Inclusive Education for the 21st Century: Theory, policy and practice edited by Linda J. Graham
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760527099.
Teacher Reference. Inclusive Education for the 21st century
is a collection of articles by leaders in the field of Special
Education. These works were brought together into an authoritative
text by the editor to provide a guide to schools, and other
professionals working in the field, to bring about the changes
necessary to make schools more inclusive for students with a
disability. In the first few chapters the concept of Inclusive
Education is discussed and then the obligations of educators under
International and National Legislation is made clear. Next the book
includes chapters to assist teachers with strategies to support
diverse learners in the classroom. Using assessment data and
adjusting curriculum and pedagogy to create a supportive, safe
learning environment. Part 4 of the book then deals with developing
inclusive school cultures in seven diverse chapters dealing with a
variety of ways to change practice in schools. This section covers
more practical approaches and will prove useful to schools needing
guidance to implement better practice in this area. Putting students
at the centre, nurturing close student-teacher relationships,
developing productive partnerships with parents and carers and
rethinking the use of teacher aides are topics covered in these
chapters and which can really assist schools to develop inclusive
school cultures and ethical practices.
A useful book as a starting point for schools struggling to make
meaningful changes to the area of inclusivity and special education
in their schools. Themes: Inclusive curriculum, Special Education,
Differentiated curriculum, Children with disabilities, Teaching
Methods, Mixed ability grouping, Mainstreaming.
Gabrielle Anderson
Evernight by Ross Mackenzie
Andersen Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781783448319.
(Ages 10-12). Highly recommended. Evernight is an exciting,
fantasy adventure story that takes place in a world called the
Silver Kingdom. The main character, Larabelle Fox, is an orphan who
lives by finding treasure in the sewers under the city. This is
called being a Tosher and she becomes the subject of interest to
some evil characters when she finds a mysterious box containing a
clockwork bird. The bird seems to like Lara and only comes to life
when it is near her.
The book introduces each of the important characters by devoting the
first few chapters to stories about them. The plot links them
cleverly in the subsequent chapters and it develops into a very
intricate, fast-paced tale. We learn about some quite dark magic
such as the way the evil Mrs. Hester uses young souls to keep her
young body. The story is a little too sinister for reading to
younger children but Middle Primary students who like Harry Potter
will also enjoy this book.
Lara is a wonderful character who is very loyal and protective of
her friends. We meet Joe, who learned to be a Tosher from Lara, and
his grandmother who live in an attic. Double Eight is also an
interesting character who is a witch working for the Kingdom in a
group called the White Witches. These witches do whatever they are
told because their souls have been removed by the King's sorcerer,
Mrs. Hester. The conflict in which Lara finds herself involves the
release of the Evernight by Mrs. Hester, which threatens to engulf
the entire world in a deep darkness and brings with it some horrible
monsters called the Painted. Mrs. Hester hopes to use it to gain
control of the entire kingdom and defeat the Westerly Witches. Lara
must learn to harness her newfound magical power to stop it using
the Doomsday spell passed down from her mother.
A wonderful, exciting tale and the first in a series about Lara and
her friends. Themes: Magic, Sorcery, Good and evil, Orphans.
Gabrielle Anderson
PESTS by Emer Stamp
Hodder Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781444949629.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Stix is a mouse who lives with his
grandma behind a washing machine in a Flat 3, Peewit Mansions, which
they share with a couple, their dog and their baby. The book is
written in first person by Stix and he introduces us to the space he
lives in, where he finds the food he and grandma eat and the 'Mans'
(humans) he shares it with - Schnookums, MyLove, Trevor (the dog)
and Boo-Boo. Grandma has very strict rules about what Stix needs to
do to stay hidden from the Mans because if they find any evidence of
the mice the humans may call 'Nuke-a-pest', not an ideal thing to
happen to a Pest.
Not long into the story a nasty Rat comes into their apartment and
causes havoc for Stix by leaving a mess after he raids the pantry in
Flat 3. Then disaster strikes as Grandma's plan to play dead goes
awfully wrong and she is flushed down the toilet. Stix is left alone
to fend for himself but a chance meeting with a friendly bat called
Batz, shows him that there are other Pests who live in the building
and joins them at a school for Pests. Here he learns about the
competition, called 'Pest of the Year', that could give him the
satisfaction of revenge on the nasty Rat that turned his world
upside down.
