Black Dog Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742032399.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Kancil is the lowest servant
currently serving in Big Uncle's house. Her teak coloured eyes claim
that she is the daughter of a bandit and the villagers don't like
the Sunda bandits. Born and raised for the first part of her life in
Sunda, Java, Kancil and her mother must make a journey from the
place where her father and brother died to where Mother's family
live in Mataram. 'When you are sworn to silence it pays to keep your
eyes and ears open'.
This novel set in 14th century Indonesia looks at a girl dealing
with the recent death of her father and the suspicious circumstances
occurring in the new village, she hates the idea of calling home.
When Kancil arrives in Mataram she is instructed that she must never
speak around anyone but Mother and Small Aunt, the slightest slip of
the tongue could easily give away the story they had created that
allowed them to stay safe with their family. This story is based on
the loose friendship between Kancil and Kitchen Boy and how they
warn the fellow villagers before it is too late.
Tiger stone is a fantastic single book, areas and characters
are clearly outlined before the story even starts. The author
doesn't have to explain everything so the story can move easily
without long descriptions of characters or places. The beginning of
the book starts with a girl names Aryani saying goodbye to her
grandmother who gives her a tiger stone necklace. A time jump occurs
(700 years to be exact) and suddenly we are given Kancil's story.
It is extremely difficult to fault this book. It's a great read for
people who enjoy historical fiction and for those that don't want to
have to commit to a long series. Tiger stone is a book that
can easily be devoured in one sitting and I highly recommend anyone
to do so.
Azriel P. (Student)
The Billy That Died With Its Boots On by Stephen Whiteside
Walker Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781922077431.
Stephen Whiteside's collection of Australian rhyming poetry is
simple and would probably appeal to junior to middle primary
students. Broken into fifteen different sections, the Table of
Contents lists themes such as Dinosaurs, Around the House, Birds and
Beasts, At the Beach and the final one contains two 'especially for
performance'. One could easily dip in and read a poem a day, all of
those on a particular theme or the entire book in one sitting. Each
section begins with a title page followed by a blank page and a
liberal scattering of Lauren Merrrick's 'paper cutout' illustrations
is peppered throughout.
Whilst I'm not convinced that children will actively seek out poetry
collections for themselves, this is nonetheless a book I would
recommend to teachers as a means of introducing their students to
some contemporary Australian poetry. A number of poems would link in
with the Australian Curriculum English as well as history, for
example, the piece about Simpson and his Donkey, whilst others could
be used as a model upon which students could base their own writing.
My personal favourite from this book would have to be Mum's
Abandoned Coffee Cups which are found, coffee untouched, all around
the house. Sadly, I relate!
Jo Schenkel
Let's play by Alborozo
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316283.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Picture book, Music, Sounds. In teaching about the orchestra, the conductor asks the children to listen and watch as they play each of the instruments.
The first to be approached is the timpani or 'timps', the percussion section. When Sergio beats on the largest of the drums, the sound makes blue squiggles in the air and the children dance along. Over the page, Jeffrey is playing the cymbals with a little more enthusiasm than is actually required and the air is filled with bright yellow. Margueritte plays upon the xylophone with squares of different colours filling the pages following.
The next pages include trombone, tuba, trumpet, violin, viola and cello. Each of these have blotches of colour over the pages, and these are contrasted with the single line encapsulating the sound of the piccolo.
The piano comes last, and then the whole orchestra makes noise which is portrayed by a combination of all the splotches, lines and swathes of different colours already seen and the conductor keeps the whole together as he controls what is happening with the children.
This is a fun way for younger readers to be introduced to the ideas of the orchestra and its instruments as well as asking them to imagine the sound as colour. For classes where music is being discussed or the instruments of the orchestra shown, or a home where music is being played, then this book will be a wonderful adjunct to the stories being told.
Fran Knight
How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan
Hachette, 2014. ISBN: 9781444918113.
Highly recommended for ages 4 and up. This is a manual on how to
babysit a grandma, especially if you are sleeping over at her house.
Written in black type face are the generic 'rules' on what to
consider when you are babysitting your grandma and in purple font
are the more specific suggestions on what to do or say to her to
keep her happy and occupied. Naturally, each activity is one which
would be immensely enjoyed by the child and in which grandmas would
be willing to participate too. Amongst the alternatives are a trip
to the park, playing dress ups, cooking dinner (with many added
'sprinkles'), reading books and telling stories.
