EJ Spy School - Speedy Spy

EJ Spy School - Speedy Spy by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Dyani Stagg (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-92193-198-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Ten year old Emma Jacks is rushing to get to school when her spy School watch alarm rings. Rushing now to get to the secret entrance of the SHINE headquarters, Emma wonders what task A1 will have for her this time.

Emma completes the maze code in record time then is admitted to the SHINE lab, where, as EJ10, spy in training, her mission is revealed. She needs to rescue an animal agent from the animal training unit. For this task, EJ10 will need both speed and clear thinking. 'Speedy but sure,' A1 tells EJ, is one of SHINE's mottos.

And EJ does need speed as there seems to be a Shadow agent following her. Will she complete the task and earn her Spy School Speed Badge?

The spy gadgets in the story allow for plenty of play on words, such as turning phrases like 'get your skates on' and 'you'd better fly' into reality at the press of a button.

Speedy Spy is the seventh book in the EJ Spy School series written for young readers who like adventure, action, animals and spies. Short chapters, large font, simple concepts and illustrations on most pages make this series readable for these beginners, while great gadgets and plenty of action will keep them hooked.

EJ Spy School: Hide and Peek

EJ Spy School: Hide and Peek by Susannah McFarlane, illustration by Dyani Stagg (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-92193-165-9

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

It’s nearly Christmas and Emma Jacks loves everything about this time of year, especially Christmas secrets. Emma is very good at keeping secrets. She has a secret identity; Agent EJ, spy in training for SHINE.

One morning close to Christmas, Emma and her friends Hannah and Elle arrive at school early as their class is leaving on an excursion to Christmas Town to visit the Giving Tree. But before they can leave, Emma’s spy watch beeps and she knows she will not be going on the excursion. Emma is disappointed, but a good spy knows she must do her job and soon she is rushed off on her first official mission.

EJ’s mission is at the Giving Tree, Shadow is planning to steal the presents destined for underprivileged children, so she gets to see it after all as well as earning her Spy School disguise badge.

This story emphasises the giving side of Christmas. There is a code to crack, lots of Christmas disguises and plenty of the gadgets reader have begun to expect. This, and the whole EJ Spy school series, would make a great first chapter book for beginner readers from five years, with its large text, simple vocabulary, short chapters and active storyline.

 

The sweet illustrations break up the text and enhance the storyline and young readers can try to spot EJ when she is in her disguises.

This is the sixth book in the EJ Spy school series.

Easter Egg Express

Easter Egg Express (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Caroline Keys (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $4.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-169-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

  

The Little Mates alphabet finished with Zippy Zoe but Eric and Ellie, Easter Bilbies from the Easter Egg Emporium, have arrived in time for Easter in a new title Easter Egg Express. These two cute bilbies have great fun making Easter special for everybody -    ‘Ellie has elegant handwriting and Eric is an exceptional egg wrapper’ – but can they get everything done in time? Perhaps they need to call on their friends for help through the Bush Telegraph.

Easter Egg Express has a different illustrator to the previous books in the series and although Keys does not include the same detail in every illustration as Creagh did, the endearing nature of the Aussie bush animals shines through in her vibrant and colourful pictures. The Australian bush flavour also is retained throughout.

This Easter edition of Little Mates is an entertaining addition to the well loved alphabet series. Have some fun, twist your tongue and read it aloud this Easter.

Zippy Zoe

Zippy Zoe (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-884-7
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Zoe is zippy. This little Zebra Finch can zip from zero to a zillion in seconds. But all this zipping and zapping can tire out a small bird and when Zoe zonks, it can be really hard for her friends to wake her. What will they do?

Sadly, this entertaining little series is drawing to a close with Zoe and her friends. I have enjoyed the alliteration and the standard has been really consistent across the series. The illustrations have always been a fabulous part of the stories as well - uniquely Australian with humour, detail and many objects to find for each given letter.

The emphasis put on friendship, family and helping out has also been a great strength of these stories. It’s a lot to pack into a tiny book and this series manages it well. With so many titles to collect there are hours of fun to be had for littlies who are learning the alphabet - and for lovers of animals and words.

