Magic, Mystery and Mayhem.

Here’s the fourth in our weekly series of short lists of great contemporary YA fiction titles created by our New Schools adviser. Take it away Magic, Mystery and Mayhem.

Beastly. Alex Flinn. New York: HarperTeen, 2007.
A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form. Suggested level: secondary.

Blart II: the boy who was wanted dead or alive, or both. Dominic Barker. London: Bloomsbury. 2007.
Blart is wanted, dead or alive. But it isn’t just Blart’s life that’s at stake. The greatest sorcerer alive has made a very big and rather embarrassing mistake, and now Blart must embark on a perilous mission to save his own life, his friends’ lives and potentially the world (again). Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.
Darkside. Tom Becker. London: Scholastic, 2007.

City of bones. Cassandra Clare. London: Walker, 2007.
Suddenly able to see demons and the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizzare world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster. Suggested level: secondary.

Into the woods. Lyn Gardner. Oxford; New York: David Fickling Books, 2006.
Pursued by the sinister Dr. DeWilde and his ravenous wolves, three sisters--Storm, the inheritor of a special musical pipe, the elder Aurora, and the baby Any--flee into the woods and begin a treacherous journey filled with many dangers as they try to find a way to defeat their pursuer and keep him from taking the pipe and control of the entire land. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

Ironside: a modern faery's tale. Holly Black. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.
As the possessor of Roibin's true name, sixteen-year-old Kaye returns to Faeryland to try and complete a nearly impossible quest that will release him from the spell of the faery queen who holds him in thrall. Suggested level: secondary.

The Pinhoe egg. Diana Wynne Jones. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006.
Two powerful young enchanters, Cat, the future Chrestomanci, and Marianne, who is being trained to be Gammer of the Pinhoes, work together as friends to try to end an illegal witches’ war and, in the process, right some old wrongs. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

My swordhand is singing. Marcus Sedgwick. London: Orion Children’s Books, 2006.
Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust and settle there as woodcutters. Tomas digs a channel of fast flowing waters around their hut, so they have their own little island kingdom. Peter doesn’t understand why his father has done this, nor why his father carries a long battered box, whose mysterious contents he is forbidden to know. As surely as the snow falls softly in the forest Tomas and Peter face a soulless enemy of vampires and a terrifying destiny. Suggested level: secondary.

Troll Bridge: a rock ’n’ roll fairy tale. Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. New York: Starscape, 2006.
Sixteen-year-old harpist prodigy Moira is transported to a strange and mystical wilderness, where she finds herself in the middle of a deadly struggle between a magical fox and a monstrous troll. Suggested level: secondary.


Flickr image by ragazzo bavarese

Earth matters

edited by David de Rothschild

This wonderful Dorling Kindersley publication provides a comprehensive overview of Earth’s ecology. It is a mine of information for young people interested in protecting our planet, amply illustrated with photographs from around the world. Each double page layout is like a mini-chapter, covering topics such as the beginning of life on Earth, and present day issues of global warming, waste and sustainability.
A large portion of the book is devoted to each of Earth’s biomes, examining their location, eco-systems, wildlife, and the impact mankind is having on them. Each chapter concludes with suggestions of how the reader might make a difference.
A selection of views from the inside of this book may be seen here.

Reviewed by Melva

Castle: the siege chronicles

by Derek Farmer, illustrated by Mark Bergin
Book House, 2007

Knights and castles have boundless appeal for both the adventurously and romantically inclined. Here is a book which cannot fail to please from the moment the reader sets eyes on it: a padded cover made to look like an old, heavily decorated leather-bound journal; richly marbled endpapers; busy drawings full of intricate detail of medieval castle life; miniature “diary” pages in old style script; fold-outs and scrolls with fascinating snippets of information. Throughout all this runs the narrative thread of the true story of Baron Roger de Lacy and his 12th century castle Chateau-Gaillard, whose imposing ruins still stand in Normandy, France. This book will be enjoyed immensely by readers aged 8 and up.

Reviewed by Pamela

Invincible, Untouchable, Immortal.

Welcome to the third in the series of short lists of great contemporary YA fiction titles created by our New Schools adviser. Here’s Invincible, untouchable, immortal.

The awakening. Michael Carroll. New York: Philomel Books, 2007.
Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans, both heroes and villains, thirteen-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

Berserk. Ally Kennen. London: Marion Lloyd, 2007.
When fifteen year old Chas finds a website asking people to write to prisoners on Death Row, he thinks it would be funny to get letters from a murderer. He writes to an inmate, pretending to be his mum. When his new pen pal is unexpectedly released, Chas’ already problematic life spirals horribly out of control. Suggested level: senior secondary.

