Junior illustrated English dictionary and thesaurus by Felicity Brooks
Ill. by Nikki Dyson. Usborne, 2016. ISBN 9781474924481
This new release from Usborne, who are masters at putting together
quality education resources, comes in perfect time for sharing with
parents who are looking for something special for the Christmas
stocking for that between group who are a little old for toys but
not quite ready for all the trappings of being a young adult.
Grandparents will LOVE it as a suggestion!
With so many thesauri and dictionaries on the market for this age
group, there has to be a point of difference to make a new one stand
out and having seen and used so many over my 40+ years of teaching,
it's hard to think what that might be. However, Usborne have
discovered it - scattered throughout the 480 pages amongst the 6000+
words are text boxes with all sorts of information about the words
including spelling tips, word families, word origins and so on - each
of which helps the child build their vocabulary and their knowledge
of how words and English work so they can build on what they know to
be even more proficient. There are explanations about the s/z
conflict in British and American English as well as things like the
t/ed endings and who uses which. (Australian standards use 't' but
either is acceptable where there is a choice and the context and
meaning is not changed).
There is a comprehensive 'how to' introductory section which
explains the features and layout of the book including how to use a
dictionary generally, the different word classes such as nouns,
adjectives and verbs and links to further explanations, activities
and games for both the dictionary and the thesaurus which will
extend the user's knowledge and skills even further. In between the
dictionary and thesaurus sections are pages about how to make
plurals, and prefixes and suffixes, all serving to make this more
than just a word finder. The plentiful, colourful illustrations are
really useful and would serve someone learning English for the first
time very well, particularly older students who prefer something a
little more grown-up than basic alphabet books.
If you are looking for a new class set of this sort of reference
text for the library, this one really deserves serious consideration
- in the meantime, this copy will find its way to Miss
Almost-Year-5. It will be the perfect present for her.
Barbara Braxton
The great sock secret by Susan Whelan
Ill. by Gwyneth Jones. EK Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925335248
It is one of the great mysteries of our times. Ever since washing
machines were automated and readily available, pairs of socks have
been forever separated, never to meet their match again. And Sarah's
house is no different - there is a basket full of odd socks and her
mum is on a mission to find their partners.
But Sarah knows where they are - the fairy families that live in her
house are masters at repurposing them for all sorts of fun and games
- and she is desperate that her mother not discover the truth. She
even suggests that they take Max the puppy for a walk instead but
her mother is not to be deterred or distracted and so the great sock
hunt begins. However, even though she searches high and low, in
cupboards, behind doors, in the bathroom, under the furniture, and
in brother Thomas's bedroom, her mother's eyes are not as sharp as
Sarah's and she does not see what is really happening with the
socks. But when she is satisfied with the two she does find Sarah
breathes a sigh of relief - until her mother suggests that they now
start searching for lost pens...
This is an utterly charming story from the team that created the
outstanding Don't
think about purple elephants that reminded me of The
borrowers by Mary Norton (and which would be a great
read-together serial as a follow-on.) Like Sarah, the reader has to
have sharp eyes to find what has happened to the socks because so
much of the story is in the wonderful illustrations - a trait of
perfect picture books in my opinion.
Young children will take great delight in seeing what adults can't
as they try to spot all the fairies as well as suggesting what else
they might use the socks for. Maybe that is where all the missing
socks in their homes have disappeared to - watch them go searching
but don't let them tell! Miss 5 loved this - we read it over and
over during a recent visit and there was something new to discover
each time! And yes, The borrowers will be the next family
serial.
Barbara Braxton
Year's best young adult speculative fiction 2015 ed. by Julia Rios and Alisa Krasnostein
Kaleidoscope, 2016. ISBN 9781922101501
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Short stories. Diversity. What an amazing
collection! The editors have gathered together what they consider
the best short stories for young adults in 2015 and they have
certainly succeeded in their goal. The stories are diverse with teen
characters and cover themes such as genetic engineering, end of the
world, horror, space travel and dystopias and are written by many
well-known and less well known (to me) authors.
This is an excellent collection to dip into and most readers will
find something that appeals to them. One that stood out for me was Bucket
list found in the locker of Maddie Price, Age 14, written two
weeks before the great uplifting of all mankind by Erica L.
