Do You Dare: Fighting Bones (1836) by S. Laguna – Book Review

By guest reviewer Liz Bray

In this historical adventure for boys, Declan and his younger brother Dan have been sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing a pudding and a bowl of custard. They’re sent to Point Puer Boys’ Prison near Tasmania’s Port Arthur, where they join with 2 other Irish boys to create a little ‘gang’ called ‘Fighting Bones’.

When Dan sees something which could incriminate the prison bully, Striker, he is threatened with serious harm – or even death – and the boys decide the only solution is to escape the prison. What follows is a pacy, tense adventure with plenty of hair-raising moments that will test the boys’ courage and ingenuity. When they’re captured, and one boy is killed in the process, it seems all might be lost. But *spoiler alert* they do ultimately find safety and leave the prison – just not in the way we first expect.

There’s plenty of action in this story, and it champions values of mateship, honour, heroic sacrifice and looking after your family and friends. The boys learn trades such as bootmaking and gardening and we are shown that self-worth comes from working hard and creating things.

There is quite a bit of violence in the book, including institutional cruelty (lashing, solitary confinement) and fighting, physical bullying and even murder among the boy convicts. The boys also knock out a guard during their escape. The descriptions aren’t graphic, and it’s all seen through the lens of the past, but be aware of how sensitive the young reader in your life might, or might not, be about this.

There is also grief and loss and S. (Sofie) Laguna does a very good job of acknowledging and conveying these emotions in a realistic, kid-appropriate way.

Some of the plot elements did stretch my credulity a bit but I doubt young readers will care – they’ll simply be swept up in the action!

Fighting Bones is part of a series of Australian historical stories targeted specifically at boys (other books in the series cover topics including the Eureka Stockade, bushrangers and WWI). There’s some information in the back about the real Point Puer Prison and a list of other major events which happened in 1836.

The new Australian Curriculum requires that students read Historical Fiction and narratives, but I think there are plenty of reasons to offer kids historical novels outside of school, too.

I’ve recently been lucky enough to read some wonderful historical tales for adults by the likes of Elizabeth Gilbert, Christine Piper and Hilary Mantel, and travelling to the ‘exotic’ world of the past—a world like ours, but changed—and imagining myself navigating events and societal expectations back then is a real treat. The everyday details of how people lived can be fascinating. And the ‘distance’ of history somehow makes it feel ‘safer’ to read about difficult or disturbing events.

I’ve read comments from a number of educators and parents who say that historical fiction, if it's well written and not ‘dry’, has all those same benefits for kids. And because they show us so many different perspectives, historical stories can also help kids build empathy and teach them not to accept stereotypes.

I wasn’t sure about the boy-appeal of the Fighting Bones cover and the general series look, so I gave it the ‘nephew test’. Initially my nephew screwed up his nose and told me it looked ‘funky’ (not a compliment), but then he added that there are boys in his class who ‘like that sort of book’ and they would think the cover looks ‘good’.

Who’ll love this: Boys of about ten who love classic-style action and adventure. (The only girl character appears at the very end and is a spoilt pain!)

Teachers looking for texts to support the historical fiction requirements in the new Australian Curriculum will also love it.

Price: $14.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

John Williamson’s Christmas in Australia illustrated by Mitch Vane – Book Review

By guest reviewer Liz Bray

Sharing favourite stories, songs and jokes can be a wonderful part of family Christmas traditions. And Christmas stories can also be a great tool in the classroom as kids wind down for the year and prepare for the festive season.

There are now a number of Australian-themed Christmas picture books around, from Mem Fox and Kerry Argent’s gorgeous classic Wombat Divine to the jokier Aussie Night Before Christmas, Santa’s Secret, Santa Koala and many more.

In this book, Mitch Vane has illustrated the lyrics of John Williamson’s very funny song about a family celebrating Christmas and trying to snap the ultimate family photo. Everyone has to be in the photo, but in each stanza someone goes missing…

The text works best if you’re familiar with the song and music. As a straight read-aloud it’s a little bit ‘flat’, but if you have Williamson’s laconic voice and the bouncy, guitar-strumming background music in your mind, it’s a lot of fun. (You can find the song on YouTube here or on Williamson’s website).

The song pays tribute to plenty of Australian Christmas experiences, including Santa arriving in a ute, the Christmas Day family cricket match and associated squabbles, and some wonderful dialogue among the adults (‘yum, yum, pig’s bum’; ‘How ya been, Tangles…I hear young Greg is playing fullback.’). And a couple of clichés (the men being useless while the women organise everything; and rather a lot of beer being drunk).

For me, the best thing about this book is definitely Mitch Vane’s very detailed, humorous illustrations, which tell us so much about each family member. Looking closely as we turn each page, we can see the baby pluck the head from the Christmas fairy and then be safely caught before it goes in its mouth; a teenage cousin transfixed by her phone as chaos descends around her; and naughty Nick filling a water bomb. There are other cheeky, irreverent details including an embarrassed adult returning from the campground amenities with a toilet roll.

