Adele Broadbent's Blog, page 16

Charlie Tangaroa (2) and the God of War

Charlie has a story to tell you. The previous year he had an amazing adventure in his tiny seaside New Zealand town, but is relieved it’s all over. But things get messy again in Tolaga Bay and this time it’s even more dangerous for him and his whanau (family), as Charlie is half atua (god). He is soon to be called on again to save everything and everyone he loves.

It all begins on the town wharf while he’s fishing with his little brother Robbie. This is where he meets a new kid in town named Nathan. Charlie isn’t impressed with Nathan’s treatment of the sea, and even less keen when he finds himself in the same class at school.

Another concern for Charlie is the news that Robbie’s dad is planning to take him to live in Auckland. Robbie is excited at the thought, but Charlie knows he will miss his cheeky little brother. Their mum isn’t saying much about it, but still keeping them busy helping in the family store.

A local named Old Pete often hangs around the store for their day-old pies, but one afternoon is missing his dog, Jackson. When he asks Charlie to go up into the bush to find him, Robbie is along on the horse ride with him.

They find Jackson but not before something finds them first. Patupaiarehe (forest fairies) appear out of the bush, strong and eerie to Charlie and invisible to Robbie. They are angry about changes in their forest and show Charlie something strange. What he sees gives some answers to questions he has had lately, but quickly plummets him into an adventure of epic proportions.

Things are happening in Tolaga Bay that Charlie knew nothing about. Plans are afoot to help their small town prosper, but these plans are far from what is really happening behind the scenes. This brings unrest and upset and a powerful disruptive force is released in the process. This force is all vengeance and keen to wreak havoc on all he can.

Charlie is called upon to help reveal the truth, save his town and all the people trapped in it. Can he face an even angrier atua than last time, remember all his koro has taught him, and stand his ground?

 

I love this sequel even better than the award winning first book in this series ( Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea ).

Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War has everything. Action, Mystery, Humour, Caring for the Environment, Family, Sibling rivalry and Love. There are also frightening forest fairies, sea goblins and angry gods!

With plenty of kiwi slang, settings we can easily imagine ourselves in and relatable conflicts, this sequel is so easy to immerse yourself in as Charlie tells his story directly to you.

Charlie is easy to like, trying to be there for his mum, look out for his little brother and stepping up when his half god status is needed to save others. He’s no angel though, which makes him even more real on the page and in the story.

The Māoritanga is rich and underpins this fast-paced middle-grade read, that kiwi kids especially will love. The full glossary of Gods and Māori words is extremely helpful in full understanding of the story and extends any young reader’s te reo. It certainly did mine. 

Laya Mutton-Roger’s expressive pencil illustrations are scattered throughout the book and just like Charlie’s first amazing adventure, Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War just has to be starring in future book awards picks. 

 

Author – Tania Roxborogh

Illustrator – Laya Mutton-Rogers

Age – 10+

 

 

 

(2024, Huia Publishers, Aotearoa New Zealand, NZ, East Coast, NZ, Action, Family, Adventure, Animals, Courage, Crime, Environment, Growing up, Mystery, Secret, Series, Tangaroa, tumatauenga, Whiro, Maori Gods, Atua, Mining, Dogs)

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It’s Christmas Everywhere

A plain pine tree wishes to be just like the decorated and much-loved Christmas trees they’ve heard about from their forest friends.

Ten days until Christmas, and I hear a sound:

Footsteps approaching, and gathering round.

Children from far and wide have come to decorate the tree!

As it counts down the days until Christmas Day, new places and cultures around the world are portrayed between the pages.

Australia, Brazil and South Africa have summer Christmas’. And New Zealand too of course. In China, apples are a traditional gift, wrapped in paper or special boxes with best wishes for the recipients.

In Peru, people carve gourds to hang on their trees, and in Greece boats are an important part of celebrations. Germany has the famous wooden Nutcracker dolls, and in Ukraine it is good luck to find a web or spider on your Christmas tree.

There are many other special ways and traditions to celebrate Christmas around the world – but they all mean family, love and sharing gifts big and small.

 

This board cutout picture book is also a free standing Christmas Tree, with an inner magnetic clip. Each page counts down to Christmas with a rhyme and interesting facts about a country and its holiday traditions.

The tree shows the type of decorations that will be hung on it in that particular country.

