10 Great New Books for Children Aged 7-14 Years

1. 'Crooked Leg Road' by Jennifer Walsh (Allen & Unwin)


Whispered secrets, a missing boy, a hidden shack and a mysterious family ... the stage is set for another exciting, real-life adventure from the author of 'The Tunnels of Tarcoola'. 

It's the end of a long, hot summer, and mystery is the last thing on the minds of friends Kitty, David, Andrea and Martin. Then Andrea spots a strange van parked behind David's house, and a few days later, he disappears. Kitty is convinced he's been kidnapped - and that the secretive new boy has something to do with it - but David's family say he's safe. Only why won't they say where he's gone?

The friends don't know it, but they've stumbled on a sinister plot involving a criminal gang, a planned kidnap, and a school event that could go very, very wrong. This is an excellent and gripping tale that children aged 10-13 will enjoy.

2. 'Alexander Altman A10567' by Suzy Zail (Black Dog Books)

Alexander is a fourteen-year-old Jewish boy who has been sent to Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. Here like others he must learn to trust others in order to survive. Like many Holocaust novels it is based on a true story. Like other Jewish people captured and imprisoned by the Nazis, Alexander's identity is taken from him and a number tattooed on his arm that he knows by heart - A10567. He knows that to survive Auschwitz, he has to be tough and at first trust no-one. But when he is given the job of breaking in the commander's new horse, he sees that their survival is linked to the survival of the soldiers' horses. Alexander sees the fear in the animals and seeks their trust. If he wins their trust he might just survive. 

This is a beautifully written and challenging story from an emerging writer that children aged 11 to 14 years will enjoy. Suzy Zail was previously a litigation lawyer, but now she writes full time. Her first novel for young adults, 'The Wrong Boy', was short-listed for the 2013 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award in the Older Readers category.

3. 'No Stars to Wish On' by Zana Fraillon (Allen & Unwin)

A little boy's spirit shines amid some dark truths in this tender and memorable novel about being taken from home and put in an orphanage.

This is a fictional story that draws on knowledge of the experiences of institutionalized children; often called 'Australia’s Forgotten Generations'. Jack is a positive boy who is deaf and reads lips. In spite of his disability he remains optimistic about his possible return to his family. Like the other children in orphanages of the time, he has been taken due to the lack of care he had received at home. The Nuns who run the institution where Jack lives offer them a tough life where punishment is common.

There are many interesting characters in the novel, no doubt based on the experience of children in care. We meet Samson who was sent there by his mother, and Charlie who works in the laundry where he is regularly burnt by the copper used to heat water and clothes. Some children are even used for medical experiments. The work in the kitchen is hard and injury is common.  Jack's job is to clean the 'holes' where children were detained for additional punishment. This is a well-written book that tells an important story. It will be difficult to read for many but it is an important book that will help many to understand what once happened to orphaned and neglected children and the need to guard against such abuses in the future. The book will challenge children aged 10 to 13 years.

 Zana Fraillon was born in Melbourne, but spent her early childhood in San Francisco. She now lives once more in Melbourne with her family.

4. 'The Billy That Died With Its Boots On: And Other Australian Verse' by Stephen Whiteside (Walker Books)

I tend to be hard to please when it comes to collections of short verse for children. There are so many already that it is hard to find something new. Stephen Whiteside has managed to put together a collection of very funny and original work. I've tested the work with some of my grandchildren and they agree, there is some funny stuff here. Like 'I'd Like a Pet Brontosaurus', 'The Dragon at the Chookhouse' and the poem that gave us the book title 'The Billy That Died With Its Boots On'. As you can see, there is a decidedly Aussie slant to this collection, but children from other countries will enjoy finding out what a 'billy' and a 'chook' are, the story of Simpson and his donkey, and much more. There is some wonderful read aloud material here that any teacher of children aged 7-12 would love to have and share.

