There are 2 things I love to buy when I'm having a particularly crappy day: pyjamas and books. There is something comforting about a new pair of Peter Alexander pi's or the smell of a new book when you are having a bad day and just want to curl up in bed. It was one Thursday afternoon, when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, when I found this little gem in a small local bookshop. My students had been reading several David Walliams books and I had loved the ones I had read so when I saw that he had released a new book, my Thursday begun to turn around (that...and the fact that I had also purchased a small tub of my favourite mint chic-chip ice-cream!).
The Midnight Gang follows the story of a young boy named Tom when he is admitted into Lord Funt Hospital after receiving a rather nasty bump on his head during a cricket match. Tom is a student at boarding school and we can quickly infer that his parents had shipped him off there as they were too busy for a son. As quickly as we are introduced to our protagonist, so too are we to the other characters in the children's ward of the hospital, the porter and the head nurse (who is rather 'Trunchbull-esque'). Each child in the ward has a particular short term illness or injury, apart from Sally who we can infer, based on the character description, has cancer. As the plot unravels we come to love each of these characters and their quirks, growing particularly fond of Sally and the Porter. The Midnight Gang tells the story of a group of kids in the children's ward of a hospital, setting out to make their dreams come true at midnight each night. As the story continues, we come to understand the origins of 'The Midnight Gang' and the troubles they have in ensuring each child get's their last wish whilst in the hospital. From being the first girl on the North Pole to being able to fly, these characters dreams are nothing short of bold...however through creativity, a storeroom freezer and a couple of hundred balloons, these children along with the Porter get up to some serious fun! This book is nothing short of a laugh and a must read for children who love warm and fuzzy adventure stories. Don't let the size of this book dishearten kids, it is a definite page turner and will have you entertained from beginning to end. xx
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I remember the New Year of 2015 very clearly. My best friend was house-sitting this beautiful place over the summer and we spent those last few hours of 2014 sitting around a table with friends playing Cards Against Humanity and drinking copious amounts of wine. As midnight grew closer, few spoke about a new years resolution and it was then that I shared my idea about starting a children's literature blog for the year. It was from then on that this little, humble blog was conceived.
It was easy to keep in the loop with current children's literature and find time to actually blog when I was in my final year at university. However with a full time teaching job along with a plethora of others commitments, I found that blogging was added to that figurative pile of "stuff I want to do but don't have the time to". I've decided though that it's time for this figurative pile of "stuff" to be sorted through hence this blog post. So prepare yourselves, the very few ladies and gents who actually read this blog, I will be posting more frequently! Watch this space. xxx I have come to the conclusion that there are not enough years to read all the books I have kept in my 'to be read' pile and frankly that is kinda sad... all of the amazing stories hidden within thousands and thousands of book covers that I will only have the opportunity in my lifetime to read a small handful of those. With every new trip to the bookstore or google search, I find more titles to add to my 'list' and it has gotten to the point where I now have a specific notebook dedicated to storing these titles and their authors in the hope that one day i'll get around to reading them all. I know, realistically that this list will keep on growing and I won't be able to catch up...but I don't want them to go unread. So, I'm going to upload a small portion of my 'to be read' list for this blog post so that you may too add these to your own lists and hopefully get around to reading them, even sharing them, if I do not have the opportunity to. Please find below just a small portion of my beloved list. • I Don't Believe in Dragons - Anna Walker • Ruby Red Shoes - Kate Knapp • The Boy Who Grew Into A Tree - Gary Crew • Hug Machine - Scott Campbell • Lulu and the Brontosaurus - Judith Viorst & Lane Smith • Isabella's Bed - Alison Lester • The Island - John Heffernan • Where's Walrus? - Stephen Savage • The Mammoth in the Fridge - Michael Escoffier • A Bit Lost - Chris Haughton • The Architecture of Song - Gary Crew • The Conductor - Laetitia Devernay • Cloudette - Tom Lichtenhold • Henry in Love - Peter McCarty • The Frank Show - David Mackintosh • The Insomniacs - Karina Wolf • The Dot - Peter Reynolds. I find most of the books I add to my list via