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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.

 

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.  

The Unlikely Heroes Club

Aug7
The Unlikely Heroes Club

The Unlikely Heroes Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unlikely Heroes Club

Kate Foster

Walker Books, 2023

208pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781760655969

Eleven-year-old Oli is spending his school holidays at Heroes Club, a special gathering for autistic children so they can learn how to recognise and manage their emotions, and thus, make and maintain friendships. But on the way there a small brown dog is almost run over by the traffic and, as it freezes in shock, it catches Oli’s eye as if pleading for him to hop out of the car and rescue it. But Oli is a rule-abider and even though he has all sorts of worries about the upcoming class, he stays in the car.  Supported by his mum and his big sister Cathy, whom he adores, Oli makes it to his new class and over the course of the week begins to make friends. Gradually, he overcomes his worries and fears, but the thought of the dog haunts him, and when he not only spots it in an abandoned building from the classroom window but also learns the other children in the group have also seen it, he begins to hatch a plan to rescue it, especially when it seems the adults won’t listen to him.  

However, it is an audacious plan that requires the other kids to help and he is concerned that they will change their minds while he doubts his own ability to be there when he is needed…

Author Kate Foster says she is “passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via positive approach and representation”  and she has certainly achieved this in her books so far – Paws, Harriet Hound, CBCA Notable The Bravest Word, and now this one. By having the lead character as autistic and telling the story in the first person, the reader gets an inside look at the lives of these children in a way that neither observation or textbook can offer. Through that knowledge comes understanding and acceptance so that everyone’s life is richer. And in this book, with five of the children and Marge on the spectrum we learn a little about the range of ways that it manifests itself so that each child is different as opposed to a physical disease that has predictable signs and symptoms and solutions. Just as with “normal” kids, each is a unique individual deserving dignity, understanding and respect.

In my native New Zealand, the Maori word for autism is takiwatanga which means “in my own time and space” and The Unlikely Heroes Club is the most poignant story of how children can come together for the greater good even if they are in their own time and space.  

In my opinion, if it has Kate Foster’s name on the cover, then it should be in your collection. 

Takiwatanga

Takiwatanga

 

Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle

 

 

A Friend for Ruby

Aug6
A Friend for Ruby

A Friend for Ruby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Friend for Ruby

Sofie Laguna

Marc McBride

A & U Children’s, 2023

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

9781761067648

Ruby was unhappy – she was being ignored by the others girls at school and seemed to have no friends.  So as she mooched along the shoreline on her way home to Granma’s.  she was surprised and delighted to see a most unusual creature washed up on the sand, looking as lost as she felt.  Desperate for a friend she invites it to go home with her and hides it in her cubby. That night she keeps it company while it sleeps and in the morning, she feeds it leftover buns from the local bakery.  While she doesn’t want to share her discovery with her Granma, she does share it with Sonya, the baker’s daughter.

But is  her cubby the best place for a creature from the deep? Are buns its natural diet?  It is literally a fish out of water and her secret is discovered when it wrecks Granma’s garden…

Amidst McBride’s breath-taking pictures, here is a story about loneliness being so overwhelming that sometimes we will reach out to anything for company, no matter how unsuitable,  We forget that what we think we need is not necessarily the best thing for the other person/creature and so while one might be happy the other is miserable.  Friendship is best when both of you are happy in the partnership and so this is a story that can open up discussions about what it means to be a friend as well as making and maintaining friendships.  There is much to learn from both the creature and Ruby being happy when they are back amongst their own kind.  

But as well as that aspect for younger readers, this is also an opportunity for older readers to study the incredible artworks of Marc McBride to consider how an illustrator contributes to a picture book. What is the role of the illustrator and the illustrations in this format? Why, even for older readers, if this format often the best for sharing the author’s message and intent?   This is another collaboration between the husband and wife team which includes The House on Pleasant Street  and The Song of Lewis Carmichael , but he is also the illustrator of Deltora Quest as well as many others so there is a wealth of material available to investigate, as well as further suggestions from the NCACL’s Picture Books for Older Readers database..  

 

 

Scar Town

Aug1
Scar Town

Scar Town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scar Town

Tristan Bancks

Puffin, 2023

256pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780143791812

Imagine watching your old town emerge from the depths of a lake – a town that was drowned seven years ago taking untold secrets with it, secrets that were thought to have been hidden forever but now, as the water drops,  are rising and threatening to reveal mysteries, crimes and their perpetrators.  

Buildings and bridges rise from the depths of Lake Eucumbene as water levels drop during the severe drought in 2007. Taken on the Old Snowy Mountains highway near Anglers Reach. What secrets did they divulge? (My photos taken while we were living in Old Adaminaby, 2007)

Buildings and bridges rise from the depths of Lake Eucumbene as water levels drop during the severe drought in 2007. Taken on the Old Snowy Mountains highway near Anglers Reach. What secrets did they divulge? (My photos taken while we were living in Old Adaminaby, 2007)

Will,  and twins J and Dar are fascinated as an old house starts to appear and despite Will’s misgivings, they decide to swim out to explore it.  But when they discover a large stash of cash in the walls and then human remains, they expose old secrets that were presumed buried forever.  Could the bones be those of Will’s dad who, along with eight others, disappeared seven years ago? Should they keep the money a secret because J sees it as the twins’ path to financial freedom from their deadbeat, alcoholic, broken dad and Will sees it as a ticket to somewhere else for his mum and him, away from the memories and their current money problems? And who else wants it so badly they are willing to beat up kids, kidnap Dar and trash houses? 

