The Wolf’s Howl

The Wolf’s Howl by AL Tait (Penguin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781761041792

This latest children’s novel by Australian author AL Tait taps into her passion for historical fiction and adventure. Maven and Reeve are recurring characters who appear in a series of mystery books written by Tait. Maven, a quick-witted 15-year-old lady’s companion, and Reeve, a squire with a secret, find themselves at the far-flung and gloomy Glawn Castle while Sir Garrick secretly searches for supporters of the rebellion. But when a cook goes missing and the Airl's personal guards take more than a passing interest in the disappearance, danger looms and the potential for discovery grows. Can Maven and Reeve solve the mystery . . . or will they be unmasked and sentenced with treason?

This middle grade fiction book is just right for younger readers who want a fast-paced adventure set in the past. Maven and Reeve are a good team who have many ups and downs, and together face disastrous predicaments.

The previous book in the Maven and Reeve mystery series, The Fire Star, was a CBCA Notable Book in 2021.

The Ghost of Howlers Beach

The Ghost of Howlers Beach by Jackie French (Angus & Robertson) PB

RRP $16.99 ISBN: 9781460757727

Reviewed by Jeffery E Doherty

The Ghost of Howlers Beach is the latest historical fiction book for children by Jackie French and appears to be the first in a series called The Butter O’Bryan Mysteries. The story takes place on the east coast of NSW, in the early 1930’s during the Great Depression.

Twelve-year-old Butter lives in a Very Small Castle with his Father and three aunts, whose real names are not Aunt Elephant, Aunt Peculiar and Aunt Cake. Although Butter is the grandson of one of Australia’s most successful Jam Kings, he is still aware of the hardships and suffering of the people around him. This becomes more apparent after meeting three children and their dog playing cricket on his beach. Butter believes the children are from the nearby susso (sustenance payment) camp. The children are secretive and when they vanish, Butter wonders, who are these children and why they refuse his help? He is certain Gil, Olive and little Tish are hiding a secret and he is determined to uncover it.

  

You can teach children facts and figures about events in history like the Great Depression, polio epidemics, the aftermath of war, rampant unemployment and the suffering and helplessness of people who can’t even afford to feed their families. I remember learning about these topics in school, but they had no tangible effect on me because it was almost impossible to conceptualise what living in those hard times would be like.

Jackie French lures the reader into this world through the eyes of her naive and caring narrator, Butter. He comes from a wealthy family and is not suffering like the families living in the Susso camp, but his family is broken in other ways. This is a story that touches the heart and brings history to life in a way my history teachers never did.

One of the main take-a-ways from this book for me was the reoccurring theme of helplessness. The helplessness of the damaged soldiers returning from war, the unemployed and their families living in desperate poverty, the children living in fear of being taken away by the authorities, but also the helplessness of  kind-hearted people who see such enormous issues and cannot find a way that they can make a difference. This is a theme that has great relevance with current issues like the recent devastating bush fires, the refugee crisis and climate change.

The Ghost of Howlers Beach is an excellent book and I highly recommend it for readers 8-12 years old. I would also recommend it to teachers who want to bring this period of history to life for their students. There are some great teaching resources at the back of the book dealing with the cause of the Great Depression, the Susso, making do, Indigenous Dispossession, Don Bradman, as well as some interesting recipes from the time.

The Secret of the Youngest Rebel

The Secret of the Youngest Rebel by Jackie French (Harper Collins) RRP $14.99 (PB) ISBN 9781460754801

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

Set in Sydney in 1804, this junior fiction novel is about Frog, a young orphan surviving on the streets of Parramatta, despite a set of difficult circumstances. Not knowing who either parent is, Frog sleeps at Ma Grimsby’s pie shop in return for some pick-pocketing (or ‘dambling’). While stealing an apple pie, Frog meets the Irishman Phillip Cunningham, who is kind. Frog then follows Phillip who is the leader of the ‘Castle Hill Rebellion’.

The shanty town where Frog lives is not painted in an appealing light. The currency is rum. Most people are either convicts or ex-convicts, with the scars to prove it. Frog is constantly hungry, unwashed and always on guard, but at the same time not complaining, just getting by in the best way possible.

