No 29,  February  2007

Belated Greetings for the New Year  (if I haven't already been in touch.)

I have had a very relaxing holiday break with friends staying before they shift to Sydney.  It has been quieter than usual and I have been telling myself to take advantage of this and do the newsletter early.  But it is always hard to do and so of course now with schools back and busy, I am in my usual rush!

We have just had the most amazing rain.  It was a tropical humid gentle rain that lasted for over two days. It was like living in the tropics for a few days with everything damp and humid.  It has watered our very parched garden and has flooded towns further north of SA.  And it has put out quite a few bush fires which were raging in the mountains of Victoria.  The weather has been strange – a few weeks earlier snow was falling on bushfires in the Victorian mountains.   The rain wasn't sufficient to put water in the reservoirs or to really ease the drought but it was lovely while it lasted.

In November we went to the IBAP Conference in Hanoi.  We enjoyed our time again in Hanoi and it was great to meet so many teachers.   The Conference was very good but the highlight of the trip was an overnight stay on a junk in Ha Long Bay.  Ha Long Bay is amazing – such a vast expanse of islands and caves.  In the morning we went kayaking under limestone arches into secluded lagoons surrounded by tall cliffs covered with thick tropical vegetation.  Quite magical. As well as the wonderful natural environment, there are also many small fishing villages out in the Bay with houses built over the water.  It would be fascinating place to spend more time.  If any schools are interested in eco tours to this region, do check out the EcoBoat Project.  This has been launched by Fauna and Flora International and also by the Ha Long Bay Management Department to support policies that sustain the health and beauty of the Bay.  The Project runs eco tours for international school groups and also for the young people of the communities living in the Ha Long Bay area.  The emphasis is strongly on the need to balance economic development with environment protection.  We met two of the organisers David and Michael at the Conference and had a chance to talk about the project in detail.  Sounds great.  Check out the website at ww.ecoboat.org or email them at ecoboat@ffi.org.vn

I am off at the end of March to the IBAP Information Literacy Conference in Singapore.  It is especially aimed at Librarians and so it will be great to catch up with many who I haven't seen for years.  It is also an easy trip for me.  Flying to Singapore is like travelling interstate.

I have attached a list of Big Books since I have had a number of requests for Big Book recommendations.  I have also updated some of the Australian lists and so have attached Australian Animals and Australian Indigenous Peoples.  Australian Non-Fiction has also been updated.  Let me know if you want a copy.   I hope they are helpful.  We have also been working hard to update more of the lists on the website and it is improving.  However it is a never-ending job!   

Do pass on this email to any other teachers or librarians who may be interested and do contact me if you would like your name added to the mailing list.

Picture Books

Water Witcher by Jan Ormerod  hardback $25.00
This is a story of drought (all so relevant).  It is set in an earlier time, perhaps the first part of this century, and shows a family struggling to survive on their farm in the outback.  The opening page is stunning.  It shows the brilliant blue of the huge expansive sky contrasting sharply with the pale straw-coloured countryside.  It is so evocative of much of the countryside of southern Australian and Jan Ormerod has captured it perfectly.  The family has to cart water bucket by bucket with the horse and cart from the well which is an hour away.  When Dougie learns that his grandfather had the gift of finding water with a forked stick then he too is determined to find water on the farm.  Jan Ormerod has captured the harsh beauty of the Australian bush and also brings to life a farming family in tough times in the bush.   (6 – 9 years)

Uno's Garden  by Graeme Base  hardback $29.95
A new Graeme Base picture book is always a treat.  This one again has an environmental theme.  When Uno arrives in the forest, he loves it and the strange and wonderful creatures that live there.  He loves it so much that he decides to stay there.   In time a small village grows up around Uno's house and as the village gets larger, the animals in the forest are more and more difficult to find.  Like so many of Base's books, this is part-counting book (this one uses both subtraction and multiplication), part-puzzle and part-storybook and there is the search for the elusive Snortlepig.   The forest and the creatures are strange wonderful creations from Graeme Base's own imagination but  children will quickly see the parallels with our own world where we have to ensure that there is a balance between people and development and the natural world.   (5 – 9 years)

What Will You Be?  By Simon French and Donna Rawlins  hardback $24.95 
Those who enjoyed the book Guess the Baby by the same team will be pleased to see the same children and their teacher Mr Jarvis as they prepare for a special day at school when parents and friends are invited to see all the children dress up for a costume parade.  There is great discussion of what each child will wear.  They can come as a character from a book or a movie, or as someone magical, or dressed for work.  However Sacha likes to be different and comes with his own special costume that he worked out himself and no one knows exactly what he is (and that also is fine.)     (4 – 7 years) 

Doodledum Dancing by Meredith Costain illustrated by Pamela Allen hardback $24.95
This is a fun collection of simple poems that lend themselves to lots of action and movement because of their rhyme and bouncy rhythm.   Pamela Allen's lively illustrations in this picture book format add to the fun.  There is lots of repetition and the poems will be great fun for kindergarten and Grade one children. 

