story time books

Not a new book, but a reprinting of a ten-year-old picture book by Margaret Wild with beautiful watercolour illustrations by Kerry Argent. It’s a lovely bedtime story as Mother Sheep, Father Duck, Mother Hen and Father Pig attempt to settle their boisterous playing children for the night. But the “cheeky rascals,” little scallywags,” naughty scamps” and “fluffy tricksters” keep the play going for a while longer, first by changing places with each other, then by the tried and true procrastinatory methods of saying they need another story or two, kisses, drinks, or in the case of the piglets, “wee, wee, wee.” And then as their parents settle down for a nice cup of tea, it’s  “No more tricks now.”  “Settle down.”  “Snuggle up.”  “Sleep tight.”  “Nighty night.” Classic.

Three books by Steve Augarde,  the last of which came out in paperback last year, but one story, one that for me ticks all the boxes I need ticked for a complete reading experience. A great story set in a world that is tangible,  with all the senses stimulated?  Tick.  Characters who are believable,  fallible,  imperfect beings (whether human or not) and preferably at least some of them likeable?  Tick.  Themes which convey  understanding of the human condition and values which are preferably positive (for children’s literature in particular).  Tick.  And for bonus points, a writing style which contributes another dimension to the whole by being beautiful and warm and clever? Another tick, or two or three.  I loved the first book, thought the second was even better,  and the third pulled those two threads together in an almost magically satisfying way. No spoilers here, but the basic story revolves around Midge discovering a world of little people in the woods on her uncle’s farm, the discovery that her great, great aunt Celandine had a similar experience, and the adventures that follow.  The story moves back and forth between the world of humans and the world of the little pople, or Various in a way that seems natural and right. I’m not a Harry Potter detractor, though I did think some of the books in the series were too long, but overall I liked the series.  This trilogy though is in a different class altogether for me. I doubt Mr Augarde is in the billionaire category like J.K. Rowling, but he’s a better writer by far.  There’s very little of the darkness, and only a little of the teenage angst of some of the Potter books, so these are more suitable for a younger child, but they are still a weighty read.  Highly recommended for good readers from 10 or 11-year olds up, and adults who enjoy a good read would also find this satisfying. I certainly did.

I’ve written this review about five times, not because of any doubt about the book, but because it kept disappearing just before I realised I needed to do something about the site. Now that the maintenance is done, I can write it and believe it will stay here.

As I think I’ve written here before, Fleur Beale is always very good, but also keeps getting better with every book.This one follows the development of Ruby Yarrow as she tries to stop being a “doormat” which is what her friend Tia calls her. Ruby is a girl with a learning difficulty; she finds reading and writing extremely difficult. But she is also a very good girl, helping her mother with the smaller children,cooking and cleaning. Her brother, on the other hand, excels at school and does nothing at home. After Tia’s outburst: “I’m not talking to y9ou until you stop being a doormat,” Ruby begins to stand up for herself. Her development is beautifully portrayed. Her relationships with others, including employers, make her see that standing up for herself is worthwhile, and she learns to concentrate on her strengths, which are many, rather than the weakness she’s always seen as defining her. This is great character-driven storytelling with a wonderful climax, and an excellent read for senior primary through to secondary students. As with much fiction for young people, many adults would also enjoy this.

This is another book that’s by no means new, having been first published in 1996, but this is a new paperback edition. It’s a Preston Pig story, by Colin McNaughton, and is another “fractured fairy tale”, told partly from Preston Pig’s perspective, and partly the big bad wolf’s. Very funny, hugely expressive illustrations, a very enjoyable romp for those who already know the story of the three little pigs and little red riding hood.

I missed this when it first came out last year, and have only just received copies. It’s a sequel to Don’t Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer, a very good Australian writer who also wrote The Running Man. A lot of sequels fail to live up the promise of the original, but this one is just as funny, as real and true (emotionally) as the earlier book. Along with Ishmael and his family, Razza, Scobie, Prindabel, Bill, Barry Bagsley, the lovely and unattainable Kelly Faulkner and some of her friends reappear in this one. Lots of comment on relationships, poetry, and music, as Ishmael’s Dad’s band The Dugongs get together twenty years after their last gig. A great read for 12-year-olds and older, with lots of moments of teenage enlightenment. Even the DP at school turns out to have human qualities.

This is not a new book, having won the Carnegie Medal for author Sharon Creech in 2002, but I’ve only just read it, and need to recommend it unreservedly. It has a sort of Dickensian feel to it, with simple wise heroes and simple stupid villains. Dallas and Florida are twins who continually test and break the stupid rules in the Boxton Creek Home, where they have lived longer than anyone else. Then a couple whose children have grown and left home long ago, Tiller and Sairy Morey take them from the Home to Ruby Holler, the remote valley where they live. Tiller and Sairy have lived together for so long they want to see if they are different when they are apart. The plan is that Tiller will take Florida on a river canoe trip, and Sairy will take Dallas to the island of Kangadoon to search for the red-tailed rocking bird. It’s a wonderfully wise book with images and motifs appearing and recurring through the book. Far too complex to give a brief synopsis of, yet beautifully simple, it’s a gem of a book, with wonderful characters. Could be read by good readers over eight or nine, and will satisfy anyone above that age looking for a really good read.

This is not new, but someone asked me about it, I ordered it, and I love it. It’s the story, by Colin McNaughton and illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, of an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary boy, which is changed into the extraordinary by an inspired teacher and music. The ordinariness is emphasised by a lack of colour, but a colourful world emerges when the teacher plays music and asks the class to let the music make pictures in their heads. The ordinary boy’s life is transformed, and he goes home to dream extraordinary dreams. A great story about the power of music, and a wonderful gift for a musician or potential musician in your life.

Funny fantasy is always a bit of a treat, and when it’s New Zealand funny fantasy, even more so. This book by Craig Harrison has been on the shelf for about three months, but I’ve only just read it, and I did quite a lot of laughing out loud. There are several things I like about The Dumpster Saga. Unhappy family relationships, parent to parent, parent to child and sibling to sibling are so common in literature that it is wonderful to have a protagonist who has good relationships with his younger brother and his parents who are very supportive of both children. Ben is a fairly normal 15-year-old boy, gradually accumulating the courage to try to impress the girl of his dreams, but little brother Chesney appears with a helmet he’s found in a skip down the road. Strange (and very amusing) events surround the helmet, and the boys begin to investigate, with the help of friends. Definitely the best combination of aliens/geeks/boy-girl relationships/families and humour I’ve read. Harrison’s writing experience shows, though I think this is his first children’s book, and his comic timing is very good indeed. Good from nine to young adult, and many adults will enjoy it as much as I did.

Not a new book, but a new edition of a book originally published in 2003, Mini Grey’s picture book turns the tale upside down by telling the old favourite of the Princess and the Pea from the pea’s point of view, which makes the story slightly different, as you can imagine. Obviously better if the child who has this read to them knows the original, but it will also stand alone. A nice twist, and great illustrations.

Not a new book, having been published last year, but I’ve just read it on someone’s recommendation and it’s a very funny, very true and wonderful read which I’ll now be recommending to anyone wanting a good book for any boy from about 12 up. Ishmael is an amazing character, a tongue-in-cheek naive narrator who tells his own story. It’s about bullying, friendship, family, strengths and weaknesses, courage and all the other aspects of growing up. It’s also hilariously funny at times. Gerard Michael Bauer, author of the very good The Running Man has written another classic. I defy anyone to read it without laughing aloud.