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Unreal

Jul22
Unreal

Unreal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unreal: Can you tell the fact from the fake?

Kate Simpson

Leila Rudge

A & U Children’s, 2024

64pp., hbk. RRP $A29.99

9781761180347

There’s been a mix-up at the Museum – some of the displays from the Myths and Legends exhibit have snuck into the Natural History wing.
We have to sort it out, but how can we tell fact from fiction? Animal from apparition? Megafauna from monster?

Oh my goodness!  If ever there were a book written to go straight into the teacher librarian’s toolkit, this is it.  Right here, in these 64 pages with their intriguing illustrations and fascinating snippets of information is your information literacy program for a term, if not a year!  And it is one that is going to grab even the most reluctant readers who are yet to discover the magic between the covers of a book.  

Beginning with a brief introduction of how to identify fact from fake by answering these questions…

  • Who is providing me with this information?
  • Do they have evidence for their claims?
  • Why are they telling me this?
  • How recent is the information?
  • Do other sources agree?

the reader is presented with five or six samples with a picture accompanied by a smidgen of fact and they have to determine creature or plant which is real and belongs in the Natural History section and which need to be returned to Myths and Legends.  Topics covered include weird and wonderful  things like Into the Deep, Cryptids, Bioluminescence and Animal Mash-ups among many more, and all will send the reader to the shelves and/or the internet to discover the truth (or otherwise) of the claims made, all the while honing their information literacy skills, as well as employing their critical analysis as they interpret and evaluate what they are reading.  Because each double-page spread provides a new challenge, the same skills are applied in a new context each time so they become embedded in the reader’s thinking.  They will become naturally more critical of what they are seeing, hearing or being told so are more likely to handle this world of fake news. artificial intelligence, scams and phishing better.     What more could you want?

Well, IMO, it is the perfect model for each to create a similar page for their peers to investigate, drawing on a wide range of topics from the real world and marrying them to the gamut of people and creatures that populate the stories of the world’s peoples so there is a feast of learning going on, beyond practising their skills in context.  

Definitely one for the toolbox of every teacher librarian.  

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Jul1
Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Inside Science: The Solar System

Rob Lloyd Jones

Teresa Bellon

Usborne, 2024

14pp., board book, RRP $A19.99

9781805318699

With night falling so early these days, and winter skies being clear and crisp it is the perfect time to introduce our youngest readers to the wonders of the night sky as stars and planets are so clearly visible.  But with such beauty so readily available, especially of you live where there is little light pollution comes lots of questions so it is also time to invest in some books especially written for this age group so those questions can have answers while they are fresh in the mind.

Enter yet another wondrous publication from Usborne which uses its iconic lift the flap format to explain the solar system to the budding young astronomers and whet their appetite for new explorations and new discoveries.  Beginning with the sun, we take a journey past the four rock and metal  planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, then through the asteroid belt and out to the gas giants of Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus, and beyond.  All in full colour, all with flaps to lift and peepholes to peer through making an interactive experience that engages and explains, while for those who want to know more there are the specially selected Quicklinks  to accompany the book, as well as other equally intriguing publications (each with their own links) to continue the curiosity.

 

 

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Jun24
Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supersquirrel and the Crazy Rain Maker

Russell Punter

Josh Cleland

Usborne, 2024

80pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781805315889

The Animal Action Squad is a top secret organisation of superheroes dedicated to fighting crime, and Supersquirrel is one of its operatives.  With her undercover occupation as a taxi driver, and her superpowers including being able to fly extremely quickly, x-ray vision and superhearing, she has to outwit the fiendish criminal mastermind Dr Drizzle and his sidekick Rocky who have stolen a top secret formula meaning danger if it gets in the wrong hands.

But she can’t do it alone – she needs the reader’s help, and this is what sets this remarkable little book aside from so many.  Part stepping-stone novel, part graphic novel, it is packed full of puzzles and clues that the reader needs to solve, making it as interactive as a print text can be.  Being directly involved as a character means the reader has to engage with the story, the text and its illustrations rather than a skim-read-what’s next book.  It can be read alone or shared as participants stop to consider what they have learned from a particular excerpt and how it fits into the overall scheme of things, encouraging deeper thinking, reflection and synthesising information. Although it doesn’t require making decisions to determine the path of the story, it could lead to an interest in the choose-your-own-adventure genre. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

This is the first in this series that I predict will become a must-have as it reaches out to newly independent readers, including those who are beginning to think that reading doesn’t really hold much for them.  So much more fun than pressing or tapping buttons just to accumulate a high score.  

Lights Out, Little Dragon!

Jun22
Lights Out, Little Dragon!

Lights Out, Little Dragon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lights Out, Little Dragon!

Debra Tidball

Rae Tan

HarperCollins, 2024

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

9781460763421

My little dragon is so tired, but he won’t go to sleep.

What can I do?

The theme of getting a little one to go to bed and to sleep is common in books for our youngest readers, but what sets this one apart is the role reversal of the main character and that the reader is invited to become actively involved in the story by helping the little girl to persuade Little Dragon that is is bedtime and that means settling down.  

