Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 9780062484963
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
Positively Izzy is about two girls – one named Brianna and the other named Izzy. It is a beautiful story that takes you through the ups and downs of two interlinked stories.
Izzy is a girl who loves drama but isn’t the best at other subjects. She has been preparing for a talent show for months. Her mum is a nurse who works weird shifts so Izzy and her sisters must do lots of chores. Lately, Izzy has been getting bad grades and since her mum is all about grades, it is not going well for her.
Brianna, on the other hand, enjoys academics and always gets good grades. Both her parents are teachers, her dad works at a local high school while her mum works at Brianna’s school! Her mum is a fabulous drama teacher who everybody loves. She is always encouraging Brianna to join the Drama club.
Positively Izzy is a fun book to read as it provides the reader with a good sense of humour and gives two different but linked stories. It could improve on giving a bit more information about Brianna.
The age group I would recommend this book for is 9–10-year-olds. They will enjoy it and cherish it. I rate it 4.5 out of 5.
Kristy Nita Brown is a Western Australian author, writing junior fiction books and delivering creative writing, independent publishing and film making workshops at libraries and schools. Today we’re pleased to be chatting to Kristy about the first book in her Mavey and Beth’s Double Act series: Where’s My Whistle?, illustrated by Alison Mutton.
The author provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Where’s My Whistle?
About the book:
The Year Two song has whistling in it, and Mavey can’t whistle. To make matters worse, Mavey’s twin sister Beth has a mighty whistle. Terrified her classmates will laugh at her, Mavey and her family devise a plan to get Mavey whistling. Will Mavey learn how to whistle in time for the big concert? Or will Mavey’s toot stay mute?
First things first: can you whistle?
I can whistle. I remember my dad showing me how to whistle. We lived in the bush, so I had plenty of long car rides to practise. But Mavey and Beth’s Double Act: Where’s My Whistle? isn’t about me. It’s based on my eight-year-old daughter who can’t whistle. When she found out she was the only kid in her class that couldn’t do it, she was very upset. Together we searched the Internet for different ways to whistle. Do you know some adults can’t whistle too?
The book includes some interesting facts about whistling – did you write the storyline first or did all those whistling facts give you the idea for the story?
At the back of the book I included facts about whistling, a pan flute activity and the Skipping Song to play on the recorder. These came last. The story came first, from watching my daughter struggle with the feelings that come along with being unable to do something your friends can.
We learn that Mavey’s favourite subject at school is Music. What was your favourite subject when you were at school?
Music was one of my favourite subjects growing up because I played the flute. Every Saturday, I went to flute lessons at the Fremantle Music School. Then, on some Sundays, I performed with other kids in a small ensemble. My best friend at primary school also played the piano. We both loved music together. In high school, my favourite subject was small business. Because I sold lollies and washed the teacher’s cars, and made lots of money!
Do you have a tip for young writers who’d like to try writing their own chapter book?
My tip for young writers is to read as many books as you can that are similar to what you want to write. Then pick your favourite and follow the structure as you write your own story. Most chapter books have a similar number of chapters and word count. Usually, something happens in each chapter to move the story forward. At the end, the story is resolved in a way that the person reading it learns something, or feels good. Hopefully, following this structure will help a young writer get to the end, because I think finishing the story is the hardest part.
What’s next for Mavey & Beth?
I’m toying with a couple of ideas for the next Mavey and Beth book. I know the cover will be green and blue. I can picture the twins on the cover. But I’m not sure if the story will be about Mavey getting her ears pierced, a birthday party mishap, or a swimming lesson disaster. What do you think?
Allison Rushby made a wish when she was six years old. She wished to be a ballerina with pierced ears. Not long after this, she wrote her very first book (not about a ballerina) and decided to be an author with pierced ears instead. She went on to write many more books, for both adults and children, though none of them were sticky-taped together like that first one. She lives in Brisbane with her family and her two not very useful assistants, Harry the Bordoodle and Titus the Sphynx. If you’ve ever dreamed of your wishes coming true, you’ll love Allison’s new series! Today we’re chatting to her about Book 5 in The Wish Sisters series, The Christmas Wish, illustrated by Karen Blair.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of The Christmas Wish.
A delightful, festive story in this funny, illustrated Australian series for newly independent readers: It’s Christmastime, but Flick and Birdie are missing their Granny Aggie. To cheer them up, Mum and Dad invite the neighbours over to decorate gingerbread houses. All is going well until Mrs Mortlake brings up Christmas wishes, giving baby Birdie all the wrong ideas. How can Flick spread the joy of Christmas when a gingerbread person is biting the guests?
Did you grow up with a little sister?
I didn’t! I’m a big sister. Though I always think it feels a bit strange to say that because my ‘little’ brother is very tall and I am not very tall at all! So my little brother is my big brother, really!
Do you have any Christmas traditions in your own household that you like to revisit every year?
