Book:Flygirl

Flygirl
Sherri L Smith, 2008

Ida Mae Jones was taught how to fly a plane by her father. Of course, in 1941 not too many people want to see a woman flying, let along one with coloured skin. But as World War Two progresses, Ida Mae discovers that they are looking for female pilots for the WASP. She's perfect for it, except for the fact that she'll have to pass as white to do so.

This was a really quiet book, which is funny considering how much action goes on within it. It was immensly powerful, with themes of identity and determination throughout. But there is also romance and passion and friendship and the rights of women and sacrifice. You really feel for the characters throughout the book, and you're left kind of devestated when it finishes because there's so much more you want to know. I absolutely adored this book, and would highly recommend it.

I would connect this book to other books about strong women including Almost Astronauts.


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Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
Jeff Kinney, 2010

Greg heads back to school, except this time he's without his best friend Rowley after a serious falling out. Now he's dealing with the pressures of growing up, boy/girl parties, the strangeness of family and a housekeeper who refuses to work - and he's all on his own.

Despite their popularity this was the first Wimpy Kid book I've read. These books have usually been owned by students in my class and passed around that way, so I've never needed to buy them for the classroom. But with the main fans heading off to high school, I realise I'll need to fill that gap.

This was a highly enjoyable read - one I didn't want to put down. Greg is an engaging narrator, and you can easily understand his embarrassments and annoyances - even if you aren't a wimpy kid yourself. My only quibble is that this book was 'Australianised' - Greg is in High School, not middle school and some of the language has been changed. It does a real disservice to Australian kids who have been watching US shows and reading US books for years and understand that this is an American book (a movie kind of keys you in to that) - especially when a really Australian word (like lollies) pops up and throws you out of the text.

I'd connect this book with Totally Joe and The Misfits, Dork Diaries (which seems to be enjoyed by both girls and boys), Amelia Rules and Mail Order Ninja.


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Book: Pastures of the Blue Crane

Pastures of the Blue Crane
H. F. Brinsmead, 1964
(Reread)

I got this book from my aunt and uncle as a 9th birthday present, so there's no telling how many times I've reread it. And with so many books that you read first as a child and later as an adult, there are many layers that you keep peeling back everytime you read.

It tells the story of Ryl, the lonely but aloof 16 year old girl whose spent most of her life in boarding schools in Melbourne while her father worked in Papua New Guinea. After her father's death, she discovers that she has a grandfather she never knew about, as well as a property in northern New South Wales. Ryl doesn't take to her grandfather, Dusty, immediately, but when they discover that the property was where Dusty was born, they grudgingly decide to go and check it out.

This begins a strange set of relationships for Ryl - between herself and Dusty, the ramshackle house, the view, the neighbours, the local 'surfy' kids, the taxi driver descended from Australia's slave population and even the strange bird who visits the pink pastures. Soon Ryl is learning more about herself and the people around her than she ever thought possible.

This is, in many ways, a book of its time. Some of the language is cringe-worthy to us now, even though a book which place people of non-European background as 'just like us' was revolutionary for its time. It pays to remember that this was still a time of the White Australia Policy, and even non-English European immigrants were treated with derision and bigotry. The book also delves into the history of slavery in Australia. There was a time period when 'blackbirding' - taking slaves from the Pacific Islands to work on farms in Australia occured. It's a period of Australian history pretty much forgotten by all and sundry, but well described in this book.

The reason I keep coming back to this book is the layers in the characters. No one's all good or all bad. They interact with each other in very human ways. Ryl in in some ways a grown woman at 16, and in others still a little girl. It's a really lovely book and one that's well worth reading.

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Book: The 4 Powers of Daren Saner

The 4 Powers of Daren Saner
Michael Oehley , 2010

This book is a little sad for me because the author came to visit my school and talked to my students and I was unfortunately sick that day :( Nevertheless, our librarian was able to get me a signed copy which made it better.

Daren is a bit of an outcast on the starship Superia - he's the child of a high ranking mother and a clone father who wasn't supposed to be able to have children, so he doesn't really fit in. He's also got an eye for trouble, along with some of his closer friends. It all culminates one day when they manage to sneak into a highly secure area of the starship and Daren retrieves a stone. Soon after he wakes up, no longer aboard Superia and no longer himself, and no longer in his own time. Instead he finds that he is in the past, the forbidden child, with four magical powers. He must use those powers to save the world he's found himself in and his own world on Superia.

