January 2007

Please Note All prices are in Australian dollars and include the new 10% GST tax. However this GST does not apply to exports from Australia.

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Recommended by Kate Shepherd

Picture Books

Picture Books are not necessarily just for young children. They can be used over a much wider age range and a number are produced with an older, more sophisticated audience in mind. The ones I have chosen here have simple written text but high interest level.

Picture Books which will also appeal to Older Students

The Watertower by Gary Crew Illustrations by Steven Woolman pb $17.95

The stunning illustrations and understated text in this science fiction picture book combine very effectively. It is enigmatic and hints at a menacing alien threat. (8 years up)

My Place by Nadia Wheatley Illustrated by Donna Rawlins pb $19.95

By moving backwards in decades, the book shows how a particular neighbourhood in Sydney has changed over the years. There is a wealth of information imparted through maps, illustrations, and simple text. Much to discuss especially regarding conservation and history. (8 years up)

Picture books For Younger Children

Imagine by Alison Lester pb $12.05

Detailed scenes of children at play among the animals of the jungle, Australian bush, ocean, farm etc lend themselves to lots of discussion. Names of all the animals drawn form a border around each picture.

Also Clive eats Alligators, Tessa snaps Snakes, Rosie sips Spiders, Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo and When Frank was Four pb $15.95 each.  Each page shows the different likes and dislikes of seven children. Excellent for discussion.

The Great White Man-eating Shark by Margaret Mahy pb $14.95

A favourite of mine. Norvin impersonates a shark so that he can swim unhindered in the bay but he is all too convincing and attracts a lady shark who considers him "the shark of my dreams". A wonderful story, with text and illustration that deserves to be enjoyed by all age groups.

Beginner Readers which can also be used with an older age group.

The Excuse by Allan Baillie pb $11.95

One of the excellent Aussie Bites series. Surely not even Peter’s teacher would fall for such an elaborate excuse involving a stranded spacecraft and an alien that floats. Very funny. Great for beginner readers. Others in the Aussie Bites series which older readers will also enjoy are Fort Island by David Metzenthen, The Worst Team Ever by Philip Gwynne, David, The Best Model Maker in the World by James Moloney, Bernice Knows Best by Max Dann and Rattler’s Place by Patricia Wrightson. (7 - 12 years)

Contact me for a full list.

Sarindi and the Lucky Bird by Janine Fraser illustrated by Kim Gamble pb $12.95

Set in Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia, Sarindi’s father is a becak driver (a type of bicycle taxi) and his mother makes batik. They live in just one room but Sarindi knows he is lucky. A vivid and warm portrait of a family who are struggling to make a living and perhaps from a western perspective have very little.

Also by Janine Fraser Abdullah’s Butterfly illustrated by Kim Gamble pb $12.95

Set in a village in Malaysia this is the story of a boy who tries to bring extra money into the family by catching beautiful butterflies. Both books would be excellent for class discussion. (7 - 11 years)

 

Paul Jennings is Australia's most popular author, even outselling Roald Dahl. His stories are funny, quirky and often have a strange twist to the ending.

Rascal Stories by Paul Jennings illustrated by Bob Lea  pb $9.95 each

Rascal the Dragon, Rascal's Trick, Rascal in Trouble, Rascal Takes Off, Rascal at the Show, Rascal and the Cheese, Rascal and Little Flora, Rascal and the Hot Air Balloon, Little Rascal to the Rescue, Rascal and the Dragon Droppings, Rascal and the Monster and Rascal Goes Fishing.  Rascal is an engaging young stray dragon who has been adopted by a young boy and his father in much the same way that a family would take in a stray puppy.  The stories are enjoyable, humorous and very simply written for children just beginning to read.

Rascal the Dragon, Rascal's Trick and Rascal in Trouble are also available in pivture book format  pb $14.95 each

Rascal's Trick and Rascal in Trouble are also available as Big Books  $45.00 each

Also by Jennings, The Cabbage Patch Fib, and its sequels The Cabbage Patch War and The Cabbage Patch Pong pb $12.95 each.