Stephen Whiteside's collection is aided by the delightful black and white paper cut illustrations by Lauren Merrick (a new illustrator). He is an acclaimed Aussie poet who has been writing rhyming verse for over thirty years. His work has been highly acclaimed, including being awarded the Children's Poem of the Year in the 2013 Australian Bush Laureate Awards.

5. 'A Very Unusual Pursuit' by Catherine Jinks (Allen & Unwin)

'A Very Unusual Pursuit' is the first instalment in what should be a wonderful new fantasy series (the 'City of Orphans' trilogy).  It is set in Victorian London, where squalour sat alongside splendour. Where the houses of the rich were not always that far from the houses of the poor, open sewers, a seedy underworld and of course, the gruesome and frightening 'bogles'.

Monsters have been infesting London's dark places for centuries, eating every child who gets too close. That's why ten-year-old Birdie McAdam works for Alfred Bunce, the bogler. With her beautiful voice and dainty looks, Birdie is the bait that draws bogles from their lairs so that Alfred can kill them. 

One life-changing day, Alfred and Birdie are approached by two very different women. Sarah Pickles runs a local gang of pickpockets, three of whom have disappeared. Edith Eames is an educated lady who's studying the mythical beasts of English folklore. Both of them threaten the only life Birdie's ever known. But Birdie soon realises she needs Miss Eames's help, to save her master, defeat Sarah Pickles, and vanquish an altogether nastier villain. Catherine Jinks, one of Australia's most inventive writers, has created a fast-paced and enthralling adventure story with edge-of-your-seat excitement and chills.

The book is also available in the USA with the title 'How to Catch a Bogle'. Readers aged 11-14 will enjoy this engaging fantasy. It has been shortlisted in the Children's Book Council Australia Awards for 2014.

6. 'Song For A Scarlet Runner' by Julie Hunt (Allen & Unwin)

This fantasy adventure is the story of a young girl who is on the run for her life after bringing bad luck to her village. It is a tale of loyalty, survival and the search for freedom and will be enjoyed by readers aged 10-12 years.

Peat is on the run - forced to flee for her life when she's blamed for bringing bad luck to her village. She heads for the endless marshes, where she's caught by an old healer-woman who makes Peat her apprentice and teaches her the skill of storytelling.

But a story can be a dangerous thing. It can take you out of one world and leave you stranded in another - and Peat finds herself trapped in an eerie place beyond the Silver River where time stands still. Her only friends are a 900-year-old boy and his ghost hound, plus a small and slippery sleek - a cunning creature that might sink his teeth into your leg one minute, and save your life the next.

The book has been shortlisted in the Children's Book Council Australia Awards for 2014, as well in the inaugural 'Readings Children's Book Prize, 2014' and the 'Aurealis Awards, 2013'.

7. 'Maxx Rumble Soccer: Knockout' by Michael Wagner and illustrated by Terry Denton (Walker Books)

'Knockout' is the latest of Michael Wagner's funny books written for sports crazy boys aged 8-10 years. The soccer series sits alongside a set of nine Australian Rules books and eight cricket books. In this soccer series there are three books to date. In them you can follow Maxx, Rexx and the Stone Valley Saints through a tough season of soccer mayhem. The series is illustrated by brilliant and popular Australian illustrator Terry Denton.

"Don't worry, Rexxy," I said. "The Giants just THINK they're smart. I bet they're even dumber than us!" "IMPOSSIBLE!" said Rexxy. Eight teams. Three weeks. One winner! That's the Soccer Knockout competition. And the Saints want to be that winner. But before they even reach the second round, they must beat a team of total geniuses!

8. 'The Simple Things' by Bill Condon (Allen & Unwin)

I love Bill Condon's work; it always has an authenticity that is lacking in the work of many writers. But Bill seems to get inside the everyday experiences and minds of children. This delightful novel for younger independent readers is no exception. Stephen has to stay with his elderly Aunt Lola, who he has never met. The only thing he knows about her is that she sends him ten dollars twice a year, for which he always writes a thank you. But what does an eight year old say to a grumpy and scary old lady when he meets her. He wants to turn around and go home, but his mum says he'll need to stay.

