Archive | August 2023

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Aug21
Dog Squad: The News Hound

Dog Squad: The Newshound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Squad: The Newshound

Clara Vulliamy

HarperCollins, 2023

128pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

 9780008565336

Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, and, together with her friends Simone and Ash, the she produces  the Newshound newspaper for her school readers.  While they’ve written a few stories, there hasn’t been anything really significant, so when she finds a stray dog outside her home, Eva thinks she might just have found her first case.

The dog follows her home but living in a block of flats where pets are banned is problematic and although her mum says it can stay overnight, secretly Eva has other ideas.  The dog, which she determines is a whippet, is so thin she calls it Wafer and even though tracing its owner might offer The Newshound its biggest story yet, Eva soon realises that she might not want to get to the bottom of the mystery after all – because won’t that just mean she just has to give Wafer back?

Even with its English setting, this is a story that is going to resonate with a broad audience of young newly-independent readers because if they are not budding writers like Eva and her friends wanting to get to the bottom of these sorts of stories, then they are animal lovers whose hearts reach out to stray, mistreated creatures that so clearly need a home.  They may even be non binary  like Ash and enjoy seeing themselves in a story affirming their identity. As well as being an engaging read, it also provides food for thought as it raises issues about the treatment of animals by humans, from breeding in puppy farms for profit to their disposal when they are no longer wanted, perhaps even inspiring some to delve deeper.

And just to top it off, it is the start of a new series, with The Race scheduled for early 2024, so readers have something to look forward to. While they wait, they might like to meet Dotty Detective, a series in a similar vein of young girls solving mysteries. 

 

Olive of Groves (series)

Aug20
Olive of Groves

Olive of Groves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olive of Groves (series)

Olive of Groves

9780733342615

The Great Slurp of Time

9780733342646

The Right Royal Romp

9780733342622

Katrina Nannestad

Lucia Masciullo

ABC Books, 2023

288pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

Mrs Groves’ Boarding School for Naughty Boys, Talking Animals and Circus Performers is NOT the place for an ordinary girl like Olive but because her grandparents just wanted her to be able to mix with other people it is where she has ended up by mistake. And because going to boarding school has been her dream, Olive decides to stay even though she has to tell a lie that she is an acrobat to be able to satisfy the entry requirements because she is neither a naughty boy, a talking animal or an actual circus  performer. Apart from not being an acrobat, as those who are are keen to show her, she has to contend with a principal who is terrified of ordinary girls like her and whose leadership and management skills are non-existent as she seems to be perpetually flustered and flummoxed; a supercilious, egotistical pig who is a bully and determined to make her life unbearable, a goose that faints at the slightest thing, and sharing a strange turret room with three talking rats.  Thank goodness she has some allies.

Originally published in 2015 and shortlisted for the 2016 Indie Book Awards, this is a whimsical series for younger readers who can lose themselves in the nonsense of such a scenario and just enjoy Olive’s adventures for what they are.  There is tension and drama as the series progresses – it is one best read in order – but this is offset by the crazy characters, the situations they find themselves in and the clever dialogue. Even the title is a clever play on words. As all three have been republished and released at the same time, this is a series for those who like to binge-read without having to wait for the next episode. 

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

Aug19
The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Champ vs the Werewolf Warriorz

Anh Do

Dave Atze

A & U Children’s, 2023

280pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761065637

Summer loves sport, and there is nothing she would love more than to charge down the field towards an open goal, or soar through the air over the basket. She would love to be part of a team but instead she always seems to be the last one picked, probably because of her lack of co-ordination which even she recognises. Then one day something amazing happens and Summer discovers she is no longer the spectator but the superstar. The purple gloop that covered her and landed her in hospital has turned her life around. However what is magical for Summer is misery for her older brother Carl who goes from being a talented upcoming footballer to being in a wheelchair, and Summer finds herself with a lot more responsibility.

