Old Grandpa's Book of Practical Poems by Peter Macinnis (curator)
Amazon, 2021. ISBN: 9798583706266. Recommended.
Imagine having at your fingertips a comprehensive collection of the poems that are most often quoted, or pop up in allusions and crosswords.
This collection carefully curated by wordsmith Peter Macinnis includes rhymes, brief and not-so from Britain, North America and Australia and in his words, should be 'read aloud: adult to child; child to child; child to adult.' While he believes it is a collection that 'young people of all ages can benefit from encountering' it is, 'above all, a work of love, both of language and also of grandchildren, official and unofficial, everywhere.'
However, IMO, it is one that should be in the collection of all educators and school libraries because it provides such ready access to all those verses that we know snippets of but can't quite recall the whole thing. Grouped under these rough headings: Short, Sweet and Sour; Pieces to Get the Tongue Around; Parodies; Fun with words; Adventures; Stories; Travel; Myths and Other Animals; Books and the arts; Seasons; Love and beauty; Funny; Society and its oddities; Nature; Science; Sport and The game of war, it spans works such as The Elf and the Dormouse (particularly topical given the weather we are experiencing on the East Coast and that which is predicted for the summer) to Banjo of the Overflow, a parody of my favourite Clancy of the Overflow.
This is the third edition of this work, again as carefully and meticulously researched as any who know Peter expect, and for many has proven to be the turning point in their relationship to poetry. There is something special about sharing something so personal as poetry preferences with those you love, be they children, grandchildren or your students. How many times have I had fun with young ones exploring Southey's The Inchcape Rock (p59) and the inglorious fate of Sir Ralph the Rover? Sometimes words with no pictures to shape the imagination are exactly what is needed.
This anthology is the perfect vehicle for whenever you and yours need to just shut your eyes, listen and watch the images on the screens of your eyelids.
Orphan Rock is a single pillar of rock standing alone in the Blue Mountains, beautiful but largely inaccessible. For Bessie’s husband, Bertram, it represents a potential home and future prosperity. But perhaps it is more symbolic of the solitary un-won heart of the woman who stands beside him. We first discover Bessie as a child in the cold and harsh environment of the Protestant Orphan School, clinging to her older friend Lottie, and with no memory of her parents. The inscription on the opening pages of the novel reads ‘The truth is you can be orphaned again and again and again . . . And the secret is, this will hurt less and less each time until you can’t feel a thing.’
The theme of the orphan, or at least the child lost to its parents, recurs again and again in this story set initially in the 1800’s, and focusses particularly on the difficult lot of women whose only hope of financial security is to make an advantageous marriage. To have a child out of wedlock is a thing of great shame, and to be concealed from society at all cost.
Wilson has thoroughly researched the ideas and attitudes of the era she presents, and we discover the patriarchal society and the subjugation of women, the racism and hatred towards Chinese immigrants, the demonisation of the mentally ill, and the abhorrence of same sex relationships. Bessie is imbued with all these prejudices, ingrained by her upbringing and environment, but her intelligence and curiosity see her gradually reassess those attitudes and embrace the diversity of friendships that are offered to her.
The second half of the book is about Kathleen, Bessie’s daughter, born in Sydney, but who escapes to Paris, to avoid confronting a distressing secret, just prior to the first World War. In many ways, she is just as naive as Bessie was, and has to make her own journey towards open-mindedness and understanding.
Wilson’s novel is historical fiction but includes real characters, people that were significant and well-known at the time, characters such as the eminent Quong Tart, a Chinese immigrant and advocate, and Tilley Devine, queen of a powerful Sydney razor-gang. Wilson also incorporates details of the first world war, the gross injuries and waste of life, and medical issues such as small pox, syphilis, and Spanish flu. On the last topic, her blog on ‘COVID-19 and the Spanish Flu’ highlights similarities and differences between the two diseases, and the responses to the crises.
So many of the themes of Orphan Rock are still relevant today. On her website, Wilson writes that she is ‘interested in what history can teach us – both the good and the bad’, and issues of what makes a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ person. The characters she presents are complex, human, grappling with finding their own values and their independence, and the issues they confront continue to be relevant to us all.
Hedgehog was feeling sad. As sad as a hedgehog can feel. So sad only one thing could help...
But no matter who he asked, everyone found something more important to do rather than hug this creature with all his prickly prickles.
Meanwhile, coming from the other end of the book...
Tortoise was feeling sad. As sad as a tortoise can feel. So sad only one thing could help...
