Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781743815878.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Goldilocks (retelling), Bears,
Fairy tale. Using watercolour and pencil, DeGennaro creates a
charming series of images of Goldilocks as she takes over the Bears'
house while they are away. The quizzical looks on the faces of the
three bears remind us that Goldilocks is an interloper, taking
liberties in someone else's house. The Goldilocks story has
always held my interest, neither a cautionary tale or fairy tale, it
was collected by Robert Southey an English poet in the early
nineteenth century, adapted from an oral tale. Initially the story
was more cautionary in its nature, having an old, dirty, ugly and
foul mouthed crone as the interloper, who runs away and is never
seen again after being disturbed by the bears.
But in this more well known version, Goldilocks enters the house
while the bears are away waiting for their porridge to cool. The
number three figures prominently as the girl tries the three bowls
of porridge, the three chairs and finally the three beds. When the
three bears return she is surprised by them and runs away, never to
return to their house.
An interesting time could be spent using DeGennaro's version of Goldilocks,
comparing it with other versions in your school library (and there
are quite a few), and then using the Internet to find some original
versions.
Children could be shown the idea of a cautionary tale, using the Goldilocks
story as well as many other tales, particularly from the Grimm
brothers, which warn children of the perils of their behaviour.
This is a strongly bound and inviting production crying out to be
included in the library collection.
Fran Knight
Boo! by Margaret Wild
Illus. by Andrew Joyner. Penguin Books Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9780670078073. 24 pg.
(Age: 1-4) Highly recommended. Themes: Games, Babies. What a joyous
read aloud that carer and children are sure to enjoy. Six different
little babies, each with a delightful grin, say boo to a toy animal
while hiding away from them. Then the tables are turned on the words
'Ready, steady, count - one, two, three' and the animals are the
ones who are saying Boo! to the six little babies.
This is a perfect picture book to buy for a young child or
pre-schooler. While not a traditional board book, the pages are
thick and sturdy and should allow for much use, as this is sure to
become a family and pre-school favourite. The narrative, written in
large black print, flows along smoothly, making it wonderful to read
aloud, and children will have lots of fun joining in the chorus of
Boo! with the children and animals.
The pictures are vivid and each little baby has a distinctive
personality and appearance and the toys are wonderfully humorous as
they scare the little children. I loved the face of the wombat,
splashing in the rain, and kicking up a large puddle at the little
baby, and the tiger reading in the tram is charming. And the end
papers featuring all the babies and toys makes for a last chance to
say Boo!
This is definitely a keeper and is sure to become a favourite
classic for people to buy for young children.
Pat Pledger
The gift by Michael Speechley
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143788980.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Love, Loneliness, Gifts. When Rosie
looks at the derelict house across the road, she feels that someone
must live there. She sometimes sees a hand come out from behind the
door to take in whatever is delivered on the front doorstep. She
sometimes sees a shadow across a window, but the house is overgrown
and unloved.
Rosie decides that she will leave a gift for the old woman in the
house. Her mother, now dead, used to tell her to give a gift that
was different, unusual and surprising. Rosie thinks about what to
leave on the front door step. She thinks about a variety of things,
rejecting them all, until she finally thinks of the perfect thing.
Her weed, carefully placed on the door step with a ribbon attached
is taken in and when Rosie looks at the house in the morning, the
weed is in a beautiful vase in the window. Rosie keeps leaving a
weed on the doorstep, until one day she decides to knock on the
door.
When she goes into the house, she is surprised that the woman is
much younger than she thought, and her story will melt the hearts of
the readers.
A bond is made, a connection secured which sees Rosie use her
mother's plants to rebuild the woman's garden.
From a simple gift a friendship blooms, from a simple act of
kindness two lives are enhanced, and the woman, a recluse, is helped
back into the world, while Rosie is able to use her mother's plants
for something her mother would have been very pleased to see.
Without being overly sentimental, this story will tug at the heart,
its simplicity a lesson for us all, our eyes opened to the needs of
those around us, offering an act of kindness which will engage the
readers and encourage interaction.
Fran Knight
Ella and Olivia: Fun friendship tales by Yvette Poshoglian
Illus. by Danielle McDonald. Scholastic Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781760660833.
