Archive | May 2015

The Worst Pain in the World

May31
The Worst Pain in the World

The Worst Pain in the World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Worst Pain in the World

Nicky Johnston

Arthritis Foundation of Victoria, 2014

pbk., 32pp., RRP $A14.95

9780992545215

Bella is just like every other little girl with a birthday on the horizon.  She’s so excited preparing for it doing all the things that other little girls do. This is going to be a VERY special day for her.

On birthday morning, Bella wakes up really excited, like all other little girls, but unlike other little girls Bella’s body is wracked with pain.  Her legs ache, her arms are stiff like rusty robots – it even hurts to brush her hair!  Yesterday she could do anything she wanted, today she can scarcely move and all those things she was looking forward to will be impossible. While everyone else comes and has a fabulous time, she will only be able to sit and watch. For Bella has arthritis, a disease that strikes at least 1 in 1000 kids in Australia, particularly girls.

Arthritis is an invisible pain, so while her guests need bandaids, and ice and sign Ethan’s cast on his broken arm, no one sees Bella’s pain, particularly as she tries to hide it because even worse than the physical pain is the pain of missing out on the fun and NOT being like all the other girls.  Even though she is in too much pain to eat her birthday cupcakes, to play the games or even open her presents no one notices until she bursts into tears when Dad takes the group party photo.  That changes things…

Arthritis is an insidious, invisible chronic disease with many symptoms but it is characterised by pain and tiredness, and sometimes the meds for it can be as horrible as the disease itself.  And the invisibility wears two cloaks – firstly there are no outward signs of it, no marks or rashes or bruises or deformities and that then makes it invisible to teachers, friends and sometimes families. So often it is not treated as seriously as more obvious things like cuts, breaks, diabetes, asthma and so forth.  Yet it is very real and debilitating. This book, which is an essential in any collection and which should be brought to the attention of teaching staff, shines a light on this cruelty giving it visibility and validity.

But as Bella shows, even worse than the physical pain is the pain of being different, of being left out, of not being like all the other kids and so at the end there are suggestions for how schools can seek help to help students with the disease as well as ideas for individuals to manage it.  Many of these are adaptable to the school situation such as wearing a badge so that others recognise the day’s pain level and having worthwhile, fun activities available as alternatives to activity when necessary.  Having arthritis is tough enough without being marginalised because of the pain.

Seek out the Bellas in your school and talk to them, their parents and their healthcare worker to make the library a welcoming and safe haven for them on the days when the jumping castle is a bar too high.

The Fair Dinkum War

May29
The Fair Dinkum War

The Fair Dinkum War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fair Dinkum War

David Cox

Allen & Unwin, 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A24.99

9781743310625

It’s 1941 and World War II has come to Australia.  Darwin has been bombed and the American army has arrived in town.  From the school fence the children watch them rumble by in a seemingly endless procession heading north. While the grown-ups were worried and studied the newspapers, listened to the radio, frowned and talked in low voices, the children learned about the military vehicles, knew the generals as well as they knew their footy stars and shot one another with pretend blood.  Air-raid trenches were dug in zig-zag lines across the playground, out-of bounds except for drills and the real thing and suddenly the was that had been so far away became the fair-dinkum war. 

Towns and homes huddled in darkness during the evening blackout; chocolate biscuits and chocolate ice creams became a dream in the Austerity Program and everything possible was recycled for the War Effort. Life became very different for the children especially for those whose fathers were away fighting, those whose fathers were taken prisoner and those whose fathers didn’t come home.

Told through the eyes of a young David Cox whose father had served in World War I and spent this one working on way-out-west sheep stations where it was deemed he would be more useful, this is the story of how war affected Australia in a way that helps today’s children understand that it was not all blood and guts and glory and that 35 years on, it was a different scenario from the remoteness of that first huge conflict that has dominated this year’s commemorations.  This time it was on the doorstep, real, fair dinkum and life was changed significantly although the resilience and spirit of the quintessential Australian shines through.

