Ruby Red Shoes by Kate Knapp, HarperCollins Australia, ISBN 9780732293628
Winnie’sreview of this book was longlisted in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
Ruby Red Shoes by Kate Knapp is a heartwarming story about a hare called Ruby. She lives in a beautiful caravan with her kind grandmother, Babushka Galina Galushka. They spend their days in their beautiful garden, growing fruits and vegetables and lots of flowers. Ruby loves singing to the plants and birds in her garden.
I enjoyed reading this book because the pictures and words makes my heart warm. I really like the look of Ruby’s caravan. The pictures are very detailed and colourful and I love them.
I would recommend reading Ruby Red Shoes to anyone who enjoys a gentle and calming book.
I give this book 10 out of 10.
Winnie’s review was longlisted in the Junior category of Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we publish book reviews by young writers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Cassy Polimeni writes books for children and young adults. She has worked as a bookseller, travel writer, magazine editor, TV book reviewer and airport chauffeur. Today we’re chatting to Cassy about Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra – the first in a fun four-book junior fiction series, illustrated by Hykie Breeze.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reader copy ofElla and the Amazing Frog Orchestra.
From the publisher:
Eight-year-old Ella hates her new house. She wants to be back in her old house with her best friend Viv next door … until one day Ella discovers a secret pond in her neighbours’ backyard with an orchestra of frogs! At her new school Ella meets Mai and learns about their class frog bog project. But when Ella finds out that the neighbours’ secret pond is under threat Ella and Mai must come up with a plan to save the frogs – before it’s too late!
Did you ever have to move house when you were growing up?
I lived in the same house my whole childhood, but some of my closest friends at school over the years were ‘the new kid’. I think any new experience – starting school, a new after-school activity or joining a new social group – can feel a bit like moving house because you’re thrown into a new world with new faces and new rules and you might miss the comfort of familiar things. That got me thinking about what might make it easier for Ella and I decided it would be nature — and frogs! – and that connecting with this part of her new environment would help her feel more at home. I did love reading up my favourite tree when I was a kid, just like Ella does in the book. Seeing that childhood memory brought to life with Hykie Breeze’s sweet illustration was a highlight!
What’s your favourite frog?
That’s too hard – with over 7500 species to choose from I need at least a Top 10! I have been fascinated with glass frogs lately — they’re see-through, so you can see their internal organs. Very cool and slightly gross. I’m also fascinated by a tree frog that was discovered in Western Australia recently who was bright blue because of a genetic quirk (tree frogs are usually green).
There are lots of different kinds of frog calls (a frog orchestra!) in the book. Are they based on frogs you can hear where you live or did you research frog calls before you started the writing?
Both! When I had the idea for a frog orchestra I listened to lots of frog recordings (The Frog ID app is great for this) and tried to work out how to put the sounds into words (onomatopoeia) as well as which calls reminded me of which instruments in an orchestra. I didn’t include frog species names because I wanted people from all around Australia (and hopefully the world) to imagine these frogs might live near them.
Is there something you wish everyone knew about frogs?
One of my favourite frog facts is that frogs are an ‘indicator species’ (like bees and coral), which means they can tell us how healthy the environment is. Because of their extremely sensitive skin, frogs are the first to react and respond to changes in their environment, which makes them a bit like an alarm if something is wrong. They are canaries in the coal mine of climate change. Their sensitive skin also means it’s very important not to touch them if you can help it. Anything on your skin – even soap or sunscreen – could be harmful to them. It’s best to admire them from a distance, but if you ever need to pick up a frog for any reason you should use rinsed/dampened rubber gloves.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
The next book in the series, Ella and the Sleepover Safari, will be out early 2025 so I’m excited to be able to start sharing that very soon. It’s about what happens when Ella’s old friend Viv and new friend Mai meet for the first time at her birthday party – a sleepover at the zoo! The girls don’t get along at first but when an animal escapes they need to figure out if they can work together. I’m also working on Books 3 and 4 in the Ella and the Frogs series as well as a narrative non-fiction picture book all about science and wonder with CSIRO Publishing.
Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, HarperCollins GB, ISBN 9780007299263
Dexter’sreview of this book was longlisted in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and suspense, this is the book for you. Howl’s Moving Castle is a 302-page novel about a girl called Sophie who lived a quiet life, when she gets cursed by the witch of the waste. She can’t tell anyone about her curse, so she goes to visit a dangerous man called Howl who is the only person who might be able to break the curse. The problem is Howl lives in a giant walking castle with no signs on how to get in and is known for being a very bad criminal.
The book has trickery, comedy, adventure and loveable characters. The main characters are Howl, a funny wizard who can sometimes turn into a birdlike creature. Then there’s the main character Sophie, who was a hat maker and now her main priority is to break a curse. Sophie also has a lot of character development through the book. Then there’s one more main character – Calcifer, a fire spirit who’s funny, sassy and is Howl’s pet, who powers the castle and is always trying to make bargains. He also has a very emotional and happy ending. Also, there’s one side character that is quite important, his name is Michael. He’s Howl’s apprentice wizard, and he appears lots throughout the book.
I would say Howl’s Moving Castle is a mature book for ages 10 and above. It’s beloved by many and is still my favourite book. I read it all in one day and would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It has two sequels and even has a fully animated movie produced by the wonderful Studio Ghibli.
Dexter’s review was longlisted in the Primary category of Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we publish book reviews by young writers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Claris: The Chicest Mouse in Paris by Megan Hess, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, ISBN 9781760502591
Kinsey’sreview of this book was longlisted in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
This is my favourite book because it has lots of fashion in it and it’s also by my favourite author Megan Hess. Claris is a very stylish mouse and in the story Claris finds a new friend who is a cat called Monsieur. It’s about her trying to find a new home in Paris.
I like the illustrations because it has so many details and I also like all of the different pinks. My favourite part of the story is when Claris saves the cat and then runs back to her flat because I think it was kind that Claris saved him. I like the rhyming words because it is entertaining. I like this book because I like drawing fashion or even copying the dresses, shoes and the handbags from the book.
I think kids in year two, year one, prep and kindergarten would like this book as much as I do.
5/5 stars
Kinsey’sreview was longlisted in the Junior category of Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we publish book reviews by young writers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Carla Fitzgerald is a children’s author, a recovered lawyer and mum of three. Carla has written three humorous books for children – one picture book and two novels. Despite numerous attempts, she has not yet broken a world record. Today we’re pleased to be chatting to Carla about her latest book: How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reader copy ofHow to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five.
From the publisher:
Sam is a kind and thoughtful eleven-year-old, but he thinks he’s not that great at anything. His sister, Ava, is a soccer star and his best friend, Vihaan, is an award-winning artist. The one thing Sam is good at is knowing all about the extraordinary feats in the Big Book of Records. When Sam is set a class project about a moment he’s proud of, he can’t think of anything and takes inspiration from his favourite book. He knows he’ll be proud of himself if he can break a world record! But breaking a world record isn’t easy …
This is the second book in your ‘Survive Grade Five’ series. Why did you choose Grade Five as the focus for the series?
I love writing characters who are in Grade Five because I find kids of this age are funny, smart and interesting. And importantly, they’re often starting to think more about the world and their place in it, which is perfect for storytelling.
Each chapter shares a world record from the Big Book of Records. Do you have a personal favourite World Record?
My favourite record is ‘Most scoops on an ice-cream cone’ (125 scoops). You may notice that this record forms an important part of the novel! I actually tried to make a giant ice-cream as ‘research’ but I only made it to about 15 scoops. It was fun eating it though.
If you were visiting Sam’s class and had to nominate something you are proud of, what would you say?
That is such a good question – it’s really got me thinking! I am proud that I pushed myself to finish my first manuscript and now I have a career that I love. I’m also proud of my spaghetti bolognese, which is the only thing all my kids will eat.
Could you share one tip for young writers who would like to write realistic fiction?
Include small details from life in your stories – this will make your story feel real to the reader. Does your Dad fidget with his ear while watching TV? Give that characteristic to one of your characters! Does your local corner shop smell like feet? Perhaps a setting in your story could smell that way.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m writing another ‘survive grade five’ at the moment. We haven’t got a title but here is a big hint: ‘How to win a <insert major sporting event> and Survive Grade Five.’
