The FitzOsbornes at War takes up Sophie’s story at the beginning of World War II. To recap a little, their island kingdom of Montmaray is now occupied by the Nazis and Sophie has now moved from her aunt’s country home to live in London with her cousin Veronica, doing a ‘useful’ wartime job at the Ministry of Food.

Compared with others in her family, Sophie wonders if she’s doing enough for the war effort. Her cousin Veronica has work as an interpreter for top military and diplomatic personnel in Spain. Her brother Toby enlists in the RAF along with Simon, who is tortured by the knowledge that he routinely sends men to their deaths. When Toby goes missing over enemy territory, Sophie endures months of waiting for his eventual return, only to hear first hand the emotional damage his harrowing experiences have done to him. It is a sign of her inner strength that she is the only person he feels he can confide in.

There’s a terrific twist towards the end of the book, where a beloved character is killed while on duty – and it seems symptomatic of the book that Sophie’s own fate is somewhat downbeat – there is love, true, but it is expressed in terms of quiet contentment amidst irrevocable loss, rather than blazing passion. It’s quite an adult theme for a book aimed at teenagers – proof that this is a series which has the capacity to move effortlessly into crossover territory.

This book is even more of a treat for history lovers than its predecessors. The imaginary world of Montmaray features less in the story than previously, and while some readers may miss the fantasy element, most would agree that the action has now moved onto a much larger stage.  London is the centre of politics now, and readers will relish immersing themselves in the chaos of living through the Blitz, knowing they’re in the hands of a meticulous researcher. There are dances (and kisses) with servicemen, food rationing, ‘fake’ stockings, shelters in Tube stations to withstand the fury of the German bombs – all vividly recorded. You can smell the smoke and taste the chicory coffee.

But while the book is wonderfully researched, it’s still a perfect example for would-be-authors about the importance of not allowing place and time to overwhelm an emotionally involving story of one girl’s journey to adulthood and the love and loss she encounters along the way. Its success is borne out by the numbers of fans who are, more than ever, engaging with the central cast of characters and investing considerable emotion in their eventual fate.

‘How could you not love Sophie FitzOsborne?’ asks one reader. ‘And the rest of her family that made me LAUGH and SHOUT at my book through the entire trilogy?’ And another reader, echoing the sort of passion usually reserved for characters from Twilight: ‘I was kind of hoping Toby would be able to find someone else, because I am an eternal optimist.’ And, another: ‘I just want to sit here and gush about how beautiful it is. ‘

She’s right.  This is a book (and series) worth gushing over. Quite simply, terrific.

Random House

Jeff Kinney will be appearing at Melbourne Town Hall this Sunday – 20th May – at 2pm.

Over an hour Jeff will talk about the origins of Greg Heffley, the Wimpy Kid films, his lifelong love of cartooning – and his latest book, Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever.

Tickets are on sale at the Wheeler Centre ($20 and $12 concession).

1. Inside A Dog 2.5

Inky has been a little bit busy over the last month; cat chasing, bone chewing and improvements to his blog. He listened to your feedback about his usability, gathered his pack and went to work. He’s easier to use and navigate, with an emphasis on the commenting features, and is now integrated with goodreads. Usability and community were key features in the upgrades.

I know Inky would love to see you, so feel free to pop by.

2. Race and YA

I stumbled upon this article, The Ongoing Problem of Race in YA. It has a great combination of past and present YA books and texts that could double as a culturally diverse book list.

As is the case any time one reads Walter Dean Myers views on YA, you quote it, because there is no improving on perfection.

Books transmit values, and if you don’t find your life in books, bingo, you have to reach the conclusion that you are less valuable.

3. Youth Magazine About Healthy Body Image

Consume are ‘a youth magazine promoting positive health, love and acceptance.’ They’re completely online and have just launched their first issue.

4. But The Computer Told Me To

What would happen if one day someone just did what their computer told them to do? ‘Computer Says Go‘ is a rather humorous article about a man who did just that.

5. Little Free Library

Bev of BevsBookBlog has a great little post for the NYOF and how well the Swap Box is working down in her neck of the woods. She’s a fierce NYOR promoter (which we love!) and has a series of great articles for educators and librarians.

Someone to bookmark for future visits.

6. Best Australian Blogs 2012

While you’re adding to your favourites or RSS feed, the Sydney Writers’ Centre have announced this year’s best Australian blogs. The winner of the ‘words’ category is ANZ LitLovers.