A book and an ornament at the same time – this book will make a tradition of its own, being rediscovered and displayed every Christmas. Perfect for small spaces without room for a real or assembled tree, this tree is sturdy, brightly coloured throughout and reminds us of many other cultures and peoples around the world.

 

Author – Hannah Barnaby

Illustrator – João Fazenda

Age – 4+

 

 

(2022, Phaidon, Christmas, Cultures, World, Traditions, Christmas Tree, Decorations, Family, Friends)

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Jim’s Spectacular Christmas

Jim doesn’t like his job much. He is living in London with his owner who is a chimney sweep, and is tied to the end of a pole to be used as a brush. One day this doesn’t go as planned, and he is rescued from the sweep by an influential man named Sir Henry Cole.

Life changes dramatically for Jim from that day, and he becomes Sir Henry’s constant companion. Sir Henry is constantly adding rooms to a new museum, so spends many hours there. Jim enjoys the art there, with one painting especially. Jim also enjoys reading, but his eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be.

With Christmas approaching one year, Sir Henry Cole gets an idea about how to save time with all the Christmas messages he and his wife had to send, and he designs something that will speed things up. The very first Christmas card.

But how to make this idea catch on? He decides to try the help of the most famous person in the land – Queen Victoria.

This is how Jim finds himself on a velvet cushion inside Buckingham Palace in front of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Not only is he and the card well received, a solution to his failing eyesight is right in front of him.

Stealing just the thing he needs from the palace brings him his eyesight, a very long night awake and then an unexpected Christmas present from royalty on Christmas day.

 

Written by much loved and Academy award winning actor Emma Thompson, Jim’s Spectacular Christmas is based on a real dog named Jim who lived with Sir Henry Cole in late 1800’s London.

Sir Henry designed the very first Christmas card in 1843. Combining these truths into a new Christmas story for children, the author has given readers a funny story within a snapshot of London in the 1800’s.

Sir Henry Cole and Prince Albert worked together on The Great Exhibition of 1851, and from there more museums opened for all the people of London to enjoy art and history.

Jim is a lively character and I did laugh out loud at his antics and the amusing illustrations by the amazing Axel Scheffler. This is nearly picture book size, but has much more text, making it a wonderful read aloud or gift for emerging readers before larger chapter books. 

 

Author – Emma Thompson

Illustrator – Axel Scheffler

Extended text picture book

 

 

 

(2022, Penguin Random House UK, Dog, Christmas, Animals, Historical, Humour, Popularity, Family, Based on truth, Art, Museum, London, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Monarchy, Buckingham Palace, Love, Sir Henry Cole)

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The Christmas Pig

Jack loves life with his Mum, Dad, and small soft toy pig, Dur Pig. He’s had Dur Pig since very small when he couldn’t say The Pig, so the name stuck. DP has been Jack’s favourite toy ever since he can remember and he still sleeps with him every night.

One night, Jack hears upset in his home and after doors are slammed, his Dad leaves. Life is different with just Mum, but he tries to be brave. At least he still has DP by his side, who knows how Jack is feeling without him saying a word.

More changes are on the way, including a man named Brendan and his daughter Holly. At first Holly and Jack get on well, but Holly is becoming a teenager and things start going wrong. It all culminates in an argument and DP is suddenly…..gone!

Jack can’t believe it. How can it be? Gone? Surely DP can be found? But alas, the only fix is a new, small, soft toy pig. But this one doesn’t look right, smell right, and couldn’t ever possibly be right.

But it’s Christmas Eve, and special things happen on this night. The new Christmas Pig tells Jack he can help him find DP. They only have until midnight to do it, otherwise they’ll be stuck in the Land of the Lost forever.

The Land of the Lost is a place where things are put somewhere different, mislaid, been careless with, or lost by mistake. Jack and Christmas Pig (CP), discover different towns in this land, and depending on how or when you were lost, depends on which town you live in. You are sorted by loss adjusters. These are usually knives, boots, mallets or other pointy things, and they can be truly awful to lost things.

Things must stay in the place they are sent to, and human boys are definitely not permitted in this land. But Jack is determined and CP brave, so they continue their search for DP.

There is a castle where other things are lost. Ambition, Happiness, Hope and Principles are waiting for their owners to get them back so they too can leave the Land of the Lost.

Time is ticking by however, and Jack and CP are being hunted down. They have heard all the stories of The Loser who will take their life force from them if they are never found by their human owners. Will they ever find DP in time, and then what will happen to CP?

