BRAT: Spring 2005 Issue

BRAT is published as part of the Book Council's quarterly magazine Booknotes.

It includes profiles of authors on the Writers in Schools programme, and a round up of recently published New Zealand books for children and young people.

To receive the latest issues of BRAT hot off the press, join the Book Council.

Books for Readers and Teachers

Intermediate Fiction

Maddigan’s Fantasia by Margaret Mahy (HarperCollins, $24.99)
One comes to Margaret Mahy’s new work with high expectations, and in the early chapters of this most recent novel she doesn’t disappoint, deftly creating a world that is both credible and compelling. Her spread of characters is rapidly brought to life and the issues that will plague them – grief, shifting allegiances, learning who to trust and why – are quickly and skilfully established.

Reality in this fantasy world is oddly unsettled: roads shift and change, people prove unreliable and the threats that constantly beset the heroine’s world come from a wide variety of sources. Garland Maddigan, true daughter of Maddigan’s Fantasia, a roving circus that helps remake the world by constantly travelling its unreliable roads, is an appealing character, intelligent and independent, whose emotions ring true throughout. With the Fantasia – far more than a circus – she undertakes not only to entertain and carry hope to isolated communities, but to negotiate the purchase and transport of a piece of technology critical to her society’s future. Garland’s present is further complicated by the appearance of a trio from her world’s future, together with the forces of evil intent upon destroying them. The book’s cover promises daring games with time, but we are 370 pages in before Garland steps outside lineal time to discover the complexities inherent in alternate versions of the present.

Mahy handles her characters and their complex emotions with a light and sure touch, her lyrical style never faltering. In the mid-section, the narrative meanders slightly, traversing a handful of slightly disjointed episodes that do not always add to the whole. For all that, the story is captivating and enjoyable. A shame that the publisher has let down both reader and author with numerous proofing errors. Recommended. 10–14 years.

Hunter by Joy Cowley (Penguin, $16.95)
This exciting and credible tale showcases Cowley’s talent at its finest. Her characters, Hunter and Jordan, live 200 years apart, yet a powerful bond between them allows Hunter to save the lives of Jordan and her brothers, Robbie and Baxter, despite the centuries that separate them. Cowley has woven the two stories together in an intensely satisfying way, without losing any of the individuality of each. Her depiction of Maori life in 1805 is straightforward and refreshing: not a ‘noble savage’ Utopia but a class-based subsistence existence that is enlightened by a spiritual wealth largely lacking today.

The experiences Jordan, Robbie and Baxter have together after the aeroplane they are travelling in crashes on a remote Fiordland beach are realistic and their survival does not rely on convenient props (except Hunter!) – though the apparently useless Christmas presents rescued from the plane do occasionally come in handy. Information – on moa, Maori medicines, tribal hierarchy, small aircraft and coastal Fiordland – is lightly presented in this quick and exciting read. Highly recommended. 9–13 years.

Running Hot by David Hill (Mallinson Rendel, $16.95)
A fast-paced adventure story which piles trial upon trial, catching the reader’s attention and whisking them along. Hill’s uncluttered style lends itself to an action focus, but here it comes at something of a cost to character development, which is perfunctory at best. Even physical description is minimalist – one teen is Maori, one spiky-haired, one likes biscuits. Consequently, the effort to establish tensions and attractions amongst the group feels somewhat cursory; moreover, there is an occasional disconcerting slip from third person to first.

Despite this, the pace of the story is compelling and excitement remains high throughout as the five teens struggle against the odds to escape a rampaging forest fire. Credulity is slightly strained near the end, (especially in the decision of the authorities not to rescue the group for another twelve hours, placing their chance of survival in jeopardy) but Hill has clearly done his research on forest fires and his talent for story-telling wins through. The conclusion is realistic and positive. The Maori ghosts are handled with less subtlety than Hill is capable of. Recommended. 10–13 years.