7. 2011 Aurealis Awards

The winners of Australia’s most prestigious award for Science Fiction and Fantasy works were announced at a gala event on Saturday May 12. For more, go to the Press Release on the Aurealis website.  A special congratulations must be extended to Penni Russon who was awarded Best Young Adult novel for Only Ever Always (Allen and Unwin).

This week, US President Obama finally said what so many people around the world are saying: that it’s time for equality across the board when it comes to marriage.  And one of the things that made him change his thinking? The fact that his daughters couldn’t see why their friends’ parents shouldn’t get married simply because they are same-sex couples. It just didn’t make sense to them.

Given the heightened media interest surrounding the President’s statement, and also that next Thursday is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (that’s ‘IDAHO’ to you)  it seems a timely moment for us to put out a short list of books that look at GLBTQ issues.  Of course it’s impossible to cover everything in this rapidly growing field of YA lit in one list, no matter how extensive, so why not add your recommendations by commenting at the bottom of this post?

1. Pink by Lili Wilkinson

‘Ava has a secret. She is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultra-radical politics, and ultrablack clothing. She’s ready to try something new—she’s even ready to be someone new. Someone who fits in, someone with a gorgeous boyfriend, someone who wears pink… ‘  A witty look at all the doubts that plague any teenager – gay or straight – as they work out who they really are.

2. Rage of Sheep by Michelle Cooper

Before she wrote the stunning Montmaray trilogy, Michelle Cooper produced this absorbing book about the effects of small-town prejudice, not only on a teenage girl, Hester, who is shunned because of her racial background, but also on her gay teacher, who is forced to resign after being accused on inappropriate behaviour towards one of the other students.

3. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

This terrific book is based on the random meeting of two boys with the same name: Will Grayson. will grayson (deliberately lower case),who is gay,  has been cruelly betrayed – his internet crush, Isaac, is actually a girl. Will Grayson, who is straight, just wants to get through life unnoticed, but he’s friends with Tiny Cooper – described as ‘extremely large and extremely gay’.  There’s the usual frenetic series of events, culminating in a school musical that has to be read about to be believed – so give yourself a treat.

David Levithan is also the author of Boy Meets Boy, in which he explores the scenario of a boy from a gay-friendly town whose best friend comes from a less accepting town, and also has to deal with life as the son of deeply religious parents.

4. This one’s really for older teens, but I’d add Timothy Conigrave’s Holding the Man to the list, although it wasn’t marketed as YA when it was published in 1995. (But then, neither was Catcher in the Rye when it was first published, or Lord of the Flies.) It’s one of the most moving stories I’ve read about a relationship; a story of love, death, and lack of acceptance by family and the wider world. Impossible not to be saddened by some of the scenes towards the end of the book.

5. Ash by Malinda Lo

This award-winning and critically acclaimed book steps away from contemporary times  to explore themes of gender and belonging within a fantasy world. The story follows Ash, a teenager who wants to be rescued from an abusive life at home. When she is rescued, by the mysterious fairy prince, Sidhean, it looks like her future in his realm is assured. But then she meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, and has to choose which path to follow – security? Or her heart?

The book was a nominee for the Andrew Norton Award, listed on the Kirkus Best YA Novel list, and was a  finalist for the Lambda Literary award for LGBT Children’s/Young Adult literature.

For other titles from Australian authors on GLBTQ themes,  Justine Larbalestier has collected an extensive list with comments from other contributors.

And you may want to keep up with what’s going on in the Gay YA lit world on this website.

Her latest book – The Children of the King (not to be confused with Princes) is targeted towards a younger audience, much like The Silver Donkey and The Midnight Zoo. Also like these titles, war is a primary theme - The Children of the King is set in World War II England.

Cecily and Jeremy Lockwood, along with their mother Heloise, are being evacuated from London to escape the bombings. They retreat to Heron Hall, home of their Uncle Peregrine, who serves as the benevolent but mysterious father-figure while the actual father of the family unit remains behind in London, due to his important work for the war.