But left to his own devices, and with the help of Lola's neighbour Norm, and his granddaughter Allie, he learns about some simple things in life like fishing, cricket, and climbing trees, not to mention family. And when Lola entrusts Stephen with a special secret, he realises that she has become more than an old aunt, she's now a friend. Readers aged 7-11 years will enjoy this book.

9. 'Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures' by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by K.G. Campbell (Candlewick Press)

This brilliant novel is the second book which has won Kate DiCamillo the Newbery Medal, having also won in 2004 for 'The Tale of Despereaux'.

It is an hilarious and unlikely story. It begins with an overactive super vacuum cleaner and a tragic accident that involves Mrs Tickman and a squirrel that never saw the vacuum cleaner coming.  Flora tried to warn her but ... too late! However, Ulysses (the flying 'super hero' squirrel) has not been killed '...but rather is been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry..'. Flora too is changed and is about to discover many things about herself. Ulysses joins forces with Flora to deal with her mother.

The 233-page book is a mix of text, full-page fine illustrations and graphic (comic-like) pages, all in black and white. The illustrations of K.G. Campbell are delightful and are a great complement to the story. The book will enchant and engage the most reluctant of 7-12 year old readers.

10. 'My Life as an Alphabet' by Barry Jonsberg

Barry Jonsberg has written a number of very successful books for adolescents and in this case tween readers. This very funny book is no exception. This first person narrative is in a journal/diary form with a twist (the alphabet) and will engage readers 10-13 years. Twelve-year-old Candice Phee manages to amuse those around her despite the bizarre mix-ups and the confusion she creates. In the words of Candice:

This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.

Candice takes her through the alphabetical A-Z experiences of her life:

A is for assignment - A recount on her life, how could that go wrong?
B is for birth - "I wasn't there at my birth", well not "as a reliable witness", so what was it like?
C is for chaos - "Classrooms are battlegrounds."

And so on. Each chapter is a recount by Candice of some part of her life, and each is very funny. Barry Jonsberg does a wonderful job communicating an authentic voice for this slightly crazy (well at least quirky) twelve-year-old girl. Ten to twelve year old Girls (and boys) will love this book. It has been shortlisted for the Australian Children's Book Council Awards 2014.

Making history come alive with literature: The importance of historical fiction

I’ve just returned from a trip to Western Australia. I was attending a conference in Fremantle just south of Perth perhaps the most isolated major city in the world. Fremantle is home to one of the most interesting museums I have visited, the Western Maritime Museum, specifically, the historic shipwrecks gallery. A central part of this museum is part of the wreck of the Batavia (see below) that floundered on uncharted rocks of the Western Australian coast on 4th June 1629. The British ship the ‘Trial’ was the first confirmed European landing on the great Southern Continent in 1620 some 150 years before Cook, but the circumstances surrounding the Batavia and the fate of its crew and passengers have made it the most famous of the early ships to stumble upon Australia’s at times treacherous coast.

The story of the Batavia is an horrific one. The ship hit Houtman’s Abrolhos Rocks off the West Australian coast on the 4th June 1629. Most of the 260 passengers and crew survived the wreck and landed safely on the barren islands nearby. The captain left the passengers and most of the crew and headed for Java in an open boat to get help. He successfully returned 14 weeks later only to find that 120 men, women and children had been brutally murdered by members of the crew and the passengers. The Captain tried the men, supervised the hanging of 7 after first cutting off their right hands. He showed mercy to two additional young men found guilty but seen as minor 'players', one a 17 year-old boy Jan Pelgrom and the other a soldier, Wouter Loos. They were marooned with a small amount of water, food and supplies.

Literature meets history

While visiting the museum I discovered Gary Crew’s book ‘Strange Objects’ (1990) in the gift shop. Crew won the 1991 Children’s Book Council Australia award for Older Readers, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award (Crime Writers of America) for this book. Crew’s book is an example of historical fiction. He takes an historic event and tells a story that illuminates this historic event while telling a powerful story of human cruelty, suffering and survival.

