Penny Draws A School Play

Penny Draws A School Play by Sara Shepard (Text Publishing). PB RRP $24.95 ISBN 9781922790408

Reviewed by Kerry Gittins

Penny thought things in Year 5 were going okay. With the help of her friends Maria, Kristian, Petra and Rocco, and Cosmo her dog, she figures she can cope with pretty much anything. And there’s always her doodling and her chats with Mrs Hines, the Feelings Teacher if she gets a little anxious again. But little does Penny know that life in 5th grade and at home is going to change in a BIG way.

She came home from school one day in January and was told they were moving house! Her mum was expecting twins, and they needed more room, so they had to move. But Penny didn’t want to move away from her old house. What if the new owners were messy or painted the walls hideous colours? What if one of the chandelier crystals in her new room fell on her head in the middle of the night? What if she couldn’t organise all her stuff for the movers in time?

Then the 5th grade replacement teacher Miss Kettle told the class everyone had to be involved in the school play that her friend Petra had written. She wasn’t too worried as she was cast as the bat and all she had to do was flutter. That is until halfway through rehearsals, she found out the bat was also the narrator. She would have to speak on stage!

And then there was the problem with her new neighbourhood friend Chloe who hated her friend Maria. How was she ever going to solve that? Problems were everywhere and EVERYTHING was changing! What was she going to do?
 
In this warm, insightful, and at times laugh out loud second book in the Penny Draws series, award winning author Sara Shepard takes us along on Penny’s journey through the changes that rekindle her anxiety. We are told in a simple and truthful way how this affects Penny and her ability to cope. The strategy proposed by her Feelings Teacher, Mrs Hines, doesn’t seem to work at first, and it is only as the story unfolds that Penny realises how brave she has become and that everything will be okay. The concern and empathy shown for Penny by her friends and family is the wonderful and uplifting thread woven into the story that tugs at the heartstrings of the reader and helps create a deeper understanding of the effects of anxiety.
 
Teaching themes could include anxiety, families, friendship, acting, writing, diaries, dogs, coping strategies, and change.

The Amateurs

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard (Allen and Unwin) PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 9781471405266

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

What really happened the day 17-year-old Helena Kelly disappeared? Did somebody take her, or did she choose to leave? Helena’s body was found four years later, not far from her family home, but the police couldn’t solve the murder and eventually closed the case. Aerin, Helena’s younger sister, seems to be the only one fighting for answers. Now aged 16 years old, she feels disengaged with the world (and her parents) but masks her depression by distracting herself with whatever means are available at wild teenage parties. At home, her sister’s death is all she can think about. She finds herself logging on to a website called ‘Case Not Closed’, and posts a desperate plea for help in finding her sister’s murderer. That’s how she meets Seneca, Maddox and Brett, amateur sleuths who want to help (each for their own reasons).

They team up together, each bringing different knowledge and ideas to the case. It isn’t long before the threats and attacks begin. Somebody in town knows they’re investigating, and they’re keen to scare them away. They believe the attacks mean they are getting closer to the truth … but perhaps the truth is even closer than they realise.

This is a gripping, cleverly written murder mystery for readers aged 12–16 years. There are plenty of plot twists and developments that drive the story forward, making this novel difficult to put down. It is the first in a new series of books by bestselling author Sara Shepard, who wrote Pretty Little Liars. The novel ends with quite a major plot twist, so I’m sure readers will be keenly awaiting the sequel (due to be published around the middle of 2017). The main characters are well developed, strong and likeable, each of them interesting for different reasons. It will be great to learn more about them as the series progresses.

The Perfectionists

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard (Hot Key Books)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN 978-1-4714-0434-4
Reviewed by Jacque Duffy

This is one of those non-put-downable books. It is well written, the main characters are likeable, and the pacing is fast, but I have a problem.

Sara Shepard is the author of many popular books including the Pretty Little Liars series, which I confess to not having read but have heard quite a lot about. Pretty Little Liars has sixteen – yes, sixteen -- books in the series. Don’t get me wrong, I like a series, I don’t mind a little breathing space between books. I like to let the characters have a rest too, especially after a fast-paced book like this one.

But here is my problem. The Perfectionists has a lot of characters, starting with five girls plotting revenge against the school’s most popular boy slash bully; each of those girls has her own group of secondary characters, some of which are crucial to the plot. That is a lot of characters to make mental notes about.

I was enjoying this book immensely; not only are these girls managing to get themselves into all kinds of trouble - most of the time not of their own doing - but there has been a murder. Towards the latter half I found it hard to put the book down. I read faster and faster, needing to know who the bad guy/girl is and if the girls were going to be safe.

Then it ended.

Just like that.

I have no idea if these girls whom I had become so fond of were safe.

Looks as though I will have to wait for book number two; I hope it comes out fast.

The book, if read in a classroom situation, would raise healthy discussion. The serious matters of sex, drugs, bullying, suicide and revenge are raised in this story. The characters are fully formed and each has their own story to tell.

The story obviously gives room for sequels and I am sure each would be an enjoyable read.

 Jacque Duffy is the author and illustrator of the series ‘That’s not a …’ learn to read books used in all Queensland State Primary Schools, a picture book The Bear Said Please, and one local history coffee table book.

www.jacquesartandbooks.com