While the bones of the novel are not dissimilar to C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe it’s flavour is undoubtedly Hartnett-ian. Devoted followers of Hartnett’s work will find the characters vaguely familiar. Cecily is a passionate and bossy twelve year old, trying to keep control and order despite her rapidly changing environment. Fourteen year old Jeremy is the authoritative counterpart, who is grappling not only with the threshold between child and adult, but with what it means to be a man in a time of war. These struggles form a constant, bubbling tension throughout the book. Balancing out the trio is May – a ten year old evacuee that Cecily insists they billet. A serious child, May doesn’t take the spotlight from Cecily, but nevertheless drives the plot from simple information relaying…

‘Now don’t be afraid,’ [Cecily] warned portentously. ‘Uncle Peregrine won’t hurt you. Just answer what he asks and don’t say anything else, all right? Don’t talk about being rich or – or – about anything, all right?’
‘All right,’ said May.
‘Don’t ask where his wife is. He had one, but she died. She died, and their baby died, and now he’s all alone. So don’t ask about his wife and baby, all right?’
‘All right,’ repeated May.
‘And don’t say anything – impolite. You know what impoliteness is, don’t you?’
‘I do.’
‘Good,’ said Cecily. ‘I want to be proud of you.’
- p 34

…to the mysterious discovery of two boys playing in castle ruins near Heron Hall.

Other Hartnett-ian tropes present in The Children of the King are her illuminating phrasings, crisp dialogue, and the utilisation of a story-within-the-story. Throughout the book Uncle Peregrine enthralls the children with the harrowing tale of King Richard III. Common to both periods of time is the quest for power, the unexpected importance of children, and the effects of war. Hartnett has a rhythm for oral storytelling, and even as a lone reader you are given the sense of a story being read to you.

Advanced readers will not find the central mystery of the book difficult to solve, but will still be rewarded with a beautiful reading experience, a rich modern history lesson, and strong moral themes worth contemplation. Hartnett has a gift for gently blurring the lines of reality to make stories that linger with you – The Children of the King is no exception.

Penguin

Source: Movieline

I cannot remember the first time I read Maurice Sendak’s work.  The truth of the matter is that I didn’t read it myself, it was read to me.  So long has his presence existed in my life that it that my memory cannot pin it down.

My knowledge of the man has not been great.  It didn’t need to be.  I lived through his words and art as a child, as an adult and finally as a teacher.

In 2010 I taught in Japan at an English preschool and the first book I read to them was a battered copy of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’.  I had slipped into my suitcase last minute before leaving Australia and that instinctive action made for wonderful classroom experiences with a bunch of three year olds that I will never forget.

We gnashed our terrible teeth at every opportunity.

Despite the language barrier (theirs and mine), we bonded over that book.  Max is universal.

It was with sadness last night that I learned of his death.  In the past year I feel that I got a sense of the man better with his appearance on Colbert - his curmudgeonly ways were endearing and so in tune with the edges that his collected work presented to the world.

RIP Maurice

“I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can’t stop them. They leave me and I love them more.”

― Maurice Sendak

We will continue to love you more.

Now’s the time to get them interested in the National Year of Reading’s Read This! creative response prize.  It’s so simple for anyone aged 12 – 18 to enter, as individuals or teams. Here’s what they need to do:

1. Go to the Read This! Creative Reading Prize website.

2. Check out the Prize pool – they could get their hands on some of these.

3. Check out the other entries … and most important:

4. Enter NOW.

I may sound like a late-night TV commercial (New! Improved! It really works!), but if you haven’t yet read the article about Lincoln High School in the US, it is well worth your time - this school has taken a new approach with troubled students, based on the effects of toxic stress.

Children with toxic stress live their lives in fight, flight or fright (freeze) mode. They respond to the world as a place of constant danger. They can fall behind in school, fail to develop healthy relationships with peers, or develop problems with authority because they are unable to trust adults. With failure, despair, and frustration pecking away at their psyche, they find solace in food, alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamines, inappropriate sex, high-risk sports, and/or work. They don’t regard these coping methods as problems. They see them as solutions to escape from depression, anxiety, anger, fear and shame.

… Replace punishment, which doesn’t work, with a system to give kids tools so that they can learn how to recognize their reaction to stress and to control it. “We need to teach the kids how to do something differently if we want to see a different response.”

… Kids need adults they can count on, who they know will not hurt them, and who are there to help them learn these new skills, Turner tells the Lincoln High staff. If it’s not happening at home, it had better happen at school. Otherwise that teen doesn’t have much of a chance at life.

2. Text Publishing Supporting Footpath Library

This week Text Publishing (who’ve brought you books by many fabulous YA authors including David Levithan, Vikki Wakefield, Leanne Hall, and Tim Pegler) are donating a book to the Footpath Library for every new follower they get on Twitter, and ‘like’ on facebook.

The Footpath Library aims to bring books to the homeless and disadvantaged, as well as changing attitudes to these people.

Get click-happy for a good cause!