(Age: 5-8 years). Themes: Friendship, Sisters. Yvette Poshoglian
offers six brand new fun tales in this edition. Ella and Olivia are
sisters and best friends. They do everything together. Each of the
six stories provides a scenario that younger readers will relate to
and the ending is always both positive and happy.
In the first story the girls are invited to a pizza making party.
Given how popular cooking shows are at the moment this is an
entertaining story to begin with. Of course things do not go quite
as planned but it all works out in the end. In the second story,
both Ella and Olivia's teams make the netball finals but disaster
strikes and Nana comes to the rescue. A lost bunny, a treasure hunt,
being trampoline champs plus a bush dance complete the selection.
Younger readers find the stories engaging and popular. The large
font, simple text and colourful illustrations allow those students
moving onto chapter books the opportunity to read both independently
and successfully.
Kathryn Beilby
How powerful we are by Sally Rugg
Hachette, Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780733642227.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Non-fiction, LGBTIQ+, Gay
marriage, Activism. No doubt history will see the Liberal Party
recorded as delivering equal marriage rights to the LGBTIQ+
community in 2017. Sally Rugg's book is an attempt to counter the
re-writing of history on how Australia achieved one of the most
significant changes in a generation. It did not just hinge on the
Yes vote of a postal survey, it was the result of decades of work by
a grassroots campaign that would not give up. It was the Liberal
government, under Howard, that specifically amended the Marriage Act
in 2004 to state that marriage was a union between one man and one
woman, and that any alternative union solemnised overseas would not
be recognised in Australia. Various attempts by state governments to
allow gay marriage were ruled unconstitutional. That ruling
clarified for activists that the only way forward was legislative
change to the federal law. Thus the campaign began.
Rugg's book recounts all the steps along the path to achieving
recognition of gay marriage, basically the recognition of rights to
not be discriminated against. Not only is it a step-by-step
historical view of the campaign, the book also provides insight into
the strategising process essential to activism. The equal rights
campaigners knew at the time of the postal vote that the majority of
Australians supported gay marriage, so the task was not to be drawn
into argument with people who were not likely to change their minds,
the strategy was to ensure that Yes voters actually went to the
effort of filling in and lodging a non-compulsory postal vote. That
meant not being drawn into futile arguments with nay campaigners
maligning the Safe Schools program, not being drawn into the fear
mongering, but just staying focussed on encouraging the majority
supporters to make their vote count. And ultimately that strategy
was successful.
Rugg's book is an incredibly valuable historical record for students
of civil rights history, as well as being a wonderful insight into
the collaboration and focussed strategy required to achieve change
at the community level - giving hope that people can unite together
to influence government policy. On top of that, it is Rugg's
personal story, a heart-warming story, with funny anecdotes, of
sometimes making mistakes along the way but managing to work
together with friends to achieve something they and all Australians
can be proud of.
Highly recommended for school libraries.
Helen Eddy
The bookworm by Debi Gliori
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408893036.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Imagination, Dragons, Books,
Reading, Families, Cautionary tale. Max thinks he might like a pet.
Mum barely pauses from reading the newspaper to give a reason a pup
will not be welcome. Over the next few pages, Max thinks about a
different pet. Dad rejects a kitten, but Max persists, thinking of
reasons for having a penguin, shark or dragon. Dragons of course, do
not exist says his family, so that is out of the question. He thinks
about a goldfish but rejects them thinking they are boring, and the
same with flies, or wasps and birds. But when he finds a worm in the
garden, he is thrilled. It fits well in the aquarium, and Max
discovers that it likes reading. So each night the worm sits with
Max and reads alongside the boy. Things are working out well until
the worm begins to grow and do some mischievous things: chewing the
pillow and making some awful smells. Spikes appear along its back
and smoke pours out of the worm's head. The dragon flies off into
the night but comes back to read before bedtime, even though Dad
insists there is no such ting.
A very cute, enticing story will have many fans as Max trawls the
usual list of things he wants as a pet. Excuses are given, reasons
deduced, but still no pet appears. Only when Max finds a worm does
he have a pet that he likes.