Yum Yum Yoshi

Yum Yum Yoshi (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-742-0
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Yoshi has many friends. He hangs out with Yolanda, Yuri, Yasmine and Yang. Of all these Yellow-bellied gliders it is Yoshi who loves food the most. He’ll eat anything from Yams to Yum Cha. One day, however, Yoshi wakes up feeling yicky. All his friends try to help suggesting many activities which may help him to feel better. Nothing seems to be helping. Then they remember his favourite food. Will that do the trick?

I have been enjoying this pocket-sized series of alphabet books. Featuring a great variety of Australian native animals these stories have such a great flavour of our bush, outback and other Aussie settings.
I love the tongue-twisting alliteration. And although this must be hard to construct for some of the curlier letters towards the end of the alphabet such as Y, the author does well.

‘And yummy yum cha whilst yachting?’ suggests Yasmine. 
‘Yum Yum!’ yells Yoshi.

With just one more to go, what does Z have in store for us?

EJ Spy School: The Race

EJ Spy School: The Race by Susannah McFarlane, illustrations by Dyani Stagg (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $7.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-153-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

In the first Spy School book The Test Emma Jacks was recruited to work for Top Secret spy agency 'Shine'. In this story, The Race, she is an agent in training. Her first spy training lesson is in fitness and EJ10 is unsure of how she will go in a difficult looking obstacle race. Will she make it around the course in her allotted 15 minutes? And does she have time to rescue a baby duckling along the way?

Based on the bestselling EJ12 Girl Hero series, EJ Spy School is for younger readers, 5 plus. In The Race Emma is introduced to spy gadgets and the fabulously fun way she gets from school to emergency missions.

Written especially for beginner readers, The Race incorporates short chapters with large text broken up by black and white illustrations and a simple storyline with no plot deviations. Already popular, the exciting world of Emma and her friends on Shine Agency missions, is now accessible to a younger readership who I’m sure will love these books as well.

EJ Spy School: The Test

EJ Spy School: The Test by Susannah McFarlane, illustrations by Dyani Stagg (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $3.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-152-9
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Eight-year-old Emma Jacks is worried about an upcoming maths test at school. She loves school, and maths, but the thought of a test makes the worry butterflies fly around in her tummy. What she is about to discover is that by passing the test is she will be recruited for a secret spy school, Shine Agency.

Based on the popular series EJ12 Girl Hero, EJ Spy School is for younger readers. The Test introduces readers of 5 plus to Emma Jacks, her friends Elle and Hannah, and the Shine Agency. Short chapters and large text broken up by black and white illustrations make this a good first chapter book for young girls.

Emma Jacks has already proven to be a popular character for young girls. The exciting world of student spies – code cracking, animal protection and special missions with friends – will continue to provide adventures for fans of this series. And now younger children can join in at the beginning, growing up alongside EJ12.

Little Mates: Worrying Will; Xylophone Xavier

Little Mates: Worrying Will by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-740-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Little Mates: Xylophone Xavier by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-741-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Little Mates, the fun alliterative Australian series, is getting close to the end of the alphabet. The two newest books feature Will, a worry wombat and Xavier, a swordfish who loves to explore.

In Worrying Will, this worrisome wombat worries about everything from water consumption, to wonky wheelbarrows, to what to wear. And when he worries, he wobbles and gets lots of wrinkles. And there is nothing more adorable than Creagh’s illustrations of a wombat with wrinkles. Unless it’s his illustration of Whitney working on Will’s wrinkles ... with a rolling pin. Once again, it’s friendship to the rescue as Will’s friends rally around to help him work through all his worries.



I was looking forward to seeing how the trickier letters at the end of the alphabet would be treated and Xylophone Xavier did not disappoint.

Xavier is a swordfish (xiphius gladius) who loves to explore and collect xylophones of all sizes, from XS to XXL. Join Xavier and his friends in this tongue twisting adventure – their most excellent and exciting one yet.


Little Mates are fun with clever wording and distinctively colourful and busy illustrations. This is a great series for young children, full of Australian animals with boundless curiosities and large personalities in a tiny book format.

EJ12 Girl Hero: Spooked!

EJ12 Girl Hero: Spooked! by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-150-5
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Shine’s EJ12 (known also as twelve-year-old schoolgirl Emma Jacks), is now the leader of her own team. She is very excited about being OM (On Mission) with her friends, but is she brave enough for this particularly scary mission? She cannot watch the whole of Fright School, a scary zombie movie that everyone else seems to have watched. So will she find the courage to see this scary task through?