This is a welcome addition to the list of books that appeal to
reluctant readers. It has short chapters with not too much text on
each page and great pencil illustrations done by the author. The
publisher has used a linked-script type font which seems easier for
children to read. The cover has pictures that glow in the dark and
'Pests Only' written onto the side of the pages, all the gimmicks to
attract those readers who need extra encouragement to pick up a
book. There is even a cool website
that demands you pass the PEST test before you can enter!
Themes: Mice, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
What do you call a baby . . ? by Kamsani Bin Salleh
Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925360806. Board book.
(Age: 0-5) Highly recommended. What a lovely way to learn about baby
animals! Bin Salleh, author of At
the beach I see, has beautifully illustrated this book
which will introduce the nouns that are associated with baby
animals. The young child will learn that a baby echidna is called a
puggle and will giggle at the sight of the long tongue that the
little puggle has and will want to guess why it needs that. Turning
the page the child will discover that you call a baby dingo a pup. I
particularly loved the double page spread of an emu running along
with its chick racing beside it, all coloured in purples and greens
against an orange background. The illustration of the mother dugong
and its baby calf is gorgeous, with both having smiles on their
faces, while you can almost hear the baby eaglet chirping at its
mother. I learn that a baby goanna is called a hatchling, and loved
the way it was climbing on its parent's back.
This is a celebration of the love between parent and child, the
book's bright colours and memorable patterned illustrations making
it one to keep. Its sturdy board format will also guarantee a long
life. What do you call a baby . . ? is sure to be asked for again
and again by young children and is likely to become a family
favourite.
Pat Pledger
Top End girl by Miranda Tapsell
Hachette Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9780733642432.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. If you saw the delightful rom-com
movie Top
End wedding you will enjoy this book. If you missed it
at the cinema, check it out on iTunes. It is a joyous upbeat story
of what happens when an Aboriginal girl takes her English fiance to
meet the family before getting married in her home country, the
glorious setting of the Northern Territory and the Tiwi Islands. Top
End girl is Miranda Tapsell's memoir about her life leading up
to the making of the film which she co-wrote and starred in.
Tapsell is a Larrakia and Tiwi girl; she grew up in Kakadu. A
natural performer, she was inspired by a school workshop with Aaron
Pedersen to pursue an acting career, and won a place at the National
Institute of Dramatic Art. It wasn't an easy time, in fact 'a
baptism of fire', overcoming insecurities and finding her voice. But
she made it, leading to a string of acclaimed dramatic performances,
including winning two Logie Awards. In her acceptance speech she
urged for more Aboriginal people on our screens in ways that
transcend race. It was this vision that led to the film project Top
End wedding, a fun and uplifting film highlighting the warmth
of Aboriginal families and the beauty of their country in the Top
End.
The book is written in a conversational style - you can hear her
voice and her laugh. It is easy to read, so any fan of this actor
will enjoy her story. However there is one chapter that stands out
as a serious statement, 'Making things change', where she writes
about the racism and sexism directed towards Aboriginal people and
Aboriginal women in particular, and argues for greater Aboriginal
representation in the film industry, and a wider recognition and
celebration of Aboriginal culture generally. The issues raised in
this chapter would make good classroom discussion topics.
Hopefully her film and book will be an inspiration to young black
actors and filmmakers, and a great promotion of Aboriginal people
and country, both in Australia and internationally.
Themes: Aboriginal actors, Aboriginal films, Romantic comedy, Self
empowerment, Self belief.
Helen Eddy
This chicken life by Fiona Scott-Norman
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760786083.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. I love this book! But perhaps I
should admit to a bias, as I keep chickens, and in our neighbourhood
our house is known 'Chicken Corner'. So I can readily relate to the
joys of chicken ownership that are revealed in this book. This is
not a 'how to' book, rather a fascinating collection of stories of
chicken lovers and their chooks, from celebrities like gardening
guru Costa, to comedians and performers, a member of parliament,
eccentric chicken collectors, animal liberationists and school
children. You may pick up some tips along the way with short
chapters on roosters, the pecking order, chicken breeds, foxes, and
even a history of chickens in Australia. But the main focus are the
stories of people who have discovered the joy of having chickens as
pets.
It is a wonderful collection of stories and photographs. Jareth
rescues broiler hens and keeps them in his one-bedroom flat. Miranda
makes chicken wheelchairs for incapacitated chooks. Jennifer does a
stand-up comedy act with her Silkie. Nash breeds rare birds. Mandy
crochets chicken bonnets. The stories come from around Australia,
including two from Alice Springs: chickens in a renal dialysis
centre and chickens in a correctional centre. There are also
chickens in schools. So many have discovered the rewards of caring
for chickens - a path to communication and connection for children
with autism, children in therapy programs, and elderly in aged care.