Mr Bluenose by Jack Lasenby (Longacre, $16.95)
The wry humour of this story of a Waharoa boyhood will entertain both children and adults. Lasenby captures both the naivety and charm of childhood in this summer of tall tales, friendships and rivalries, and an inter-generational fondness for boiled lollies. From endeavouring to teach a horse called Horse to push a wheelbarrow, to terrorising his friends with ghost stories judiciously re-enacted, Lasenby never misses a beat. Highly recommended. 9 years and over.

A Case for G. String by Julia Owen (Scholastic, $16.99)
This Nancy Drew style whodunit is a reasonable read if you can get past the early chapters of teen-speak that rather painfully miss the mark. There are a few significant holes in the plot – would your average law-abiding teenager really decide to steal a police car rather than tell the policeman they have a friend in trouble? Would said policeman leave his keys lying on the counter of the police station in the first place? It may well suit the writer to have all the protagonists gathered for an Agatha Christie style ‘criminal reveals all’ ending, but to do so at the expense of credibility detracts from the book. 10–14 years.

Quest for the Sun by VM Jones (HarperCollins, $16.99)
The final book in the Karazan Quartet sees Adam’s true identity and destiny revealed, and the forces of darkness finally vanquished. The story moves the now familiar cast of characters through a further range of adventures to the finale, but they themselves seem oddly unchanged by the challenges they have experienced.
Jones’ is a magic of convenience rather than mystery, in both its prophetic riddles and its expedient trinkets. Despite the addition of winged horses and gladiatorial circuses to the predictable battles between good and evil, I was left with the feeling that the story has been stretched too far. The oddly feminine conclusion sits rather uncomfortably in a saga targeted towards boys. 9–13 years.

Finding Isabella by Alison Robertson (Scholastic, $16.99)
Stacey is struggling with her parents’ separation and her boyfriend’s defection when she sets out to track down her wayward ancestor, Isabella. Robertson occasionally loses her way in past tenses, but pulls together a tolerable tale of ancestor-hunting which distracts Stacey from her real life concerns just long enough for some of them to be resolved. 11–14 years.

Senior Fiction

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (HarperCollins, $24.99)
Laura and Rose are cousins who live life in tandem – until it is discovered that Laura previously her cousin’s shadow and follower, can alone enter the arid world of dreams known as The Place. Having joined the select few, Laura stumbles almost blindly to the vanguard of her father’s planned attack on the self-congratulatory complacency of their dream-addicted society. Knox’s fantasy world embraces both the familiar and the bizarre. Bureaucracy, corruption, and the boundaries and limitations of class provide the background texture to Laura’s unwitting assault on the powers that be.

Knox’s writing is keenly observed and deliciously detailed; language is a lyrical tool in her hands. Her characters are complete and credible with dialogue that is well-judged and well-delivered. The plot moves forward and is enjoyable through all its 430 pages. This is a lovely work which showcases Knox’s talent for both imagining and recreating, but it does not stand alone, feeling instead like the stage setting for the story that will follow. A sequel is planned for May 2006, and I look forward to it enormously – partly because without it, the story is incomplete: the impatient may prefer to read both together. Highly recommended. 14 years and over.

Land of Milk and Honey by William Taylor (HarperCollins, $16.99)
This story of Jake, a British war ‘orphan’ sent to New Zealand in 1947, is touching and well-paced. Jake’s character is clearly defined, and his initial misfortunes are balanced by his subsequent luck in stumbling, severely injured, into the care of the generous and kindly town doctor. The cover warns readers that ‘themes and content may disturb’ and the story shows Jake tortured and ill-treated by his first family, but the violence is discretely handled and the positive outcomes outweigh any potential distress. Taylor’s handling of emotions has a very ‘boyish’ feel, which perhaps accurately reflects the time in which his story is set. Recommended. 13 years and over.

Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry (Allen & Unwin, $18.95)
A touching and funny book that successfully gets inside the world of 15 year olds Rose and Asher, and reflects their view looking out. The pastiche of styles – narrative in both third and first person, descriptive passages, book extracts, dialogue, lists, and more – building this tale of two teenagers struggling against the confines of their world is exhilarating, once you’ve settled into the writer’s mode. Asher’s stream of consciousness sections initially feel rather impenetrable due to the complete lack of punctuation. Dialogue is presented without speech marks or attributions, requiring the reader’s full attention to sort it out. But it works.

First published in Australia in 1997, short-listed for several major awards, and winner of a readers’ choice award, Guitar Highway Rose should be on the recommended reading list for parents as well as teenagers. It is a wonderful story of rebellion and personal growth told in an intriguing fashion from a dozen different points of view. This New Zealand-born, now resident author is one to watch. Highly recommended. 14 years and over.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ken Catran (Scholastic, $16.99)
The forces of good and evil meet head on in Ken Catran’s latest YA novel, which sees Brad Foster, your average small town teenage lad, facing up to the Black Adept (in which task he is fortuitously aided by the White Adept) and the Pale Rider of Revelations himself. Catran’s good and evil are drawn straight from mediaeval Europe: evil imps and night-gaunts, pentacles and covens, human sacrifice in honour of the goat-faced, cloven-hoofed one.

Catran’s writing is easy to read; his story well-paced with imagery that avoids slipping too far into the lurid. He dives straight into his story with the wicked whispering of the evil imps, Yi and Izu, in a whodunit that relies on Brad working out where the everyday people of his life stand on the question of good and evil – and teens will no doubt enjoy the place allotted to most of the teachers who feature. Character writing is not Catran’s greatest strength, which may explain why I was left with a stronger sense of the imps than of Brad and Eithne. 14 years and over.

Third Degree by Tania Roxborogh (Longacre, $18.95)
The story of a girl who suffers third degree burns at ten years of age, told in rather staccato flashbacks ten years after the event. Also relates her first sexual relationship at university and raises questions regarding hospital policy and attitudes towards child patients in the 1970s. The story is based on the author’s experience. 13 years and over.

Junior Fiction

My Friend Percy’s Magical Gym Shoes by Ulf Stark (Gecko Press, $14.95)
This is an engaging and humorous story of boyhood friendship which captures both the vulnerability and the egocentricity of childhood. Wooed by newcomer Percy’s apparent confidence, Ulf abandons his friends and hands over his treasures to secure Percy’s friendship – and his magical gym shoes. Percy who, it becomes clear, is less of a bully than he at first appears, gradually comes to see Ulf in a new light – but I was disappointed that Ulf never notices the high price he has paid for the friendship. The light-hearted rendering of both adventure and emotion will entertain adults as well as children. There is an occasional slight stiffness in the translation (from the original Swedish) that sits uncomfortably with the quick, light hearted nature of the story. 7–10 years.

Gladys the Goat by William Taylor, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird (Penguin, $14.95)
When Dad comes home with an orphaned goat, Johnny knows there will be trouble – his Mum is no fan of pets. The goat’s antics are standard, as are Mum’s, but the ending is not a classic goat-tale one. An easy first chapter book in the Kiwi Bites series. The sketchy illustrations occasionally feel unfinished. 6–8 years.

Non-fiction

Pukeko by Natasha Fijn with photographs by Rod Morris (Reed, $14.99)
Excellent photographs add strength to this well-researched and informative text, which extends Reed’s series on New Zealand birds. Slightly awkward sentence construction in places diminishes the overall result, as does an unfortunate typo in a caption, but readers will be left with few unanswered questions about Pukeko. Good index and easy-to-use, attractive layout.

The Skink by Jenny Jones (Reed, $14.99)
Plenty of facts and attractive presentation do not quite compensate the jerky nature of the text in this addition to Reed’s NZ Endangered Species series. Photos are well-linked to the text and are generally of good quality.