But has he got the pet he wished for and what will happen when a
dragon appears in his bedroom? All good fun, underlying the family
tradition of reading before going to bed, and promoting reading as
an activity, this book will please the readers. Bright, bold
illustrations cover each page, with lots of detail to keep sharp
eyes amused.
I particularly like the endpapers showing the suburb in which Max
lives, with its street lights and neat gardens, with a few pets
appearing in other people's homes. And lots of dragon books for Max
to read, reiterating the idea of a bookworm, an idiom which will
tickle the funny bones of all readers.
Fran Knight
The Lords of Melody by Phillip Gwynne
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796459.
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. Themes: Music; Rock and Roll; Bands;
Ghosts; Family. Suzi Lord, from Melody Street is the youngest of the
Lord family, and it appears that she is the only one who has no
musical talent. Her parents were once famous Rock and Roll stars . .
. until an undisclosed but unable-to-be-forgotten 'incident' upset
their career. Her sister Janis seems to have inherited considerable
musical talent, but her aspirations are to live a life out of the
shadow of her parents' slide into mediocrity and poor pecuniary
circumstances. There is also the shadow of the Uncle, the drummer
from her parents' band, who died some time ago but is not really
missed. Suzi, however, has found a new pathway in her life away from
hard rock - on the soccer field - until an accident changes her
direction and gives her opportunity to follow a new drumbeat. The
spectral visit of her uncle, the unusual lengths to which Janis will
go in order to raise money and the rather strange relationships that
the 'old' rockers have with the neighbours in Melody Street all
combine to create a fun and entertaining story with a musical
thread, and with genuine family connections. The chance to compete
in a music contest is fraught with difficulty.
Phillip Gwynne has created an amusing tale with characters that have
unique qualities and weird solutions to their problems. The
quirkiness of the setting in the run-down home of the 'retired'
Rockers, amidst the rebuilt mega-homes that line their street, is
just a delight. You can almost smell the decline in the Lord home!
This is a fun tale, with unlikely characters connecting and belting
out tunes - sometimes melodious! The comparison between the
'wealthy' Private School attendees and the other kids in the book
makes a statement, but with much humour. And there is a ghostly
influence to push Suzi in a direction that she might otherwise have
avoided. Suzi's voice is cynical and lightly sarcastic, and it is
wonderful to see her family through her eyes. The book has a
humorous lilt, but it is also lightly addressing the influence of
money and fame. The cover of this book could perhaps deter some
older readers, but this could be enjoyed by teen readers as well as
pre-teens.
Carolyn Hull
Come find me by Megan Miranda
Pisces Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780525578321.
(Age: 15+) Recommended for mystery lovers. Themes: Supernatural,
Missing persons, Murder, Grief. A compelling mix of mystery and what
appears to be the supernatural will keep readers engrossed as they
follow two teens who have suffered tragedy in their lives. Kennedy,
after a devastating family tragedy, keeps looking after a radio
telescope belonging to her brother Elliot and Nolan is determined to
find out what happened to his brother Liam who went missing from a
family function two year previously. When they both receive the same
strange signal, they make contact and begin to search for its
origin, both hoping that it will lead them to a resolution of the
catastrophes in their lives.
The reader is tantalised by the question of what has happened in
Kennedy's life to see her living with a very young uncle. Where is
the missing brother Elliot and her mother? Nolan's belief that his
brother Liam would not have just left a family picnic and
disappeared without trace also leaves questions about where he went
and what happened to him.
The story is told in alternative chapters by Kennedy and Nolan, each
believing in different reasons for the eerie signal. Kennedy thinks
that it may have come from outer space, as her brother Elliot was
obsessed with finding alien life, while Nolan believes it could be
the ghost of his brother Liam trying to tell him where he is. The
reader learns about the depth of their grief as Kennedy and her
young uncle Joe try to learn to live together, and Nolan navigates a
family home taken over by his parents' non-profit group that tries
to find missing children.
Miranda keeps the reader involved in the two mysteries as clues to
what happened are gradually revealed and the threads that link the
mysteries are drawn together in the final riveting conclusion.
Pat Pledger
Little unicorn: Ten minutes to bed by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton
Ladybird Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780241348925.