The title Scar Town has a lot more meaning than just being short for Scarborough as old wounds that have thin scars are opened up.  

As with his other suspense thrillers like Cop and Robber  and Detention, Bancks has again written an un-putdownable read that races along and puts the reader firmly in the position of having to consider what they would do if they were in that situation. By creating characters that are, in so many ways, just like them, Bancks hooks the reader into being more than just an observer, and places them in the position of having to take a stance.   Would they go to the police, which is what Will wants to do, because, after all, his father was the local policeman before his mysterious disappearance, or would their loyalty to their friends persuade them to follow the belligerent, seemingly fearless J?  Can kids outsmart crooks or would adult help be better?  But which adults can you trust? 

Apart from sheer entertainment, one of the purposes of contemporary realistic fiction is to place the reader in situations where they can experience life vicariously and consider their own responses, and although they might not be exactly in Will’s situation, there will be times when they are torn between friendship and doing what they know to be the smart thing. Thus, this is a perfect example of this year’s CBCA Book week theme of Read. Grow. Inspire.

Dads and Dogs

Jul30
Dads and Dogs

Dads and Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dads and Dogs

Mick Elliot

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760655044

For every dog there is a dad and for every dad there is a dog and together they romp through this hilarious celebration of the companionship they offer each other.  

With its clear illustrations and simple text this is an excellent book for empowering young people to believe that they can not only read, but they can write. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

By looking at the pictures the child can work out what is happening and predict the text. But the final page shows the child, his dad and his dog so why not ask the child to add their own picture and caption.  But wait – there is a challenge.  Take a closer look at the author’s caption and look for the alliteration (as well as the upper and lower case versions of each letter) and see if they can follow that same pattern making the adjectives align.  An opportunity to not only write but to extend their skills and vocabulary. 

My page would be easy – Snoozy dad with a sooky dog.  What would yours be? 

Last-Place Lin

Jul28
Last-Place Lin

Last-Place Lin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last-Place Lin

Wai Chim

Freda Chiu

Allen & Unwin, 2023

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

9781761067754

It’s Sports Day! Everyone has a different House colour.
I’m in the Red House. Go Red!
It’s time for the sack race. On your marks, get set, go!
But not everyone can come first.

The scenario for this story from  Australian Survivor contestant, Wai Chim, of the annual horror of school sports day will be familiar for many young readers, as will be the feeling of being Last-Place Lin. Coupled with the accurate, sometimes amusing illustrations, it will resonate with so many who will be able to put themselves in the place of any of the characters – except the winner’s.

With Australia awash with elite sports news at the moment from Victoria’s  cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Ashes series between Australia and England, the World Swimming Championships in Japan, and the looming finals series in the football codes, it could seem to many that the only people valued in this country are the elite sports competitors. And despite Australia’s reputation for cutting down its tall poppies, that doesn’t seem to apply to sport.  It couldn’t be a worse time for all the Last-Place Lins so this is a timely release to share to show that winning is fleeting and developing resilience, perseverance and endurance – even courage to try – are the values that will stand our young people in greatest stead.

As well as celebrating Lin’s persistence and that of her friend for running alongside her,  doing some simple maths that shows the proportion of how many will feel the euphoria of wining in a race of eight contestants can put things in perspective.  In a television interview with a young lad who had scored 80+ tries for his rugby league team this season, former Brisbane Broncos player Sam Thaiday reminded him of that euphoria of crossing the line and suggested that he might like to share it with his team mates by passing the ball to them too rather than focusing on the statistics.  What an important lesson for winners to learn!!!  

Earlier this year we were sharing real-life stories of those who tried and endured until they finished in conjunction with the National Simultaneous Storytime book, The Speedy Sloth as we encouraged students to identify and celebrate those things that they were good at if sport was not their forté and this is another worthy addition to that collection.  

 

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Jul27
A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Boy, His Dog and the Sea

Anthony Browne

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781529507058

Danny is bored. He would have liked to have been playing with his brother Mick but he’s off with his mates so, instead, he takes his dog Scruff for a walk on the beach.  Even though Danny thinks it’s a vast, boring nothingness, especially on a cool wintry day. Scruff loves it and it’s not too long before they are having a game of fetch as Scruff continually chases a stick into the water and brings it back.  But it’s when they see a crowd of people shouting and laughing and waving to someone in the water, that Danny’s afternoon takes a remarkable turn…

As usual, master storyteller Browne offers a visual feast as he combines fairly straight-forward text with his rich illustrations and, just as Danny’ mother suggests he use his eyes closely because “you never know what you might see”, so too should the reader.  But, for me, as much as I love the sea in all its changing moods and colours, and the treasures found along its shore, it is the dedication that underpins this story.  “In loving memory of my big brother Michael” suggests there is a poignant undertone of loss and longing that there could have been a different ending to his brother’s real-life story and this is echoed in the muted palette and flat, almost featureless seascape with just the odd break on the horizon.

So, as well as offering young readers the opportunity to think about what Danny’s mother suggests about finding hidden treasures and sharing their stories of seaside adventures, it is also an opportunity to think about friends and things lost forever and the emotions attached to this.  Given this is the third book about loss and  grief that I have read and reviewed in the last three days, perhaps I am overthinking what might seem a simple story but my experience of Browne’s writing is that like, the beach, there are always hidden treasures to discover. You just have to look.