Wishes can come true if Paul Jennings is writing about them!

Australian Writer and Illustrator Paul Jennings, illustrated by Craig Smith The Unforgettable What’s His Name Allen & Unwin, 2016  $17.00pb 216pp ISBN 978 1 7602 9085 6 Themes: Bikies/ Funny stories/ Loneliness/ Mothers and sons/ Shape shifting

He’s a lonely boy the boy who tells this story  - we only find his name on the very last line in the book - and he sometimes wishes he was invisible just to avoid people seeing his aloneness!! But you should always be careful what you wish for as this one comes true in a quite unexpected way. As with all books by this writer, the story is both funny and sad, totally original plus it has a heart-warming ending. I would love to read it to a class. 

Year 5 up/ Age 9 up

Fiction - 9 up

Australian Writer and Illustrator

Bill Condon, Illustrated by Beth Norling

The Simple Things

Allen & Unwin 2014  $15.99pb 160pp

ISBN 978 1 7433 1724 2

Themes:  Family Life/ Friendship/ Growing up/ Old Age/ Solo Mothers  

Stephen really doesn’t want to go and stay for three weeks of his precious holiday time with boring old Aunty Lola even if his mum and dad will be there as well. For Heavens Sakes she’s nearly 80 and he’s never met her before although she does send him money on his birthdays. Like the title of the book, this is a simple story about family values, loyalty and friendship and with a totally unexpected surprise near the end!  It would be a pleasure to read aloud to the right group of say 9 and 10-year-olds and probably (and I apologise if this sounds rather sexist) an all girl gathering.

In my opinion, the cover does not do justice to the story it enfolds.

Year 5 up/ Age 9 up

Note: I have started using a colour code for the four categories of books I review:

Magenta: Picture Books

Blue:        Fiction

Red:        Young Adult 

Green:     Non-Fiction

Fiction 9 up

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Johanna Knox, illustrated by Sabrina Malcolm

The Sundew Stalks

Book Two in The Fly Papers series

Hinterlands   2013       $23.00pb         173pp

ISBN  978 0 4732 2663 3

Themes:  Carnivorous plants/ Genetic engineering/ Protection of the environment / Wrestling

 

Zany characters, including a set of carnivorous plants with personalities of their own, an outrageously over the top but still totally believable plot and a wicked sense of humour are the components of this book. Tora de Ronde, plus characters from the first book, leads a full on life of excitement and adventure as she battles scheming wrestlers, tries to rescue the plants and to help a scientist in great danger.  An easy to read, accessible writing style make Johanna Knox’s Fly Paper series one that children from around nine to intermediate level will really latch into. The illustrations by Sabrina Malcolm match the text perfectly and the whole production has a feeling of careful planning and quality. The next book in the series, The Aldrovanda Turns is promised ‘soon’.  As far as I know there are six more books to come… 

Year 5 up/ Age 9 up

Fiction - Age 9 up

NZ Writer & Illustrator

Sherryl Jordan

Fishtales Far-Fetched and Foul

Scholastic   2013       $15.00pb  125pp

ISBN  978 1 7754 3117 6

Themes:  Funny stories/ Long ‘short’ stories/ Read aloud stories/ Scary stories

Sherryl Jordan has put together a set of four long (short) stories with a fishy base - and she doesn’t even like fishing very much. The stories range from truly scary to really funny – told and crafted as only a great story teller can.
They are just the right length to read aloud on a double period on a wet Friday afternoon!

Year 5 up/ Age 9 up