 

The Christmas Pig is essentially a Christmas story, but is also a clever fantastical adventure quest to find a beloved toy. The Land of the Lost is a place where all lost things end up, whether it be something as inconsequential as a used ticket stub, a marble, a broken compass, or something like ambition, happiness or even hope.

This is a clever concept, and I could relate to all the lost things and their situations. The feelings were the most profound for me as of course, we can lose them just as we can lose a first draft of a poem, an expensive earring, or a lunchbox. All of these ‘things’ star in this story.

The Christmas Pig is scary in places and not for the faint-hearted. It has everything a good story needs however. A likeable main character who goes on a quest to find a loved one, making new friends, defeating enemies, and is courageous along the way – and when it really matters.

The ‘ticking clock’ scenario adds even more excitement and tension.

Jim Field’s wonderful illustrations add even more to this tale that can be read any time of the year.

 

Author – JK Rowling

Illustrator – Jim Field

Age – 8+

 

Learn more about this book here

 

 

 

(2022, Hachette, Christmas Eve, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Land of the Lost, The Loser, Lost things, Courage, Bravery, Lost Items, Stuff, Family, Changes, New Home, New School, New step dad, New step sister, Upheaval, Favourite Toy)

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Three Little Monkeys at Christmas

Hilda Snibbs is excited about staying with her Uncle for Christmas. She has brought along her three monkeys Tim, Sam and Lulu.

Not a thought is given to the fact that Uncle Gilbert is a collector of many fine things. He has vases and china tea sets, and glass trinkets too. Many of his collection are expensive and impossible to replace.

Once settled in, Hilda and Uncle Gilbert set off outside again into the snow for a Christmas tree. The three monkeys soon get bored, as monkeys are inclined to do.

What Hilda and Uncle Gilbert find when they return causes a gasp or two.

The next time they leave for Christmas crackers, the three monkeys are even more mischievous. But Hilda and her Uncle must leave once more – instructing the monkeys to be really, really good this time.

This time they are really, really tricky – and the results bring more than a gasp to Uncle Gilbert and the local police!

 

Well known as an award winning illustrator, Quentin Blake has also penned many books for children.

This time Quentin Blake is the author of a Christmas story starring his Three Little Monkeys.

Emma Chichester Clark’s illustrations are infused with real art works, beautiful vases and statues – all part of a priceless collection the Three Little Monkeys ‘play’ with.

This Christmas adventure with three bored monkeys is funny, heart thumping at the possible destruction, and brings a cheer when the monkeys achieve the near impossible.

 

Author – Quentin Blake

Illustrator – Emma Chichester Clark

Picture Book

 

 

 

(2023, Harper Collins UK, Monkeys, Animals, Series, Christmas, Holidays, Visiting family, Priceless artifacts, Collection, Cheeky, Uncle, Niece, Family, Robber, Burglar, Art, Humour, Funny, Crime, Mystery)

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How Winston Came Home For Christmas

Winston loves living with his human family and helping out with the post, especially at Christmas. But a strange feeling has come over him, and there is a tune in his head. What could it be and where has it come from? Being only a mouse, how will he ever find it?

He decides that he can’t ignore it and must learn what it is. He writes his human friend Oliver a note on a typewriter to say he will be back in time for Christmas. The thought of Oliver being without him on Christmas day is a terrible one, but the strange feeling pulling him away is stronger.

He sets off on an amazing adventure, which takes him across Europe and further. He travels in a myriad of ways – by mail, owl, reindeer, fox and more, to countries all in the midst of preparing for their own Christmas only days away.

Winston meets many different creatures, tastes lots of delicious Christmas treats and experiences things he’d never dreamed of. Along the way he despairs he will ever find what he is looking for, but finally he believes he might be only a scamper away….

 

The sequel to How Winston Delivered Christmas, (with no need to read this beforehand), How Winston Came Home For Christmas is an adorable read, an advent calendar, and Christmas craft book all in one!

Each chapter is to be read on each night in December, counting down to the ending of the story and Christmas day itself. What a treat! During each day or maybe before reading the day’s chapter, there are tons of things to do. Make Christmas decorations, try out recipes or all sorts of crafts in the count down to the big day.

Author and illustrator of the story, Alex T Smith’s portrayal of Winston’s adventures are pure magic, all adding to a very special Christmas book to be pulled out every year across generations.

Gorgeous!