The Hungry Coat: A Tale from Turkey by Demi  hardback $30.00
Thanks to the librarian (at some Conference somewhere) who recommended that I should read this book.  It is a beautiful book lavishly illustrated in Demi's distinctive style but it is the story itself which is so engaging and keeps in the memory.  Nasrettin Hoca was a well loved man who was always trying to help people.  When he is ignored at the banquet of a friend, he realises that people are turning away from him because he is wearing an old patched coat.  He leaves and returns wearing a splendid coat which he then proceeds to feed with all the food from the banquet.  When questioned by the host, he says "When I came back wearing this new coat, there was every kind of food for me.  This shows it was the coat – and not me that you invited to the banquet." Apparently Nasrettin Hoca is famous for many humorous folk takes like this which have a gentle but evident moral.  The Afterward explains that Nasrettin Hoca (AD 1208 – 1284) was a leading Turkish folk philosopher and humorist and his stories are very well known through that region.  But not to me and so thanks to Demi for introducing one of his stories to a wider audience.    (5 years up)         

Under the Spell of the Moon: Art for Children from the World's Great Illustrators  hardback  $27.95  
IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People) has been the inspiration behind this intriguing book.  They have invited illustrators from round the world to illustrate a text, a poem, nursery rhyme, song or riddle that they have chosen themselves. A fascinating collection has resulted.  The text is in the original language (this often means a different script) and where necessary this has been translated into English.  Some of the original nursery rhymes sound especially intriguing.  It would be great to get someone who can speak the language to read them aloud in the original in order to hear the rhythm and sound of the language.  At the end of the book a short paragraph describes each of the artists.  The illustrators donated their illustrations and 15% of all profits go to IBBY.     (6 years up)  

The Arrival by Shaun Tan  hardback $39.95
This is an exceptional picture book.  It took four years to research, develop and draw.  It is textless and depicts many strange things and a world that we do not understand and yet at the same time it is not difficult to understand.  It shows the experience of an immigrant when he or she comes to a country where they know no one and understand very little. Shaun Tan wants us to understand the feelings of apprehension as a young man leaves his young wife and daughter and his country to travel a vast distance to a completely different country where he can't speak the language or read any signs. A country where the landscape and the creatures and even the pets are very different and where he doesn't understand how things work or what is the purpose of so many strange things.  However on his arrival in this new land, he meets new friends who show him how to get to places and how things work and they also tell him the stories of how they too came to this new land.  And so we get the very moving stories of a number of immigrant families.  The illustrations are meticulously drawn in detailed panels of illustrations or sometimes full page illustrations in black and white or various shades of grey and sepia.  It is a very evocative and moving book.  It could be used with children from about 9 years up I think but it would be especially effective when used with older students in upper elementary and middle school.  It is especially helpful for discussion with any study concerning immigrants.  (9 years to adult)
Shaun Tan has established a reputation for his thoughtful and innovative picture books and illustrations.  Other titles that I especially recommend include:
The Lost Thing  hardback $27.95  pb $15.95
The Rabbits written by John Marsden  hardback $27.95 pb $15.95
The Red Tree pb $15.95

Fiction

Thor's Tale: Endurance and Adventure in the Southern Ocean  by Janice Marriott   pb $16.95
I found this novel so interesting.  Set in 1915  in a Norwegian whaling station in South Georgia near Antartica, it tells the story of Thor who, as a whaler's boy, is the lowest of the low.  His days are long and hard.  However the arrival of the English exploration team of Shackleton on the Endurance brings great excitement.  Thor is especially intrigued.  The explorers seem to know so little about the freezing conditions in Antartica.  They can't handle dogs and their equipment is not suitable.  However they have an eccentricity, a love of nature and a genuine scientific enthusiasm that Thor finds fascinating and very attractive.  This is the most striking aspect of the book for me: the contrast between the two nationalities and their attitude to the region.  For the Norwegians it is the place where they make a living killing whales in a very down to earth and efficient way.  They are proud of their skills.  The English may not have the same skills but they do have curiosity, determination, great courage as well as a sense of humour.  This is an exciting story describing a fascinating period of history.    (8 – 14 years)