And just a heap of fun for anyone.
The photography by Ilana Rose is wonderful, capturing characters and
scenes, which is why I think even young children will enjoy the
pictures of exotic chickens and unusual poses. School children will
enjoy reading about other kids with chooks - Summer started an
autism therapy program 'Chickens to Love', and Max has created a
range of chicken accessories - cheanies, chickinis and choollery.
One school has a Chicken Club.
Highlight for me was learning about the chicken sitter, close to my
area! Somebody actually looks after chickens while their owners go
on holiday. So while Jareth may like taking his chooks for outings
to the beach, others of us may to prefer to go away knowing our pets
are in safe hands at home.
The final pages have a glossary of interesting words to do with
chickens and eggs, including 'brains' because it's a fallacy that
chickens are stupid. They have personality and charisma.
Helen Eddy
Big hug, little mouse by Lisa Kerr
Walker Books Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651107. 32pp.
(Age: 2-5) Lisa Kerr is a Melbourne-based author and illustrator,
best known for the Cheeky
Monkey series of books. Featuring the same warm and
richly-detailed illustrations, Big Hug, Little Mouse
features a new character named Millie the mouse who loves her life
and loves giving her friends big hugs. One day, however, Millie
doesn't wake up her normal cheerful self. Her tummy feels funny, she
feels sad and she thinks she has lost her hug. Will she be able to
find it again? Pretty soon all of her friends are giving her hugs:
big bear hugs, hello hugs, sleepy hugs, well done hugs and one-arm
hugs. And perhaps that was all Millie needed to find her cheerful
self again! 'Thank you hugs for everyone', she says.
This is a lovely story about how even the happiest of people feel
down sometimes and about how those around can help with extra love
and attention. It is also a nice reminder to children of the
importance of verbalising feelings so that others can help and a
reinforcement that sad moods don't last forever. Themes: Hugs,
Sadness.
Nicole Nelson
The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency by L.D. Lapinski
Orion Children's Books 2020. ISBN: 9781510105942.
(Ages: 8+). Highly recommended. Magnifying glasses, outlandish
suitcases and a dusty mysterious store begin this fantasy tale of
multi-universes and exciting travel. Twelve year old Flick Hudson is
moving to a different home in the country. It is in a new housing
estate close to the village of Little Wyverns. She is not happy.
Both her parents work shifts and she has to be responsible at times
for her baby brother Freddy as well as many of the household tasks.
Flick has a great desire to explore and travel the world and this
wish comes to fruition sooner than expected. While exploring the
local village Flick stumbles upon an old stone Victorian Arcade and
The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency. On entering the store she sees
suitcases of different shapes, hues and designs stacked against the
walls and meets eighteen year old Jonathan Mercator who is the
proprietor of the travel agency and head custodian of the suitcases.
While they do not warm to each other at first, Jonathan realizes
that Flick has special magical powers when she observes what are
known as schisms through broken glass. Flick is invited to join the
StrangeWorlds Society and Jonathan takes her on her first journey
into another world through a suitcase. They visit the Crystal Forest
where they see very different landscapes and creatures. This visit
for Flick is a relatively safe taste of things to come.
Central to the plot is Jonathan's missing father who has not
returned from another world visit for a number of months. With
Flick's help he must try to track him down although all is not what
it seems as Flick later learns. Visiting the City of Five Lights
puts both Jonathan, Flick and the whole other world in danger and
they must use all of their wits to out play the desperate Thieves.
Descriptive language and original imagery, a fast paced and action
packed plot maintains the reader's interest and engagement. For fans
of a fantasy series this will not be a stand-alone read. There are
questions still to be answered and a clever hint at situations still
to be resolved. A really appealing and refreshing new read. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Family, Magic, Travel, Fantasy
Worlds, Friendship, Mystery.
