime Sailors of Pizzolungo by Scott Abrams and Adam Blockton, e-book, 257 pages, published in 2015.

Guillermo comes home on the last day of the school year to find a strange package. He opens it, and inside is an exquisite model sailing ship. Along with his sister, Piccola, and their friends they take the ship down to the water. It is no ordinary ship, however, and soon the kids are heading out to the open sea atop a massive and splendid sailing ship, and right into a raging storm. Before they know it, they are facing pirates who are determined to wrest control of the glorious Grande Infante, meeting famous mariners such as Christopher Columbus, and diving for treasure off the Canary Islands.

A grand adventure on the high seas and across time! A magic ship, time travel, pirates, treasure, sea battles, a variety of historical figures and a pet pig called Romeo make this a very entertaining read. A wonderful combination of adventure, action, geography and history will engage readers of all ages.

I love the idea of a group of sixth graders taking on pirates and crewing such a massive ship. All of the kids had unique characteristics, and I liked them all. I was amused by Luca’s insistence on avoiding the water, Tony’s attachment to his ipad, Enzo’s overly large chin and Mario’s focus on food, but I was drawn to Guillermo’s determination and Piccola’s intelligence. I’m not sure an eleven year old would know that much Latin though! As the story progressed, I felt like I got to know the small crew of the Grande Infante, and I was able to tag along for the ride.

I’m not very familiar with sailing, and even though nautical and sailing terms are used within the story, that didn’t matter because everything was well described. The detail provided clear images of the ship, crew and surrounds. That also applied to the uncouth pirates, which I could almost smell as they tried to board the Grande Infante! I think washing was very under-rated in those days!

Time Sailors of Pizzolungo is most suitable for middle to upper primary school students, but it is really an adventure open for everyone to enjoy. It was lots of fun, and I do hope that there might be another adventure for the Time Sailors of Pizzolungo 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.

Dec7

Dragon’s Heir by Kandi J Wyatt

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Dragon's Heir CoverDragon’s Heir by Kandi J Wyatt, e-book, 199 pages, expected publication by Updrift on the 8th December 2015.

Ten years after Dragon’s Future, Braidyn is no longer a youngling, though he has not found his place in the world yet. After an altercation in the marketplace, a nestling is stolen and carried away to southern lands unknown to the riders. Braidyn is determined to recover the nestling and bring her home safely. He returns to Three Spans Canyon to ask Ruskya and Carryl to aid him on his journey. Together they fly out in search of the nestling. In the southern sandhills they encounter camps of dragon riders with very different customs. Their leader is drunk on power, with a cruel and greedy nature. Braidyn is offended by the leader’s treatment of his youngest daughter, Sarai, as he treats her like a slave. The beautiful Sarai is much stronger than she first appears though, and quickly captures Braidyn’s attention.

This is the second book in the Dragon’s Courage series. It was wonderful to step inside the dragon rider’s world again, and catch up with Duskya and Cerulean, Ruskya and Carryl, Kyn and Braidyn. It felt like hearing news of old friends. There were also many new characters to meet from between the arid sandhills, where the Agamid of the El’shad’n make their homes. I especially liked getting to know Sarai.

The whole book revolves around Braidyn, and his journey to find where he belongs in the world. He had become restless, so the quest to find the nestling came at just the right moment. It provided him with the opportunity to explore new lands and meet new people. We see him mature, and discover more about himself and his dragon, Turqueso.

The story is very plot-driven, and rolls along at a quick pace, with character development centred on Braidyn and Sarai. We also got to know some of the Agamid a little but not their dragons. I would have liked to see more of the dragons. They were mostly in the background as the drama unfolded among the riders. I did have a few moments of confusion as Braidyn, Ruskya and Carryl are referred to as “Northerners” but then when they return home, the fly south, perhaps I misread something there.

At first I was angry at Sarai for stealing a nestling, but as her motives were revealed that anger ebbed away, and I came to admire her. She was strong, determined and brave. The customs of her people dictated that all women are beneath men, and are nothing more than possessions to do with as the men please. Such appalling behaviour towards women, but Ya’cove took it a step further in the way he treated Sarai. He humiliated, degraded and tormented her, until she cracked. He was a most despicable character, and I greatly disliked him, he just felt slimey. Luckily, his sons Av’ior and Ye’sock were much better men, and open to change within the encampment for the betterment of its people.

There wasn’t as much action as I was expecting, but I still enjoyed the book thoroughly. There was only a couple of brief battle scenes where we got to see the dragons in action, though there were other moments of danger, so it was still very exciting. I read through it quickly, not wanting to stop at the end of any chapter, and it kept me engaged until the end.

Suitable for upper primary school students and up, Dragon’s Heir is a wonderful fantasy adventure. I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I want to know more about Kyn and what direction he will take in his life. I hope the wait’s not too long.  Dragon’s Heir is due for release on the 8th of December 2015, and if you haven’t already, read Dragon’s Future first to get up to speed 🙂

 

*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.

Dec3

Making It Home by Suzanne Roche

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IMG_6056Making It Home by Suzanne Roche, paperback novel, 179 pages, published in 2015.

Peri was an only child until her Dad remarried, then she became a big sister to Henry and Max. All three of them spend their afternoons in the antique store owned by Peri’s father and grandfather. Whilst exploring the stockroom, Max finds a set of old keys and takes them to show Henry, placing them on top of an antiques encyclopeadia. Peri tries to stop him, but it’s too late, and they are all transported back to Ellis Island when the first immigrants were processed through there prior to entering New York city. Now Peri, Henry and Max have to find a way home, and help some people along the way.

Making it Home is a time slip novel for upper primary and lower high school students. It is a bit different to the average time slip story though, in that it contains more detailed historical information, along with archival resources, such as photographs from the relevant time periods. It is fiction based in historical fact. There are also activities and recipes at the back of the book to allow the reader to get hands-on while learning history. It was a very interesting and educational read.

The story jumps through several times, all around the end of the nineteenth century in New York City, mostly looking at the immigrant population and their situations. It was very detailed, and I felt like I learnt a lot about this era whilst reading the book. The time jumps were often unexpected, and sometimes a little hard to follow, but the content was interesting enough to overlook this.

For a book that’s gone to print, there were quite a few text errors, such as repeated words or words out of order. These should have been picked up and corrected during the editing process. They didn’t affect the storyline, but I found them a little distracting. Something that did really bother me about the story, was how did Peri, Henry and Max get through the Ellis Island check point? They would not have been on a ship manifest anywhere, so they would have been detained by the authorities, yet they seem to walk through to New York without being checked. A minor issue, I guess, but still, it niggled me. Also, when the children meet up with Geraldo for the second time, they have not aged, yet Geraldo doesn’t seem to think this is odd, despite a number of years having passed by then.

I liked the children, they were written quite realistically for their ages and situation. I think Henry is my favourite. He’s so indignant at being demoted to middle child, irritated by Peri’s older sister bossiness, incredulous about being in the past, and just really wants to go home more than anything. Being the youngest, Max was rather carefree, and just happy to be having an adventure. Peri was a big reader, and knew quite a lot about New York City, the immigrants, and tenements, which helped them. She felt responsible for their situation, and wanted to find the solution to returning home, but became very involved in helping the people they met in the past.

Making It Home is the first book in the new Time to Time series, following Peri, Henry and Max on their adventures through time, and making history fun. I wonder where in time they will find themselves next?