February 2008
I have been
asked a number of times by teachers to compile a list of literature that
I think could be used to spark stimulating discussion of the various 'attitudes'
that the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureat wants
the students to develop. These attitudes are: Appreciation,
Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation, Creativity, Curiosity, Empathy, Enthusiasm,
Independence, Integrity, Respect, and Tolerance.
This is an
initial list of literature which I hope will provide books which can be
used to generate thought-provoking discussion about these attitudes. The
books chosen are not didactic nor are they therapeutic. They are
certainly not intended as a formula to suggest that students should behave
in a particular way. In many of the books chosen, there is a strong
element of irony and many of them are amusing. I hope that all the
books will be enjoyable to read and will give students and teachers greater
understanding of varying aspects of the positive attitudes that the PYP
hopes students will develop towards people, the environment and learning. I
am sure the list will be of value not just to teachers of the PYP but to
any teachers interested in a wide range of good literature for discussion. After
each review I have listed some of the most obvious attitudes which could be discussed
with each book. However many of the books are complex and I am sure
students will suggest further attitudes which can also be found in the
books.
This is not
an easy list to compile but it will gradually be enlarged and improved
over time and as I get more feedback from teachers and librarians. I
have given an indication of reading levels to each of the titles. It
is worth while noting that many of the picture books listed can also be
used in worthwhile discussions with older students.
Please
Note All prices are in Australian dollars
and include the 10% GST tax. However this GST does not apply to
exports from Australia.
To order
any of the books on the list, please send the orders to Austral Ed by post,
fax or by email. Payment can be made with bank cheques in Australian
dollars, by direct bank transfer or by Credit card. Freight
is sent by the most economical method within Australia or overseas, depending
on urgency.
Recommended
by Kate Shepherd
Picture Books
A Nice Walk in the Jungle by Nan Bodsworth pb $14.95
Miss Jellaby is such an enthusiastic teacher that
as she walks and talks her way through the jungle she doesn't notice that
her class is, one by one, being consumed by a hungry boa constrictor. But
a boa constrictor is no match for Miss Jellaby.
Curiosity, Enthusiasm
Belonging by Jeannie Baker hardback $27.95 pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
This book depicts
an inner city suburb which is bleak in its drabness, ugly signs, graffitti
and dilapidated
houses and the way it changes over several generations. The street
is gradually transformed as a little girl and her family begin to plant
native trees and flowers. Gradually the whole community becomes involved
and the ugly signs are removed, houses are painted, gardens are made and
trees are planted in the street. The birds return to the area bringing
life and splashes of colour. The community has gradually transformed
their suburb into a pleasant, living place. (7 - 11 years)
Appreciation, Cooperation, Creativity, Respect
Cleversticks by Bernard Ashley illustrated by Derek Brazell pb
$11.95
Ling Sung decides he doesn't like school
but all his problems disappear when he discovers there is something he
can do that others can't - he can use chopsticks.
Confidence, Enthusiasm
Dear Greenpeace by Simon James pb $15.95
When
a whale suddenly appears in the garden pond, the little girl decides to write
to Greenpeace for advice. She
shows great ingenuity in her letters.
Confidence, Curiosity
Edward
the Emu by Sheena
Knowles illus by Rod Clement pb $14.95
Edward is
the most expressive emu imaginable as he shows his boredom at being an
emu and checks out the behaviour of the other animals in the zoo and then
tries to imitate them.
Curiosity
The Empty
Pot by Demi hardback $38.95 pb
$16.95
When the
Emperor of China gives all the children seeds to grow, Ping is dismayed
that his pot is the only empty pot. All the other children have grown
beautiful flowers. However the emperor is delighted with Ping because
Ping is the only one honest enough to admit that his seed didn't grow. (5
- 8 years)
Integrity
Frog and the Stranger by
Max Velthuijs pb $18.95
When a stranger arrives in
their small community only Frog is welcoming. The others are suspicious
and only accept him once he has saved one of the houses from burning down. Then
he and his stories are much appreciated. This is a lesson not to
prejudge.
Tolerance
Grandpa and Thomas by
Pamela Allen pb $14.95
Grandpa and Thomas spend
a delightful day at the beach enjoying each other's company as they paddle,
picnic and feed the screeching seagulls. Lots of familiar rhythmic
repetition as the sea swooshes and swishes in the background. (4
- 6 years)
Appreciation
The Last Dragon by Susan Miho Nunes illus by Chris K Soentpiet pb $14.95
A young boy's determination and the help of the people in Chinatown bring to life the old dragon and the young Chinese boy discovers he has many friends in Chinatown.
