Title: Father of the Lost Boys

Author: Yout A. Alaak

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: Secondary School Readers*

"It's June 1988. Scantly covered in rags, malnourished boys roam the landscape, searching for scraps to eat. Thousands more lie under trees, naked and starving. Many will never wake up to see a new day. War has brought me to a land far from my own. All I've ever known is left behind. I am in the midst of sixteen thousand unaccompanied minors. I call them my dear brothers, but the world calls them the Lost Boys of Sudan". (P46)

Yout A. Alaak has written a moving and emotional memoir about his father, Mecak Ajang Alaak, who saved 20,000 young South Sudanese boys from certain death, including his own son, Yout. During the second Sudanese civil war, many displaced and orphaned boys were trained to be soldiers. In 2989, Mecak led these boys on a four-year journey from Sudan to Ethiopia and finally Kenya. Most were aged between 7 and 12 years. This is the incredible story of survival.

* A younger reader's adaptation

Relevant to 7-12 English Syllabus Representation of Life Experiences, Cultural Diversity and Cultural Identity

Title: Write Cut Rewrite

Author: Dirk Van Hulle and Mark Nixon

Reviewer: Fabian Amuso

Audience: Stage 5 & 6

“Cutting and pasting often happens within a single work, moving a verse, a stanza, a sentence, a paragraph or even a chapter to another place.” (Page 151)

Authors Dirk Van Hulle and Mark Nixon explore how writers not only have to write but also cut and rewrite their works before publication.

Featured are actual extracts from manuscripts held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. The reader will explore and be guided through how and why changes were made to their works, whether by the writer or the publisher. Questions will be asked as one reads through - What if the change had not been made, and how would that have impacted the storyline or its meaning? Would sticking to a particular word, phrase, or sentence in an earlier draft have enhanced the work, or was the final product the perfect outcome?

Being a history teacher and a teacher librarian, along with my interest in literature and media, I applied a “never judge a book by its cover” approach to reading this book. The cover did appear exciting when initially seeing it, but once opened and began to read through Hulle and Nixon’s outline of the editing processes involved in literary and poetic works, along with its supporting extracts from manuscripts, I was left amazed at what great writers had done to master their written works, which would go onto make history themselves. By the end, I had taken a “behind the scenes” tour of the production of great literature.

In the classroom, this book is best suited to students undertaking Stage 5 and Stage 6 English as it provides useful insights into the writing process. For the leisure reader, it is recommended for those who wish to gain insight into the process of producing literary works, but also for those who would enjoy gaining an insight into how authors have composed their works in recent centuries.

Title: It's the sound of a thing

Author: Maxine Beneba Clarke

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: young people and adults

TEXT SHRUG : a found poem

lol, omg,

srsly

icymi : idgas

rofl! (P 99)

CONFISCATED

I really need my phone back

Dad doesn't understand

how my fingers start a-twitching

when it isn't in my hand

I don't know where my mates are

I can't Snapchat-track their moves

I've really started panicking

I'm feeling kind of blue

(P 142)

Maxine Beneba Clarke has written 100 poems about everyday life, childhood, growing up, sounds of the neighbourhood, messy rooms, grandfather's fading memory, alliteration, screen time and 22 reasons I can't sleep. a collection of poems, from haikus to limericks, sonnets to concrete poems, free verse to rhyming couplets.  The poems are also listed by Poetic Form and encompasses a wonderful range of thoughts and ideas.

*Relevant to the Year 7-10 English Syllabus Wide Reading Program

Title: Don't even think about it

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: Older Readers (contains some graphic language)

"She's hearing voices," Isabelle's mom told her, her voice trembling. Dr Coven thought Isabelle was either on drugs or having a psychotic episode, and instructed her mother to take her to the ER immediately. The two of them took a taxi to St Luke's emergency room. While her mom was filling out paperwork, Isabelle texted her friend Jordana: At hospital. Losing my mind. (P 91) 

What would you do if everyone could hear your thoughts? 10B are just your average, ordinary, high school class until they get their flu vaccinations. Then, complications occur - the students can hear everyone else's thoughts and everyone in the class can hear each other's thoughts... As secrets get spilled, friends became enemies, breakups and romances occur, and exam answers get easier if you sit near the right person, will it be the best or worst year of their high school life?

A highly entertaining novel about High School just becoming a bit more complicated than expected.

*Relevant to the Year 7-10 English Syllabus Wide Reading Program

Title: Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop

Author: Alba Donati

Translated by Elena Pala

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

"That's how the idea to open a bookshop in a village in Northern Tuscany, on top of a hill, overlooking the Apuan Alps.  I got the idea so a mother from Salerno could gift her daughter two boxes full of Emily Dickson" (P8)

Alba left her fulfilling, hectic life as a book publicist in Florence and went home to Lucignana, a little village of 180 souls, in the hills of Tuscany, Italy. Alba had always dreamed of opening a bookshop and so she did. Alba's new venture survived fire and COVID restrictions but, surprisingly became well-known and has become a beacon and shrine for readers all over the world.

A warm, quirky and delightful book, containing a celebration of words, people, determination and resilience. Recommended for readers who would like a taste of another world. 

Title: 2024 Australasian Sky Guide

Author: Dr Nick Lomb

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: Stags 4 & 5

"The stars for Euahlayi in this Universe inform us of a great number of stories that our people connect with in life and in death" (P8) Uncle Ghillar Michael Anderson 

Recommended for viewers of the night sky, whether using backyard telescopes or on camping trips, this guide to the nigh sky has been updated annually since 1991. It contains updated information on the rising and setting times for the Sun and Moon, Tide Tables for Sydney and Highlights of the Night Sky for 2024, including when meteor showers will occur. 

