Laura Hewson reviews the latest books for young readers.
FRANKIE POTTS AND THE SPARKPLUG MYSTERIES
Juliet Jacka & Phoebe Morris
Penguin Random House
Frankie Potts is a plucky young detective whose list of mysteries grows as fast as she can solve them. Who is Sparkplug - the dog who has adopted her - and how come he can skateboard? Why is her grandmother behaving strangely and where are the ants in her kitchen coming from? This is a fun series (there's also Frankie Potts and the Bikini Burglar) with a great title character, delinquent archenemies and endless mysteries to solve. Not just for girls.
Ages: 6+.
THE 78-STOREY TREEHOUSE
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Macmillan
Andy and Terry's awesome treehouse, which started with 13 storeys, has reached 78 levels; the latest additions include a drive-through car wash, a high-security potato chip storage facility and a combining machine (just add an electric eel and a unicorn and you've got yourself an electricorn!). This time, the boys are making a movie but tensions run high when the director decides to turn Terry into a star and replace Andy with popular primate actor Mel Gibbon. And if that's not bad enough, there are spy cows hiding on every page. This creative, popular series is best read in order.
Ages: 6+.
DRAGON KNIGHT: BARBARIANS!
Kyle Mewburn & Donovan Bixley
Scholastic
The sixth instalment in the Dragon Knight series, Barbarians! sees Merek (the shape-shifting dragon/boy) and Brin (Breena in disguise) defying the orders of the odious Lord Crumble as they chase after a band of foul-smelling thieves on their own. But are the Barbarians really all bad or is it just bad press? Funny sidebars include the Five Worst Medieval Jobs and Top Five Heroines of the Middle Ages. This is a great series from the Kiwi creators of the Dinosaur Rescue books, jam-packed with bodily functions and medieval mayhem.
Ages: 6+.
MANGO & BAMBANG: TINY TAPIR TROUBLE
Polly Faber & Clara Vulliamy
Walker Books
This is the third collection of stories in the Mango & Bambang series and you don't have to have read the others to enjoy the exploits of resourceful Mango and her tapir friend Bambang. Here, Mango and Bambang are called on for a sea rescue, go on a mission to cure a sick Bambang, deal with a naughty relative and combat a cheating chess player. This is a charming, off-beat series full of good lessons and adventures, paired with stylish, vintage-feel illustrations. Adorable!
Ages: 5+.
SUNKEN FOREST
Des Hunt
Scholastic
Matt's life has been hard lately and it doesn't get any easier when he moves to Hastings to live with his grandmother. A series of unfortunate events and some poorly chosen friends see him blamed for a crime he didn't commit, then packed off to a military-style camp. While trying to avoid his former friends who are now out to get him, Matt manages to make some new ones, including a giant eel he names Elsa. The story gets really interesting once they reach the camp and Matt must step up to save the day, and even lives. New Zealand Author Des Hunt, formerly a teacher, writes stories that encourage readers to learn something along the way and in Sunken Forest, local history and geography lessons are successfully interspersed with the action.
Ages: 10-13.
YOURS SINCERELY, GIRAFFE
Megumi Iwasa & Jun Takabatake
Gecko Press
Giraffe is bored with life on the African savanna and is in need of a friend. One evening, after watching the sunset, he decides to write a letter to an animal who lives on the other side of the horizon, enlisting the help of Pelican's mail service to deliver it. What follows is a cute story of friendship and curiosity as well as a celebration of differences. Giraffe's attempt to dress like his new unseen friend Penguin is a highlight, as are the simple but endearing illustrations.
Ages: 6-8.
BARKING MAD
Tom E. Moffatt & Paul Beavis
Scholastic
Granddad's always been a bit eccentric but he's never been barking mad before. That is, until he invents a machine that switches his mind with his dog's. Now Granddad's chewing the postman's trouser leg and the family has no choice but to put him in a home. After their own minds get swapped, Finn and his older sister Sally figure out what's happened but fixing Granddad is easier said than done. This story is non-stop fun as Granddad's canine capers go from bad to worse and mind-swapped Finn and Sally sabotage each other's lives. A great read-aloud book.
Ages: 7-11.
LIFE ACCORDING TO DANI
Rose Lagercrantz & Eva Eriksson
Gecko Press
After Dani's dad has an accident, she goes to stay on an island with her best friend Ella's family. The girls share adventures and friendship until Dani's worry for her father starts to consume her and a visit from relatives delivers some unwelcome news. Spoiler alert: Dani's dad has a new girlfriend! Special mention has to be made of the illustrations, which capture the girls' close friendship and the characters' emotions beautifully.
Ages: 5-7.
GRANDAD’S WHEELIES
Jack Lasenby & Bob Kerr
Penguin Random House
Appropriately dedicated to all grannies and granddads who tell stories, Grandad's Wheelies centres on Jack and his tall-story-telling grandparents, who love nothing better than claiming improbable victories and winding each other up. There are the stories of how Grandad invented roads and Grannie invented rail; of how Rangitoto Island is actually a sleeping dragon; what Grannie did to Grandad when she caught him placing an illegal bet with a bookie and many, many more. They're old-fashioned stories with a true Kiwi feel. One for reading with the grandparents.
Ages: 6+.
Laura Hewson is an ODT subeditor.