The final in the trilogy that includes The Road to Goonong and Good Enough for a Sheep Station and traces the creator’s life as a young boy in mid-20th century Queensland, it is an excellent insight into how children lived in other times and enables the young reader not only to “be inside” those times but also compare it to their own lives today.  Sunday nights for the young David were spent listening to his grandmother read Charles Dickens and learning to play chess in a hard, upright chair!

Through his words and pictures, Cox provides an authentic account of times past that is action-packed yet full of humour and just perfect for introducing students to the notion that there was life before their time! With the 70th anniversary of VE day in the news and children more likely to connect with a great-grandparent who was involved in the conflict and remembers it, this is a timely addition to your collection.

The trilogy is also a springboard into the world of autobiographies and memoirs and demonstrates that these do not have to be boring tomes.  Ask the children which parts of their lives they would like to be telling their grandchildren in times to come or what they would like to know of their grandparents’ lives and set up a research and writing challenge that will intrigue and engage.

Stories for Simon

May26
Stories for Simon

Stories for Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories for Simon

Lisa Miranda Sarzin

Lauren Briggs

Random House Australia, 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A24.99

9780857987440

 

Simon lives with his family in a little house in a big city near a famous beach and he loves to collect things.  When his uncle sent him a beautifully painted boomerang wrapped in an old newspaper, it is not the boomerang that captures the attention of his teacher during Show and Share but the newspaper itself.  For it has a large headline…”For the pain, suffering and hurt, we say SORRY.”  The teacher tries to explain what the headline means – the apology by Prime Minister Rudd on February 13, 2008 to all those affected by the Stolen Generations saga – but the word SORRY burns itself into Simon’s brain and that night he dreams he is in the middle of a stone storm, with each stone having SORRY imprinted on it. 

The next morning he finds himself surrounded by the stones and he decides to take them to the ocean to throw them in because that’s was the only place he could think of that would be deep and wide enough for them.  But as he starts to do so, he meets Vic who suggests that Simon has been given the stones for a reason and if he throws them away, he will never know why.  He suggests they take them to his Nan who will know what to do.  And Vic’s Nan, Aunty Betty, suggests that they swap each stone for a story.  Simon doesn’t believe that anyone could know so many stories but Aunty Betty has many and so she begins to tell Simon and Vic the stories that stretched way back into the very beginning of creation, about animals and people, the land, the sea, the sky and the rain.  And when she comes to the last stone, she tells Simon that the last story is about her and what happened to her as a child.

And so Simon truly learns what it meant to be one of the Stolen Generation, taken away from parents and brothers and sisters with only loneliness and fear for companions.  And he learns how that word that captured him – SORRY – is the start of the healing after all this time.  And while there was a long way to go on the journey, at least the journey had begun.

This is a most powerful and most important story as we try to help our younger generation understand this part of Australia’s history.  When Simon’s mum explains that we are saying sorry not because the people of today have done anything wrong or to feel sad or guilty, but to always remember bad things and ensure they don’t happen again, it puts into perspective that train of thought of “What did it have to do with me?”

Accompanied by strong, dynamic and unique illustrations which support the text, this is a story of reconciliation and of hope for the future, with a stunning ending that is just perfect. Simon understands and we must teach our students so they too understand and the healing continues with meaning and sincerity, not just lip service to another day on the calendar. With a foreword by Vic Simms, an Aboriginal elder of the Bidjigal nation and a commendation by Adam Goodes, Australian of the Year 2014, this book meets the rigorous standards suggested for selection by Lorraine McDonald in A Literature Companion as both author and illustrator were guided through the process so the Aboriginal content is accurate, sensitive and respectful. As Suzy Wilson, founder of the Indigenous Literary Foundation says, “This book is an important and welcome addition to school libraries and bookshelves everywhere.” Colleagues Sue Warren and Susan Stephenson have both reviewed this book and endorse this opinion. 

