Archive | April 2023

Garlic and the Witch

Apr20
Garlic and the Witch

Garlic and the Witch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garlic and the Witch

Bree Paulsen

HarperCollins, 2023

160pp., graphic novel, RRP $A24.99

 9780062995124

Brave little Garlic is back in this standalone companion to Garlic and the Vampire, with another tale of friendship, magic, and self-discovery. 

Garlic loves spending time with Witch Agnes, Carrot, and her new friend, the Count, who has proven to be a delightful neighbour to the village of vegetable people rather than the scary vampire the village feared in the first story,. But despite Agnes’s best attempts to home-brew a vegetarian blood substitute for Count, the ingredient she needs most can only be found at the Magic Market, far from the valley.

Before she knows it, with a broomstick in hand, Garlic is nervously preparing for a journey.

But Garlic is experiencing another change too—finger by finger, she appears to be turning human. Witch Agnes assures her that this is normal for her garden magic, but Garlic isn’t so sure that she’s ready for such a big change. After all, changes are scary…and what if she doesn’t want to be human after all…

As with the first one, this is not a complex read,- cheerful rather than chilling – with a subtle message about believing in stereotypes and rumours, readers will still need to have the reading skills necessary to interpret a graphic novel, seamlessly integrating the illustrations with the plot because there are many passages where there is no speech.  That said, with its warm colours, and faces which are friendly rather than frightening, this is a gentle introduction into both the format and fantasy. 

A fresh, new series to entertain readers who are looking for something a bit different. 

Logan’s Big Move

Apr19
Logan's Big Move

Logan’s Big Move

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logan’s Big Move

Logan Martin & Jess Black

Shane McG

Puffin, 2023

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

9780143778240

It’s tricky moving to a new place and knowing no one but the local skatepark offers a way to get to know the locals, and so Logan and his brother head there as soon as they’ve helped with the unpacking.  While his brother is inspired by the tricks of the skaters it is the BMX riders who attract Logan’s attention and he decides he’s wants to be just like them.  But even though he gets a coach, learns what to do, practises hard until he thinks he is ready to join his new friends at the park, he discovers there are a few more lessons to learn, including a really important one…

Inspired by the true story of Australia’s BMX freestyle Olympic gold medalist and 2021 Sports Dad of the Year, Logan Martin, this is a story that will appeal to young readers as the characters are all anthropomorphic with Logan himself portrayed as a lion, so that is a stand-alone story without knowing the backstory, but also those who have become fans of the athlete himself as he showed during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 why BMX freestyle is a legitimate Olympic sport. 

“Gold Coast’s Logan Martin started freestyle BMX at the age of 12 after following his brother, Nathan, to the Crestmead Skate Park. Spending most of his spare time there, Martin started showing real talent at the age of 15, entering competitions with his parents, Donna and Sean, taking him to the events and buying bikes and parts. Logan first travelled overseas in 2012, where he won the first international event he entered. Martin won the International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE) World Series title in both 2015 and 2016, following those titles up by claiming the inaugural BMX Freestyle world title at the UCI Urban World Championships in China in 2017. A stellar 2019 followed, which saw Logan win dual X Games gold, the Urban Games gold, and a World Championship silver behind teammate Brandon Loupos. He also built a BMX ramp in the backyard of his home to prepare for his Olympic run during lockdown. At the 2020 and 2021 National Championships in Melbourne, Martin won gold, and added a second career rainbow jersey when he took out the 2021 UCI World Championships in France. The culmination of Logan’s career so far was claiming gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.”

Not all the sporting heroes of our students are footballers or cricketers even though there is a dearth of accessible stories about those who make the heights in other fields so this is an important addition to the collection for those who know who Logan Martin is, and who are inspired to be like him, just as he had his own role models to aspire to. More mature readers might also like his autobiography Logan Martin: Journey to Gold opening the door to a whole new genre of non fiction for them.