Satifka. This was quite heart rending for the reader, finding out
what Maddie considered to be most important in the short time that
she had before being taken into the Sing. Readers will be left
wondering why people were taken into the Sing and will continue to
speculate about this long after finishing the story. Another story
that was quite frightening was The birds of Azalea Street by
Nova Ren Suma. This tale of abuse is told in a matter of fact voice
by a teenaged girl and the story will bring shudders to its readers.
Sean Williams in Noah No-one and the infinity machine
explores the idea of replication of people as his young protagonist,
Noah, tries out the machine that could turn a person into data,
finding on the journey a way to stop the bullying who had been
giving him a hard time at school. In For sale: Fantasy Coffin
(Ababuo need not apply) by Chesya Burke, a little girl is
chosen to protect the people of Ghana and would love to have a
coffin, but knows that she will never be buried in Ghana soil. These
four are just a small representation of the quality of the tales all
of which were thought provoking and left me thinking long after I
had read them.
The Summation: YA in 2015 at the beginning of the collection, gives
a really good outline of the works that were important in 2015, and
could prove to be most enlightening for readers who want to pursue
excellent reading in speculative fiction. At the end of the book,
there is a short biography of each of the authors, with lists of
their works which readers may wish to look for and read.
Pat Pledger
Willy and the cloud by Anthony Browne
Walker, 2016. ISBN 9781406366969
(Age 4+) Highly recommended. One of my favourite authors, Anthony
Browne, has done it again with another wonderful book starring
Willy. This time Willy has a dark cloud that seems to be following
him, no matter what he does to try and get rid of it. When he goes
to the park, everyone else is sitting in the sun and enjoying
themselves but he shivers under the cloud feeling miserable. The
cloud follows him home and he is very unhappy. He tries to work out
how to make it leave, but nothing works until he comes up with a
solution to banish it and he can then be happy.
Browne's signature illustrations are as captivating as ever. The
misery on Willy's face will ensure that readers will empathise with
Willy as he does his best to overcome his unhappiness. The drama of
the moment when Willy shouts at the cloud and makes it go away with
resonate with readers, who will be thrilled to find that Willy can
be happy in the rain and the sun.
This is sure to be a perfect book to discuss feelings with children
at home and in the classroom. It could lead to an understanding that
everyone can feel depressed, anxious and lonely and Willy has one
solution to make his cloud go away. Children may be able to come up
with other ways of combating depression and loneliness. Willy and the cloud is a keeper.
Pat Pledger
When we go camping by Sally Sutton
Ill. by Cat Chapman. Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781921977787
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Camping. Holidays. Everyone who has ever
been camping will relate to this amusing and informative picture
book that shows a family on holiday. The whole family, including
grandparents and pets, set out on a camping holiday. All the trials
and tribulations of setting up a campsite are shown in humorous
detail. The family members have to put up the tents, and try to
avoid tripping on the guy ropes; they place their sleeping bags
inside the tent on the floor and lay down to rest. When all is
organised off the children go to have lots of fun at the campsite,
swimming, playing with other kids and boiling a billy. They even
have to face the long-drop toilet that stinks!
Each double page spread has three lines of verse, with rhyming words
and lots of repetition and then a version of the phrase 'smacketty
tappetty bopp-io' to suit the picture. Children will have lots of
fun trying to guess the words in each of the phrases. The rhymes and
onomatopoeia make it ideal to read aloud and independent readers
will have a ball finding things to look at on the pages.
The narrative is accompanied by charming pictures by Cat Chapman
that not only complement the text but add to it. The grandparents
are seen sitting under an umbrella, a little dog appears on most
pages and has lots of fun with the children and the bush and beach
background is beautifully illustrated in soft pastel colours.
Sally Sutton has written other excellent books, including Roadworks
and Farmer
John's tractor and this lives up to the high expectations that
I had of this author.
Pat Pledger
Granny's place by Allison Paterson
Ill. by Shane McGrath. Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925275629
Themes: Grandparents, Family, Change, Australian Social History. For
anyone who has had a Grandparent who lives in the country or on a
farm or whose grandparents have a house that retains historical
accoutrements, rather than a collection of 21st Century
mass-produced decor, this book will create links to their personal
past. The illustrator has depicted delightful images that speak of
social history and life before mass production. The Granny in this
book lives initially in a charming house with simple possessions and
it has strong appeal for the child remembering holidays there. When
Granny moves to the city because of a loss in her life (a fact very
gently mentioned for the sake of younger readers), her new home is
still a historical snapshot of the 1960s/70s. The child who visits
remembers with fondness her visits to Granny's Place.