Who’ll love this: Irreverent kids of around 6 and up, who’ll enjoy poring over the details in the illustrations.

It’s also a great gift for family overseas – especially if they’ve spent a Christmas in Australia and are familiar with some of our traditions.

As part of a classroom Christmas library, and prompt conversations about what Christmas means in Australia.

Price: $19.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Wilderness Fairies: Daisy’s Secret by Jodie Wells-Slowgrove and Kerry Millard – Book Review

By guest reviewer Liz Bray

I’ve worked with books for children of all ages and both genders for pretty much my whole professional life, but in my personal life the kids closest to me are boys, so I’ve been spared bedtime read-alouds with fairy-obsessed girls.

If you have a fairy-mad little girl in your life and are a little bit ‘over’ the slightly, erm, predictable plots and one-dimensional characters in some series, then ‘The Wilderness Fairies’ might be for you. The series has been widely welcomed as more parent-friendly than others because there is more depth to the characters, more charm in the illustrations and they have a generally sweet-natured approach. As one reviewer on goodreads put it, ‘Seriously if you have a kid who is into fairies get them into these books they won't make you want to stab yourself in the face.’

Daisy’s Secret is the fourth of four books in ‘The Wilderness Fairies’ series and while it can definitely be enjoyed on its own, I can see how the character and her world and friendships would have developed over the previous books. This would be very rewarding for kids who follow the whole series.

This book is well-structured in short chapters, each of which ends with a little hint of what’s coming next—great for reading in small  ‘bites’ while keeping kids interested.

While the plot elements might not be all that original (fairy Daisy is not the first magical creature in a book to fail to follow instructions, encounter human beings, or find her ‘calling’), there is real heart to the story. Daisy is resourceful, curious and courageous with a desire to do well and help others.

The major point of difference for this series is that it’s set in a tiny magic world within the Australian bush, so in this book the young fairies ride on skinks rather than mice and a human girl explores mangroves rather than a forest. The descriptions of the plants and animals have a real charm to them without feeling ‘gimmicky’.

 There’s a map of the fairy world at the front of the book, detailed illustrations throughout, and some information about some of the Australian plants and animals at the back. There’s also an explanation of how to write and decode ‘secret’ messages like those that appear in the book. This would work better for older readers who are confident with words and spelling.

Who’ll love this: Fairy-mad girls of about 6 to 7 for read-aloud or independent reading. And their long-suffering parents!

Price: $9.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

The Last King of Angkor Wat by Graeme Base – Book Review

By guest reviewer Liz Bray

This is a fable in the classic Aesop style.

Four animals sit among the ruins of Angkor Wat, talking about which of them would have made the best King in ancient times. A mysterious stranger sets them a challenge: they must test themselves by racing to a temple on a distant hilltop. Along the way each proves they have real qualities, but also reveals some failings.

While the story is quite simply told, the animals’ journey is genuinely exciting. They travel through intricate, complicated jungle and swamp settings and there is a real sense of challenge and peril, especially when they each encounter a fearsome snake!

It’s all rather satisfying and I can see younger kids being happy to read the story over and over again.

And all kids could spend ages poring over Graeme Base’s incredibly lush illustrations. He gives each of the animals—Tiger, Gibbon, Water Buffalo and Gecko—distinct personalities and body language. His scenes overflow from intricate frames styled as stone friezes of events in an elephant king’s life. There are intriguing, almost-hidden details of foliage and insects—including a ravishing butterfly which appears in each spread, making the journey with the other animals.

Just finding Base’s signature in each piece of art is a wonderful treasure hunt!

I like that the virtues expounded in this story are contemporary yardsticks. They’re the qualities we want to teach kids now: strength, compassion/kindness, resilience, courage and wisdom. I like that the book offers a chance to talk to kids about what these concepts mean, andI can imagine classroom teachers using it as a tool to do that, too. And it’s important that each character has both strengths and weaknesses.

The Angkor Wat setting gives the book an added dimension. Of course, the temples of Angkor are beautiful – and Base has made wonderful use of their stonework in his illustrations. But it’s also quite an iconic place for many Australians and part of ‘our’ neighbourhood. There’s a brief explanation of Angkor Wat’s location and history on the last page of the book.

Who’ll love this: Kids of around 4 to 7 who enjoy sitting down to share a longer story, especially kids with a sense of adventure.

Teachers will love it too and could use it with older kids.

And because it looks luscious with its detailed illustrations, dust-jacketed cover and classic themes, the hardcover would be a great choice for grandparents and others wanting to buy a special gift.