A whimsical and delightful story which would be enjoyed by children
and adults alike as they share precious time together, this book
contains appealing, brightly coloured cartoon style illustrations
and end papers covered in pictures which are depict photos of
grandma, the child and the dog sharing activities together. This
could prove to be a useful text when beginning units on families and
grandparents as well as 'then and now' as outlined in the junior
primary history curriculum. The girl is keen to hear stories about
her mother when she was a child. Both healthy and unhealthy foods
are mentioned, as is creating lists of indoor and outdoor
activities, two themes which could be used in health lessons. The
book also contains some direct speech so could be used in English
lessons when teaching punctuation. As a total rarity, a page related
to sign language is included and could be incorporated in lessons on
different forms of communication.
Jo Schenkel
The last king of Angkor Wat by Graeme Base
Viking, 2014. ISBN 9780670077151.
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Cambodia, Myths and legends,
Elephants. Each of the four animals sitting amongst the ruins of
Angkor Wat, a tiger, a gecko, a water buffalo and a gibbon, thinks
he would have made a great king of the city, displaying the
attributes needed for kingship: strength, compassion, perseverance
and bravery. But an elephant behind them asks them to prove
themselves worthy by going to the temple at the top of the hill.
Each heads off, vowing to the first to get to the temple, but along
the way each comes across a hurdle to overcome. Each deals with
their hurdle differently, allowing the elephant at the finish line
to tell them that none of them passed the task set. Each had failed
in some way to combine all of the attributes needed for leadership.
Only one animal combines all the attributes needed for kingship and
his statues abound in the Angkor Wat ruins, as the four find when
they think about what had just happened, and look around the ruins
for themselves.
Base's illustrations are most recognisable and he puts his talents
to illustrate this legend in a way which enhances and expands the
story. Framed illustrations almost fill each double page, with
plants and animals spilling out under the text, adding a feeling of
menace when the overhang is a large snake, or compassion at the
plight of the wounded crane.
No reader can escape the beauty of this World Heritage site in
Cambodia, as presented by Base. His illustrations of the place are
stunning, the details inviting the reader to look much more closely,
seeing parallels to the story in the frames, and marveling at the
number of times elephants make an appearance, encouraging the reader
to ponder why the elephant is the king of the beasts. A page of
information about Angkor Wat completes the handsomely presented book
which will be a delight for readers of all ages.
Fran Knight
Loyal Creatures by Morris Gleitzman
Viking, 2014. ISBN 9780670077427 pbk. ISBN 9781743480717
ebk.
(Age: Yr 4+) Like tens of thousands of other young lads in Australia
in 1914, the first shots of what became known as The Great War
(fired 100 years ago today), sparked a sense of adventure in fifteen
year-old Frank Ballantyne. Having just lost his mother and currently
helping his father find water and fix wells on others' properties,
he is keen to find a more interesting life. 'Who wouldn't want to
choof off to distant exotic places, give a pack of mongrel bullies
what for and have the sort of experiences you just didn't get in the
Cudgegong district?' But his father is adamant - they will not be
joining the rush. Not just because Frank is too young, but because
his dad had promised his mum that it wouldn't happen. And so, with
their loyal horses Jimmy and Daisy, they continue to do vital work
but it's not war work. Until, one evening they unwrap a beautifully
decorated box which contains a white feather, the symbol of
cowardice . . .
Amidst the plethora of books being released as the centennial
commemoration of World War I gets under way, Morris Gleitzman has
written a most sensitive story about a boy and his horse and the
bond between them as they join the newly-formed Australian Light
Horse Brigade and travel to Egypt. With a light hand and occasional
splashes of the laconic Australian humour for which our soldiers are
renowned, Gleitzman takes the reader through the war through the
eyes of Frank. There is the death of his father, his friendships,
his first confrontation with conflict, his self-doubt, his
experiences of harsh military discipline, his unrequited love for
Joan, daughter of she who sent the white feather, and above all, his
bond with Daisy. Frank has an adventure in the desert campaigns of
Egypt and Palestine but it is not the one that he imagined back in
Cudgegong.