When Frog meets Phillip, another kind of life presents itself. Freedom becomes an ideal and Frog joins up with the soldiers, willing to fight. Unfortunately, because this is based on true history, the ‘Republic of New Ireland’ never comes about. But Frog does find another kind of hope.

The best thing about this story is the twist, which I didn’t guess at all, so I’m not going to give it away. Also, very effective are descriptions of early colonial Sydney – the smell of wood smoke and the taste of greasy salt mutton. Aptly depicted on the front cover, the character of Frog is the other best thing about the story. From the first introduction, any reader will be on Frog’s side.

Author’s notes at the back include a glossary (with words like ‘gammon’ and ‘Shank’s pony’). Also included are notes about the Castle Hill Rebellion, Phillip Cunningham and the transportation of Irish people to Australia.

The Secret of the Youngest Rebel is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational story for primary school children.

1931 Tough Times

1931 Tough Times by S. Mitchell (Puffin Books)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 9789143398910

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

If you’re a child aged 8 to 12 years who wonders what it would have been like to live in Australian during the 1930’s Depression, this is the book for you. The historically fictional story, part of the Do You Dare series, is set in Melbourne where Tom Parker and his mates, the Daredevils, enjoy playing cricket in the Fitzroy alleyways. Tom’s Dad, who works in a boot factory, loses his job which has everyone worried as employment lines are long and work is scarce. Dad invests the last of his money – the rent money – on Phar Lap, racing in the Melbourne Cup, but unfortunately this is a race in which the great horse is unplaced. This losing bet places the family is peril as the rent man threatens to evict them. On top of this, Dad gets drunk and then there’s no money at all. A determined Tom feels it is up to him to find the ten pound that’s needed to save the family. For this, he decides he needs the help of his mates and the family dog, Fungus.

Tough Times is an appropriate title for this novel that manages to capture the spirit of the 1930s. Historical details ring true so the reader becomes immersed in a world where people suffer through adversity but do so with hope and hard work. Tom’s hopes hinge on Fungus being successful in a competition offered by MacPherson Robertson (of chocolate fame and one of the richest men at the time in Australia).

Time and again there are exciting action scenes where cheerful characters and not-so-likable ones, interact with one another. The themes of friendship, loyalty, self-belief and hope are woven into a story which rings true, a time in Australia’s history that helped to establish the nation’s character. Boys in particular are sure to enjoy this uplifting, engaging and past-paced yarn.

Come August, Come Freedom

Come August, Come Freedom by Gigi Amateau (Candlewick/Walker Books)

PB RRP $17.95

ISBN 9780763668709

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Gigi Amateau has created an outstanding historical factional novel on the African American slaves of the mid to late 1700s. The main character Gabriel was a real person, and it is around his life that the story is built.

Gabriel is born on the Brookfield plantation and belongs to Thomas Prosser along with his two brothers and parents. He is educated with Prosser’s son, Thomas Henry, and grows into an intelligent person who looks and acts much older than his years.

After Gabriel’s father is taken away never to return, Gabriel and his brother Solomon are sent to the smithy to learn and take over their father’s trade. It is while in Richmond, that his mind further expands when he witnesses further unrelenting injustices of white landowners against the working slaves.

He dreams of becoming like Toussaint L’Ouverture, the leader of the Saint Domingue rebellion, known as the black general, which saw the slaves revolt and gain freedom. This is what Gabriel wanted for his people above all else. It was toward this end that plans were made for that dream to come true in October 1800.

Woven into the historical events is a powerful love story between Gabriel and Nan, the slave girl he loved from childhood. His other longing was to purchase her freedom, so their children could also be born free.

But conspiracy, treachery, and betrayal via promises of reward from people he trusted, tragically end Gabriel’s dream.

These dramatic times in American history are portrayed in lyrical prose with deep spiritual content that reflects the hearts and minds of the slaves of Virginia. Reading about their inhuman treatment and the control by whip of their owners, brought frequent tears to my eyes. But nothing could stop me from continuing.

This is a book of incredible depth and valuable historical content. It will propel the reader to further examine the history of the times and the evolution of the slave trade. It unearths the unshakable faith, strength, courage and determination to gain freedom nurtured by the African American slaves in the face of continued brutality, injustice, suffering and death.

