Review: Marcy Series #2

Meet Marcy’s crew – Marcy, Bella, Toocool, Spike, Principal Parrott, Mr Wexford, Gran Ella and Stretch. They are the vibrant characters that make up the stories in the newest adventures in the Marcy series. And rest assured, there are plenty of adventures to be had.

Led by our main protagonist, Marcy, this crew not only provide entertainment, but their stories are peppered with some important messages, facts and touches of humour as well.

In Netball Challenge, Marcy and her friends take on their teachers in a netball competition to raise money for the Lost Dog’s Home and Thirteen Dolphins sees Marcy and Bella help in rescuing a dolphin stuck in the rock pool with a group of dedicated marine rescuers. In Quiz Champs, Marcy discovers what it is like to be part of a team and learns lots of interesting facts from Mr Wexford as they challenge the boys in a special quiz.

Review: Toocool Series #5

Now in its fifth series, Toocool, presents five entirely new books to add to the collection featuring the ever-lovable character, Toocool, and his comrades Spike, Wong, Marcy, Bella and Bad Billy Brown. Resting as an almost brother companion to the Marcy series, these stories are not only perfect for the young boy readers, but with the cross over of characters between the Marcy and Toocool series, these are just as fitting for the girls and Marcy fans.

Written in the first person from Toocool’s perspective, the five books cover a range of topics and adventures. There are big bash 20/20 cricket matches that show Toocool and Marcy’s ingenious thinking skills and sense of humour. There are summer stays on Uncle Buck’s farm that see Spike and Toocool become little jackaroos to round up the cattle and help baby calves.

Review: The Lost Tail

The Goroka Show, which started in 1957, is a very special event on the Papua New Guinean calendar and is loved by locals, natives and tourists alike. It is a time when tribes that populate the Papua New Guinean highlands gather to display their customs and cultures for a weekend of music, dancing and extraordinary displays of tribal culture. The spirit of this event is beautifully captured in Patricia Bernard’s The Lost Tail, but she has not just captured the overall spirit of the event but the significance it holds in the heart of the young boy – Little Nura – our heart warming protagonist.

In The Lost Tail, Little Nura joins the Bundi Boys – part of his tribe – for a sacred five-day journey from his village to Goroka. The boys carry a long snake, the one that they will perform their sacred dance with. His mother warns him of the walk through the jungle with its high mountains and steep valleys and the angry cassowaries and wild pigs. She fills the boy with courage because Bundi Warriors are never afraid – not of the fast-flowing rivers and bridges that swing high in the air, nor the mountain forests with their night mists and bad spirits.