book reviews or book trailers online like the one below. These book trailers are a great way to gain an understanding of the mood of the book! Teacher Tip: These book trailers are a great way to introduce students to a new book you are reading or you can even have students create their own book trailers of a story they have read or you have been reading in class and then create a class showcase of the trailers. These could then act as a resource to introduce other students in the school to the great selection of children's literature that is out there. If I were given a dollar for every time I was asked to read this book by my students on casual days I am quite certain that I would be able to afford to take myself on a European holiday. I remember strolling through my favourite children's bookshop one afternoon when I overheard two mothers discussing this book called 'The Book With No Pictures' and how their children had been raving about it one day after school. Any book that children had been talking about long after the final page had been turned must be something I invested in, especially as I was about to embark on the scary but exciting journey of casual teaching. Next thing I know I'm walking out of the bookshop with my very own copy of B.J Novak's masterpiece tucked into my already crowded satchel. To say that this book is a crowd pleaser would be an understatement. My first ever casual day was a 2/3 class and they erupted in laughter the very first time I read them 'The Book With No Pictures'. They then proceeded to ask for it to be read again for the next 2 hours...I caved and read it again at the end of the day for them; enjoying it just as much as they did the first time. News quickly spread around the school through playground gossip that Ms T had this awesome book that had no pictures in it and it made her say silly things. What can I say? This seemingly simple picture book picked up for $25 dollars at the bookshop one afternoon had children talking about literature in the playground and well as giving me some "cool teacher cred" amongst the students. As my time teaching casually at this school increased, the book was recommended more and more. To be honest, I'm not surprised. B.J Novak has done a fantastic job and the kids love it! 'The Book With No Pictures' is pretty self explanatory. However the lack of illustrations doesn't take away from the overall effect of the story. Novak has instead employed typography techniques to explore character voices, dynamics within the story whilst making it visually engaging. Bold lettering, contrasting colours and text of different sizes makes the reading of the text that much more engaging, especially when the reader themselves "performs" the reading. This is in fact essential for the text to reach its full potential. There is nothing much more I can say apart from the fact that you should definitely get down to your local bookstore or open up a computer tab on Amazon, purchase this book and keep it for your own enjoyment or if you are a teacher like me, take it along with you to class. I can ensure you that it will receive roaring acclaim from children and teachers alike. Happy belated Easter fellow literature nerds. I hope this short but well deserved holiday break has brought you nothing less than a slight belly ache from the chocolate overdose and a relaxed outlook on the Autumn ahead. Unfortunately for me I was sick over the Easter long weekend and spent my long weekend watching entire seasons of Gossip Girl on Netflix (hola to all my fellow Dan lovers out there) curled up with bed with my fox slippers and my 2 hospitable dachshunds as companions. In between reruns and naps I had the time to think about this blog, my 'to be read' list and my writing. To be honest, I really missed it and with university and my teaching career falling into place, this blog took a back step. So here I am, slightly refreshed but ready to get back on the blogging horse...and to add to my rather splendid collection of things I do on this blog I have decided to create a page called It's Monday and I'm grateful for. This particular page of this book blog will be dedicated to my writing, starting off every week with a piece about things I'm grateful for or which make me happy. Of course you can feel free to not even bother reading the rather amateur musings of a 21yr old, but if you would like to pop on over to the new page weekly to find a new little article. I hope this inspires you to do the same. As for now I would like to share some new little things I have been enjoying so far this Autumn. 1. Gregory Alan Isakov This brilliant musician has been a reoccurring talent in my Autumn playlist on iTunes (am I the only one who creates playlists for the different seasons?). His music is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea and cosy blanket, especially as the weather begins to get cooler. Favourite songs - Evelyn, Big Black Car. 2. Malteaser Easter Eggs. Do I even have to explain why this is here. They are awesome and I may have now consumed an entire bag. #noregrets.
