Robert Bright's 'The Travels of Ching' take the reader on an unexpected journey from a doll maker in the depths of China, to a toy shop and to a tea merchant with a ricksha and all the way to America. The story is simply told with sparce illustrations that whet the imagination and encourage the reader's empathy for the little doll, Ching.
The beauty of this well presented little book is that it certainly may be read as the simple story of a doll, but as an adult I couldn't help but read it as a metaphor for a person's life's journey. Whilst we may not get sold to a tea merchant, our own lives take many unexpected twists and turns, some are positive and some make us feel like, well, a doll that's been discarded in the snow (not a plot spoiler). The whimsical story is sweet and uplifting for children and adult readers alike.
The beauty of this well presented little book is that it certainly may be read as the simple story of a doll, but as an adult I couldn't help but read it as a metaphor for a person's life's journey. Whilst we may not get sold to a tea merchant, our own lives take many unexpected twists and turns, some are positive and some make us feel like, well, a doll that's been discarded in the snow (not a plot spoiler). The whimsical story is sweet and uplifting for children and adult readers alike.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
This collection of stories by award winning young adult writers is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit – especially if Christmas, for you, involves snow storms, Starbucks grande mocha lattes and a good snog.
Jubilee Express ~ Maureen Johnson
It’s not difficult to love this story because the main character, Jubilee, is such a champion! It’s Christmas Eve; Jubilee can’t make it to her über perfect boyfriend’s Christmas smorgasbord because her parents have just been arrested and she’s packed off on a train to her Grandparents. Then there’s a snow storm.
This story features not just one but THREE handsome guys (she’s no floozy – I’m just saying they’re all in there as Christmas kiss contenders). It also features 14 cheerleaders whose company she may or may not enjoy.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle ~ John Green
If you’re familiar with John Green’s Looking for Alaska (brilliant!) or Paper Towns (also good) then the plot of this story will come as no surprise to you; a well adjusted guy and two witty mates have an adventure involving a car and a spirited female. The twist here is one of the witty mates is the spirited female. It’s a good read.
The Patron Saint of Pigs ~ Lauren Myracle
The final story involves one of those girls, Addie, who believes that the world revolves around them. It also involves a teacup piglet (yes; a pig that fits in a teacup – I want one). The piglet is the redeeming feature of the story along with the tenuous links show more to the Angel Gabriel and the ‘true spirit’ of Christmas.
The beauty of this collection is that the stories overlap; the stories, their characters and the potential for an epic kiss and a Christmas miracle (occasionally one and the same thing). This book reminded me of Love Actually minus the porn stars and Prime Minister. It’s a well written, collection of comic romances with a Christmas theme and a Starbucks/Waffle House flavour.
written for : kingstonlibraries.net/ show less
Jubilee Express ~ Maureen Johnson
It’s not difficult to love this story because the main character, Jubilee, is such a champion! It’s Christmas Eve; Jubilee can’t make it to her über perfect boyfriend’s Christmas smorgasbord because her parents have just been arrested and she’s packed off on a train to her Grandparents. Then there’s a snow storm.
This story features not just one but THREE handsome guys (she’s no floozy – I’m just saying they’re all in there as Christmas kiss contenders). It also features 14 cheerleaders whose company she may or may not enjoy.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle ~ John Green
If you’re familiar with John Green’s Looking for Alaska (brilliant!) or Paper Towns (also good) then the plot of this story will come as no surprise to you; a well adjusted guy and two witty mates have an adventure involving a car and a spirited female. The twist here is one of the witty mates is the spirited female. It’s a good read.
The Patron Saint of Pigs ~ Lauren Myracle
The final story involves one of those girls, Addie, who believes that the world revolves around them. It also involves a teacup piglet (yes; a pig that fits in a teacup – I want one). The piglet is the redeeming feature of the story along with the tenuous links show more to the Angel Gabriel and the ‘true spirit’ of Christmas.
The beauty of this collection is that the stories overlap; the stories, their characters and the potential for an epic kiss and a Christmas miracle (occasionally one and the same thing). This book reminded me of Love Actually minus the porn stars and Prime Minister. It’s a well written, collection of comic romances with a Christmas theme and a Starbucks/Waffle House flavour.
written for : kingstonlibraries.net/ show less
I'm absolutely smitten by 'Wombat Divine'; the plot, the illustrations the gorgeous character of the wombat who is striving to find his place in the world... loved it! This Christmas I wanted to read it to every child I met.