The Devil and his Boy

The Devil and his Boy by Anthony Horowitz (Walker Books)

PB RRP $12.95

ISBN 9781406357684

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Anthony Horowitz believes that teaching history to children has to be fun. In The Devil and his Boy, he has chosen the year 1593 and Queen Elizabeth 1 to prove that learning history can be an exciting adventure.

The Queen is sixty years old. She has secrets about her past that she wants answers to. The wizard, John Dee, is the only one that can give them to her.

Tom Falconer, a thirteen year old orphan, is a slave to a heartless couple. When the stranger, Sir William Hawkins comes to take him away, he has nothing to lose. Things go wrong and Hawkins is murdered by Ratsey, a notorious highway man. Tom escapes towards London, and is saved from death by the thief Moll Cutpurse.

These main characters’ lives are twisted together in a thrilling mystery that involves Tom’s real identity. The story includes the young William Shakespeare, the Rose Theatre, and a troupe of mysterious actors who are not what they seem. All this is plaited in with conspiracy and betrayal in the Queen’s court.

I sped through this terrific mystery novel. Readers of all ages will learn a vast amount about early England, people’s way of life and early death, poverty, and how orphans were used and abused by unscrupulous people cloaked as protectors, to make money.

Fast-paced and absorbing, the talented Horowitz has made history interesting and entertaining just as he set out to do.

Pa Joe’s Place

Pa Joe’s Place by Clancy Tucker (Clancy Tucker Publishing)

PB RRP $25.00 plus postage E-Book $2.99

ISBN 9780646572208

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Boo is a Thai girl, the youngest of seven children and seven years old. Extremely bright, courageous, optimistic and mature in her outlook, she always sees the best in every person and situation. Accepting of her circumstances, she obediently leaves her family, home, best friend and dying father, and sets out on a journey over 1,000 kilometres to Songkhla in the south, to be cared for and educated by Jesuit priest Pa Joe along with his other 155 orphans.

She finds another father, a new family and friends, and the opportunity to become something wonderful and experiences the greatest adventure of her life, which includes helping survivors of a train wreck, catching criminals, and meeting strangers whose lives she touches in significant ways.

This deeply moving story is inspired by and dedicated to real people: Boo Nawigamune, and Father Joe Carey who for 50 years, against great odds and with the help of many compassionate and generous people, cared for children he found on the streets of Thailand.  

Clancy Tucker has mapped out a superb social, cultural, and geographical picture of Thailand, and used it as background to his story. Tucker’s intimate knowledge of the country and the people gives an added richness and realism to every page of a story filled with inspiration and love.

Miss Emily

Miss Emily by Burleigh Muten, illustrated by Matt Phelan (Walker Books)

HC RRP $ 19.95

ISBN 9780763657345

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Almost everyone knows the poet Emily Dickinson. In this verse novel, we get an insight into her private life and her incredible enjoyment of life which she shared with her nieces, nephews, and their friends with whom Emily spent a great deal of time in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Theirs was a world of make-believe and imagination. Filled with adventure and daring, the story portrays a freedom and way of life unknown to children of today. Play and invention, and the art of storytelling fill the pages. The properness of the era, the regard one person had for the other, and the gentility of life one hundred years ago is strongly represented.

The story is told from the point of view of the youngest member of the group Mac Jenkins, son of Pastor Jenkins, a close friend of Emily’s. Mac later became a writer and wrote several books on Emily Dickinson.

This is an adventure filled with delight and memories. Emily takes her band of young friends on a secret midnight excursion to see the circus arrive by train. Dressed as Amherst gypsies, the outing becomes a play, as do most of their get-togethers. The real gypsies discover the group and draw them into their circle for an added experience. They slip back into the night as quietly as they came, trying to keep their outing a secret.

But a fall causes Mac to sprain his ankle and their escapade is uncovered. Instead of punishment, the Pastor takes the children to the circus. It becomes a night to remember.

It is beautifully told in perfect prose by the gifted Burleigh Muten, a member of the Emily Dickinson International Society, and stunningly interpreted by the highly acclaimed author-illustrator, Matt Phelan. Their collaboration has created a collector’s delight.

The characters in the book were real people. A short biography in the historical notes at the end allows us to learn something about their lives. Included is a rich bibliography. 