With her new expertise, Summer decides to enter contests to earn money to support her family, but as it turns out, there are far more important things for her to do, starting with sorting out a witch who looks strangely familiar and is causing trouble in her home town while keeping her new powers secret because  a government agency, armed with a robotic minion, begin to take an interest in her. 

In this episode, the third in this series, the Book Witch and her army of Werewolf Warriorz threaten to ruin the Rockstone Autumn Fair, Summer’s powers are put to the test. Will she be able to save the day, and the fair, without revealing her secret identity? 

Written for those on the cusp of being independent readers with lots of support such as larger font and plenty of illustrations, this is a series that will appeal to those who are taking an interest in the plethora of sport available at the moment, particularly that featuring women. But rather than being blessed with super powers to achieve their goals and vanquish their ‘enemies”, they face seemingly interminable  routine and repetition, recovery and resilience setting up the opportunity for a discussion about just what it takes to get to the top.  

How It Works: Light

Aug18
How It Works: Light

How It Works: Light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How It Works: Light

Sarah Hull

Kelly McKean

Usborne, 2023

16pp., board book., RRP $A19.99

9781474998895

Most of us know that light is the key to life on this planet and that our major light source is the sun.  But there are many other facts about this phenomenon that remain a mystery to us, even as adults, and in this new book from Usborne some of the ways that light works that baffle us are explained in a lift-the-flap format with simple text and bright, appealing diagrams.

Budding young scientists (and even those who aren’t) can learn how light works, why there is even light at night,  how colours are formed and perceived, and a host of other fascinating facts including some simple experiments that can be tried to understand the concepts better.  More for the age group that has a basic awareness of science than our youngest readers, this is a book that answers those fundamental questions ranging from rainbows and reflections to lightyears and lasers and then these are backed up by the usual Quicklinks for those who want to know more about  particular aspects.  

The format could even serve as a model for a class investigation as students pose their own questions and then explore and explain the concept to develop their own answers. 

What Do Scientists Do?

Aug17
What Do Scientists Do?

What Do Scientists Do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Do Scientists Do?

Tom Mumbray

Can Tugrul & Geraldine Sky

Usborne, 2023

80pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781474969024

As they begin to learn more about the world around them and how it works, lots of our students say they want to be scientists when they grow up. But what do scientists do? In a nutshell…

“Scientists investigate how our world works. It’s their job to ask questions and find answers – by observing how things work, gathering evidence and doing experiments.”

And while they have already made so many discoveries already, there is so much more to explore and explain as new answers lead to new questions.  One scientist can’t do everything and so by posing some of the big questions such as how can we fight the climate crisis, what does the bottom of the ocean really look like and what are the safest ways to test new medicines, this book explores bot only what scientists are currently doing but which specialists are doing it.  Thus, the reader learns about the diversity of both science and being a scientist so that there is something that will fit their particular interests.

But basically, being a scientist is about being curious, observing the  world around us and asking questions about how and why it works. There are pointers about how to think and act like a scientist,  how to learn more by studying science at school, visiting science museums, watching documentaries and reading relevant books as well as the usual Quicklinks that open up even more opportunities.  It fits perfectly with the Australian Curriculum Science strand, particularly Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry Skills providing the perfect context for meeting those outcomes, so an essential in any teacher’s toolkit in my opinion.. 

I Spy Treasure!

Aug16
I Spy Treasure!

I Spy Treasure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Spy Treasure!

Vikki Marmaras

Binny Talib

New Frontier, 2023

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

9781922326744

Every week, Captain Snarkle Tooth sailed into the harbour of Shimmertown and because of his villainous reputation, the people hid while he stole anything that sparkled.  But Billy was a little braver than most and as he watched the pirate from the safety of a tree, he noticed something strange.  Captain Snarkle Tooth didn’t find many jewels to take but he did delight in finding shimmering cans, sparkling glass and shiny plastic.  Things like broken bikes, old shopping trolleys and rusty pots and pans seemed to bring him joy. And as he rowed his treasure back to his ship, Billy noticed that the ship itself was getting grander and grander…

This is a most original story that is more to do with ‘reduce, reuse. recycle” than nasty pirates, and young readers will start to develop there awareness of the amount of rubbish we generate and what happens to it.  As Billy discovers how the captain upcycles his finds, they, too, might like to think of innovative and imaginative ways of repurposing their rubbish – or, at the very least, ensuring it doesn’t end up in the ocean or in landfill.

