Oceanforged 2: The Silent Island

Oceanforged 2: The Silent Island by Amelia Mellor (Simon & Schuster) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781922992406

From the bestselling author of The Grandest Bookshop in the World comes the second instalment of an epic fantasy adventure series in the tradition of Skandar and Percy Jackson. 

Guided by a mysterious message, Cori, Tarn, and Jem sail north to meet the secretive Loyalists, who will help them on their quest for the Oceanforged Armour.

Instead, the Loyalists warn of a looming disaster. Unless Cori can master all the powers of the Champions before it strikes, Aquinta will be doomed.

The Loyalists believe that a piece of armour may be hidden in Mutemount. But sea monsters once lurked in those waters, and no one who has travelled near the silent island in the last century has ever returned …

Dive into the second epic instalment of the Oceanforged series, from the bestselling author of The Grandest Bookshop in the World.

The Future Book

The Future Book by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris (Simon & Schuster) HB RRP $27.99 ISBN: 9781761639302 

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

There’s a curiosity around every corner as life in the future is laid bare. The sun is called the moon, and the moon is called the sun. Bananas are called apples, but apples don’t have a name because they don’t exist in the future. Even the customs are odd. Rather than ‘goodbye’, people in the future say, ‘You smell like a baby!’ And there’s a brand-new colour – blorange – which rhymes with no other word. Isn’t the future weirdly wonderful?

Award-winning author Mac Barnett has let his imagination run wild, and readers aged four to eight will enjoy the rollicking ride. Crazy phrases and surprise situations are sure to keep youngsters on the edge of their seats as they wait for the next silly thing to appear. The mad-lib-like ending is the height of hilariousness, and even adults will snicker at the audacious absurdity.

Shawn Harris’s funny and fluid illustrations flow across the spreads in an array of glorious colours. The use of fluoro green as the anchoring ‘future’ hue – from the endpapers and the apple’s leaf to speech bubbles and a fish gently placed on people’s heads – ensures that the disparate images remain part of the same visual universe.

Crammed with creative yet kooky ideas that sound laughably ludicrous, The Future Book is perfect for reading aloud. Kids and parents alike will find it entertaining from the first page until the last.

My Brother Finch

My Brother Finch by Kate Gordon (Simon and Schuster) ISBN: 978064586937 RRP $17.99

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

How do you continue your life when a member of your family disappears?

Wren is about to begin high school. She should be excited and looking forward to this milestone event. But it’s been three long years since she saw her younger brother and now everyone knows her as the girl whose brother went missing.

Gordon has created a tender story about older sister, Wren, who doesn’t quite know how to move on without her younger brother, Finch. Nobody knows what happened to him. Or to another girl Ava who also disappeared on the same day, in the same place as Finch. Her family were wealthy and got most of the attention. Finch was slowly forgotten.

Gordon doesn’t shy away from the sadness felt in different way by all members of the family. Nor does she avoid the guilt that weighs heavily on this young character. Gordon’s masterful writing tackles both strong issues of guilt and depression with care and consideration that creates an even bigger impact on the reader.

The story is told through Wren’s point of view, but scattered throughout the story are conversations she has with her missing brother. This clever and unique approach is used by Gordon to facilitate conversations between Wren and her brother. He tries to encourage Wren to make friends with the new girl, Freddie, check up on the other strangely quiet girl Ava, and most importantly, keep living her life. There is also a third narrative as Wren’s wrestles with her subconscious and the conversations she has with herself. All three are carefully constructed with just enough conversation that it doesn’t slow the overall storyline down; instead supports it to move forward. Each dialogue included has a distinct voice, along with a certain font printed within the book which is helpful and enjoyable.

This story will keep you curious until the very end. It will also pull on your heart strings. Keep some tissues handy!

My Brother Finch is suitable for a 12+ year-old readership.