That Stranger Next Door

That Stranger Next Door by Goldie Alexander (Clan Destine Press)

PB RRP $18.00 Available also as EBook

ISBN 9780992492434

EBook ISBN 9780992492441

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

It’s 1954. The Petrov scandal has made the news and the threat of communism casts shadows everywhere. A stranger moves into the empty flat above the Milk Bar next to Ruth and her family. The secrecy leads Ruth to believe that the woman is Eva Petrov. A strong friendship is formed between the two.

Ruth, highly intelligent and a scholarship student, is struggling to follow her own path in life regardless of the rigid restrictions imposed upon her by her family. Her dream of becoming a doctor is unacceptable to Ruth’s mother who sees it as too costly, and ‘who will want to marry a girl who looks at naked men?’ The idea of any kind of friendship/relationship with anyone of a different culture or religion is also forbidden. This becomes an issue for Ruth when she meets and falls in love with Catholic boy Patrick.

Goldie Alexander has created a riveting story with many layers to it. It is told through two points of view by the main characters. This approach gives a close and intimate look into their thoughts which adds mystery and tension, and keeps the pages turning.

The reader is immediately pulled into the era and setting. Its strong sense of place and time, descriptive historical happenings, social and political climate, class distinctions, and post-war prejudices, are plaited into a Romeo and Juliet romance that threads its way through the pages.

Perhaps Goldie Alexander’s best work yet, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, between the ages of 14-104, due to the many themes and issues covered.

It should be noted that some scenes contain sexual content.

Infinity Ring: Cave Of Wonders

Infinity Ring: Cave Of Wonders by Matthew J. Kirby (Scholastic Inc)

HB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-0-545–38700-2

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

It is the year 1258. Europe is cloaked in the Dark Age while the great city of Baghdad has become a centre of learning for scholars, merchants and explorers. It is in this foreign Arab world, that Dak, Sera and Riq must now navigate the narrow alleyways and exotic spice and rug markets to identify SQ Agents from Hystorians and fulfil their next mission. They must prevent a great library, The House of Wisdom, from being destroyed by the enemy.

In their ‘own time’, the children's world is being split apart by cataclysmic events, caused by rips in history. It is up to them to travel time, repairing these gaps where they can. Along their journey Sera, Dak and Riq are helped by Hystorians, custodians of true history. But there are also SQ Agents at every turn, desperate to prevent the children from setting history straight.

Cave of Wonders is the fifth book in the time travelling, multi-platformed adventure series, Infinity Ring. Each book is written by a different author and continues the adventure undertaken by three children in an effort to save the world. There is a top secret clue, hidden inside the cover of the book, which may be opened at the conclusion of the story. This clue gives access to a new adventure awaiting the reader on www.infinityring.com 

This fast paced, time travelling adventure series is a good one for eight to fourteen year olds.

To See the World

To See the World by Elaine Forrestal (National Library of Australia)

PB RRP $17.99

ISBN 9780642278494

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

To See the World is highly acclaimed author Elaine Forrestal’s new book. A fictional account of Rose de Freycinet’s voyage on the Uranie (1817-1820), it is based on Rose’s journal kept in the National Library of Australia.

The story is narrated by Jose, an illiterate mulatto, who dreamed of being a famous sea captain and encounters with pirates and cannibals. A real person, Jose begins his journey as a cabin boy, knowing nothing but how to be free and wild. He ends it literate in more than letters; with experiences that would have killed a weaker spirit. This is a wonderful adventure of courage and determination whichever way you look at it.

With women prohibited on state ships, Rose de Freycinet dressed as a man and boarded the vessel to be close to her husband, Louis, Commander of the Uranie. He had a passion for terrestrial magnetism, astronomy and meteorology, and meticulously charted every detail of his research and discoveries.  

Rose’s life is a magnificently recorded document. She spent the entire journey educating Jose, recording everything she heard, saw, and experienced. Rose became the ‘first European woman to write an account of her circumnavigation of the world’. The Uranie was shipwrecked on the Falkland Islands on its return voyage in February, 1820.

Elaine Forrestal has recreated a breathtaking vision of this real event. From the beginning of this love story amidst a great historical event, she has filled each page with excitement, courage and resilience. The book ends in two pages of references and a Glossary. More on this extraordinary voyage can be found in the NLA archives. 

