-Cover 06 2017.qxp_Layout 1 7/6/17 4:23 pm Page 1 THE BookCurator THE LIBRARIAN’S GUIDE TO BOOKS FOR KIDS & TEENS INSIDE Meet Harrison Craig Crinkling News National News for Kids Tips for Book Week preparation + Detailed reviews on the latest fiction to help you choose ISSN 2204-5708 JUNE 2017 WELCOME ABOUT THE PUBLISHER The Book Curator is published by Apt School Resources, an Australian business jointly owned by two families EDITORIAL who share a passion for books and a determination to provide outstanding service to our members. One of the things I enjoy most about my role with The Book Curator is the interesting We help schools all over the country by people I get to meet. From meeting members providing them with access to helpful like you face-to-face at conferences and information, detailed reviews and the latest fiction titles for their libraries. special events to interviewing authors, it is always a delight. Our goal is to provide the resources librarians need to choose the best I recently had the pleasure of chatting with books for their school library across a the very inspiring Harrison Craig about his new wide range of genres, age groups and children’s book Harrison’s Song. Harrison has been visiting some formats. We provide a wide range of of our schools in recent weeks and the feedback has been services to help support our members so they can get the best return for their fantastic. You’ll find the interview as well as information on how time and their budget. your school can get on board on pages 4 & 5. I also met fellow Blue Mountains based entrepreneur Safron This magazine (previously called Review) and our service have Howden whose amazing national newspaper, Crinkling News, is developed based on what our members changing the way kids engage with news from Australia and want. We invite your ideas, around the world (page 8). suggestions, feedback and constructive criticism to help us provide solutions to In addition to these great features, our intrepid iLibrarian ofers the challenges you face as you work to some tips on how to enjoy the journey towards Book Week, build an outstanding library for your school community. instead of focusing only on the week itself. Afer all, great literature deserves to be celebrated all year! In addition to library titles, we source We hope you enjoy your well deserved mid year holiday, and we and supply a wide range of interesting and efective resources to help will look forward to catching up with you on the other side with teachers, counsellors and chaplains our August issue! work with and support their students. We also help equip teachers and school leaders with professional development resources. For more information about our services or to provide feedback please ROWENA BERESFORD contact us. Apt School Resources PO Box 2707 Mansfield QLD 4122 AUSTRALIA PS. If you have any comments on The Book Curator or suggestions on what we P 02 8985 9435 could improve or include in future issues, please call 02 8985 9435 or email your F 02 8007 0510 feedback to [email protected] W aptschoolresources.com.au E [email protected] The Book Curator ISSN2204-5708 » For information on our trafc light ratings, please refer to page 12. Disclaimer: The reviews contained in this magazine are based on each individual reviewer’s opinion only. While we do our best to pick up every potential concern in fiction titles, we cannot guarantee that to be the case. Should you purchase a book based on our reviews and then discover an issue of serious concern to you that was not included in our review, please contact us. 2 | The Book Curator: June 2017 Contents » ARTICLES & FEATURES 18 THE INCREDIBLE DADVENTURE 31 THE SHIP BEYOND TIME Dave Lowe Heidi Hellig 4 FEATURE INTERVIEW 19 THE MUMBELIEVABLE 31 MY NAME IS VICTORIA Searching for Words CHALLENGE: THE INCREDIBLE Lucy Worsley Harrison Craig DADVENTURE # 2 32 LIVING ON HOPE STREET 6 THE iLIBRARIAN Dave Lowe Dermet Divaroren 19 BALLERINA DREAMS Escape to Everywhere 33 THE NAMES THEY GAVE US Michael & Elaine DePrince Emery Lord 8 SPOTLIGHT ON 20 THE LAST TIGER: 34 THE EMPEROR OF ANY PLACE Crinkling News: Australia’s THE HISTORY MYSTERIES Tim Wynne-Jones National Newspaper for Kids Mark Greenwood 35 MY LIFE AS A HASHTAG 20 LASSETER’S GOLD: 10 NOTABLE DATES Gabrielle Wiliams THE HISTORY MYSTERIES 11 IMPORTANT NEWS Mark Greenwood 36 COUNTLESS 21 THE MYSTERIOUS LIBRARIAN Karen Gregory Dominique Demers » BOOK REVIEWS 21 DOGS AND DOCTORS: 13 LIFE ON MARS THE MARSH ROAD MYSTERIES » IN EVERY ISSUE Jon Agee Elen Caldecott 37 USEFUL INFORMATION 13 STORM WHALE 