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]
Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman, Text Publishing, ISBN 9781922790231
The publisher provided a review copy of this book.
Outlaw Girls is a great adventure story by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman. It is about two girls. Ruby, who only trusts her closest friends and family, and Kate, a sibling of Ned Kelly who lives in 1878. These two girls are up for an adventure and are ready to break the rules.
Ruby and her friends shoplift chocolate bars regularly. Kate brings supplies to her brother, Ned. When a surprise comes to Kate in the mountains, their two worlds collide. Kate does not want trouble when she meets Ruby so she lies about her identity. As these two girls become friends, they realise they share a common interest: horse riding. They soon are bound to a ride of friendship, courage, and adventure.
Outlaw Girls takes you through the interesting lives of Kate and Ruby. It is interesting to see how they live more than a hundred years apart yet share similarities. This book is never dull and keeps you on your seat. I highly recommend Outlaw Girls to anyone who enjoys adventurous and heartwarming stories. The bond of friendship that develops between Kate and Ruby is truly inspiring, and the way their lives intertwine despite living in different periods is fascinating.
The authors – Emily Gale and Nova Weetman – have created an exciting narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The themes of courage and adventure are beautifully woven into the story, making it a must-read for anyone looking for an exciting and adventurous story.
Mark Greenwood is a history hunter! He enjoys searching for lost explorers and glittering treasure, delving into baffling mysteries and investigating famous cold cases. His many award-winning books examining history and multicultural themes have been honoured internationally. Today Mark chats to us about his new History Hunter series, exploring unsolved mysteries. The first two books in the series – The Vanishing and The Dragon’s Treasure – were released in July 2024.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with reading copies of these books.
From the publisher:
The Vanishing:In 1978, a young pilot vanishes during a routine flight over a notorious stretch of water. His radio transmission to airport control is one of the most bizarre ever recorded. What did Frederick Valentich encounter? Where did he disappear to?
The Dragon’s Treasure: On a summer morning in 1931, four children on a remote beach make a remarkable discovery. But this is only one of many astonishing finds in the same area: silver coins, hidden chests, mysterious stones, strange objects and an unidentified skeleton. Why is it all there? Where has it come from? Can the truth be found?
Join the History Hunter to unravel these marvellous mysteries.
You’re an avid history hunter, but how did you come to hear about these two unsolved mysteries from 1931 and 1978? (Do you overhear conversations, or frequently look through old newspaper articles to uncover anything interesting?)
I’m drawn to real-life mysteries to search for the truth. The spark to write could be a character, a place, an event, a photograph that teases my imagination, an object or relic, or a tall tale recalled. Sometimes, I wonder if we come across stories by chance – or if stories find us. A curious, questioning mind kick-starts the research process and once history hunters get going, there is no stopping the search for truth.
The Dragon’s Treasure invites readers on an adventure back in time. The premise reads like the plot of a fictional novel – a fabled shipwreck, seven chests of treasure, a mysterious skeleton and 68 desperate castaways abandoned on a bleak coast. But sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
There are many mysteries out there, waiting to be discovered – secrets and hauntings, unexplained occurrences, lost treasure. There are mysteries that solve the disappearance of something or someone. There are mysteries that remain unsolved. Not to mention strange objects, legendary creatures, ghostly ships, freaky phenomena and cryptic codes. For history hunters, a mystery is anything inexplicable, unknown or puzzling. That is what drew me to the story of The Vanishing …
Do you have an opinion about what really happened to the pilot who vanished?
The Vanishing kicks the History Hunter series off with THE question – are we alone in the universe? The disappearance of pilot Frederick Valentich is Australia’s greatest aviation mystery. In 1978, he was on a routine flight over the Bass Straight when he reported an encounter with a UFO. His extraordinary voice transmission with Melbourne flight control was recorded in full. His last words were: ‘It’s not an aircraft …’ Neither Valentich nor his plane were ever found. What on earth (or not of this earth) happened? After years of research, I have formed my own opinion about what happened to Frederick Valentich. I conducted a thorough investigation, and The Vanishing provides evidence and enough information for readers to draw their own informed conclusions.
Has anything strange or mysterious ever happened to you?
Yes – quite a few strange things have happened to me. I’ve learnt to embracethe mysterious, accept it and use the experiences creatively. These private episodes are random and rare, but always welcome.
Your books contain a variety of artefacts and primary source materials, like photographs, newspaper articles, investigation reports and more. How do you gather and store all that information and research for your writing?
I’m a history mystery detective. I collect information, clues and evidence. I keep files on the people in each story, newspaper accounts, photographs, research documents, maps and books about the subject that are valuable sources of knowledge. These are the tools that help me brush away the layers of time so my readers can walk undetected in the past.
Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on next?
I’m thrilled to be working on the next two books in the HISTORY HUNTER series. Each case file invites readers to delve into the unexplained and investigate extraordinary historical mysteries.
Case File No. 3 is the story of a legendary jewel that has crossed oceans and continents, passing from thieves to commoners, kings, and queens. The sinister forces that lurk beneath its indigo surface are said to have origins in an ancient curse.
The fourth book in the History Hunter series is set in the Great Depression – when a hero was needed to lift the spirits of a nation. The call was answered by an underdog with unflinching courage, a tall poppy who refused to be defeated, a battler who defied the odds, and an icon whose glorious life sparked one of Australia’s greatest unresolved mysteries.
The truth is out there …
The Vanishing and The Dragon’s Treasure are out now! Ask for them at your favourite bookshop or local library.
REVIEWED BY CLASS 4K AT GREAT SOUTHERN GRAMMAR, WA
Right Way Down and Other Poems, edited by Rebecca M. Newman & Sally Murphy, illustrated by Briony Stewart, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781760993429
Alphabet Soup is a co-publisher of this book andprovided a review copy.
Right Way Down and Other Poems is a great book filled with fun and awesome poems. Each poem tells a little story that makes you think. Some even make you laugh out loud.
The poems voted as our favourites were:
‘How to be a Dragon Egg’ by Rebecca Newman – This poem made you feel that you were the dragon in that egg.
‘Right Way Down‘ by Sally Murphy – The front cover is such a good design and we had fun reading this poem upside down.
‘Rain!‘ – When we read this poem in class, it was raining, and the poem put words to what we were hearing.
Why It’s Great: The poems are easy to read and have a nice rhythm, so they sound good when you read them out loud and even to yourself. The words are simple but create vivid pictures in your mind.
Pictures: The book has lots of black and white drawings that don’t overshadow the poem and still lets you create your own pictures when reading the poem.
Overall:Right Way Down and Other Poems is a fantastic book for kids and adults. It’s great reading for those spare couple of minutes you find in your day. If you love great poems, you’ll really love this book!
This is the first ever book review from Class 4K at Great Southern Grammar. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
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