Enemy at the gate. Philippa Werry. Auckland, N.Z.: Scholastic, 2008.
It’s December 1936 when the first polio cases are suspected. Soon a polio epidemic is sweeping the country. Schools are closed, swimming pools and movie theatres banned to children, and travel is restricted. Tom is the best runner in the school, but you can’t outrun polio, and nobody knows when it will strike next. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

Life as we knew it. Susan Beth Pfeffer. Orlando: Harcourt, 2006.
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family’s struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

Living hell. Catherine Jinks. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2007.
A group of humans is travelling away from the Earth on a generational spaceship called Plexus. When they travel through a ray in space, Plexus comes alive and starts killing the humans. Cheney and his family and friends must find a way to survive. Suggested level: secondary.

Peak. Roland Smith. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007.
After several illegal skyscraper climbs in New York City, fourteen-year-old Peak is taken by his father to Tibet, where he attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.



Flickr image by rougerouge

Town by James Roy

This book is as Australian as it gets but more perceptive than the culture that vigorously protects it's she'll be right image.

Thirteen individual short stories told over the time span of a year, about what it is like to be a teenager in a small Australian town. The subject matter, and the characters, who appear in more than one story, show some depth. The stories are all interrelated, but can be read in isolation, to give a very satisfying read.

The topics include disability (the story of Robbie Blair is just beautiful), sexuality, gossip, family dysfunction, sickness, death and school life.

At times hugely funny and at others sad and thought provoking. My favourite stories are those surrounding gossip, particularly concerning the girl nicknamed "carbo". She got called carbo because a chemistry teacher described the element carbon as the "slut of elements" as it combined with anything.

You will not have read a story like this before so do yourself a favour and read it. Suitable for secondary school readers and of course adults.

Published by University of Queensland Press

Reviewed by Bob

Life on the edge New Zealand’s natural hazards and disasters

Text, photographs, diagrams and maps have been blended in this book to provide the reader with a great read on the natural forces that shape the N.Z. environment. Actual disasters are described, many illustrated with archival photographs, and information given on the impact they have had on the environment and the community. Attention is also given to possible future events, warning systems that are in place and our community’s preparedness to cope.
All of the contents of this publication have been taken from Te Ara, New Zealand’s on-line multi-media encyclopedia. Visit the site @ www.TeAra.govt.nz to find more, including sound clips and moving images.

Reviewed by Melva

Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Sometimes you read a book that just captures your interest completely, and is so well written that you just weep with desire over the author's skill. This is one of those.

It is the story of the Russian Revolution told in three parts by the famous children's writer of Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome, who was stationed in Russia as a journalist, and fell in love with Russia, and with the beautiful secretary of Trotsky.

The first part of this novel is told as a Russian Fairytale, the second part tells of the intrigue that covers the two revolutions of 1917, and the third part covers the personal life of Arthur Ransome as he struggles with his home life, his love life with Evgenia, and with his professional life as a journalist and eventual spy for both British and Bolshevick camps.

Told in lyrical writing that will melt your heart with its passion and it's simplicity. One of the best books I have read this year and aimed at Secondary and Senior Secondary levels. Adults will love it too.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Orion Children’s Books

Friends, family, and other disasters!

Here’s the second in our Fabulous fiction for terrific teens! series of great contemporary fiction titles with a focus on YA years 9 -13. These have been developed by our New Schools adviser. Welcome to friends, family, and other disasters!

Problem child. James Roy. St Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland, 2007.
Max Quigley doesn’t think he’s a bully, but one day he goes too far when he shuts the school nerd, Triffin Nordstrom, in a fire escape on a school trip. Max and Triffin are then forced to spend time together, and they discover they have more in common than they thought. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

Shadow of the mountain. Anna Mackenzie. Dunedin, N.Z.: Longacre Press, 2008.
Geneva’s world has been blown apart by loss. Maybe that’s why her decisions are not always the sharpest. One thing she knows: there’s no way back to the person she once was. When Angus appears in her orbit it seems an omen that things are changing, but life is never that simple. Suggested level: intermediate, secondary.

The Wednesday wars. Gary D. Schmidt. New York: Clarion Books, 2007.
During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker’s classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

Allie McGregor’s true colours. Sue Lawson. Fitzroy, Vic.: Black Dog Books, 2006.
Allie McGregor’s list of problems is longer than a list of movie credits. She has to share a room with her little sister, her little brother is plain gross, and her best friend Lou is fighting with her new friend, Romy. And Allie’s mum has cancer. Suggested level: intermediate, secondary.