3. Sydney Writers’ Festival

The festivities start next week in Sydney! You may be interested in:

• Events for children and families, including an overnight writing workshop with Michael Pryor.
• The Young Adults program, including a discussion about darker topics with Margo Lanagan, Lucy Christopher, and Kirsty Eager.
• School days for primary and secondary students.
• The final of The Rumble - a Western Sydney youth poetry slam competition.

4. Sim, Interrupted

‘A light-hearted look at how mental illness is portrayed in videogames.’ (Caution: adult language.) This blog certainly makes for some perky lunch-time reading, but we’re curious to hear your thoughts on the matter…

Games truly exploring the inner-struggle with depression, cripplingly-low self-esteem or worthlessness are few and far between, especially when compared to other artistic mediums. Understandably so, with many considering games belonging squarely to the “for fun” category.

Can there be (should there be?) video games that explore mental illness? Does any portrayal of mental illness need to be serious rather than light-hearted?

Update 8/5/2012: In related news, The University of Auckland has developed SPARX - a game designed to teach young people suffering from depression ways they can manage and overcome their condition.

5. Miles Franklin Award shortlist announced

Last week the shortlist for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award was announced. Did your favourite make the cut?

We’re glad that for the first time in five years, and in a year seeking to raise awareness of Australian women writers, the majority of shortlisted authors are women. We think Miles would be proud.

Guess which Australian author wrote these amazing lines?

If you guessed Kirsty Eagar, whose debut novel, Raw Blue won the  Victorian Premier’s Award, give yourself a gold star.  This is the opening to her new book, Night Beach. The sea and the effect it has on those who live in close proximity to it is a recurring theme of her books, the second of which was Saltwater Vampires, which used the hideous tale of the Batavia and its crew and passengers as a launching pad.

In Night Beach the scene is once again contemporary, and as in Raw Blue, features a tough independent girl who lives for surfing – and for an unobtainable boy.  But Night Beach is an altogether darker experience for the reader than Raw Blue, mixing shadowy elements in with the uncompromising surfer-dude world. There are still bloody confrontations in the waves between local alpha males and the outsiders looking in, but Abbie faces a far more edgy relationship with Kane than Carly does with either Marty, the workplace Romeo or Ryan, the boy she really wants. There are more inexplicable moments of fear, more weirdness and unpredictability, and less promise of a happy resolution.

The writing has changed, too: In Raw Blue I can see the slightest hint of Puberty Blues, with its humour and down-to-earth descriptions brimming with physicality. Night Beach is altogether more unsettling, and will be appreciated by older teens and crossover readers.

Both books come from a well-populated area of Australian fiction where the beach and surfing culture play as big a part in the story as the characters themselves. Everyone knows about books such as Kathy Lette’s Puberty Blues and Tim Winton’s Breath, and rightly so, but there are many more books out there in Surf land worth a look.

Kirsty recommended these as a place to start:

Ocean Pearl and Starfish Sisters by CBCA award winner J C Burke. Starfish Sisters has been previously reviewed by us on Read Alert as ‘a thrilling ride.’

• Surf School and Surf Sisters by Laurine Croasdale, featuring four girls and the struggling surf school they’re trying to save.

Measuring Up by G J Stroud, described as a ‘modern day homage to Puberty Blues’.

And crossing into adult territory, Nine Parts Water by Emma Hardman, which looks at what happens to you once the fame bubble has burst.

We are currently asking for submissions from teenagers interested in serving as Inky judges.

We are hoping that youth literature professionals out there may have students that are perfect for the role. The only requirement is that they LOVE reading and can articulate their thoughts on what worked or didn’t work in longlisted titles. Have you got an ideal student?

Duties:
- Read all 20 longlisted books (which they get to keep), in the space of two months.
- Help choose a shortlist of 10 books, along with fellow judges James Moloney and Danielle Binks.

Criteria:
- Under 20 years of age. (We discourage students in years 11 and 12 from applying due to their study demands.)
- Lives in Australia.

To apply, students are asked to send an email to youthlit@slv.vic.gov.au with the subject line ‘Inkys Judge’ telling us:
- Their details – name, age, male/female, what grade they’re in, which state/territory they live in;
- Why they want to be an Inkys Judge;
- Who their favourite author is, and why;
- How many books, on average, they read in a month.

Submissions need to be in by midnight on Sunday, 20 May.

If you are unfamiliar with the Inky Awards, more information can be found here including all the important 2012 dates.

We will also be introducing a school prize this year.