It covers a year in Juliet’s life and the year is 1975. Colour television was introduced in Australia, flared jeans were fashionable, and the landmark National Library of Australia building opened. It was also a time of political upheaval.
1975 brings lots of changes for Juliet, her family, and the whole country.
Juliet lives with her parents and grandmother, and has an older sister at university interstate. Her dad works in a quite senior position in the federal government.
She's entering her final year of primary school, and is expected to complete a year-long, individual project, one that she needs to choose for herself.
Juliet decides to compare her life growing up in the seventies, with her Gran’s at the end of the First World War and afterwards.
So you can probably imagine my unseemly squeal of excitement when I opened this limited edition proof copy of #2. With great restraint, I finished the last 100 pages of the book I was about to review (at record speed!) and dived straight in.
Over two nights I was deeply back in the world of the Archipelago. My eyes were getting tired, and I would realise I’d read for an hour in what seemed like mere minutes. Does that tell you something?
It has been a year since Christoper first went to the
Archipelago, and he misses it fiercely. He also deeply misses Mal, the
Immortal. His heart is full, and though he continues with his ordinary life of
school, mates and home, he longs to be back in the realm of glimourie.
It explores
traditions around food, cooking, recipes passed down through the generations,
the absolute joy of eating and family life – all of which are squished together
into a tangle of mouth-watering hope and delight.
Gareth is a fashion designer who designs and makes wonderful creations for animals of all kinds.
He's so famous his clients travel from afar to be dressed in his unique outfits.
One such client is an upper class possum who wants a fabulous dress to give her daughter to wear at her birthday party.
Gareth is inspired and delivers something amazing.
Like many of Gleitzman’s tales, Childish is a collision of inane and razor-sharp intellect, resulting in an invitation to think deeper and go further.
Arkie and Dot are phenomenal kid heroes. Arkie is from the bush. Dot is city minded and part of her family’s dumpling dynasty located within the city burbs.
With
things going sour in the bush, Arkie is jettisoned to live with Nan in the city
until his parents can sell the family farm and join him.
Armed
with typical Aussie bush stoicism, Arkie’s straightforward integrity matches
Dot’s can-do, uncompromising disposition and grit beautifully. This is a merry
match despite its infancy and one that is a delight to follow as the friends try
their best shake local council and the utility companies into action.
Authors Dani Vee and James Layton, and illustrator Ruth-Mary Smith, have created a fabulous picture book that depicts the wonders and challenges of a young child with ADHD.
As My Supercharged ADHD Brain says, 'all brains are amazing', and in this book the creators have drawn on lived experience to help explain just how amazing ADHD brains are.
My Supercharged ADHD Brain encourages understanding, and will quite likely prompt further thinking or discussion of situations and experiences.
Perhaps
that is what I like best in Steph Bowe’s posthumously published, Sunny At
The End Of The World. Even this ingenious title suggests something beyond
utter hopelessness. Can an ending really be the start of something new? This
premise forms just one part of Bowe’s YA fiction which prima facie, seems a
straightforward dystopic foray into Zombieland.
We’ve
seen that all before, right? An almost comic romp into the horror of the after dead.
And yet, within Bowe’s capable and quirky hands, Sunny’s worlds, past and future,
assume a reality that teens immediately warm to.
It’s 2018 just days after a global outbreak leaves the world afflicted and stricken. Zombies plague the major living centres, destroying civilisation as we know it, undermining any survivors’ sense of security and sanity.
The narrator is seventeen-year-old Astrid, who has finished years of homeschooling with her father who lost his job and filled his life with controlling others’ lives.
Astrid is now starting High school.
Her father is not happy about Astrid’s forthcoming schooling,
nor the clothes her mother wears to work. He believes that social media is
breaking everyone’s brain and making them hate.
This is just one of his rants concerning capitalism and its influence on society, that he wars against with a distorted mindset; a thought process that forced his son to leave home.
But he is determined to hold tight to the control over the remaining members of his family.
Maisie is learning how to swim safely. With her Dad by her side she practices jumping waves and knowing when it's better to dive under them.
When Maisie hesitates to dive under a bigger wave, she discovers the strength of the water as it tumbles her about and dumps her. Maisie's fortunate that Dad's there to pull her to safety.
Her dad Hank, a renovating fanatic, buys a run-down theatre in Tasmania, so they leave their home in Ipswich. Her mum, a therapist with her own radio program, is initially not thrilled with the idea.
Cora sees an opportunity to renovate herself in a place with new people. No more tripping over words when she speaks. Cora 2.0 will be born.