As we recognise acknowledge National Sorry Day on May 26, this would be the perfect vehicle to help our students understand its significance with comprehensive teaching notes available.

 

Where is Galah?

May18
Where is Galah?

Where is Galah?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is Galah?

Sally Morgan

Little Hare, 2015

hbk., 24pp., RRP $A24.95

9781921894466

Dingo is on the prowl.  He can see Emu, Swan and Turtle and he can hear Crocodile, Frog and Kookaburra.  But where is Galah?  From sunrise to sunset, we track Dingo’s quest for Galah across the Australian landscape in a burst of colour and pattern and delight that is so uniquely Sally Morgan.  Until Galah finally shows herself (although the children will have fun spotting what Dingo can’t) – but where is Dingo?

This is a superb book to share with our youngest readers as they use their eyes and their ears and join in with the sounds and the repetitive text. By tracking the movement of the sun and the colour of the sky as the day passes, the suspense builds up for surely Galah will be found before moonrise.  And the twist in the ending is very satisfying.

Every page of this book brings new things to explore and marvel at and there are so many opportunities for the listeners to interact from creating sounds to making movements.  If you go to this page and then click on the link to this title you will get teachers’ notes with lots more activities to do including getting students to write their own version substituting two new main characters and who they see and hear.

The visual impact of the book is stunning and there is much to investigate in the way that Morgan has, again, used colour and pattern to tell the story.

As well as our very young readers, this would also be a wonderful way to introduce new English language learners to our Australian wildlife.

This is a ball

May15
This is a ball

This is a ball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a ball

Beck & Matt Stanton

ABC  Books/HarperCollins, 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A19.99

9780733334351

The cover encapsulates what this is about and the fun preschoolers will have with it.  The title clearly states “This is a ball” but the picture is a cube!  And so it begins with ‘misnamed’ objects being introduced throughout accompanied by a “commentary” that suggests the interaction between child and reader. Designed with pages and illustrations that reminded me of those by Dick Bruna and their impact, I can hear the children’s delight in my mind when I share it with them.  And the last page is unique – it will start all the fun all over again.

Thinking further, this is not only a book for the preschoolers in our lives, but also those who are learning English.  Many of my students are from the Introductory English Centre who have only been in the country a few days and they love these sorts of things where they can show off their knowledge of their new language.  They might not know “princess’ yet but they will know she’s not a “monster” and it’s going to really encourage them to listen as well as look.  And then maybe create their own stories for a display!

The authors wrote this book for their goddaughter who loves playing the game with them but it is one that is going to bring a lot of fun and learning to some special students I know.  Don’t think because it’s target audience is the very young that it doesn’t have a place in your collection.

Don’t Think about Purple Elephants

May14
Don't Think about Purple Elephants

Don’t Think about Purple Elephants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Think about Purple Elephants

Susan Whelan

Gwyneth Jones

EK Books, 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A24.99

9781921966699

Sophie is just like lots of other girls her age. She goes to school and learns lots of interesting things and plays with her friends; she enjoys doing home things on the weekend and riding her bike and looking at the clouds – but when night time comes she starts to worry.  Each night she gets the what-ifs and lies awake worrying about them.  What if there is no milk so she can’t have cereal for breakfast?  What if her favourite shirt was still in the wash and she couldn’t wear it on the weekend?  Her worrying made it so hard for her to relax and go to sleep that she was often so tired in the mornings she couldn’t do the things she loved to do.  And no matter how her family tried to help her, it didn’t work until…

While its subject matter is serious, this is a whimsical approach that acknowledges that many children suffer from anxiety as Sophie does, often at night when the lights are out and no one notices without diminishing the worry or trivialising the concerns. This is a clever, well-written book that brings the problem out into the light and helps children understand that they aren’t on their own. It provides a wonderful opportunity to open up a conversation and the imaginative solution for Sophia’s concerns will delight everyone. You wonder what a teacher would do if a student wrote, “I wish my teacher knew I think about purple elephants at night.”