But the end of the war does not bring the end of the story. There is
an inscription on a memorial in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens that
reads, 'They suffered wounds, thirst, hunger and weariness almost
beyond endurance and never failed. They did not come home.' This is
quoted at the beginning of the book and raises the flag that this
story might not have a happy-ever-after ending and it's for this
reason that we, as teachers and parents, might need to be prepared
for emotions and questions from young readers, maybe even offering
some guidance as to who should borrow it. Knowing that this is a
real story and thousands of horses suffered an unimaginable fate,
even if Frank and Daisy themselves are fictitious, may prove
difficult to handle for some, particularly those like Miss 10 who is
in the horse-crazy stage. Loyal Creatures began in 2012 when Gleitzman's friend Michael
Morpurgo, author of War Horse asked Gleitzman to create a
performance piece as part of the program accompanying the opening of
the stage version of War Horse and as he learned more about
the Light Horse, he knew it had to become more than a 20-minute
piece. This is a wonderful tribute to a part of our war history that
is not as well known amongst our younger readers as the ANZAC legend
and it has a significant place amongst the resources that we use to
help them understand about this period in Australia's past and how
it continues to shape our present.
Lest we forget.
Barbara Braxton
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey
Scholastic, 2014. Ricky Ricotta's mighty robot. ISBN 9780545630092 Ricky Ricotta's mighty robot vs the mutant mosquitoes from Mercury.
ISBN 9780545630108.
(Ages 4-8) Highly recommended. The first two titles in a series by
the creator of Captain Underpants and Super Diaper Baby.
These books contain Pilkey's trademark mix of silly humour,
hilarious characters, and comic-style illustrations. With a
comic-book feel to them, these easy-read chapter novels will appeal
to young readers who need the pictures to break up the text, while
still introducing new vocabulary. They also contain the ever-popular
Flip-o-rama feature of the Captain Underpants books.
In the first title, we meet Ricky Ricotta, a mouse who dislikes
bullies, and Dr Stinky, an evil scientist who mistreats his robot.
Ricky steps in to save the robot, providing a great message about
standing up to bullies.
The second title involves an army of mutant mosquitoes who are sent
to invade Earth, as their leader Mr Mosquito is sick of the horrid
hot weather on Mercury. Ricky and his robot must work together to
save the planet.
This series is tamer than most of Pilkey's other works, with less of
the toilet humour but enough silliness to please fans. It looks to
be an exciting series, with more titles following over the next
twelve months.
Donella Reed.
Let's Rock by Sheryl Berk
Dance Divas bk 3. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781619632240.
For readers from 7-9 years. Themes: Dancing - Contemporary, Ballet,
Competition, Friendship Let's Rock is the third novel in the Dance Divas series by Sheryl
Berk. The girls are divas in dancing and some are divas in
everyday life. Snobby Liberty's mother is a very important
choreographer in Hollywood. She has organised for the group to be
backup dancers for the famous band the Sugar Dolls in Los Angeles.
They are also busy learning their Hollywood star routines for
another dance competition in California. Liberty, Bria, Rochelle,
Scarlett and Grace are faced with the usual performance dilemmas,
who is dancing solo, what style of dance will Miss Toni assign to
them and what about their costumes? The girls experience in
Hollywood is fraught with temper tantrums, friendship issues,
rivalry, difficulty in learning the routines and jealousy. The
results of the competition are surprising. Lessons in life are also
learned when the girls put aside their differences to volunteer at a
homeless shelter.
Sheryl Berk's dance background is evident in her understanding of
dance styles, use of dance terminology and in the descriptions of
the auditions and build up to the competitions. Her Dance Divas
series is suited to the younger reader who is a dance fan.
Rhyllis Bignell
Friday Barnes: Girl detective by R.A. Spratt
Random House, 2014. ISBN 9781742759623.
(Ages 8-13) Highly recommended. This is the first title in a new
series by the author of Nanny Piggins. Friday Barnes is the
youngest child of two scientists, and has been left mostly to her
own devices growing up. With an immense IQ and a love of detective
novels, she jumps at the chance to solve a bank robbery, earning her
a fifty-thousand dollar reward. Friday uses this money to send
herself to an extremely exclusive boarding school, where she quickly
earns a reputation as the girl who can solve mysteries. For someone
who aspires to being practically invisible, it is difficult to
adjust to this new-found attention. Friday's biggest challenge
however, is discovering the identity of the Yeti in the school
swamp.
While many literary references in this book may go over the head of
most readers of this age, it is still a clever, engaging, and
entertaining read. Be warned though, the story ends on a major
cliff-hanger, and the next title is not due out until 2015.
Donella Reed
Figgy in the world: All you need is a plan and courage by Tamsin Janu
Omnibus Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742990453.
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. Africa. Ghana. Poverty. Optimism.
