Movie review: The Dry

“Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his hometown Kiewarra after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife Karen and child Billy (sparing baby daughter Charlotte) before taking his own life. Luke's parents persuade a reluctant Falk to stay and investigate the circumstances of the crime. Falk and his father left the town 20 years ago to escape harassment when Falk was suspected in the death of his girlfriend. Now he is continuously harassed by the townspeople, though it has been 20 years since the death of 17-year-old Ellie Deacon, a close friend Falk was romantically involved with. With the help of the local sergeant Greg Raco, he begins to look into the events surrounding Luke's death. They discover that the bullets used in the crime were Remingtons while Luke only owned Winchesters.” (Wikipedia)

Eric Bana stars as Aaron Falk and does a fine job as a man tormented by the unsolved death of his childhood girlfriend. Old sins cast long shadows and the town has some unforgiving members of the community. Flashbacks fill the viewer in on the chain of events leading up to the young girl’s death, although the so-called clues that point to Aaron being the culprit are very circumstantial. While Aaron tries to focus on the current investigation and follow the clues, some of which are red herrings, he is still beset with thoughts of what happened 20 years ago.

I am a big fan of Eric Bana, who is an Australian actor. The cast of characters is excellent, an ensemble performance that viewers will enjoy. The story takes place in a small town suffering the effects of an interminable drought, which rubs on everyone’s nerves. It’s a slow burn from a directing angle and the unfolding of events is systematic as clues and motives are revealed. The flashbacks were overused, in my opinion, although necessary. I felt the director could have cut down on the number of scenes that did not add much and slowed the pace somewhat. I could not guess Ellie Deacon’s killer, nor Luke’s killer, and was stunned when the identities were revealed. It’s an excellent whodunnit that proceeds with methodical skill. I really enjoyed this movie, and I am sure Bana fans, as well as mystery murder aficionados will too.

 

Book Review: Red-Tail Recovery

Red-Tail Recovery is the third story in Australian author Emma J Homes’ wildlife series about Ruthie, a young wildlife ambassador and her commitment to helping save wildlife in Australia. Ruthie, her younger sister, Bel, and younger brother, Liam, travel around Australia with their parents (Kate and Tom) who are scientists, involved in wildlife research and animal projects. The family travels in a green and yellow bus, while the kids study via ‘lessons of the air,’ as well as learning from life experience about the wildlife in their home country. This time a new adventure beckons since Kate and Tom will be looking after a friend’s wildlife centre, The Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo Recovery Program, for a year while he is away. This will mean living in a house instead of a bus, and going to a real school. Will Ruthie and her siblings adapt? Even more importantly, given that the Red-Tails’ habitat is increasingly threatened by farming and encroachment upon their feeding and nesting environment, their numbers are dwindling fast. Does the Red-Tail have a chance of survival and will Ruthie and her family make any difference?

Beautiful, clear descriptions will transport young readers into Ruthie’s new life in the small town of Bailey’s Lake (pop. 1,400). They will also learn a lot about wildlife and the precautions taken to protect their habitats. Facts are cleverly inserted into the dialogue so eager wildlife enthusiasts will learn while they are enjoying the story, and appreciating Ruthie’s adaptation to her new environment. After all, haven’t we all been the new kid at school? Ruthie makes a new friend, Linsey, and gets involved in school sports and other fun stuff. Readers also read about wildlife smuggling, which seems like an odd thing for people to target, but it exists and that’s another danger young enthusiasts will learn about. Fans of Ruthie’s previous adventures will be happy to catch up on news about Womble, Ruthie’s pet wombat now living as a wild wombat, who was instrumental in solving a mystery causing frogs to die, and in solving the problem of mange in wild wombats (clever Womble!). Ruthie has a new pet in this story, a skink called Lulu!

Wildlife research is not armchair work and Ruthie and her family and Linsey get stuck in, another revelation for readers who think that being a wildlife scientist is easy. One does not study an animal or bird without going outdoors for fieldwork, the best way to study their habitat, their food, and the activities that the creatures engage in. The vocabulary and reading levels are good for all types of readers and the events of the story soon draw young readers into Ruthie’s world, her new experiences, and her reactions to the changes in their lifestyle.