The colourful illustrations are full of fun and fancy and capture the carefree life of a child and then dramatically change to monochrome as night creeps in, offering the chance to explore how colour can depict mood and how we, as readers, can often predict the tone of a story from the palette used.

This is another title from this independent publisher that is not afraid to tell stories that many children resonate with and seek solace from.  Teachers notes and a sneak peek are available.

The Slightly Annoying Blue Elephant

May13
The Slightly Annoying Elephan

The Slightly Annoying Elephant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Slightly Annoying Blue Elephant

David Walliams

Tony Ross

Harper Collins, 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A24.99

9780007493999

One day, without really thinking about it, Sam filled out one of those “Adopt and Animal” forms that are available from zoos.  So you can imagine his surprise when he answers the door to find not his mum, not a friend, not the postman but … a very large blue elephant who has come to make its home with Sam. A big, blue bossy elephant that has Sam flummoxed and frustrated trying to meet its demands. A bath, food, an exercise bike… So when there is another knock on the door, Sam hurtles to answer it and welcome his mum back from the shops but…

Full of the quirky humour that is Walliams and accompanied by the masterful illustrations of Tony Ross, this is a laugh out loud book that will have children of all ages enchanted and wanting to hear it over and over.  The ending is very quirky with a lesson to be learned and opens up a discussion about what Sam will do next. My students were totally engrossed in it, joining in and thoroughly enjoying themselves. 

This is the first picture book by David Walliams and while the theme of a wild animal turning up unexpectedly to make its home with a child is not new, Walliams brings a fresh approach that ensures this book will be a winner.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Alfie in the Bath

May11
Alfie in the Bath

Alfie in the Bath

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alfie in the Bath

Deb Gliori

Bloomsbury 2015

hbk., 32pp., RRP $A22.99

9781408853511

Aflie Bunny has a very big imagination, as we discovered when we first met him in Alfie in the Garden.  This time he is having a bath and his imagination takes him to the world of under the sea where he can be an amazing range of things – a monster, a crab, an octopus, even a shipwreck.  There are storms at sea and whales that spout water high into the air – and fathers who patiently mop up the puddles on the floor.

This is a beautiful book for preschoolers that takes the child on a journey through a watery world.  Just what is hiding under that sparkly blue water that the child sees at the beach? Deb Gliori’s beautiful, distinctive illustrations take our youngest readers on a new adventure full of colour and imagination with the creatures softened by their smiley faces and gentle lines taking away any concerns that might make a child hesitate before having a bath or going to the beach again.  She has even used a technique that children love – using a wax crayon and putting a wash over it.

A great pull-the-curtains-on-the-day for the very young reader.

Wilderness Fairies

May5
Daisy's Quest and Daisy's New Wings

Daisy’s Quest and Daisy’s New Wings

wilderness_fairies

Daisy’s Secret and Daisy Takes Charge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daisy’s Quest

Jodie Wells-Slowgrove

Penguin 2014

pbk., 120pp., RRP $A9.99

9780143307464

Ebk RRP $A7.99

 

Daisy’s New Wings

Jodie Wells-Slowgrove

Penguin 2014

pbk., 120pp., RRP $A9.99

9780143307471

Ebk RRP $A7.99

 

Daisy Takes Charge

Jodie Wells-Slowgrove

Penguin 2014

pbk., 120pp., RRP $A9.99

9780143307486

 

Daisy’s Secret

Jodie Wells-Slowgrove

Penguin 2014

pbk., 120pp., RRP $A9.99

9780143307495

Across a meandering river

In a forest tall and green

Live the magical Wilderness Fairies

And their wise Fairy Queen.

 

Guided by their Callings

The Wilderness Fairies strive

To use their magic wisely

And help the forest thrive.

 

But one impatient fairy

Has lessons yet to learn

Her Calling to discover

And fairy wings to earn.