Primarily written to be shared with younger readers, nevertheless, it could also kickstart a broader investigation of the problem of plastics and so forth being dumped in the seas, the impact of that on the creatures that live there including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. And for those who still believe that picture books are for little children, they could investigate the purpose and effectiveness of an author sharing their message in this format. 

 

The Girl Who Brought Mischief

Aug15
The Girl Who Brought Mischief

The Girl Who Brought Mischief

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl Who Brought Mischief

Katrina Nannestad

ABC Books, 2023

224pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780733342899

After her mother dies, Inge Marie is sent to live with a grandmother she has never met, and who certainly doesn’t seem to want the responsibility of an unknown child, particularly one with her hair half-eaten off by a goat. It is a huge adjustment for each of them as Inge Marie is used to a carefree childhood with servants and freedom in the bustling city of Copenhagen and now finds herself in a tiny cottage on a remote island of Denmark where there are farm animals to care for, domestic chores to be done and a bed to be shared with a grandmother who snores.  And things get much worse when she has to go to the local school… 

Inge is very aware that what might be normal for her bright, optimistic self could be construed by her grandmother as bad manners or even bad behaviour and so she becomes very grateful and remorseful as she navigates a series of incidents like knocking Henry the turkey out cold that are just the hijinks of childhood It’s hard to forge a path between an imagination boosted by the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the city life taken so abruptly from her and living with someone who has only known the traditional life of a small village community.  Grandmother slaps her once or twice – she has never been hit before – but it is all part of the process of accepting their unimaginable loss and managing their grief.  And gradually things start to change, not just for Inge and her grandmother but, indeed for the whole village.

This book was previously published in 2013 and was the Winner of the 2014 NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature as well as being a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers in 2014 and it has stood the test of time.  Told by Inge, it is both heart-warming and heart-breaking in places but throughout there is a realisation that both are trying to come to terms with their new situation and you have the feeling that things will work out for the best.  Despite being set in 1911, when girls were supposed to be quiet and genteel while boys could be rowdy and rambunctious, young readers will see themselves in the outspoken Inge and delight in her approach to life while being compassionate for her loss.   

As well as being deserving of the awards that it has won and the praise it has been given, this story has stood the test of time and a new audience will delight in it.  

 

Why Worry Wally?

Aug14
Why Worry Wally?

Why Worry Wally?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Worry Wally?

Rick Foster

Jackie Case

Rick Foster, 2019

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.95

9780646810966

As soon as Wally wakes up in the morning, his mind starts working overtime about all the things that might go wrong that day from eating too much breakfast to monkeys falling from the trees.  He is a perpetual worrier,  getting so anxious and uptight about what might happen that he is unable to enjoy what does.

Children’s anxiety is a growing mental health issue and is in fact, becoming such an issue that it is at last getting the recognition it requires. So much so, that, since its inception in 1991, the phone counselling service Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) has responded to 8. 5oo ooo contacts from kids who just need someone to listen.  And while there have been a number of picture books written and shared to help children manage their anxiety, this one offers suggestions such as eating healthy food and having fun as well as encouraging positive self-talk as a pathway forward.  As well, the author has developed an incursion to complement a school’s well-being program aimed at those up to Year 4 that helps children understand that everyone feels worries and concerns at some time and there are strategies they can learn to help them manage them, even when they become overwhelming, particularly being   able to start a conversation with a trusted adult. 

With its soft-palette graphics and rhyming text, Wally’s predicament may well resonate with a number of students but the positive and inspiring message that offers acknowledgement of the issues rather than their dismissal, and encourages them to look for help rather than feeling they have to go it alone, they are also offered hope.  While there was a strong focus on kids’ well0being after their isolation during the lockdowns of the pandemic, as life returns to normal, we cannot let this concern diminish.  So any stories and programs that shine a spotlight on the problem that might help just one kid make a positive difference to their lives or build awareness in the adults around them are an essential part of any mindfulness programs and library collections. 