This little collection of fairy tales retold blew my mind.
A love of re-visiting fairy stories, reading Australian YA fiction and stretching my comfort zone were all fulfilled in the rather astounding 'Wilful Eye'.
Margo Lanagan, as always, offers a thought provoking case of attraction/repulsion in her 'Catastrophic Disruption of the Head' and I was absolutely charmed by Margaret Mahy's 'Wolf Night' and Richard Harland's thoughtful conclusion in 'Heart of the Beast'.
Isobelle Carmody's introduction and each writer's explanation of their creative journey added pleasure to my reading experience and helped me to understand where each writer was coming from.
It's a long term goal of mine to write as beautifully and with as much intrigue as these talented Australian writers and end up in some such anthology. Meanwhile I'm hanging out in anticipation for volume 2.
A love of re-visiting fairy stories, reading Australian YA fiction and stretching my comfort zone were all fulfilled in the rather astounding 'Wilful Eye'.
Margo Lanagan, as always, offers a thought provoking case of attraction/repulsion in her 'Catastrophic Disruption of the Head' and I was absolutely charmed by Margaret Mahy's 'Wolf Night' and Richard Harland's thoughtful conclusion in 'Heart of the Beast'.
Isobelle Carmody's introduction and each writer's explanation of their creative journey added pleasure to my reading experience and helped me to understand where each writer was coming from.
It's a long term goal of mine to write as beautifully and with as much intrigue as these talented Australian writers and end up in some such anthology. Meanwhile I'm hanging out in anticipation for volume 2.
I just read Zen Shorts / And I was gently nutured / by a wise panda
Amy & Louis are two children who live next door united by their love of imaginary adventures, dressing up and their practical proximity in age and geography. When Amy moves to the other side of the world with her family the young friends are distraught. Perhaps the playmates’ friendship is more powerful than the distance that separates them.
Libby Gleeson’s simple story, accompanied by Freya Blackwood’s heart-warmingly beautiful illustrations, is a story of love and friendship despite the tyranny of distance. Freya Blackwood’s deliciously evocative illustrations perfectly communicate the despair of the separated friends, with the surprise twist at the end of the story book offering hope and consolation to readers.
Libby Gleeson’s simple story, accompanied by Freya Blackwood’s heart-warmingly beautiful illustrations, is a story of love and friendship despite the tyranny of distance. Freya Blackwood’s deliciously evocative illustrations perfectly communicate the despair of the separated friends, with the surprise twist at the end of the story book offering hope and consolation to readers.
Sonya Hartnett’s The Midnight Zoo is as complex, layered and morose as fans of her writing have come to expect from her fiction for adult and young adult audiences. When three young siblings come across an abandoned small private zoo in the midst of their quest for survival during the Second World War, the reader is as intrigued as they are as to how these animals have come to be here, and how they too have survived. This novella reads like A Life of Pi for young readers, with the audience never quite comprehending what is real, what is imagined and where the danger lies. An engaging exploration as the animalistic survival instinct of humans and the horrors of the holocaust, this novella offers a starkly critical exploration of human behaviour through the eyes of the caged animals whilst also challenging the reader to re-evaluate their relationship with animals.
Whilst the plot and content of The Midnight Zoo is undeniably confronting and Hartnett does not hold back from the atrocities of war, bullying or violence, it can certainly be read and appreciated as a children’s book and somehow hearing home truths about human psychology from the perspective of an embittered lioness makes the observations more palatable. Whilst written and marketed as a book for children, like much of Hartnett’s other writing this book has so much to offer an adult audience that there is certainly a place for it amongst the adult fiction collection in bookstores and libraries alongside show more Hartnett’s Butterfly and not too far away from Yan Martell’s Life of Pi perhaps. show less
Whilst the plot and content of The Midnight Zoo is undeniably confronting and Hartnett does not hold back from the atrocities of war, bullying or violence, it can certainly be read and appreciated as a children’s book and somehow hearing home truths about human psychology from the perspective of an embittered lioness makes the observations more palatable. Whilst written and marketed as a book for children, like much of Hartnett’s other writing this book has so much to offer an adult audience that there is certainly a place for it amongst the adult fiction collection in bookstores and libraries alongside show more Hartnett’s Butterfly and not too far away from Yan Martell’s Life of Pi perhaps. show less
Just a Dog tells the story of the life and times of a loveable part-Dalmation, Mister Mosely in the context of young family as seen through the eyes of Corey Ingram.
