Butterflies and Moths

By Nic Bishop Published by Scholastic 2009

In this attractive edition, full-page close-up photographs of butterflies and moths at varying stages of their life cycles (some magnified up to 20 times) are accompanied by descriptive text. Each page of text has a key sentence picked out in larger font of a contrasting colour. The magnificent photographs are so clear and crisp there is a temptation to touch them to feel the texture. The book is printed on brightly coloured pages and the whole package leaves one in awe of the majesty of nature.
Nature-lovers (and photographers) of all ages will enjoy this book.

Visit Nic Bishop’s website to find out more about the author and his photography.


Reviewed by Melva

Sea Transportation: discover science through facts and fun

By Gerry Bailey Published by Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2008 Series: Simply science.

'Sea transportation' is a dip into aspects of sea transport for students in middle primary school, but it would also be an interesting book for older, less able readers. I found the layout eye catching and absorbing - the simple text boxes and cartoon style illustrations used on most pages lend it a graphic style that is popular with children. It has a contents page, glossary and index, which makes it useful for information literacy work.

The book covers topics often not mentioned in books about boats. For example, there is a section on floating and sinking that leads into the concepts of density and displacement, there is a brief run down on the importance of navigation and rudders, and there are several pages on travelling under the sea - submarines, bathyscapes and submersibles.

I found two very minor problems with the book . Fighting ships (pages 28-29) - I think might have been better presented in chronological order, and the map of the world (page 18-19) does not include New Zealand. We seem to have fallen off the edge of the picture!

The other seven titles in the Simply Science series are Communication, Energy, Land Transportation, Simple Machines, Light and Colour, Space, and Weather.

Reviewed by Heather

Titanicat by Marty Crisp

Does anyone really know about the many unsolved mysteries of the “Titanic”?

This is a story about one of them – the Titanic cat!

This is an amazing story set in 1912, pertaining to the maiden voyage of the “Titanic”. A boy named Jim is on his first exciting voyage as a cabin boy, and is about to start a huge adventure to see America.

Every ship has a cat to bring good luck to the journey and to control mice and rats, and Jim is assigned the care of the ship’s cat. He compassionately befriends the cat and her four kittens on board and calls her 4-0-1. Due to superstition about calling a ship its correct name while being built, this is the name of the ship as well.

Seafarers also claim that a tortoiseshell cat can “see the future” and the old sailor’s saying that “a mewing cat on a ship can mean a difficult journey”, is a superstition even today.

Just before the breathtaking departure of the maiden voyage, it becomes apparent that 4-0-1 is absent and is not in her usual spot beside Jim.

On the 15th April, on a moonless night, the huge ocean liner “Titanic” suddenly hits an iceberg and quickly begins to sink.

The captivating story of the disappearance of the cat and her kittens continues and we see how the Titanic cat’s action dramatically changes the young boy’s life.

The story is suitable for primary and intermediate children and has bright, crisp, clearly painted illustrations.

This would make an excellent read-aloud story and is an intriguing version of the Titanic cat and how a sailor's superstition still exists in today’s world.

Reviewed by Shirley

Published by Sleeping Bear Press (2008)

The River Runs by David Hill

David Hill is one of New Zealand's great children's authors and he has done it again with this novel about two boys growing up in Taranaki in 1967.

Chris and his older cousin Roger don't like each other much, and the bigger and stronger Roger bullies the smarter Chris. As the story progresses the boys grudgingly begin to relate to each other until a crisis and emergency force the boys to unite for the common good.

The novel flows easily and David Hill’s mastery of language keeps the story going in an interesting way. Many snippets of life in 1967 come up especially popular television programmes and books children were reading at the time. As a child of the 60's I could relate to this story very well and I hope David Hill writes this sort of novel again.

A very readable book suitable for children from years 5/6 through to junior high school.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Mallinson Rendel 2008

"Gone" by Michael Grant

‘ONE MINUTE THE teacher was talking about the Civil War.
And the next minute he was gone.
There.
Gone.
No "poof." No flash of light. No explosion.’

This curtain raiser of a beginning is a real kick-off for an action packed novel that will keep you fixated and thoroughly absorbed right through to the very end.
Perdido Beach has been encircled with an impenetrable barrier. Everyone over the age of fourteen disappears. There are no adults, no telephone service and no Internet facility. Chaos and fear abound!!!
What materialises is an isolated city renamed FAYZ or Fallout Alley Youth Zone. Children develop special powers and animals and birds mutate. Amidst all this confusion, Sam appears to have some control...but only just. Caine and his following of bullies from the Coates Academy enter this new world to torment, to rule and to control.
The violence in the book may be a bit overwhelming and disturbing. However the synergies of the peacemakers towards a peaceful adjustment manages to counterbalance this harshness. There is that underlining quality of good versus evil that pervades the book that reminds one of the "The Lord of the Flies" by William Golding where there are no adults to control the anarchy that runs amok.
The last pages leave the reader with a plenitude of questions. It's however a relief to know that 'Hunger' the sequel to 'Gone' has now been published.

By Janice Rodrigues

Living sunlight: How plants bring the Earth to life.

By Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm published by The Blue Sky Press 2009

A simply written, beautifully illustrated, picture book which explains a big topic in just a few words per page, with more details at the back of the book for those who want or need more. Presenting the Sun as the narrator the authors explain how it gives light and life to living things on Earth through the process of photosynthesis. Younger children will enjoy the illustrations but the science content is for older children, middle primary and above.

Reviewed by Melva

Red Butterfly by Deborah Noyes, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

A young Chinese Princess is preparing to journey to an unknown far off oasis and an uncertain future. The Princess wants to take with her a memory of the many splendours in her fathers kingdom. One such splendour is a secret deeply guarded from the outside world and the penalty for divulging this secret would be death. So with this knowledge do you think the young princess would take such a risk and if so why? Could it be courage or revenge or both?

