Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine

British writers can do things with realism that leaves you speechless, and this book is one of those.

Lucas Swain is a teenage boy full of angst but a good lad just the same, with his heart in the right place. He lives with his mother who has her own problems due to the fact that his father and her husband, has just disappeared without any clues. Is he alive or is he dead? Lucas is just like his dad and he has an idealist view about him, much to the chagrin of his mother and sister. In a strange set of circumstances he comes in possession of an urn full of ashes that we learn to be the remains of Violet Park. Lucas sets about finding out about Violet Park and what he discovers changes his life forever.

A brilliantly told story that has more twists and turns than a politician’s speech, and is more believable too. Lucas is a likeable character and this book would be better described as a ripping yarn.

Suitable for Secondary school readers although some Intermediate readers will find it enjoyable.

Published by HarperCollins

Diwali Festival of Lights

At the Diwali Festival of Lights, in Auckland and Wellington, the Asia New Zealand Foundation set up this colourful reading tent, where children could read books, as well as the Ramayama story on scrolls around the walls.
This delightful photograph taken at the Wellington festival, TSB Arena, was provided to Create Readers courtesy of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

The contest between the sun and the wind: an Aesop’s fable

retold by Heather Forest, illustrated by Susan Gaber.
August House Little Folk, 2008

Many adults will be familiar with this age-old fable in which the sun and the wind compete to take the coat off a man’s back, illustrating the power of gentle persuasion as a very effective alternative to brute strength. Young readers are lucky to have this superb new edition combining the considerable talents of reteller Heather Forest and artist Susan Gaber. The illustrations are inventive and atmospheric, and there is plenty to reward a close viewing of both these and other visual features of the book. It is also a wonderful choice for a read aloud book: Heather’s background as a professional storyteller is highly evident. A story for all ages and all times!
Read about Heather Forest here
Reviewed by Pamela

Picture This

From Nov 4th The New Zealand Goethe Institute will be presenting a travelling exhibition of contemporary picture book illustration from Germany.

Do catch it if you can. The exhibition represents a fascinating insight into the work of thirteen leading German illustrators and book designers. Their work covers a spectrum of technique, media and style - from water colour and to digital, from naive to realist.

The exhibition will be shown in Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch. Venues and dates are;

Wellington Central Library and Capital E 30th October – 30th November 2008

Dunedin City Library11th December 2008 – 23rd January 2009

Christchurch Centre of Contemporary Art 3rd February – 21st February 2009

For more information you can visit the New Zealand Goethe Institute website or email them on info@wellington.goethe.org

Flickr image of Jutta Bauer's book Selma by tinaraval

The Best (and Worst) Children's Books of 2008

Presented by Christchurch City Libraries and

The Canterbury Reading Association

Wednesday November 26 from 7-9pm

at Fendalton Library cnr Clyde and Jeffreys Rd, Christchurch

Discussing their favourite books of the year, we are delighted to present:

• Teacher extraordinaire Heather Orman
• Talented book designer Kim Dovey
• Super book seller Sheila Sinclair from The Children's Bookshop
  

Plus a few extra surprises...

Light refreshments and a raffle (so remember to bring cash!)


Images from Flickr

George Best by TBSteve
Do your worst by Leia
Poster of Johnny Cash with his Martin at Martin by Pugetive

Night Hunting by Deborah Burnside

There is a crying need for easy short novels about hunting and this one fits the bill. Not only that, it is a new Zealand story, so it is twice as valuable.

I read it in just over an hour and it was a well structured book with action, good characters, a realistic plot and the author doesn't moralise about the wrongs and rights of hunting. It is up to the reader, and in my book that is a big plus.

Nick has been promised by his dad's mate Rotorua Bill, that he can go possum hunting with him, and it is a case of "don't wish too hard for something or you might get it". Things happen on the hunt that are unexpected and Nick's resolve is tested to the full.

A great read for reluctant boy readers from Years 5 to 8.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Puffin

Donkeys by Adelheid Dahimčne

Illustrator: Heide Stöllinger
Translated by Catherine Chidgey
Edited by Penelope Todd

I love the Gecko Press books! The delightful I am so handsome by Mario Ramos (2007) and I am so strong (2007) would be among my favourite reads from last year. For this year Donkeys definitely makes the list.

Although Donkeys was published in 2002, it escaped my notice on first release and it was only recently when I received a copy for my birthday that I got to read it - what a great present!