How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
A Matter of Cats by Elizabeth Hutchins, Wakefield Press, ISBN 9781743058893
Gus’s review of A Matter of Cats was longlisted in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
A Matter of Cats by Elizabeth Hutchins is an amazing story of friendship and environmental awareness, set in Mala Sanctuary in South Australia. Although not a real place, it is similar to a wildlife park nearby to where the author lives in the Adelaide hills called Warrawong Sanctuary in Mylor. The story tells the adventures of Kate and her friends, and a cat called Bunyip.
I think the author was mostly trying to focus on how cats can impact the wildlife. She really loved cats, but she also loved nature, so she found it hard to balance them both living together. I think after reading this book people will get a better understanding about the difficult relationship of cats and nature.
I loved how everything felt real, and I felt like I was part of the story. The description was really good, and I could picture what all of the characters and the environment looked like and how they felt. My favourite character was Kristie because she was funny and smart. I loved the illustrations, and they were done by an 18 year old.
Every chapter was exciting, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to be on the next page. Elizabeth Hutchins is very good at making you feel how the characters are feeling, and it makes it a really enjoyable book to read.
I think this book would be good for ages 9+ and I am giving this book 10 out of 10 stars.
Gus’s review was longlisted in the Primary category in Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we post reviews by young reviewers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin, ISBN 9780241558331
Lachlan’s review of James and the Giant Peach was the winner in the 2024 Young Book Reviewers’ Competition.
The story is called James and the Giant Peach. It was illustrated by Quentin Blake. He has illustrated more than three hundred books, and he was awarded the Kate Greenaway medal. He was also one of the first children classics illustrators. The writer is Roald Dahl. He was a spy, an ace fighter pilot, a chocolate historian and a medical inventor.
In this story, James had a happy life until his parents died, and he had to live with his aunts who were both lazy. One day, an old man gave James some magic and told him to put it inside a glass of water and drink it in one gulp. On the way, James tripped over and spilt the magic on the ground. The magic went into insects and the peach tree.
The two aunts, Spiker and Sponge, came out shouting there was a enormous peach on the tree. Spiker asked people, “Who wants the peach?”.
At this same time, James found a tunnel in the peach and discovered a big room. In this room, Grasshopper introduced the insects that lived there. James and the insects had a big journey to the sea and James tied string to seagulls and they flew to America.
During the journey they solved problems. Spider said that James was so smart that she wanted to be smart like him.
My favourite part was when James lost his first chance of happiness but did not give up. I felt proud because he used to be miserable but now, he is happy. They also used good team work to solve their problems.
I highly recommend this book to children of all ages because they can learn how to be resilient. If they miss a chance, they can wait for another – and that includes being patient because sometimes things can turn out better than you think. This book also can teach children the importance of teamwork.
Lachlan’s review was the winner of the Junior category in Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we post reviews by young reviewers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Waiting for the Storks by Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books, ISBN 9780733340888
Sahana’s review of this book was the winner in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
I press my face against the bars of the truck and scream for my Mama and Tata. My heart slowly drops and tears slither down my cheeks. Desperation claws at me and I bang against the truck walls sobbing. I have lost Mama and Tata and I want to go home. I want to hear Tata’s laughter and see my Mama’s smile. I long to be laughing with them but I am stuck in a cold truck, with twenty or more little children like me.
Waiting for the Storks provides the perspective of a young Polish girl named Zofia. Poland lives under the Nazis’ rule and one gloomy night she is taken by the Nazis, kicking and screaming for her Mama and Tata. At this moment, the author, Katrina Nannestad, puts you in Zofia’s mind making you feel just as sad, angry and desperate as her.
She is taken into Himmler’s Lebensborn Program and adopted by a rich, loving, German family. It seems easier to forget her past. I am torn between what Zofia should do – is she a good, happy, German girl or a sad, defiant Polish Stork? We share Zofia’s happiness and we share her fear. We laugh when she laughs and cry when she cries.