Read this gracefully illustrated picture book and find out how and what the young Chinese Princess decided to take as a keepsake.


"Take with you some small piece of brightness, some shining memory, for the world is large, little butterfly, and the road is long."


A good read for a range of age groups. Older children will find new depths in this story.

Reviewed by Coral

Published by Candlewick Press (2007)

Matariki

As dawn approaches on June 24th the star cluster known in Aotearoa New Zealand as Matariki will be rising. This will herald in the Maori New Year. With each passing year, this celebration is becoming more popular.

Hear Toni Rolleston-Cummins read her book The Seven Stars of Matariki

And the Maori version (translated by Hone Morris) too - Te Huihui o Matariki


Published by Huia 2008

The author, Toni Rolleston-Cummins (Te Arawa, Ngai te rangi, Ngati Ranginui), is a primary school teacher, has a journalism degree and has written poems and stories from a young age. Finding a shortage of good books about Matariki, she originally wrote this story to engage and entertain her class, to make the story of Matariki come alive and have meaning.

The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett

A Sonya Hartnett novel is always something I look forward to and this one does not disappoint. It is for those who like to think deeply and meaningfully about the nature of life and existence.

In this instance she writes about an oft misused word, Love. What is love? why do we fall in love? What happens when love dies or is not enough? And more importantly when love ends can we love again?

Maddy is 75 years old. She comes home one day to find a young boy sitting in her living room. He is well mannered and talkative and she feeds him, makes him comfortable and then tells him the story of her life and her relationship with a man she loves and is known only as Feather.

Beautifully written, at times fanciful, but never dull. It will appeal to your mature reader at high school level, and for adults. This truly is a gem.

Reviewed by Bob

Another interesting review from Linda Newbery in the Guardian

Published by Walker Books (2008)

Finding Home by Sandra Markle

When we think about Bush fires in Australia our thoughts are for people and property. But what about the animals?

Just imagine how frightening the sights and sounds of a bush fire must be: flames, the sounds of crackling, thick black smoke, sparks being carried on the wind igniting everything in its path, animals fleeing, these are the sounds and smells of bushfires.

This book is based on the real life story of a koala nicknamed Cinders who survived two bushfires.

The story portrays the determination, love and survival instincts of a mother koala who protects her young joey from a raging bushfire. After getting her joey down safely from the tree she embarks on a journey in search of food.
Encountering people and a dog along the way she eventually finds a new source of food and a home for them both.

This is a thought-provoking book, reminding us that animals matter too! It is supported by wonderful illustrations and anyone who loves animals will love this book.

Primary level.

Published by Charlesbridge (2008)

Reviewed by Tina

Fantasy Award for Helen Lowe/Thornspell

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand have just announced their list of prize winners for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror

The winner of Best Novel - Young Adult goes to Helen Lowe - her fantasy novel, about the "other side" of Sleeping Beauty, was reviewed on this blog last year

Congratulations Helen

For the full list of nominees see the SFFANZ website

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

This book was just adorable from beginning to end. It is set in Post World War 2 America, in the steamy state of Florida when the general thought was "the war is over, lets get down to making some money": the American Dream at it's worst.

Evie is 15 and her mother, who is drop dead gorgeous and knows it, gave birth to her when she was 17. Evie's stepfather, Joe, is a returned soldier and a bit of a jack-the-lad, who has earned money in a dubious way, but is on the lookout for other money making ventures. The three of them take off from New York for a holiday in Florida and what happens there, changes all their lives for ever.

Evie is the star of the book, a 15 year old who wants to wear lipstick, have cleavage and shake off the shackles of an over-protective mother who doesn't want Evie to make the same mistakes she did. Along comes Peter Coleridge, a handsome 23 year old with an agenda of his own and Evie is smitten and aroused. What happens next is thrilling.

Aimed at the young adult level, and skillfully written, this is a must read. It was a National Book Award winner in the USA.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Scholastic New York (2008)

Read an Interview with Judy Blundell from the Booktrust

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena

One of the best sports stories I have read this year, but not the easiest to read.

Set in Southern California near the Mexican border where a poverty and ghetto mentality exists. Add two mixed race boys, Danny half white half Mexican, and Uno half black half Mexican, both mad about baseball and both confused about their own identities and future in life. Stir in girls, sexuality and survival on the streets and you have a high interest cocktail of a novel that will thrill those who choose to read it. The sporting competition and rivalry between the main characters and the pressures on those wanting to compete at the top level is one of the great themes of this story.

It is not easy at first to get used to the street talk that is laced with Spanish slang, but once you get used to it, there is a flow that tells a great teenage novel.

Aimed at high school students but particularly aimed at boys with a sport interest.

Reviewed by Bob

Published by Delacorte Press (2008) (an imprint of Random House)

Good News from Abroad - Reading on the Rise!!!

A recent report, “Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy,” from the National Endowment for the Arts, has shown that, for the first time since 1982, reading for pleasure has increased amongst adults in the United States.

This increase has been most dramatic among 18-to-24-year-olds, who had previously shown the most significant declines.

According to the New York Times, Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, attributed the increase in literary reading to community-based programs like the “Big Read,” Oprah Winfrey's book club, the huge popularity of book series like "Harry Potter" and Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight,” as well as the individual efforts of teachers, librarians, parents and civic leaders to create “a buzz around literature that’s getting people to read more in whatever medium.”

While these results are from the United States, I think that they can give us all hope. The good work that teachers, librarians and parents do, encouraging our children and teens to read does make a difference! Keep up the good work out there!!!