Also, The Paw Thing, Singenpoo Strikes Again, Singenpoo Shoots Through and Singenpoo’s Secret Weapon pb $12.95 Wacky stories about Singenpoo the remarkable cat who can read and even play Scrabble. Large print, simple text and illustrations. (7 — 11 years)

Three by the Sea by Edward Marshall illustrated by James Marshall  pb $10.95

This is a wonderful send up of the boredom that some graded reading books can cause. As each of the children tells a story, Marshall shows what can be done with very limited text in the hands of a true storyteller. (6 — 9 years)

Cocky Colin by Richard Tulloch illustrated by Stephen Axelsen pb $10.95 about an adventurous cockroach who is determined to leave the dark and head for the action. One of the Solo series.

Short Story Collections

Paul Jennings

His work is extraordinarily popular. He started writing because his son was not a good reader and was bored with the books he got at school. Consequently Paul's short stories are written in accessible language, with humour and there is usually a strange twist in the ending. Quirky Tails, Round the Twist, Unbearable, Unbelievable, Uncanny, Uncovered, Undone, Unmentionable, Unreal and Unseen. His latest are Sucked In and Spit It Out!  pb $14.95 each

Also by Jennings,  The Gizmo, The Gizmo Again and Come Back Gizmo are two short individual zany stories of about the length of the stories in the collections with colour illustrations pb $12.95 each   (8 - 14 years)

Short novels appealing to a wide age range.

Gasp! The Breathtaking Adventures of a Fish Left Home Alone by Terry Denton   pb $14.95

The hilarious adventures of a naughty and greedy fish who breaks his fish bowl and, with only 27 pages to go, realises that he "is a fish out of water". Gasp! Denton is a clever, witty writer and illustrator and the high drama of this very simply story will appeal to beginner readers and older ESL students. (7 - 13 years)

The two sequels are Splat! The Explosive Adventures of a Fish Not Home Alone and Zapt! The Electrifying Adventures of a Fish Left Home Alone pb $14.95 each

Bill's New Frock by Anne Fine pb $14.95

One day Bill wakes up and finds that everyone assumes that he is a girl and that he has to go to school in a pink frock. It's very funny but it also opens up opportunties for lots of discussion of gender roles.

Also Diary of a Killer Cat pb $10.95

Tuffy admits he killed the bird. He is a cat after all! But his owner becomes more distraught with each new dead creature. A hilarious story from the point of the view of the cat! (6 — 11)  Sequel is Return of the Killer Cat  pb $11.95

Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman pb $14.95

Morris used to write for television which may explain why his stories are so visual and so popular. Everyone is miserable in England and so Keith persuades his parents to live in sunny Australia where he also finds problems just different ones. Sequels are Worry Warts and Puppy Fat pb $14.95 each.  Blabbermouth is about a girl who cannot speak and Stickybeak and The Gift of the Gab are the sequels  pb $14.95 each  (8 — 14)

Onion Tears by Diana Kidd pb $12.95

The moving story of a Vietnamese boat girl in Australia and how she is finally able to cry real tears, not just the tears that come when she is peeling onions. (7 — 12 years)

The Aussie Chomps series are for slightly older readers than the very popular Aussie Bites series.  My favourites are The really really high diving tower and Anton Rocks On by David Metzenthen, and Stella by the Sea by Ruth Starke.  Contact me for a full list.

Answers to Brut by Gillian Rubinstein pb $16.95

An adventure story about the kidnapping of Brut, a pet bull terrier which the children fear will be used in a pit fight. (8 — 14 years)

Teacher Resources for ESL

The following teacher resources from Curriculum Corporation are used widely in Australian schools.

ESL Scales Assists teachers to record the progress of student’s learning in ESL. pb $32.95

Please contact me if you would like additional information re these and other titles.

Please note Change of Address details above.

All prices are in Australian dollars. If you would like to order any of the above books, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email.

© Kate Shepherd 2008.