Kathryn Beilby
The sky is mine by Amy Beashel
Rock the Boat, 2020. ISBN: 9781786075550.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. This is a powerful, raw and
confronting story of a young girl struggling to find her way,
assaulted and blackmailed by the school bully, ensnared by the
manipulations of her step-father, and witness to the humiliation and
abuse of her mother. This book cries out to be read - Beashel
captures the voice of Izzy so well, her pent up feelings, her
loneliness, and the fear, walking on eggshells around stepfather
Daniel, the Clooney look-alike, who won over her mother and then
gradually bent them both to his will. Izzy can still remember her
father, from early in her childhood, the man who was so pleased to
see her, calling her his 'sunshine'. The jar of broken yellow beads
is all she has to remember him by. Everything else has been
gradually stripped away. And even that precious jar becomes a weapon
that Daniel will use against her.
Beashel paints a very realistic picture of domestic violence and
child sexual abuse - how becoming a victim to one person leads to a
path of victimhood that is extremely difficult to escape. Whilst
Daniel is the perpetrator, Izzy is also alienated from her mother
because of the sense of betrayal, and her mother's failure to
protect. She carries a shame she is unable to reveal and share with
others, even her closest friend.
There is a positive ending, and it is thanks to the women who run
refuge homes for battered women and their children. With time and
space, Izzy is able to find her inner strength and look up to the
sky.
These are serious themes, but the writing is beautiful, and easily
pulls you into Izzy's world. I am sure that anyone who has
experienced any of these things will find strength from reading how
Izzy finds her way out. Others will gain a better understanding and
empathy for the survivors . . . and especially realise the
importance of being a good friend. At the end there is a list of UK
and US support services. It would have been good to include
Australian services as well. There is also a list of interesting
questions for discussion.
Themes: Domestic violence, Sexual abuse, Cyberbullying.
Helen Eddy
The Besties make a splash by Felice Arena and Tom Jellett
The Besties series. Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760890964.
80pp.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Felice Arena and Tom Jellett have
teamed up with a series called The Besties. In each book the
two main characters are introduced through illustrations and speech
bubbles on the first double page. These are fun, page turning
stories for beginning readers that are based on everyday familiar
situations. At about 80 pages each and an easily held size, the
appealing illustrations beg the reader to enter the story and read
on.
In The Besties make a splash, Ruby and Oliver are at the
beach. Through the story, the reader gets to know about things to do
at the beach, and the protocols put in place by the family and
lifesavers. They will learn about beach etiquette, swimming safely
and about body surfing. Ruby and Oliver meet other friends and they
all get an ice cream from the van, but are attacked by a mob of
seagulls. All is fine however, getting back into the water with
people watching from the shore, while they wash off the bird poo
sees the foursome repair their friendship.
Easy to read, divided into chapters of about 5 pages, copious
illustrations and a clear font make these ideal for the child who
has mastered early chapter books. Engaging stories with known
characters add to the appeal, and the books are finished off with
puzzles and cartoons and information. Activities
for the series can be found on the author's website. Themes: Beach,
Swimming, Safety.
Fran Knight
Old MacDonald had a farm illus. by Matt Shanks
Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781742993706.
(Age: 2-5) This Australian take on the classic song features all the
suspects you would expect: kangaroo, koala, wombat, cockatoo,
platypus and emu. Simple illustrations inject some humour as the
native animals cause chaos throughout the farm, much to the chagrin
of the farm animals. The roo jumps through the chooks and sends them
into a tizz, the platypus have taken over the duck pond, wombats dig
holes all over the farm and the emu chases Old McDonald and pecks
him on the bum. By the end of the story the poor old fella is tired
out and falls fast asleep.
This is a simple, yet effective re-imagining that benefits from not
having been played around with too much. The illustrations are
sparse, yet humorous, bright and cheerful. Themes: Songs,
Australian Animals.
Nicole Nelson
The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651367.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Chance's implacable family life is in
the balance after she finds that all is not what it seems. She has
always seen the world in black and white, she and her mother
anchored with an unvarying bond of companionship, love and respect
Next door is her best friend and now that the two girls are in year
seven, all seems steady and rock solid. Chance's mother, a single
parent works hard to support the refugee families in the town,
Wollongong, and has little time left for their home.
Wanting to thank her mother, Chance unwittingly invites chaos into
her world, by contacting a TV show that does house makeovers. She
exposes her background to the presenter, and her mother's story of
her father being killed in a fire in Perth with Chance being born
soon after, comes under scrutiny, as the presenter was there. Mum
has kept a book for Chance, The Book of Chance, in which all of her
life is recorded. But now Chance comes to question what is written,
it is no longer black and white, but what is the truth?