Uncle Ghillar Michael Anderson provides an overview of "The Stars and Euahlayi Law".

*relevant to the Year 7-10 English Syllabus Wide Reading Program

Title: Ships in the Field

Author: Susanne Gervay

Illustrator: Anna Pignataro

Reviewer: Emily Basham

“Ma used to be a teacher before she came here. Now she makes dresses all day long. Pa used to be a farmer before he came here. Now he works at the car factory all day long”. (p. 5-6.)

Ships in the Field details one family’s experience of migration as seen through the eyes of a child, addressing the struggles and hardships that accompany living in a new and foreign country. Despite the trepidatious past and the unknown future ahead, this family is a happy one-though a new family addition would make our child narrator even more joyous.

Inspired by both the author and illustrator’s family immigration journey, this heartfelt picture book captures the realities of war in a real and genuine way. Whilst it includes more mature themes of war, immigrants, and other social justice issues, the subtle use of humour and delicate artwork sparks a feeling of hope for both the characters, and the reader.

This book has the simplicity to cater to Years K-2, whilst having the depth and underlying themes to address a more mature age group. Similar books include ‘My Two Blankets’, ‘The Day War Came’

Title: Burnt Eucalyptus Wood: On Origins, Language and Identity

Author: Ennatu Domingo

Reviewer: Rhonda Bruce

Audience: Stage 5

"When I move through the world, it doesn't bother me that before anything else they look at my 'packaging'. I am European, I am African. But I don't want to have to worry anywhere about my physical safety on account of the colour of my skin, and even less so at home, in Catalonia"(p 128)

Ennatu Domingo's stunning autobiography is a combination of the story of her nomadic childhood in Ethiopia, her adoption and life in Catalonia, interspersed with short reports on the politics and unrest in Ethiopia and Africa.  She tells her story in a stratightforward manner but with a love and understanding of her families and cultures. Ennuta describes what it is like to be adopted by people from another culture and the accidental and unexpected effects of being decultured, including the forgetting of one's own original language. She discusses belonging and identity in the outstanding authentic debut work.

An autobiography of journey and experiences, both incredibly truthful and poignant but full of hope and promise. 

*covers additional reading for Stage 5 English Core Representation of Life Experiences; and, Stage 6 Text and the Human Experience and Language, Identity and Culture

Title: Our Dark Duet

Author: V.E. Schwab

Reviewer: Natalie Lincoln

Audience:  12+

Kate, the pragmatic monster killer, listens to music as she hunts. Her friend (or enemy), August, plays music to reap the souls of sinners. When a new monster appears in the city of Verity, Kate must return from a new life in neighbouring Prosperity to defeat the shapeless beast that turns human against human. If they can unite, they might just win.

V.E Schwab’s Our Dark Duet is about the battle between good and evil, and is another tale questioning who is actually the bigger threat, the humans or the monsters. It is also so much more. Being a sequel, I’d advise reading That Savage Song first as I had to work to figure out the backstory of the cities of Verity and Prosperity and the complicated relationship between Kate, who fights both internal and external monsters, and August, a monster trying not to be one. Regardless, I was swept away with the increasingly fast paced action and read faster and faster, and with increasing nervousness, as the shadowy new monster rose.

Protagonist, Kate, cooly dispenses with monsters, and together, she and ‘frenemy’ August, are juxtaposed in a duel between human and monster, distrust and lust, and one is never quite sure, like themselves, which side they will land on. Almost more intriguing are the monsters -  the shadowy Corsai, spawned by violence and surviving on flesh; the corpse like Malchai, made by murder; and the most beautiful monsters, the Sunai, formed by major catastrophes and who play instruments to feed on the souls of sinners. From the striking Prelude, I was captivated by this world and the uniqueness of the characters, both human and monster.

There is an abundance of death in this novel. It is dark, and young adult readers will like it. In my school library this would however, be having an ‘older readers’ flag attached despite the recommended reading for 12 years+. For a story about monsters, the writing is mature, with a descriptiveness and detail that lifts it to the literary. The verse sections provide another refreshing element, reinforcing for me, that this novel is more than just a story about good versus evil. Stylistically the story is elevated beyond your ordinary fantasy genre of humans and monsters, resulting in a nuanced vision of the light and dark that exists in all of our souls.

Title: “Banjo, the Woylie with Bounce”

Author: Aleesah Darlison 

Illustrator: Mel Matthews 

Reviewer: Donna Dobson

Audience: 6 - 8 year olds

“Woylies are known as ‘farting rats’ because of the noise they make when frightened.”

"Endangered Animal Tales: The Woylie's Fight for Survival" beautifully combines fiction with facts to engage young readers in the plight of the brush-tailed bettong, also known as the woylie, an endangered species in Australia.

Through captivating storytelling, readers are transported into the world of this small marsupial, learning about its struggles for survival amidst habitat loss and threats from introduced predators. The vibrant illustrations complement the narrative, appealing to children's imaginations while also conveying the importance of conservation efforts. 

Despite the challenges faced by the woylie, the book ends on a hopeful note, highlighting the establishment of a sanctuary for these precious creatures, instilling a sense of optimism and empowerment in young conservationists. "Endangered Animal Tales: The Woylie's Fight for Survival" is both educational and inspiring, making it a must-read for children interested in wildlife conservation.

KLA: Science/ English