The subtle manner in which adult issues, such as marital infidelity and financial hardship, feature in the background of this narrative give it an unexpected appeal beyond the young readership it is evidently marketed to.
(Spoiler alert). The heartrending climax of this story does not shy away from the raw reality of grief. The young narrator’s response to Mister Mosely’s declining health is both heart-warming and hopeful.
This is a happy, cheeky and often humorous book with a sad ending, tempered by the optimistic outlook of the young narrator and the skill of a talented, award winning author.
The subtle manner in which adult issues, such as marital infidelity and financial hardship, feature in the background of this narrative give it an unexpected appeal beyond the young readership it is evidently marketed to.
(Spoiler alert). The heartrending climax of this story does not shy away from the raw reality of grief. The young narrator’s response to Mister Mosely’s declining health is both heart-warming and hopeful.
This is a happy, cheeky and often humorous book with a sad ending, tempered by the optimistic outlook of the young narrator and the skill of a talented, award winning author.
Duck for a Day tells the story of Abby and Noah, two classmates who long to have a turn housing the class pet, Max, for a day. Abby’s parents are exceptionally clean and tidy and cannot bear the hassle of pets, but they’ll let Abby mind the class pet… if she can fulfil her teacher, Mrs Melvino’s, growing demands for a pet friendly yard. Meanwhile, Noah, who lives next door, would also like to mind Max, and with his untidy yard and boisterous sisters, who knows if he will ever be able to provide a duck friendly environment…?
Duck for a Day is unbelievably predictable in the same way that genuinely good chicklit or rom-coms are predictable; it does not detract from the plot and, for a child reader, having the satisfaction of successfully predicting the conclusion would surely be an affirming and encouraging experience.
Leila Rudge’s illustrations are sweet, simple and complement the story whilst breaking up the text. In the 96 page book there are over 60 illustrations making the text more manageable for less motivated readers.
There is an impressive balance between control and creativity, order and chaos, knowledge and intuition woven amongst the action of Duck for a Day. Pariticularly charming is Noah’s unruly family, his four crazy sisters and messy backyard. The highlight of the sotry is Abby’s growing appreciation of Noah. Duck for a Day is a feel good book with a feel good ending.
Duck for a Day is unbelievably predictable in the same way that genuinely good chicklit or rom-coms are predictable; it does not detract from the plot and, for a child reader, having the satisfaction of successfully predicting the conclusion would surely be an affirming and encouraging experience.
Leila Rudge’s illustrations are sweet, simple and complement the story whilst breaking up the text. In the 96 page book there are over 60 illustrations making the text more manageable for less motivated readers.
There is an impressive balance between control and creativity, order and chaos, knowledge and intuition woven amongst the action of Duck for a Day. Pariticularly charming is Noah’s unruly family, his four crazy sisters and messy backyard. The highlight of the sotry is Abby’s growing appreciation of Noah. Duck for a Day is a feel good book with a feel good ending.
Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon is an exquisite exposé of love, lust, street-art, crime, growing up and letting go. Set in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs with a brief foray into the heart of the city, the story follows six teenagers (Lucy, Ed, Jazz, Leo, Dylan and Daisy) as they celebrate the last night of Year 12.
Love struck Lucy is the focus of the story as she searches for the elusive graffiti artist known as ‘Shadow’, gallantly accompanied by the boy she once almost dated, Ed. The fact that she broke Ed’s nose on their ‘almost date’ ads to the reader’s intrigue as their rapport develops. Meanwhile there’s a crime to be planned, a cockroach eating gangster to be reckoned with, romances to be navigated and secret identities to be exposed.
Her fourth novel for young adults, Crowley’s Graffiti Moon is an enjoyable read as the gritty reality of adolescence is contrasted with a sensitive streak of complex parental relationships, the beauty and poignancy of art, the generosity of loyal mateship and the selfless love of senior mentors.
What impressed me most about the novel was the fluidity of the plot, the way the reader was privy to information that the characters were not (e.g Shadow’s true identity) and Crowley’s evocative descriptions of Shadow’s work which leaves the reader feeling as though they have had a tour of Melbourne’s finest laneways by the time they put the book down.
