Archive | August 2023

Eat My Dust!

Aug31
Eat My Dust!

Eat My Dust!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat My Dust!

Neridah McMullin

Lucia Masciullo

Walker Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781760654191

It is 1928 and despite proving their capabilities during World War I,  most men still believed a woman’s place  to be “barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen”. Many who had stepped in to fulfil the roles and occupations traditionally taken by men had been relegated back to domestic duties, yet there were many who defied the prevailing practices and attitudes and chose to follow their dreams.  

Among them were Kathleen Elizabeth Howell and Jean Ochiltree Robertson whose passion was driving and who, in 1927, had completed the perilous trip between Melbourne and Darwin mapping their journey and the mileages as they went from Melbourne to Mount Gambier and Adelaide before heading north through the Central Desert to Oodnadatta and Alice Springs and up through to Darwin, sending their research back to their sponsors, the Shell Oil Company, who used the information to produce their first map of the route to central Australia.

Even though they were well-known in the motoring circles of the time, were experienced in both motor mechanics and driving in the desert, in 1928 when they took on the the west-east speed record from Perth to Melbourne (having already driven from Melbourne to Perth) and beating it by five hours, it was the derision and discrimination of the men that proved to be a greater hurdle. Each place they stopped for fuel or food, they were met by those who felt that such a journey was not the realm of women. To which they tended to respond, “Eat my dust!”  Thus, told as narrative non fiction, this new book provides both an introduction to two little-known heroines who paved the way for women to drive today, and highlights those attitudes offering an insight into how difficult it was to be female in a male environment and the opportunity to investigate the transition of women’s achievements and influence over the last century.

With the 2023 CBCA Book Week theme of Read. Grow. Inspire still fresh in our minds, this is another story that allows young readers to meet the pioneers who followed their dreams, inspired others and  made something “abnormal” normal for today’s generations. 

 

 

Ecology for Beginners

Aug30
Ecology for Beginners

Ecology for Beginners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecology for Beginners

Andy Prentice

Lan Cook

Anton Hallman

Usborne, 2023

128pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781474998475

“Ecology is the study of how animals, plants and other living things interact with their environment and with each other”.

In its typical, direct reader-friendly language, this is the definition of a word that is bandied around a lot these days, along with “environment” and “eco-systems” and other scientific terms connected to the protection and preservation of our planet and its species in this new book from Usborne.   

Described as “the perfect answer to the question “What is Ecology, and why should I care?”, young readers can explore the basics of Ecology by following a wide variety of real-world examples about how living things cope in all sorts of environments which is essential if they are to understand the current concerns about climate change and the responsibilities they are being asked to shoulder.  Not only do they learn how ecosystems work and their interdependence, but also what happens when the systems are damaged or destroyed, even how and if they can be protected or even repaired. Importantly. they learn that there are still many issues that ecologists are trying to find answers to, and while there are loud voices calling for action, the best course of action might not yet be known.  

Its graphic-heavy, byte-sized text format, it is ideal for the curious mind that wants to delve into this topic, and for those who want to explore further there are the usual Quicklinks  which offer all sorts of practical suggestions for students to explore their own world in greater depth such as building a bee hotel or making a quadrat to record wildlife in their backyard.

Count the Stars

Aug29
Count the Stars

Count the Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count the Stars

Raewyn Caisley

Gabriel Evans

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760653552

Everywhere in her everyday world, Maddie finds mathematics.  Whether it’s seeing the parallel lines of sunshine pouring through her bedroom blinds in to morning, counting daisy petals in the garden, or finding the patterns in the pathway, she adores maths.  But among her friends, it would seem she was alone – when her friends came to play they found fascination in other things like decorating the cupcakes rather than measuring and making them.  Her preoccupation impinges on her relationships with her classmates, making her feel out of kilter with them, as though she were some kind of weird and she doesn’t even notice that there might be others with a similar fascination, until…

This is an absolutely intriguing story with lots of layers that will resonate with so many readers, not just discovering the ubiquity of maths in our lives, and maybe building a maths trail around the school. While the author has chosen to make maths the focus of Maddie’s passion, there are bigger issues that can be explored through the story such as celebrating a love of learning; making and maintaining friendships; finding and following your passion and owning it or, conversely, feeling separated from our friends because they don’t love something as we do; even exploring whether friends can like and do different things and still be friends.

Having gone from someone who saved the Year 6 final excursion by being the only person to get 100% in the end-of-year maths exam, to be completely bewildered by the complexities of algebra and trigonometry at high school and getting a bare minimum pass in the School Certificate exam, to becoming a maths consultant and writing a number of teacher resource books on integrating it across the curriculum, I can relate very closely to Maddie as she finds the maths in everything fascinating and understands why it is referred to as the “Queen of Sciences”.  So while I could write a book or several (actually have) about how the maths in this story could be the springboard to the year’s curriculum, starting with the endpapers, it also opens the opportunity for readers to share their passions and what is involved in achieving their big dreams.  And that could lead to investigating how their heroes achieved their dreams, or building Genius Hour into the timetable, or…

But for all the Maddies who love maths, perhaps they could ponder this… if Maddie can figure out a way to count the daisy petals in the garden, how could she count the stars?  