Rather than counting sheep, Dragon wants to play with them and they’re exhausted so the reader is asked to trace a path for them to escape; they get to use their big-people’s voice to tell him to go to bed; and help out with counteracting all the strategies that Little Dragon uses – strategies that they, themselves, will be familiar with.  They help find Dragon’s lost dinosaur; blow away the loud-thought clouds that keep him awake; tickle his tummy;  groan at his antics in the bathroom; even turn the light on and off… Sometimes, trying to put a little one to bed can be exhausting.

While the child will engage with L:ittle Dragon’s antics and relate to the little girl’s situation and language because they, themselves, will have heard it before, the adult sharing the story with them will enjoy the subtle humour as they discuss what Little Dragon might try next and how the little girl might deal with it. Fun and engaging.

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Jun21
Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extreme Planet: Journey Through The Amazon

Rob Lloyd Jones

Wazza Pink

Usborne, 2024

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

9781805312185

This is a board book with just 16 pages, but in those 16 pages the reader is taken on the most remarkable journey along a river that is the world’s largest drainage system and which, because of the forests through which it flows, has been called “the lungs of the earth”. 

Through remarkable illustrations that leap off the page and a lift-the-flap format that make it interactive and thus more engaging, the reader is introduced to the Amazon’s flora and fauna in the canopy, along the river, in the jungle and on the ground as well as some of the peoples who have lived there for over 10 000 years. 

But this is not a mere travel guide and neither does it tell the entire story for there is so much more to be discovered.  Its purpose is to begin raising awareness of this remarkable, crucial landscape that is critical to the health of the planet. but as we are told, “While you’re read this book thousands more trees have been cut down [and] at this rate, the Amazon rainforest will be gone.” And so will its ability to counteract some of the pollution that is pumped into the planet’s atmosphere each day.

Part of the Extreme Planet series which includes Journey to the Earth’s Core, in which young readers are introduced to some of the amazing habitats of Earth and their inhabitants, in a way that is accessible to them through both format and text, it inspires a desire to know more as the narrative directly embraces the reader as their boots “squelch on the rotting woods and fallen leaves” and insects scurry through the gloom because so little sunlight reaches the forest floor. But beware – bright and colourful as they may be, some are deadly… Use this link to see for yourself.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

And for those who do want to know more, there are the usual Quicklinks which are such a unique and integral part of this publisher’s presentations. Perhaps students could use what they learn and the format of the book to develop a wall display to help raise the awareness of their peers. 

One thing is for certain – by the time they have read this book, the word “Amazon” will be so much more than a large online shopping mall.  

Dexter Lost His Boo-Woo

Apr12
Dexter Lost His Boo-Woo

Dexter Lost His Boo-Woo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dexter Lost His Boo-Woo

Shane Hegarty

Ben Mantle

Hodder Children’s, 2024

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

9781444966350 

HELP! Dexter’s lost his Boo-Woo.

It’s a scary sounding beast! It has fiery eyes and floppy ears, and twenty pointy teeth!

Soon the whole town is on the hunt for the Boo-Woo… police officers, firefighters and so many more join in the search, each getting more and more concerned as Dexter describes the Boo-Woo.  They are very relieved when they find it,  but have they?

At first glance, this is a story written in fast-paced rhyme for very young children about finding something precious that has been lost and the emotions that that engenders, but it has the potential to be so much more because as the locals join the search, Dexter adds more and more information building up the picture of what his Boo-Woo looks like.  So much like The Dudgeon is Coming, young students can build group or individual pictures adding features as they are revealed, particularly if the first reading of the story is read aloud without showing the illustrator’s interpretation of the words (wrap the cover in brown paper) so the listeners really have to engage with the text as each new detail is revealed.  

It not only provides an excellent opportunity to focus on description and descriptors which will enrich their own writing, but also on perception because each drawing will be different and none will be the same as that of Ben Mantle.  You can talk about how our experiences shape our mind’s eye, and perhaps even introduce the classic poem, The Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe. Extend the experience by having them draw the king in The King’s Breakfast by A. A. Milne, Dahl’s BFG as he walks down the street blowing dreams through the windows, or even Gandalf’s first meeting with Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Each has a description that lends itself to be interpreted in a graphic and because each of us interprets what we see and hear differently can lead to discussions about perception, what is truth and how it is shaped by our beliefs, values and even our role in an incident.   

But to be able to hang such a series of lessons on a story, you first need an engaging story that appeals to its audience on the surface, and Dexter and his Boo-Woo is certainly that, with the ending lending itself to even more possibilities!  

One Little Dung Beetle

Mar28
One Little Dung Beetle

One Little Dung Beetle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Little Dung Beetle

Rhiân Williams

Heather Potter & Mark Jackson

Wild Dog, 2024

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

9781742036656

Australia is rich with fascinating beetles that all have a job to do. Using counting rhymes, young readers are introduced to some of these unique species and identifying the roles that each type of beetle plays in the environment including the dung beetle, the once-iconic Christmas beetle and some with the most remarkable colouring.  