This book is essentially a virtual time capsule of life from
previous generations, and it is perhaps a child's parents (or even
grandparents!) who will recognise the features illustrated. The
essence of the story is that it isn't the architecture, furnishings
or surroundings that make Granny's place special - but rather Granny
herself.
With the occasional clumsy sentence structure that would complicate
a read-aloud experience, the true hero in this book is the
illustrations that open the window to the past. (I had moments of
reverie myself!) Teachers may be able to use these illustrations to
discuss how life has changed over the generations. For example the
pantry on Granny's farm includes a Fowler's Vacola Preserving Unit,
and no cans or packets!
(Note: valuable as an Australian Curriculum History resource for
Year 1: Present and Past Family Life)
Carolyn Hull
Colours of Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft
Little Hare, 2016. ISBN 9781742976914
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Award winning Indigenous artist,
author and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft celebrates the vibrant hues
of the landscape, the earth, sea and sky in her new picture book Colours
of Australia. How richly rewarding to read and discover each
new setting, beautifully captured in both word and paint. Her words
are crisp, clear, and evocative, so carefully chosen to compliment
her unique artistic style. Indigo - Streaks of cloud across the evening sky
Find rest on a bed of mountains
Against a vivid, bold striped background, these purple and azure
mountains filled with a myriad of dots reach up to touch the sky.
There is a harmony, a fluidity of line, tone upon tone of colour
that holds your gaze. After reading the descriptive phrase, take the
time to discover 'the raindrops falling, the black shadows on the
water and the full moon poised against the night sky.' Tactile
exploration, the need to touch the pages, to follow the lines and
explore the ways Bronwyn has interpreted the settings, creates
meaning and memories for the younger reader. Colours of Australia makes a wonderful gift for an overseas
visitor, with dot-paintings that truly bring our country to life.
This is a must-have resource for schools for Visual Arts, English
and HASS lessons, for students to gain respect, explore the visual
artworks of Aboriginal Peoples, and develop their own artwork and
texts.
Rhyllis Bignell
Goodnight everyone by Chris Haughton
Walker, 2016. ISBN 9781406352320
(Age: 6 months - 6) Highly recommended.
'No dreamer is ever too small, no dream is ever too big'.
Chris Haughton's Goodnight Everyone is a simply told bedtime
story, starting with a small yawn, that grows bigger and bigger
until all the forest creatures fall asleep. Each turn of the page
reveals the mice, hares, deer even Great Big Bear, and they are
covered up and almost tucked into bed by the movement of the page.
Of course Little Bear will not give, however all the animals are too
tired and he too falls fast asleep.
Haughton's mastery of colour saturation, shape manipulation,
composition and layout are key elements. Multi-layered digital
images in vibrant, rainbow tones encapsulate and enliven this
bedtime story. Engagement with the actions from small yawns, to
gentle snores and a goodnight kiss opens up the simple, soothing
narrative to a young baby.
The front and endpapers show the Southern and Northern night skies
with the planets in order from the sun. The Little Bear and Big Bear
constellations are highlighted and their shapes transform into the
main characters. As the story is shared, look for the dandelion seed
blown by one of the mice; it floats through the pages like the
circle of life.
The easy to recite responsive text and bold illustrations make Goodnight
Everyone by Chris Haughton a fantastic picture book for
families to share. He writes about the inspiration for the book here.
Rhyllis Bignell
Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell
Ottoline, book 4. Macmillan Children's Books, 2016. ISBN
9781447277927
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Ottoline and the Purple Fox is a
dazzling new story from UK's Children's Laureate, Chris Riddell. It
was the first that I had read about Ottoline, but I had no problems
with the characters or the plot as it read beautifully as a
stand-alone story. Fans of Ottoline will no doubt be thrilled to
read another story about this independent little girl and the
strange hairy Mr Munroe. In this story the pair meet a purple fox
who takes them on an urban safari where they discover all the
animals who live in the city. While Ottoline takes notes about the
animals, Mr Munroe is intrigued by the poems left on the lamp post
and they both want to help the lonely poet find true love. The pair
organise a dinner party for all their friends and hope to help out
the anonymous poet.
This is a whimsical, humorous story that delights the senses with
its wacky ideas and fabulous illustrations. Ottoline is a wonderful
girl and the introduction of a new friend, Myrrh, who looks just
like Ottoline adds a twist that has the reader thinking about where
she fits into Ottoline's life. The purple fox grabs the reader's
attention and the journey through the city that he takes Ottoline
and Mr Munroe on is fascinating as various animals are shown in
amazing habitats.
