The Warlock’s Child, Book 1: The Burning Sea

The Warlock’s Child, Book 1: The Burning Sea by Paul Collins & Sean McMullen

(Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $12.95

ISBN 978-1925000924

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

The Burning Sea is the first book in the latest six-book fantasy series co-authored by well-known authors Paul Collins and Sean McMullen. And it wastes no time in plunging us deep into the thrilling adventure with Dantar and his sister Velza, our two main protagonists who, by command of their Dravinian Battle Warlock father, have landed themselves on aboard the fleet on its way to invade the Kingdom of Savaria.

Dantar is serving as a cabin boy, one of the lowest ranking roles on the fleet, constantly concerned that he is one of the few without magical abilities. While Velza, a shape-casting warrior, has found herself in the male dominated ranks as an officer in a tenuous role. The two of them despise each other and the power play and family tension ripples through the book as the drama unfolds.

But everything they know is about to change.

The fantastical, medieval world around them is in the midst of darkness. It’s a place governed by magic and roamed by dragons, but everything has been turned upside down. In a time before, the Dark Hands misused the powers they had created. The dragons intervened, breaking up the human magic into four parts, allowing only the dragons to have complete control of all four parts simultaneously. Now, in an attempt to reconnect the four powers, the Dravinian Emperor ordered war against Savaria.

Nothing goes to plan. On their way to battle the dragon Dravaud hovers in the air over the Dravinian fleet, convinced there is a dragon egg aboard the Invincible. He burns one of the fleets down to the ground. While putting out fires on board, through the speaking tubes Dantar overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t and unearths a traitor on board. He is convinced it has something to do with Meslit, the water wizard, who disappears in a cloud of ash. Dantar senses he is developing protection against heat and fire and harbouring magical tendencies far beyond his imagination. Velza loses her ranks as an officer. Much to her disgust, Dantar rises through the ranks throwing her world off kilter. As they near the shores of Savaria in the final pages, and more strange occurrences happen, Velza still finds it in her heart to rescue him as he goes overboard, giving Dantar his first taste of being part of a loving family unit. As readers, we are left hanging right there with the siblings, wondering what will happen next and with a sense that their bond will grow in future books as they are forced together to unwrap the deep mysteries and questions that have arisen.

The Burning Sea is an action-packed book with just the right amount of wit, characterisation, worldly carvings, mystery and plot twists to keep older primary school readers engaged and wanting more.

The Toast Tree

The Toast Tree by Corina Martin, illustrated by Fern Martins

(Magabala Books)

PB RRP $17.95

ISBN 978-1922142689

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

In The Toast Tree writer Corina Martin has passed on the wildly imaginative and rich oral Aboriginal storytelling history of her own family, and in its pages she has carved a magical world where believing is everything. Inspired by her own childhood memories, Corina honours her grandparents in the most wonderful of ways. In much the same way that they kept Corina and her siblings believing the toast tree was real, Corina will have generations to come searching for the toast tree after reading this precious tale.

And who wouldn’t want to believe something so special?

Everyday Ella and Mia’s grandfather comes home from work with a special treat. They wait eagerly for him at the gate, itching to see what he pulls out of his lunch box. Without fail, he takes out two golden-brown pieces of toast, dribbled in honey and with a taste like no other. They beg him to tell them the story of the toast tree. He speaks of its magic resting and growing in the sand dunes, and its bright green leaves from which the toast hangs, setting alight the girls’ imaginations.

The next day, curious and wild with adventure, the girls go in search of the tree. In the sand dunes, they find nothing but a bush with beautiful green flowers shaped like birds and filled with a cream that tastes just like honey. But when their grandfather sees the girls picking the flowers, he is very sad and explains to them that there will be no honey left for the birds. It is only he who can pick toast from the tree or the magic will stop. Not wanting the magic to stop, the girls agree to let the toast tree grow and leave it in the hands of their grandfather. Their curiosity remains, but never do they find the tree, only its gifts their grandfather brings for them.

This beautiful story is made even more magical by the by Fern Martins’ watercolour illustrations, which vividly evolve with each turn of the page. Their deeply rich colours and details give life to this story and life to the family that share it.

The Toast Tree is a deliciously sweet and simple tale that will have anyone, of any age, pleading to have it read to them over and over again. This book weaves themes of family, memories, childhood, storytelling and imagination, and a little of its magic will go a very long way.

