Penguin's Hidden Talent

Penguin's Hidden Talent

Alex Latimer

There's a talent show about to happen in Penguin's town but Penguin has no talent. All his friends have one like Bear. He juggles appliances and Albatross can swallow a whole marlin! They all try to help him but all Penguin can do is hiccup. He is quite organised and helpful. What talent will Penguin reveal?

Penguin feels inadequate compared to all the other animals as they can do great things.  Doesn't matter if you don't have a medal or can't play an instrument, it's about figuring out what you're good at and not to compare yourself with others. What becomes of Penguin is a good message to kids (and everyone else) that everyone has a skill, you just have to find it and use it. The illustrations are extremely cute and Latimer uses a lot of block colors which can be quite simple but they are effective and delightful.

This is a talent show not to be missed, even the King of Norway makes an appearance.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss  encourages YOU to take on this thing called Life. You'll go far, you'll meet challenges and sometimes things wont go the way you want. But keep on moving and you'll get there, wherever you want to go.

This book is Dr Seuss through and through with crazy words and impeccable rhymes. You could be a teenager just finishing high school, in your 20s figuring out university/gap year or in your 40s still wondering about life, this book will inspire you in every way possible. The illustrations remind me of the scene in Dumbo where he drank some potent water (my guess is VODKA) and started to have hallucinations. Colours, swirls and true Dr Suess characters like the Hakken-Kraks. It's the go to graduation gift but it even talks about slumps "where you're not in for much fun" so you could be having a crisis at any age ( 27) and the main thing to remember is "step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Art."

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Patrick Ness

"Poo Todd, Poo." Manchee is Todd Hewitt's dog. Manchee can talk. Todd is the youngest boy in Prentisstown at 13 years old. A town only of men. That can hear each other's thoughts. Noise. The 'Noise' germ/plague killed off the women long ago. It's always noisy in Prentisstown.  When Todd turns 14 he will become a man...until he feels the silence.

There are so many good things about this book that I'm going to list them. 

1. The animals talk.
2. Ness writes Todd's speech as he would say it. With spelling mistakes and mis pronunciations.
3. The Noise of some men (the mad ones) is written in a different and bold font for you to be able to see and feel the emotion.
4. It has swear words.
5. Every chapter is full of adventure and high intensity action.
6. It's a trilogy therefore 3x of Todd Hewitt and his Noise.
7. You have no idea how it's going to end.

Exceptionally written and definitely not for the faint hearted. For readers 14+ but the content isn't anything to be concerned about so if younger readers are advanced readers (as in reading is their life) then they should be a part of this. 

If this novel was alive, it would be chaos walking.

This Moose Belongs to Me

This Moose Belongs to Me

Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred finds a moose. He names him Marcel. Wilfred gives commands to Marcel. Marcel does what he wants. One day, someone else claims Marcel was his moose first. What will Wilfred do?

I can't express enough how amazing Oliver Jeffers is. He delivers yet another visually stunning picture book and double whammy's it with a quirky and random story about a kid finding a moose and keeping him as a pet. This is by far Jeffers' best detailed illustrated book. Due to the detailed landscapes, they really should dominate the page but he somehow manages to bring the focus to Wilfred and Marcel throughout the book. You can pick out a Jeffers drawing out of a million along with the font. As always the font is the same and is what I like to call the 'Olly-J' font. This is perfect for the kid that reacts to visuals and has a creative mind. Adults, you are not excluded. Pick it up now!
-Marcel says so.

Legend

Legend

Marie Lu

This is a dystopian Los Angeles and a plague has broken out. Day is a 15 year old and he is from the Republic's slums. June is a 15 year old and she is from the Republic's wealthiest district. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal. June is the Republic's prodigy. Both meet under false pretences but a mutual attraction happens. Is June's beloved Republic all that they seem or is Day just another delinquent? Both are fighting for something but  one of them must decide who to believe. 

This is a fast paced page turner written from both character's perspectives. Starts off with Day who you learn is the epitome of rebellion. Bad boy doing right with family values is sure to make the girls swoon. June is the kick ass no nonsense girl with intelligence to beware of. The story gets straight to the point and doesn't drag. It's a great read for the feminist within or the guy who wants action and the girl, in other words, every person ever. If you liked The Hunger Games, you will definitely love this. Once finished, you will be wanting more and you will get it with the second in the trilogy. 

The Perks of being a Wallflower

The Perks of being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is a 15 year old who is just about to start his freshman year at high school. He is shy. He loves to read. He is weird. But he is a wallflower. He writes to his "friend" about the experiences he has from day to day. A coming of age story, one day Charlie's life changes when he meets Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. Together, they become "infinite". 

The thing I love most about this book (amongst many others) is that Charlie says everything that we're thinking out loud. There's something about him that everyone can relate to. Published in 1999, it's definitely relevant to teens today. Chbosky writes about taboo subjects that society is still afraid to talk about. Sex, homosexuality and childhood traumas are just some of them but they are presented with such ease and normality that you find they are naturally part of the story and not to be controversial.  Although, I would recommend this title for readers aged 15+. 

Always a big fan of books that mention other books, this one does not disappoint. Charlie is led by his English teacher who introduces him to some great novels of literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Naked Lunch and The Great Gatsby. This is this generation's Catcher in the Rye.

I Want My Hat Back

I Want My Hat Back

Jon Klassen

The Bear's hat is gone. He wants it back. He wanders around the forest asking every animal he sees, if they've seen his hat. One of them is not as honest as he seems. 

I Want My Hat Back is a straight to the point page turner with fantastic illustrations. Klassen uses simple but captivating watercolour drawings and his subjects show very little expressions until a pivotal moment which mirrors your own reaction. Dreaming of when the inside jacket will become a wallpaper print, I recommend this book to those who love understated illustrations and a good chuckle throughout a short yet delightful read.