 

 

Quiet Time with My Seeya

Apr18
Quiet Time with My Seeya

Quiet Time with My Seeya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet Time with My Seeya

Dinalie Dabarera

A&U Children, 2023

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

9781761180286

Right back into the early days of my teaching career that began more than 50 years ago, one of the most rewarding things I have experienced over and over, is the way that kids relate to each other and have fun even though they don’t share a word of each other’s language.  Regardless of whether it was in an inner city school in Christchurch, New Zealand where the only two people with fluent English were my teaching partner and I; a new Canberra primary school, where the ESL teacher and I found 42 different languages spoken amongst the children, let alone their families; or another school where those who had arrived from overseas with no English at all came to the Introductory English Centre for six months of intensive study before going to their neighbourhood schools; classrooms and playgrounds alike were always hubs of co=operation, collaboration and communication as through shared body language, hand signals, laughter, smiles,  fun and games children from all nationalities and age groups played together, learned from each other and there were no barriers. 

And that situation has been captured in this delightful book about the relationship between a little girl and her non-English speaking grandfather.  Inspired by a situation in which the author’s Sri Lankan grandmother moved to Australia with only her native Sinhalese so that “most of her outside social interactions were limited to a smile”, the little girl and her grandfather have the best fun doing everyday things with gusto and joy, “show[ing] more than we tell”.

This is a situation that will resonate with many of our students whose own language is not the same as those around them, but who, nevertheless, can share joy and love, happiness and sadness, and from whom, we adults can learn so much.  It opens up opportunities to investigate languages spoken within the class families and how humans, as a species, often say more with their bodies than their mouths.  It might even be fun to create a series of emojis that encapsulate the emotions and feelings common to all of us so we understand that we have more similarities than differences, and that spoken language is just one element. of communication.

The Fix-it Princess

Apr17
The Fix-it Princess

The Fix-it Princess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fix-it Princess

Janeen Brian

Cherie Dignam

Walker Books, 2023

160pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781760654825

Princess Shona likes to solve problems, the bigger the better and particularly if they involve practical solutions like rebuilding the chook house.  She is a  is a princess with a Can-Do attitude bur right now she is facing the biggest problem she has ever had to solve.

For their joint birthdays, she made Mum-Queen and Dad-King a wing-thing and they were last seen two days ago soaring over the castle walls and haven’t returned.  Because hard times have fallen, there is no staff left at the castle and so Shona is on her own with 15 chickens (who at least lay eggs so she has food) and an old horse called Wildfire.  To make matters worse, the drawbridge is up and so she can’t get out to start looking for them, because surely if they could get back, they would be…

With all the elements of a good story about princesses including gloomy, scary woods nearby, a dragon who sings but apparently can’t fly, shysters who pretend to be her parents and so on, this is a great novel for any young independent reader who has dreamed of being a princess – but one who is resilient and resourceful rather than waiting for some handsome prince to rescue her.  They will relate to her bubbly personality that refuses to be daunted and like me, will want to keep reading to find out what really did happen to Mum-Queen and Dad-King and whether they are safe. Have they been kidnapped or has her Wing-Thing gone horribly wrong, as so many of her other “solutions” do? 

 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Apr16
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Mo Willems

Walker Books, 2023

40pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781529509960

The pigeon dreams of driving the bus, so when the driver steps out for a break he thinks this will be his chance.  But the bus driver is aware of the pigeon’s plan and tells the reader not to let the pigeon drive the bus. And so begins a conversation between the pigeon and the reader as the pigeon begs, pleads, cajoles and even attempts to bribe the reader into letting him behind the wheel.

The action is carried along entirely in the pigeon’s appeals but it is clearly intended that the young child put on the “parent’s” hat to say no, much like a role-reversal of when they themselves want something and the parent has to withstand all the child’s reasoning and promises, making it an interactive read that is lots of fun. Not only can they stretch their imaginations to suggest why the pigeon shouldn’t drive the bus but they can put themselves in the pigeon’s place and also think of ways they might use to  get their own way.  The only issue is, that in the child’s denials to the pigeon, the parent might hear themselves echoed! Children learn what they live!