Stand Up and Cheer

Stand Up and Cheer by Loretta Re

(The Wild Colonial Company)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 9780992306922

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

In Stand Up and Cheer, a part of Australia’s lesser-known history has been turned into an incredible novel by writer, Loretta Re, magically weaving the elements of a gripping read with the historical threads that put Albury and Australia on the map.

Told through the eyes of ten-year-old Jack, an eager aviator enthusiast, we are taken on a wildly rich journey where we grow close to Jack’s family and learn the many lessons this book offers. But let’s start from the beginning. Set in Albury in 1934 during the Great Depression, a time when aviation and the radio were the people’s greatest entertainment, we meet Jack, his brother Arnie and their parents. Jack’s mother inherits some money from a deceased family member. His father, the town’s radio presenter and voice of the ABC – convinces Jack’s mother that purchasing a car would be the best way to spend the money. The family travels to Melbourne to make the purchase right at the time that Mac Robertson – the Chocolate King – announces the ‘Great Centenary Air Race’ that will see aviators from all over the world fly from England to Melbourne to celebrate the centenary, and that he’ll be giving away a trip to Melbourne to see them land at Flemington Racecourse for anyone who collects all the letters on his Cherry Ripe wrappers.

This sparks Jack’s obsession with the race and his desperate desire to see the planes. But he is far away and has little chance of making it back to Melbourne for the race, especially after the town bully, and son of his father’s obnoxious boss, Pat O’Reilly, tears up the wrappers he has collected. Little does Jack know, this great race will change his life forever when the giant Dutch plane, Uiver, loses its way in the storm en route to Melbourne. Jack and his family are faced with a tough decision: do they break all the rules and attempt to save the plane?

Stand Up and Cheer is not just a story about Albury’s place in aviation history. With so many subplots running through its veins, this is equally a story about family, bravery and what it means to stand by your values. Loretta has created an intriguing world beaming with strong characters and a strong voice that carves a clear picture of this era in history. With its captivating writing style and incredible detail, adults and children alike can pick up this book and get lost in its pages.

Nanna’s Boot Camp

Nanna’s Boot Camp by Vicki Griffin (Morris Publishing) 

PB RRP $15.00

ISBN 9780987543462

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

When one hears boot camp these days, we automatically think of sweat, tears and lycra. But Vicki Griffin’s Nanna’s Boot Camp brings a whole new meaning to bootcamp, a softer and subtler feeling that oozes the warmth only a grandmother could.  And when it comes to grandmothers, we know that there is wisdom they carry that no-one else does, like a secret society passed on through the generations.

All this is what makes Nanna’s Boot Camp a simple and lovely tale that celebrates this very essence. And it brings a whole new meaning to the teens that visit Nanna’s boot camp one holiday. Apprehensive at first, the teens are confronted by the storm brewing in the sky and the large tent set up with boots piled up outside its doors. But the smell of damper wafting through the air and the warmth of Nanna’s voice eases them into the experience.

Nanna guides the teens through an experience they won’t get anywhere else – catching prawns in the creek at dusk, guided by the light of an old kerosene lamp, and cooking by the angry flames of an outdoor fire pit. It  is here, by the fire, that they uncover the story of the boots and the particularly large single boot they are all mystified by, as Nanna passes on the tales of all the mobs that have come before them and lost their in the muddy banks of the creek. This presents a beautiful moment, as the traditions of oral storytelling seep through the pages. The teens meet owner – Uncle Joe – who ventures off for more fishing in the creek, only to re-emerge barefoot and proud to say that his boots will rest there until the dry season comes. The teens leave Nanna’s boot camp endowed with knowledge about the creek, fishing, boots and the seasons.

Nanna’s Boot Camp is written in simple language and is a simple story to follow. There were moments in the story where I wanted to know even more about the traditions of the land, but this is a great entry-level text to expose children to the wonders of living off the land and the traditions that go with it. Nanna is a strong character and her presence is felt, driving the book with an equally strong Indigenous storytelling element that is brought to life with Vicki Griffin’s colourful and dynamic illustrations.

A Dolphin for Naia

A Dolphin for Naia by Northern Beach Writers’ Group

(Self-Published) 

PB RRP $15.99

ISBN 978-0-9942006-1-7

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

When a book conjures multiple story questions and powerful themes that leave you yearning for the answers in the first few pages, you know that you are in for an absorbing read -- which is exactly how A Dolphin for Naia starts.

Within moments of opening this novella, I was chasing the answers to the story questions raised: What happened to Naia? Where are Grams and Mase going? Who is the Parliament? Why have this family separated and why is Mase so angry with his parents? These questions create a flawless narrative tension that drive through the book like an unrelenting heartbeat.