They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French  pb $15.95
Jackie French seems to be able to produce a new well-written and interesting book every few months.  I don't know how she does it.    This novel tells the story of a young girl Hekja and her dog Snarf who are captured by Viking raiders and taken to Greenland.  Although a slave, Hekja proves her courage and with the help of Snarf's skills they gain the respect of Hekja's mistress, the fiery Freydis Eriksdotir, daughter of Eric the Red.  Hekja and other colonists join Freydis on a voyage to Vinland to establish a new colony.  This is a fascinating story about the Vikings and their settlements in Greenland and on the coast of America. Based partly on fact, Jackie French succeeds in making this history come to life with an exciting story and very believable characters.

Matt's Million by Andrew Norris  pb $11.95
This novel has been around for a while, published in 2004, but I have only just managed to read it.  I picked it up because I liked Norris's earlier novel Aquila pb $14.95 so much.  In Matt's Million, Matt earns a million dollars as a result of an innovative computer game which he invents and is sold worldwide.  However he quickly realises that there are complications to earning so much money when you are only 11 years old.  And it is the complications that make for the humour and interest of this novel.  His first instinct is to buy lots of sweets and toys, computers and games for himself (and his best friend Claire) but then discovers there isn't room for everything in the small house where he and his mother live.  He quickly understands that people's attitude to him changes when they realise that he has money and this is not normally for the better.  The money causes complications with both Claire and his mother since they both refuse to accept any gifts.  He gets some very good advice on investing the money through a lawyer friend but still paid a very large monthly sum.  He works out a way whereby he can help his mother go back to University to study. He gives away large sums of money to various charities and finds this is rewarding but there is still something missing.  Finally he learns that it is not the money that is important, it is working at something that you enjoy that is important and brings satisfaction.  The novel is good fun but it also talks about the workings of finance and people's reactions to money.  It would be very good for discussion.   (10 – 14 years)

It would make an interesting comparison with the book Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce (also published in 2004) hardback $30.00   pb $14.95   This book has been a bestseller, has been made into a film and has won a number of awards.  It may be much more popular but I didn't enjoy it as much as Matt's Millions.  It is a fast moving slapstick story about two brothers who find a huge bag of cash and have only a few days to spend it in.  It is the same age range and would make an interesting comparison.

The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey    pb $14.95
It's good to see that this book back in print.  It is Peter Carey's only book written for children.  Charming whimsical illustrations by Stephen Michael King enhance this new edition.  Sam Kellow sleepwalks out of his room one night and when he can't get back in, he is kidnapped by Muriel and George who dress him up and enter him in the Perfecto Kiddo competition, in place of their own son who has chicken pox.  Sam goes along with this as he wants to win the Perfecto Kiddo prize money to help his family's stricken finances.  This is a very funny book which has a funny/serious message about competitions in which children have to dress up and perform in very unchildlike ways.   (8 – 11 years)

Coming Back by David Hill  pb $16.95
It is a nightmare scenario.  Ryan is driving home with his mates but not really paying attention.  Tara is crossing the road and again not really paying attention.  In a split second, Ryan's car hits Tara and she is thrown 20 metres by the contact.  She is put into intensive care, her life in the balance and Ryan feels as though his life has been devastated.  The story is told vividly in brief blocks of narrative from Ryan and Tara.  These narratives are juxtaposed by clinical descriptions of Tara's condition and the various procedures necessary to keep her alive and later for her rehabilitation.  This triple narrative device works extremely effectively.  The clinical description is fascinating and adds considerably to the suspense of the story.  Later Ryan becomes involved with helping Tara's long and slow rehabilitation and the complex relationship between the two of them and their friends is well described.  This is a gripping, very believable story.  (10 – 16 years)     

If you would like a list of the other titles written by David Hill that are available, do contact me. David Hill is a popular New Zealand author,

The Ellie Chronicles:  Circle of Flight by John Marsden hardback $29.95
This now completes the extraordinarily popular series of books which began with Tomorrow When the War Began.  Students will be pleased to read this last exciting episode of the books as Ellie risks everything to find young Gavin who has been kidnapped.  Ellie also realises that it is necessary to make some changes and so the end of the series provides a different focus from the previous ones.  (13 – 16 years)

Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn hardback $39.95 
This is the final sequel to the three previous books in the wonderful Tales of Otori series and is quite beautifully written.  It is an unforgettable epic with characters and events that stay with you vividly.  Set in feudal Japan it has many of the traditions and customs of that period but there is also a fantasy element.  The other titles in this exceptional trilogy are Across the Nightingale Floor, Grass for His Pillow and Brilliance of the Moon  hardback $29.95  pb $21.95 each   (13 years up)

Popular Fiction (or fiction I may not normally review)

I know I do have a tendency not to include some of the most popular books in my newsletters.  Sometimes I figure that most schools know about them and so there is no need for me to recommend them and sometimes, even though I know that students really like the books, I don't enjoy them and so can't recommend them.  Perhaps this is because I no longer get the lively feedback from children that I used to get.  (My own children have grown up and I don't often get into a classroom).  However I thought I should list some books which I know are very popular and which I am sure many students would really enjoy.