This 20th anniversary edition of what was Mo Willems’ first picture book marks a rare milestone for children’s picture books and young readers will be thrilled that it went on to spark an entire series that they can enjoy – both the stories and being the power-broker. 

 

 

Bored: Evie Dreams Big

Apr15
Bored: Evie Dreams Big

Bored: Evie Dreams Big

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bored: Evie Dreams Big

Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2023 

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

9780733342066

“My name is Evie and I’m making plans. Actual plans. I’m going to build my own house. I’m not talking about some silly treehouse either. I’m going to build a real house.

Only it seems everyone else who lives in Turtle Place has an opinion they’d like to share. Frog and Milo want to build something totally different, Mr Santos is grumpy, Mrs Katz is spying on us, my sister is the most annoying person on earth and my parents don’t believe in me at all. But I have a plan!

I have big dreams when I’m bored …”

This is the third in this series featuring the kids from Turtle Place who are very ordinary and do ordinary things and yet the creativity of Matt Stanton turns them into engaging reads for independent readers. We’ve already met Milo  and Frog and now it’s Evie’s turn who lives in a very nice two-storey house with her parents and two little sisters, so immediately you wonder why it is that she wants to build a new house just for herself…

Being bored is a common catch-cry in families just a few days into school holidays when the excitement of free time is worn off and the reality of the importance of the routine of school is realised, but it is often when we have the best ideas – or what seem like the best ideas.  So while Evie’s situation may not be the same, it is familiar and readers will relate well to her and her friends, which is always a must-have in any story for this age. Kids like to place themselves as active participants in the plot and this is one of Stanton’s strengths, and in this story, there is plenty of scope for opening up discussions about how they would deal with Evie’s situation, which so many will be experiencing. Is there a more practical solution than building a house so you can move out? At the same time, Stanton acknowledges the need for more independence as you mature, the need to have a space of your own, the need to have your concerns heard and acknowledged and your ideas and dreams supported, articulating them in a way that might help the reader speak to their own family. 

This might be just the book to rekindle the bedtime story ritual, so often abandoned when the child learns to read independently – certainly the parent won’t be bored and mat just learn something. 

 

 

 

 

Anchored

Apr14
Anchored

Anchored

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anchored

Debra Tidball

Arielle Li

EK Books, 2023

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

9781922539496

Down on the harbour it is Tug’s job to work around the big ships as they are manoeuvered this way and that so they can load and unload their cargo for and from faraway destinations.  Some ships she sees often and there is one that she has a special bond with, missing it mightily  when it sails out over the horizon.  And while she still goes about her daily tasks as best she can, she wonders whether Ship misses her as much as she misses Ship. 

But her questions are answered and her worries allayed when Ship returns and the bond is renewed as they share their connection with each other.

Written for our youngest readers to reassure them that even though they might be separated from a parent for a time, out of sight does not mean out of mind and that they are always anchored in the heart of the absent one regardless.  At a time when there are many reasons that separation might happen, stories like this help alleviate anxiety and confirm that the parent will return.  This would be a good one to share whenever there is the prospect of parent and child being apart enabling the child to become the tough little tug with a job to do that is as important as that of the Ship who is away. 

The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater

Apr13
The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater

The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater

Coral Vass

Jess Racklyeft

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

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

9781486316403

Once upon a time, the soft warbling melody of the regent honeyeater would “bounce of trees, skim across billabongs and echo through woodlands.” But, as “trees turned to towers, billabongs to buildings, and the woodlands to carparks…and forests turned to farms” many birds flew away, never to return. But when Regent felt the urge to sing the song to attract a mate that had been passed from father to son for generations, he couldn’t remember it.  And there was no one to remind him.  He searched the forest listening to the songs of others for a hint of the tune, he even tried out a few of them himself, but no one came…

How will the species survive if he can’t remember the tune, and have a son of his own in time…

Once found frequently in the woodlands of south-eastern Australia, the regent honeyeater  is now found only in three regions –   around Chiltern-Albury in north-east Victoria, and at Capertee Valley and the Bundarra-Barraba region in NSW – and is officially listed as “critically endangered” with an estimated overall population of just 350-400, probably less.  So this lyrical, beautifully illustrated story is another brilliant wake-up call for young readers not only about the impact of urban sprawl on this species in particular, but on our birdlife generally.  Accompanied by some basic facts and a timeline stretching back to First Nations peoples, young readers learn about the importance of bird-song in perpetuating a species and how the loss of potential mates can have devastating consequences. But all is not lost and there are programs in place to preserve and increase those that are left including a national plan  largely co=ordinated by Birdlife Australia.

