Tag Archives: kids novel

Aug13

Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt

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IMG_13590Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt, paperback novel, 315 pages, published by Allen & Unwin in 2013.

Peat was cast out by her village as a baby for nothing more than her red hair and different coloured eyes. She is banished along with her sister and mother to the Overhang, where they tend the cows and make cheese for the village. A village that is four days walk away with no other settlements in any direction, only marshes and the Badlands. They live a life of work and isolation, until a stranger appears on the road from the Badlands. He continues on to the village, but brings with him a terrible disease, a disease that hits the village hard, and for which Peat is blamed. Suddenly she finds herself running for her life, knowing she cannot return, but not knowing where she might go either.

Peat encounters a small reddish furred creature with small sharp claws and teeth, which attacks her, steals her food, and then saves her life. She calls him the sleek, and he guides her through the marshes, helping her, feeding her, and occasionally biting or scratching her. The sleek leads her to a island in the marshes where she is trapped by a Marsh Auntie called Eadie. Peat finds herself learning the art of storytelling from the old healer. But, the healer has a secret, a long while before, she made a bargain and now she must pay up, and Peat is the price. Peat is trapped again, this time in a strange, far away land where time has stopped, and her only companions are a little boy that is 900 years old and his ghostly hound, who are also trapped there. Together and with the help of the sleek, can they find a way to escape, to re-enter the world they once lived in? Can they find the happy ending to their own stories?

An excellent read, Song for a Scarlet Runner, was unputdownable, a truly magnificent novel for younger readers from Julie Hunt. This fantasy adventure story was engaging and exciting, with vivid landscapes and detailed characters. The descriptive qualities of this novel were superb, bringing the adventure to life. I could hear the sleek chittering in impatience at Peat, see the multi-pocketed coat that Eadie always wore, and feel the wiry hair of the giant hound as they rode him away from the river. I became immersed in the story as I followed Peat through misfortune, injustice, friendship and love. Ultimately this was a journey of discovery to find her place in the world, and though pushed to take the first steps along the road, Peat makes the most of this opportunity to create her own destiny.

Song for a Scarlet Runner would be most suitable for middle to upper primary school children, though I would be happy for my second grader to read this book. The length of the novel is probably more prohibitive to very young readers than the content or the language. Though, as always, parents should help guide their children to make good book choices for their reading ability and interests. And, of course, reading a book like this with or to your child can be very rewarding!

Aug11

The Hunting of Shadroth by Victor Kelleher

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IMG_1356The Hunting of Shadroth by Victor Kelleher, paperback novel, 192 pages, first published by Kestrel Books in 1981, this edition published by Puffin Books in 1983.

Young Tal is a member of the Clan, a people that live simply in cave dwellings overlooking the gentle rolling slopes down to the Greenlands, an area of thick jungle. Living in the Greenlands is the large cat-like creature known as the Feln, a gentle beast, living in peace with the Clan. However, when something kills some of the Clan’s cows, the chieftain, Kulok, blames the Feln and sets out to destroy them. Tal is forced onto the hunt, but cannot bring himself to kill the Feln, and is cast out of the Clan for cowardice. Tal knows that the Feln is not the problem, a malevolent force, known in legend as Shadroth, has risen in the Greenlands. It is up to Tal and his best friend, Lea, to travel beyond the Greenlands to seek help. It will take great courage and persistence to defeat Shadroth and bring peace to the Greenlands and the Clan once more. With the Feln and Lea by his side, Tal must face his fear and fight for all he has ever known.

As a child in primary school I was obsessed with Victor Kelleher, I read as many books by him as I could find, but The Hunting of Shadroth was my favourite, one that I read many times. I hadn’t read it for more than a decade though, until I came across this old copy in a secondhand book shop. I was a bit hesitant to start reading it in case it didn’t stack up to my memories of it, but I needn’t have worried! I found this to be as compelling a read now as it was when I was a child.