Ranger's Apprentice series Book One The Ruins of Gorlan  by John Flanagan  pb  $14.95
I do enjoy good fantasy and can easily recognise the fascination for children and teenagers.  This one is especially appealing since Will doesn't know who his parents were and is brought up in a castle with some other wards.  He is small and wiry but in spite of his size, he wants to be a warrior and is disappointed when he is taken on as an apprentice to the mysterious Ranger.  The Ranger is a rather frightening and elusive character who is able to move unseen.  However Will gradually learns that the work of the Rangers is highly important and respected as they are the scouts and the eyes and ears for the kingdom.  As Will gradually improves in his skills and grows to love his chosen way of life, there is genuine excitement and much satisfaction.  The emphasis in this book is not on magic but on acquiring tracking and martial skills.  A great adventure.  In later adventures there is apparently a greater role for girls.  John Flanagan is a scriptwriter and wrote the books originally to encourage his young son to enjoy reading.  His son was also small for his age.  (9 – 14 years)
Ranger's Apprentice series    (pb $14.95)
Book One:  The Ruins of Gorlan
Book Two:  The Burning Bridge
Book Three The Icebound Land
Book Four: The Oakleaf Bearers
Book Five: The Sorcerer in the North  (this title pb $16.95)   

Squeak Street by Emily Rodda illus by Andrew McLean  pb $15.00
Ben the post-mouse introduces us to the mice who live in Squeak Street.  As he delivers their letters we get a peek into their houses and a glimpse of the very different mice living in them.    This is a rhyming picture book which is also a counting book as we are taken through the houses from number one to number ten where Ben himself lives. 

Emily Rodda obviously enjoyed the mice of Squeak Street so much that she decided to write a series of books for beginner readers about the 10 characters.  Each of the books has delightful watercolour illustrations by Andrew McLean.  The books are simply written and describe characters as different as Old Bun who is a rich mouse with rooms full of cheese, to Pink-Paw an artist, to Kevin a mechanic who is saving his cheese to buy a car.  The street is very much a community and there is a strong theme of the importance of helping each other whenever there is a problem in the street.  These are charming stories for children just beginning to read.   The stories are also available as a CD   $24.95.       
Squeak Street series       pb $11.00 each book       (5 – 7 years)
# 1  Old Bun and the Burglar
# 2  One-Shoe's Wishes
# 3  Fee-Fee's Holiday
# 4  Pink-Paw's Painting
# 5  Lucky Clive
# 6  Quick-Sticks' Magic
# 7  Kevin the the rescue
# 8  Tails and Twin Spell
# 9  Addy and the Pirates
# 10  Ben the Post-Mouse                                               

JumpMan series by James Valentine   pb $16.95 each title
When Theodore Pine is sent by a defective JumpMan Pro time-jumping back to the twenty first century, he is not at all pleased as this is one of the more boring millennia he could have visited.  Much of the humour comes from Pine's reaction to life in the twentieth century and to the two teenagers Jules and Genevieve whom he meets and who try to return him to his own time, the year fifteen billion and seventy three.  The characters are zany and the first book especially is original, lively and in parts very funny.       (8 – 13 years)
JumpMan Rule 1: Don't Touch Anything
JumpMan Rule 2:  Don't Even Think About It!
JumpMan Rule 3:  See Rule One!!