Journeys. When Figgy's grandmother becomes ill, she decides she will
go to America and find the medicine that she needs. Without further
ado, she sets out. She has no idea of life beyond her small village
where her grandmother looks after her, after being abandoned by her
mother. She has a simple plan and putting one foot after the other,
finds enough friends along the way to help her and keep her courage
high. As readers, we know she will be beset by trials and hurdles,
and always at the back of our minds is the question about where she
will end up. She is only ten, a skinny little kid with her best
friend, a goat, and much determination. She has her money stolen, is
helped by strangers, finds a traveling companion in Nana, a boy of
her own age who is running away from the orphanage, and comes
through it all with a heart untroubled by the vicissitudes of life.
And as the reader we are privy to a small part of Africa about which
we read little. Figgy's background and that of the other children
she meets is astonishing, and the setting is simply there to inform
and educate the readers without them feeling they are being preached
to.
I heartily recommend this book to middle to upper primary readers,
for a taste of a culture so unlike out own, for a look at children's
lives so dissimilar, and a look at a country half a world away. This
would make a fabulous read-aloud and form an outstanding addition to
the novels to be read as part of the Geography Curriculum
strategies.
Fran Knight
Kitten Kaboodle mission two: The lightning opal by Eileen O'Hely
Kitten Kaboodle series. Ill. by Heath McKenzie. Walker Books
Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781921529948.
Recommended for readers from 8-10 years. Cats. Dogs. Opals.
Secret Agents.
Kitten Kaboodle, the feisty top agent for Cat - the Clandestine
Activity Taskforce returns for his second mission in The lightning
opal. His perilous mission takes him to Lightning Ridge where he
fights the evil Disaster Organisation Group - DOG, canines in their
quest to bring back to life the legendary fierce, opalised dinosaur
skeleton. This secret agent has a communication unit in his
scratching post and a multifunctional collar that demobilizes dogs
and modulates his voice.
The story is filled with action and adventure, after the CAT
Headquarters self destructs, Kitten Kaboodle, Delilah and McGeek set
off to find the opal. Their journey involves catching a train,
hiding in a cargo plane filled with dog food, toys and shampoo and
hitching rides on emus.
Eileen O'Hely uses an abundance of acronyms and a wealth of comic
feline and canine references to engage the reader. Heath McKenzie's
action-packed cartoon sketches add to the drama and excitement of
Kitten Kaboodle's adventure.
Rhyllis Bignell
Sylvia by Christine Sharp
UQP, 2014. ISBN 9780702253140.
Highly recommended for 4-6 year old readers, parents, families,
teachers and all who love to share their love of gardening with
young children. Organic Gardening. Snails. Getting Along.
Creativity
'Oh, Simon Green, how I pine for your parsley leaves and fresh young
peas. Your spinach and your strawberries are so scrumptious.' Sylvia
Snail loves gardener Simon Greens' vegetable patch where she can
munch on mushrooms, chomp on cabbages and indulge in luscious
lettuce leaves. Unfortunately, keen organic gardener Simon has
reached the limits of his patience, his carefully tended vegetables
are being eaten by Sylvia. When her note to Simon written with her
shimmering trail is totally ignored, the little snail comes up with
an ingenious and far-fetched plan to attract Simon's attention.
This is a delightful picture book, Christine Sharp's colourful
illustrations are bold in detail, each double-paged spread is filled
to the brim with layers of vegetables, plants and patterned
backgrounds. Close-ups from Sylvia's world view are appealing, adding
to the delightfully alliterative text. There are snail trails to
explore and birds and insects to discover, as the reader or class
engages with Sylvia's creativity.
Rhyllis Bignell
Australian Geographic history (series) by various authors
They came to Australia: Explorers before European settlement
by Joel Weston. ISBN 9781742455129. A failure to understand: Early colonisation and the Indigenous
peoples by Margaret McPhee. ISBN 9781742455136. Life in colonial Australia: From First Fleet to federation by
Kerry Davies. ISBN 9781742455143. Visions of a nation: The campaign for federation by Scott
Brodie. ISBN 9781742455150.
(Age: Yrs 3-6) These are the first four titles in a new series from
Australian Geographic that are especially designed to introduce the
younger reader to Australia's history. Specifically written to
accompany specific outcomes of the History strand of the Australian
Curriculum, they provide a wealth of information in written and
pictorial form that is at a level of readability for the age group.
