Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 40

The Blade Brief

Kate Hunter
Childrens Contemporary Novel

Library Book

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This is the second of the Mosquito Advertising books. I read the first book, The Parfizz Pitch, years ago and loved it (I heavily promosted it inside my classroom too.) But somehow I missed the second one when it came out, and then when the third one came out, I couldn’t find the second one anywhere. So I was extremely excited when Albany Creek Library had both the second and the third book on their shelves!

Katie is anxious to get Mosquito Advertising launching into the big time. Only, she’s letting her school work slip. And she’s not being particularly nice to her friends. Nor is she being very fair to the clients she has, especially as she takes on one of the biggest accounts in Australia.

Like the first book, there’s a real Famous Five feel to The Blade Brief. These are children who get out and get things done. They solve big problems, they work through ideas together. The fight, they contemplate giving up, but they pull through in the end. The part that particularly strengthens this for me is the fact that it’s set in Brisbane – a fabulous setting for a children’s book, but one you see very rarely. I was especially chuffed when there was a reference to the park at Wool Street, since my grandparents in law lived on Wool Street until the last couple of years.

I’d thoroughly recommend these books to the 9-14 crowd. They’re smart and funny and very well written, and sure to be engaging to that age group.

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 39

A Friend for Grace

Sofie Laguna
Childrens Historical Novel

Own book

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When we last left Grace, she was on board a ship as a convict, bound for Australia. A Friend for Grace chronicles her journey, shows the importance of a girl like Grace having a friend and introduces the Women’s Factory at Parramatta. Although Grace is aware that there is a certain element of adventure, especially once they land in Australia, there’s the constant understanding that things are very difficult for the convicts, and that the line between life and death could be precariously thin.

I really like Grace as a character. She’s a product of her hard life, and in some ways she knows that life in Australia might be better than the horrible life with her uncle. She’s clever with people; even taking the time to get to know the loud and violent Sally – a move which pays off for her in the end. However, this is almost a place marker book, getting Grace from one place to another and setting her up for the stories to come.

With the new history curriculum focusing on Australian history, this would have to be a must read for the classroom – excerpts from the book would bring the right amount of ‘colour’ needed o make history interesting to students.

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 38

Rose on Wheels

Sherryl Clark
Childrens Historical Novel

Library Book

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Rose was my favourite of the Our Australian Girls (though Lina and Alice are also favourites) but I had the worst time tracking this book down. When I finally got my hands on it, I was very happy indeed.

Rose is still trying to understand why the world is so different for boys and girls and taking measures to make sure she doesn’t get boxed into the same box as her older sister, and ultimately, her mother. When a new governess is booked for her, she takes matters into her own hand – getting herself onto the ‘wheels’ mentioned in the title.

Despite Rose’s obvious wealth, it’s very easy to like her. She’s got shades of Anne Shirley in her, as well as a touch of the naughty children of Seven Little Australians. She’s not content to sit back and let the world pass her by; she’s aware that there are opportunities out there and she’s determined to grab them.

There’s probably room for discussion (and I guess it’s probably been discussed) about the role of upper-class women fighting for the vote, when so many other women were fighting for survival. Did the vote help the lives of those women? Was it seen as a distraction? If anyone can think of a good book to point me to on that topic, I’d love to read more on it.

Meanwhile, I have Rose’s other books sitting and waiting for me to read them, allowing me to get further immersed in this very interesting life!

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 36

Quintana of Charyn

Melina Marchetta
Young Adult Speculative Fiction

Own book

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I finally finished the Trilogy (I had to buy my own book, since the library copies were always out!) This is one of those books that kept me awake into the early hours because I just had to finish it right now!

We’re still following the fortunes of Quintana, Froi, Finnikin and Isaboe as their lives become more and more intertwined. Quintana finds herself incredibly close to Froi’s adopted homeland, following a path unknowingly set by Froi himself. Meanwhile, Froi is searching for Quintana.