Welcome lovelies. Why not grab a cup of tea and a biscuit (imagine that phrase in an English accent) along with a comfy blanket and snuggle down to read this one. I would like to introduce you to Peggy. Peggy is the central character in Anna Walker's beautifully illustrated picture book Peggy. I would first like to say how much I adore Anna Walker as an author/illustrator. Her stories are simply told but in the most beautifully, creative ways accompanied by gorgeous water colour illustrations which make you squeak in delight about how cute they are. Walker's stories always house a loveable and unique character which in this case is a chicken. I can't explain enough how brilliant Anna Walker is and I strongly recommend picking up a book or two of hers next time you are at your local bookshop. The inspiration for Peggy goes back to one windy day in Melbourne when Anna thought her chooks might fly away in the weather. When telling a friend about her worry they said that it sounded like a story of hers and ta-da, the idea for this book was born. (ps. the chooks didn't fly away for all of those who were wondering). This book follows the adventure of a lone chicken who lives in a small house in a quiet street. Everyday Peggy fulfils her routine of playing in the yard and watching the pigeons. Whether it be rain, hail or shine, Peggy always does the same thing. One day, a big gust of wind comes along and takes Peggy with it. It is then that she finds herself in the middle of the big city. Cold and alone, Peggy decides to explore the city. In her journey on the bustling streets her eyes are opened to the outside world. The story then continues to follow Peggy and her discoveries, and although she finds some comfort, she misses her cosy home on her little suburban street. Her luck then changes when she comes across a flock of pigeons who she thinks might know the way home. Now, I'm not going to tell you the end...although it is rather predictable...but that's what I love about this book. Following the classic 'home, away, home' structure of children's literature, this story reminds me of my childhood reading the Beatrix Potters books about Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck. In my experiences in the classroom ,teaching kindergarten, it was obvious that this book was a crowd favourite. The children delighted in the story of a brave chicken out in the big city and when looking closer at the illustrations, found it quite hilarious spotting all the different activities Peggy was engaging in - including riding the shopping mall escalator. This story is beautifully simplistic and one that I could see being shared and loved by many. We are naturally curious beings, constantly seeking answers to an infinite amount of questions. It is this natural curiosity which is woven into the fabric of our being that leads us to explore and experiment; to question and to investigate. As a teacher, it is our duty to keep this curiosity alight in our students encouraging them to act on their curiosity and seek a deeper knowledge of themselves and the world around them. We want to provide children with opportunities that captivate the imagination, expand their understanding of their world and ignite enthusiasm for learning. Such an experience, I believe, is commonly found amongst the pages of quality children's literature especially when introduced to the unique stylings of the one and only, Shaun Tan. I would go as far as saying that Shaun Tan is one of the most renowned children's author/illustrators around today and rightly so. His works are riddled with absurdity with an air of surrealism, engaging readers well before they open the front cover. Tan's works are intriguing and inspire curiosity so I am very much looking forward to sharing them with you. Shaun Tan's work as an author/illustrator is extensive, so for the purpose of this blog post I have chosen to focus on The Lost Thing and Tales of Outer Suburbia. The Lost Thing tells the story of boy who comes across a...well...lost thing on the beach. Tea-pot like and bright red, this lost things stands out quite significantly from the world in which the boy lives, emphasised through Tan's manipulation of artistic elements like colour and line. As the story progresses we come to see the boys attempt at understanding the lost thing and in doing so eventually finding a place for it to belong. This story could be used to explore concepts such as belonging (sorry to all those Australian HSC students circa 2011), communication, marginalisation and consumerism. Somewhat totalitarian in nature, the world in which the boy lives is clearly different to that of the utopian world the lost thing belongs and how this is represented through illustration makes for a really interesting visual literacy study in an older years classroom. This piece of literary gold can also act as a catalyst for discussion around misunderstanding, questioning our decisions to ostracise those who we deem to be different and beauty in the uniqueness of the 'individual'. Tales of Outer Suburbia is a collection of short stories which are some of Tan's more abstract works. All of the stories within the compilation occur on the outskirts of town where the strange and fantastical occur amongst the realistic. This blur between surreal and realistic Tan achieves so well and it is because of this that audiences are engaged from the get go. Each and every one of the stories in this book would allow for an in depth literature study or even just pure enjoyment. Whether it be a story about a postage stamp sized foreign exchange student called Eric or an ambiguous night turtle rescue, Tales of Outer Suburbia will leave you either wanting to read more or write your own surreal outer suburbia experience. What a literary gem for those older kids, particularly those who find reading to be disengaging or uneventful. As there always is, there is a website which is a great tool to extend reading as well as a short film available to purchase through iTunes of The Lost Thing.