When I was a child, our family always had a real Christmas tree, which is something people don’t seem to have much anymore. I remember it smelled absolutely delicious – lovely and pine-y and fresh. Whenever I walk past the pine trees at my local park I take a big sniff of that sharp smell and always think about our family Christmas tree! Sadly, I have a very naughty Sphynx cat (one of the cats with no hair), so my Christmas tree for the past few years has been very dull – it’s made of wood and fits together a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. I can’t even have any decorations as he’s that naughty! I tried to have some twinkly lights this year, but he chewed through the wires!
The baby sister gets to do the all wishing in this series. What would you wish for if you had an imp who could grant your wish right this second?
This might sound like something very boring and adult to wish for, but I would wish for my oven to be fixed. It broke yesterday and I’m a bit worried it won’t be fixed for Christmas. A lot of baking needs to be done at Christmas! But I’d also be a bit wary of doing any wishing, because the imp is just as naughty as my cat. The imp manages to twist every wish in unexpected ways. I can’t even imagine what the imp would do to my oven!
Do you have a writing tip for young writers who might like to try writing a series?
I always tell young writers the most important thing they can do is read. Read, read, read and then read some more! But while you are reading, also take note of the stories you enjoy the most. Are there books you’ve read more than once? What was it about them that you loved? Was it the setting? The characters? Try to work out what you’re drawn to as a reader, because this is usually a good indication of what you will enjoy writing the most.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently writing a book about a mythical creature that’s set in the late 1600s in London. I’m having to do a lot of research, but it’s so much fun to lose myself in a whole other world each day.
The Wish Sisters is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Secret Agent Mole, Book 2: The Boar Identity by James Foley, Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd, ISBN 9781761200168
Reuben received a review copy of this book.
When I found this book in the mail I thought it would be about a secret mission where they had to break into a place and had to disguise as a skunk and a fox. And I was right!
My favourite character is Neil Hamstrung because he is a pig version of Neil Armstrong.
This book can make you laugh your butt off. Anybody who likes graphic novels, space, ham, bugs, and naked mole rats will love this book.
I would rate this book 5/5 premium rib eye steaks. XD
The Midnight Manor by Fionna Cosgrove, Lightning Source Inc., ISBN 9780645723304
Ayaan received a review copy of this book.
The Midnight Manor is the first book in the twisted trails series and was published in 2023. It was written in a ‘choose your own adventure’ style, sharing the story of the Manor and the Game.
But this is not like other stories of the same genre. Cosgrove has written the scenes out in impeccable detail and interesting side comments. Can you escape the manor before you are trapped for all eternity? Or will the mist take you all?
You must weave your way through the manor facing wolves, zombies and a creepy old innkeeper. And if you don’t like the way your story turned out, you can always go back to the start and have a do-over.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 as its description makes me feel as if I am really in the manor. You should definitely read this book.
Indigo in the Storm by Kate Gordon, Yellow Brick Books, ISBN 9780645218039
Bella received a review copy of this book.
Indigo in the Storm is a wonderful book from the award winning Kate Gordon. Kate Gordon has won many awards for this series. One of her unbelievable, award-winning books is Indigo In The Storm and I can see why. This is a book you can’t stop reading because of how interesting, surprising, and hysterical it is.
Indigo In The Storm is an unpredictable book about a sad girl, called Indigo, struggling to find her happiness once her mum had left her. Not much happens until an annoying boy, Liam, comes along. My favourite part about the book is when Indigo and Liam are having fun together, drawing things and writing quotes.
A funny part about Indigo In The Storm is when Indigo doesn’t like what her only/not really friends are doing so the unpredictable happens …
The saddest thing about this book is when her Mum is a bad influence and they become very close together and then her mum leaves! This made me think of how it would make me feel if that happened to me, I would be very sad and angry.
I like this book because when I was getting a bit bored early in the book, I read on and I’m glad I did because yet again the unpredictable brought it back to a 4 star rating in my opinion.
Overall, I liked this book because of the use of creativity within the story and I love the story because I find sad books the most interesting, but most of the time, the story has a happy ending! 4/5 stars.
Queen Narelle by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Simon O’Carrigan, Walker Books Australia, ISBN 9781760655334
Aashi received a review copy of this book.
Meet the Queen, her name is Narelle. Her subjects shall bow to her, whenever they greet her. She’s the keeper of the kingdom, ruler of the domain, and, most importantly, Maddie’s best friend.
Narelle is a cat and is the queen of her household. The household includes Narelle (The Queen of the household), Will (The Noisy Person of the household), Mum (The Court Counsellor of the household), Dad (a respected subject) and Maddie (Narelle’s princess and best friend).
Narelle is wise and caring. She loves all her subjects and makes sure they are happy. However, when Maddie’s friends, Nicole and Samira, become bullies because of a silly fight, Narelle is Maddie’s only friend. Nicole and Samira were writing mean and nasty notes in class about Maddie. When a subject is sad it is Narelle’s job to make them happy, but, in this case, Narelle is not sure what to do. Poor Maddie!
