Children's Book Council Younger Readers Short List 2013

So once again it's time to review the Short List from The Children's Book Council of Australia's shortlist. I reviewed the books from the Older readers short list, so now it's the turn of the Younger Readers. So here we go again, my reviews of all 6 shortlisted younger readers books.I tried to limit the reviews to about 6 sentences each.  Click on the link below each book to go to the Goodreads entry for it.

After by Morris Gleitzman

 The fourth book on Morris Gleitzman's story about Felix, a Jewish boy in hiding during World War II. Chronologically it comes between Then and Now although any of the books (Once, Then, Now, After)  could be read as stand alones. This takes Felix's sotry through to the end ofOlder Readers books the war. Gleitzman has an amazing ability to portray things from a child's point of view. The reader always feels they are reading something written by a child, not an adult trying to be a child. It's a book and a series which opens the door onto much more complicated and involved discussions.

The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett

This story blends the near past and far past together. Cecily and Jeremy are sent, with their mother, out of London during the Blitz. In a country house owned by their uncle, they are joined by May, a child evacuee. While it's Cecily who is older, May is more mature, having lead a less sheltered life. In an abandoned castle they find two boys who may not be all that they appear. While I quite enjoyed this book, I was looking for something more in the end. The way things were tied together at the end just didn't sit well with me. The story of the tow boys in the castle did not seem to play a big part and the book would have stood just as well without it.

The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk by Glenda Millard

Saffron Silk keeps getting really bad headaches and no one knows why. Everyone, including Saffron is a little bit afraid, but the Silk family and their friends know how to get through tough times - live and remembering and sharing the tender moments.
This is a stunning, beautiful little book. In just over 100 pages, it folds you into the world of the Silks and lets you share the wonder of living simply with good family and friends. This book reminds you of what is important and why it's important to stop and share the tender moments. It is guaranteed to make you want to go hug your closest ones for no other reason than letting them know they are loved.

Pookie Aleera is Not My Boyfriend by Steven Herrick

I love a book in verse - quick to read with surprising depth. Pookie Aleera Is Not My Boyfriend gives the reader insight into the lives of class 6A. It explores their secrets, fears, thoughts and shows how one small act of kindness can have far reaching consequences. Steven Herrick is a master at the book in verse genre, instilling as much description and feeling into a few lines as other authors do into a whole paragraph. Perfect for you reluctant reader who finds pages and pages of text confronting - Love it!

Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French

In the horrors of the concentration camps and the mass killings of WWII, I sometimes think we forget about others affected during the war. Those who weren't persecuted, those who weren't Nazi's, but those who were just trying to survive.
Georg is one of those people. Sent away to his aunt in England after his father is killed, he becomes George. In a climate of fear and hatred he needs to hide his German heritage. When London becomes too dangerous he is sent onto Australia where he discovers that while hatred is contagious, so too is kindness.
Jackie French is such a professional writer that I doubt she could turn out something bad. Pennies for Hitler is well researched, well written and would be a great discussion starter.

The Other Brother by Simon French

Bon, a cousin Kieran hardly knows, suddenly intrudes on his life. Bon is different and Kiernan doesn't like him upsetting his life. But eventually you have to do what you know is right and choose where your loyalties lie.
The Other Brother is quite a powerful book. At times I found it hard, simply because of Kieran's attitude. Here was this child who has so much and was so begrudging of sharing any of it. If he'd been my child I don't think I would have been as patient as his mother was! But the true power of the book was the lack of quick fixes and easy explanations. Too often I find with books aimed at children the resolution comes easy and everyone is happy - friends. This book seemed to take  a more realistic approach while still showing you can make a difference to someone just by following your heart.

Unlike the Older Readers books, several of the Younger Readers books jumped out at me. Saffron Silk, The Other Brother and Pookie Aleera were absolute stand outs in my mind. In fact, it was hard to decide between Saffron Silk and The Other Brother as winner, but in the end, I must choose The Other Brother for its completely believable characters and reactions, leaving Saffron Silk and Pookie Aleera as my notables. What is really interesting is the book the CBC chose as the Winner - The Children of the King - was most probably the book I was least impressed by. Only one of my choices - Saffron Silk made their notable list and their other was Pennies for Hitler.

Nanberry: Black Brother White

Title: Nanberry: Black Brother White
Author: Jackie French
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Children
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: It's 1789, and as the new colony in Sydney Cove is established, Surgeon John White defies convention and adopts Nanberry, an Aboriginal boy, to raise as his son. Nanberry is clever and uses his unique gifts as an interpreter to bridge the two worlds he lives in. With his white brother, Andrew, he witnesses the struggles of the colonists to keep their precarious grip on a hostile wilderness. And yet he is haunted by the memories of the Cadigal warriors who will one day come to claim him as one of their own. This true story follows the brothers as they make their way in the world - one as a sailor, serving in the Royal Navy, the other a hero of the Battle of Waterloo. No less incredible is the enduring love between the gentleman surgeon and the convict girl, saved from the death penalty, to become a great lady in her own right.
 
What I thought: This is the sixth and last book from the The Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Reader's Short list and I loved it. Jackie French is such a wonderful, talented author and in Nanberry she brings the early years of colonial life in Australia to life.
Jackie French has done a lot of research for this book. It is based on true events with, of course, French filling in the gaps in research and knowledge. It highlights the difficulties and issues suffered with the coming of Europeans to Australi, without demeaning either the indigenous or European communities. It raises some excellent talking points, but does cover some issues (such as a gentleman having a convict mistress, the 'Rampaging Lusts' of men and the high levels of drunkenness and abuse in the early colony, that I would be concerned about sharing with a younger audience.
Once again, like The Outcasts and Crow Country, it sits on the Teenage shelves at the library I work at. However, unlike those two books, I'm not sure this can cross the boundary of the two categories. The CBC FAQ page states "the YR category covers middle primary to junior secondary" This, I must admit, leaves me feeling confused. I would not class Bungawitta as middle primary - more lower. While Nanberry does fit into this category (just) at the junior secondary end, I'm finding it difficult to compare to something like Bungawitta and wonder how the judges for the CBC manage it. In fact, it makes me wonder with the growth in the number and quality of children's literature whether it's worth the CBC revisiting, renaming and recategorising their awards - but that is probably a whole other post!

Challenges: Library Challenge

The Dog Who Loved a Queen

The Dog Who Loved a Queen by Jackie French.

Jackie French has to be one of my favourite children's/ young adult writers. She is witty, intelligent and does not talk down to her reader. Her picture book Diary of a Wombat is most probably one of my all time favourites.

I picked up The Dog because it was in a box of books I was covering for my son's school library. It's a new school and you can just imagine the amount of books that need covering! Anyway, this caught my attention since a) it was Jackie French and b) it was royal history. Based on a true story, it is told from the point of view of a dog (Scottish terrier) who became the pet of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her imprisonment by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. It presented the history well for the target audience, keeping it simple without omitting too many details. Yet, for me, it fell flat. For me it just did not adequately express the length or dreariness of being held captive for 19 years. I don't think kids will fully understand it's effect, focusing more on the apparent lavishness of Mary's prison. The problem is, I'm not sure how you would convey the idea that regardless of how lovely the room, how sumptuous the meals, how nice the gaolers, the complete loss of freedom to move about as you wish would be horrendous. Apparently there are others in "The Animal Stars" series, but I don't think I'll go looking for them.