No 27,  February  2006

Summer again.

And the winter green has turned to brown and there is the threat of bushfires again. 

We were sitting out on our decking a few months ago and looked up at the trees to see why a black and white magpie was making so much fuss.  It was then that we noticed that she was swooping on a koala comfortably wedged at the end of a branch.  There wasn't much the koala could do and so it just sat there for a while trying to look nonchalant.  The magpie finally gave up and later the koala carefully made his way down the tree.  However he obviously didn't go far for early in the morning we were woken by a loud pig-like grunting (which is the horrible sound of an annoyed koala) followed by some screeches from a few possums, after which the magpies started singing and a couple of kookaburras laughed and finally a freight train screeched its way up the hill.  A fairly noisy night and we are only 20 minutes from the centre of Adelaide!

Sorry about the delay with this newsletter.  This year for some reason, I have found it difficult to find the time to finish it and also the lists which we have attached.  Over the past year or so, I have had a few requests for a list of picture books especially for Early Childhood but the real impetus came with a request from Steven Parr, Director of the New International School in Tokyo for a list and selection of books for a Conference for International Preschools in Tokyo (TAIP) which was held in  January.  That gave me a deadline which is always helpful!   It has been fun going back over many of the old favourites and new ones.  This list of picture books for Early Childhood is attached.

We have had many requests over the past few years for lists of recommended books for the IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme).  This is a daunting task because there is such a huge range of books at an advanced level and as you know we don't include books on our lists of recommended books unless we have read them.  It was hard to know how to make a start on building up such lists.  However when we recently received several urgent requests for assistance with book recommendations from a school in Fiji just starting the IBDP, I asked Anthony Tilke, the Librarian at the Yokohama International School in Japan if he could assist them in any way.  He kindly supplied this school with a number of very helpful lists of books in various subject areas from the Library.  We have used these lists as a base from which to gradually build our own recommended lists of book resources for the IBDP. 

We have started with the list for Literature Studies in English.  At least Ron Shapiro (who many of you know was formerly a senior lecturer in English Literature at the University of Western Australia) has made a substantial start.  It is impossible to read all the books in detail but Ron has at least browsed through them all and looked at many in more detail.  This new list for IBDP Literature Studies in English is attached and Ron will gradually work his way through other lists.  Please pass on the list to the Senior English coordinator and also to the Senior Librarian, for the list will be useful for resources for any Senior English Literature course, not just the IBDP.  

We hope to send out by email in April the next IBDP list and also the Short Listed Books for the 2005 Children's Book Council of Australia Book Awards.

Australian Children's Book Council Conference

The Australian Children's Book Council Conference will be held in Sydney from 4th - 6th May 2006.  These Conferences are usually excellent with a wide range of Australian and overseas authors and illustrators speaking and many interesting panels.  This year the emphasis is on the variety of ways in which can be used to tell stories can be told, especially through different types of media.

Check out details of the programme on the website on www.cbc.org.au

If anyone would like their name to be added to the mailing list so that they receive the newsletter and lists directly by email, please contact me.

Picture Books

Dog In, Cat Out by  Gillian Rubinstein  pb $9.95     small pb version $5.95
I am so pleased that this wonderful picture book has come back into print.  It reads almost like a textless picture book because of its minimal amount of text.  Starting from early in the morning, when the dog goes out for food and the cat comes in, we see the activities of the family throughout the whole day as each animal comes in or out.  And as we know cats and dogs do come and go all day depending on food times and when they are wanting company.  It is such a simple picture book but so clever in its concept as it shows the passing of a day, with the only text the changing refrain of "Dog in, cat out", or "Dog out, cat in" or "Dog out, cat out".   The book will generate much discussion. 