As with all these publications for young readers, once again the plight of a likely-unknown species is brought to their attention, offering an insight not only into the diversity of Australia’s indigenous wildlife but also the threats they face and what even young individuals like them can do about it.  So even if this is not a species relevant to their particular region, little ones can investigate those that are and what it is that they might be able to do (or not) to ensure there is a future for them.

Both Coral and Jess have provided a unique approach for developing an awareness, if not an understanding, that is engaging, helping all of us to realise that those bird calls we hear every day but take for granted, have both meaning and purpose for the birds that sing them.  They are more than just melodies for our pleasure. 

Sightings of critically endangered regent honeyeater in NSW give conservationists hope  

ABC News, July 1, 2023

Mulga Bill’s Bicycle: 50th Anniversary Edition

Apr12
Mulga Bills Bicycle

Mulga Bills Bicycle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mulga Bill’s Bicycle: 50th Anniversary Edition

A. B. (Banjo) Paterson

Kilmeny Niland, Deborah Niland

HarperCollins, 2023

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

9781460763728

“Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze’

He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;

He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen’

He hurried of to town and bought a shining new machine…”

But despite his boasting that “there’s none can ride like me”,  he finds getting on the penny-farthing difficult enough and that riding is nothing like he anticipated…

This is one of Banjo Paterson’s classics, an hilarious tale of misadventure, that was first brought to life for young readers by the illustrations of sisters Kilmeny and Deborah Niland in 1973 and has remained a favourite on library shelves for 50 years, often being the introduction to other works by Paterson for those same young readers. While Paterson’s words tell the story of Mulga Bill’s crazy ride, it is the action and expressions that have been captured in the illustrations that ensure the reader is totally immersed in the story, invested in the inevitable outcome – can anyone survive such an out-of-control ride?

While bicycles have certainly changed since this poem was first published in 1896, perhaps sparking an investigation into how they, or even transport and travel itself has evolved since then, Bill’s embracing the new technology remains the same for many.  There are always going to be the early adopters and the late bloomers and students might like to consider which they are and the pros and cons of each approach. Some have suggested that in the era that the poem was written, the “safety bicycle” would have been more common that the penny-farthing and that perhaps the illustrators used poetic licence with Paterson’s words to create something more appealing, opening opportunities to discuss whether it is okay to do this, or to rearrange historical events or geographical places and so forth to make a story more engaging.  Should the fiction have precedence over the facts? Some students may even have examples they can share as authors acknowledge their fiddling with the facts in many historical stories. 

Or they might just enjoy this 50th anniversary edition for the fun and laughter it evokes!  

We’re Going to a Birthday Party

Apr11
We're Going to a Birthday Party

We’re Going to a Birthday Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Going to a Birthday Party

Martha Mumford

Cherie Zamazing

Bloomsbury, 2023

24pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781526632234

We’re going to a birthday party!
Come and join the fun!

Throughout the year there is not much that is more exciting for a little one than having or going to a birthday party, and in this new release, the bunnies  are gathering their friends together for the birthday party of a lifetime. But there is plenty to do in preparation and young readers will delight in lifting the flaps to help the bunnies find the essentials – perhaps, before they read, they might even make a list of the things they associate with birthday parties so they can check it off as they read and make sure the bunnies don’t miss anything.  

The familiar characters, the  rhythm of the rhyme and the excitement of lifting the flaps to discover what’s hidden underneath will make this a fun read, the perfect introduction to learning about why we have birthdays, building context-specific vocabulary, learning the sequence of the months and discovering when each other’s birthday is and graphing the information.  Riches indeed!