As you’d expect from Gecko Press, Donkeys is a quirky and humourous story, full of charm and accompanied by simple, expressive illustrations. It’s also a gentle love story between two donkeys - Jack and Jenny, who have been together forever. On their 25th wedding anniversary, a day meant for celebration and acknowledgement, they instead engage in a silly argument. Matters are blown out of proportion -and before we know it, the two decide to part ways to find better ‘Jenny’s ‘ and ‘Jacks’. Will their search for new love be successful?
Or will old love survive …?

This would make a fun read aloud for the primary level with lots to discuss - tolerance, love and friendship. It’s also a great book for any adult collection.

Reviewed by Kathy G

Published by Gecko Press

Alice and Anne : enduring literary legacies from my past

When thinking of well known children’ s characters from my childhood these two names spring to mind. (second only to Heidi) On reflection I can’t help thinking of the similarity of character traits of these two iconic childhood role models; Alice and Anne. I wonder just how much my immersion in their worlds in my formative years has seeded my inquiring and adventurous nature throughout my life.

I am referring to Adventuresome Alice and the delightful Anne of Prince Edward Island.

Did you know that you can access the original version of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground written by Lewis Carroll in 1865 through the British Library? The modern “turning pages” technology gives you as close-as-it-gets to the full experience of “handling” the original. Give it a go. It is quite amazing and lots of fun to compare it with more recently published versions.

And as for Anne? Canadians and other fans around the world are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s creation of the irrepressible Anne Shirley. I was fortunate enough to recently visit Anne’s house on Prince Edward Island and I was amazed at just how “familiar” the house and surroundings felt. It was as if I had visited there before… and I had, through LM Montgomery’s writings which I had read more than 40 years ago. Such is a testament to the clarity of the images her words created and the impact and charm of the story on my developing psyche.

Having reread the story on my return, I was delighted to find that her writing still carries the same impact and charm. I read Anne of Green Gables this week with as much freshness and pleasure as I did such a long time ago.
The story lives on and is well worth revisiting.


And if you don’t have a print copy it is available as an downloadable e-book for free

Of course you could also access the movie trailers

See how they are celebrating Anne2008 - visit the 100th celebration website

Happy reading and reminiscing

Glenda

Scorched Bone by Vince Ford

There are some folk who view series with a cynical eye, assuming they are produced with on-going sales in mind. But for the school librarian/teacher, who is wanting to capture and hold that reluctant reader, a good series is a god-send.

And so we have Vince Ford’s Scorched Bone, the first of what I believe is a proposed Chronicles of Stone trilogy. After the visit of a traveller from the north, twins Souk and Trei feel they have a calling to explore the regions he speaks of. Trei wishes to find out how it can be that men are able to hunt such enormous creatures as mammoths. And Souk, who is training to be a shaman, does not quite understand what it is that pulls her on this journey, but is determined to go. They set off with their friend Crien who has his own reasons for leaving.

Vince Ford has a smooth, unpretentious, easy-to-read style which I have always liked – his Handful of Blue is one of my very favourite kid’s books for its achievement of portraying the feel of New Zealand coastal geography and summer weather.

In Scorched Bone he tells a good pre-historic story along the lines of Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness but without the fantasy element. He has obviously done his homework – there are nice descriptions of how people lived from day to day; ways they cooked and how they kept themselves warm, sheltered and fed in pre-historic times.

I look forward to the next, and I bet there are lots of readers out there who are hooked for the next two.

Suitable for readers from Year 5 and up

Reviewed by Beth

Published by Scholastic

Thornspell by Helen Lowe

This is an interesting idea from New Zealand writer, Helen Lowe – she weaves a story around an already well-known fairy tale, but approaches it from a different direction.

Sigismund is a prince who is spending his childhood in a lonely castle. His mother died when he was very young and his father seems to be perpetually at war in the south, barely seeing his son. A mysterious forest, which no one has been allowed to visit for almost 100 years, sits to the west of the castle. There are many tales about an enchanted castle and a sleeping princess within the forest, but although some believe these fireside stories, many dismiss them as just fantasies.

After an incident with a magical unknown woman at the castle gate, his father sends an experienced and masterly tutor, Balisan, to oversee Sigismund’s education – an education that encompasses meditation and magic as well as book-learning.

How is it possible for Sigismund to fulfil his destiny and overcome the powerful magic which has been placed upon the enchanted wood?

This is an exciting page-turner, especially for lovers of fantasy, and even for folk such as me who are not usually ardent fantasy fans. Despite guessing the possible outcome, given that we are all familiar with the fairy story, it is a charming, romantic and pleasing tale. And don’t let “romantic” put the boys off. They will love it too.