This is a really lovely first novel which dips into both fantasy and science fiction. Daren is a particularly strong character, both when he's himself and when he's 'someone else'. There are a number of other strong characters as well, but I particularly liked Kara who helped Daren in the other world and Hawk-Eye, the old sailor. It's a very strongly built world, though I would like to see more of it to really get into the details.

I would connect this book to the Gregor the Overlander books by Suzanne Collins, with the different worlds, the quests and the use of riddles. I'd also connect it to Philip Reeves' Larklight - although the ships are very different, both authors create very strong worlds.

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Book: Stargirl

Stargirl
Jerry Spinelli, 2000
(Reread)

Here's my first reread of the holidays. It's the story of Mica High, a normal school in a relatively normal town where everyone acts . . . appropriately. Then Stargirl turns up one day and no one knows what to make of her. They don't understand her long dresses or theme based clothing, they don't understand her singing at lunch time, they don't understand her pet rat. They're not even sure if they love her or hate her. And Leo doesn't know what part he plays in all of this.

This is a relatively easy book to read, and even though the characters are older (Leo's in 11th grade) it's appropriate to put in the hands of younger children. You almost feel washed along by the events of the book, sometimes you see what's going to happen, sometimes you don't, but there's nothing you can do to stop it so you just buckle up for the ride. But it is a book that stays with you afterwards, and one that I've come back to reread a couple of times. I particularly like the way it's narrated by Leo rather than Stargirl, I think we see the reactions of others and Stargirl's bewilderment better from there.

I would connect this book with Schooled by Gordon Korman, as well as other books about characters walking their own paths like The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and A View from Saturday.

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Book: Getting Near To Baby

Getting Near to Baby
Audrey Couloumbis, 1999

Willa Jo and Little Sister are sitting on their aunt's roof, much to the dismay of their aunt and the amusement and shock of the neighbours. It's all been terribly confusing for the two girls, what with Aunt Patty coming to take them away and pushing them into a world of camp shorts and leather sandals. Willa Jo and her sister just can't seem to do anything right.

This is a really sweet and sad story about losing part of yourself and dealing with the reactions of people around you, while still trying to deal with your own feelings. There was a lovely mood throughout the book which would lead me to connect it with Love, Aubrey or Olive's Ocean.


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Book: The Schwa Was Here

The Schwa Was Here
Neal Shusterman, 2004

The Schwa isn't like other boys that Antsy Bonano knows. For one thing, he's barely there most of the time in the invisible sense. But after a series of tests - and dares - Antsy discovers that the Schwa might be a friend - even if he is easy to forget and hard to see.

While on a massive dare with the Schwa, Antsy meets Old Man Crawly, the cantankerous, rich, agoraphobic dog lover, who in turn introduces him to Lexie, his blind, persuasive grand daughter. Through his experiences with them and the Schwa, Antsy realises there's more to seeing and being seen.

This is a really fabulous book, that was kind of surprising. It was about perception, but it was also a mystery. It was about families and friendships. And I always adore books where young people are guided in the most unusual ways. I would connect it to books like Noah's Law and the Parfizz Pitch, just for its mystery elements and the way the kids get out and do things.

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Book: Sticks

Sticks
Joan Bauer, 1996

Ten year old Mickey Vernon has pool in his blood. His grandmother runs the pool hall in their slightly run down New Jersey town, which his father was a champion before he died of cancer. Mickey, who's in the fifth grade, is determined to win the 10-13 year old 9 ball championship, and determined to beat the bully, Buck.

Like a lot of the best books I've been reading lately, this isn't a one-topic book. It's about pool, that's for sure (and I love how good authors can make me care about games/sports I really don't care for), but it's also about redemption when Mickey's father's old friend - Joseph returns to town. And it's about mathematics and tree houses and memory and pigs and magic and dreams and dealing with disappointments. And yet all the topics seem to weave together beautifully.

As I read it, I thought of tonnes of connectible books. There's the teachers who make things interesting connections - like The Cat Ate My Gymsuit or Operation Yes. There's the maths in real life connection - like the brilliant Sugar and Ice which I just finished. Then there's the boys achieving big things - like Stand Tall and Travel Team.

This would be an easy sell to the students. After all, they already enjoy many of Joan Bauer's books. Also it has the bonus of moments of fifth-grade solidarity - and that's one of the best things to 'sell' to a group of 5th graders.

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