Across England, castles are being broken into at the stroke of midnight by Lady Darcy Kerrin, the ghost of historic bad girl and lady-in-waiting to the queen. Lady Darcy is also believed to be one of the original members of Shadow, the evil agency that Shine is battling against.

This mission gives EJ12 a chance to see her friend EK12, solve more baffling codes and discover some truths about her own ancestry, but she and her team are working against the clock to outsmart some very scary spirits.

Spooked! is the 17th title in this popular spy series for young girls and this one will give an edge of thrill as ghosts, bats and haunted castles come into play.

EJ12 Girl Hero: Time to Shine

EJ12 Girl Hero: Time to Shine by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-138-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Emma Jacks has a secret identity. As well being as an apparently normal twelve-year-old school girl, she is also EJ12, a code breaker for Shine, an agency responsible for protecting the world from Shadows evil plans. In Time to Shine, both of Emma’s worlds are going through an upheaval as her close friend and Shine team-member, Elle (EK12), is moving to England. Emma is having trouble coming to terms with this and so begins the tale of the biggest change in her life – her recruitment to Shine.

As an Agent-in-Training, Emma is faced with many challenges and situations, the hardest of which is skydiving. But she faces them all with the same quick thinking, bravery and focus that singled her out for the spy agency in the first place.

When evil agency Shadow leaks oil into the ocean, demanding a ransom, Emma is thrown into her first mission. She hopes she is up to the task. After all, baby seal’s lives are at stake. This is the sixteenth book in the popular and entertaining series for young girls.

Vocal Violet

Vocal Violet (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-788-8
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Violet is an adorable vampire bat. But she is also the most vocal vampire bat in the whole of Victoria. Her volume causes problems among the other vampire bats. For example, when Vince takes his turn in a vaulting competition, Violets ‘veeeep!’ sends hem veering off into the veggie patch.

Everyone has ideas about how to fix Violet’s volume, but the vet suggests that rather than change, she go where her volume is valued. So Violet becomes a commentator at the V8 car racing.

Once again, the moral of Vocal Violet is incorporated well in a hilarious story with fabulous alliteration, great detailed illustrations, and an entertaining colony of vampire bats.

Lachlan Creagh is a very talented illustrator when it comes to Australian animals and his pictures are loaded with detail and humour. And the way the author manages to get so many V words into the story is extremely clever.

With only four letters in the alphabet to go, the series is getting close to the end. An while I am a little sad about this, I am looking forward to seeing how some of the harder letters at the end of the alphabet are approached!

Unique Una

Unique Una (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-739-0
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Unique Una is the next title in the Australian alphabet series by Susanna McFarlane. Una is a caterpillar who is unhappy about others criticising her unconventional behaviour.  But through her Uncle Umberto she learns to accept her uniqueness and love for the unusual. And then one day, after the great unzipping of her cacoon, Una becomes a beautiful Ulysses butterfly.

I love the message this story holds; everyone is special. Just be true to yourself. At the end the book we’re asked ‘What about you? Are you utterly unique too?’

As with the other books in this series, the alliteration is fabulous. And Una’s assortment of possessions, her ukulele, her unconventional umbrella and her collection of ugg books lend a real quirkiness to this tale. The humour and tongue twisting sentences make it fun to read and the Australian nature of the text and illustrations add to the originality of the series.

The illustrations are bright, fun and detailed with so much going on, making the book perfect for young children to explore by themselves without the text.

At under $5 a book, this is a fantastic series to collect. When all 26 are lined up on the shelf, an image forms along their spine.

Review: EJ12 Girl Hero: Big Brother

EJ12 Girl Hero: Big Brother by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-116-1
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Emma Jacks has an irritating problem - her big brother Bob. Emma and her friends discover that he’s has been spying on them during a sleepover. If he has learnt about their involvement in the secret spy organisation SHINE there could be trouble. But when SHINE needs her help once again, Emma forgets about home life and, as agent EJ12, springs into action.

The evil agency SHADOW has somehow managed to plant spies into the CAT (SHINE’s Centre for Animal Training) and these spies are discovering way too much about SHINE’s operations, secrets and C.H.A.R.M.S.

This mission may prove to be very difficult for EJ12. She is great at code cracking, following clues and even dealing with double agents, but when it comes to horses EJ12 is not so confident. Has Bob’s annoying spying incident given EJ12 the ideas she needs to crack SHADOW’s infiltration wide open? Maybe Emma’s brother is not so bad after all.