The story commences in 1986 with a teenager Steven Messenger who lives with his family in a roadside truck stop in the middle of nowhere along the highway that weaves its way up the western coast of Australia. Messenger discovers some gruesome relics in a cave while on a school excursion. This begins a mysterious tale where his life is interwoven with the lives of two of the survivors of the Batavia responsible with others for the murder of the 120 people. Like many works of historical fiction, Crew uses the metaphysical encounters of one of his characters to transport us back to another time. A ring found attached to a severed hand provides a vehicle for regular time slips between his life in 1986 and the events that unfolded when Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom were set adrift in a small boat that gave then an outside chance of survival.

What is historical fiction?

Historical fiction offers readers a narrative that takes place during a specific (often significant) period in history. It often focuses on a specific event in the period and presents some of the actual events at the time through the presumed voices of actual people (using diary, journal, illustrative and secondary resource material) and offering a particular point of view of people living in the period. The extent of the accuracy of the historical detail varies greatly. In some historical fiction, famous events are given new points of view using characters whose voices have not been recorded in mainstream accounts. Sometimes actual events are explored in new ways, as speculation based on evidence available. At times, events and characters are invented but set within accurate historical settings, events etc. But the characters can also deal with events that are not related to historical accounts. Many other forms of artistic licence are taken as well, including inventing new characters, using new or altered names and places and creating new events. Depending on how far these accounts vary from historical accounts, they may be classified as alternate history or historical fantasy. The latter is often associated with the exploration of the metaphysical. 'Playing Beatie Bow' discussed below is an example of historical fantasy with characters, narrative and events largely invented but set within historically accurate settings and with events that were typical of the time.

Why encourage children to read historical fiction?

As I have written previously, literature can teach us a great deal (here). As well, as enjoying being lost in a good book we can learn new things about our world and the history of its people. Here are jhust some of the reasons that historical literature has value.

1. Historical fiction can illuminate history - One of the great advantages of this genre is that in presenting history through the voices of different characters and using the many devices of narrative, at times dry historical accounts can come alive. As such, the reading of a good piece of historical fiction in parallel to history can enrich our understanding.

2. It can increase children's interest in history - This flows very much from the second advantage but it is worth stating separately. Many a student has been bored by modern history (for example) when a piece of historical fiction might just have increased their interest.

3. It can highlight and make sense of the tiniest of details of history often missed in textbook reading - This brings life and excitement and can increase creativity. In this way, people are also put back into history and made real.

4. In presenting multiple perspectives it can present complex issues in multi-dimensional ways, helping us to see things for the first time - For example, when reading 'Tom Appleby Convict Boy' I was able to understand the horror of life as a chimney sweep and the cruelty of 18th century life in England in new a new richer way.

5. It connects children's learning right across the curriculum - My experience as an adult exploring contemporary Western Australia was enriched as I encountered the wreckage of the Batavia in the National Maritime Museum in Fremantle, as I toured the rugged coats and as I then read 'Strange Objects'. My learning using varied sources and senses was enriched and integrated by my reading of Crew's book.

How to choose good historical fiction?

While I'm reluctant to try to set criteria for judging good historical fiction, because even if the book does not conform to the patterns of many historical novels, the narrative alone might be worth the read. However, if you want to choose books that will enrich learning and that will appeal to the desire of some boys and girls to learn about specific historical periods you might consider the following:

Are the characters portrayed accurately, or if invented, are they consistent with the times and the events?
Are the settings real or at least authentic?
Does the narrative weave in accurate historical details and avoid stereotypes and frequently repeated myths?
Is the story well told and believable?

A few more good examples of good historical fiction

a) Playing Beatie Bow (1982) by Ruth Park

When Abigail Kirk joins in a traditional chanting game of 'Beatie Bow' in modern day Sydney she sees a mysterious urchin girl in the background and follows her. Unwittingly she stumbles into the past as she follows her up stairs and down alleys in the Rocks area of Sydney. She encounters a strange and different Sydney and finds herself walking the streets of the colony of New South Wales in 1873. Abigail is taken in by the Bow Family who believes that she is a mysterious 'Stranger' who is said in tradition to arrive to save 'The Gift' for future generations of Bows. Abigail remains in this past world to fill her role and in the process falls in love for the first time.

