The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver
Lois Lowry
1993, 2008, HarperCollins, London
9780007263516
224p.

Dystopian novel about a young boy coming of age in a community where life choices are prescribed, and no one feels bad pain or strong emotions. He is selected to be the 'Receiver', a role that promises much pain but is necessary for the community to continue.

This was a great book for children, or a novella for adults. It took me a while to decide whether or not it was dystopian or not, which I guess is one of the things that makes a good dystopian novel! If I had not been reading this on camp where I had no artificial light source, I would have read it in one sitting as it's a compelling read.

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Summerland by Michael Chabon

Summerland
Michael Chabon
2002, HarperCollins, London
000712712X
500p.

American fairytale of Ethan Feld, an 11-year-old baseball player, who is recruited by a group of mythical creatures to complete a quest to save the multiverse.  He meets werefolk, giants, faeries, sasquatch, and goblins along the way.

This is an enjoyable fantasy for young people and adults.  It has a few dark themes, but is still appropriate for children.  It feels like the author has added every mythical creature he could think of!  There are a lot of baseball references in the book, which I didn't understand; it does not distract from the story.  As well as being a work of fantasy, there are sci-fi elements to the story, such as multiple universes, physics, and a rather cute Saab-Zeppelin.

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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Second: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Second: The Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket
1999, HarperCollins, New York
0064407675
190p.

The second instalment of the Series of Unfortunate Events.  The Baudelaire orphans go to live with their herpetologist uncle, but the evil Count Olaf is still after their fortune.

Some of the literary devices which made the first book so awesome get a little repetitive in this one, but I am not the target audience, so perhaps children would be more forgiving. 

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Does My Shirts
Gennifer Choldenko
2004, Puffin, New York
0142403709
215p.

This children's book is set on the prison island, Alcatraz, in 1935.  The protagonist, a twelve year old boy named Moose, has recently moved there with his parents (his father works as an electrician and prison guard) and his sister Natalie who has autism.  The story centers around trying to get Natalie into a special school to help with her condition (autism had not been defined in the 1930s).

I picked this up knowing nothing about the story, I just found the title to be intriguing.  It was a very enjoyable read - I like reading about characters with autism and asperges.  The historical aspects really make this book extra special, and it seems as if the author has done a fair bit of research for it (judging by the author's notes at the end).

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Parkland by Victor Kelleher

Parkland
Victor Kelleher
1994, Puffin, Ringwood
0140378928
256p.

Cassie, Ralph and Boxer are best friends who live in Parkland, a zoo-like enclosure for humans and other apes. After some type of cataclysmic event in the past, humans and apes are now bred in captivity and live out their lives inside Parkland.

This was a little slow to start, but once I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. I like how the characters were flawed, even the heroes of the story - it made the book more three-dimensional.

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Garden of the Purple Dragon by Carole Wilkinson

Garden of the Purple Dragon

Carole Wilkinson

2005, Black Dog Books, Fitzroy

187632656

350p.

This is the second book in the series. Ping is a young imperial dragon keeper who has charge of a baby dragon named Kai. They fight off evil and have adventures.

Aside from a couple of continuity errors, this was excellent! The characters are so well written and the scenery evocative. It was a little slow to start (recapping what had happened in the first book), however, once it got going, I found it hard to put down.

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The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson

The Star of Kazan
Eva Ibbotson
2004, MacMillan, London
0330418025
388p.

Annika was abandoned as a baby in a little church in Austria and taken home by servants of a great house in Vienna. Shortly after an old lady leaves Annika a trunk full of fake jewels in her will, Annika's mother - a noble woman - returns to take her home.

This is an interesting children's book. I don't think I've ever read a children's book so full of the history of pre-WWI Europe. It was fascinating to real of the old noble families and the social structures. The story was predictable, but it is only meant for children.

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The Gift by Roger Dunn

The Gift
Roger Dunn
1988, McPhee Gribble Publishers, Fitzroy
0140110631
136p.

Little novel based on an Australian children's mini-series in which two children win 1000 acres of bushland in Western Australia.

It was an enjoyable story - the characters were well fleshed out and it had good morals. I like that it was set in a recognisable Australia.

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Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Chris Riddell
2007, 2008, HarperCollins, New York
9780061448812
171p.

Ottoline is a little girl living with a Norwegian swamp creature in a house full of her parent's strange collections. When a series of robberies and dog disappearances disrupt her neighbourhood, Ottoline decides to investigate.

This is such a clever, cheeky little book. The illustrations are gorgeous and I liked how they were multi-layered. It's a good story too.

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Fire Dancer by Victor Kelleher

Fire Dancer
Victor Kelleher
1996, Penguin, Ringwood
0670871117
307p.

Josie and Ivan are two adolescents from the near future who are on a time travel holiday when they become stranded in the past. They must learn to survive in the wilderness with a tribe of Neanderthals.

This was a very interesting premise and I like Kelleher's exploration of time travel theory and the nature of time. However, at times, it felt a little too much like it was trying to be educational from a historical viewpoint ... it seemed to read like a documentary about Neanderthals and their life.