Big Brother is book 15 in the popular EJ12 Girl Hero series. Emma Jacks is a strong character with fierce loyalty to her friends. She is a fast and independent thinker, with a good sense of right and wrong.

This series is suitable for readers eight years and up. Girls especially will enjoy this spy fantasy where twelve year olds go on secret missions, use futuristic gadgets and save the world. Animals are also a strong element throughout all the books, another winner for girls of this age.

Readers can also explore the updated website at ej12girlhero.com.au where SHINE challenges such as code breakers can be attempted, the EJ12 quiz can be taken and the gadgets can be examined in the C.H.A.R.M. Lab.

Ticklish Tom

Ticklish Tom (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-738-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Ticklish Tom is a new title in the sweet alliteration alphabet series Little Mates. Tom is a Tasmanian Devil who happens to be the most ticklish Devil across the whole of Tassie. His friends take advantage of this most of the time but when Tom gets himself into a tricky situation, they all team up to help.

As with other books in this series, friendship, teamwork and helping others feature strongly in Ticklish Tom. But it is the humour, fun and word play that shine brightest. The author manipulates all of the t words in the story with great skill and style. And the illustrator is extremely talented at depicting Australian animals and their surrounds.

This is a great read-aloud story for young children who are exploring the world of the alphabet.

Silly Sam

Silly Sam (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-737-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Sam is a sheep who loves to sing. More specifically, he loves to sing silly songs. But these songs are not always appreciated by his friends and Sam cannot find a place to sing until Sadie the sheepdog comes up with a perfect solution.

Young children will identify with Sam’s compulsion to make up silly words to songs, to singing them loudly and to wanting an audience. The illustrations are fun and there is plenty to discover in the detailed drawings including many things beginning with S which are not in the storyline. The text is amusing and there is much tongue twisting fun to be had when read aloud.

This is a great little set of books to collect. They are inexpensive, entertaining for littlies and have a nice Australian flavour which mostly avoids clichéd concepts and images. Silly Sam is the next book in the Little Mates Aussie alphabet series and is one of my favourites so far.

Quiet Queenie and Racing Ruby (Little Mates)

Quiet Queenie (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-331-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Racing Ruby (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-332-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Queenie has always been a quiet quokka, the quietest in Queensland. But one day she needs a loud voice to help out a quivering quoll.

Ruby the rainbow fish loves to race. But one day, racing ahead, she takes a wrong turn and gets lost. Can she retrace her route and rejoin her friends?

Quiet Queenie and Racing Ruby continue the Little Mates series, a set of small, fun alphabet books featuring Australian animals and friendships. The alliteration is fun to read aloud and the author does a great job, especially with Q, which would not, I would imagine, be an easy letter to work with.

The illustrations are energetic, humorous and fun to explore. The animals are drawn with individual character and there is often something a little unexpected among the wonderfully Australian settings. I love Queenie in the bush library. There a family of ducks check out their books at the reference desk decorated in Quixote and the windmills. And the shoreline Ruby that fails to notice, as she races past includes a rafting rhino - so out of place in the Australian setting that I almost failed to notice the dinosaur in the background myself!

These books can be enjoyed by children from a very young age, for the alphabet, for the joy of tongue twisting words and for the delight in the pictures.

Little Mates: Christmas is Coming

Little Mates: Christmas is Coming by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-168-8
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Christmas is coming to Crystal Creek. Chloe and Connor have much to do in preparation for the event. This story follows the delightful pair as they create Christmas cards, do the Christmas cooking, sing carols at the old chooks home, and then enjoy the day itself.

The alliteration is fun and although at first glance the verses appear to be a tongue twisters, clever construction makes the text playful, catchy and easy to read aloud. Both the language and the illustration create the happy atmosphere of a hot Aussie Christmas without the feeling of cliché.

There is so much to look at in the pictures. I love details such as floaties on the little wombat swimming in the creek. Make sure you look closely at Connor’s carefully composed wish list. As it is part of the Little Mates series, children may have encountered many of the characters which populate this Christmas addition. They will enjoy hearing about their new adventures.

It is a small book and would be perfect for popping in the post as a Christmas gift for pre-school aged friends and relatives overseas, as well as for those young children closer to home.