 

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep?

Aug28
Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep?

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Will the Sleepy Sheep Sleep?

David Metzenthen

Jonathan Bentley

A & U Children’s 2023

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

9781761066160

Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep on top of this wild and windy hill
Baah!
No-o-o, this windy hill is far too high and wild for a sleepy sheep to sleep on!
Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep deep down in this steep and stony valley?
Baah!
No-o-o, this valley is far too deep, steep, and stony for a sleepy sheep to sleep in!

So where will the sleepy sheep end up sleeping?

Early literacy experts tell us that reading to our children in their mother language from their earliest days is critical if they are to learn the sounds, the patterns, the rhythms and the nuances of that language so they can speak it. Hearing language is the foundation for using it – speaking, reading and writing – and this is the perfect story to give to new parents to share with their little children as it twists and turns the tongue through alliteration and assonance, repetition and rhythm looking for a safe place for the sheep to sleep. 

As well as being ideal for that, it is also wonderful for those who are a little older because its question-and-answer format gives them the opportunity to consider why sleeping  “where the foxes hunt and the dingoes howl” or in a “dark and damp cave” may not be the best bed so they not only engage directly with the text but also have to think about cause and consequence.

As well as Metzenthen’s wonderful words that will challenge any tongue. Jonathan Bentley’s portrayal of the sheep is just perfect and no doubt will inspire all sorts of artwork.  

Definitely one to tell new parents about. 

 

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Aug27
Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions & Answers About Growing Up For Boys and Girls

Joanna Cole

Bill Thomas

Farshore, 2023

96pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780008587871

Fifty years ago, in 1973, Peter Mayle and Arthur Robins collaborated on two books that provided answers (with illustrations) on many of the questions that children have about growing up, body changes and their own origins.  And Where Did I Come From? and What’s Happening to Me?  were so revolutionary at the time that they are still in print, recognisable  and readily available today because there is still a need for them. 

Questions about puberty, sex, and transitioning into adulthood will always exist, and given the fuss made about a recently released book written for teens and the banning of so many similar titles in so many states in the USA, it is clearly a topic that many parents are still not comfortable discussing with their children. What we used to learn behind the shelter sheds in the school playgrounds is now available everywhere just by watching a movie, television or an internet search, and there is no guarantee that what is learned is accurate or healthy.

And so, no-nonsense, factual books such as this new one from experts in relationships and sex education remain a necessity in library collections so that our children can learn and know for themselves.  While the average age for girls to start puberty is 11, while for boys the average age is 12., it’s perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys and thus this book has a place on primary school shelves as well as this blog.  Using a Q&A format it covers the usual areas of the changes that boys and girls will experience but also touches on issues such as gender identity and contraception, the explanations being factual and straight-forward so that not only are the questions shown to be common and normal but also the answers and actions.  Children experiencing the changes and wondering what’s happening do not need to feel alone, abnormal or even dirty, and thus, they can understand that they are just like everyone else about the same age, but they have the advantage of knowledge.

For those born in a time when babies came from the cabbage patch or were delivered by a stork, when homosexuality was a criminal offence with an attached jail term, and the only source of information was from behind those shelter sheds, the normalisation of the conversations these days may seem strange and hence the actions in those US states where teachers and school librarians can face criminal charges for sharing books like this (or even having them in the collection) but IMO, the more information our children can access the better and so this is an important addition to your 612.6 section.

 

 

What My Daddy Loves

Aug26
What My Daddy Loves

What My Daddy Loves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What My Daddy Loves

Raissa Figueroa

HarperCollins, 2023

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

9780008608408

Some daddies love going outdoors and exploring the world.
Some daddies love teaching their kids how to fix machines.
Some daddies love learning and dreaming big dreams.
But there’s a special something – or someone – that daddies love best of all…

With Father’s Day in Australia fast approaching, many classes focus on families and the men in them and so this is an opportunity for children to discover and share the things that make their daddies smile and feel joy. Ordinary things like pushing a little one in a trolley through the supermarket as well as their special interests.  Told from the perspective of a number of young children, it is clear that daddies are diverse and do so much more than the go-to-work-watch-TV stereotype of the past. 

Text is minimal and repetitive making it easy for young readers and writers to navigate and emulate, and while the fathers vary in age, size, shape, hairstyles, even being deaf or in a wheelchair,  and are depicted in various shades of brown, what shines through on each page is that commonality of love for their child, finding the joy in every day. . 

The Ultimate Collection of Brilliant Bedtime Stories

Aug25
The Ultimate Collection of Brilliant Bedtime Stories

The Ultimate Collection of Brilliant Bedtime Stories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ultimate Collection of Brilliant Bedtime Stories

R. A. Spratt

Puffin, 2023

400pp., pbk., RRP $A22.99

9781761340017

” There is so much in a child’s life that is beyond our control. Picking up this book and reading your young person a story is a precious thing. It is more than a silly tale, (although it is definitely that.) A story shares is a reassurance, a balm for the soul and, one day, a happy memory for you all to look back on fondly.  So much of parenting is hard.  But reading a story isn’t.  You can totally ace this”.  