Midnight Burial

Midnight Burial by Pauline Deeves (National Library of Australia)

PB RRP $ 14.99

ISBN 9780642278500

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Pauline Deeves has built a wonderful story around the mysterious and sudden death of Lizzie, one of four daughters of a wealthy sheep farmer, in the Australia of 1868. Lizzie’s death is the central stone around which all the rich history of that era is constructed. The narrative is comprised of diary entries and letters from and between the female characters presenting varying points of view. There are dramatic descriptions of life and living, employment, men’s attitudes, and social norms. Beautiful scenes incorporating the natural surroundings add a newsreel effect to the prose.

Ten year old Florence and her sisters live subject to the harsh commands of their father. His authoritarian rule diminishes their dreams and silences any opinions they have. But the three older girls are strong-willed and strong-minded.

When Florence is told that Lizzie has died suddenly due to the fever, she refuses to believe her healthy sister could die so suddenly. The burial takes place late at night without a doctor or a minister attending. All her clothes are burnt, except her fur coat that is nowhere to be found. Jane the second eldest descends into silence.

Florence’s schooling is taken up by Lizzie’s best friend, Susannah, a liberal thinker who allows the child freedom to flourish.

Father is a keeper of secrets. When he is attacked by bushrangers and almost dies, he undergoes a complete change of character. Secrets are revealed. So is the truth about Lizzie’s death. Jane is also transformed by her new found freedom, leadership qualities and her determination to prove herself.

The story accents the role of women in society and at home, and showcases strong, independent female characters whose courageous spirit and liberal ideas influenced the course of history. It further depicts the discrimination that convicts and their descendents experienced. This outstanding book was inspired by a true story discovered within the collection of the National Library of Australia. 

Infinity Ring 4: Curse of the Ancients

Infinity Ring 4: Curse of the Ancients by Matt De La Rena (Scholastic Inc.)

HB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-0-545–38699-9

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Sera, Dak and Riq are still fighting against the end of history as they know it. They are fighting for the continuance of their world and fighting to gain the ‘remnants’ which float just outside of corners of their memories. To do this they must keep travelling through time repairing tears in history which threaten to rip huge holes in the very fabric of the world causing cataclysmic events – flooding, earthquakes and extreme weather patterns.

In this book, as they travel towards the year 1562 and the ancient Mayan civilisation, Sera has a horrifying glimpse of the ‘Cataclysm’ and begins to understand that it is not only the disintegration of the world that is at stake if they fail, but also the disintegration of the worlds’ people. Throughout this Mayan adventure Sera is unable to tell Riq and Dak what she has witnessed which leaves her feeling even more alone.

As in previous books, Time Wardens and their SQ foe are lurking in the surrounding population. Hystorians, however, do not yet exist in this part of the world which makes it harder for the children to find allies to trust to help them in their mission.

The ancient Mayan civilisation is the setting for Curse of the Ancients. The Mayan society, beliefs and codex are a fascinating part of history and this small glimpse into their Mayan lives, is an important part of this gripping adventure.

As each book in the Infinity Ring series is written by a different author, each story has a slightly different feel which fits nicely with the different settings and historical context. While it means not all the threads are picked up in every story, the three characters remain consistent. Each book could stand alone but it would be better to read them in order. This thrilling adventure ride for eight to fourteen year olds, continues to get more complex as the series progresses.

Curse of the Ancients continues the multi-platform adventure series, Infinity Ring and like the other books, includes a top secret clue to be opened at the adventures conclusion. This gives access to a new adventure on www.infinityring.com which the reader may then embark upon while waiting for the next instalment of the series.

Room for a Stranger

Room for a Stranger by Ann Turnbull (Walker Books)

PB RRP $14.95

ISBN 9781406331059

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The last book of this outstanding trilogy winds up in 1941. The two older girls have moved out and joined the WAAF. Father has died from lung disease. Lennie now fifteen years old, and the man of the house, works down in the mines, while Mother works screening and sorting.

When the war starts in 1939, and evacuees are billeted out to homes in the countryside, Rhoda Kelly comes into Doreen’s life. Intelligent, questioning and interested in everything, she shares Doreen’s room and eclipses her life.

Rhoda’s mother, an actress, is too absorbed in herself to care about her child. So Rhoda has also learnt to act and pretend, and has become far too confident and capable for a thirteen year old. It isn’t until Doreen sees the other side of Rhoda’s life that she comes to understand that everything isn’t always what it appears to be, and being loved is the greatest longing in every human life.