(Age: 3-6) Little unicorn: Ten minutes to bed is a beautiful
series by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton aimed at young
children at bedtime. Each book follows a similar progression where
the main characters parent/family member counts down the minutes to
bedtime while the main character flits around doing lots of fun
things before bed. The books are all based on mythical type
characters and are whimsical in nature.
Each book has a map at the beginning (daytime) and end (night-time)
of the book showing 'The land of Nod' which young children can
engage with, finding the home of the books character and also the
homes of the other two in the series (Little Mermaid and Little
Monster). Ten minutes to bed Little Unicorn follows a gorgeous little
naughty unicorn who isn't tired! She is a bit cheeky, and much
prefers to make trouble than go to bed. She dances, chases pixies,
and follows dragons until she suddenly becomes lost. Poor little
unicorn uses her magic to find a colourful rainbow and get herself
home to her mother.
The text follows an easy rhyme, where the young listener can guess
the last word and feel part of the reading experience, rather than
just being a listener.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous! They are whimsical and
encompass some sparkles on the front cover! I would suggest that
this title in the series is aimed at little girls, due to the large
amount of pinks, purples and fairy tale creatures. My 5 year old
daughter is totally taken by this book, enjoying the count down of
minutes and following the naughty antics of Little Unicorn. It is
certainly a lovely little series for children aged 3-6 years.
Lauren Fountain
Inventor Lab : brilliant builds for super makers by Jack Challoner
Foreword by Dr Lucy Rogers. DK, 2019. ISBN: 9780241343517.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Electronics; Inventions; Science -
Physics.Inventor Lab is a step-by-step instruction book detailing
how to connect electronic components to make some unsophisticated
electronic projects. There are introduction chapters that detail
safety information and descriptions of individual components. The
rest of the book uses clear pictorial descriptions with simple
instructions to create an array of projects, from the simple Coin
battery to some quite complex wired and powered constructions
including radios and an automatic night light. The skills required
are not particularly difficult, but would require perseverance and
interest to pursue (as well as appropriate equipment). So, this book
is for those who are keen tinkerers and willing to try to stretch
their skills in creating electronic items. The next generation of
electronics experts will enjoy this book. Invention implies novelty
rather than following prescribed instructions, but this may be the
book that leads to personal exploration and invention after learning
the basic skills.
The presentation of the book is in Dorling Kindersley's clear and
impressive style that will appeal for its simplicity. It is written
in a way that could be read or used by young readers aged 10+; the
projects seem to suit somewhat older readers.
Carolyn Hull
Story Time Stars: favourite characters from Australian picture books by Stephanie Owen Reeder
National Library of Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780642279408.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Recognise these characters? Horace
the elephant, Blinky Bill, Ginger Meggs, Billy the Punk, The
Watertower, Mr Huff, Edward the Emu, Hattie, Koala Lou? I could go
on. And on.
I love that this book makes heroes of the characters from a wide
variety of Australian children's picture books, many familiar to me
and some unknown. I now have a list of new characters that I want to
meet, introduced to me in this eminently readable book.
This is a truly all-age book. The format will intrigue younger
readers with its illustrations and interesting facts. Older readers
will journey back into memory lane as well as finding new characters
to introduce to the children in their lives. Teachers and parents
will find it a delightful book to peruse and a useful resource.
The book includes over 100 years of old favourite and newly-met
characters, is organised by the decade of publication and is
indexed. Each double-page layout includes a full-page illustration
of the character from the original book, a precis of them and their
story as well as sections titled Brought to you by (author and
illustrator), Debut, Encores, Stage and screen, International
appearances, Awards, and Special recognition.
The afterwords section speaks of the important work being done by
both the Children's Literature Collections in the National Library
of Australia and the National Centre for Australian Children's
Literature in preserving and celebrating the treasures in this
popular genre of Australia's publishing history.
The book complements the National Library of Australia's exhibition
Story Time: Australian Children's Literature (held 2019-2020).
There are many things to recommend this book to you: the
illustrations, information, format, size and price. I am sure it
will be enjoyed and utilised for many years to come.