Go and visit at: http://www.thelostthing.com Enjoy! xx Hello internet! It's been a while since I uploaded a new blog post but I have been holidaying...attempting to get a tan (although no luck) hence the lack of bloggy things. However, in my time away I discovered a couple of pretty wholesome things which I would love to share with you all. I present to you the list of awesome things I have stumbled across in the month of February: 1. An online book blog thing called 'Epic Reads'. They review YA fiction, interview authors and editors and make rather hilarious and true videos about book nerd problems (holla all of those who can relate). You should totally check them out if you are into YA (young adult for the newbies) fiction and/or anything bookish. Click here. 2. Twinings Green Tea with Grapefruit and Pineapple. I am being honest when I say I think I have gone through about 3 boxes of this stuff. Question - is it weird I keep a teabag of this in my handbag...or is that completely normal? Comment below with your thoughts. 3. Hozier. Sweet baby cheeses. This man has got to be one of the best musicians of our time. Yes, that's a big statement and I'm sticking to it. Beautifully crafted melodies accompanied by raw and honest lyrics (not to mention his unique and distinctive vocal stylings) Hozier is definitely one of my favourite artists at the moment. If you don't believe me just listen to this...you can thank me later. 3. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. Calling all YA fans!! I picked up this book at my local library after hearing all the buzz about it through the Booktube sphere..and now I understand why. The story is based on the idea that there are an infinite amount of universes and from the very first decision we make in our lives the universe splits (bare with me...it gets easier to understand). From every decision we make from then on there are 2 possible pathways to follow and hence more and more parallel universes come to be...like a tree branch that keeps expanding. This story follows Marguerite, the daughter of two physicists who have created a device which allows you to jump between these parallel universes and inhabit yourself in an alternate universe. Pretty cool huh? We quickly come to find out that Marguerite's father has been murdered and the device stolen and all the evidence points to their young (brooding and mysterious) research assistant...also known as Paul. Determined to avenge her fathers death, Marguerite with the help of a fellow research assistant chase Paul through these parallel universes only for Marguerite to discover much more than she ever thought she would. This book is the first in a trilogy and I can't wait for the next one to be released!! That's all folks! Stay tuned for new children's book reviews as there will be plenty coming your way in the month of February. xx Ps. Let me know if you would like a book review on 'A Thousand Pieces of You' by Claudia Gray. When looking at the kinds of stories we read to children as they grow up, it is relatively obvious that many of these house a bear character of some sort. When thinking about it I came up with a list of just some of the bear inclusive stories of my childhood. Goldilocks, Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear were just a few that popped up on my list and this got me thinking...what is it about bears that make them such a popular literary character? (apart from the fact that they are so darn cute!). No Bears, written by Meg McKinlay and illustrated by Leila Rudge, tells the story of a young girl named Ruby who has decided to write her very own book. Gaining inspiration from her collection of fairytales, Ruby sets out to start her story however there is one thing you need to know - there is a strict 'No Bear' policy. As the story unravels, we are introduced to Ruby's different characters; princesses, monsters and fairies. However there is one character we are never introduced to in the text but rather through the illustrations - Bear. This is Bear. This cheeky little character hides behind the pages of Ruby's story whilst, unbeknownst to her, helping the story book characters play out their role in the book, making sure he doesn't get caught when doing so. A perfect example of how metafiction can engage an audience as well as challenge the traditional fairytale conventions. The contrast between the story Ruby tells through the text and what is actually happening in the illustrations is a common technique employed by authors and illustrators in the Post Modern picture book world. The Bears work