But no matter who he asked, everyone found something more important to do rather than hug this creature with all his hard shell.
Will they ever find someone to give them the hug they need?
As heartwarming as Guess How Much I Love You, this is a story that shows that no matter how hard or prickly we may seem, everyone needs a hug now and then and an elbow bump, a pretend high-five or a stand-off cuddle just won't cut it! One for the little ones in your life.
Barbara Braxton
Australian Backyard Naturalist by Peter Macinnis
Amazon, 2021. ISBN: 9798495706415. Recommended.
Anyone who knows Peter Macinnis, either personally or through his writing, knows that he is passionate about connecting young children with science and in this re-creation and complete update of this 2012 award winner he combines his skills in science, history and teaching to bring the reader's backyard beasties alive and accessible.
In his words, 'Here you will meet springtails, pseudoscorpions, onychophorans, leeches, ticks, engaging spiders, mummified lizards. giant worms, some curious plants and even a few rocks. You will learn new ways of catching animals, keeping strange pets that will frighten adults, different ways of looking at them and more. You don't need a microscope for this, but if you have one, you will have a great deal more fun from this book.'... 'The science you find here is stuff that young people can see and do in the class, and then take home and do again and again-and improve on. They can share the methods-and the wonder-with parents, grandparents and neighbours.'
While on the surface this appears to be a book for older readers, it is one for all children who have an interest in what is living and growing literally in their own backyard and Peter has regularly shared photos of his preschool grandchildren exploring their curiosity. While he can probably answer their questions on the spot or suggest activities that will lead them further, this book is a must-have for any adults with curious littlies but not Peter's expertise and knowledge. They ask a question and the adult can show them how to find the answer in a book!
And if you want to inspire their curiosity, start by marking a square metre of lawn, give them a magnifying glass and challenge them to count all the living things they can see!
Demonstrating that the backyard is more than a stretch of grass to play on, the following chapters are included showing the diversity of life at our fingertips: Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and reptiles, Spiders, Butterflies and moths, Flies and mosquitoes, Ants and ant lions, Other stingers, biters and nasties, Leaf litter animals, Snails slugs and their relatives, Earthworms and leeches, Other insects, Plants, Making your own equipment.
As well as being an historian, scientist and teacher, Peter is also a wordsmith and so his writing is entertaining and accessible and the multitude of photographs, diagrams and other illustrations this is a book for anyone who wants to explore and anyone who needs to explain. This is my review of the original which demonstrates in greater detail how Peter not only educates the reader but engages them so they want to know more and discover further.
If this is not in your collection, if you have a child with even a smidge of curiosity and interest, it should be.
Caleb Quinn escapes capture when his mother is taken by three tough and suspicious people, then follows his mum's secret instructions to get to his school, where he needs to find Professor Clay. Unable to find her, he instead searches for his best friend Zen in the dorms, but is unable to find her either. With the aid of Beetlebat, one of Zen's more advanced robots, and the aid of Flex, Caleb's own creation, similar to a smartphone but with much more capacity, Caleb finds his way to Zen. There, Professor Clay informs them that both their families have been taken, and they are targeted by the same people. She gives them a mission of finding out what happened, and hastily inducts them into the Mobius Programme, the rumoured elite of the school. They become Swift and Hawk, and they are following any lead they can to find their families.
Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies is the start of a new teen spy series by Logan Macx. Following the two teenagers who are technologically advanced, readers who are familiar with new technology and technology advancements will find the story easy to follow. Others might struggle with terminology, but still find the novel an enjoyable read. Great for fans of the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, this series has more of a gender balance with Zen being present as the rational, clever and skilled fighter of the pair, bringing some strong girl vibes. A slightly older version of Kensy and Max by Jacqueline Harvey, which fans could move to upon completion of that series.
Emergency! Emergency! Vehicles to the rescue by Rhian Williams. Illus. by Tom Jellett
Wild Dog Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781742036106. (Age:2+) Highly recommended.
Emergency! Emergency! is a stunning picture book that is sure to delight all the children who read or listen to the story. Written in rhyming verse, Rhian Williams has created a narrative that reads aloud beautifully, with each double page spread having complementary pictures by Jellett. On the first double page spread the reader is introduced to vehicles that may be familiar:
Fire trucks, police cars and ambulances too! Here come the vehicles to rescue you!