Picture Books

Moa’s Ark by Peter Millett; illustrated by Lamia Aziz (Reed, $14.99)
Bright appealing illustrations with a Pacifica twist add to the appeal of this retelling of Noah’s story which features as centrepiece a pair of talkative moa. The rhymes are sometimes strained and, oddly, the off-loading on arrival at Aotearoa includes mountain sheep/goats alongside the native birds and reptiles. Possibly assumes knowledge of Noah’s story, but stands alone without biblical references. A good read-aloud book for pre-schoolers.

The Legend of the Seven Whales of Ngai Tahu Matawhaiti, retold and illustrated by Mere Whaanga (Scholastic, $16.99; reprint)
With Maori and English versions on facing pages, this bilingual telling of the legend of how the islands east of Wairoa were created is attractively illustrated and presented. Judicious use of space gives the book a light, refreshing feel. The dual languages add to its relevance and appeal, though the story seems to end in something of a rush. 4–8 years.

When Giddy’s Been Acting the Goat by Lynette Jack; illustrated Errol McLeary (Scholastic, $15.99)
This is told in rhyme that is sometimes forced and occasionally misses its beat. Giddy is a laconic and incorrigible character given to eating anything that comes her way. The detailed illustrations support and occasionally expand the text, but the whole is lessened by lines that don’t always scan. 3–5 years.

Donkeys by Adelheid Dahimene; illustrated by Heide Stollinger; translated by Catherine Chidgey (Gecko Press, paperback $16.95/ hardback $29.95)
While the pictures are beautifully drawn and the production excellent, this saga of two aged donkeys separating, searching for alternative partners and eventually returning to one another (albeit with ‘a chink of sorrow’ now between them), reads like a message for adults rather than a story for children. Whether children will relate to grandparent type figures splitting up on the day of their silver wedding anniversary is questionable. The charmingly drawn pictures might compensate for the adult preoccupations of the story, if only they didn’t themselves slip towards a focus that feels slightly inappropriate for a young audience. An award winning book in Austria, I can’t help but wonder whether something has been lost in translation.

Mrs Parata and the Cuckoo by Ruth Darroch; illustrated by Bob Darroch (Reed, $14.99)
The shining cuckoo takes centre-stage in this gentle story of Mrs Parata and her lazy son, who learns a lesson from his niece’s observation that his habits are as bad as those of the shining cuckoo. The occasional use of white space is a visual relief from the busy illustrations, which are in contrast to Mrs Parata’s relaxed demeanour. The solid chunk of information on the habits of the shining cuckoo sits surprisingly comfortably in the text. 4–7 years.

Matilda and the Forgetments by Lorinda Creighton; illustrated by Bob Darroch (Reed, $14.99)
Matilda’s ‘forgetments’ seem all too believable; even if her mother’s set response feels rather lame. The text works because it gives an accurate observation of children’s behaviour which will be enjoyed by both children and adults, though the cartoon illustrations will not be to everyone’s taste. 3–6 years.

Also released

A series of six Maori legends retold and illustrated by Peter Gossage, previously published by Lansdowne Press (Reed, $16.99 each) with a further addition to the series (Reed, $14.99)
Doubtless produced with an eye to the classroom market, the slightly stiff texts of these retellings are somewhat let down by rather wooden illustrations, and the vocabulary is occasionally out of keeping with the simplicity of grammar and illustrations. Titles include: ‘How Maui found his Mother’; ‘How Maui found his Father and the Magic Jawbone’; ‘The Fish of Maui’; ‘How Maui slowed the Sun’; ‘How Maui found the Secret of Fire’; ‘How Maui defied the Goddess of Death’ (which includes an odd extrapolation of Maui’s after-life experiences) – all previously published by Lansdowne Press – and the newly released ‘Battle of the Mountains’ which tells the legend of the mountains and rivers of the central North Island.