With stunning endpapers, and accurate anatomical illustrations throughout, this offers an insight into the prevalence of beetles in the landscape and the critical role they perform in keeping it healthy and vibrant.  Teachers notes  offer further resources and links to investigate further, including the world of entomology, while also guiding young readers through the process of distinguishing a non fiction title from a fictional one, and how to use the cues and clues to prepare themselves for getting the most from it.

But while its format might suggest an early childhood audience, there is also scope for older readers to springboard their own investigations – why was the dung beetle introduced to Australia and were all introduced species as successful? Why do some have such remarkable colouring?  Why have all the Christmas beetles disappeared to the extent there is now a national count?  

Even if the reader is a little young to appreciate all the information, much of it embedded in the illustrations, they will enjoy practising their counting skills as they try to find all the beetles as well as the number of holes nibbled in the title number.  The pictures also include other creatures so there is also the opportunity to investigate the concepts of “more” and “less” and other early maths basics. 

With its focus topic which will encourage little ones to look at their environment with fresh eyes as well as its format, this is one that offers so much more than first meets the eye.  Give it with the gift of a magnifying glass and see the joy and wonder explode. 

 

Hatch and Match

Mar20
Hatch and Match

Hatch and Match

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hatch and Match

Ruth Paul

Walker Books, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A25.99

9781760656980

Early morning on the farm, and as the rooster crows to start the new day, an assortment of the most brightly coloured, highly patterned chickens jump down from the tree they have roosted in overnight and begin to search for their eggs.  And as they search the farmyard with all its hazards, the reader is invited to help them search by matching colours and patterns so that each hen finds its eggs.  

But when all are reconciled, that’s not the end of the story – there is a delightful twist as the eggs hatch into chicks that will make the reader think about things a little more deeply.

This has to be one of the most engaging books for our youngest readers that I’ve read for a while.  Not only do they interact with the text and illustrations, developing their visual acuity as they match patterns and colours (a precursor to distinguishing more  subtle changes like letter shapes), but the ending offers food for thought that will have a lasting impact on how they view the world.  If it weren’t for this being by a Kiwi author (go us) making it ineligible, it is one I would expect to see in the CBCA awards lists in the future.

The Knight of Little Import

Mar19
The Knight of Little Import

The Knight of Little Import

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Knight of Little Import

Hannah Batsel

Carolrhoda Books, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A37.99

9781728450995

Compared to the big and boisterous city of Biggerborough, Charlie’s home town of Little Import is very staid and sedate, which is extremely embarrassing for someone who is supposed to slay monsters and keep people safe.  But in reality, Charlie had never even seen a monster, let alone fought one, and she spent her days reading about them in her Big Book of Beastly Brutes and imagining them.

 

But what she didn’t realise was that the slow demise wasn’t being caused by the brashness of Biggerborough and the knights there fighting mile-high monsters and ogres, but by a host of little monsters  that were hiding in plain sight in her own town.  It starts with her helping the baker get rid of the Triple-Tier Hungerbeak who has been eating his pastries every night for a week and the word of her knowledge and bravery spreading…

This  is one of the most original stories I’ve read and reviewed for a long time, one that will have readers of all ages engaged in Charlie’s adventures.  As each character presents Charlie with their problem, there is a description of the monster in a separate box and so astute readers will want to use the clues to see if they spot it before Charlie does.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

The ending is a delightful surprise demonstrating that solving small problems can lead to big changes, not only in Little Import but also in life itself, offering a subtle message that having the courage to confront small issues when they arise can prevent bigger problems.  The old adage “A stitch in time saves none” comes to mind and older readers might want to probe the meaning of that. 

The Transylvanian Express

Mar16
The Transylvanian Express

The Transylvanian Express

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express

Gareth P. Jones

Louise Forshaw

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760656591

Haventry is a town where the ordinary and extraordinary collide and with ghosts, werewolves, vampires, mummies, zombies and all sorts of other fantastic creatures living side by side, trouble is always brewing. Following the delivery of a mysterious letter from an unknown client, Klaus Solstang is on the Transylvania express travelling to the home of dreaded  Count Fledermaus, a vampire whose castle will be opened for an annual public event. The trouble is that a VIP, Night Mayor Franklefink, has gone missing while on the train, and one of the suspects is his arch nemesis, Bramwell Stoker.

However, Klaus Solstang is not an ordinary detective – he is a yeti and the reader becomes his assistant in solving the mystery, bestowed with special magical powers. And so this modern choose=your-own-adventure begins…

Written for independent readers, this is one of a series in which the reader is actively engaged in solving a mystery, each choice of action made offering a new permutation of the story. This feeling of being directly involved is consolidated with the narrative being written in the second person, addressing the reader encouraging them to follow the prompts and clues, identify opportunities and motives, and then choose which path to take to work out who committed the crime.  Each path leads to a different outcome so it is one of those books that keeps on giving. 

Part of a series of four that depend on the reader’s participation, it encourages a deeper interaction with the story than normal and is ideal for those who like to solve crimes and mysteries and fancy themselves as detectives..

Solve Your Own Mystery (series)

Solve Your Own Mystery (series)