There is a multitude of detail in the illustrations concentrating on each of the vehicles, with the people in them initially more in shadow. Turn the page and there is a huge fire truck showing the firefighters in their protective gear with their hoses putting out a car fire. Turn the next page and there are police cars racing to the rescue of a little boy who is lost in the city, with sympathetic police trying to help. Other rescue vehicles include an ambulance, a water bomber, a helicopter, a jetski, coast guard boat, dinghies in floods, a rescue drone, flying doctor plane and mobile command post vehicle. Then readers are given the 000 number to call in an emergency – and it is quite evident from the story and pictures just what an emergency is!
Rhian Williams’ Ten little figs was a CBCA Notable book, and her knowledge about emergency vehicles from her work in her local Bush Fire Brigade is evident in this impressive picture book. Tom Jellett, illustrator of My dad thinks he’s funny, has drawn pictures that are a joy to examine as always. The Facts section at the back of the book gives more interesting information about each of the vehicles and how they are used.
Children who are lucky enough to be exposed to this outstanding picture book will learn about the vehicles and people who keep them safe, while those children who are fascinated by vehicles will really have fun examining them all.
Themes Emergencies, Emergency vehicles.
Pat Pledger
Youngbloods by Scott Westerfeld
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760528270. (Age:13+) Highly recommended.
In his conclusion to the Imposters series Westerfeld brings together Frey and Tally Youngblood from the Uglies series. Frey has spent her life as a stand-in for her sister, facing attacks from assassins, while Tally’s reputation as a rebel leader is well known. Frey is finally free to make her own choices about the family in which she was raised and her sister Rafia who killed the love of her life. Meanwhile Tally has allowed her image to grow while keeping out of the limelight but when an AI threatens to take over the world, they join forces.
The action is breathtaking as the Youngbloods, who are expert riders of their hoverboards, skim over the earth. They face risk after risk as they try and contain the danger that confronts them, and readers are in for a thrilling ride. There are challenging twists and turns, and readers will need to have read the previous books in the series for a full picture of the setting and characters.
People who have not read the Uglies series will want to immediately find those books, as Tally Youngblood is a character that you want to know, while those who are familiar with the series will be thrilled to see how she has developed as a leader. Leadership and ethical behaviour are major themes in the story and both Shay and then Frey are the ones who put the brakes onto their leaders’ behaviour.
This was a fitting end to the Imposters series and an exciting blend of that and the Uglies series. A great read for fans of dystopian adventure stories.
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760630799. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
In an interview with #LoveOzYA Astrid Scholte describes League of liars as ‘a crime fantasy mashup, and it's set in a world where magic can be lured from any shadow to alter time.’ Readers are in for a suspenseful time as Cayder Broduck becomes an apprentice under a public defender in a country that is riddled with magic. He is not prepared for the three young criminals that he is supposed to help defend. One is supposed to be the instigator of the deaths of a whole community, and two other teens have been accused of murder. All three are incarcerated in Vardean, the deadly prison where the most notorious prisoners are kept by the Regency. All have been involved in the illegal use of a strange magic centring around shadows that appear from a tear in the veil in another dimension.
The story is told in alternating short chapters from four points of view, that of Cayder, his sister Leta, Jey and Princess Elenora. Each has a distinct voice, and the reader is drawn to their different characters and plights. Then their stories begin to overlap and as Cayder gets to know more about their cases, he is confronted with disparities and similarities in the evidence that has been collected. Leta has described a giant winged creature, beautifully illustrated in the book, and this description tallies with others that have been discounted. Princess Elenora believes that her brother just disappeared and that she has been unjustly accused of his murder, while Jey is prepared to confess to the murder of his father.
There are twists and turns as the reader tries to work out what is happening, with many surprises on the way. Suspense builds up to a wonderful and unexpected climax when all is revealed, leaving the reading satisfied with the love, courage, and determination that the four teenagers have demonstrated.
Readers who enjoy a thrilling crime fantasy with some enticing illustrations, or who liked Scholte’s previous two books, Four dead queens and The vanishing deep, are in for a treat. Teacher's notes, A Special Message to Teachers and Librarians from the Author and a book trailer are all available from the publisher.
Themes Trials, Magic, Fantasy, Crime.