We travel right by our thirteen-year-old protagonist Mase’s side, on a mysterious and hair-raising adventure as he searches for some of these answers himself. A year after losing his little sister Naia, we are thrown head first into the family dynamics as Mase and his Grams take on the important job of decoding his parent’s cryptic messages and driving a truck across New South Wales to deliver his parent’s very important invention to them in Manly; a dolphin-looking robotic that has seemingly made Mase’s life hell for the past year.

But as Mase and his Gram zoom down the highway – escaping waiters, receiving text messages from the robotic dolphin, recruiting the services of old circus folk, breaking down and calling on “the parliament” for an emergency escape –  the answers start to present themselves to Mase and the very thing he once thought was the reason for his family splitting apart quickly becomes the thing that brings them back together. The dolphin holds a lot more importance than Mase could ever have imagined and when he is finally reunited with his parents at Manly Beach, he discovers that they too have been coming to grips with the death of Naia and fighting for the very thing Mase wished for – his sister to be with them.

A Dolphin for Naia is more than just a thrill-a-minute. It’s a touching tale of the love, family, memory and loss and all the tiny things that connect us. The Northern Beach Writers Group has outdone itself for their second co-written and co-illustrated teenage novella, and it is hardly surprising that this book has taken out the 2014 WABIAD prize for ‘Best Book.

Scribbles in the Dark

Scribbles in the Dark by Northern Beach Writers’ Group (Self-Published) 

PB RRP $15.99

ISBN 978-0-9942006-0-0

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

The Northern Beach Writers’ Group (NBWG) is a fascinating project. Founded in 2009 by Zena Shapter, the group started meeting once a month as a critique group consisting of local writers. Now, in 2014 the NBWG has two award-winning published books under their belts and more in the pipelines, and the heartbeat of the group is driven by a commitment to its local arts community and literary-based philanthropic projects.

This particular book arose from the competition, Write-a-Book-in-a-Day to raise money for the Kids Cancer Project. When the opportunity arose to review this book I was fascinated to discover how six authors, two editors and two illustrators could make the story work. And I quickly discovered how.

Scribbles in the Dark, is a gripping read from start to finish, with all the elements of a good story twisted together in its 78 pages. From the very first moment, we are thrown into the world of Cal, a fourteen-year-old boy whose father has disappeared and is living with his grandparents in a pub in outback Australia. Cal seeks reprieve from the pain of losing his father in carving rocks and keeps one of his rocks particularly close to his heart – a dinosaur shaped one that he found right on the spot where his father disappeared on the mysterious banks of the billabong. His other reprieve is Jake, his foster brother who seemingly appeared on their doorstep from nowhere.

One day, in a bid to escape the suffocating noise of the pub, Cal sneaks out down to the billabong in search of more rocks to carve. Unbeknownst to Cal, the air of the Billabong was changing and it wasn’t until Jake arrived that he realised the rains were coming. The same rains suspected of taking his father from him. Before the two can escape, they are washed far out along the river to a place that neither of them knows. They quickly realise that this is a place far removed from their usual life, another realm. Not long after arriving in this new place somewhere over the rainbow, Jake and Cal are attacked by a young girl named Dawn who is protecting herself. Once Dawn realises the boys are not there to harm her, she starts telling them of the history of the place – the scribbles that come to life at night and take people who step out of the circle, the strange tribes that live in the distances, the man who had looked after her for many years before he was taken by the scribbles and the strange connections of the dinosaur rock.

With all the stories Dawn tells them, and as they try to find a way to get back to the other side, Jake and Cal start to realise that this place holds many connections to their past life – Dawn is a girl who disappeared from the town years ago, the man who looked after her is Cal’s father, the dinosaur rock Cal found on the day his father died is their key out of there and this is the place that Jake appeared out of nowhere from.

Scribbles in the Dark is not only a gripping, fantastical read that you’ll not want to put down but it is rippled with many strong messages pertinent to young people and adults alike – dealing with loss and grief, belonging, family bonds and connectedness. The characters are rich with back stories that are cleverly woven through the story arc and the subplots make this novella even more gripping. For a book that was written in a day, Scribbles in the Dark is an exciting and inspiring read and one with a social conscience too (with fifty percent of all profits going straight back into The Kids Cancer Project.) Read it and enjoy the ride.