And so begins the saga of Daisy, the star of this new Australian-based fairy series written by teacher librarian Jodie Wells and illustrated by Kerry Millard. In Daisy’s Quest she is anxious to earn her fairy wings, something granted only be the Fairy Queen.  Although she has her magic wand, presented to her on her fifth birthday, having wings would make such a difference and she is anxious to begin the quest that will earn them. Daisy is delighted that her time has come and, accompanied by her best friend Vu, a very rare chrysomelid beetle only 5mm long who exists on hackberry leaves, she embarks on a series of tasks encapsulated in cryptic clues and which test her life and limb.  And if she is to earn her wings she must reach the Fairy Queen by moonrise, which it seems she will do until not only she meets Holly but also runs out of magic…  Daisy’s New Wings follows her adventures as she learns how to fly but she is very impatient. 

In Daisy Takes Charge her sister Maggie is going to compete in a singing contest with Melody Magpie but the jealous and spiteful Grevillea has other ideas about who the winner will be.  In Daisy’s Secret she is invited to visit Queen Jasmine but right from her meeting with Keeper Raven of Tea-tree House security, things do not go well.  From a mysterious conversation overheard through a closed door Daisy finds herself on an amazing adventure with the future of Fairyland resting on her shoulders.

 Interspersed with detailed illustrations by Kerry Millard, this series offers newly-independent readers a modern take on the more traditional fairy tale. 

The stories are filled with beautiful descriptions that bring the fairyland of the imagination to life, but its Australian bush setting gives it a resonance that really appeal, particularly to Miss 7 who walks through a real fairy garden in that sort of setting every time she goes to her cubby house.  Drawing on the recognisable native flora and fauna, which are then explained in detail at the end of each story, really help the young reader believe that there really is a miniature magical world that exists away from the clumsy feet and loud noise of humans. Riches for the imagination, indeed!

Daisy is a character that many young readers would like to be – apart from being a fairy which could be enough in itself, Daisy is resourceful and resilient and even though she makes mistakes her actions are always driven by her concern for others.Written with a light hand, these stories have an undercurrent of being persistent, responsible, resilient, patient, co-operative – all those traits that their target audience are starting to develop as they become more independent. Readers waiting for the next in the series will have to be content with the website learning about the forest dwellers, colouring in the pictures by Kerry Millard and dreaming.

 

 

Never Tickle a Tiger

May4
Never Tickle a Tiger

Never Tickle a Tiger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never Tickle a Tiger

Pamela Butchart

Marc Boutavant

Bloomsbury Children’s, 2015

pbk., 32pp., RRP $A14.99

Izzy is one of THOSE children – the ones who can’t stop “shuffling and jiggling, squirming and twitching, wriggling and fiddling.”  No matter where she was she was always doing something – not always wise – and the most common word she heard was “STOP!” But it was also the word she took least notice of- jiggling the jelly, knotting the knitting, painting with her pigtails…

So when her class went to the zoo, it’s no surprise her teacher was apprehensive and spent her time pulling Izzy into line as she excited the elephant, messed with the monkeys, bothered the bears and poked the peacocks.  And it’s no surprise that when she was told she was never to tickle a tiger, that’s exactly what she decided to do – with the most amazing consequences!  But did it stop her need to move?

Every teacher knows an Izzy and how tiring they can be even when we acknowledge that this is something innate that cannot be controlled by the word, “Stop!”  This is an hilarious story that will put the little things in perspective as well as being a great vehicle for investigating cause and effect, action and reaction, behaviour and consequence.  Illustrated in the main as a series of vignettes, the four-page spread of the aftermath of tickling a rather smug, haughty-looking tiger is just superb creating an image that remains in the mind and may give pause for thought for Izzy. Or does it?

This is a fast-moving story, hurried along by both the alliteration and the illustrations which underscore Izzy’s energy and enthusiasm for life.  It probably won’t stop the Izzy in your class but it will provide a delightful interlude of fun for everyone.