Pat Pledger
Kangaroo Beach: Sandy's surf school
Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781760989309. (Age:3+)
Kangaroo Beach: Sandy’s Surf School is the fourth book in the Kangaroo Beach series. The stories are based on a children’s television show where the Australian animals are cadet lifeguards. This colourful board book with ‘lift the flaps’ tells the story of cadets Gemma, Pounce, Neville and Frizzy who in this story are learning to surf with Sandy the kangaroo instructor. Before the excited cadets can race into the water there are several skill and safety steps they need to go through. The first one is choosing the right board, followed by practising on the sand. After that they are ready to hit the waves. Poor old Neville does not find surfing in the water easy so his friends decide to help him by practising in the sand dunes. Unfortunately Neville does not excel at sand surfing either but he does comes up with a clever but sneaky solution to his water surfing problem. During the Kangaroo Beach Surfing Carnival, Neville comes unstuck again but manages to safely make it back to shore and even win a medallion.
Those children who are familiar with the TV series may find this book version appealing.
Themes Australian animals, Beach life, Lifeguards, Surfing, Friendship, Water Safety.
The Burning Swift completes the thrilling adventure/fantasy series The Shadow Skye Trilogy. Joseph Elliott has maintained the pace, the savagery and the windswept, unsettling backdrop that accompanies the adventures of the characters who readers of the first two books will see finally completing the terrible challenges that have faced them.
Set in mythical ancient Scotland (Scotia) and the Isle of Skye, the action flows down to England (Ingland) and back in this third novel. Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid's lives are fraught with harrowing danger as they face seemingly unstoppable foes including starving, cannibalistic women of Ingland, death rats, medieval armoury including catapults and crossbows with poisoned spears, cauldrons of burning sand poured from castle battlements and imprisonment in the dankest of prisons. King Edmund of Ingland is assassinated but is immediately replaced by the evil Kong Grimr and the army heading to overtake the north is immense and all powerful. Unlikely allies as they are, Agatha, Sigrid and Jaime have to unite to protect their clan and they receive unexpected support from strange places.
Readers of the first two books in the series, already familiar with our trio of heroes, know the intimate thoughts, distinctive voices and resultant actions of Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid as the first person narrative alternates chapter by chapter between them. Through this literary technique the reader has access to the clear and open thinking of Agatha, the fearless, daring of Sigrid and the troubled bravery of Jaime as they unite the northern people of Scotia as war from the south comes to the island of Skye.
Ancient and forbidden black magic is invoked. A terrible final battle occurs. There is death, savagery, betrayal, heroism and love. There are reunions. Throughout it all, Elliot maintains these three very special heroes; three very rounded characters. Each character has flaws and each character grows. Agatha, arguably the favourite, is a new kind of character to be represented in literature. She has Down Syndrome. As Aisha Bushby, author of a pocketful of Stars states, "Forget Gryffindor, Dauntless and House Stark...I want to be a Hawk."
The Burning Swift is a beautiful book. Although dark and grisly and at times brutal, the whole trilogy is full of great hope and portrays, through its unforgettable characters, the qualities of human goodness, loyalty and bravery that people can demonstrate even in the most dire situations. This trilogy is recommended as an inspiring read for Middle School age readers.
Themes Ancient mythical Scotland, Dark magic, Clan loyalty, Battle.
Wendy Jeffrey
Once, at the edge of the sea by Sue Saliba. Illus. by Ann Shenfield
Sue Saliba, 2021. ISBN: 9780648919001. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Beautiful and painful are the memories of what was 'once, at the edge of the sea', little hooded plover chicks just hatched and teetering on the edge of existence. Alice had watched over them each day, until the day of the betrayal. Leaving Philip Island and travelling to Melbourne to study, she carries the memory of those precious fragile chicks.
This is a beautiful gentle story of young people struggling to find their way, just like the little birds in the natural world. In her writing class, Alice meets Esmeralda, a seeming soul mate, but their friendship is also fragile, and suffers from hesitancy and misunderstandings. There is a contrast between free spirit Esmeralda and the thoughtful more cautious Alice, trying to work out whether she should be Alexandra, a more sensible version of herself. Both girls have their own inner concerns to work out.
The writing is free flowing like poetry that wanders across the page and includes exquisite light touches of illustrations of nature, birds and bird footprints. A lovely book, to be enjoyed and re-read.
Sue Saliba is a previous winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her novels Alaska and For the forest of a bird have been recommended in ReadPlus reviews. This latest book is just as captivating.
Themes Identity, Coming of age, Self expression, Nature, Caring for the environment.
Helen Eddy
Trains trains trains! by Donna David and Nina Pirhonen
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529069792. (Age:2+) Recommended.
Any young child who is interested in machines or methods of transport will be drawn to the eye-catching blue foil cover of Trains trains trains! with its colourful train full of cute little cartoon figures. There are five trains to find on each double page spread, the illustrations matching the text. This has an internal rhyme which lends itself to being read aloud. Young children will ask for this book to be read to them again and again and will soon be able to chant along with the narrative, while emerging readers will enjoy having a go at reading for themselves or to younger siblings.
