Koro’s Star by Claire Aramakutu. Pub. Scholastic, 2024.

Good old fashioned story telling from the winner of the 2023 Tom Fitzgibbon Award.

Set in the 1960’s when there were no cell phones, no computers, no online games and kids played outside and made fun by themselves and their friends. Marbles was a competitive sport and kids did jobs to get pocket money.

Atama is 10 years old and his sister Maia is 6yrs. They live in Burnham army camp as their father is sent to Vietnam. he is good father and close to his son in particular. When he leaves he gives Atama a gold Star medal that his grandfather Koro, was presented with after the battle of Crete during World war 2.

Atama finds new friends at the camp and to get into the group called the fear Crushers he has to do an initiation by going underground into some old tunnels that go under the army camp. Atama makes it but when his new friend Eden has to do the same she gets into bother fully testing the courage of Atama and his friends.

There is something eerie underground, I wonder what it is and will Koros Star medal have an influence on what is going on. read it and find out.

Short easy to read story and a deserved winner of the Tom Fitzgibbon literary award.

Avis and the Call of the Kraken by Heather McQuillan. Pub. Cuba Press, 2024.

This very good fantasy novel about dragons and the mythical undersea beast the kraken is a sequel to Avis and the promise of dragons.

In the previous book Avis became the nursemaid for two dragons owned by the far out Malinda Childe. The two dragons named Humber and Princess have grown and want to stretch their wings and Malinda decides they need somewhere safe to stay where they will not be found by humans.

Avis and Malinda stay in contact with the dragons by means of a dragon teardrop which they wear around their necks like a cell phone. When that communication is hacked by something else they start to worry what it is.

Out at sea is a drilling platform and when Avis is flying undetected over the sea she sees a disturbance under the sea which she also detects is the force hacking her communication with the dragons.

While flying over the sea Avis finds an island that is suitable for Humbert and Princess to live but the mysterious force is going to have an effect on this. It is a Kraken called Mother and she is disturbed at the mess the drilling rig is making on her environment.

Also introduced are two new characters Mr Papalu and a young aspiring journalist called Lulu. They discover the secret of the dragons but will it remain a secret and what will happen when the dragons eat chocolate bars especially the chilli chocolate bar.

a fun story with a serious aspect to it. Well written and cleverly paced with a very good role model in Avis.

Run Rabbit / E Oma, Rapeti series by Norah Wilson Illus. Kimberly Andrews. Na Pania Papa i whakamaori. Pub. Scholastic, 2024.

Another three bilingual picture books featuring Maori language that help the young reader learn the Maori language. Easy one word subjects and short phrases with a good sense of humour. Part of a series already featured elsewhere on this blog

The Swimming Hole Te Hopua Kaukau

Little rabbit is taken to a swimming hole by his mates but doesn’t want to go swimming because he is scared of the water. The arrival of mother helps him confront his fear

Treasure Hunt. Te Rapu Kura

Little Rabbit and his mates go looking for their treasure but where is it and what is it. You will need to read this beautifully illustrated picture book to find out. AND it is a surprise.

Te Tunu Keke Cake Bake

Little rabbit and his mum bake a delicious cake but you will have to guess what type of cake it is and what ingredients go into the cake. Little rabbit can’t wait for it to be ready and keeps asking Kua rite? Is it ready yet?

The Apple Tree by Steven Moe. Illus. Cricket McCormick. Pub Seeds Press 2024.

A majestic sophisticated picture book for everybody. Dull would he be of soul who could read this picture book and not be moved.

Uniquely it is narrated by an apple tree that was planted by the river in an isolated area by an old woman and her grandson. As the seasons change and people pass, the apple tree is cut and hewed on one side so that the fruit that it bears all fall in the river and are swept around the bend.

As the tree ages and becomes lonely and the boy becomes an old man with a granddaughter, the tree never sees the great influence it has had on peoples lives and on the environment. Until!!! If you want to know the answer to that you will have to read the book.

Cricket McCormack’s illustrations enhance Steven Moe’s lyrical text making this one of the best picture books I have read for some time. The illustration of the old tree with a face on it’s trunk is a simile for life itself.

Very classy message for everyone. Get out and get it

Nova’s Missing Masterpiece by Brooke Graham, illus. Robin Tatlow-Lord. Pub. Exisle Publishing, Imprint EK Books, 2024.

This is a picture book about handling oneself when circumstances make you frustrated, you can’t regain calmness and you lose it. Toys out of the cot, temper tantrums and behaviour that is upsetting to everyone particularly your self.

Nova has created a masterpiece for her father’s birthday and misplaced it somewhere in her house. She rips the place apart trying to find it before her father gets home and completely loses it.

Meanwhile her dog Harley is taking it in his stride and when Nova loses it on the couch he lets out a howl.

Nova sees Harley’s reactions and copies him so that she assumes control and calms down. But will she find her masterpiece? Read it and find out.