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Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly

Hover Car Racer
Matthew Reilly
2004, Pan Macmillan, Sydney
1405036214
428p.

Set in the not-too-distant future, a young hover car racer named Jason Chaser has the opportunity to study racing at the prestigious International Racing School and from there could move on to professional racing.

This was a pretty nifty story. Reilly for young people. I liked that it had little moral-of-the-story and life lessons in it. Plus some killer action and sports! I can't believe I actually enjoyed reading a novel which is basically a sports novel. Ticked all the boxes on this one Mr. Reilly.

The Humans of Ziax II/The Drought on Ziax II by John Morressy

The Humans of Ziax II/The Drought on Ziax II
John Morressy
1974, 1978, Scholastic, New York
0590303821
49p. + 55p.

A volume of two children's science fiction stories from the seventies. Toren is a boy who was born in space after his parents left Earth following an unnamed disaster (possibly over-pollution). The humans resettle on a planet they call Ziax II which is inhabited by peaceful golden-furred aliens, and not so peaceful giant cockroach monsters and killer grass.

These stories have a simple message which is very relevant today. Quit messing with the eco-system and killing is not the solution to fear. The messages are not hidden in the subtext either. The stories themselves are exciting, if a bit short (entire sequences are left out and explained after the fact).

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Tales of Long Ago retold by Enid Blyton

Tales of Long Ago
Enid Blyton
1965, Dean & Son, London
0603032613
184p.

Tales from Greek mythology and from the Arabian nights retold by children's author Enid Blyton.

I enjoyed reading these very much. I must say my Greek mythology knowledge is very poorly lacking, so to read the stories as written by Enid Blyton is a great introduction to some of the myths I have only ever heard about in passing. This book is a little un-PC and somewhat dated, but that's just how Blyton is.

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Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl by Terrance Dicks

Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl
Terrance Dicks
1979, Target, London
0426200772
109p.

The Doctor and Leela are brought to Earth by the TARDIS when she senses a disturbance in Space/Time. There they discover the Fendahl, a creature which lives on death and threatens to devour the planet.

A great Doctor Who story with everything. The Fendahl is an interesting creature and I could just picture the worm coming to eat the characters. At the end of every chapter I got the theme song in my head. :)

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The Dragon of Mith by Kate Walker

The Dragon of Mith
Kate Walker
1989, Allen and Unwin, Sydney
0049280643
128p.

One morning the residents of the village of Mith discover a great dragon in the middle of their town! Only Krissy, an eleven year old turkey-herder, is brave enough to confront the dragon.

A funny, cute book. I liked how it had little lessons in it that weren't too obvious - like not jumping to conclusions and not letting others rule your life. This edition had quite a few spelling errors which is not too good for a children's book.

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Balyet by Patricia Wrightson

Balyet
Patricia Wrightson
1989, 1990, Red Fox, London
0099660407
102p.

Jo is a fourteen year old girl who goes camping with her neighbour Mrs Willet - an old aboriginal woman. While in the bush, Jo is called by the spirit of a girl who has lived in the mountains for a thousand years.

What a scary story! This kept me up all night. Balyet is an interesting character, and her story really resonated with me. It reminded me of Picnic at Hanging Rock ... the same supernatural beckoning of the bush that takes people.

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Ace Ventura Pet Detective by Marc Cerasini

Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Marc Cerasini
1995, Random House, New York
067987867X
165p.

Book based on the movie in which Jim Carrey plays Ace Ventura a pet detective who is hired to investigate the disappearance of Miami Dolphins missing mascot Snowflake.

Very cool. Just like the movie - it's a silly story but very entertaining.

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Seth and the Strangers by Jenny Nimmo

Seth and the Strangers
Jenny Nimmo
1997, Mammoth, London
0749728841
73p.

Seth and his foster sister Anne-Marie watch a swirling mass of lights come down out of a mysterious dark cloud over the moor. Seth then feels a presence in his house.

A beautiful little book - I was sad at the end. I thought the characters were very well written, and the issues dealt with in a delicate but upfront manner.

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The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

The Tiger Rising
Kate DiCamillo
2001, Scholastic, Cambridge
043938995X
116p.

Rob lives in a motel in Florida with his father after his mother died from cancer. One day he finds a tiger locked in a cage just behind the motel, and also meets a new girl on the school bus. They become friends and decide to let the tiger go free.

This is a lovely little story, if a bit sappy. I liked how the characters had to work through their problems, and that it showed that it's ok to change. The imagery of the little green bird flying free at the end was beautiful.

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Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

Dragonkeeper
Carole Wilkinson
2003, 2005, Black Dog Books, Fitzroy
1876372893
343p.

A small slave girl with no name and no family helps a dragon escape from the Imperial Dragonkeeper. They go through many trials in their quest to reach the ocean.

It's a fantastic story for children, and very well researched. I felt like I was constantly learning something, whether it be Chinese history, or little morals at the end of every chapter! I guess children aren't supposed to notice that though.

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