The Legends series by Michael Panckridge  pb $14.95  each
This series has been around for a while but it seems to be one of the best of a number of series of books on sports. Mitchell Grady, a keen sportsman is thrilled to find his new school has a special year long competition involving a range of sports.  The winner is to be named sporting legend for that year.  Sports involve surfing, soccer, basketball, athletics, cricket, tennis, Aussie Rules Football and swimming.  Mitchell soon makes friends and the stories revolve around these friends and various tussles with the school bully, Travis Fisk.  The focus of the first series is very much on boys and the emphasis of the stories is on playing the game fairly and with sportsmanship.  The second series features some girls' sports such as Netball, and athletics, as well as bike racing, skiing and others.     (8 – 12 years)
Legends # 1  Chasing the Break
Legends # 2  Against the Spin
Legends # 3  Down the Line
Legends # 4  Clearing the Pack
Legends # 5  Over the Wall
Legends # 6  On the Buzzer
Legends # 7  Raising the Bar
Anniversary Legends # 1  Race at the Rock
Anniversary Legends # 2  Offside Upfront
Anniversary Legends # 3  Pack Down
Anniversary Legends # 4  Goal Attack
Anniversary Legends # 5  Out of Bounds
Anniversary Legends # 6  In the Zone
Anniversary Legends # 7  Go the Distance
Anniversary Legends # 8  Last Innings

Duncan Ball's series of books about Selby the dog that talks have been extremely popular with children in the 8 to 10 age range for years.  They often win awards when children themselves are the judges.  The series keeps growing with the latest titles being Selby Shattered and Selby Scrambled.    Do check out the website.  It is an excellent site which is very inviting for children to use.  
The titles are Selby's Secret, Selby Speaks, Selby Screams, Selby Surfs, Selby Spacedog, Selby Splits, Selby Snaps, Selby Snowbound, Selby Supersnoop, Selby's Stardom, Selby Sorcerer,  Selby's Shemozzle, • Selby Scrambled and • Selby Shattered  pb $12.95 each.    

He has also written a number of books about Emily Eyefinger, a girl who has an eye at the end of her finger which leads to many strange and funny situations.  This series has also been around for quite a while but maintains its popularity and the latest title is Emily Eyefinger and the City in the Sky.
The full range of titles in the series are:
Emily Eyefinger
Emily Eyefinger and the City in the Sky
Emily Eyefinger  and the Puzzle in the Jungle
Emily Eyefinger  and the Balloon Bandits
Emily Eyefinger and the Black Volcano
Emily Eyefinger and the Devil Bones
Emily Eyefinger and the Ghost Ship
Emily Eyefinger and the Lost Treasure
Emily Eyefinger, Secret Agent.  pb $11.95 each

Non-fiction

Martin's Junior Writers Guide   pb $19.95
It is great to see that Rod Martin of Era publications has published a new Writers Guide aimed at younger students.   The Young Writers Guide (pb $31.95) which I reviewed previously in the list Professional Resource Books for the PYP will be adapted in a fourth edition to be even more suited to older students.  It is widely used by middle school students (not to mention senior students and teachers) since it is such a handy, clearly set out and well explained guide to grammar and writing skills.    This Junior Guide is aimed mainly at Grades 3 to 5.  It is an alphabetical reference for 8 – 10 year old students and offers basic explanations and examples on a wide range of writing-related subjects such as abbreviations, capital letters, grammar, confusing words, punctuations, style, and text types.  The language is simple and many of the examples are humorous.  It is extremely well set out and easy to use and will be a very helpful resource for the library, the classroom and also for each student.   

Festivals and Food series  pb $19.95 each
For teachers looking for material on festivals round the world, this series could be helpful.   Each book describes the food, its preparation and the role it plays in some of the festivals of the people of each region.  There is also information about the various faiths and beliefs and their special celebratory feasts and festivals.  A number of simple recipes are included.  The photographs are excellent and help give a greater insight into the region than can be provided by the simple text.  These books were first published in 1998 but have been updated and revised for these new paperback editions.  (7 – 10 years)
The Caribbean
China
France
India
Italy
West Africa                     pb $19.95 each

Japanese celebrations: Cherry Blossoms, Lanterns and Stars! Written and illustrated by Betty Reynolds  hardback $24.95
I was delighted to see another book written by Betty Reynolds.  I especially liked her Tokyo Friends (hardback $18.95).  This one isn't as innovative but it is an excellent introduction to Japanese festivals.  The description of each illustration is written in English, in kanji and in Japanese characters.  Celebrations are described chronologically through the year and there is a description of the food, decorations, gifts and activities associated with each festive event.  Some events are familiar such as weddings and birthdays whereas others are uniquely Japanese such as the Doll Festival and Setsubun, the Bean-Throwing Ceremony.  (8 – 12 years)

What are my Rights and Responsibilities?  by Jane Pearson   hardback $29.95
This is a simply written book attempting to outline the basic rights that a child has and also the responsibilities that children have to others.  There are very few books on this topic and this could be helpful for schools endeavouring to explain this topic to children.  It is part of the series  Living Learning and Playing Together. Other titles in the series are
My Feelings
Why do we have Rules?
Working Together                  (7 – 9 years)

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.      

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.