Archive | July 2020

Pink!

Pink!

Pink!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink!

Margaret Wild

Judith Rossell

Working Title Press, 2020

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

9781460757499

When Pink hatched from the egg, the only one left after a great storm washed away all the others, her parents were somewhat surprised because she was pink!  She certainly stood out from all the other green and grey and brown dinosaurs and at first, Pink was okay with being different.  But when it meant that she was always found first during her favourite game of hide-and-seek with the other dinosaurs, she soon grew despondent and wished she wasn’t so recognisable. 

Being pretty and sweet wasn’t enough for Pink – she wanted to be brave and smart but wasn’t sure how she could be.  The answer comes one afternoon during a wild and boisterous game of hide-and-seek when she discovers that there can be distinct advantages to being different.

Combining young readers’ fascination with dinosaurs with the theme of accepting and being yourself, Margaret Wild and Judith Rossell have crafted a charming story that will appeal across the ages.  As well as opening up discussions about celebrating our differences and how we can be brave and smart, this is also a great opportunity to explore the differences between fiction and non fiction texts.  The teaching notes are excellent – I wrote them! LOL! 

Edie’s Experiments 2: How to Be the Best

Edie's Experiments 2: How to Be the Best

Edie’s Experiments 2: How to Be the Best

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edie’s Experiments 2: How to Be the Best

Charlotte Barka

Sandy Flett

Puffin, 2020

240pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760891763

Edie has settled into her new school and is starting to make friends, despite her somewhat catastrophic early attempts to treat the process like a science experiment.  Her love of science and concern for the environment is as strong as ever – even though it causes the ire of her family when she turns the hot water off if their showers exceed four minutes – and she and her friend Annie B are looking forward to presenting their work at the upcoming Eco Fair. 

But then a new student arrives, one who also loves science and who is determined to be the best.  Dean Starlight sabotages Edie’s work, but when he sends her an apology card with a hidden nasty message  Edie declares war…

This is the second in this series for independent readers who enjoy school stories, science and characters they can relate to.  Each is an individual and each has flaws, as do we all, but there is a sense that they are real and Edie’s continued positivity is refreshing in a world that seems to carry only bad news these days.  As with the first book, there are line drawings to break up the text and Edie’s experiments are all provided in case a reader might be inspired.  There is also the possibility that the reader will learn something about human nature too, and be more insightful and compassionate when those around them don’t behave as they expect or desire.  Dean has a backstory that drives his behaviour, as do we all. 

A series to spread the word about. 

That’s Not My Narwhal

That’s Not My Narwhal

That’s Not My Narwhal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s Not My Narwhal

Fiona Watt

Usborne, 2020

10pp., board book. RRP $A14.99

9781474972109

A little board book in this popular series that encourages children to explore both language through its repetitive text and their sense of touch through its textured patches actually has the potential to appeal to a much wider audience as students get ready to enjoy the 2020 Book Week theme of Curious Creatures, Wild Minds. 

This almost mythical creature, which actually lives in the cold waters of Greenland, Canada, and Russia is rapidly becoming the “creature-du-jour” with young readers looking for something more exotic than the unicorn which has become a bit ho-hum.  So even though this book in this popular series explores why none of the five narwhals depicted is the reader’s narwhal, the question that begs to be answered is, “What IS a narwhal?”, a question that could spark an interesting investigation and perhaps lead to a presentation entitled This is My Narwhal satisfying the Critical and Creative Thinking outcomes of the Inquiry strand, as they pose questions to identify, explore and organise information and ideas. 

I love discovering books written for littlies that have application across the ages and this is surely one of them, and a most timely release. 

Little White Fish (series)

Little White Fish (series)

Little White Fish (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little White Fish (series)

Little White Fish under the Ocean

9781922326102

Little White Fish and his Daddy

9781922326034

Guido Van Genechten

Catch A Star, 2019

board book, 16pp., RRP $A12.99

Originally published in Belgium and The Netherlands in 2004, and well-known throughout Europe, the Little White Fish series is now available to tiny Australian readers. With bright illustrations set against a black background they are immediately eye-catching and appealing and with simple, repetitive text about familiar situations, our very youngest readers will be able to listen to each and then be able to tell themselves about Little White Fish’s adventures – the precursor to “real” reading.

In Little White Fish under the Ocean, the reader is taken on adventure to the depths of the sea, down to where no sunlight reaches and it is pitch  black, because Little White Fish wants to know just how deep it is.  Little White Fish and his Daddy has a familiar theme of the the various undersea creatures comparing the merits of their fathers, reminding me of the popular kids’ song My Dad’s Better Than Your Dad from Colin Buchanan that was always sung with great gusto by my students.