Cooperation
Masai and I by Virginia Kroll, illustrated
by Nancy Carpenter pb $16.95
A young girl from the city imagines
how different her life would be if she were a Masai living on the East
African
plains. On each double page spread of this picture book, the illustration
blends and links the two ways of life. The fact that the girl and
her family are black and that she is exploring her feelings of kinship
with the Masai gives an extra dimension to the story. (6
- 10 years)
Empathy
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi pb $16.95
A story about a young Korean girl who thinks she will choose an American name when she comes to live in America in order to fit in better. However in the end she decides that her name, Unhei meaning Grace, reflects herself and her culture. A lesson in cultural understanding in the classroom. (7 – 10 years)
Tolerance, Independence
Nana Upstairs and Nana
Downstairs by Tomie de Paola hardback
pb $38.95
pb $16.95
These are the childhood memories
of Tomie de Paola as he lovingly recreates a time when he was four years
old and had a 94 year old grandmother who lived upstairs and a younger
grandmother living downstairs and they all shared the same house.
Appreciation, Respect
One World by Michael Foreman pb $20.95
A beautiful picture
book in which a young girl and boy playing in a rock pool at the beach is
seen as a microcosm
of the world. (5 - 8 years)
Appreciation
Pumpkin
Soup by Cooper pb $17.95
A delightful
story about Cat, Squirrel and Duck and the problems caused when Duck decides
he will stir the pumpkin soup instead of Squirrel. It takes a while
but gradually everything is worked and cooperation reigns again.
Cooperation, Empathy
Salmon
Forest by David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis illustrated by
Sheena Lott pb $21.95
A beautifully illustrated
book in which Kate and her dad enthusiastically explore the forest and
the river where the salmon live and spawn. Her father talks about
the amazing relationship between the sea, the land, the river and all
of life. (6 - 10 years)
Appreciation, Curiosity, Enthusiasm
Sharon keep your hair on by Gillian Rubinstein illus by David Mackintosh pb $14.95
This rap poem is great fun to read aloud. It is a virtuoso rhyming performance about an extended family which grows and then shrinks. Sharon’s husband shows great ingenuity in adding on the house and then taking the extensions away as needed.
(5 – 10 years)
Confidence, Creativity
The Sign on Rosie's Door by
Maurice Sendak hardback $33.95
Rosie is a very imaginative little girl. She
delights in performing as Alinda the lady singer for her friends and manages
to convince
them to wait till she is magically transformed back to being Rosie.
Confidence,
Creativity, Independence
Tokyo Friends -
Tokyo no Tomodachi by Betty Reynolds $16.95
This
is an excellent introduction to Japanese language and culture and also
some of the differences between
Japanese and western customs. When Katie meets her two Japanese friends
in Tokyo, they show us some of the everyday things that they do and the
Japanese and English words for them. The words are written in English,
in Japanese phonetically and also in the Japanese script and are accompanied
by lively illustrations. (6 - 12 years)
Curiosity, Tolerance
Too Loud Lily by Sofie Laguna illus by Kerry Argent pb $15.00
Lily couldn't help being
noisy in almost everything that she did and she was forever being told
to shush. However when the new drama teacher arrives at the school,
Lily's loudness is appreciated when she is the exuberant star of the school
play.
Enthusiasm
Yoko by Rosemary Wells hardback $33.95
Yoko is devastated when the children make fun of the sushi that she brings for her lunch. However a thoughtful teacher, a hungry friend and an International Food Day all help solve Yoko’s problems.
Tolerance
You and Me, Murrawee by Kerri Hashmi illustrated by Felicity Marshall pb
$14.95
A beautifully illustrated picture book
which shows a young white girl camping on the banks of the River Murray
with her family and through her eyes the life of a young Aboriginal girl
Murrawee two hundred of years earlier, before the white settlers came.