Jan Barwick
Ravi's roar by Tom Percival
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892183.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Temper tantrums, Family, Size,
Emotions. Ravi is the youngest in his family. When the family goes
to the park, the others are able to run and jump and play with the
equipment, but Ravi is too short to reach the things he wants to
try. He is not only the youngest of the four siblings, but also the
smallest. He can not reach the monkey bars, or walk across the logs
that are too widely spaced for his small legs, and he definitely can
not go on the big slide. But the last straw occurs when he goes to
get an ice cream and finds there are none left.
He becomes very cross, so cross that his face becomes hotter and
redder, a tail appears behind him, his hands develop claws and his
face becomes striped, and he can roar like a tiger. His tiger
attributes are very handy, stomping around the park scaring people
from the seat he wants, or getting an ice cream of his own to eat.
But sitting by himself he realises that no one wants to play with
him, and he needs to think about what to do next.
All children will recognise the emotional turmoil and eventual
temper tantrum put on by Ravi. Most will have succumbed themselves
or seen others lose their tempers at home, in the classroom or in
the playground. This book shows them that it is not unusual, and
gives a very satisfying resolution to the problem. Ravi loses his
temper, but he realises that there are consequences and a way of
controlling that temper for the betterment of his family. And with a
neat twist, the author shows that there are some situations where a
small show of fierceness is appropriate.
A wonderful fluorescent green cover will attract readers to this
book, the pages inside showing a close and loving family dealing
with the problem of Ravi's temper.
The illustrations promote the close ties of the family, Dad engaged
and helpful, the family unit doing things together. Readers will
love picking out the things they can do in the local park, recognise
the different people that use the park, and emulate the children's
activities there.
Fran Knight
World Heritage Sites of Australia by Peter Valentine
National Library of Australia Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9780642279422.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This large format reference book contains
comprehensive information and beautiful photographs about
Australia's unique World Heritage sites. An introduction is provided
by former Environment Minister and musician, Peter Garrett, and the
first chapter provides background information about the 1970s
development of the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature and the Convention that underpins the World Heritage
Committee's ten natural and cultural criteria used for the inclusion
and exclusion of properties of great interest, importance or value.
Sites include: Kakadu, Great Barrier Reef, Willandra Lakes, Lord
Howe Islands,Tasmanian Wilderness, Gondwana Rainforests, Uluru-Kata
Tjuta National Park, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Shark Bay (WA),
Fraser Island (K'gari), Australian Fossil Mammal Sites, Macquarie
Island, Heard and McDonald Islands, Greater Blue Mountains,
Purnululu National Park (WA), Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton
Gardens, Sydney Opera House, Australian Convict Sites and Ningaloo
Coast.
Peter Valentine, a professional geographer, provides an informative
account of each of Australia's 19 sites, beginning with the listing
of Kakadu National Park in 1981. Kakadu, was an excellent choice as
Australia's first mixed cultural and natural choice as a World
Heritage site. It has 50,000 years of Indigenous occupation,
wonderful x-ray and handprint cave paintings, sandstone escarpment
of the Arnhem Plateau, tropical savanna woodlands and floodplains,
exotic birds and reptiles. The author also highlights threats such
as mining, introduced species, climate change and the management of
annual visitors numbering around 200,000.
Each World Heritage site is described with a location map, whole
page photographs, a short introduction, a personal impression, and a
history of the 'path to world heritage'.
Students of environmental studies or geography in middle and senior
high school would find plenty of useful information about the
qualities and management of each property. The 293 page book
includes a useful index.
The concluding chapter of the book highlights the future of world
heritage in Australia, which includes not only the role of UNESCO or
the Australian Government but also the role of local communities
being more involved, particularly in the light of increasing recent
threats from climate change and invasive species.
Paul Pledger
Nobody's victim : fighting psychos, stalkers, pervs and trolls by Carrie Goldberg
Virago Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780349010533. 295p
(Age: Adult-16+) Non-Fiction. Themes: Cybercrime, Privacy Laws. Nobody's
Victim is to be applauded for the detailed explanation and
examples of privacy and sexual cybercrimes from stalking and revenge
porn to sextortion and framing someone for terrorist acts, and
everything in between. Holistically, the author Carrie Goldberg is a
beacon for anyone in any situation who has felt isolated - a
friendless, powerless, maligned or misunderstood victim because
persuasive, convincing sociopaths are not what they seem and our
laws are inadequate to stop them.