 

 

Author / Illustrator – Alex T Smith

Age – 6+

 

 

 

(2022, Silver Dolphin Books, Macmillan, Christmas, Series, Sequel, Mouse, Dog, Cat, Fox, Owl, Rat, Reindeer, Family, Love, Animals, Adventure, Courage, Funny, Crafts, Advent Calendar, Quest, Mystery, Lullaby, Post, Letters)

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The Hunt For The Whistle – A Cleft Adventure

Ollie is a good football player, but his team mates often won’t pass him the ball when he is in the best position. They claim to not be able to understand Ollie on the pitch, and after training their coach asks Ollie to make his calls clearer.

Embarrassed, Ollie sits quietly wishing others would try harder at understanding him. He has a cleft palate, which does make his words a little different from others, but not so much he can’t be understood.

His awkward feelings fade as their coach introduces a new player. Ariā has coloured hair and bright clothing, and doesn’t seem bothered that her new team doesn’t readily accept her.

Ollie and Ariā spend some time together. She acknowledges his skill on the field and assures him that he was in the best position, and that his team mates need to listen better. She can understand him perfectly well. After seeing Ariā’s home and her skill with birds, he can see she really is a good listener.

The next day, Coach has a problem. With Ariā’s skills and Ollie’s new courage, they not only solve a mystery, but prove to everyone that they can understand Ollie. They just need to listen.

 

The illustration style captured my eye on the cover, and to my joy continued throughout the book. This is a special story about a boy with a cleft palate. His skills on a football field are ignored, as his team mates use his speech as a reason to exclude him.

A new player on the team soon helps restore Ollie’s confidence and receive proper acceptance. Together they solve a mystery, bonding the team, and bringing more understanding of others who might be a little different.

Ultimately a story about acceptance, understanding and empathy, The Hunt For The Whistle portrays a character with a cleft palate. After all, this is the most common craniofacial condition in the world.

At the rear of the book are many voices of children with a cleft palate – letting others know more about it. Maybe we need to listen.

 

From – Cleft Palate New Zealand

Illustrator – Scott Pearson

Picture Book

Age – 5+

 

 

 

(2024, Huia Publishers, Aotearoa New Zealand, NZ Illustrator, Cleft New Zealand, Cleft Palate, Football, Soccer, Acceptance, Understanding, Friendship, Team, Mystery)

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Sisters of the Moon

Suzy Button’s life has been upended. Her mum is dead, her dad closed down, and her home now far away. In a new town with a new school and a new life in front of her, she wishes for more. For better. The moon must have been listening, because Rhiannon arrived soon after.

Blond, lithe and confident, the new girl arrives in Suzy’s class, sitting next to her. Suzy had planned to hunker down in her senior year of high school and be invisible while she works through her grief. But Rhiannon changes all of that. With her quirky way of talking, strange habits and vague answers about where she actually lived.

Suzy finds herself accepted by the most popular girl at school, and is in wonder at the change in her school status. Before long she has her own new friends, with Rhiannon always in the mix. Her father is suddenly snapped out of his dark funk at the loss of his wife too – but only after Suzy finds a body.

With Rhiannon by her side, Suzy begins to find her true self, her connection to her mum through photography and the thrill of bending a few rules. But Rhiannon still won’t tell her where she lives, and why is she always playing with, and tying and untying the strings around her wrist?

Suzy looks deeper into the mystery that is Rhiannon, and is left in awe, shock and wonder….

 

With so much fantasy and murder mysteries on the young adult shelves, it was a treat to read a ‘real-life’ story albeit with a spectral twist. Suzy is a normal teen dealing with friendship, boys, and relationship angst, but also suffering the loss of her mother. Photography allows Suzy to reconnect with her mum who was a professional photographer, and also gives her a direction in her life after high school.

Rhiannon is an intriguing, calm but powerful character weaving her mysticism throughout Suzy’s story. Suzy talks to herself, and to the reader as she struggles with decisions and worries about her new friend and daily life. Her confidence builds slowly throughout the novel as she pushes her normal boundaries, likes a boy, and makes new bonds.

Is Rhiannon a mystery to solve or a gift from Nature itself? She leaves Suzy with a gift no-one will ever believe, until they experience it for themselves.

 

Author – Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Age – 12+

 

 

 

(2024, Faber, Family, Mystery, Grief, Magic, Friendship, Growing up, School, Secret, Moon, Night, Dark, Photography, Black & White Photo Project)

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The Pōhutukawa Christmas Tree

A young boy lives near a beach where Pōhutukawa trees blossom late December, in New Zealand.