EJ12 Girl Hero: Kimono Code

Kimono Code (EJ12: Girl Hero) by Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN 978-1-92193-115-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Emma Jacks has a secret. This seemingly average ten year lives a double life. She is a spy in the under 12 division of SHINE, an agency devoted to stamping out evil plots designed to harm the world. Recruited after winning a maths competition, EJ12 (Emma’s spy name) specialises in cracking codes and thinking logically under pressure. While EJ12 is out in the field on a mission she is confident, brave and holds her own. But back at school, Emma has trouble dealing with the mean girl Nema and her constant taunts.

EJ12 Girl Hero is an adventure series for girls, full of secret agents, secret tunnels, evil plots and fabulous spy gadgets. But it is also full of everyday problems, friendship groups and loyalty. And as each mission takes place in a different location around the world, when SHINE battles the evil agency SHADOW, each book also offers interesting cultural facts.

Kimono Code, the 14th in the series, takes place in Japan where EJ12 must do battle with the SHADOW operative behind a string of geishas who infect cherry trees with blossom block. While she is on this mission she learns about Japanese culture, traditions and even picks up a little of the language.

Each book starts and finishes at school, with a problem that Emma needs to address. In Kimono Code she is coming up against Nema in karate competition. Although the mission (which is the middle section of the book) does not solve this problem, it does indirectly help her to manage the issue with Nema, giving Emma a fresh way to look at the situation.

This simple structure works well. It will appeal to 8 to 12 year olds as a fast paced and exciting read for girls. The book has large type and is bound in an attractive and eye catching silver cover which should stand out well on the shelves. For readers who like to be actively involved in solving the mystery, the codes are achievable.

The writing is bright and fun. I really enjoyed the disguises, the plot, the villains and the concept of the charms on Emma’s bracelet. The gadgets are so marvellously over-the-top that I can’t help but think of James Bond.

This book would be fine read as a standalone, but there are plenty in the series for those who get hooked. I’ll be looking at the backlist now.

Keep an eye out for the animals EJ12 seems to acquire in each of the adventures.

My Fantastic Father

 My Fantastic Father (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Press)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-032-2
                                          Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

My Fantastic Father is fun! Felix and Freya have fantastic fathers and this Little Mates celebrates all they can do from fixing footballs to frying flapjacks on Fridays. The story describes how two friends decide to do something for their Dads at the Father’s Day festival.

This story is a delight to read aloud as each page is like a tongue twister. Young children will love the alliteration and laugh at the antics of Felix, Freya and their fathers and possibly think up more “F” activities that their own fathers can do.

The illustrations are charming and they bring the personalities of Felix, a kangaroo, and Freya, a crocodile, across in an interesting and light hearted way.

Little Mates is a series of alphabet books featuring Australian animals and friendships. My Fantastic Father is a stand-alone companion to this series and is out as a special for Father’s Day.

Lazy Lou Lou

Lazy Lou Lou by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $4.99 

ISBN 9781741698367

recommended for children 3 yrs+, readers 9 years+

Reviewed by Dawn Meredith

This terrific series, Little Mates is quality. McFarlane’s text is alliteration heaven and Lachlan Creagh’s illustrations are whimsical and imaginative.

Late one day, Lou Lou was languishing on her li-lo at the lake. Little Lenny was leaning over a ledge to look at larvae…

Lo and behold! Lou Lou learned it was lovely to be lively and loyal.

 Lou Lou is a lizard with attitude. At first her attitude is frowned upon – laziness was her thing. Various animal friends tried to interest her in exciting activities to no avail. But when little Lenny falls into the lake, Lou Lou dashes in and saves him, discovering to her own surprise a talent for lifesaving. Now she wears the red cap and everyone dotes on her. What a gal!

In soft back, full gloss wrap-around covers, these little sized books are cute and highly collectible. Although touted as ‘helping children learn to read,’ the actual reading age is a little higher due to the phonemic complexity of some words, ie: lethargically, laconically, laborious, languishing, which is why I have put the independent reading age at 9 years+. The meanings of some words would need explaining. However, the content could easily please a younger child when an adult reads aloud.

Dawn Meredith writes from the Blue Mountains and is a May Gibbs Fellow 2011. Her new book, The Anything Shop will be launched October 15^th. See here for details: www.dawnmeredithauthor.blogspot.com