Mature Readers (Young Adult)

USA & Australian Writers

Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars

Book One in The Starbound Trilogy

Allen & Unwin  2013  $23.99pb  374pp (originally published in USA)

ISBN 978 1 7433 1852 2

Themes:         Love stories/ Science fiction/ Survival

A young war hero and the daughter of the richest man in the universe are thrown together almost literally and find themselves totally alone when their luxury space ship crashes into a seemingly uninhabited planet.  Although the book has been described as ‘Titanic in space’ it is ultimately a really gripping story of survival. It will be read with enjoyment by readers other than those who, lured by the rather corny cover, are looking for a predictable love story.

It was given the prestigious ‘starred’ review in the American Library Association’s Booklist.

Year 9 up/ Age 13 up

Fiction - 8 years and up

To be published February 7^th 2014

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Mary McCallum, illustrated by Annie Hayward

Dappled Annie and the Tigrish

Gecko Press, 2014   $19.99pb 137pp

ISBN 978 1 8775 7991 2

Themes:         Brothers and sisters/ Imagination/ Lighthouses/ Loss/ Out of doors/ Summertime

Annie’s mother has her feet firmly on the ground as she moves about in her safe domestic world during this long hot New Zealand summer. Annie’s father is also down to earth - he is the local lighthouse keeper waiting anxiously for his new assistant to arrive and is away from the house most of the time. The children  (Annie and her younger brother Robbie who is only four) live in a different world. Annie’s is a rich one of the imagination but so vividly painted and involving that the reader is almost convinced by the end that this is the true reality where hedges talk and the tigrish is an ever-present influence. The writer has managed to enter into the mind and feelings of a nine-year-old child so we see a new world through her eyes in lightly etched descriptions and ideas that are never overdone. The book is written in such a way it would be a pleasure to read aloud to an appreciative group. I envy the teacher or librarian, parent or caregiver who has the opportunity.**

Recommended.   

Year 4 up/ Age 8 up

** Now that I have moved and it is the summer holidays I haven’t had the chance to build up a bank of children on whom to try out any new material.

 

Fiction - age 10 up

UK Writer

Rohan Gavin

Knightley and Son

Bloomsbury, 2014  $18.99pb 331pp

ISBN 978 1 4088 3891 4

Themes:         Adventure/ Conspiracy/ New age books/ Fathers & Sons/

While his once famous detective father is slowly coming out of a long coma in a London nursing home, his son, thirteen-year-old Darkus decides to read through all his father’s old case histories. This is just as well as with his father making a spectacular recovery, the pair are thrown headfirst into a maelstrom of conspiracy, danger and adventure that Darkus’s new knowledge helps to resolve. The book, the first in a planned series, is written with wit and humour but will probably appeal more to ‘hungry’ readers than to those who need a bit of persuading to start something new.  For the opinions of the story from some young readers (mainly I think from the UK) go to Good Reads http://www.goodreads.com/book

The cover does not do the story justice. 

Year 6 up/ Age 10 up

Non-fiction - Younger Readers

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Diane Newcombe, illustrated by Melissa Anderson Scott

A Is For Auckland

Random House, 2013  $22.00 48pp

ISBN 978 1 7755 3558 4

Themes:         Alphabet books/ Auckland, NZ

Girl and Bird whirl cheerfully around the Auckland area sharing its treasures in pithy text and look, then look again illustrations. Three pages at the back of the book expand on the text making this a valuable resource about the region. This is a book that will be used at many levels and for a variety of reasons – basic information/ craft ideas/ as a catalyst for children in other centres to produce their own alphabet books…

Preschool up/ Age 4 up 



Note: This is another casualty of My Move. It was published in November but just surfaced this morning.  

Picture Books - pre school up

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Diana Noonan, illustrated by Robyn Belton

The Teddy Bear’s Promise

Craig Potton Publishing, 2013  $19.99pb  32pp

ISBN 978 1 8775 1779 2

Themes:         Continuity/ Family life/ Growing up/ Patience/ Teddy Bears/ Tradition

Like so many Teddy Bears the one in this story was loved dearly by his owner, a little boy called Max and they did everything together. ‘I will always love you,’ promised the Teddy Bear but Max grew up and the bear found himself in a dusty box stashed away somewhere in grandma’s house. This is basically a story of love within a family and how it endures through the generations.  The illustrations are as one would expect from Robyn Belton – poignant and endearing and Diana Noonan’s text gives many chances for families to talk through the ideas it presents. I did feel a little sorry for the bear though who just had to wait his turn to be loved again.
Preschool up/ Age 4 up

This book was a casualty of my recent move as I had it set aside to review when it was published, I think sometime in November. I have just unearthed it from the bottom of a box with an ormolu clock that was too heavy for me to lift – it took two quite strong people to move it for me and when I found the book I felt it was too charming a presentation not to include even if it has been out for a little while.

 

Getting organised for 2014

No I have not forgotten I have a Blog!!

Like some other lucky New Zealanders (many, I know, need to work right through) I have managed to close my office door for two weeks summer break. I am spending my time taking part in the Wellington Regional Forest and Bird Summer Walking/Tramping programme – we are up to Day Five tomorrow with a visit to Matiu/Somes Island. Although it has rained off and on (and sometimes more on than off) because it is so warm, the rain doesn’t seem to be an issue.  

 It is a welcome change being in the out-of-doors to unpacking all the books which were boxed up in the garage but are now on brand new shelves. 

Here is a photo to show you they are now up on the wall (this is just one unit – there are others but not as big). Of course they are only roughly in order – childrens and young adults/ adult fiction and non-fiction/ poetry/ ‘old’ books and three shelves of DVDs – but alphabetical or Dewy order is not in place yet. The battered looking ones down on the left are ones I loved as a child and haven't ever been able to replace.

New books (some real goodies) are accumulating and I will reopen my office door on January 9^th. I am looking  forward to sharing them with you.

A Few Personal Words

       I feel this is quite a distant blog. Publishers send me beautiful new books. I read and review most of them. I ‘publish’ them and they go whirling off into cyberspace. And that is it. Every morning I eagerly look at the ‘stats’ to see who has been viewing the blog in the last 24 hours. If the figures are to be believed eyes from places like Russia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the Ukraine and to say nothing of New Zealand have all looked at the last days posting. Are they real people I wonder? Maybe they are robots who are just in place as a counting measure! If you are real and if you felt so inclined maybe you would like to comment on some of the books – the mechanism is all set up for you.

       Some of you (the real people) will have noticed that in spite of all my good intentions I have done nothing to enhance the screens on NZ Writers and Illustrators for Children and Young People.  My excuse is that I am still in the middle of mopping up all the chaos caused by moving house 3 weeks ago. The preparing for the move took months and now it looks as though the aftermath will also take time. I do want to get on to the project which I feel will provide a valuable resource. I have all the fairly recent details for over 150 NZ writers and illustrators and, of course, more are appearing every day. This is the work load for Term One 2014.

      May I wish you all the things you need and as many as possible of the things you want for 2014. I wish you the time, the freedom and the opportunities to be able to read – and to help children and young people to find all three.