Leaving Barrumbi by Leonie Norrington

Scholastic, $16.95 pb, 269 pp

Leonie Norrington’s Leaving Barrumbi (Scholastic, $16.95 pb, 269 pp, 9781862916272) shifts to themes of belonging and friendships between boys. This novel is the third in a series, after The Barrumbi Kids (2002) and The Spirit of Barrumbi (2003), and is probably best suited to lower-secondary readers. Dale and Tomias leave Long Hole to start boarding school, and Dale is excited at the prospect. But he quickly discovers that the teachers and the white and indigenous children all regard him as just another white kid. There is a lot to like in this book: the dialogue is lively and evocative, and the boys’ relationships, both with each other and the land, are sensitively written without being sentimental. But the book’s greatest strength lies in the crafting of character, including the adults.

Yirra and her Deadly Dog, Demon by Anita Heiss and students at La Perouse Public School

ABC Books, $14.95 pb, 102 pp

Yirra and her Deadly Dog, Demon (ABC Books, $14.95 pb, 102 pp, 9780733320392) is a collaborative project between author Anita Heiss and the children of La Perouse Public School, most of whom are indigenous. This novel, aimed at middle-primary readers, features a predominantly indigenous community in an urban setting. Yirra’s dog, Demon, is a menace and her mother has had enough. She tells Yirra that if she does not train Demon he will have to go. While the project is laudable, and the story idea universally appealing (everyone loves a naughty dog), Yirra suffers as a result of some clunky educational sections and missed opportunities to exploit the humour of Demon’s antics. It is encouraging to see a portrayal of urban indigenous lives, but tighter storytelling would have improved this book’s readability.

Eric and Einstein by John Heffernan

Pan Macmillan, $12.95 pb, 98 pp

John Heffernan’s Eric and Einstein (Pan Macmillan, $12.95 pb, 98 pp, 9780330423175) is another middle-primary book revolving around a child–pet relationship, but this time with a fantastical premise. When mad scientist Dr Burpinburger inserts a nano-computer into a mouse’s brain, he underestimates the amount of security needed to contain a mouse-genius. When Eric buys the escaped mouse, Einstein, from a pet shop, he discovers his new pet can speak to him telepathically. But Dr Burpinburger is not willing to let this ‘Frankenstein’s Mouse-ster’ get away that easily. Heffernan knows how to pace a simple narrative, and Alex Snellgrove’s charcoal illustrations add character and movement. Combined with the often aural humour (Burpinburger’s hired goon is aptly named ‘Tikazza Brique’), this book begs to be read aloud.

Horse Girl Rides Again by John Larkin

Pan Macmillan, $14.95 pb, 163 pp

From stories of children and animals to the story of a child who is an animal, and a bizarre tale of finding inner strength. In John Larkin’s Horse Girl Rides Again (Pan Macmillan, $14.95 pb, 163 pp, 9780330423274), Rebecca Yallop has been turned into a horse. Luckily, no one has noticed, except her little brother, who now refers to her as ‘Four Hooves’. It is all the result of a mix-up in wish-granting by the Amazing Beryl of The Dingaling Brothers’ Big Top, Flying Monkeys and Sea Slug Circus Extravaganza. Unfortunately for Rebecca, Beryl has gone off to track down the mystical one-legged sherpas of Upper Langtang Valley in Nepal. Larkin’s writing is characteristically over the top, crowded with zany names and hyperbolic similes. This is by turns irritating and effective, and the combination of humour and an adventurous female protagonist are a welcome deviation from the usual convention of horsy books.

Peak by Roland Smith

Allen & Unwin, $15.95 pb, 252 pp

Coincidentally, Roland Smith’s Peak (Allen & Unwin, $15.95 pb, 252 pp, 9781741753325) also features a protagonist who aspires to Himalayan mountain-climbing. Peak Marcello is in a lot of trouble. Arrested while scaling a high-rise building, he is given an ultimatum by the court: do time in juvenile detention or fly to Thailand to stay with his estranged father. The choice is an easy one, but Peak quickly learns that his father, who runs a mountaineering company, had a secret motive for rescuing him from jail – he wants his son to be the youngest person to scale Everest. Peak is a solid adventure novel aimed at boys in upper primary–lower secondary. The level of detail about climbing and its dangers (fluid-filled lungs, anyone?), along with the tensions between Peak and his father, will appeal to readers who appreciate some realism along with their thrills.

Danger Unlimited by Dafne Bidwell

FACP, $16.95 pb, 244 pp

Dafne Bidwell’s Danger Unlimited (FACP, $16.95 pb, 244 pp, 9781921064890) takes us away from Peak’s realism and further towards Secret Seven territory. When a band of friends holidaying in Singapore visit an oil rig, they quickly discover the crew’s dodgy activities. As the threat from the smugglers grows more intense, a huge storm traps them all on the rig and the children have to find somewhere to hide before the gang takes action. As the title implies, Danger Unlimited is a straight-up action adventure. Both the band of children and the smugglers are fairly colourless; individual characters quickly blur into amorphous ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’. But the action scenes are exciting and the pace hurtles along, which partly compensates for these character deficits.

Megs and the Vootball Kids by Neil Montagnana-Wallace and Mark Schwarzer

Bounce Books, $14.95 pb, 192 pp

Sports stories for reluctant boy readers can often be disappointingly shallow, but Megs and the Vootball Kids, cowritten by Neil Montagnana-Wallace and and footballer Mark Schwarzer (Bounce Books, $14.95 pb, 192 pp, 9780980316704), is definitely a cut above some of its rivals: less about pure sporting triumph and more about finding a way to belong in unfamiliar surroundings. Edward ‘Megs’ Morrison lacks confidence when his family moves from Northern England to Australia, forcing him to leave behind his mates and his beloved football teams. But then Megs meets a bunch of boys who play football. All they need is a coach to form a proper team. Given the AFL-related nature of many Australian sports stories, Megs provides boys with an alternative. Despite the novel’s sentimental tendencies, the book’s earnestness is irresistible. Even if you have no interest in sport, this would be a hard book to dislike.