The publisher’s age recommendation is from 8 years old, but I think this is a little young – possibly from about 10 years and up.

Reviewed by Beth

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

See more reviews of Thornspell

Juno Of Taris by Fleur Beale

A riveting futuristic story from an excellent writer, yet somehow I sense a similarity to Anna MacKenzie's Sea-Wreck Stranger and Bernard Beckett's Genesis and perhaps an old classic Lois Lowry's The Giver. Nonetheless it is a brilliant story that completely enthralled me.

Juno is an eleven year old girl growing up in a society that has been sealed off from the outside world, or has it? Within this bubble has developed a society of 500 souls who are led or rather manipulated by a committee called Governance Companions, and a sinister lot they are too. The population is fixed at 500 so unless someone dies or chooses to die no babies can be born into this community.

Every Friday all citizens of this community have their heads shaved and Juno dislikes this intensely and can see no rhyme nor reason why this needs to happen. A girl needs her hair when all said and done. When Juno and her friend Vima protest against the head shaving, cracks appear in this apparently idyllic society that reveal secrets and cause actions that no-one is ready for.

A great read for Intermediate and Secondary school readers

Reviewed by Bob

Publish by Random House

Holiday reading: Books with bite

Vampires, Werewolves - they do seem to be popular at the moment.

The American Library Association sponsor a Teen Read Week in mid-October. As part of the celebrations here are a few recommendations from some well known authors of books they like in this genre.

Image by gadgetgirl on Flickr

Is it history? Is it technology? Is it science?

Lighthouses of North America: exploring their history, lore & science by Lisa Trumbauer and
Lighthouses for Kids: history, science and lore with 21 activities by Katherine L. House both have a bit of everything.

They include chapters about lighthouse keepers and their families, the science behind the big lights and the evolution towards more powerful and more dependable lights. There are construction stories to make your hair stand on end and some fascinating histories and nuggets of information.

Also both include lots of activities to do with the science of lighthouses, knots and poems.

The illustrations in Lighthouses of North America are a mix of photos and cartoons and there is a very good clear map at the back which shows the location of every lighthouse referred to in the text. Lighthouses for Kids has black and white photos, and I guess my only disappointment is in the quality of paper inside this book, where the cover promises so much.



Lighthouses of North America is a very inviting book indeed. Lighthouses for Kids is perhaps less so simply because of its inside appearance – but they both have rich stories to tell and are sure to fascinate the curious mind.

Lighthouses of North America is recommended for ages 7 to 14.
Lighthouses for Kids is aimed at a slightly older age group - from approximately age 12 and up.

Reviewed by Beth

Lighthouses of North America: exploring their history, lore & science published by Williamson Books
Lighthouses for Kids: history, science and lore with 21 activities published by Chicago Review Press

Deborah Ellis – A writer with a purpose

Born in Ontario in Canada, Deborah Ellis is a writer with a mission. An anti-war activist and a feminist, her books reflect the plight of children in distressed conditions around the world.




Diego’s Pride:
Set in Cochabamba in Bolivia, Diego’s Pride is a sequel to Diego, Run!
Twelve-year-old Diego is frightened and alone. He has just managed to escape his captors when he stumbles upon the Ricardo family. Just when he seems to fit into the family the soldiers arrive to create havoc on the already impoverished farm. Diego joins the protestors and soon finds himself in the frontline of action.Deborah Ellis writes with passion about Diego and his attempt at bravery against the backdrop of the coca industry and the social conditions in Bolivia.

Breadwinner (aka Parvana)
Parvana’s Journey
Shauzia.
If these books have a veracious ring to it, then it’s because Deborah Ellis spent a substantial amount of time in refugee camps interviewing and documenting the lives of women in Afghanistan. What started off as a true story of a young girl’s attempt to support her family in the Breadwinner, continues as journey of survival in Parvana’s Journey and Shauzia.
What ties them all together is that Parvana the main female protagonist is determined, resilient, inspirational and brave in the face of all adversity.


The Heaven Shop
Another well researched yet compelling book that was written after the author’s visit to Malawi. This book brings home the frustrating truth about the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Binti, her brother and her sister are Aids orphans. The relatives who attend her father’s funeral want to separate the family. Binti however does not want to give up. She will find a way to reuniting her family. Binti is tenacious and strong willed but its only when she learns about the spirit of generosity that she finds true peace within herself.

These books are ideal for classes studying adverse social conditions, strong central characters and man-made disasters. Good for intermediate to junior secondary

reviewed by Janice Rodrigues