Empathy
Fiction
The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race by Morris Lurie illus by Elizabeth Honey pb
$14.95
Edward is a most determined competitor in the annual
African hippo race. He has trained hard but needs the help of another
competitor to stop the cheating ways of boastful Sebastian who is also
in the race. Great fun to read aloud. (6 - 10 years)
Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation
Anton Rocks On by
David Metzenthen pb $12.95
Anton is so short that he is regularly called
Ant and life at high school is tough but he perseveres and through his determination
and his love for his guitar and a few good ideas he manages to turn his
life around. One of the Aussie Chomps. ((7 - 10
years)
Commitment, Integrity, Tolerance
The Barrumbi Kids by
Leonie Norrington pb $18.00
Dale and Tomias are best
mates. They
both come from the same outback country but one boy is Aboriginal and the
other is white. This book contains lots of adventure and exploration
of the cultures of both boys and their love for their country. (9
- 13 years)
Respect, Tolerance
Bartlett and the Ice Voyage by Odo Hirsch pb $14.95
A
charming and engaging adventure story about an indulged young queen and an
unlikely explorer whose inventiveness, desperation
and perseverance succeeds against all odds in bringing back to the young
queen the delights of a fresh melidrop fruit. (8 - 12 years)
Commitment, Confidence, Creativity, Curiosity
Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer pb $14.95
Benny is devastated when
he has to leave Ireland and his hurling friends and go and live in Tunisia. He
is a rebel and finds the unthreatening friendly atmosphere of the international
school very strange and feels more at ease with a young homeless Tunisian
boy who is forced to live life on the edge. Colfer succeeds in giving
a believable, unsentimental
portrayal of poverty and homelessness. (10
- 15 years)
Creativity, Empathy, Independence
The Big Bahzooley by Peter Carey pb $13.95
Carey's first book for children is a marvellously
inventive story, a sparkling mix of fantasy, reality and humour in which
the hero shows considerable ingenuity in trying to help his parents earn
more money. (8 - 11 years)
Confidence, Creativity
Bill's New Frock by Anne Fine pb $14.95
One morning
Bill Simpson wakes up and finds out that he is a girl and has to go to school
dresses in a pink frock. The
day is like a nightmare for him but hilarious for the reader as Bill discovers
that girls are often treated differently by teachers and other children. (7
- 11 years)
Empathy
Bob the Builder and the Elves by Emily Rodda pb $12.95
Bob is a builder who is appalled and embarrassed
when his house is infested with elves who keep his house much too tidy
and make him fairy bread and polish his boots. This is a very funny
story. (7 - 10 years )
Creativity, Empathy, Tolerance
Born to Bake by Phillip Gwynne pb 11.95
Rick thinks he is average, middle of the road with no real skills but then he gets a passion for baking cakes and discovers his true creativity. One of the popular Aussie Bites series. ( 7 – 9 years)
Creativity, Enthusiasm
Dreamwalker by
Isobelle Carmody pb $14.95 created with illustrator Steven
Woolman is a striking graphic novel. It is a fantasy story which
also looks at the way stories are created and the way author and illustrator
work together. It has a highly dramatic visual presentation. (10 - 15
years)
Cooperation, Creativity, Empathy, Enthusiasm, Independence
Fat, Four-Eyed and Useless by David Hill pb $16.95
A very funny and entertaining story about a boy who joins a new writing group and to his surprise finds friendship and the challenge of and enjoyment of writing. The story is told in a diary format. (9 – 12 years)
Commitment, Creativity
Flytrap by Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor pb $13.95
Nancy
said she would bring a venus fly trap to school because she knew it would
please her teacher but now she is very worried
because she doesn't actually have one. Each day she becomes more worried
as she puts off telling her teacher the truth. Through the stories of her
mother and Aboriginal step-father, she gains the courage to tell the teacher
the truth and to share a special story with her class. (7 - 10
years)
Integrity
The Giver by Lois Lowry pb $14.95
This is a remarkable story
about a futuristic time. Jonas
is given enormous responsibility and comes to realise that the premises
of the world in which he lives are based false memories and deceit. (9
- 13 years)
Empathy, Integrity
Hating Alison Ashley by
Robyn Klein pb $17.95
The very funny story of two girls who take an instant
dislike to each other and the reasons why. It takes a while but they
do learn from this experience. Also available as a play, pb $17.95. (8
- 12 years)
Tolerance
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks pb $14.95
This
is an enchanting fantasy where a toy Indian comes alive and Omri discovers
that this is not just any toy Indian but a real
life warrior with very particular needs and desires. (8 - 13 years)
Empathy, Respect, Tolerance
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke translated from the
German by Anthea Bell pb $20.00
Meggie loves books, she loves
their mystery and the way they can magically open up other worlds and other
worlds are opened up in this book. Meggie's father is a book binder
and he has passed on to Meggie his love and reverence of books but he never
reads aloud to her, though he is a wonderful storyteller of stories that
he has made up himself. It is just too dangerous and the reason
why gradually becomes clear through the very strange appearance one night
of a stranger. This is an exciting and intriguing story. The equally entrancing sequel is • Inkspell hardback $29.95 (9 – 14 years)
Appreciation, Creativity, Integrity
Keeper by Mal Peet pb $16.95
An absolutely absorbing story told by El Gato, world famous goalkeeper, about his life as the son of poor logger in a South American rainforest and how he rose to fame. This is a story of determination and courage which is also full of wonder for the rainforest. (10 – 16 years)
Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation, Integrity, Respect
Lizzie Zipmoth by
Wilson pb $13.95
When her mother shifts in with Sam and his two sons,
Lizzie decides not to talk as a silent protest. However she breaks
her silence for Sam's grandmother and when the grandmother has a stroke,
it is Lizzie who helps her learn to speak again. (6 - 10 years)
Confidence, Empathy
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman pb $14.95
A homeless
young girl is given food and shelter in return for helping the village midwife. However she shows such determination
and perseverance that she is finally accepted as the midwife's apprentice. (10
- 14 years)
Commitment
Millie and the Night Heron by Catherine Bateson pb $16.95
Shifts and changes in life are not easy but can sometimes bring more friends and a different perspective on the world, as Millie discovers. This is a sensitive story about a girl who is not an extrovert but is determined to keep a strong sense of herself and who discovers a love of photography and bird life. (9 - 12 years)
Independence, Cooperation, Creativity
Misery Guts by
Morris Gleitzman pb $14.95
Keith shows a lot of ingenuity in persuading his parents
to shift from dismal dreary England to Australia but still finds there are
problems in the land of his dreams and he has to continue to be inventive. (9
- 13 years)
Creativity, Cooperation, Independence.