For decades, new parents have been advised by the likes of wonderful authors like Mem Fox, of the importance of reading to our little ones since birth because not only do they hear and learn the sounds and rhythms of our language but it establishes that beautiful relationship between the reader and the listener as they are cocooned in a world of make-believe.  And now, in this dedication of her new book of short stores, Author Spratt reminds us that sharing stories is not just for the parents of the very young but an important, long-lasting bonding between parents and their older children too.

And to make this possible, she has written another collection of short stories to go along with Shockingly Good Stories and Astonishingly Good Stories to ensure that parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone else who cares has plenty of wonderful stories to share. As well as those told by the popular Nanny Piggins, and a new Friday Barnes adventure, there are many silly stories and tall tales from her own family life, often based on legendary characters the children will know through fractured fairytales,  that have the power to bring brief respite into busy lives and just “draw the curtains on the day” as those early bedtime episodes did.  

Through her series such as Nanny Piggins, Friday Barnes, and  The Peski Kids , and her weekly podcast, Spratt will be known to many of her intended 7-11 audience, and now this new book offers an opportunity for the whole family to share in the fun. 

Being a Cat

Aug24
Being a Cat

Being a Cat/ Being a Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity

9780063067929

Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness

9780063067912

Maria Gianferrari

Pete Oswald

HarperCollins, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

Little people, like big people, love their pets and often try to be like them, so these two books are perfect for encouraging them to examine their cats and dogs to really get to know them.

With minimal text and quirky, funny illustrations, they can get up close and personal and then, explore the traits in more detail in the final pages.

Something very different for the animal lovers in your domain. 

Two Sides to Every Story

Aug23
Two Sides to Every Story

Two Sides to Every Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Sides to Every Story

Beck & Robin Feiner

ABC Books, 2023

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

 9780733341618

Oscar has a special way of looking at things.  He takes his subject, twists it this way and that, tumbles it all around, upside down and inside out, exploring it every which way until he came to a decision. Whether it was a big issue like preferring to live in the city or the country or a simple one like a fried or boiled egg for breakfast, he had to weigh up all the angles. And while this might be a little annoying to those around him as they waited for his choice, it is a different matter when it comes to the finals of the Aussie Schools Public Speaking competition…

This quirky storybook could be described as the teacher librarian’s dream… 

The Critical and Creative Thinking strand of the Australian Curriculum requires students to ” generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems” and that is exactly what Oscar does so here is the perfect introduction to getting students to understand not only why they need to interpret and evaluate information and situations but also how.  They can be given all sorts of simple, familiar situations to twist and turn as they look for the arguments for and against, determine fact from opinion, identify authority and purpose, objectivity and bias, relevance and currency, gather evidence and build justifications  and all the other aspects that can lead them to making an informed decision. And , at the same time, they are learning empathy and compassion, perspective and perception as they are required to put themselves in the shoes of another person and view the issue through that lens.

Nearly 30 years ago, in the early days of the internet being available and accessible to students in schools, Tom March and Bernie Dodge developed webquests, a teaching strategy initially designed to embed the use of the World Wide Web into teaching and learning, but which, had at their heart, a problem that could have several solutions based on the perspective of those involved in solving it.  Despite having faded in popularity as a teaching tool, they are still one of the most successful strategies I have used for encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills and this book is the perfect precursor to that.

A must-have in your TL toolkit.

Nature’s Song

Aug22
Nature's Song

Nature’s Song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature’s Song

Robert Vescio

Nicky Johnston

New Frontier, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781922326782

It’s tough being inside when Outside is peeking through the window and beckoning you to follow.  But it’s even tougher if you’re confined to bed because you have a broken leg.  And so the little girl resists the temptation to escape and keeps her brother company instead. Until the day the plaster finally comes off and she is able to be there herself to watch the morning rise, serenade the sun and  rediscover the wonders of Outside has been keeping.  Now, how can she bring this inside so her brother can share it too?

Beautifully written, and softly and sensitively illustrated this is a story about discovering the wonders of our own natural environment without having to seek “artificial” entertainment.  As the little girl and her dog frolic in the freedom of being outdoors again, and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary as Mother Nature goes about her daily business of making the world wonderful, young readers can be encouraged to not only look for all the details portrayed in the pictures and discover things often overlooked or taken for granted,  but to also look at their own Outside and use their senses and imagination to see what magic is waiting for them.  Perhaps, they too, can find a way to bring it Inside.  

And maybe, as they lie in bed on the edge of dreams and reflect on the day, they might ask themselves, “Did I find wonder in the world, today?” “Did I listen to Nature’s song? What tune was she playing?”   For even on cold, misty mountain mornings as we have today, there is always a song being sung. You just have to listen.