I rate this book 5 out of 5. Sally Murphy once again wrote a fabulous book. The book was detailed covering different opinions and perspectives. I recommend the book for 7 to 9-year-olds, they will truly love it. I loved it because it had a beautiful ending. It also showed that love is very important and that someone will always love you no matter what happens.
Once again, I enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will read it too.
Ashleigh Barton lives in Sydney, Australia. As well as writing the Solomon Macaroni novels, Ashleigh is the author of several picture books. Today we’re pleased to have Ashleigh visiting Alphabet Soup to talk about the second book in the Solomon Macaroni series: Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation, illustrated by Sarah Davis.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.
The world’s friendliest vegetarian vampire and his six mischievous cousins are going to Paris with Uncle Dracula. They can’t wait for the fine food, fabulous fashion and fang-dangled art. But Uncle Dracula is not himself. When the kids see the Mona Lisa, they get an idea to cheer him up … and it’s their naughtiest one yet.
Uncle Dracula takes Solomon and all the cousins on a holiday to Paris. If you were heading off to Paris yourself, what would you be most looking forward to?
I’m like Elvis – I would definitely be most looking forward to the food! The other thing I’d most be looking forward to is seeing the Bouquinistes of Paris (the booksellers of Paris), which are green wooden boxes along the Seine that hold hundreds of thousands of books, including second-hand and antique books. These open-air bookstores have been there for more than 500 years. I’d originally included a scene revolving around the Bouquinistes in Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation but it got edited out for pacing reasons. If I ever go to Paris again, I can’t wait to see these – I bet there would be so many amazing treasures to discover.
The Catacombs played a big part in this story and I haven’t seen them in person either, so I’d have to add that to my list too, along with a lot of other things I discovered in my research.
Have you seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre?
I have seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre but it was a very long time ago! I was lucky enough to go to the Louvre when I was nine years old. It was quite incredible knowing how long ago the painting was made and how revered it is. When I was researching for the book, I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of accounts to see how other people felt when seeing the Mona Lisa in person and one thing I read a lot was how surprised people were by the size. It’s actually fairly small (which made it much easier for our characters to steal!).
Unfortunately I didn’t make it back inside the Louvre when I visited Paris again many years later, but I will have to add it to my wish list above!
The cousins are big fans of ice-cream … which ice-cream flavours would be in your own multi-flavoured ice-cream tower?
If someone gave me a multi-flavoured ice cream tower I would have to try one of everything. When else would you get the chance to try every flavour in the shop and have no regrets about choosing the wrong one?
This book involves a careful plan being carried out with precise timing. Are you a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing about planning a heist?
I think I’m a mix of both! I’m pretty terrible at admin generally and for me plotting feels a lot like admin. I also find that one idea leads to another, so things take unexpected turns for me along the way when I’m writing. But I do try to have some kind of plan in place, whether that’s a point A and point B with nothing planned to get from one to the other, or something more detailed. When I plotted this particular heist, I knew exactly what was going to happen once they pulled it off but I didn’t plan every step or the things that went wrong along the way until well into writing it.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m not sure what will be happening next with Solomon, but in the meantime, I have two picture books and a brand-new series coming out next year. I’m not sure I can say too much about this new series yet, but it’s completely different to Solomon Macaroni and for a slightly younger audience. It is contemporary fiction with a bit of a non-fiction twist and another amazing illustrator on board!
Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Mermedusa by Thomas Taylor, Walker Books Australia, ISBN 9781529502138
Rory received a review copy of this book.
Prepare for a wild, mysterious and funny adventure in Mermedusa, the final book in the Eerie-on-Sea book series. Join Herbie and Violet as ghostly things begin happening in the seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. First podcasters coming to investigate the creepy myths of the town and next giant sea-monsters from the deep depths of the ocean trooping through the town!
When an eerie, hypnotic hum begins to resonate around the town and when Sebastian Eels – the friends’ worst enemy – starts driving his boat out into the stormy ocean at midwinter time, the most dangerous time of the year, Herbie and Violet instantly know something is up.
Suddenly everything starts coming into place: could the deepest secret of Eerie-on-Sea be close to getting revealed?
I rate this book a 10/10! It’s just so good with descriptive language, cliff-hangers, mysteries and more. There’s literally nothing bad about it! I think this book would be great for 9-year-olds and above. I read this book all night long and I know that you will too!
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier, Scholastic Inc, ISBN 9780545540629
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
Ghosts is a graphic novel written and illustrated by an outstanding author Raina Telgemeier. The main character is Catrina who doesn’t want to move to the coast of Northern California. They move because of Catrina’s little sister, Maya, who has Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a breathing and digestion condition, so they move to Bahia de la Luna which is on the coast of Northern California for cleaner air.
When Catrina and her family get to Bahia de la Luna they move into a little green house. Wild Maya wants to go on the ghost tour run by their next-door neighbour, Carlos. Catrina can’t say no. Will this end well … ?
I rate this book four out of five stars for it uses more perspectives of what other people think besides Catrina, though overall the book was great. It would make a spectacular read for ages 8–11.
Ghosts was a fabulous book, so in 2017 it won an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12), and the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics.
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