While this book is an authentic representation of the setting and the times, the metaphysical elements of the book probably place it in the historical fantasy sub category. Nevertheless, it is a brilliant novel for 12-16 year olds. It won the Children's Book Council Australia Award for Book of Year in 1981.

The book has been adapted for film (details here), but like so many good books, the screenplay falls well short of the quality of Park's book.

b) Number the Stars (1989) by Lois Lowry

Number the Stars is set in Denmark during World War II. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is the central character, who is living in Denmark under German occupation in 1943. Her family becomes a target for the German forces as they help a Jewish family. Annemarie and her family risk their lives to help Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's older sister. The title is taken from Psalm 147 in the Bible that speaks of God's power as the one who knows and has numbered every star. It is also probably a reference to the fact that God had promised Abraham the father of the Jewish nation that he would have as many offspring as there are stars in the sky. The novel was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1990 as the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".

The Jews of Denmark are being 'relocated', so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and becomes part of the family, but as the risk grows Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission mounted by the resistance movement; a trip that is almost as dangerous as the occupation.

This is a moving and compelling book that engages the reader from the start and in the process offers an insight into the lives of many innocent Jewish families in World War II and the lengths that some went to in order to survive.

c) Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960) by Scott O'Dell

Off the coast of California is a rugged rock known as the Island of San Nicholas. The seas around it are filled with dolphins, otters, sea elephants, cormorants and marine life all kinds. It was here in the early 1800's that an Indian girl spent 18 years alone. Karana has to maintain her food supply and avoid Aleutian sea-otter hunters and the perils of a pack of wild dogs that killed the brother she jumped ship to save. The spirit of this young woman and her ability to survive against all the odds offers an interesting insight into the challenges of life in another age.

This wonderful novel was O'Dell's first book and won the Newbery Medal in 1961. It is an excellent book for 10-14 year olds.

d) The Machine-Gunners (1975) by Robert Westall

Living in World War II Britain, Chas McGill has the second best collection of ware souvenirs in Garmouth and he wants to have the best. He is determined to outdo his rival Boddser Brown in obtaining the ultimate war souvenir. An opportunity comes when he finds a crashed German bomber in the woods complete with machine gun, he knows he can not only beat Boddser hands down, but can also play a role in the war. All he has to do is to remove the machine gun from the plane.

This has to be one of the best books for boys that I've read. Not surprisingly it won the highest British honour for children's literature, the Carnegie Medal in 1975. Any boy aged 10-16 years who can read will love this book.

And there are lots more....

Of course there are many more wonderful books in this genre (including many in the historical fantasy sub-category). I have far too many to review in detail, here are just a few more that are amongst my all time favourites:

Leon Garfield has written many fine examples mostly set in late 18th century England including 'Devil in the Fog' (1966), 'Black Jack' (1968) and 'Smith' (1967). He also branched out into picture books with the great Charles Keeping illustrating 'The Wedding Ghost' (1985) and Margaret Chamberlain illustrating 'Fair's Fair' (1981) and in a newer edition with Brian Hoskin as the illustrator (2001).

Allan Garner has also written a number of fine examples set in Cheshire and often stimulated by local history and legend, including 'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen' (1960), 'The Owl Service' (1967) and 'The Stone Book Quartet' (1978).

There are many books that deal with World War II (like 'The Machine Gunners' and 'Number the Stars') but one of my favourites is 'Summer of My German Soldier' (1974) by Bette Green and 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' (1971) by Judith Kerr (two great books for teenage girls).

'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' (1976) by Mildred Taylor, which won the 1977 Newbery Medal Award, tells the story of a poor African American family living in Mississippi during the Great Depression.

I'd best stop. What are some of your favourites?