One More Sheep by Mij Kelly illus by Russell Ayto pb $14.95
This is the hilarious story of a shepherd who can't count his sheep (and there are only ten of them) without falling asleep.  The sheep are indignant that he finds them so boring that he immediately falls asleep.  It is also tricky because if he can't count his sheep how can he recognise that the knock at the door is really a wolf pretending to be one of his lost sheep.  The story is told in rhyming verse and has an infectious exuberance reinforced by very engaging illustrations.  It is certainly much much more than a counting book.  It was shortlisted for the 2004 Kate Greenaway Medal.  I don't know how I missed it then but I am glad I have seen it now. 
 
Yuck!  by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom  hardback   $27.95
As a baby bird eats a wriggly worm, a baby lizard eats a spider and a baby owl gulps down a furry rat, we say "Yuck!"  But these baby animals would say "Yuck" to the cup of warm and creamy milk that our baby drinks, while our baby says "Yum!"  Very young children will have great fun joining in and talking about other foods that animals may eat that are also Yuck.  The illustrations are very engaging and great fun.  The text is simple but involves very lively repetition making this a most appealing informative picture book for young children. 

Collections

Howzat! A Celebration of cricket  by Max Fatchen and Dave Luckett pb $12.95
I have been asked a number of times for books about cricket.  This is a wonderful collection of entertaining stories, poems and also some very informative historical about this unique game.  Many of the stories have an Australian emphasis as both of the authors are Australian.  However since the game began in England, there are also many stories about English cricket and of course about the strong rivalry between Australia and England.  There are a number of lovely diagrams including one of how a cricket ball is made and of all the positions on a cricket field complete with their names such as silly mid-on and short square leg.  Some extremely funny stories make this an excellent collection.  (8 - 13 years)  

Barefoot Book of Knights written by John Matthews illustrated by Giovanni Manna hardback $34.95  pb $24.95 
I was surprised to discover that this charming collection of stories about knights included stories from Persia and Japan.  When ten year old Tom is sent to the castle to be a page, he is much comforted by the stories told to all the pages and squires by Master William, the Armourer.  The stories about Knights are from Britain, Germany, Russia, Brittany, Persia, Japan and France.  Each one illustrates some aspect of the knightly code of chivalry showing that not only is a brave heart required but that it is also necessary to learn to cooperate with others, to have a sense of humour and to know one's own weaknesses.  (8 - 11 years)

Young Warriors: Stories of Strength edited by Tamora Pierce and Josepha Sherman pb $19.95
This is a collection of original short stories about young heroes.  Often the heroes in these stories are traditional warriors, either male or female, who have great fighting skills but they are also sometimes heroes who may show courage but who have none of the usual "warrior" skills.  The stories have diverse settings: there are purely fantasy settings as well as medieval England, Ancient Greece and Rome, a mythical African plain, colonial India and folktale Russia.  Written by a range of fantasy and science fiction authors mainly from the US, this is an excellent collection of stories which will have great appeal to many students.  The selection could also be helpful when discussing the topic Heroes, especially since in many of the stories there is discussion of the qualities which make a warrior, what is courage and what is really worth fighting for.      (11 - 15 years)

Fiction

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke translated from the German by Anthea Bell  hardback  $29.95
This is the second book in the wonderful Inkheart trilogy.  Cornelia Funke writes in the Preface to Inkspell that she really couldn't leave her characters at the end of Inkheart, that she had to write on and find out what happens to them.  This time most of the action takes place in the world of Inkheart, the book and magical world created by Fenoglio who is an extraordinarily talented author but whose evil characters are so strong and powerful that the world is becoming more and more dangerous and things are no longer happening the way Fenoglio intended.  Into this world of such beauty and danger come Meggie and her parents and Farid and Dustfinger.  This is a gripping story made all the more fascinating because of its ironies and allusions to the creative process and the magic of writing and of books.  Cornelia Funke is a well known German children's author.  She has also written The Dragon Rider hardback $24.95  and The Thief Lord pb $13.95 as well as Inkheart pb $19.95.           (10 - 14 years)