Scribbles in the Dark is sold mainly on the Northern Beaches in Dee Why and Mona Vale's Berkelouw, plus Brookvale's Dymocks.  Online the links are http://www.amazon.com.au/A-Dolphin-Naia-Zena-Shapter-ebook/dp/B00PE6KDZM and http://www.amazon.com.au/Scribbles-Dark-Zena-Shapter-ebook/dp/B00PE6KDZW from Amazon although it is also available from Fishpond, Booktopia and all other good online retailers.

Greylands

Greylands by Isobelle Carmody (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1921665677

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

When I was a teenager, I remember reading Isobelle Carmody’s The Gathering. It’s darkness, and the messages it harboured, were so intense it has affected me until this very day. Greylands did not impact me any less and its potency still gnaws away as I write this review. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Greylands is such an important book that everyone should read it. (It is also a book that every writer should read, if not simply for Isobelle’s inspiring foreword!) While pegged as a young adult novel, this is a book whose metaphor and meaning can transcend any age barriers.

Greylands is Jack’s story, our teenage male protagonist who lives with his younger sister Ellen and his father David. Jack’s mother has recently died and his father has become an empty vessel who no longer feels anything and while Jack, too, is grieving the loss, his feelings are suppressed with the responsibility of his sister and his concern for his father. One night, after being awakened by a dream of his mother having wings on her back, Jack goes to the bathroom and is taunted by memories of the day his mother died. His troubled, sleepless faces peers back at him in the mirror but soon the mirror starts to ripple and he wakes up in a place devoid of colour, smell and feeling – the greylands.

In the greylands, Jack meets Alice – a young and elusive girl with wings on her back – who is carrying and protecting a secret bundle that glows. Drawn to her, his captivating and heart-racing journey through the foreboding greylands begins. Alice is not the only one he encounters on his journey through grief, pain, love, redemption and forgiveness – he is chased by savage wolvers, faces a laughing beast whose laughter has become more like sadness and a fun park that is wrought with confronting memories and truth. Jack becomes torn between the ‘real’ world and that of the greylands and is only able to leave the greylands once he uncovers the truth of his mother’s death, the disclosure of Alice’s identity and secret bundle and confronts his own grief once and for all.

Greylands is rich with metaphors about life, loss, grief, love and existence and equally rich with evocative language, a gripping story, captivating characters and a fully carved other world that Isobelle Carmody has truly mastered. It is unbelievably touching and profound. 

Riggs Crossing

Riggs Crossing by Michelle Renee Heeter (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-1-921665-70-7

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

What happens when there’s a part of your past, or a part of who you are, that you’d just rather forget? And what happens when that very past catches up with you and makes you question everything you think you know about yourself? Riggs Crossing, the debut novel by Michelle Renee Heeter, excels as a story of loss, belonging, memory and upbringing.

When Len, a fourteen-year-old girl, is found in a car wreck near Wollombi in NSW, surrounded by spent bullet casings, bloody clothing, she quickly learns what it means to lose something. She wakes up in a hospital with severe injuries and psychological trauma so deep, she has completely erased any memory of what happened to her in the accident. She doesn’t even know her real name and is given the nickname ‘Len’ by the nurses, based on the name embroidered on the jumper she was wearing when she was found.

She is taken to a children’s refuge in Sydney where she encounters a supporting cast of intriguing characters that challenge, confront and annoy her, which leads Len to display signs of aggression, reclusive behaviours, racism and defiance toward her peers and the social worker, Lyyssa. Her battle does not stop with the people in the refuge, as time passes patches of memories start to resurface and Len starts to piece together the puzzle of who she really is and what really happened to her. She remembers her father as a marijuana cropper in Riggs Crossing and the shady characters that surrounded their life. Soon, she is closer to the truth than ever before, but the truth catches up with her before she has a chance to fully uncover it. The men responsible for the car accident and the shooting of her father find her in Sydney and try to put an end to Len and her story, once and for all.

In the events that follow, Len’s story unfolds before her and she discovers that her real name is Samantha Patterson, whose mother and father were both tragically murdered. As she comes to terms with her loss of family, belonging and identity, Samantha starts to work toward a path of recovery and healing, as she learns to find her place in the world that abandoned her.

Riggs Crossing is a poignant tale, written with a strong and identifiable voice, which raises important issues about morality, racism, choices and upbringing and is a significant read for those wanting to explore the underbelly of human existence.

