Short takes: Children's books

Patricia Stroud: Caesar the Anzac Dog

illustrated by Bruce Potter

The cover is old-fashioned and muted but this book definitely has that mysterious x-factor. Somewhat to my surprise, my 9-year-old instantly fell on this true story about a Red Cross dog who ventures on to the battlefields of World War I to rescue wounded soldiers, read it twice and loved it. Moved by the story of the dog (a bulldog who was a mascot of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade) and shocked at what the author gently depicts of war, in particular the Christmas scene where Germans and English soldiers sang, drank and talked together before resuming shooting at each other, this is a story that has made a big impact in our house. It's got local news value, too: the author is the daughter of Ida, the supposed narrator of the story, who loved Caesar before he went to war, and then passed on the story to her children and grandchildren. Caesar emerges as a Kiwi hero (his collar resides in the Auckland museum), his story is well told and the illustrations are as clear and informative as the text.

HarperCollins, $16.99

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David Hill: My Story: Journey to Tangiwai

Purporting to be "The diary of Peter Cotterill, Napier, 1953", this is great historical fiction that successfully captures the mood and texture, even the colour, of life in a New Zealand that was still emerging from the war and before the consumer society bit down. Thirteen-year-old Peter begins his diary, and we follow him through a year of social and personal upheaval - he joins the Boy Scouts, wrestles with his feelings about being poor when neighbours are much more comfortably off and begins to understand more about his uncle's wartime experiences. It all culminates in a fateful train trip to Auckland on Christmas Eve, 1953. It is very involving and includes photos of special events of that year, including the train crash.

Scholastic, $15.95

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David Hill: No Safe Harbour

A terrifically exciting recounting of the April 1968 Wahine disaster, told by fictional 15-year-old Stuart who, with his twin sister Sandra, is on the ferry during that terrifying storm and shipwreck. Hill might be prolific but he never skimps on his homework. The details of who did what, the sequencing of events, and the little touches that bring an era roaring into life are vivid and drive the story forward compellingly. Of course, this is more than just action and adventure. It is also the story of a boy who finds hidden depths of courage and loyalty as he takes important steps towards adulthood.

Mallinson Rendel, $16.95

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Joy Watson: Grandpa's Shed

illustrated by Wendy Hodder

Good old Grandpa is at it again. This time he is trying to clear out the garden shed - and no, he doesn't need any help. In the meantime lots of other things get done. But will Grandpa actually throw anything away? A cute picture of a man, a generation, and a long-lasting marriage.

Scholastic, $15.95

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Tessa Duder: Alex

Penguin Books has re-released this prize-winning quartet of books - Alex, Alex in Winter, Alex in Rome, Songs for Alex - and the new editions are worth a mention as they are just so good. Alex is an inspirational character, not only a champion swimmer but involved in many other sporting and cultural activities at school. But, basically, she's a battler in life, sensible, no-nonsense, brave - a great role model. The New Zealand she occupies is that of the 1950s, but the dilemmas she faces are every-girl struggles. Alex alone is Penguin's biggest-selling New Zealand novel, so if you or your teenage daughters haven't already discovered this plucky young woman, go and acquaint yourself.

Puffin, $16.95