This is an intriguing look at truth and lies, as Whiting reveals the
rock that Chance's life sits on begin to crumble. She has always
thought that what her mother told her was the truth, unvarying, and
she admired her mother's steadfast nature but a photo of her mother
undermines all that she has been told.
Skilfully paralleling Chance's predicament with the school crackdown
on the misuse of Facebook resulting in one child's leaving the
school, Whiting plots this story with aplomb. We know from the start
that something has happened as Chance is being interviewed at a
police station, and from there the story if told as a countdown,
increasing the tension and need to know for the reader.
Whiting touches on the role of the media, the use of social media,
the half truths told in families. This is a powerful book written by
Whiting after a crime was exposed in 2017, making her think about
the child involved at its centre. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Family, Crime, Friendships,
Truth.
Fran Knight
Slow Down: bring calm to a busy world with 50 nature stories by Rachel Williams and Freya Hartas
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781916180512. 128pp. (Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Calling all nature loving children! This is the book for you! It is a beautiful mixture of short stories about the wonderful things that happen in the great outdoors. Each 2 page spread explores an animal and something interesting they do. It could be snakes shedding their skin, a rainbow occurring, bees pollinating, weaver ants building a nest or a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. They are beautifully illustrated by Freya Hartas and this really makes the book. The colours are vibrant, yet sometimes soft and mellow-and all at the perfect level. Every page you turn brings not only new information but the most amazing illustrations of the animal in the spotlight. You can see their distinguishing features, their faces and often images of their habitat. My children are 5 and 9 and are both enthralled in this book. The text is written so that Miss 5 can understand, but with a few tricky words thrown in so in conjunction with the illustrations provided master 10 was able to extract the higher meaning. We also used some of the animal illustrations as inspiration for an drawing session! This book is the most beautiful glimpse into the awesome things that happen in nature and within the animal kingdom. Children from ages 4 years and up will really enjoy the information and the illustrations. 5 out of 5 - a book that should be in every library. Lauren Fountain
The map from here to there by Emery Lord
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526606648.
(Age: 14+) Paige is in her last year of high school, the year to
make decisions about what she wants to do and where she wants to
study. She has a wonderful group of friends and a gorgeous new
boyfriend, Max, who is incredibly understanding and supportive of
whatever she decides. The problem is Paige is recovering from the
death of her former boyfriend in an accident and also the recent
loss of her beloved grandmother. And memories of the lead up to the
divorce of her parents still haunt her, despite the fact that they
seem to be getting along really well following the separation.
Although she has had counselling Paige still experiences anxiety
about any decision she has to make and always fears all the worse
possible case scenarios. Then there is another accident which sets
her back even more, and all the relationships she cares about start
to crumble.
Whilst Lord's novel builds a world of teenager friendships that most
young people might easily relate to, for the non-American reader
some of the language and situations could be quite unfamiliar and a
bit off-putting: words such as freshman, sophomore, senior;
the complicated process of applying and writing to universities;
baseball and cheerleading; homecoming balls etc. But if you can get
past that, the characters are warm and relatable, the twists of the
relationships are interesting, and the story of overcoming panic
attacks and insecurities may become another useful addition to the
genre of young adult fiction that deal with mental health issues,
with ultimately a positive message.
Themes: Anxiety, Panic attacks.
Helen Eddy
I'm ready for the new baby by Jedda Robaard
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760891626. board book.
(Age: 2-5) This new title in the I'm Ready series (those
already published include I'm
Ready for Preschool and I'm
Ready for Christmas) is a fun, bright board book dealing
with a common occurrence for children within the target age group.
Beautiful illustrations by Jedda Robaard are accompanied by simple
text written from the perspective of a young Tasmanian devil about
to become a big sister. 'I'm getting ready to meet someone new,
someone very special. My new baby brother! Am I ready to be a big
sister?' She tells the reader about all the things she is looking
forward to (playing with him, teaching him) as well as how the
family is preparing (talking to Mum's baby bump and decorating the
baby's room. When the day finally arrives, Grandma and Grandpa take
her to the hospital to meet her new baby brother. 'He's tiny and
soft. I give him a cuddle and a kiss on the head . . . I guess I am
ready to be a big sister after all!'
This is a warm, comforting way to introduce the idea that a new baby
is on the way. It shows the whole family being a part of the
preparations and arrival and encourages little ones to think about
all the exciting elements of having a younger sibling, also allaying
any of those fears around being forgotten or replaced. Themes; New
Sibling, Families.
Nicole Nelson