Ruthie is such a lovely young role model for readers to emulate, and I really like how author Emma Homes manages to teach while creating a great and new adventure for many kids, who may never have had any close encounters with the animals and birds of their own country. The story shows very clearly how all of life is entwined, from destruction of trees to changes in environment, and how all this affects the cycle of wildlife; how each creature has its role to play in the ecological chain. I also liked the forward thinking that the story demonstrates, and how Bel’s idea of planting trees will help create a safe environment for the birds to flourish. As Ruthie realises, “Even a small step in the right direction was a difference they could all be proud of.” A small endnote gives readers more details about the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo. The perfect gift for readers who love adventure and the outdoors, and young wildlife and bird enthusiasts.

Book Review: The Vanishing Frogs of Cascade Creek

Something is killing the waterfall frogs of Cascade Creek. Ten-year-old Ruthie, along with her mum and dad (Tom and Kate who are wildlife scientists), and Ruthie’s younger siblings, Liam and Bella, as well as their pet wombat, Womble, are headed off to the rainforests of Northern Queensland in their big green bus to investigate. The family has just spent 6 months helping to catch and tag shy rock wallabies. Cascade Creek promises a brand new adventure. Sadly, when they get there, the frogs have all but disappeared. Luckily the kids manage to find a frog (whom they call Wanda) but Wanda looks very sick. When they find a few tadpoles, the same situation prevails: the tadpoles are thin, not plump and healthy as they should be. They get Wanda and the tadpoles back to the Wildlife Research Station so Kate can take a better look. Wanda seems to have some kind of skin condition. Is this killing the frogs of Cascade Creek and how can it be cured? Luckily, naughty Womble’s playful antics offer a surprising possible answer!

What a life Ruthie and her family enjoy, spending time away from the city and experiencing the wonders of nature. The kids do their lessons via school of the air and spend their days travelling with their parents around the beautiful Australian countryside. They learn about plants, animals, insects and a variety of indigenous creatures. They also learn about caring for the environment and the animals, and how important it is to preserve even the smallest of creatures, such as a little frog, because each creature has its part to play in the ecosystem. Author Emma Homes has a lovely way of inserting information about various animals, their habitats, food, and threats to their existence into the text. Ruthie is a wonderful role model for young readers and she is both compassionate and mature in her outlook. Hopefully this fascinating series will inspire young readers to look up more information about the animals that Ruthie and her family encounter. A delightful 5-star read that I highly recommend to all. The Vanishing Frogs of Cascade Creek is available on Amazon.

Book Review: Saving Wombats

Ruthie, dad Tom and mum Kate, along with Ruthie’s younger siblings, Liam and Bel, and their pet wombat Womble are en route to her cousins’ farm to spend a lovely holiday in the countryside. Up ahead they see a sad sight: a wombat has been run over by a speeding truck. Ruthie’s parents stop to check the animal and discover it has a tiny baby in its pouch. The baby is still alive. Luckily, the Jirringbah Wildlife Shelter is on the same route and soon they get the baby, called a pinky, to Jo Matthews who shows the kids how to take care of the pinky. While they are there, the kids learn a lot about Australia’s wildlife and some of the skin diseases that can affect these animals; one is a horrible disease called mange! Ruthie doesn’t want to admit that soon Womble will be old enough to be released into the wild – imagine if he gets a nasty, itchy skin condition from the mange. Once they get to their cousins, the kids find out more about wombats and mange because there is a wombat on the farm that looks as if it has a bad case of mange. Medication can cure the condition, but it’s catching the animal and applying the medication regularly that’s the problem. Wombats are also pretty quick when it comes to getting away! With the help of some wildlife experts and her Uncle Dave, they devise a clever way of getting the medication onto the skin of the elusive wombat. Will the medicine cure this sick wombat? Will Ruthie be able to release Womble back into the wild?

Saving Wombats by Emma Homes is the second book in Ruthie’s Wildlife series. Ruthie is a great role model for kids since she is a Zoo Youth Ambassador. With wild animal habitats declining worldwide because of human encroachment, it’s important for today’s kids to learn about animals, and to care for them and respect their rights. This is a charming tale that will appeal to its target audience. Author Emma Homes turns Ruthie’s family trip into quite an adventure – wombats may look cute and cuddly, but don’t get on the wrong side of them or try to invade their burrows! There is a wonderful warm atmosphere between the characters of Ruthie’s family and the people they meet. Ruthie and her siblings are real and believable and any parent would be proud of them. In this simple tale an amazing adventure unfolds, with the kids committed to helping animals. The author cleverly feeds necessary information into the story so that by the end of the book young readers will have learned an amazing number of facts about wombats. I really loved reading this!

Age Level: 8 - 11 | Grade Level: 3 - 6
Juvenile Fiction/Wildlife
Five Stars