How Hedley Hopkins Did a Dare, robbed a grave, made a new friend who might not really have been there at all ...  by Paul Jennings pb $16.95
This latest book from Paul Jennings is unusual in that it is a novel (and not a collection of short stories) and it is quite autobiographical.  It describes a young boy who came out with his sister and parents from England in the fifites and found it difficult to fit into the way of life at an Australian school.  He felt very lonely and shy but tried desperately to fit in.  Parts of the book are very funny but others are disturbing mainly because of the intense bullying from some of the other children at the school. The onset of puberty and the resulting feelings of guilt, embarrassment and pleasure are also described very convincingly.  The story is told in the first person and as is usual with Paul Jennings, there is also much humour and a number of surprising twists to this novel.     (10 - 13 years)

The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull by Barry Jonsberg            pb $16.95
Don't be put off (as I was) by the title because this is the engaging, very entertaining story written by Calma Harrison, a Year 10 English student who has a flair for language and a highly developed imagination and sense of loyalty to her friend Kiffo.  This innovative book has some extraordinarily funny episodes which made me laugh aloud.    (13 up)
It's Not All About You, Calma!  pb $16.95  is the witty sequel in which Calma's certainties about her own skills and opinions are challenged.  At first I thought that Calma was becoming a little tedious, so certain was she of so many of her opinions.  However she is still an extremely entertaining character and as the plot develops the author even has Calma admitting that maybe she has been wrong and maybe she could do things differently.  Barry Jonsberg is a senior English teacher at a Darwin High School and he has the ability to depict some hilarious situations of life at school and also to discuss writing and thinking about literature with passion.  (13 up)  

Mimus by Lilli Thal translanted from the German by John Brownjohn  pb $22.95
This is an epic tale set in medieval times of great treachery and cruelty.  Florin, the son of the King is betrayed and forced to become a jester to the King who has imprisoned his father.  Living in a stable, he is close to despair until he finally gains a glimmer of understanding into the ways of the wily court jester Mimus with whom he shares his abode and life.  This a story of high adventure and suspense.  It also describes in amazing detail many aspects of medieval life.  This is perhaps not surprising since Lilli Thal has a Master's degree in medieval history, art and architecture.  She manages to give us many insights into life at court and especially into the life, jokes, routines and the precarious nature of life as a medieval court jester.  A splendid tale.           (13 years up)

Non-fiction

If the World were a Village: A book about the World's People  by David J Smith
illustrated by Shelagh Arstrong  hardback $34.95  pb $16.95
This is such an important book, especially for students trying to gain some comprehension of the huge numbers of people living on our planet.  As of January 2005, there were 6 billion 400 million people.  David Smith imagines the whole population of the world in just one village of 100 people.  In this global village, each person represents 64 million people.  He then takes us through this village showing us more about the people living there.  In this global village, 61 are from Asia, 13 from Africa, 12 from Europe, 8 from South and Central America, 5 from Canada and the US and 1 from Oceania.  He looks at the beliefs, languages and ages of these people as well as the food they eat.  If the food they eat was divided equally, there would be no shortage of food in this global village but it isn't and so 50 people are hungry some of the time and 20 are severely malnourished.  He also looks at water, electricity, money and possessions and also how many people lived in this village in the past and will live there in the future.  The text is very simply written and I am sure that it would spark spontaneous discussion.  This is very much a book with an interdisciplinary world view which links geography, environment and human rights.  (9 - 14 years)    

True Stories from Ancient China series by Zhu Kang Illustrated by Hong Tao and Feng Congying  hardback $19.95 each 
Distinguished Doctors and Miraculous Remedies   also pb $11.95
Engineers and Architects                  also pb $11.95
Fantastic Inventions and Inventors
Science and Scientists                   also pb $11.95
I am so glad that this series has been reprinted in hardback.  I have been unable to get the books for years and they were a favourite of mine.  The books were originally published in China and when I first read them I was impressed by their charm, humour and extremely interesting stories of the lives and work of famous Chinese scientists, doctors, architects and inventors.  The stories are told in a cartoon format which is easy to read and drawn with great charm.  I am not usually a fan of cartoon style illustrations but these I really like.  The illustrations depict vividly the lives, often from early childhood of these famous people and also show in detail many of the wonderful inventions, or buildings that were constructed.  In addition there are diagrams of many of their discoveries and observations.  (9 - 16 years)