My Story Snowy:
The Diary of Eva Fischer Cabramurra, 1958 - 1959 by Siobhan McHugh pb
$18.00
Eva Fischer has a German father and an
Australian mother and is initially very apprehensive about shifting to
the highest town in Australia so that her father can work as an engineer
on the Snowy River Scheme. She is reluctant at first but becomes
enthusiastic as she meets new friends, and discovers the delights of eating
pizza and other different foods. Eva grows in confidence and happiness
while at the same time many of the tensions between the many different
nationalities and the rivalries and dangers involved in the work are revealed. (10
- 16 years)
Curiosity, Tolerance
The Other Side of Truth by
Beverley Naidoo pb $12.95
This is a moving story about a young girl
and her brother who are smuggled into Britain after their mother is killed
by gunmen because
of their journalist father's outspoken newspaper articles against corruption
in Nigeria. Beverley Naidoo describes the bureaucratic procedures involved
in becoming considered for refugee status and we start to understand just
how traumatic the whole procedure must be for the children and their father. (10
- 15 years)
Integrity, Respect, Tolerance
Someone Like Me by Elaine Forrestal pb $14.95
Tas shows a lot of determination and gets into a
lot of trouble for an ordinary kid. Why do certain kids pick on him
and why does he react so fiercely? When Enya and her mysterious Irish
family shift in next door, his life takes on additional complications. (8
- 12 years)
Independence, Integrity, Tolerance
Space Demons by
Gillian Rubinstein pb $15.00
Four friends are drawn ever further into
a computer game which unknown to them thrives on hate. It is only when
they realise that they have to overcome their anger and make a choice to
cooperate that they are able to win their way out of the game. There are three titles in the series which are now available in one book, Space Demons: The Trilogy pb $25.00 Also
available as a play pb $15.95 (9 - 13 years)
Cooperation
Storm Boy by Colin Thiele illus by Robert Ingpen pb $14.95
The
well known story of the friendship between a boy and a pelican Mr Percival
set in the beautiful but desolate coastal
area of southern South Australia. (6 - 12 years)
Appreciation, Empathy, Integrity
Think Smart, Hazel Green pb $14.95
When Hazel green's
favourite baker Mr Volio is told he has to leave his shop, it takes all of
Hazel's determination to keep
his shop and his delicious pastries in their appartment block. Hazel
and the Yak have to be extra smart to figure out a way of using the law
to allow him to stay. (8 - 12 years)
Commitment, Confidence, Creativity, Independence,
Integrity
Tuck Everlasting by
Natalie Babbit pb $14.95
This story is a classic. Set back in 1880, ten
year old Winnie Foster saw something she shouldn't have and is captured by
the Tuck family. Winnie gradually learns that the Tuck family has the secret
of everlasting life but that this does not necessarily bring about happiness. It
is an absorbing story with endearing characters. (9 - 12 years)
Empathy, Integrity
Two Hands Together by Diana Kidd pb
$16.95
The growing friendship between
Lily and Ella is marred by the disapproval of Lily's father, much to Ella's
confusion. How could it be that her father doesn't like this warm
and friendly Aboriginal family? This is a well told sensitive story
which is also a positive statement for reconciliation between two cultures. (7
- 10 years)
Respect, Tolerance
Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman pb $14.95
This
is one of Morris Gleitzman's best novels in which he interweaves humour and
tragedy as Colin seeks a cure from the Queen's
top doctors for his younger brother's cancer. (9 - 13 years)
Commitment, Independence
All prices are in Australian dollars and include
GST of 10% which is not applicable for overseas schools.
To order any of the above books, please send
orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email.
For additional lists of recommended books and
newsletters from Austral Ed, visit our website www.australed.iinet.net
|