22 EMELIN Great websites and apps, Sarah Brennan Jackie Randal festivals and literary events, 13 DOUBLE TAKE! 22 FISH BOY conferences and seminars A NEW LOOK AT OPPOSITES Chloe Daykin 38 INDEX Susan Hood and Jay Fleck 23 THE ELEPHANT THIEF This issue’s titles in alphabetical 14 FLOSS THE PLAYGROUND BOSS Jane Kerr order Corinne Averiss 24 HOPEWELL HIGH: 14 HARRISON’S SONG STAGE FRIGHT 39 UPCOMING TITLES Harrison Craig Jo Cotterill What’s on the horizon 14 MR HARE’S BIG SECRET 24 OCDaniel Hannah Dale Wesley King 15 KING OF THE SKY 25 FALL OF HADES: Nicola Davies MICHAEL VEY #6 15 JABARI JUMPS Richard Paul Evans Gaia Cornwell 25 MERLIN’S WOOD 15 THE CAT WANTS CUDDLES Anne Hamilton P. Crumble 26 AMERICAN ADVENTURE: 16 DOG ON A DIGGER BOONE SHEPARD Kate Prendergast Gabriel Bergmoser 16 UP AND AWAY: 27 GOODBYE, MR HITLER CHOOK DOOLAN Jackie French James Roy 28 SONGLINES: 16 UNHAPPY CAMPER: THE SENTINELS OF EDEN #1 CHOOK DOOLAN Carolyn Denman James Roy 29 INK 17 A DUCKLING CALLED BUTTON Alice Broadway Helen Peters 29 ORBITING JUPITER 17 BLIZZARD CHALLENGE: Gary D. Schmidt BEAR GRYLLS ADVENTURES # 1 30 STARGAZING FOR BEGINNERS Bear Grylls Jenny McLachlan 18 DESERT CHALLENGE: BEAR GRYLLS ADVENTURES # 2 Bear Grylls bookcurator.com.au | 3 FEATURE INTERVIEW Searching for Words HARRISON CRAIG Harrison’s journey from a boy who struggled to speak to a singer on the global stage is now an inspiring children’s book. If anyone knows the value of talented singer to an actual >>What inspired you to write a words it is Harrison Craig. As a storytelling experience. children’s book? child Harrison struggled with a I’ll be honest with you. Books by I really wanted to share my story severe speech disorder, which celebrities are not high on my with kids around Australia. Afer impacted on his ability to ‘must read’ list. Too ofen they all, it is tough being a kid. communicate. While in primary seem just a tool—a way of I remember what it was like not school, he learnt to sing as a trading fame for dollars in the to have anything I could turn to, means of expressing himself and never-ending hunt for cash. something that could help me overcoming his stutter. Fast Harrison’s Song is something overcome hurdles and challenges. forward a few years to 2013, and diferent. It’s a genuine story Because of this I think it is really Harrison (then 19 years of age), from the heart of an inspiring important that there is a resource came to public attention on The young man who has an on their level that shows kids that Voice, an Australian television important message to convey. it is possible to live your dream, show/singing competition. He Celebrity he may be, but Harrison no matter what challenges you won the series as well as the is also a valuable role model who face. hearts of many of the viewers. understands the value of It’s also really good for kids to I had the privilege of meeting perseverance and hard work, Harrison before his recent realise that it’s not just about and has a deep love for his overcoming, it takes a lot of hard concert at the Sydney Opera family. House. During our interview, and work to achieve what you want Here’s what Harrison had to say his subsequent performance, it to achieve. I feel confident that about his new picture book. became clear that Harrison we have managed to communicate that. brings the same single-minded >> What was the writing dedication that helped him experience like, compared with We’ve done quite a few book overcome his speech impediment songwriting? launches and school visits so far, to his professional career. On Writing the book came very and kids are really getting stage, each song becomes his easily to me because in it I talk around it, so I am really thrilled. unique tale, elevating it beyond about my own experience, so it >> What role do the illustrations what might otherwise be just a is a story that came from my play in that process? performance by an incredibly heart. 4 | The Book Curator: June 2017 The illustrations are amazing. help me read the story. Doing Ann-Marie Finn did a terrific job that gives them one more way to under incredible time constraints, develop understanding. It is as we wanted the book released more powerful than me just in time for my Kings of Vegas reading the book and telling tour. My publisher, Wombat them what I went through. Books, may just have broken Instead it is kids communicating some kind of record! the story to other kids, helping to Ann-Marie really went to school. open up their minds. They might She gathered photos of my think ‘I know that I am a great family.