Carrie Goldberg founded a victims' rights law firm to combat the way
vindictive lovers, con men and sociopaths hide behind the lack of
internet and social media regulation. Rather than a treatise,
Goldberg uses a conversational style, peppered with cybercrime
jargon unfamiliar to most, to track the growth of her legal advocacy
beginning with her own personal victimization.
Goldberg candidly narrates her own date rape and another personal
ordeal where her 'ex-boyfriend' threatened her, had her arrested on
false charges, and sent nude photos without her consent to her
friends and family. Her clients include: a Grindr user whose
ex-boyfriend invited an incessant stream of strangers to have
intercourse with him at home and at work; a girl manipulated into
filming pornography; a school girl sexually assaulted by a classmate
who was suspended for reporting it amongst others. To compliment
these cautionary tales Carrie Goldberg cites judicial rulings and
legislation, some of which led to the law making revenge porn
illegal, earlier this year. Her extensive footnotes and her wide
array of clients demonstrate that there is something universally
amiss. Finally, we come to understand the knowledge, diligence and
persistence required to meet a niche or rather neglected legal
services demand and establish a successful business.
One of the biggest hurdles discussed is section 230 of the
Communications Decency Act, which protects online providers from the
content uploaded by users. It shielded companies like OK Cupid and
Grindr from criminals destroying her life and the lives of so many
of her clients. However, there are so many other nuances and
barriers cleverly overcome by Goldberg's growing legal organization
and network of change agents, explained here. Finally the #MeToo
movement begins to balance the scales in the victim's favour.
Whilst details are confronting, she discusses the social attitudes
that work in favour of the criminal against innocent victims. The
jargon, breadth of human relationships and sex crimes are all likely
too confronting for secondary school collections - certainly not
teenagers under 16 years of age. On the other hand, children much
younger are amongst the victims described. Nobody's Victim could be a useful and compelling resource for
those teaching Cyber Safety, Legal Studies, Philosophy in Action,
Life Skills etc. Goldberg's Acknowledgements, Footnotes and Index
will be invaluable when selecting appropriate case studies for class
discussion.
Deborah Robins
Scoop McLaren detective editor by Helen Castles
Illus. by Beatriz Castro. New Frontier, 2019. ISBN: 9781925594836.
134p.
(Age: 9+ ) Recommended. Themes: Mystery. Scoop's father is the
editor of the 'Higgity Harbour Gazette'. Our young narrator is
following in his footsteps by editing her own newspaper online.
'Click' is a first for Higgity Harbour but certainly not the only
digital edition of the news.
A new online publication becomes immediately problematic. 'The Dark
Times', written and edited by Sony Fink is published daily at one
minute past midnight. Sony Fink has a supernatural ability to
predict unusual and increasingly catastrophic events - mouse
plagues, cyclones, frog rain . . . and that's just for starters!
Whilst Scoop ponders this new mystery with the help of Evie, her
roving reporter, she must try to identify Sony Fink by a process of
elimination - often pointing the finger at the wrong person, like Dr
Blaxland's daughter, Imogen. Thankfully, with every pronouncement of
new and interesting suspects, a useful insight saves the day.
Whilst Higgity Harbour is not the Cabot Cove of Murder She Wrote,
Scoop proves herself a competent amateur detective. Freedom of the
press is crucial, particularly in our current political climate. The
Scoop McLaren series could prompt timely discussion about
ethical journalism and political influence upon the media.
In addition to Helen Castle's fast paced narrative, compounded every
day by another fantastic or disastrous event for Higgity Harbour,
Beatriz Castro's illustrations arouse our curiosity. The back cover
demonstrates authentic front page layout with masthead, headline,
byline, columns, images etc.
The narrator may lose credibility with each setback, but she
persists in her singular quest for the truth as the attacks on the
town continue. Each sparse article, whether published by Scoop, Dad,
Kenny (the delivery boy) or Sony, employs essential generic
features. Indeed, Scoop appends 12 practical writing tips for
budding journalists to the novel, and, Helen Castles has uploaded Teacher's
Notes that will help tie this middle school novel, to a unit
of work based on Newspaper reporting.
Deborah Robins