The Great Voyages of Zheng He text by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang illustrated by Song Nan Zhang   hardback $36.95 in English and Chinese
The amazing voyages undertaken by Zheng He during the Ming dynasty in the fifteenth century in China have become much more well known in the west over the past few years.  This book is a beautifully written and illustrated telling of the story of how a young Muslim boy born in Kunming, Yunnan in 1371 grew up to be an important adviser to the Emperor of China.  When the Emperor wanted to build a huge fleet to travel the world and to gain recognition and tribute from other countries for the new Ming Emperor, Zheng He was chosen as the commander of this huge fleet.  The beautiful illustrations depict vividly the Chinese court, the building of the boats, the journeys and some of the amazing places he visited. 
The text is informative and well written, keeping to what is known.  There is also a detailed map of Zheng He's voyages.       (10 - 15 years)

DK Children's Cookbook recipes by Katharine Ibbs  hardback  $29.95
It's not easy finding a good children's cookbook.  The good ones I used to know have gone out of print so it's great to find this one.  There are over fifty recipes.  Some are very simple like boiled eggs, others like stir-fry with noodles are much more complicated but all have simply, clearly laid out and easy to follow instructions which are shown in words and with photos.  The emphasis is on a healthy diet and the book is divided into sections on Breakfast, Light Meals, Main Meals, Desserts and Baking which includes breads, pies and biscuits.  There is a detailed glossary and index and also a number of useful chef's tips. 
(9 years up)

Dickens: His Work and His World by Michael Rosen  illustrated by Robert Ingpen  hardback $29.95 
Michael Rosen has dedicated this book to his father who read the family the whole of Great Expectations and of Little Dorrit in a tent at night by the light of a hurricane light.  It's no wonder Michael Rosen has such admiration for Dickens' work after such an introduction.  Rosen wants to make Dickens' work, his life and also the times in which Dickens lived come to life for the younger reader and I think he succeeds admirably.  Rosen begins by describing Dickens the performer and then goes on to describe his life, especially his childhood.  Perhaps the most interesting section is the description of the huge changes in London between 1837 - 1863 and the social and economic consequences of the dramatic population growth in London, of the railways, and of the growth of factories.  He also talks about the crime and poverty and the effects of the French and American Revolutions and the hope some had that there could be a better way of sharing wealth amongst all people.  Rosen shows how Dickens has brought many of these ideas into his books and how the books were serialised so that they were read by ordinary working people.  Rosen then looks more closely at four of Dickens' books, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations.  Rosen has written a marvellous book.  It contains a vast amount of information told in simple language so that children from ten years up can understand it.  Robert Ingpen's beautifully realistic and detailed illustrations capture accurately the Dickens' world, his characters and also scenes from his books.    (10 - 15 years)   

Kingfisher Knowledge series  pb $16.95 each
I have already reviewed the title Communication by Richard Platt, which is one of the titles in this series.  The review follows in case you haven't read it yet.
Richard Platt is himself a skilled communicator and is able to make this discussion of many different types of communications both interesting and accessible.  In his introductory chapter, he discusses various types of communication such as communication between animals, facial expression and gestures, language and speech, and written language.  The second chapter concentrates on sending messages from the development of the alphabet to the postal service, use of fires and flags, telegraph and the telephone.  The third chapter covers printing, recording of sound, as well as photography, cinema, radio, television, video and DVDs.  The final chapter looks at the world as a global village in which the internet has made enormous changes to our ability to communicate and in which many media are now merging.  The book is very well set out with many photos and glossary and index.   
Other titles in this series are also excellent.  The presentation is always inviting with skilful use of excellent photos and digital artwork and the text provides an interesting, detailed introduction to the subject.  There are suggested websites and books which can help the reader who wants to follow up and gain further general information or wants to think about a possible career in this area.  Other titles in the series by a variety of authors are:
Animal Giants
Archaeology
Castle & Forts
Communication
Dangerous Creatures
Endangered Planet
Genes & DNA
Life in Ancient Rome
Microscopic Life
Mummies
Pirates & Smugglers
Spies
Stars & Planets                                               (11 - 15 years)            pb $16.95 each title
  