The theatre they find, has been neglected for years
and is unlivable. But Hank is excited with this new venture and its unlimited
possibilities.
Dressing Room One becomes Cora’s, and her sister Bekah’s bedroom.
Uncle Ted has moved into the basement to draw the history of the world and father believes that there is a racoon in the attic.
Pinky, Ferris’ six-year-old sister is determined to become an outlaw.
Ferris knows that she wants to hold Billy Jackson’s
hand forever.
Kate DiCamillo sets out with no rules. The beauty of her singular style is that she can mention something, then drop it to write about something else, and return to the previous issue without losing a beat.
In The Real Cowgirl, Duff's second
collaboration with Susannah Crispe, she addresses emotional unrest, anxiety, and lack
of self-confidence.
The horse is the narrator.
Her horse knows Sal better than anyone. He sees a side of her that others can’t; a clever, kind, daring, wild, fearless, and child like the cowgirl she wants to become.
In a scrap yard filled with abandoned vehicles and all manner of broken items, a young girl tinkers with bits and pieces.
Although the word death is not used, it's fairly clear what's happened.
The narrator describes the journey the girl and her dog take as they walk through the scrap yard, over mountains of junk, across water, searching for memories and leading to a place hiding something special.
A Leaf Called Greaf takes these concepts and weaves a narrative full of symbolism. It's one that can help prompt discussion of topics that can be complex.
Kelly Canby has written and illustrated the story, featuring a bear as the protagonist.
When one day a leaf lands on Bear, he names it Greaf.
Grief and loss can be a difficult subject for anyone. Duck, Death and the Tulip, written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, is a unique exploration of these often challenging subjects.
In a strangely heartwarming story, a duck strikes up an unlikely friendship with Death. 'Who are you? Why are you creeping along behind me?' 'Good. You've finally noticed me,' said Death. 'I am Death.' Duck was startled. You couldn't blame her for that. Death, Duck and the Tulip is the much anticipated translation of Wolf Erlbruch's latest masterpiece. Death, Duck and the Tulip will intrigue, haunt and enchant teenagers and adults. Simple, unusual, warm and witty - a picture book version of The Book Thief. This book deals with a difficult subject in away that is elegant, straightforward, and thought-provoking.
Take a peek inside Duck, Death and the Tulip in this video.
We hope they inspire you to pick up a book you’ve not read before, or find a book to help explore and better understand a particular subject with readers of all ages.
A new baby is a big event for everyone.
Whether you're welcoming a baby into your own family, or you're looking for a book to give as a gift for a newborn baby, we've got you covered.
The first link below is to a list of books about preparing for a baby. These are the kinds of books that can help explain the entrance of a new member of the family, and can be especially helpful with young children.
The second and third links are lists of books that make great gifts. They include some titles about babies, and some that explore relationships, early learning concepts, and the world around us. All are favourite with the KBR team.
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/03/terrific-10-preparing-for-new-baby.html
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2020/07/book-list-gifts-for-newborns.html
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/06/terrific-10-beautiful-gift-books-to.html
We hope they inspire you to pick up a book you’ve not read before, or find a book to help explore and better understand a particular subject with readers of all ages.
Ahead of International Women's Day which is celebrated each year on 8 March, we wanted to look back at two fabulous book lists with some favourite stories about girls.
Our feisty, fictional girls list is a reminder of some classic and contemporary stories starring girls who live life to the fullest. Think Anne of Green Gables, Pippi Longstocking and Judy Moody! There are thirteen wonderful books to read.
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/03/book-list-feisty-fictional-girls.html
And the anti-princesses list shares ten terrific books which explore all kinds of characters who tend to break the stereotype for princesses. From riding motorbikes or ponies, to learning about life, and just being yourself, this book list has a great selection of titles to choose from.
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/04/terrific-10-anti-princesses.html
If you haven't read A Friend for George, written and illustrated by Gabriel Evans, you should find a copy and share it with your family. It's a particularly good story for children just starting school and making new friends.
George likes living by the sea, but he often feels lonely. He’d like to have a friend – someone to talk to, someone to share stories with and someone to laugh with. As that’s what friends do! When he meets Claude the fish, George finally discovers the joys of having a special friend, as well as learning what it means to be a good friend to someone ... for if you are, the rewards are bountiful!
In this video, Gabriel Evans explains how he was inspired to create this beautiful story about friendship, and gives some advice to aspiring authors and illustrators.
Title: A Friend for George
Author/Illustrator: Gabriel Evans
Publisher: Puffin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: May 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761046506
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book