While it is a fantasy novel, it draws on many aspects of our own reality and history, and couples this knowledge with descriptive imagery to really bring the story to life. Following Tal and Lea on their adventure, their fight and their friendship with the Feln, I found myself racing through the pages, not wanting to put it down until I knew the outcome. Each time Shadroth appeared, I could image the terror he would induce among the Clan. He is a bit scary, and there are parts of the story that are quite dark. For this reason, The Hunting of Shadroth, while suitable for middle to upper primary school children based on reading and comprehension abilities, there are kids that may find it too frightening to read. Other children may find it more exciting than scary. My second grader has informed me that she will wait until she is a bit older, and that’s fine. While I wait for her to be ready, I will just have to re-read more of the Victor Kelleher books I so loved many years ago.

 

Aug8

Upside Down in the Jungle by Helen Phillips

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IMG_1309Upside Down in the Jungle by Helen Phillips, paperback novel, 333 pages, first published under the title Here Where the Sunbeams are Green by Delacorte Press in 2012, this edition published by The Chicken House in 2013.

Mad and Roo have a famous ornithologist for a father, Dr Wade, also known as The Bird Guy. He travels to find rare and important birds regularly, but when he is asked to track and catalogue rare birds in the jungle by an exclusive resort at the base of a volcano, he doesn’t return. His family begin to worry, and then they receive the Very Strange and Incredibly Creepy Letter that appears to be nonsense, but Roo is convinced it’s a coded message. Their mother, Sylvia, thinks that they are being watched, and a colleague of The Bird Guy has started hanging around the family constantly. The whole situation is very odd, and eventually the family flies to the jungle to find Dr Wade, where things only become stranger. With the help of Kyle, the grandson of the owners of the lodge where the family are staying, Mad and Roo are determined to uncover the truth about their father and just what he is doing in the jungle and why he hasn’t come home yet.

Adventure, mystery, first romance and an incredibly rare bird, believed to be extinct in the jungles of South America, are found in this exciting novel for middle to upper primary and lower high school students. Told from the perspective of Mad, a twelve-almost-thirteen year old, who finds herself unwillingly unravelling the mystery of her father’s reluctance to return from the jungle or to communicate with his family, spurred on by her younger sister Roo. They team up with the charming, yet cheeky, Kyle, who is supposed to be teaching them Spanish, but is much more concerned with locating the rare volcano bird that he knows to exist, though it had previously been reported to be extinct. This novel was fast paced and intriguing, with beautiful imagery. I enjoyed reading it, and had difficultly putting it down. I became involved in the fortunes of the characters, and hoped that they would find the bird and solve the mystery. It was very well written, the characters were well developed, and it was easy to conjure their images in my mind. A fantastic book. I look forward to reading more by Helen Phillips in the future.

Aug6

Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman

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Last Import - 1Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman, paperback novel, 121 pages, first published by Piper in 1991, this edition published by Pan Macmillan Australia in 1996.

Keith and his parents live above their fish and chip shop in London, in a drab building, in a drab street, in a drab city. Keith thinks his parents are a pair of misery guts, depressed and unhappy with life, and all he wants to do is cheer them up. He decides the best thing to do would be to move to Australia, where he believes they will find paradise and happiness. His parents do not want to move to the other side of the world, and they resist Keith’s plan for as long as possible, but finally, after a devastating fire, they agree, and pack up for the long flight to their new home on  the far north coast of Queensland.

A hilarious story of a boy trying his best to make his parents happy, this book made me laugh, both as a child and as an adult. Only a boy could think a smelly, dead rainbow fish would be the perfect cure for depression! But to go all the way to Australia based on nothing more than a fish and a picture takes plenty of courage. Keith works hard to pull it off, including hiding their proximity to the dangerous jellyfish, coconuts and crocodiles that inhabit their new home town. Keith even makes a new friend and ropes her into his plans for his parents’ happiness. Suitable for primary school students, Misery Guts is a heartwarming tale of a boy’s love for his parents, and the lengths he will go to make them happy. Well worth the read.

 

Jul3

Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs by Terry Deary and Martin Brown

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IMG_0855Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, paperback non-fiction novel, 138 pages, first published by Scholastic Ltd. in 1997, this edition published in 2008.

This is a book that tackles the perception of history being boring, and re-invigorates it in a format perfect for children thirsty for knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed this informative look at the Aztecs, how they lived and how they died, including all the nasty bits, such as human sacrifices, violent ball games and dogs for dinner. There was information on the Aztecs’ neighbours, enemies and the Spanish Conquistadors, their diets, priests and marriages.