Graffiti Moon was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council show more Young Adult Book of the Year award (2011) and won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult’s Literature, accolades which this book richly deserves. It is a delight to read and a thought provoking novel to share with proud Melbournian’s, street-art aficionados and anyone who appreciates a good yarn. show less
Love struck Lucy is the focus of the story as she searches for the elusive graffiti artist known as ‘Shadow’, gallantly accompanied by the boy she once almost dated, Ed. The fact that she broke Ed’s nose on their ‘almost date’ ads to the reader’s intrigue as their rapport develops. Meanwhile there’s a crime to be planned, a cockroach eating gangster to be reckoned with, romances to be navigated and secret identities to be exposed.
Her fourth novel for young adults, Crowley’s Graffiti Moon is an enjoyable read as the gritty reality of adolescence is contrasted with a sensitive streak of complex parental relationships, the beauty and poignancy of art, the generosity of loyal mateship and the selfless love of senior mentors.
What impressed me most about the novel was the fluidity of the plot, the way the reader was privy to information that the characters were not (e.g Shadow’s true identity) and Crowley’s evocative descriptions of Shadow’s work which leaves the reader feeling as though they have had a tour of Melbourne’s finest laneways by the time they put the book down.
Graffiti Moon was short-listed for the Children’s Book Council show more Young Adult Book of the Year award (2011) and won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult’s Literature, accolades which this book richly deserves. It is a delight to read and a thought provoking novel to share with proud Melbournian’s, street-art aficionados and anyone who appreciates a good yarn. show less
Quentin, or ‘Q’, is in his final term of secondary school when the life-long object of his (unrequited) affection, Margo Roth Spiegelman, knocks on his window and proposes he join her in a late night adventure around their town. The ludicrously well adjusted and well behaved Q sets aside his hesitations to impress his ‘lady love’ and they have a rollicking (borderline-illegal) adventure which he hopes will cement their friendship back at school. Sadly the curvaceous Margo has other plans and disappears from the town leaving a trail of clues for Q and his mates to follow.
Q is no longer well adjusted. Much like Miles, the male protagonist in ‘Looking for Alaska’, the young man’s obsession with Margo’s clues, her life philosophy, her interest in the Walt Whitlam poem, ‘Song of Myself’, and his desire to understand what makes her tick overtakes every aspect of his life… and the plot.
The well-rounded characters of his two best mates; Ben and Radar, their banter, their antics and their perspective on life, women and friendship, was for me the highlight of this story. There was a lot of over-lap between ‘Looking for Alaska’ and ‘Paper Towns’, not the least the premise of a handsome yet geeky adolescent male falling hopelessly in love with a free spirited, voluptuous, ‘cool’ young woman and realising, as the plot unravels, that there is more to this woman than he initially supposed.
Once again I observed John Green doing his bit to combat the show more damage done by beauty magazines by his persistent emphasis on how attractive his male protagonists find voluptuous, curvy women.
I preferred Looking for Alaska to this book, but acknowledge that Paper Towns is a good, thought provoking read, unafraid to delve into the issues of conformity, superficiality and a young person’s struggle to seek purpose in life … in between beer skølling, road-trips, final exams and finding a date for the prom. show less
Q is no longer well adjusted. Much like Miles, the male protagonist in ‘Looking for Alaska’, the young man’s obsession with Margo’s clues, her life philosophy, her interest in the Walt Whitlam poem, ‘Song of Myself’, and his desire to understand what makes her tick overtakes every aspect of his life… and the plot.
The well-rounded characters of his two best mates; Ben and Radar, their banter, their antics and their perspective on life, women and friendship, was for me the highlight of this story. There was a lot of over-lap between ‘Looking for Alaska’ and ‘Paper Towns’, not the least the premise of a handsome yet geeky adolescent male falling hopelessly in love with a free spirited, voluptuous, ‘cool’ young woman and realising, as the plot unravels, that there is more to this woman than he initially supposed.
Once again I observed John Green doing his bit to combat the show more damage done by beauty magazines by his persistent emphasis on how attractive his male protagonists find voluptuous, curvy women.
I preferred Looking for Alaska to this book, but acknowledge that Paper Towns is a good, thought provoking read, unafraid to delve into the issues of conformity, superficiality and a young person’s struggle to seek purpose in life … in between beer skølling, road-trips, final exams and finding a date for the prom. show less
Young Jamie is a mess. Five years after his sister, Rose, has been blown apart by a terrorist bomb in central London his mother has run off with a grief-support group-member called Nigel, his father is an alcoholic and his sister, Jess, Rose’s twin, has dyed her hair pink, pierced her nose and acquired a green-haired older boyfriend called Leo. Meanwhile Rose’s ashes sit in an urn on their mantelpiece.