Blame My Brain by Nicola Morgan  pb $16.95
New scientific research points to real biological reasons behind the behaviour of teenagers - their mood swings, their risk-taking, difficulties with learning and what often seems to be just being difficult.  Nicola Morgan is not a specialist but she is fascinated by the complexities of the human brain, especially during the period of adolescence.  As the mother and teacher of teenagers and also a writer for teenagers, she brings an extremely interesting mixture of scientific knowledge which she has related to the social context of teenage behaviour.  During the teenage years, the brain undergoes great changes, especially to the cortex and it is these changes that scientists believe that produce much of the erratic behaviour that teenagers are renowned for.  Nicola Morgan discusses these and she has many suggestions which will help teenagers deal with powerful changing emotions, difficulties with learning, erratic sleep patterns, depression and other problems.  There are a number of quizzes about aspects of personality and a very interesting discussion of the differences between girls and boys.  This is an extremely informative and entertaining book.  At times it is very funny and I think teenagers, parents and teachers will all find it very useful to help them understand why teenagers can behave so erratically at times.  It's nice to know that there is a reason (it's just my brain changing and growing) and that it does pass as the brain settles down.   (11 years up)             

Advertising and Marketing: Developing the Marketplace  (Influence and Persuasion series) by Clive Gifford  hardback $39.95
This book succeeds in covering comprehensively many aspects of the advertising industry today.  It describes the huge changes in advertising over the past two hundred years and also how an advertising business is run and how advertising targets are chosen and how an advertising campaign may be organised.  In addition a wide variety of advertising techniques used to persuade consumers to buy and also described.  Students will find the book interesting because of the detailed information it gives about the variety of people who are involved in working in advertising companies and the variety of campaigns they work on.  However throughout the book there is also awareness of the effects of advertising on the consumer and the ways advertisers attempt to influence the public to change their attitudes or to change their buying patterns.  There is also discussion of the broader effects advertising has on the society.  There are many photos and graphs as well as Glossary and Index and list of websites of interest.  Other titles in this very interesting series are:
Influence and Persuasion series  hardback $39.95 each
Espionage and Disinformation
Political Manipulation 
Propaganda in War and Peace: Manipulating the Truth  by Simon Adams
Public Relations     

Videos

I don't normally review videos as it is a whole other area of expertise and videos are often difficult to trackdown and supply.  However I am sure that this series of videos will be of interest to teachers interested in introducing their students to life and culture of children in a variety of countries throughout the world.

Families of the World series:  available in VHS (PAL or NTSC)  $65.00 each video
There are 15 videos on the following countries:
Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and USA  
I have only viewed the video which has two separate segments on the lives of two children and their families in China.  We are introduced to the daily life of the children at home with their families and also at school from the time they wake up in the morning till they go to bed at night.  The children are delightful and describe their activities, the food they eat, where they live and their families and schools.  There are many interesting insights into their lives. The little boy takes rice in a metal container to school and then all the children add water and this is cooked slowly at the school over a hot stove so that all the rice will be ready at the same time at lunchtime.  The girl is older (9 years old) and her school is much larger.  All the children salute as they enter the school yard.  There are 58 students in her class and the whole class performs daily exercises.  There is much to discuss and children will be able to compare their lives with those of these children from many different countries and cultures. Running time is approx 30 minutes.  There is also a Teacher's Guide for each country.  These contain the script and additional information on each country and also ideas for discussion.  pb $9.95 each       (6 - 10 years)

