Kids will easily and enjoyably learn the basics about Australian life and culture.
In the latest installment of Roman’s (The Crew Goes Coconuts!, 2014, etc.) series—which previously examined India, France, Mexico and elsewhere—elementary age readers learn about the culture, geography and everyday lives of children in Australia.
This entry in Roman’s series opens with a map showing the shape of the country, an explanation of how it got its name, its location on the globe and the location of its capital city. Roman then mentions the major cities. From there, readers learn about things important to kids, e.g., what Australian kids call their parents—“You would call your mommy, ‘mummy’ (m-uh-mee) and your dad would answer to ‘daddy’ (Da-dee), just like in America.”—and what games they play: “cricket (crick-it), an outdoor game played on a large grass field with balls, bats, and two wickets (wick-its), which are posts that serve as goals.” Roman also describes tourist attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef, and mentions that Australia’s currency is called the dollar, just like in the U.S. She even explains what a vegemite sandwich is—“dark brown vegetable paste [spread] onto white bread with some Western Star butter.” The story is lively and engaging, with pages of bright, colorful illustrations to help explain the text and make it more educational and appealing to kids. For instance, the page about Dad grilling on the “barbie” shows a father cooking shrimp and steaks. In past volumes, the glossary/pronunciation guide was located at the back of the book, but in this one, phonetic spellings are also sprinkled throughout the text—a distracting change, especially since some words, such as “daddy (Da-dee)” and “Jack (J-ae-k),” aren’t dramatically different in American English. Despite that, as with the other books in this enlightening and approachable series, this entry will help kids see the similarities and differences between their own lives and those of their peers around the world.
Kids will easily and enjoyably learn the basics about Australian life and culture.Pub Date: March 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-1490522395
Page Count: 28
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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