Lonesome howl. Steven Herrick. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2006.
Jake’s dad saw the wolf, before Jake was born. They say wolves don’t live in this country, yet in the night Jake hears it howling, long and lonely. When Jake and Lucy hike to Sheldon Mountain in search of the wolf, Jake is out to prove his dad right or wrong; Lucy is escaping her father’s cruelty. Both are tested physically, emotionally, spiritually, but what they find on that dangerous, dark mountain surprises them both. Suggested level: secondary.

Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac. Gabrielle Zevin. London: Bloomsbury, 2007.
After a nasty fall, Naomi realizes that she has no memory of the last four years and finds herself reassessing every aspect of her life. Suggested level: secondary.

Flickr Image by Mr.Arteest

You're welcome, Ohuka School!

We got some great letters from the kids at Ohuka School, one of the lucky winners of the Create Readers New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards competition. Here's some of what they had to say:

"On behalf of Ohuka School we would like to thank you for sending us the books. I guess it was just our lucky day.
... As soon as they arrived our teacher showed us the books. We were watching in awe as our teacher put her hand into the never-ending box. Each individual student had their own favourite books."
-- Megan

"My favourite book is "The Golden Scarab" by Lindy Davis. That's going to be the next book I'm going to read. I've already read one chapter of it and it's very exciting."
-- Matiu

"Thank you for the really cool books. We really like them.
... The favourite was "Goat Hunt". All the kids were fighting over it. My favourite is "My Life of Crime"."
-- Jack

Thanks again to everyone who entered the competition, we hope you had as much fun following it as we did running it.

Illustrated History of Antarctica

By Marcia Stenson. Published by Random House, 2007.

This is one of the finalists of the Elsie Locke Award - part of the 2008 LIANZA Children's Book Awards.

How do we know about Antarctica? What evidence do we have and how does that evidence get collected? Is the collection of evidence reliable? Check out Stenson's discussion to where evidence comes from and you will have a greater understanding about Antarctica.

This is a superb book with plenty of maps, pictures and easily readable information on a wide range of topics. The Contents page indicates the breath of topics explored: from the continent and its place in the world, to the humans who first visited then later on, those who subsequently explored Antarctica.

Its up-to-date information covers international involvement and treaties and also includes the impact of the tourist industry and environmental issues.

Many new photographs, not previously seen, are sourced from notable library collections like Alexander Turnbull Library and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Features include boxed summaries of key points on every topic and a comprehensive index. This book would be a delight to have on anyone's shelf and an ideal place to learn more about this fascinating continent.

Reviewed by Fiona

Minna's Quest by K.M. Peyton

I had never read a K.M. Peyton book before, but I knew that she wrote mainly about girls and horses or should it be the other way round. Well she has done it again and this time it is set in Roman Britain at a time when Roman civilisation is at its height and the barbarians are knocking on the door.

Minna is a feisty, but hugely attractive girl on the verge of womanhood, and with the help of her brother she saves a newly born horse from certain death, when it is discarded by the Roman soldiers as a runt. The horse of course grows into a champion and the girl grows into a beautiful woman with a love interest in the handsome centurion who becomes head of the local garrison. To add some action we have a difficult older brother and barbarian raiders attacking the settlement from the sea. Heroes are found from all quarters.

A very readable book for horse lovers at intermediate level who like a bit of romance with their horses. But the history is not flash. I did in fact enjoy my first and last experience of K.M. Peyton

Reviewed by Bob

Published Usborne Publishing Ltd.

If you go to the Usborne Quicklinks page you can see some fantastic links for daily life in Roman Britain. If you find the link doesn't work click here and type "Minna's Quest" in the search box. It is a very interesting site and if you are doing Roman Britain as a topic, or even if you want to show the children an interesting site, the children will love it.

London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

If you like mysteries and you enjoyed Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night by Mark Haddon, then you will love this book. Like Mark Haddon's book this too has a character who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, although this term is never used in the book.

Ted's cousin, Salim, goes missing under mysterious circumstances while travelling on the London Eye. Ted with his no nonsense literal way of seeing things, solves the mystery.

A much simpler book than Mark Haddon's classic but riveting from start to finish. A bonus is the literal interpretation of idiom and slang expression by Ted and his obsession with weather and Meteorological terms.

A great read for intermediate and junior high school students.

Published by David Fickling Books

Reviewed by Bob