SEA HEARTS

by Margo Lanagan  (CBCA SHORTLISTED - OLDER READER) LWH

[Blurb: A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL NOVEL FROM THE WINNER OF FOUR WORLD FANTASY AWARDS.
'Why would I? People are uneasy enough with me - if I start bringing up sea-wives, they'll take against me good and proper.'
'It could be secret.'
'Could it?'
On remote Rollrock Island, the sea-witch Misskaella discovers she can draw a girl from the heart of a seal. So, for a price, any man might buy himself a bride; an irresistibly enchanting sea-wife. But what cost will be borne by the people of Rollrock - the men, the women, the children - once Misskaella sets her heart on doing such a thing?Margo Lanagan weaves an extraordinary tale of desire and revenge, of loyalty, heartache and human weakness, and of the unforeseen consequences of all-consuming love.]

A CBCA short listed novel for older readers, which I was anticipating would be great, but I was thoroughly disappointed. From the start it was difficult to get into, and I thought, even the older readers, would find hard to understand and may not persevere past the first chapter. I thought this a strange book to be short listed and there weren't that many redeeming features, be it a very different kind of story, seals becoming human form. Although I was a little intrigued by it, as it promised to capture a Scottish style of oral history, it was not enjoyable at all and I was glad to finish it, which is very disappointing. Some say it's poetic and a wonderfully woven story but it wasn't for me.

FRIDAY BROWN

by Vikki Wakefield   (CBCA SHORTLISTED)  LWH

[Blurb: ‘I am Friday Brown. I buried my mother. My grandfather buried a swimming pool. A boy who can’t speak has adopted me. A girl kissed me. I broke and entered. Now I’m fantasising about a guy who’s a victim of crime and I am the criminal. I’m going nowhere and every minute I’m not moving, I’m being tail-gated by a curse that may or may not be real. They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’]

This is a short listed book for older readers for CBCA awards this year so was eager to read it. I was blown away by it. The first chapter drew me in as I took in each word that was so craftily written. The descriptions were beautiful yet haunting, with each character reeling me in.

I so loved the relationship and special kind of love she formed with Silence, her new friend, which was so special since her whole life she had only really known her mother, and travelled from town to town as a loner. When she meets Silence her world changes dramatically but life in the 'gang' doesn't sit well with her from the start. She is running from life, from herself, from memories, but along this new journey she eventually finds her inner self. She must make some hard decisions.

I have to admit that I cried through most of the last few chapters, which made me feel silly, as this was just a YA fiction, but I was totally hooked by then, and the story didn't quite turn out how I had expected. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT VERITY SPARKS

by Susan Green
This was an unusual story that was short-listed in the Book of the Year for Younger Readers category of the 2012 CBCA Awards.


Set in the late 1800's, a thirteen yr old girl named Verity Sparks discovers she is talented in finding lost objects. Verity works as a milliner in London and thinks she is just an ordinary lower class girl until she is accused of steeling some jewellery and her life takes on a very different direction.
She is helped by the Plush family who explain she has an almost perfect memory and possesses the talent of Teleagtivism. They ask her to help them solve cases in their Confidential Inquiry Agency. Soon there are chases through the dark alleys of London and lots of adventure. Will Verity find out the truth about her parents and why she has this special talent? A great story with mystery and suspense.

VINNIE'S WAR

VINNIE'S WAR by David McRobbie   (LWH)

This is a fabulous book that was really easy to read. Set in London, at the start of World War II, the book tells the story of a homeless boy named Vinnie who makes a life with the owners of a pub and a refugee boy from Poland. Vinnie's life is crushed when the first bombings in London take place and he loses everything.  Now branded as a 'vaccie' (children evacuated from their own town) he must board a train to live with families in country towns. He meets Kathleen and her younger brother Joey and another boy his age called Dobbs. They are all sent to the same town and placed in different families, some nice, some not-so-nice for the duration of the war. 

They find that some of the townsfolk open their hearts to these children while other families and their children don't want the new-comers invading their town and way of life, and there are many difficult times. Settling into the families and school are challenging but they are happy to have their friendship with each other.  After uncovering a secret in the town they soon start to make new friends.

SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS

SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Fiona Wood   (LWH)

(Short listed for CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers - 2011)

This book is a fun book, suitable for boys and girls, and has a little drama, romance and comedy. Dan Cereill, who is a slightly nerdish 14 yr old, has his world turned upside-down when his family split, he starts a new school, his father comes-out as a gay, and they are bankrupt having to move into their dead grandmothers home. His life is a mess already, without getting a crush on Estelle, the girl who lives next door, to confuse things. Dan makes a list of 6 things he would like to happen however they seem impossible.

The book tells of his struggle to fit in at school, avoid the bullies, try to help his mum earn some money to pay their bills and now struggling with his first romance. Dan is a lovely character with good intentions and through the story he reinvents himself and finds confidence to attempt things he never would have before. Will he accomplish his 6 impossible things?  Read the book to find out!

About the author:  Fiona Woods is an Australian who usually writes scripts for television shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away and The Secret Life of Us. This is Fiona Wood's first Young Adult novel.