With clear headings, text in manageable chunks and a range of
photos, maps and other illustrations they open the door to
understanding our past with both facts and explanations. For example
in A failure to understand the reader learns of the
bewilderment of the European settlers in this 'upside-down land';
the impact of their struggle to survive on the Indigenous people and
why conflict was inevitable, all written in a readable way that
tells the story rather than unrelated paragraphs of bare facts.
When I recently shared a pile of new books with a Year 3/4 class,
these four books were immediately pounced on by four boys not known
for choosing to read, let alone write about what they had read. Yet
for the best part of two hours they sat in a group reading and
discussing and eventually writing a review of the one they had
chosen. Initially attracted by their factual nature and then the
illustrations, they soon became absorbed in the accompanying text
and there were a number of times I heard, 'Hey, did you know...?'
They were disappointed when the bell brought the session to an end!
There are another eight titles in the series: The First Fleet:
How why and how it happened; Major events in colonial history:
1788 to 1900; Gold rushes: The new prosperity; Immigration
since 1901: How and why they came; Strangers in the land:
The coming of the Europeans; Governors squatters and battlers:
People who shaped European settlement; Across the seas:
Where our immigrants came from; They shaped Australia:
Contributing to Australia which all together would form a very
solid core of resources to support your school's history program.
Barbara Braxton
Emus under the bed by Leann J Edwards
The Little Big Book Club/ Allen & Unwin 2014. ISBN
9781743313459.
(Age: Early childhood) On Saturdays I visit Auntie Dollo. 'What
would you like to do today?' she says. 'Do you want to help me make
some feather flowers?' Auntie Dollo has all kinds of feathers.
She has feathers from moorhens, magpies, galahs and
cockatoos. But the greatest surprise is what is under
Aunty Dollo's bed - six little emu chicks!
This is a vibrant story which shows how a modern Indigenous child
continues to connect with the traditions of the past through her
family. The relationship between the environment and the
people is very clear as they make a headdress of feathers dropped by
local birds, and as they create it, Aunt Dollo tells the story of
its origins. Written by a descendant of the Mara tribe from
the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Wiradjuri tribe from central New
South Wales, it celebrates the handing down of an ancient culture
through its people and ensuring 'They are the pool of inspiration
all the time.' Having tried various ways of expressing her family
history and culture, particularly through a career as an Indigenous
artist, Leann Edwards was inspired by others to write and tell her
story and this book was produced through the Emerging Indigenous
Picture Book Mentoring Project, a joint initiative between The
Little Big Book Club and Allen & Unwin, assisted by the
Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts
funding and advisory body. The artwork is most striking and
has many of the elements we associate with Indigenous art, and shows
the artist's experience both in Australia and overseas, with colour
and pattern predominating against blocks of solid colour.
Most importantly, this book ticks all the selection criteria for
acquiring and using Indigenous literature that Lorraine MacDonald
identifies in A Literature Companion for Teachers (p122-123).
There has been a number of books produced recently which feature our
first peoples celebrating their landscape, culture and heritage in
the most exquisite ways. How wonderful if we could use these
as models for our non-Indigenous students to tell their own stories
so they could leave a similar legacy.
Barbara Braxton
Quest by Aaron Becker
Walker Books, 2014. ISBN 9781406357660.
Highly recommended for readers from 7-10 years. Aaron Becker
presents the next visual narrative that takes the reader on a new
pursuit in Quest. His previous creative wordless picture book that
introduced the child characters was Journey, a Caldecott Honor Book.
Two children are sheltering from the rain under a city park bridge.
To their surprise, a king opens a mysterious door and presents the
young pair with a map and coloured chalk. He quickly disappears
again, dragged away by soldiers. The chalks provide entry into new
worlds, and another venture draws the young explorers into a quest
to save the king and his kingdom. The boy quickly draws keys to
unlock the portal and they step into a new world. The map provides
them with colourful clues and leads them through a tropical jungle,
past a Mayan temple, and an underground city on their quest to free the
king. They are accompanied by a beautiful bird who helps them.
The strength of the story is the visual narrative. Each richly
detailed spread, mixes architectural styles from diverse cultures
and different centuries. As their quest is fraught with dangers, the
children draw on their creativity and problem solving skills to help
them overcome the issues. Aaron Becker's detailed watercolours are
balanced with his use of white space, this draws the observer into
the unfolding drama. Puzzles, maps, colours, creativity and
imagination are all elements that make this an engaging and
enjoyable story.
Rhyllis Bignell