The Maximus Black Files – Dyson’s Drop

The Maximus Black Files – Dyson’s Drop by Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-1-921665-66-0

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Dyson’s Drop is the second book in The Maximus Black Files trilogy. Fran Atkinson of the Sunday Age warned readers of the first book, The Mole Hunt: “Don’t bother trying to acclimatise. There’s no meandering here, just a full throttle shove…” The second book is no meek and mild sibling, if anything it is a harder and faster journey that takes the readers on a thrilling, action-packed ride.

Maximus Black, the intriguingly dark and menacing character also known as Nathaniel Brown, is on a mission to conquer the galaxy. He will stop at nothing. With the mysterious alien, Envoy, by his side Maximus has set out to solve the riddles and uncover the locations of the three lost coordinates that will give him all the power he needs to rein over the entire galaxy. The only true thing standing in his way is Anneke Longshadow, one of RIM’s best agents back from the dead, whose sole agenda is to find the coordinates first and save the galaxy from the destructive ways of Maximus Black.

A whirlwind succession of events, including the dismantling of RIM as the galaxies law enforcement spy agency and the positioning of Black’s Majoris Corporata as the highest power, sees Anneke and Maximus tailgating one another through the galaxy in a battle between good and bad. With nail-biting encounters, near deaths, explosions, high-tech gadgetry, cleverly weaved problem solving and a chase that leaves you on the edge of your seat, Dyson’s Drop serves as a mesmerizing read.

The thrills are not the only things that make this book so rich. Collins has created a captivating and highly thought out world that is powered by a tapestry of themes not unlike those of our own earthly world. There is corruption, dictatorships and power struggles woven through the story. Then there are the strong characters that bind the story. It’s not just Anneke and Maximus that intrigue readers. The supporting cast of characters that surround and support both Anneke and Maximus are just as well carved with human struggles and psychology that piques the reader’s engagement and curiosity and the two themes of humanity that grasp us most are those of identity and belonging.

Dyson’s Drop is a brilliant read and not one not for the faint-hearted. It keeps you gasping for more with every turn of the page and leaves you hanging at the most crucial point at the end of the book – the perfect clincher to have you spurring Collins on to swiftly write the last book! 

Book Launch: Trust Me Too

Ford Street Publishing invites you to the launch of its latest book, Trust Me Too. Edited by Paul Collins with an introduction by Judith Ridge, Trust Me Too has never-before-published stories and illustrations from 57 contributors including Shaun Tan, Leigh Hobbs, Oliver Phommavanh, James Roy, Michael Gerard Bauer, Gary Crew, David Miller, Michael Pryor and many others.

Ford Street will be launching Trust Me Too in both Victoria and NSW.

Launch 1: NSW residents -- come along to the launch at Parramatta High School (Great Western Freeway) on Friday 20th of July. It'll start at 9:15. Wendy Orr (who will read from her story), Susanne Gervay, Meredith Costain, Oliver Phommavanh, Judith Ridge and others will be there. RSVP by July 14 to Terrie: fordstr@internode.on.net.

Launch 2: VIC residents – You’re invited to: Princes Hill Secondary College (Arnold Street, Carlton North) on July 27 at 6 pm. A STACK of children's authors and illustrators will be there, including Isobelle Carmody, Kirsty Murray, Meredith Costain, Marc McBride, Leigh Hobbs, Sean McMullen, Corinne King, Adam Wallace, David Miller, Janeen Brian, Gabrielle Wang, Sue Bursztynski and many others. It'll be a hoot! RSVP July 23 to Terrie: fordstr@internode.on.net.

Buzz Words loves Trust Me Too. This review was posted at BWB on 3 July:

Trust Me Too edited by Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)   

PB RRP $24.95

ISBN 978-1921665585

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Trust Me Too is a wildly diverse collection of short stories and poems, edited by Paul Collins, that is jam packed with intoxicating tales written by an all-star line up of Australian writers. In her introduction, Judith Ridge sums the collection up perfectly: “If reading is something you do to find your way into the lives of other people, whatever kind of world they live in, you will find something to enjoy and ponder on within.”

And there is definitely no shortage of worlds and lives to explore in this collection; nor a shortage of themes, motifs and genres that will perfectly engage the middle-readers audience, but the one thing that truly binds this anthology is the thrilling sense of adventure and strong themes. From the very first story, Kerry Greenwood’s ‘The Calabar Crystal’, readers are thrown right into the very heart of a historical otherworldliness through the daring adventures and discoveries of best friends, Red and Liam, who unearth Liam’s eccentric great-aunt’s secrets from Zimbabwe.