Price: $26.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

How Big is Too Small? By Jane Godwin and Andrew Joyner – Book Review

By guest reviewer Liz Bray

Pretty much every kid with an older sibling has felt the pain of being excluded from the the big kids’ games because they’re ‘too small’.  

This totally charming exploration of the idea of ‘too small’ made me smile, and not just  because the nostalgic palette and thick lines of Andrew Joyner’s illustrations reminded me of Harry the Dirty Dog - a HUGE favourite of mine as a kid.

Sam is constantly left out of his big brother’s games. He thinks there is no one his size, no friend for him, anywhere in the neighbourhood (sharp-eyed readers might spot the removalists’ van in one of the illustrations early in the book—things are about to change!).

We follow Sam as he thinks his way through the concept of ‘too small’, ‘small’ and ‘big’ via ants, mice, fleas, the leaves on trees and the cells in those leaves, and even rain clouds which ‘stop’ when they get too big.

All this thinking is interrupted when big brother’s ball gets caught in the roof gutter and he and his friends ‘need someone small’ to climb up a vine and retrieve it. In the act of rescuing the ball, Sam discovers something wonderful (*spoiler alert*): a new friend who shares many of his passions.

If you’re buying a special picture book in hardcover, you want to know it will stand up to repeated readings, and this one definitely does.

It has a bouncy, almost-musical rhyming text, reminiscent of classic stories of wonder like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. It’s a lot of fun to share and read aloud, and I wanted to go back and read it again as soon as I’d finished!

There are also dozens of extra details in the illustrations, so on each new reading you’ll notice more of Sam’s toys and treasures and learn about his street and backyard.

To me this book isn’t so much about size as about how we all need a friend, someone we ‘click with’. And it’s a great celebration of daydreamers and thinkers – kids like Sam – making their way in a world of boisterous shouting and play.

While it’s a picture book, it has quite a bit of text, and to really appreciate it you’d need to be familiar with some early science concepts. So it’s for kids 6+.

Who’ll love this: 6- and 7-year-old quirky kids, scientific kids and daydreamers. Especially if they have an older sibling.

Price : $24.99

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Frozen - The Essential Collection - Book Review

The Frozen mania that exists in my house is SO profound that even I let out a shriek of joy when I opened Frozen: The Essential Collection. Embarrassing? Yes but also true.

There is just something about Frozen that little (and some big) girls love!

My own 3 year old has proudly worn her 'Elsa dress' for 2 months straight (in the interests of hygiene we now own 2 exactly the same) and, to be honest, I'm just relieved that it isn't pink.

Anyway, you can understand my excitement when I opened my Frozen package.

The Essential Collection contains 2 Frozen books, lyrics to all the songs (in case you hadn't realised that it is called "Let It Go"), lots of stickers and generally far more information about Frozen than anyone but a small girl could possibly want to know.

 It also has a "Let It Go" sing-a-long clip... for any little girls out there not already singing it continuously on their own.

Is this book MORE about the movie?

Well, yes.

Are we all a bit sick of Frozen?

Quite possibly but our daughters really aren't and there are worse things in life than a movie where the true love is between sisters, and the handsome prince turns out to be WAY less desirable than the nice guy who works for a living!

In all seriousness, if you know a Frozen-loving little girl (and if you know any girls under the age of 10 you probably do), this is the perfect Christmas present for them. Truly!

Who'll love this: All those Frozen-mad little girls out there
Cost: $29.99
Publisher: Penguin Australia

Sticker books and the kids who love them...

When Wildman was small I never understood the attraction of sticker books, after all what kind of preschooler wants to sit and stick stickers for hours?

Despite my scepticism, other parents raved about them:

 "Oh little Tommy just loves them"
or
"They're so fantastic for fine motor skills"
or
"He sat there sticking for 45 minutes!" (clearly very appealing to a Mum).

I did try to get Wildman to play with them but he would just stick the stickers on the wall for about 2.3 seconds (yay - not) and then lose interest leaving me to spend the next half an hour trying to pick them off without damaging the paint.

Fast forward a few years and I now find myself the Mum of a 3 year old girl who LOVES sticker books. She spends ages carefully sticking them in exactly the right places then telling me stories about the scene she has created.

Its all been a bit of a shock really.

Most recently we have been trying out the Peppa's Halloween Sticker Activity Book (which Penguin very kindly sent in a box of books for review). We aren't a family that embraces Halloween but this book is spooky, cute and very age appropriate.

Princess particularly loved the page where you need to stick jigsaw puzzle shaped pieces on to complete the scene.

I think Peppa's Halloween could do with a few more pages that were just scenes that kids could stick Peppa and her friends on to, rather than all the stickers being needed for the activities, and Princess definitely wished it had a few more stickers in the middle for her to play with, but the overall activities were fun and achievable for a 3-year-old.

And I got to drink a whole cup of tea in peace while Princess was busy with Peppa!

Who'll love this: Peppa fans.
Cost: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia