The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack

Angus Jack, his sister Martha and his almost always distracted father, the Prof, moved to Australia four years ago to start a new life. They continued moving from place to place every six months but this last move is the strangest of all. It is about to get a whole lot stranger.

~ There are no boring bits in this story. A quirky fantasy adventure for readers 8-12 years ~

The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack is packed with fantastical characters. There’s Reafen, the strange old woman who opens a curiosity shop next door. Something is very unusual about her and her wares, especially her snow globes.

Then there’s the Donut Lady who lives in the Caravan of Delight on the beach and makes the most delicious donuts ever. The goblin girls Ava and Graini arrive on a living Viking ship. Evil Varla appears in a mirror.

The story is underpinned by strong elements of Norse mythology. Wild Magick is afoot because an object has passed from the Old Realm into the human world. When the Wishing Stones are cast, secrets are revealed and Angus Jack must risk everything for his family.

Black and white illustrations add emphasis to exotic descriptions and full page drawings are rich with detail. Short chapters and odd happenings move the action along. There are no boring bits in this story.

A quirky fantasy adventure for readers 8-12 years

Title: The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack
Author: Jen Storer
Publisher: ABC Books
Date: September 2015 
Type: JuniorFiction

SmartyCat Series

Thunder

by Louise Park, illustrated by Jeannette Rowe

ABC Books. Australian, Picture, Learning. Paperback RRP $5.99

Here is a great series for children that will help answer some of the most simplest but difficult to answer questions.

In Thunder, SmartyCat asks Who and How, two brave little owls, the question “What is thunder?”. The two owls then explain how thunder is created and what it is. Young children need never be scared of it again.

With Rowe’s bright coloured flat illustrations and Park’s simple wording it is great to know that a child will easily retain the explanation and the answer and understand it as well. With a joke and an activity at the end of each book, a child can further reiterate what they have learnt. The reader will not even realise they are learning.

With 12 books so far in the series including Rain, Shadows, and Frog I think they would be a wonderful addition to any child’s library and great as an information source for primary schools.

The Reading Stack reviewed Jeannette Rowe’s Whose Dinner? in April 2009.

http://www.jeannetterowe.com.au/smartycat_b.html
http://www.smartycatbooks.com/

The Goannas of No 1 Martin Place

Vicki Steggall and illustrations by Danny Snell

ABC Books. Australian, Picture, Children. Hardback RRP $24.99


Moreton and his parents, Go-ma and Go-pa live in the beautiful Sydney Botanic Gardens. Their life is perfect except more and more of those pesky humans are invading their home. So Go-pa goes out searching for the perfect spot – sunny, away from humans and high.

Finally Go-pa comes home one evening with the exciting news of a new home - No 1 Martin Place is the GPO clock tower and at the top is a little glass room. Perfect for a goanna family - quiet, sunny and away from humans.

Soon after Martin is born and life for Moreton becomes even better with a little brother to play with. But they learn that there is someone who doesn’t like the goanna family living on his turf, the Pitt Street Cat.

Moreton befriends some unlikely helpers in the quest to get rid of the mean and nasty Pitt Street Cat so everyone can live a safe and happy life in No 1 Martin Place.

The Goannas of No 1 Martin Place is a story of unusual friendships and life in the big city told from the unusual perspective of a goanna. With the eye-catching illustrations you can enjoy the story even more. The Pitt Street Cat is a mean looking fellow!

A book that children will treasure. When you take them to Sydney the first sightseeing stop will be the GPO clock tower – where they might just catch a glimpse of a little goanna.

http://www.dannysnell.com/flash.html

You are a Star

by Michael Parker and Judith Rossell

ABC Books. Children’s Picture Book, Australian. Hardcover RRP $24.99


Inspired by Michael Parker’s lifelong love of cosmology and his desire to explain scientific concepts to his young children, You are a Star explains how everyone has a piece of the stars inside them. A star is a celebration of a child’s place in the universe.

As the reader floats through space, fires burn and stars are born. They continue to burn until they explode. Tiny pieces fly across space to cool to become part of planets, rocks, plants, animals, trees … and the child reader.

The book is written in conversational storytelling style promoting the intimacy of a wonderful magic secret shared. The magic continues in Judith Rossell’s illustrations, with the clever use of light and dark. Stars glimmer, taking on many different shapes as they drift through space, tails streaming behind.

The story is beautiful encapsulated by this one line: “But remember, that sky way, way above your head is not cold and dark. It is the cradle from which you came.”

Recommended bedtime reading – a little magic, a little science and a strong sense of belonging.

The Reading Stack reviewed in April 2010 Judith Rossell and Mark Macleod's book Wrong Way.

http://www.michaelparker.com.au/

Wrong Way

by Mark Macleod, illustrated by Judith Rossell

ABC Books. Australian, Young Reader, Picture. Hardback rrp $24.99

Right Way and Your Way

were no trouble at all.

….

But Wrong Way always wanted

to do things differently.

And so begins the poignant tale of a little duck whose individuality shows that sometimes the wrong way may just be the right way for some.

Wrong Way is beautifully illustrated with many points of interest as the three little ducklings follow their mother on a day out to the pond. Except Wrong Way doesn’t necessarily follow in his mother’s steps. With lots to see and do, the adventure has just begun.

This delightful story is a celebration of personality and individuality. The perfect choice for the child who sees and does things a little differently, just like Wrong Way.

Fearless

by Colin Thompson. Illustrated by Sarah Davis

ABC Books. Australian, Picture. Hardback rrp $24.99

Gentle and humorous with pictures you want to reach in and cuddle, this book is a winner.

Recently I read Fearless at a storytelling session to a group of children ranging from three to seven years old. It was hard to get a word in! Once I was past the first few pages, the children took charge – predicting the text from the story and illustrations, playing games matching names to pictures and setting the pace for our page turning.

Sometimes it’s hard to work out what name is just right – whether it’s for a person or a pet. Fearless is a puppy who is not brave at all. He’s scared of cars backfiring, black handbags, the broom and the stairs. But he’s loving and loyal. And one day he does live up to his name and protect his family. Accidentally of course but it’s a job proudly done.

From the front cover where Fearless peeks out from under the curtain to the back cover where his bottom is not quite hidden, this is a book filled with fun illustrations. My storytelling group particularly loved the page where a range of dogs and their names were shown. The names just didn’t seem to match up quite right. We were soon sorting that out.

I had three ‘read it again’ requests. If you intend to buy a picture book for a young friend or relative, Fearless is an excellent choice.

http://www.colinthompson.com/
http://www.sarahdavisillustration.com/

Extreme Animals

by Steve Parker Illustrated by Stuart Martin

ABC Books, Non fiction, Hardback rrp $35.00

Show me the kid who doesn’t want to read about extreme animals and I’ll show them this book and change their mind. From the orange eyed sabre-tooth tiger trying to claw its way off the front cover to the quiz inside the back, Extreme Animals is a book to grab the reader who steps too close. Perfect for boys aged 5 to 12 and girls with an interest in zoology or quirky facts.

Some animals are extreme survivors like the cockroach, the Emperor Penguin or the Australian water holding frog. Other animals are very dangerous like the giant squid or the tiny spider. And you don’t want to marry a preying mantis. It’s deadly!!

The facts in Extreme Animals are presented in a variety of eye-catching ways. Under flaps, inside pockets and on cards. There are colours, fonts and shapes galore, as well as photos and lifelike drawings of each animal.

In the centre is a paper art pop-up frill-necked lizard. That’s the Don’t Mess With Me page. My favourite page was the one that followed, Amazing Appetites. I knew about the gigantic appetites of the blue whale and the anaconda but I had never heard of the deep-sea gulper eel and had never thought how enormous the appetite of a swarm of tiny locusts is.

This book is an excellent choice for the young non-reader on your Christmas shopping list.
http://www.steveparker.co.uk/

Fire Song

by Libby Hathorn

ABC Books. Australian, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $14.95

Set in the Blue Mountains following World War II, Fire Song is a snapshot of the time – broken families, the effect of war, intolerance towards migrants and economic hardship. Twelve-year-old Ingrid revels in having enough to eat, misses her brothers ‘sent away to work’ on a farm, wonders about Uncle Maurice killed at Tobruk and is the only one willing to befriend the new ‘Jew-girl’ at school.

But this is also a book about issues every young person faces today. It is a story about choices – the choices we make and the choice others force upon us. It is how we handle these choices that define who we are.

When Ingrid’s unstable mother asks her to commit a crime, to burn down their home, Ingrid is confused. She loves her Grandma’s old house and all the memories it contains – from Uncle Maurice’s photos to Grandma’s treasured things. She knows it is morally wrong and worries about the fire escaping to do more damage to nearby homes. Who can she turn to? Her mother says they need the money and apparently her estranged father is in financial trouble too. But more important to Ingrid, her mother says the money will enable her brothers to return.

Ultimately Ingrid must make her own decision and deal with the consequences. She cannot depend on what others tell her. Ingrid is growing up. When her mother is hospitalised with a stroke, the crisis point is reached. Isabel makes her choice.

This is an excellent read for many reasons. The historical context provides a unique look at every day life in Australia in the 1950s. Ingrid’s dilemma is universal across time and place. But perhaps most important of all – we care about Ingrid and want everything to work out right for her.

http://www.libbyhathorn.com/

Ching Chong China Girl

by Helene Chung

ABC Books. Australian, Adult Non-Fiction, Biographical. Paperback RRP $ 32.95

Guest reviewer - Anastasia Gonis

Helene Chung’s life is filled with many firsts. She was the first non-white reporter on Australian television, and the first woman to be posted abroad by the ABC, a job she got into by accident and which gave her the opportunity to travel the world. The reader accompanies Helene through the rich and intelligent narrative to the countries she visited in recollections and with the use of diary entries and letters. The famous people she came into contact with for her commentaries and interviews include Sir Edmund Hillary, and Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. She has also included a moving testimony of the early, heartbreaking loss of her husband to cancer.

Helene’s mother, the colourful Dorothy Henry, was Miss China, 1942. She divorced her husband when Helene was just a toddler and her sister Lehane a little older, and lived a bohemian life as a single mother. This proved a pathway to an interesting but not always friendly position in life for her. She worked as a nude model and moved in cultivated circles beside the men she met and others that passed through her life – artists and other eccentric and famous contacts which also opened new worlds for the girls; intellectual worlds, of art exhibitions, books, theatre and music.

None of Dorothy’s choices seemed to have had a negative effect on her children. Helene was a well-adjusted child; a tomboy who grew up free and uninhibited by her gender. Lehane was embraced by everyone because of her gentle and loving nature.

Helene Chung confesses that this book was ‘conceived purely as a memoir of (my) childhood and experience of being an Australian Chinese’ but ended up incorporating so much more. It exposes the clash of cultures, the difficulties the family faced without the support of a father and her interesting family tree. She uses a rich history of the times as background, moving between her Chinese and Australian life, which includes her own family’s story from the 1880s to now, and the many secrets held hidden or unknown for years.

Slow Cooker

by Sally Wise


ABC Books. Australian, Adult Other. Paperback rrp $24.99

I often work from home but I never seem to have enough time to whip up a truly delicious meal for the family. Many times I have cooked dinner in the early morning before working and left it to sit in the oven or on the stove or in the fridge. I didn’t know about slow cooking.

Then one day in the supermarket I picked up, by mistake, a sachet to make something interesting and different. Unfortunately, as much as the recipe sounded great, it was for a slow cooker. What’s that? I asked myself. Then I found that my mother owned one, most of my friends, the mothers in the playground… almost everyone except me! Why hadn’t I heard about slow cooking? This would make my life so much simpler. So I bought one.

But what to cook? There are only 4 or 5 meal sachets on the supermarket shelf and the recipes that come with the cooker were not inspiring. What a joy to find Sally Wise’s Slow Cooker.

I have tried several of her recipes so far and they are all easy and taste great. Most of the ingredients are in my cupboard already.

The smell when Tilly’s Indian Sweet Curry Beef was cooking made me salivate all day long – one problem with working from home! And my husband, who isn’t a fan of soups, thought the Minestrone was definitely to be repeated. The Satay Chicken is super easy and tastes delicious.

Then there are the desserts! I have to wait for the weekend to cook them but am tossing up on the Apple Dumplings in Butterscotch Sauce or the Apple Golden Syrup Dumplings. I think I might need to purchase another slow cooker so I can have my dinner and dessert as well!

Check on Me

by Andrew Daddo. Illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

ABC Books. Australian, Picture book, Young Reader. Hardback rrp $24.99

There was a bidding war at The Reading Stack when Check on Me by Andrew Daddo arrived. His previous titles are firm favourites with many reviewers. But since I have the youngest child – I won! I had already read most of it before morning tea and I couldn’t wait to take the book home and give it to the other adult in the family who does the “putting to bed” routine most nights.

We both agreed with everything in the text – especially…

“There has to be a story –
first from a book
and another one from your mouth.”

And then of course, after half an hour or so…

“Oh. I’ll need a drink.”

Daddo has captured bedtime routines perfectly and Bentley has so, so accurately portrayed the “innocence” of the child trying to do everything to delay the inevitable.

Check on Me is an excellent resource book for children who have trouble going to bed and a great shared read. If you follow the steps outlined in the book, in a matter of a few minutes or so, with all the routines complete, I know in our house at least, there is one little boy happily in bed!

Andrew Daddo and Emma Quay’s Cheeky Monkey was reviewed in Issue 10 of the Reading Stack.

http://www.andrewdaddo.com/

The Wonderful World of the WotWots

by Martin Baynton

ABC Books. Young Reader, Junior. Hardback rrp $14.99

For anyone with a preschooler who watches television you will already know all about the WotWots. DottyWot and SpottyWot are two alien siblings who visit earth wanting to learn everything. They land in a zoo and the adventures begin.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of the WotWots is the first book in a new series based on the ABC TV show. The book is colourful, interesting and has many stories to keep the little ones occupied. There are also games to play.

The WotWots are cute, cuddly and it was only a matter of time before a book came out to further their popularity. Welcome to the Wonderful World of the WotWots was immediately whisked away from my desk and poured over by my young boy. A recommendation right there!

Hairy Maclary, Shoo

by Lynley Dodd

ABC Books. Young Reader. Hardback rrp $21.99

We are a family of Hairy Maclary fans. Since my first born received the gift of a Hairy Maclary jigsaw, we have continued on and upwards with books and dvds. Through three children and numerous nieces and nephews.

Hairy Maclary, Shoo was spotted as soon as it arrived on my desk and I was cajoled into reading it immediately! But I didn’t mind because there is nothing better than a Hairy Maclary book for mother-son reading aloud together.

In Shoo, Hairy Maclary decides to have a look inside a delivery van. Adult and child alike, we all know what is going to happen. Yes, you guessed it. He is accidentally locked inside the van and taken on a ride through town, away from the dairy. When Hairy Maclary gets a chance to escape he finds that he doesn’t know his way home and is told “BE OFF WITH YOU – SHOO!” at every place he visits.

Of course, there is a happy ending but as is with all Hairy Maclary books, the wonderful combination of illustration and rhyme makes you read it again, and again, and again.

My number three and I had a giggle and then out came the jigsaw…Another hit!

http://www.mallinsonrendel.co.nz/hairymaclary.asp

40 Super Human Body Tricks

by The Surfing Scientist, Ruben Meerman

ABC Books. Australian, Junior, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction. Paperback rrp $12.99

Here is a book that children will pour over and adults will peek into - only to discover they are “testing” out some of the tricks. Exactly that happened in our household!

I am not going to tell you anything about the tricks inside this book but they are amazing! And when you read about the Iron in your breakfast cereal … the manufacturers may just be telling the truth!

Every body trick has step by step instructions with photos to demonstrate and explanations to the reasoning behind them. There are recipes and fun facts as well as some cool things to help you look ‘good’ on Halloween night!

This is a fun book that every child and parent will enjoy – I can recommend the spinning around! All tricks are simple and require very few additional props. Meerman is a surfer with a physics degree and a graduate diploma in science communication. He appears on ABC’s Rollercoaster and Catalyst and performs hundreds of live science shows in schools around Australia. 40 Super Human Body Tricks introduces science to kids in such a way they will quickly be yelling for more.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/whois.htm

Guinness World Records 2009

Gamer’s Edition


ABC Books. Non fiction, Junior, Young Adult. Hardcover rrp $35.00

If you know a pre-teen or teenage male who doesn’t like to read but loves to play computer or console games, then this is the book you are looking for. Girls and older readers will also find The Guinness Book of World Records, Gamer’s Edition fascinating. I confess I learned many new and interesting facts.

The book follows the popular Guinness Book of Records format, revealing a range of ‘firsts’, ‘longests’, ‘biggests’ and ‘smallests’ with added trivia and mini interviews. Did you know Grand Theft Auto IV is the highest grossing video game over the first 24 hours of sales? It generated $310 million worldwide. And the Legend of Zelda (remember that one?) is the longest-running action adventure-series, first released in1986 and still going. The Top three games of all time – Super Mario Kart, Grand Theft Auto IV and Tetris. The Top 50 console games list, compiled based on initial impact and lasting legacy is certain to generate heated discussion. It did in our house.

Experts can test their knowledge with the quiz questions scattered throughout and compare their scores to the 2009 Twin Galaxies Leaderboard of high scores and fastest times.

This is a book of pages to be flipped and flicked, stopping to read where random facts catch the eye. It is ideally suited to those hard to please male teenagers but lots of fun for everyone.

Todd Parr Books

The Feelings Book
The Okay Book
The Best Friends Book
Underwear Do’s and Don’ts

ABC Books. Picture, Young Reader. Board Book rrp $9.95 each

B is for big, bright and bold. And B is also for board and books. In true Todd Parr style, this selection of board books is a celebration of life through preschool eyes.

The Feelings Book explores all sorts of emotions - some happy, some sad and some a little silly. “Sometimes I feel like kissing a sea lion.” There is a strong message of support and encouragement. “No matter how you feel, don’t keep your feelings to yourself. Share them with someone you love.”

There are all sorts of friends in The Best Friends Book. Even the sort who will forgive you if you step on their paw.

The Okay Book looks at differences and how it is okay to be who we are and express our feelings. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be short. And it’s okay to dream big.

On a humorous note, Underwear Do’s and Don’ts makes lots of fun suggestions for what you can do with underwear, including a little sensible practice advice. DO dress your dog up in your underwear but DON’T use your sister’s favourite pair!

The text is fun and the pictures are wonderful, perfect for budding artists to copy. When my children were young we made lots of Todd Parr look-alike books.

Thoroughly recommended for children up to 5 years old. Equally thoroughly recommended for their parents.

http://www.toddparr.com/todd/

Play School Alphabet

ABC Books. Australia, Picture. rrp $12.95 Board Book $14.95

This high quality board book is filled with bright, bold pictures that will be familiar to many young readers. And if not, they soon will be.

g is for garden where Jemima sits. h is for hat on Humpty (of course). z is for zipper on Big Ted’s jacket.

A great way for any young child to learn their “ABC’s”. If your little Aussie toddler loves Play School then you can’t go wrong with the Play School Alphabet book.

A Wiggly Holiday

A Fun Wiggly Activity Book

ABC Books. Picture, Young Reader, Australian. Softcover rrp $12.95

With the school holidays not too far away, this might be just what the parents of bored primary schoolers need. Especially if there is a long car or plane trip involved.

A Wiggly Holiday contains bright, fun-filled Wiggle-packed pages of activities. All the well-known and much-loved characters are there. Find the hidden sea creatures at Henry the Octopus’ house. Make a paper aeroplane full of Wiggles. Count the steps to Wags’ kennel and draw a dress-up costume on Dorothy the Dinosaur.

So next time you need an activity for kids 5 to 10, get out some scissors, colouring in pencils and a few buttons as game counters. Put them on top of this book and hand them over. I won’t guarantee it will keep the kids quiet - flying the Wiggly aeroplane is sure to be a bit noisy – but it’s also sure to be a lot of fun.

Ernie and Maud Book 3: The Greatest Sheep in History

by Frances Watts. Illustrated by Judy Watson

ABC Books. Australian, Young Reader. Paperback rrp $12.95

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Best friends and Superheroes Ernie and Maud have been working together for several months and are from the Baxter Branch of the Superheroes Society. Ernie’s new school project is on famous heroes in history. Maud is curious about any recording of heroic sheep, and is very disappointed when Ernie tells her that he hasn’t come across any in his research yet.

The two friends are overjoyed at being invited to attend the National Meeting of Superheroes. While the President of the National Headquarters is about to give her speech, Chicken George streaks past and steals the papers from her hands. It’s up to the Superheroes to catch the villain.
Maud’s mood is further dampened when she overhears a conversation mocking her because she is a barnyard animal. Later at a dinner gathering of Superhero friends, their topic of discussion is fear. All confess that there is something each of them fears, regardless of their Superhero status and a discussion takes place around this concern.

Maud’s mood is lifted when she learns that a sheep, a duck and a rooster were passengers in the first hot-air balloon in the late 1700s. Ernie’s hero, Daring Dynamo, arrives in a hot-air balloon. Chicken George strikes again and Maud is swept up in the balloon with a desperate Ernie hanging by the rope. Their rescue turns out better than they’d hoped.

There are many life lessons to be learned by younger readers from the behaviour and misbehaviour of the characters in this excellent series. Maud proves that heroism takes many forms and that everyone is capable of heroic and courageous acts. Instead of judging George, Maud shows that good people frequently do bad things for reasons unknown to others; that kindness is more courageous than retaliation, and that overcoming your fears also requires great courage.

This is recommended for primary school aged readers.

http://www.franceswatts.com/

Captain Crabclaw’s Crew

by Frances Watts. Illustrated by David Legge

ABC Books. Australian, Junior. Hardback rrp $24.95

The first thing about Captain Crabclaw’s Crew that grabbed my attention was the front cover’s illustration of a rotund captain and his menagerie of animal pirates. My young son was most impressed and it didn’t take us long to open the book and read the pages.

Captain Crabclaw advertises for a pirate crew for his new ship, the Speedy Squid, to search for treasure. His sign says that they “Must be fearsome!”. But what Captain Crabclaw gets is a duck, an elephant, a giraffe and a cow. These don’t seem fearsome but when the duck honks and snaps, the elephant trumpets loudly, the giraffe sticks out his tongue and the cow bellows, Captain Crabclaw feels he has the most fearsome pirate crew ever.

When they go in search of treasure they are laughed at by another boat and Captain Crabclaw finds that he cannot get out of bed anymore. Until he hears the sound of gold. What have his pirate crew done to help the Captain?

This is a wonderful story with funny and colourful illustrations. Watts and Legge were winners of Children’s Choice awards and the 2008 CBCA Award for Best Information Book for Parsley Rabbit’s Book about Books. I think they have hit on another winner here.

http://www.franceswatts.com/