Here the trilogy comes full circle with the family making a life in whatever way possible to see out the war years. This impressive series was inspired by the local history of south-east London where the author grew up.  The excellent characters, strong narrative and great sense of time and place add credence to the fictional part of the story.  This series comes highly recommended.

No Friend of Mine

No Friend of Mine by Ann Turnbull (Walker Books)

PB RRP $14.95

ISBN 9781406324778

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

In the second book of the series following Pigeon Summer, it is now 1937. The focus is on Lennie, Mary’s younger brother who just wants to draw all that he sees around him of nature.  Both Mary and her sister Phyl are working, and baby Doreen is now at school. Father has returned but cannot do more than care for the pigeons due to his wheezing miner’s lungs.

At school, boys led by the vicious bully Bert, continue their callous and brutal daily attack on Lennie. A last effort to escape the bullies leads Lennie to the remains of an old stone cottage which becomes a refuge, and place for privacy away from his cramped home.

But rich boy Ralph, whose father owns the mines, has also claimed this place. He too, needs a refuge away from home. They create an imaginative world full of adventure and interest together, and build a friendship; something that neither had ever had before.

Angelmonster

Angelmonster by Veronica Bennett (Walker Books)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN 9781406306002
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The first time I read work by Victoria Bennett was years ago when I came across Shakespeare’s Apprentice. What an astonishing talent this writer is! I couldn’t put this title down.

Angelmonster is a mix of history and fiction. These combinations inform and entertain simultaneously. We share the life of Mary Wollstonecraft and her fierce passion for the poet Shelly. Sorrow at the loss of their children to illness is juxtaposed against the flame that burned between them. There is an astonishing sadness when human weakness leads to betrayal and loss of trust between the deeply loving couple. I devoured each page of this stunning portrayal of life between these two famous people and the incredible strength of their love. It was perfectly plaited into the beauty of the settings, descriptions of scenery, and powerful prose.

The depiction of Wollstonecraft’s strong, independent and rebellious spirit, and her outspoken nature that was never bothered by conventions or religion, is superb. Bennett has captured the era and the language of the time perfectly, making the reader a participant rather than an observer.

Kizzy Ann Stamps

Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jeri Watts (Walker Books)
PB RRP $12.95
ISBN 9780763669768
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

It is 1963 and a historical era for African Americans. Prejudice and segregation is still rife, but Kizzy has been taught well by her family to treat all people equally and believe that one day, she will be treated as an equal. This is the premise of the story.

The only living thing that feels her and knows her completely is her border collie, Shag. The special bond between dog and human is one of the several moving and perhaps dominant sub-stories that are threaded into the happenings of Kizzy’s life and the era.

Kizzy Ann’s story is told in letters to her soon-to-be teacher at her new, integrated school. It continues via journal entries after all the class receives journals to record their work. This way we learn a lot about Kizzy’s life, her family and their moral codes. We also get an intimate look into white people’s attitudes and prejudices, but also their ability to accept change and evolve, especially in the face of kindness and compassion regardless of the colour from which these virtues come.

Jeri Watts has used her own life experiences to create characters that are totally convincing. This superbly crafted book is reminiscent of Alice Monroe’s magnificent character driven works. Watts has observed and listened to people just like Monroe had and has written about what’s imprinted in her memory and psyche.

Kizzy’s voice and emotions are captured and portrayed convincingly and with clarity. The beautiful language reflects the spiritual richness of the African American people and the moral laws they lived by. This is a book that will never leave my house. It will be frequently tasted, like a sweet that you can’t get enough of.

Gallipoli Medals

Gallipoli Medals by Goldie Alexander, illustrated by Mignon Watson (ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee)
PB RRP $10.95
ISBN 9780980448054
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

This wonderful book is a valuable resource for young readers with its unique approach to the legend of ANZAC. The story is told through two points of view: the diary entries of eleven year old Jaxson today and those of Private Jack Donaghue during 1915.

Jaxson is surprised to learn that an ANZAC Commemorative Medallion belonging to his great great uncle, Private Jack Donaghue has been found in an Op Shop. The purchaser, Major Peter Romsey, is trying to track down the relatives of the owner. This sparks an examination of Jack Donaghue’s life. More so, when Jaxson’s school project uncovers more questions and answers about the Great War.