Short trains Long trains Something's gone wrong trains!
Steam trains Dream Trains, Listen to them puff.
It is a lot of fun to see all the different types of the 50 trains featured, from very fast modern trains to old steam trains, freight trains and even ‘chugging thought the cold trains’. At the back is an extra fold out page with all the trains grouped together and children are asked to choose their favourite.
The illustrations are very bright and cheerful and the facial expressions on the drivers and passengers are appealing, sure to charm the young child. There is also a Did you spot …? section where children are asked if they saw one of the tiny details in the pictures and the answers are given using the numbers with which the trains are labelled. Plus, there are tips for parents and carers when reading together.
Trains trains trains! is an amusing and informative book that will be welcomed by pre-school children.
Feelings can be complex and often misunderstood by young children who need guidance when dealing with a myriad of emotions and situations in their daily lives. We Feel Happy is a colourful new release that will resonate with younger readers. The use of brightly animated animal characters provides added visual appeal which readers will enjoy. The feelings covered in this book include happy, shy, calm, scared, sad, excited, grumpy, curious, sorry and excited. Each feeling is discussed on a boldly coloured busy double page spread with a number of white conversation bubbles as well as black text to highlight key messages, individual thoughts, questions and responses. The page about grumpy feelings stands out from the other feelings’ pages as it is divided into individual boxes to highlight each reason behind these feelings and a possible solution. At the beginning of the book is a brief introduction asking How are you Feeling? and at end of the book is information for parents and caregivers on how to talk about feelings with young children written by early years specialist, Dr Helen Lewis.
This practical and easy to read book is perfect for sharing with younger children. Early Years teachers in childcare settings, preschool and junior primary classrooms may find this a very useful resource to have on hand when dealing with situations that can arise on a daily basis.
Themes Feelings, Young Children, Animals.
Kathryn Beilby
Return to Factopia! by Kate Hale. Illus. by Andy Smith
Britannica Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781913750398. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Return to FACTopia! is the second title in the FACTopia! series. This cleverly illustrated and very appealing compendium of facts will entertain those readers who love learning new snippets of information to share with their friends and family. Over 400 hundred facts are discussed and connected in often quite unexpected ways. The introduction welcomes the reader back to FACTopia and begins with astronauts playing golf on the moon which connects to astronauts growing taller in space which connects to a super tall snowperson who had trees for arms which then connects to information about trees and so it goes on. The reader is able to follow the dotted lines to work their way through the book. However, those readers who wish to deviate and be adventurous can follow broken lines to different page numbers to still related topics. There is a Table of Contents at the beginning of the book which contains the topics investigated but also has ‘Fact Frenzy’ sections where the reader can follow a double page spread of segmented information all interconnected by arrowed boxes. There is a detailed index at the end plus information about the FACTtopians as well as a sources page and picture credits.
One of the highlights of this book is the bold, glossy presentation and the mixed media use of photos and graphics. A second highlight is the fact that the author has limited the amount of information on each page which allows it to be readable and hold the interest of the young or reluctant reader.
A perfect gift for a fact-loving child and a welcome addition to a class or school library.
Themes Facts, Knowledge.
Kathryn Beilby
The Becoming by Nora Roberts
The Dragon Heart Legacy, book 2. Piatkus, 2021. ISBN: 9780349426402. (Age:16+)
The becoming is the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy by best-selling author Nora Roberts and this time the reader sees Breen return to Talamh. She is accompanied by her good friend Marco, who is amazed at the magical world that he finds there. Breen grows in her powers and becomes much more confident in herself and what she believes. She continues to be trained as a warrior by Keegan and their romance simmers along slowly. Marco also fits in well and even finds a partner who appreciates his qualities.
As the middle book in the trilogy, Roberts builds up the suspense, leaving the reader to wonder if all the preparations for war with the evil god Odran will be adequate. There is a heartbreaking betrayal and some suspenseful moments. With dragons and their riders, faeries and mermaids, readers of easy fantasy will be pleased. Fans of relationships will enjoy the friendship between Marco and Breen and the love her grandmother displays so well. And the cute dog Bollock is an extra bonus for dog lovers!
Roberts has the knack of worldbuilding and describing characters in such a way that the reader is pulled into the story. Her narrative flows easily and will please her many fans. It is best to begin with the first in the series, The awakening.