Angry Aztecs is full of historical facts that were easy to understand, and presented alongside amusing black and white drawings. As well as allowing easier visualisation of parts of the Aztecs’ history, the illustrations included some comics to help elucidate various points being made in the text. There were also engaging quizzes that assisted in consolidating the knowledge acquired throughout the book

A very definitely not boring insight into the peoples of this interesting empire of the Americas, this is a good read for middle and upper primary school children, especially those interested in history or other cultures. It is on my second-grader’s ‘to read’ list, along with many other titles from his fantastic series. Everyone needs some Horrible Histories in their lives!

Jul2

Bumface by Morris Gleitzman

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IMG_0856Bumface by Morris Gleitzman, paperback novel, 182 pages, published by Penguin Books in 1998.

Angus is only eleven, but after school he has to look after his brother, Leo, who is five and his baby sister, Imogen. Everyday he picks them up from school and daycare, he gives them dinner, bathes them, puts them to bed, and reads them a story. Every day. His mum is an actress in a famous serial, she never gets in before late, and is happy leaving the parenting to Angus. Each of the kids have a different father, all three of which are in show business and are unreliable, and not really dad material. So Angus has had to grow up fast, but all he really wants to do is act as Bumface the Pirate in the school play.

Angus becomes concerned that his mum might have another baby with number 4. Realising that that would mean another baby for him to look after, Angus sets out to find a way of preventing another pregnancy. While looking for a solution, he meets Rindi, a girl who is only his age, but she is soon to be shipped off to India to marry a man twice her age in an arranged marriage. Angus and Rindi become firm friends, and try to help each other.

Morris Gleitzman is one of my favourite authours from my childhood, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Bumface is well written, entertaining, and deals with some serious issues with humour and compassion. A story about friendship, responsibility and letting kids be kids. Both Angus and Rindi have been asked to act as adults years in advance of the norm in Australia, and this binds them in a special friendship. Rindi comes from a loving  family who think they are doing the right thing by their daughter, while Angus is taken for granted and neglected by his parents. Both of their situations are sad and in a perfect world wouldn’t happen. They should just get to be kids with kid concerns, not kids in such adult predicaments.

Bumface is better for more mature children in middle to upper primary school because the story does spend a lot of time dealing with contraceptives and the prevention of pregnancy. Before reading this book, I think it would be best that children know the facts of life and what contraceptives are for. There is also the theme of children brides. These young brides are expected to have sexual intercourse with their much older husbands, and to provide them with babies at a young age. For most Australian children, it is unthinkable to be married before they have even started high school, and this may require some discussion with an adult. For these reasons I will be holding off on letting my second grader read this book for a little while.

 

Mar25

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

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IMG_858811 Birthdays by Wendy Mass, paperback novel, 267 pages, published by Scholastic Inc. in 2009.

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day in the same hospital and were to become best friends, and celebrate their birthdays together every year. That is until their tenth birthday when they have a falling out, and then don’t speak to each other for an entire year. Amanda is miserable on the day of her eleventh birthday, and she is glad when the day finally ends and she goes to sleep. But when she wakes up in the morning she discovers that her birthday is happening again, and she seems to be the only one that realises it. Why is her birthday repeating and how does she make it end?

I enjoyed this story, it reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day, which I have always loved. The possibility of getting a “do-over” could be enticing, with no consequences, you could do anything you’ve always wanted to, but never been game to. Though, it could also be depressing when nothing you do actually matters, as each day resets and no one else remembers your actions. I think that the emotions that Amanda displays in the book when she discovers her birthday is repeating, mirror how I think I would react in the same situation. The characters were well written and felt real. The storyline was interesting and engaging, and I hope my kids will like it too. This book is probably best for middle to upper primary school students, though I didn’t think it had themes that would preclude a younger child from enjoying the story.

Mar25

Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster by Jacqueline Harvey

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IMG_8565Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster by Jacqueline Harvey, paperback children’s novel, 151 pages, published by Random House Australia in 2013.

Clementine Rose Appleby is just five years old and she’s starting school with her two best friends. She is very excited about starting kindergarten until she meets her teacher, Mrs Bottomley, a very stern and scary older teacher who has lost her enthusiasm for teaching and for children. And if that wasn’t bad enough, some of the boys in her class, especially Angus, are mean to her, even telling lies about her to the teacher, right from the start. However, even though things don’t get off to a great start, the announcement of a pet day at school cheers Clementine up. Clementine takes her little tea cup pig, Lavender, along to the pet day, and enters her into a number of categories. She invites her Great-aunt Violet to bring her cat to the pet day too, and though Violet has no plans of attending, that is where they end up, with some interesting consequences.

This fun tale of Clementine Rose is a junior novel suitable for lower to middle primary school children. The story and language is easy to follow and understand. There are some black and white illustrations throughout, and a list of the characters  and how they fit into the story at the end of the book as well. Clementine Rose is a very likeable and sweet character, and we enjoyed reading about her first days at school. Both my preschooler and my second grader liked this story, and I’d be happy to read more Clementine Rose adventures with them.

 

Nov9

Change the Locks by Simon French

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IMG_3406Change the Locks by Simon French, paperback, 103 pages, published by Ashton Scholastic Pty Limited in 1991.

Steven, an eleven year old boy living with his Mum and baby brother, Dylan, doesn’t remember much about his early life, and any questions he asks are deflected by his mother. Her life is in tatters, as she tries to cope with her abusive ex, no job and living out of town without a car. There isn’t much left over for Steven and Dylan, and most of Dylan’s care is left to Steven, a big responsibility for a boy. When Steven’s teacher starts a pen pal program with a class from another school, Steven’s pen pal’s name sparks a memory. He is sure that he has heard that name before, but he can’t quite place it. He is puzzling over this when he and his best friend, Patrick, discover an old newspaper under the flooring while they are helping his parents with some renovations. The newspaper has an article that just might be about Steven and his Mum, but it leads to more questions than answers for Steven, and he really wants to find out the truth. He feels that he is old enough now to know how and where his life began, and why he’s never been told about it before, but his mother may not be ready to tell her story.

This book is fairly short for a novel, but it is still a good read. Steven has to cope with things that many kids will have no exposure to, such as not knowing his father or grandparents, caring for his younger brother, even during the night, which makes him very tired, and being scared of his mum’s ex-boyfriend. These things make Steven different to other kids, and children can often be mean to those that are different, making his school life harder, just as his home life is also difficult. These are great burdens for a boy of that age. The subject matter is handled well, and the story is compelling. I remember reading this for the first time in about year four, and handling it well, though we also discussed it in class, which allowed for more understanding of the themes and issues presented in the story. This is especially important for younger readers so that they get the most out of the book. It’s probably best for middle and upper primary age children.

Nov4

The 39-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

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IMG_3581The 39-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, paperback, 344 pages, published by Pan Macmillan in 2013.

Following on from The 26-Storey Treehouse, Andy and Terry have added another 13 storeys to their amazing treehouse. There is a bowling alley, a tank of man-eating sharks and an active non-erupting volcano, but the 39th level is still under construction.  The boys are writing their next book when they get a call on their 3D telephone from Mr. Big Nose, who imposes a ridiculous deadline of the following afternoon for the new book. How can Andy and Terry write and illustrate a long book in such a short time, as long books take longer to write than short books, which take a shorter time to write than long books…. Well, Terry has the answer, on the 39th level his new invention will do the writing and illustrating for them. But when the machine thinks it can do a better job at writing books than Andy and Terry, things get out of hand. They have to regain control of their treehouse and their book, and what better way to do that than invite Professor Stupido, the greatest un-inventor ever to live, to un-invent Terry’s machine, but what if Professor Stupido doesn’t want to stop there?

This book is a crazy ride of the imagination, where anything and everything is possible, and will probably happen! A very amusing book for lower to middle primary aged students and above, it really does have laugh out loud moments, and my first grader thought it was hilarious. She read it several times over the weekend, as it is a pretty easy read, despite its length. The text is simple, large and heavily interspersed with amusing black and white illustrations. I think this would be a good book for a reluctant reader.