There is no turning back from the benchmark of Greenwood, and the ripping pace continues as readers travel from world to world meeting strong characters of both old and young who encounter everything from a lone child raised by dingoes, scavenger hunts with prized ashes, sci-fi detective deaths inspired by plagues of rats, failed rock star fathers, cartoon farmers plagued by Zombies and so very much more. The big draw card of the Obernewtyn novelette ‘The Journey’ by Isobelle Carmody, is well worth its weight in gold. Carmody outdoes herself, once again, with a brilliant sci-fi story of Hannah, her telepathic powers and groundbreaking research. Hannah, drawn to the corporate city in search of people like her and a research internship that could change her life, finds herself attacked by a nunazi ganger and rescued by Jake Obernewtyn who shares his wisdom and creates a new path for Hannah.

The Obernewtyn novelette, however, does not outweigh the brilliance of this anthology as a whole. Each and every story, poem and illustration is well crafted and stands impressively on its own. This collection really does present the best of the best and there is so much to chew on that it is almost impossible to even select a stand-out. 

Ships in the Field

Ships in the Field by Susanne Gervay, illustrated by Anna Pignataro

(Ford Street Publishing)

HB RRP $26.95

ISBN 978-1921665233

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Joining the mastery of award-winning author, Susanne Gervay and award-winning illustrator, Anna Pignataro – Ships in the Field is a picture book filled with significance, beauty and rich subtext.

Narrated through the simple, but intuitive eyes of a little girl, this picture book tells the story of life for a refugee family who have fled from their war torn country and started a new life in a foreign land. The little girl shares heart warming family moments with the reader. Images of her father splashing her with water from the laundry tub, making hats for the whole family from paper napkins, promising her a puppy that she so longs for, or sitting on top of trees that give a view of the whole world; all of these provide a safe and comfortable foundation for her to share other images of her family’s life that are far deeper and more complex. We see her mother crying in the hallway as she sleeps, we hear of how the night scares her, we hear of the loss of their previous life, and the complexity of mistaking ‘ship’ for ‘sheep’. These images are delicately interwoven in a way that brings hope and understanding.

The intricate images from Anna Pignataro are wonderfully complimentary and equally telling. She captures the warmth, solidary and strength of the family through her soft, watercolour images; however, the double page image spreads also provide the subtext for what is left partially unsaid in the narrative – the gloom, loss, fear and devastation of war. Colour is a significant part of the illustrations and the sense of hope overcoming loss and devastation is depicted through the changing colours, as the darker and more neutral tones are slowly replaced with brighter and more vibrant colours towards the books close.

Through its imagery, clever word play and warmth, Ships in the Field has created a thoughtful and touching insight into the world of a child whose life has been shredded by war. While it is a great insight, it is not overly confronting and easily accessible for younger readers. It is a significant picture book that will assist children (aged 7+) to develop empathy and understanding. 

Gamers' Challenge

Gamers’ Challenge by George Ivanoff (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978-1921665516

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Gamers’ Challenge is the sequel to the award-winning Gamers’ Quest. Framed in the genres of science fiction and fantasy, and suitably aimed at eleven-year-old (plus) readers, Gamers’ Challenge is a well written, evocative and heart racing chapter book. 

Zyra and Tark, the two main protagonists, have spent their life playing a game. They never grow old, have an endless supply of energy and can survive on very little sleep. They never ask any questions either; at least they didn’t up until the point where they broke the rules of the all-powerful Designers by sharing a kiss. Their lives suddenly become complicated as they find themselves out of the game and being pursued by menacing, static VI balls. As they battle to survive, and start asking questions, they happen upon a group of ‘Others’ – people who have also chosen not to play the game any longer. The ‘Others’ lead them on a quest to find the ‘Ultimate Gamer’ who is the only one who can help them defeat the deadly computer virus and exit the game, once and for all.  Along the way, and in their bid for freedom, they discover the answers to their questions and the essence of their identities.

Gamers' Challenge starts right in the middle of the action and instantly launches the reader into the lives of Zyra and Tark and the thematic concerns of the book, as well as immediately raising story questions that drive the narrative right through to the end. Zyra and Tark are strong and unique female and male characters that this age group will identify with – both on an emotional and physical level. The plot is well developed with many plausible twists and turns, and interesting characters, that keep readers engaged and the wild pace and endless action will keep the pages being turned with eagerness. The game world that the characters inhabit is vivid, believable and painterly, too. However, the real strength of the book lies in the subtle handling of themes such as identity, trust and loyalty.

George Ivanoff has given us an excellent and engrossing read with Gamers' Challenge and one can only hope that an equally engrossing third instalment will follow!