The reason I love Waiting for the Storks is that I feel like I am with Zofia. Katrina Nannestad writes just enough so we get a glimpse of their emotion and are sucked in. The story becomes our journey and every friend or foe along the way is ours. When Zofia leaves her friends for Germany, a tear trickled down my cheek. I felt as if I had lost something within me.
I admire Zofia. She has been through so much and I think experiencing things with her forged a sort of bond between me and the character. It is so easy to relate to a character like Zofia and by the end of the book you are left with all the emotions from her journey.
Another thing that I liked about the book was that Katrina Nannestad was able to make this a more understandable and relatable book for young readers. World War ll is full of sadness and gore and other horrible things. I think we get a taste of that, just enough to make us understand, and not too much to overwhelm us.
At the end of the book you feel a sense of incompleteness. The tie I’ve forged with the story and Zofia makes it feel as if I have experienced it all. Her fear when they took her. Her sadness when she gave up. Her happiness amongst other children. Her desperation for her Mama and Tata. You want the story to keep going and that is the sign of any good writer. This book is perfect for readers 10–13 to have a glimpse into World War II, all in a beautiful, heartfelt story.
Sahana’s review was the winner in the Primary category of Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we publish book reviews by young writers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Selected reviews will be published here at Alphabet Soup over the coming weeks. If you are one of the longlisted reviewers above, we will be in touch soon to let you know the date that your review will appear.
Kylie Howarth is an award-winning, internationally published children’s author-illustrator from Western Australia. Kylie has swum with whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales in Ningaloo, piranha and pink dolphins in the Amazon, braved scuba diving with lionfish in Egypt, marine iguanas and hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands and encountered great white sharks in South Africa! Today Kylie is visiting to talk about her latest book, the first in her graphic novel series, Kev and Trev: Snot Funny Sea Stories!
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reader copy of Snot Funny Sea Stories.
From the publisher:
Join Kev and Trev’s epic deep-sea adventure – full of kraken laughs and comic commocean! Dodge flying coconut cannonballs, outrun ghost pirates, escape big sharks, pig sharks, and a punch-throwing pelican, all while hunting for mysterious merpugs and the missing emergency boat snacks! Water you waiting for? Jump on board Kev and Trev’s popcorn powered houseboat … and cross-your-claws it doesn’t sink!
You have published picture books and junior fiction novels and this is your first graphic novel. What brought you to create the Kev and Trev series?
I once made rhyming mini-books for my kids which I’d pop in their school lunchboxes. The kids loved these short, funny stories and often shared them with their friends and teachers. This inspired me to create a graphic novel series, that included lots of short funny stories written by the characters, Kev and Trev.
What tools do you prefer to use to create your graphic novels?
I use sketch books and a pencil for my initial ideas and story planning. I then use a program called Procreate (on my iPad) to illustrate my books. I also use anything from seaweed to broccoli dipped in paint and pressed on paper, to create interesting textures for my illustrations.
Your characters Kev and Trev write and illustrate their own rhyming short stories inside the book. Do you have a tip for kids wanting to experiment with rhyme?
Keeping a consistent rhythm and beat for each line of rhyming text really helps the story flow for your reader. To hear if your rhythm is working, try clapping along as you read your story out loud.
How does your editor feel about being turned into a squid? 😆
Ha ha! Kev and Trev’s editor is a grumpy squid named Mr Happy. Luckily my editor is never grumpy. She is also my publisher so identifies more with the lovely character of Tess the pug-lisher.
The book is stuffed full of puns and hilarious play-on-words conversations. What’s your favourite pun from Snot Funny Sea Stories?
I love the mixed-up book titles like THE BUFFALO (instead of The Gruffalo) and POSSUM TRAGIC (instead of Possum Magic.)
What’s next for Kylie Howarth?
I’m now working on the second graphic novel in this series – Kev and Trev: Snot Scary Jungle Stories.
Kev and Trev: Snot Funny Sea Stories is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
AWESOME EXTRAS:
See a short video of Kylie designing a character in the book [Instagram]
alphabetsoup.net.au 