This book warrants rave reviews. It’s an easy yet entertaining read that thoroughly explores Muslim/non-Muslim relations, bullying, grief, alcoholism and family brokenness whilst never straying into preachy-ness, stock characters or unrealistically rosy (mind the pun) endings. It’s absolutely believable, memorable and, at times, heart breaking.
As a reader who is perhaps over sensitive to depictions and explorations of ideology and religion in children and young adult’s literature I can only commend Pitcher’s sensitive portrayal of Tom’s young Muslim friend Sunya, and his growing understanding of the significance of her faith alongside his own vaguely Christian background.
This book warrants rave reviews. It’s an easy yet entertaining read that thoroughly explores Muslim/non-Muslim relations, bullying, grief, alcoholism and family brokenness whilst never straying into preachy-ness, stock characters or unrealistically rosy (mind the pun) endings. It’s absolutely believable, memorable and, at times, heart breaking.
As a reader who is perhaps over sensitive to depictions and explorations of ideology and religion in children and young adult’s literature I can only commend Pitcher’s sensitive portrayal of Tom’s young Muslim friend Sunya, and his growing understanding of the significance of her faith alongside his own vaguely Christian background.
I loved this book; it's one of those classic so-called children's books that resonates deeply with people of all ages. My favourite thing about this book was how the whole family is released from their inward looking grief in the liberating act of reaching out to a young woman in need. This is just what I needed to read right now and I've got another Delphine de Vigan on my bookshelf ready to go....
Genuinely 'Magical Tales from Classical Persia' - loved it!
When I first picked up this collection I was so overcome with jealousy that I couldn't finish a single essay; it seemed to be full of successful writers living (albeit many are long dead) in Paris and all they seemed to be writing about was rue-de-this, Luxembourg-gardens-de-that, lunch-with-Dior-de-other - so many worlds away from my tram ride to South Melbourne that I had to put it down.
Luckily I made the executive decision to skip any essays that made me genuinely envious and flip towards the back of the book - Dave Barry's observations of 'An Aesthetically Challenged American in Paris' drew me back in and as I read Sylvia Beach's memories of setting up Shakespeare & Company I was so excited for her I could barely get off the tram when I got to my stop.
So I'm still working my way through the essays and eventually I'll get back around to finding out who's having tea with Joyce or wandering off to their other house on the Riviera or hanging out with Hemingway - and I'll try to put aside my covetous inclinations and accept, graciously, the gift of their Paris flavoured words.
Luckily I made the executive decision to skip any essays that made me genuinely envious and flip towards the back of the book - Dave Barry's observations of 'An Aesthetically Challenged American in Paris' drew me back in and as I read Sylvia Beach's memories of setting up Shakespeare & Company I was so excited for her I could barely get off the tram when I got to my stop.
So I'm still working my way through the essays and eventually I'll get back around to finding out who's having tea with Joyce or wandering off to their other house on the Riviera or hanging out with Hemingway - and I'll try to put aside my covetous inclinations and accept, graciously, the gift of their Paris flavoured words.
Martin Reiner's 'No Through Road' is a delightfully bound chapbook which is a pleasure to flip through. Translated from Czech by Andrew Oakland, this collection of poetry is part of An Art Bureau Highball Reading Series and suceeds in reminding the reader of the subtle beauty of everyday occurances; the way "the rain makes little hollows in the soggy soil...", old friends dancing together, the slow plodding steps of an ailing wife, the sun on the water...
The collages throw me - as open minded as any Arts graduate - I cannot fathom the overuse of bare breasts and buttocks accompanying the text - but beyond that the layout is flawless.
For me there are hints of William Carlos Williams and I feel a little bit as though I am missing out by not hearing the nuances of the poetry in its original Czech.
The collages throw me - as open minded as any Arts graduate - I cannot fathom the overuse of bare breasts and buttocks accompanying the text - but beyond that the layout is flawless.
For me there are hints of William Carlos Williams and I feel a little bit as though I am missing out by not hearing the nuances of the poetry in its original Czech.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
I love this book; it's quirky, beautiful, melancholy and delicious.