Each page has something for the reader to linger over and smile
about and young readers will be pleased to be sent to other pages
for more information. There is a nod to the stories about Goth Girl
by Riddell - a subtle hint to the reader that there are other books
by this author! At the back is a fancy dress fortune teller that
children will love to make and use.
This is a series that is a feast for the imagination for all ages
and will richly reward those who are prepared to spend time perusing
the illustrations.
Pat Pledger
Mega Weird! by Anh Do
WeirDo Bk. 7. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760159092
(Age: 6-8, 8+ will also enjoy the simple humour!) Highly
recommended. Themes: Humour, Family, Asian-Australian perspectives,
Friendship, School, Identity. Anh Do does it again! He is a talented
author, comedian, artist and television personality and his writing
for young readers is spot on!
Another book involving the lovable wise-cracking Weir Do, who is up
to the usual joke sharing and simple fun stuff that kids love. Anh
Do tells the story of the Street Garage Sale and what that looks
like for this Asian-Australian family. Their junk-gathering garage
should be a gold mine for the family. Or is it just junk? Weir Do
helps his family as they aim to raise some dollars for a very
special reason. Along the way he also enters a writing competition
and tells very funny jokes.
This is a simple chapter book with cartoon illustrations (and few
words) that children love for its simplicity and amusing view of the
unpretentious things in life. In addition, this series works for
children that dislike or struggle with reading as it gives them a
means of engagement with books and the entire series takes very
little time to consume as there is probably only as much to read as
a typical picture book. An Asian-Australian perspective is also
refreshing.
Carolyn Hull
Party at Cuddleton Castle by Danny Parker
Ill. by Guy Shield. Lola's Toy Box series. Hardie Grant,
2016. ISBN 9781760126858
(Age: 5-6) Young Lola's best friend is Buddy a learn-to-dress clown
toy with zippers, poppers, buttons and buckles, and together they go on
amazing adventures to The Kingdom where toys are living things and
magical events happen. When her older brother Nick stops playing
hide and seek Lola decides to create her own fun. She chooses to
take her friend Buddy and vanish inside her magical Toy Box. Where
will this new adventure take them - to The Button Mines or The Story
Sea? Of course, Buddy comes to life in the magical kingdom and he is
there to help Lola in all sorts of situations. He loves to use
alliterative and exclamatory statements - polish my poppers or bless
my buttons!
The two friends land in Cuddleton Castle, the land of the Great High
Bear and the home of the cuddly toys. In the midst of the
festivities for the bear's birthday, a large cake arrives with a
hidden dilemma inside. Lola and Buddy use their ingenuity to foil
the wicked Plastic Prince's plans so order can return to the castle. Lola's Toy Box is a series just right for the very young
reader as an introduction to chapter books. With large easy to read
text and Guy Shield's full page simple line drawings, these books
are perfect for 5-6 year olds.
Rhyllis Bignell
Hester and Harriet by Hilary Spiers
Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781925266412
(Age: Secondary-adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction. Humour.
Asylum seekers. England. Two widowed sisters, Harriet and Hester,
live together in a small cottage in an equally small village in the
south of England. When one night they see their local homeless man,
Finbar in some distress they find that there is a young woman and a
baby in his living quarters, the local bus shelter. They take the
girl in, keeping her warm, and feeding her, finding that she has a
limited grasp of English and is very scared. At the same time, their
nephew Ben, lands on their door step, having run away from home.
They must give shelter to all three guests and find that the wayward
and taciturn Ben, who in the past has caused some upset within the
family, has skills never before known. He is able to talk to Daria,
and look after her son, Milo, and even more surprising, finds a
talent for cooking.
Problems compound when the women realise that someone has been in
their house and Finbar attacked, while a strange man has knocked at
their door, asking awkward questions.
The characters are a treat: each pedantic about the use of their
language, correcting Ben without a second thought, while homeless
Finbar is a classically educated man using Latin phrases. All three
have a wonderful grasp of language adding to the pleasure gained in
reading. When the women find that their houseguest has no passport
and has run away from where she was working in London, only to be
taken in by another couple with suspect motives, their impetus to
get in touch with the police is stalled by Ben's revelations.