Two more from a publisher that understands that even the littlest people need entertaining stories in a format that is the right size for little hands and can withstand the enthusiasm of those hands. 

Alice-Miranda in the Outback

Alice-Miranda in the Outback

Alice-Miranda in the Outback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice-Miranda in the Outback

Jacqueline Harvey

Puffin, 2020

384pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760891039

Alice-Miranda and her friends are off to the Australian Outback! They’re going to help an old family friend who’s found himself short staffed during cattle mustering season. The landscape is like nothing else – wide open and dusty red as far as the eye can see. It’s also full of quirky characters, like eccentric opal miner Sprocket McGinty and the enigmatic Taipan Dan.

As the gang settles in at Hope Springs Station, mysteries start piling up. A strange map is discovered indicating treasure beneath the paddocks, a young girl is missing and there are unexplained water shortages. Can Alice-Miranda get to the bottom of this desert dilemma?

It’s been 11 years since we first met Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, and, in that time she has had many adventures around the world, entertaining so many young girls over that time with her positivity and perseverance.  Even those who started their own reading journey when Alice-Miranda first organised her own admission to Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies like to pop back and enjoy her new adventures.  This new adventure takes them into the Australian Outback, a new experience even for many Australian kids, and, within the context of an engaging story, offers them an opportunity to learn about the history of the country that extends beyond the First Fleet and the ugly, dirty streets of early Sydney.

So whether your girls are already avid fans or newcomers to this series, there is much to absorb them and the good news is, that unlike Clementine Rose,  Jacqueline Harvey is already planning new adventures. 

Clementine Rose Collection Five

Clementine Rose Collection Five

Clementine Rose Collection Five

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clementine Rose Collection Five

Jacqueline Harvey

Puffin, 2020

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

9781760897437

 Living in the magnificent mansion in Penberthy Floss with her mother, her Aunt Violet, Digby Pertwhistle the butler and pet teacup pig, Lavender, Clementine Rose, the sassy young girl who was delivered not in the usual way at a hospital but in the back of a mini-van in a basket of dinner rolls, has had many adventures that her readers can really relate to, making her a favourite with newly independent readers.

In fact there have been 15 stories altogether in this series, and now in this final compendium, Clementine Rose and the Wedding WobblesClementine Rose and the Bake-Off Dilemma and Clementine Rose and the Best News Yet   have been brought together.

Back in 2012 when we first met Clementine Rose I introduced her to Miss Then 6 and the series was an instant hit.  Now she is Miss 14 she has moved on with her reading choices – she loves Harvey’s new series Kensy and Max- , but Miss 9 has enjoyed them equally as much. Written for the young newly emerging reader looking for characters and circumstances that resonate, it is a series that has broad appeal and the joy of having three books in one without having to wait for the next episode is very appealing. 

Young readers, and older, love series which are well-written so they get invested in the character’s lives, perhaps even seeing themselves as being in the story as they get to know and like them, and this series is certainly one of those.  My grandies were lucky that Clementine Rose was in their lives for that critical time of their reading development, but with these collections, other younger girls can meet her too. 

Aussie Kids

Aussie Kids

Aussie Kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aussie Kids

Meet Sam at Mangrove Creek

Paul Seden

Brenton McKenna

9781760894122

 

Meet Mia at the Jetty

Janeen Brian

Danny Snell

9781760893668

Puffin Books, 2020

64pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

The great reading continues in the latest two in this wonderful series which features Aussie kids from a diverse range of backgrounds and settings celebrating something unique about their home state. So far we’ve met Zoe and Zac from NSW and Taj from a Victorian lighthouse; Eve from the outback of WA  and Katie from a beautiful Queensland beach and now it’s time to meet Sam from the Northern Territory and Mia is South Australia.

Sam lives near the beach on the northern tip of the Northern Territory and, having saved his money to buy a new throw net, today he is going to use it for the first time because his cousin Peter is coming fishing too.  They set off to catch the high tide and perhaps catch barramundi following the bait fish into the mouth of the mangrove creek. But Sam gets cross when Peter opens a bag of banana lollies because everyone knows that having bananas on a fishing trip is bad luck for real fishermen. But is there more to catching fish with a throw net than the choice of snack you have?

Meanwhile, Mia is in Victor Harbour in South Australia waiting for Jim, the son of her mother’s friend, to arrive so she can be a super tour guide, especially taking him on the horse-drawn tram ride to Granite Island.   But can she carry out her plan without her big sister Alice taking over?