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

Aug13
An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

Tracey Dembo

Lucia Masciullo

Puffin, 2023

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

9780143778905

A is for Attitude.
May you have bucketloads of it, kid.

But for many children,  A may well be for Anxiety as they try to navigate a pathway through the expectations they believe others expect them to meet, the acceptable behaviour that is demanded by society, the beliefs and values of their families and community groups, and who they are actually are inside.   

Inspired by an incident when her 4-year-old daughter was given a “slightly old-fashioned, moralistic books about a kid who was taught that there are consequences if rules aren’t observed”, and she was angry because her daughter was “was already getting enough messages from the world about following rules” and needed ” a book that did the opposite” , the author believed,  “There needed to be a book about writing your own rules. About asking questions and being curious. About trusting your own instincts and relying on your gut to make a decision. About following your own path. About not feeling like you need to shrink yourself or to conform because of what someone else thinks. That it is all right to stand up for what you believe in. That it is good to speak up. That it is okay to be unapologetically YOU.” 

Amidst the myriad of picture books encouraging children to be themselves and affirming that who they are as they are is enough that have been published over the last few decades, using the alphabet to organise these affirmations to help the child develop their emotional intelligence and become curious and critical thinkers is rare.  Each letter is used to highlight a trait that encourages the child to have the courage to be themselves, follow their dreams, to ask questions, have fun, speak up and reach for the stars. 

I is for Imagination
Grow yours big and feed it every day.

V is for Voice.
Find yours. Use it loudly and proudly. Be seen AND heard. 

While there are extensive teaching notes and an activity pack to support the use of the book in the classroom,  older students could also use the format to develop a new book that inspires other traits that not only enable us to be ourselves but also to be more outwardly-focused. Perhaps C could be for Caring and Compassion or even Consequences; E could be for Empathy; J could be for Joy and Jubilation; L could be for Listen and Learn; R could be for Responsibility; U could be for Understanding and so forth, giving older children the opportunity to consider what these attributes mean and look like and their impact on others,  so having found and accepted themselves they can contribute to the greater good rather than stopping at the feel-good.  

A Chicken Called Hope

Aug12
A Chicken Called Hope

A Chicken Called Hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Chicken Called Hope

Danny Parker

Tamlyn Teow

Dirt Lane Press, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.95

9780648899686

Hope the chicken is the captain of Courage, a somewhat ramshackle ship that crisscrosses the oceans of the world, relying on Hope’s blind faith that all would be well throughout its voyages. When Hope feels queasy she clucks out a tune until the feeling goes; when she feels tired she dozes in the breeze…  But when the ship develops a leak, and, as usual, Hope procrastinates about fixing it things start to deteriorate and Hope finds that hope is not enough to save the ship, and she learns a powerful lesson about being proactive. 

On the surface, this is a pleasant story that will engage young readers, particularly as they engage with the onomatopoeia as the drip, drip, dribble becomes larger and use the illustrations to tell the story that the words don’t. They might even explore the old adage “A stitch in time saves nine” and how such traditional sayings can still apply to modern life. What situations can they identify that that saying could apply to? Are there other sayings that might apply to Hope’s predicament?

But, in line with the publisher’s philosophy of “tackl[ing] important social issues cleverly disguised as narratives” there is an allegory that older readers might like to tease out and not only discuss the issues it  raises but why an author might choose a picture book format to portray them, thus developing their literary understanding of the purpose and power of the picture book.  It could also be an interesting exercise in perspective – do all the readers identify the same message and if so (or otherwise), why? They might even debate whether using a form of entertainment for children is a legitimate or ethical way to portray a political message, exploring the text-to-self and text-to-world connections, as well as suggesting others they have read with a similar theme.  Food for thought that enables this book to be used across age groups.