They begin to be aware of Daria's untenable status in this country
and resolve to protect her, while at the same time keeping
themselves safe.
This is a beguiling read but beneath the word play, humour and
mocking tone lies a plea for refugees, asylum seekers, displaced
people and those for whom home is no longer a safe place. Through
finding out more of Daria's situation in England her legal rights
are brought to the fore, giving the readers a firm basis of fact,
enlisting their sympathy for people in this position.
Fran Knight
Timmy Failure: The book you're not supposed to have by Stephan Pastis
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406369762
(Age: 8+) Humour. Detectives. This is the kind of book
written for kids who like silly humour, impossible logic and
exceptionally odd and quirky characters who like to solve problems
(even if the problems don't really exist). Timmy Failure is a legend
in his own mind, and he considers himself to be the world's best
young private detective, however his definition of genius and his
tendency to see the world from a very warped perspective seem to get
him into trouble. With the looming wedding of his mother to Doorman
Dave (a man Timmy loathes), and with the punishment of NO detective
work until school is over, Timmy takes unusual routes to hide his
devious detective agency from her attention, and to avoid
participation in the wedding. Failure is intensely awful at
detective work, but he does not realise this. He also ropes in
classmates with equally dreadful deductive reasoning and manages to
just create mayhem wherever he goes.
Pastis has created a series that kids will like, but this is
certainly not great literature. With a crazy plot, scattered comedic
caricatures throughout the book and silly chapter headings, there
are plenty of places to tickle the funny bone of readers aged 8+.
But don't expect that they will grow in their maturity and empathy
by reading this book... it is more likely that they will giggle
at inappropriate moments!
Carolyn Hull
Spark by Adam Wallace and Andrew Plant
Ford St Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925272406
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Bushfire. Australian bush. Disasters.
A cigarette casually thrown onto the dry grass is the spark which at
first flickers but then the wind becomes its friend and helps the
spark grow. It races across the dry grass, increasing in size, until
it tops the trees and frightens the animals from the bush. It now
flies above the tree tops, burning everything in its path. It asks
the wind to quieten but it is too late, the wind keeps pushing it
along until eventually weakening, it changes direction and the fire
is reduced back to where it started, a small spark.
This involving story of taut, measured words shows readers the
strength of a fire as it races over the scrub. With both the author
and illustrator having first hand experience of fire in Victoria and
South Australia (Ash Wednesday, 1983 and Black Saturday, 2009), the
words and images are stunningly presented.
Plant's illustrations encapsulate the dreadful intensity of a fire,
from the tiny spark to the ferocious firestorm engulfing all in its
wake. His use of mixed media including water colour, pencil and
crayon present the small flame beginning quietly in yellows with a
pale blue sky then building to a intensity of reds and dark yellows,
and on to blacks, grays and reds savagely taking up the whole page.
Different illustrative techniques convey the changing nature of the
fire, and readers will be in no doubt about its destructive force.
This will make a powerful addition to any class study of disasters
and fire, of how fires start, of their destruction and place in the
Australian environment.
Fran Knight
The Legends series by Michael Panckridge
Ford St, 2016. Chasing the break. ISBN 9781925272482 Against the spin. ISBN 9781925272499
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Sports. School. With the upper
primary reading group such a hard batch to satisfy with good books,
it is great to see the republishing of Michael Panckridge's exciting
series, The Legends. This is most welcome, with the series
repackaged with an up to date cover and blurb, designed to appeal to
this difficult group of the reading public. Each of the eight novels
in The Legends series are very school based using day to day
encounters to develop the plots, involving sports which are part of
the school's competitions. Chasing the break involves a surfing competition at Sandhurst
Primary School. One boy, Travis Fisk, won the competition at last
year's annual beach camp and intends to win again, but he is
challenged by the new boy at school, Mitchell Grady. Told in short,
easy to read chapters, the characters are well developed and
identifiable, and the integrity underlining the story is easily in
reach of every reader. They will cheer the hero as he strives to win
despite the odds, overcoming the antagonism of the antihero of the
story. Against the spin has a similar plot line, with Travis nursing
his wounds and Mitchell shining on the cricket field as well. But
this involves more of Travis' undesirable bullying coming to the
fore, and Mitchell and his friends having to deal with his antics
both on and off the sporting field.
Exciting, fast paced and easy to read, each of these stories is
about one hundred pages long with scores and quizzes at the end for
further excitement. The whole set will rarely be left on the shelf.
Fran Knight