This is one of those books where, like a lot a fantasies, it would all be so much easier if they just had access to phones, or even a telegraph service. Being able to communicate easily would take so much of the tension (all the things the reader knows and the characters don’t!) away. It might be a less thrilling read, but my nerves would be an awful lot better for it!

This is, though, a book about parents and children. I was really glad I hadn’t read it too close to Squirm’s birth, when birth stories were too close to enjoy. Now the birth stories twinged, but didn’t hurt in the way they might have in the past. I know this book is aimed at teenagers, but I would challenge those who enjoy it when they are younger to return to it when they are older, when there are younger people in their lives (either their own children, or the children of friends or siblings) because I think it’s one of those books (and series) which resonate differently at different times.

So, despite the fact it is a fantasy and I don’t do fantasy series, I absolutely loved it. It’s more than just fantasy, in fact, except for the setting and the world of princesses and kingdoms, the fantasy elements are remarkably subdued. It’s really a story of family, friendship, loyalty and love. And everyone can find something to love there.

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 34

The Secret of the Swords

Frances Watts
Childrens Speculative Novel

Kindle eBook

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Tommy (Thomasina) is a kitchen girl who loves to watch the knights practicing in the great courtyard. After she has a battle with one of the boys from the armoury, she finds herself with a new position. But the swords are not what they seem at first . . .

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with this book. I think I’ve been spoilt by Frances Watts’ picture books, where she uses beautiful, descriptive language – even when using very few words. This is a book for early readers, short and simple, and is unfortunately free of the beautiful, distinctive language of the picture books. I have ‘thoughts’ on simple language in early reader books – I think it’s possible to include descriptions while using easier words, and in fact I think that those descriptive phrases are required to produce early readers that are also good books.

I like the characters in this book, the first of a series, and I think that this book would appeal to both boys and girls. I’d be interested to see if the language is expanded on by the second book (afterall, if you get through the first book, your reading should have improved for the second one!) but I think I’d look for it from a library, rather than buying it.

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 33

Meet Nellie

Penny Matthews
Childrens Historical Novel

Library book

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I think this is the last ‘girl’ I’ve read in the Our Australian Girls series. Nellie is an Irish orphan, sent out from Ireland which is in the grips of famine, to make a new life in Australia. She has high hopes for what the future might bring, but reality doesn’t always meet her hopes.

Nellie is a really bright, enthusiastic character. I loved how positive she was, but I also really enjoyed reading about her background, about the real problems faced by the people of Ireland during the famine. I was amazed that these young people would be sent on boat around the world, to situations which were often little more than slavery – there’s so many stories of how people ended up in Australia and I’m glad I got to know a little more about this one.

I do have to say, though, that this story started to drag a little for me by the end. I’m definitely not as interested in how it turns out as I am some of the other stories.

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 32

Meet Ruby

Penny Matthews
Childrens Historical Novel

Own book

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Another of the Our Australian Girl series, this one set in Adelaide during the Great Depression. Ruby has everything any little girl could hope for – but she’s slowly becoming aware that not everyone has as much as she does. And when things take a turn for the worse, she realises that she’ll have to get used to a whole new way of living.

Although I find this time fascinating, Ruby is probably the least likable of the girls. She’s spoilt and often unthinking of other people. There are times where she demonstrates her good heart, but she’s probably one of the most realistic representations of a girl in her circumstances. I liked that she showed an interest in photography, and I’d love to see that carried through the other books. I’m very interested to see where her character will go in future books.

Like the Alice books, it’s nice to read books set outside of Sydney and Melbourne. We have such rich settings for books in Australia, places which contribute to the story as much as the characters and events. I’m still holding out for a Brisbane story though – setting it during the second world war would be particularly wonderful, with the arrival of the American soldiers, the fear of the Brisbane Line and the Battle of Brisbane. Maybe I’ll send out some good Brisbane vibes to the publishers and they can get onto that for me 🙂