Another thread through the book is the close relationship between Jaxson and his Turkish mate Abi. After learning about Great Great Uncle Jack, dynamics change between Jaxson and Abi. Jaxson has mixed feelings about the reasons for the War and how enemies can become friends. Abi can’t understand why things are different.

The friends struggle with this dilemma. We share their fears, the questioning and reasoning, and view their painful journey through doubt to the exultant resolution.

This superbly illustrated book of historical fiction (with a map of the ANZAC area at the end) is presented in a fine prose style. While made up of a compact 28 pages, it holds extensive information and important themes and is ideal for readers of all ages.

That Boy Jack

That Boy Jack by Janeen Brian (Walker Books)
PB RRP $16.95
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Jack and Gilbert have been mates from the age of six. They are miners’ sons and have made a promise to follow in their fathers’ footsteps when they reach the age of fourteen. Jack’s mother has other dreams for her bright and promising son. 

When Gilbert’s father is badly injured at work and there’s no income to feed their large family, Gilbert begins work at the picky-table. He reminds Jack of his promise. Jack, regardless of other dreams but tightly bound to his childhood promise, reluctantly leaves school at the age of twelve and joins Gilbert. Jack believed that he and Gilbert were the same. When he goes down a shaft and sees how miners work with the pick, and experiences the fear of the darkness, he realises they are different.

Gilbert’s father’s legs are amputated after infection sets in and his family are forced to accept a new proposition in Adelaide. The friends are separated and Jack returns to school. But things have changed there too. The new school master subjects him to brutal punishment daily. The class bully shows no mercy, and his life without word from Gilbert grows more complex each day as he suffers degradation without being able to tell his parents what is going on.

‘There is nothing so terrible that you can’t speak of it’, the doctor tells him. Jack’s greatest challenge is to find the courage to reshape his life, beginning by sharing his problems with the people who love him most.

This is a moving coming of age story set in Moonta, South Australia, 1874. It shows an in-depth view of life in the mines and the prefiguring of boys’ lives to follow in their father’s footsteps.

The River Charm

The River Charm by Belinda Murrell (Random House Australia Children’s)
PB RRP $15.95
ISBN 9781742757124
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9781742757131
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

As a child I loved Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and Ethel Turner’s Seven Little Australians. Both were written in the 19th century and both were written with finesse and emotion, with the grittiness of life’s adventures at their cores.

Murrell’s evocative book, The River Charm, had the same captivating effect. I was transported into the lives of Murrell’s own forebears, the Atkinson’s of Oldbury, near Berrima in the southern highlands of NSW. It was a time of bushrangers, home schooling, aboriginal chiefs and life on the land. Koalas were called native bears; children caught yabbies in creeks and even had the rare privilege of attending corroborees.

The story is introduced through the eyes of 21st century Millie as she and her family holiday with great aunt Jessamine who is looking after the Oldbury estate. Jessamine is wearing a charm bracelet that holds the history of their family in the charms. One charm is a river pebble. As Jessamine tells Millie its history, Millie sees a girl dressed in white flit across the lawn, the story then timeslips to1839.

Based on Murrell’s family tales of Charlotte Atkinson, we start the story with the troubles facing the family after the death of Charlotte’s father. Her mamma is left with four children to raise. She unwisely marries a man who soon shatters their lives by his brutality and abusive behaviour.

Mamma’s strength of character shines through as she gathers her children and leaves the family home in the depths of night. Charlotte’s brother James carves his initials into the fireplace before he leaves, ‘I wanted to leave my name as a record that we belong here and Oldbury belongs to us.’ They ride their horses on a perilous journey south, through rugged bush and treacherous terrain to the safety of a shepherds’ hut on the Shoalhaven.

Towards the end of the book, Charlotte, now 15, attends her first ball in Sydney. She falls in love with the handsome Will Cummings. This is sure to fire the imagination of readers as we turn the pages to see what happens.

The River Charm would be a wonderful asset to any junior high school English program. The ties with Australian history, the drama of the narrative and the quality of the writing are testimony to this.

As with Murrell’s forebear, Charlotte Waring Atkinson, the author of the first children’s book published in Australia, Murrell shares the family genes of storytelling. A riveting read for girls aged 10 – 14.