Easy to read text with choice words but the illustrations make the story. Robin Tatlow-Lord captures the drama and provides a pictorial clue of what the masterpiece looks like for the reader to work out.

A classy piece of work for juniors and very useful in countering bad behaviour and loss of self control.

Big Little Blue bk3: DoubleDippers, by Raymond McGrath. Pub. Scholastic, 2024

This is the third part of my favourite New Zealand graphic novels for primary and Intermediate students and reluctant readers of any age.

They all look at relationships and help navigate children through emotional responses and at the same time being true to yourself. After helping a few of their friends out and getting a variety of responses Little Blue says to Big Blue “I mean. Why be helpful if there is no reward?”. I guess a lot of people ask themselves that question. You will have to read this book to see what the answer is. You will not regret it.

Three stories – Help, Reward, and Kindness with Thoughtfulness Tips in between. Very good for self esteem and behaviour.

Lulu La Ru Steps up as a Step-Mum by Gina Bartlett. Pub Moxie Press, 2024

A delightful short rhyming text novel about a glamorous wealthy young woman with a big house and no worries who suddenly becomes a Step-mum – a Super Terrific Extra parent.

There is no preparation for being a parent you just have to get in there and do it and this is what Lulu has to do when her new man Hugh comes around “as cute as before but wait there was more. behind his legs…one with straight, one with curls, big eyes staring at her – were two little girls”. Rosa and Coco.

Lulu is not prepared. They mess up the house, barge in when she is having a shower exposing her wobbly bits, test her powers of making a school lunch, watching scary movies with them and meeting all the other mums at the school gate.

All told with a tongue in cheek humour and splendidly illustrated. Lulu is hubba hubba material and the girls are little rascals but we never see Hugh.

Step mums do not always have a good reputation but Lulu is the exception.

For primary and Intermediate readers especially reluctant girls and it looks like it is going to be a series.

Henry Appleton, Boy Hero and the Burgess Gang. An Adventure Story from Johnny Slick by John Evan Harris. Pub. Roiall Emerald 12 Feb 2024.

This very readable adventure story of New Zealand in the goldrush days of the 1860’s is told in the style of Dime western novels popularised by Johnny Slick and is the prequel to The Physician’s Gun which is reviewed elsewhere on this blog.

The main character is Henry Appleton who becomes a hero in Nelson after he helps capture bank robber “Deadeye Dick”. The book tells of episodes in the life of Henry aged between 10 and 15, his horse Duke, his father before his death in the gold fields and his mother who is trying to settle in the Nelson province.

It is written in an era when small towns were a scenes of settlement, entertainment and wealth and the country was rugged and lawless with gangs robbing banks and living off the wealth found by the multi national miners who came seeking their fortune.

Henry worships guns, he thinks they are necessary while his mother considers they are not. Henry is going to get and use a gun as he encounters a bunch of London born crooks that became famous in this era and known as the Burgess Gang. They were later convicted of the infamous Maungatapu Murders.

The adventure is gripping and the book is a short easy to read novel that will appeal to reluctant readers.

The Dragon Who lost His Spark by Megan Holden, Illus. Glen Zimmer. Pub. Insight Ink Publishing, 2024.

Sparky is a sad forlorn dragon as he leaves home with his suitcase because he has lost the ability to spark. A dragon without fire is no dragon at all.

At least that is what Sparky thinks of himself. He needs to regain confidence and on his journey he is going to get good advice from a number of creatures including a wise owl, a lion that is overcoming his fear of swimming and a bear who has made a lot of mistakes.

Read it and find out what happens.

Told in rhyming text with some challenging words like Affirmation, but nothing a newly confident reader cannot manage. Also a good read aloud for juniors.

Glen Zimmer’s illustrations are a delight with Sparky the dragon’s moods and feelings easily read.

Good start for a first book which is published on February 8th 2024.

Queen of the Cosmos. Beatrice Hill Tinsley. By Maria Gill, Illus. Alistair Hughes. Pub. Upstart Press, 2024

Beatrice Hill Tinsley had a short life but her brilliant mind is the one thing that stands out about her in this non fiction picture book.

Born during the blitz in WW2 London, she moved with her family to Christchurch New Zealand and later New Plymouth. Her education was dominated with her love of Physics especially cosmology where she asked herself questions like How old is the Universe? where did it come from? Where is it going? Would it one day expire?

After marriage she went to USA and studied, adopted two children, got divorced and face the prejudice against women working in the academic world. Her death from melanoma was tragic, she would still be alive in today’s world. Also a gifted musician she changed the world.

Simply told by Maria Gill who always gets it right and expertly illustrated by Alister Hughes whose expansive illustrations reflect the massiveness of the cosmology world that Beatrice was working in.

A classy piece of work for juniors through to high school students. A life worth knowing about. certainly the Queen of the Cosmos.