This really is an excellent series that not only introduces young, emerging readers to the diversity of this country and the children in it, but invites them to think about what is special about where they, themselves , live.  With travel restrictions still in place, and lockdowns back in force in some places, this is the perfect time for children to get to know their immediate surroundings better and consider what it is that makes it such a special place.  If they had a friend or relative coming to stay, what would be the unique things they could show them? Such a question opens up a range of writing and art activities that would be perfectly pitched to the child’s individual interests and abilities because each would have a different response.  For those who want to take a different direction, they could start to examine the circumstances that led them to this place at this time,  making connections with their past. There is a lesson guide available but just using the format of the book with its introductory postcard, identifying the points of interest (in whatever format) and adding some fun facts about something that is significant offers riches in itself.  

Ellie’s Dragon

Ellie's Dragon

Ellie’s Dragon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellie’s Dragon

Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2020

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

 9781406387629

Hidden among the boxes of eggs on the supermarket shelf, Ellie discovers a tiny dragon, so small it’s eyes are not yet open.  Because its claws tickled the palm of her hand she called it Scratch and made it a bed in a matchbox. But when she asked her mum for some match heads for its breakfast, her mum can only see the matchbox.

And so it is with all the adults in her world.  None of them can see Scratch even though as she grows her friends can and Scratch just becomes a normal part of their activities.  But, just like Jackie Paper and that other famous dragon, Puff, as Ellie gets older, Scratch begins to fade.  Until one day a little boy called Sam found him wandering in the High Street, a fully-grown, house-trained affectionate dragon just looking for a new home…

Bob Graham is a master storyteller who has been delighting young readers around the world for the best part of 40 years with so many charming stories like The Poesy Ring   and Home in the Rain , and this gentle story about growing up with an imaginary friend is just as inviting as all the others. His signature style in both text and artworks is there again for a whole new group of fans to enjoy as so many of them will relate to Ellie either as the very young girl or as she grows older.  There is a reason that Graham has won so many awards for his writing and it’s encapsulated again in this new book.  Perfect for invoking discussions about imaginary friends particularly at this time when so many of our little ones are deprived of the company of real ones, but also for thinking about the possibilities and pitfalls of providing a home for a dragon.  

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

Martha Mumford

Laura Hughes, 

Bloomsbury, 2020

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

9781408893395

Fresh from their Christmas elf chase, the four intrepid bunnies are off on another adventure, this time as sea-faring pirates looking for treasure. Boarding their ship they sail off to a desert island in search of the golden coins, encountering all sorts of creatures on their quest.  There are 10 coins to be found and young readers will delight in seeking them under the flaps as they pore over the detailed pictures and help the bunnies see what’s in front of them. 

Treasure hunts never lose their appeal, as has been proven with little walkers eagerly seeking teddy bears and rainbows on their lockdown outings, so as well as the fun of looking and lifting the flaps, they will enjoy the rhythm and rhyme of the text, repeated in a pattern with a lot of onomatopoeia to heighten the reading experience. With so much to see and do, this is likely to become a firm favourite that takes our youngest readers away from the grey days of winter to a summery sun adventure.

Hodgepodge: How to Make a Pet Monster 1

Hodgepodge: How to Make a Pet Monster 1

Hodgepodge: How to Make a Pet Monster 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hodgepodge: How to Make a Pet Monster 1

Lili Wilkinson

Dustin Spence

Albert Street Books, 2020

200pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781760877385

Life has changed dramatically for 11-year=old Artie.  He and his mum have just moved into a spooky old house with his mum’s new partner, and while he’s OK with that (even if he doesn’t know quite what to call the partner) he has also gained a sister – one who is a year older than he and who terrifies him.

Artie also likes to read his Junior Scientist magazine bur he is having trouble finding a quiet place to do so – he can’t read downstairs because his mother is renovating; he can’t read in the kitchen because David Cole (what he has settled on calling him that) is making dinner; and he can’t read in his room because Willow is being too noisy, shouting on her phone to her friends and playing her electric guitar “making sounds like someone is stomping on a bag of cats”. so he ventures up to the attic and that’s where he discovers The Bigge Boke of Fetching Monsters.  Unfortunately, before he has a chance to hide it, Willow discovers it and she insists on trying out the instructions.  Artie, who doesn’t believe in monsters at all because, like ghosts and skeletons and other things that live in haunted houses like his, they don’t exist, is very apprehensive but Willow is insistent. And the fun begins…

This is the first in the series that will appeal to newly independent readers who, like Artie, aren’t too sure about those things that go bump in the night. Written from Artie’s perspective and full of illustrations that carry the story almost as much as the text, it will hit the spot with those looking for a fun-filled read that involves characters they recognise, or might even be.