Nuts to You (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Lynne Rae Perkins (US)
PUBLISHED: Greenwillow Books ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 235 pages ; ill.

PLOT:
When Jed the squirrel get taken by a hawk, his two best friends go on an adventure to rescue him. When Jed manages to escape the hawk's talons, he falls into unfamiliar territory, meets an interesting species of squirrel, and makes a discovery which puts his home in danger. He and his friends must get back home to warn the other squirrels.

REVIEW:
This is a cute story told through an omniscient narrator, who comments and explains elements of the story through the use of end-of-chapter footnotes and interrupting inserts. Most of these work, but some don't. Some comments are unnecessary and don't add anything to the reader's engagement or enjoyment or understanding. The footnotes would have worked better at end-of-page rather than end-of-chapter - it's distracting having to flick pages to find out what is being referenced.

The author also uses a lot of sentence fragments, including those which begin with "because" (e.g. "He did look around to see if there was a wolf. Because he was irritated, but he was not stupid.") While I'll let a fair bit slide, I get annoyed with children's literature which does not model correct grammar and sentence structure.

When Jed meets the red squirrels, they speak differently (which is spelt differently). E.g. "Tell abowt the wolf" "You'll be roight b'fore y'knowit" "Be loik wooter" [Tell about the wolf / You'll be right before you know it / Be like water]. While I think this works well, some children may struggle to understand and decode this.

All-in-all, I liked this story a lot more than I thought I would, and would freely recommend it to most children aged 8-12, and read it to ages 6 and 7 (leaving out the footnotes, which generally just interrupt the story when reading aloud).

AGE: 8-12.
GENRE: Adventure.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

The Scavengers (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Michael Perry (US)
PUBLISHED: Harper ; 2014.
PAGES/ILL: ~322 pages.

PLOT:
When the world started to fall apart, the government gave everyone two choices: move into the Bubble Cities...or take their chances outside. Maggie's family chose the latter, and they have been living off the land ever since. They have friends, and Maggie seems to have found her place, renaming herself Ford Falcon after the rusted out car in which she lives.
Then one day she returns from visiting their friends to find her family's house ransacked and her parents missing.
As she uncovers the secrets her father has kept from her, as well as the truth about how the government took over, she must find the strength to be true to herself and save her family at the same time.

REVIEW:
This story was a lot better than I thought it would be. It has very strong underlying political messages (such as big government, control, genetically modified foods, and the environment), so I would recommend parents or teachers reading it first so that they can discuss any questions that might come up.
This book has a strong heroine, and emphasises family and friendship. This is a middle-grade book and would be a suitable first-dystopia for children in upper primary school as an introduction to the genre. I've classed it as Middle Grade because it's below YA, but this is one where you would need to know the child and the book to make your own judgement about whether it is appropriate for a child at the younger end of Middle Grade.

AGE: 11+.
GENRE: Adventure, Soft dystopia.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Aviary Wonders Inc. (PB)

FULL TITLE: Aviary Wonders Inc. Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual : renewing the world's bird supply since 2031.
AUTHOR: Kate Samworth (USA)
PUBLISHED: Clarion Books, c2014.
PAGES/ILL: 31 pages, illustrations.

PLOT:
In a future when deforestation and other environmental factors have caused many bird species to go extinct, businessman Alfred Wallis offers a catalog of parts for creating replacements, from hand-carved beaks to Italian-leather feet. Mix-and-match wings, beaks, crests, legs, and more. Clients discover problems when they try to mix and match parts that don't work together.

REVIEW:
The book takes a humorous look at a future where you can create a bird in much the same way that one would make something out of Lego, or in a build-a-bear store (except that this pet is alive). It is very creative, funny, and though-provoking.

It would be a good discussion prompt in sustainability and environmental lessons - what will the future be like if our wildlife disappears? For light-hearted imagination, children can imagine what bird they would create themselves.

AGE: 7-12. This picture book may be read/browsed by children aged 4+, but the deeper storyline, the environmental message and the humour is ideal for older children.

GENRE: Fantasy fiction
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars.

Rainforest VS Rainforest (NF) (compare)

For the first time, I am comparing two titles. Both are Non Fiction for Primary school ages (middle primary and up), on the topic of rainforests around the world, published in the same year and in the same country.

1)
AUTHOR: Penny Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris.
PUBLISHED: England : Scholastic, 2013.

2)
AUTHOR: Elinor Greenwood.
PUBLISHED: England : Dorling Kindersley, 2013.

Both present roughly the same information (e.g the different layers of the rainforest, where they grow, what animals live there, what is unique about the ecosystem, why they are important to the environment of the world, etc). The most significant difference is that the second title does not make mention of the Papua New Guinea rainforest (the first one does). PNG rainforest is one of the most significant in the world. New species are discovered there each year. It's like writing a book about deserts, but leaving out the Middle East.

There ARE different approaches to how the titles present the information, and what facts are given prominence. Each title has information the other does not, but the absence of PNG in the second is starkly notable. There is nothing wrong with the second title (it has its place in a school and public library), but it highlights the importance of having a range of titles on the same topic available to children, and in some cases they will need adult guidance to help them understand that accessing more than one title will give them a more comprehensive view of the topic.

AGE: Middle to upper primary. RATING: Both are more than adequate NF resources.

Cloth from the Clouds (PB)

AUTHOR: Michael Catchpool ; ILLUSTRATOR: Alison Jay
PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT:
The boy who spins cloth from the clouds is wise. He spins only enough cloth for a warm winter scarf, not one stitch more. But a greedy King sees the marvellous cloth and demands that the boy spin cloaks and gowns galore. Soon there are fewer clouds in the sky and finally the rain stops. Will it be possible to undo the damage?

REVIEW:
The story aims to promote a sense of care and respect for the natural environment and illustrates the impact humans can have through greed and thoughtless selfishness.

AGE: 3-7
RATING: 4 stars

Ten Tiny Things (PB)

AUTHOR: Meg McKinlay ; ILLUSTRATOR: Kyle Hughes-Odgers
PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT:
Tessa and Zachary have a machine that is swift and splendiferous. Every day it carries them from here to there and back again in cool calm comfort. But one morning, the machine breaks down. To their horror, Tessa and Zachary are forced to walk to school. Along the way, they find things that are smooth and blue, shiny and red - ten tiny things. The next day their machine is fixed, but they chose to walk - it is an excellent walk, simple and splendiferous.

REVIEW:
The description of a car without saying it's a car (swift and splediferous machine) is a nice touch. It adds that extra little layer of fantasy without losing touch with reality. It makes the children appear to live in an alien land, while children still know exactly what they are talking about. The focus on observation skills and looking at things with new eyes is dealt with in a very cute way and would be the perfect segue to a nature walk.

AGE: 4-8
RATING: 4 1/2 stars

This Moose Belongs to Me (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2012

An exquisite tale of Wilfred who finds a moose and takes ownership of him and calls him Marcel. Marcel is mostly an obedient pet, but Wilfred soon finds that Marcel answers to other names. A beautiful story about the "ownership" of wild animals.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school age
RATING: 5 stars

Where the Forest Meets the Sea (PB)

AUTHOR: Jeannie Baker (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 1988

REVEIW: In a combination of realism and fantasy, WTFMTS tells the story of a young boy visiting a Nth Queensland island with his grandfather.  Through his eyes we see the past, present, and possible future of pristine rainforest.
The book has strong environmentalist themes.

AGE: 5-10
RATING: 5 stars