Christmas is only 5 days away, and the boy wonders when the presents will arrive?

 

‘Not yet,’ says Māmā. ‘But why don’t you see

if there’s anything under the pōhutukawa tree?’

 

The boy doesn’t find any Christmas wrapped gifts outside, but he does find something to help him build a kingdom of sandcastles.

With only 4 days to Christmas, there are still no gifts under his tree at home. A suggestion from his dad to check the pōhutukawa tree, sends him running out across the sand.

He counts down the days. 3. 2. 1. checking the pōhutukawa tree every day. Suddenly, the day he’s been waiting for is finally here. But there are still no wrapped presents under his tree at home. These longed for gifts have now been overshadowed by wonderful daily gifts from the pōhutukawa tree.

 

Pāpā just smiles. ‘Well then, let’s go,

because under that tree we’ve got something to show.’

 

This time, something truly special awaits!

 

A new Aotearoa New Zealand Christmas picture book for 2024!

With the NZ Christmas setting of blue skies, a sandy beach and native birds singing in the trees, this perfectly captures a kiwi summer countdown to Christmas.

It seems the story is all about the presents – but as each day passes without gifts under the tree at home, a young boy realises the gifts he is receiving every day from the pōhutukawa tree not far from his home.

I loved watching the tree blossoms bloom more and more each day, as Māmā and Pāpā slowly decorate the tree inside. The simple rhyming text builds the anticipation all children feel as Christmas approaches, and adds even more to this delightful story.

te Reo Māori is woven throughout the story and a glossary of these words is provided at the end.

 

Author / Illustrator – Steven Kay

Picture Book

 

 

 

(2024, Bateman Books, NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Christmas Countdown, Kiwi Christmas, Beach, Tree, Nature’s Gifts, Presents, te reo, Family, Anticipation)

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Slow Coach

Ruby is so glad school is over for the term and she can hang out with her besties and leave her humiliation behind. PE (Physical Education) is the worst class, where her PE teacher enjoys making an example of her – just because he deems her unhealthy and overweight.

Her friends are supportive and love her just the way she is, as does her little sister Sasha and her mum and dad. Her brother Jake however, is on the same wavelength as her PE teacher. What makes it worse, was that he was once a bigger build, but now home from uni, watches his diet and works out to keep his new look. His patronising comments about Ruby’s size have begun to take effect.

Ruby is happy with herself and can usually ignore Jake’s jibes, but when she sees his comments aimed at their 10 year old sister, she gets angry with him. She’s well aware of how society somehow sees ‘more’ of a person as ‘less’. She’s heard all the fat jokes there is and has felt the hurt over the years. She will do anything to help Sasha avoid it all. When Jake goes too far one day, she makes a decision to prove that she too can enter a local running race and win.

When she sees Sasha believes in her, she knows she must go through with it. Their family have been through enough lately with their father leaving with another woman, and Sasha doesn’t need any more disappointment. Ruby’s training begins.

The key to her training and stickability to her vow to race is the new neighbour named Ollie next door. He’s no longer the boy she remembers in the sandpit at daycare. He’s now a cute guy and luckily still just as friendly as back then. He offers to help her train. It’s hard to run, hard to look sweaty, bright red and gasping for breath every time they’re together, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Her goals become even wider. Run in the race her father and brother won, prove to Sasha (and herself) she can do it, and maybe (probably not, but it’s nice to dream), get to know Ollie more.

 

Slow Coach is such an easy book to fall into. The writing is engaging, authentic and often funny, and tells a great story. The added bonuses are a sweet romance, and body confidence being a key part of the novel without being didactic, or over the top with a ‘message’.

Ruby is such a strong, well developed character, and she is very easy to like as she just tries to be herself and look out for her little sister. Her patronising brother and PE teacher make perfect antagonist contrasts and are suitably easy to dislike. I could say they were 2 dimensional, but unfortunately people like this exist in real life.

A fun, summer, rom com is how Slow Coach has been labelled, but it’s so much more. I really enjoyed it.

 

Author – Bethany Rutter

Age – 12+

 

 

 

 

(2024, Hot Key Books, Running, Race, Challenge, Body Confidence, Friendship, Relationships, Family, Romance, Rom Com, Summer Holidays, Prove a point, Spite, New Neighbour, Training for a fun, Humour, Funny)

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