A Child's Eye View of Festivals
1. Chinese New Year, Divali, Eid-ul-Fitr and Hanukkah   video $59.95, DVD $79.95
2. Easter, Vaiakhi, Wesak and Christmas   video $59.95, DVD $79.95
For each festival we follow the celebrations both with the family and at school of a young child.  Ian is 5 years old and shows with delight the presents he receives for Chinese New Year, the celebrations with his family at home and also when they go out to see the festivities in Chinatown.  The next day we see the activities that the school has organised, including writing Chinese characters and storytelling and a song about Chinese New Year.  The same format is followed for each of the festivals.  The series is set in the United Kingdom and the children and their families seem to come mainly from Manchester or Leicester.  This series is an excellent introduction to a variety of festivals for 3 to six year olds.  A booklet containing background notes, stories, songs and activities is also included with the video.  The overall running time is approx 55 minutes and each new festival has its own beginning.          (3 - 6 years)

Drama

Zap by Paul Fleischman  hardback $24.95
I think this is the first time I have even reviewed any drama.  I rarely read plays and I guess I consider it a specialist area.  However I was given a review copy of this play and was intrigued by it and I think it would make a very entertaining play.  I think that students would have a great time performing it and would learn a lot about a number of other plays at the same time.  Paul Fleischman is well known as an author and poet but this is his first play.  He decided to write it because so many schools seemed to put on the same plays and he thought he would try something different.  He liked the idea of using the idea of the "zap" of the remote control to be able to switch back and forth between various types of plays.  He decided to use Richard III and then to write six other plays all modelled on familiar categories or types of plays.  There is a mystery set in the English countryside reminiscent of Agatha Christie, a brooding Chekhovian drama set in Russia in the 1800s, a play set in the American South with a disfunctional family like so many of Tennesse Williams, a comedy modelled on Neil Simon's work such as The Odd Couple and something avant-garde like Beckett's Waiting for Godot.  Finally there is a monologue by a performance artist who shows disdain for the traditions of the theatre unaware that she is as Fleischman says "repeating its ageless themes."  There is plenty of action because as soon as the action appears to wane a little the scene flicks back and forth between each of the plays.  There are many very funny contrasts.  I think it would be a wonderful play for discussion and to illustrate the different conventions of various plays and their contrasts and similarities but best of all would be to perform it.      (14 years up)   

Senior Fiction

The Harmony Silk Factory  by Tash Aw  pb $29.95
This is an exceptional first novel set in Malaysia in the 1930s and 40s.  It gives an extremely vivid portrayal of Malaysia at a time when the Japanese are about to invade and of the impact the invasion had in particular on the family of Johnny Lim, a Chinese peasant who became a textile merchant, a crook, and probably gangster and also owner of the famous Harmony Silk Factory.  There is much that is enigmatic about Johnny and his story is told through several narrators, especially through his son and his wife, the beautiful Snow Soong who died in childbirth.  It is an absorbing complex story with compelling characters, told by an author who has special storytelling skills.  It is by far the best story I have ever read that is set in Malaysia.     

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak  pb $32.95
All of Marcus Zusak's books are unusual but this is his most inventive.  His other books, The Underdog pb $16.95, Fighting Ruben Wolfe pb $16.95, The Messenger pb $16.95 and When Dogs Cry pb $14.95 are written for young adults.  I find it surprising that this book succeeds so well, told as it is mainly through the surprisingly compassionate words of the character of Death telling the story of a young girl left by her mother to live with foster parents in Munich in 1939.  It is a story in which the emotional intensity gradually increases as we care more and more about this young German girl whose parents had communist leanings and we can see her growing love for her new mother and father and for the gaunt Jewish man they hide in their basement.  She also loves books so much that she begins to steal them.  The book is also surprising in its quirkiness and sense of irony and at times humour while depicting a period in Europe of great suffering.

If you would like to order any of the books reviewed in this newsletter or in the accompanying list, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email. 

All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST of 10% which is not applicable to overseas schools.  

© Kate Shepherd 2008.