in the story acts as a sub plot which engages the reader as they feel like they know more than the narrator and can giggle as they compare what Ruby says and what the cheeky storybook characters actually do. This skilfully written story time staple allows the child reader to take a peek behind the curtain of storytelling, laugh along as they follow the adventure of the forbidden Bear and fall in love with the gorgeously illustrated all too familiar characters that fill this text. In order for this story to be fully appreciated for its twist on the traditional fairytale, the child reader would of had to of been previously introduced to the traditional tellings of fairytales and fables in order for them to understand the storytelling conventions which are then flipped on their head in this loveable fractured fairytale. After being enjoyed once, I can assure you that children will be asking for you to read it again and again. No Bears is a book I can't wait to share with my class one day, one I'm positive they will enjoy whether it be read aloud or independently in a comfy book nook somewhere. Meg McKinlay has also written a wide variety of other books including: Duck for a Day, The Truth about Penguins & The Big Dig. I do believe you should check them out...that is all. Well hello to you. How have you been? Good, thank you (that is me assuming you returned the kind words). Carrying on. I was looking through my bookshelf wondering what book I would do my next review on. That's when I pulled out my copy of The Boy Who Cried Ninja. Sweet sweet memories of first discovering this book then came flooding back and I knew I had to let you all in on the quirky and amusing stylings of Mr Alex Latimer. I have just two of his books (I unfortunately haven't gotten around to buying any more seeing as I am a university student and live off 2 minute noodles) but them alone stand as a fantastic addition to my children's literature library. Background knowledge about the author in a format which will not make you want to scroll down the page...although if you want to...go ahead. No judging here. • Based in Cape Town, South Africa • First book The Boy Who Cried Ninja published in 2011 • Has published several other picture books since then and in his spare time, writes and illustrates for magazines and such. • Also, he has a blog (of course he does...who doesn't have a blog these days). Click here to check it out. 1. The Boy Who Cried NinjaOnto the books! The Boy Who Cried Ninja tells the story of a young boy called Tim who nobody believes as he gives rather absurd excuses to his parents when strange things begin to happen around the house, however this time Tim isn't lying. When the last piece of cake goes missing, Tim explains to his mum that is was a rogue ninja who ate it and when asked why he didn't finish his homework, he explains that it was because a giant squid came and ate his backpack. And so the excuses keep coming. Tim's parents are fed up and send him to go and rake all the leaves up in the backyard. Tim doesn't like to be considered a liar so whilst fulfilling his punishment he creates a cunning plan to prove to his parents, once and for all, that he is innocent whilst shining some light on the actual perpetrators of these strange happenings. A play on the original tale of The boy who cried wolf, this book is witty and lighthearted and humorously addresses ideas around believing children. This picture book is perfect for younger readers. Through absurdism and humour, Latimer gets the child reader on his side as the illustrations clearly prove to the audience that Tim is telling the truth. From the Pirate who lives in the cupboard to the time travelling monkey who has a particularly good aim, Latimer's quirky characters deliver on the cuteness scale as well as depicting the weird and wonderful nature of childhood imagination coming to life. A wonderful story to share with the kids or in my case, the classroom. Onto the next book chaps! 2. Penguin's Hidden Talent Can we take a moment, before I continue, to acknowledge the fact that the protagonist in this story - the penguin to the right - is wearing bunny slippers whilst holding a cup of coffee?! This is a freakishly accurate depiction of me in the morning...apart from the fact that, you know, I'm not a penguin. Like the previous book, this story is equal parts cute and quirky. I first came across this book whilst browsing the children's book section of the Beecroft Bookshop. (Side note - I believe the soundtrack to my discovery of this little Children's Bookshop was Belinda Carlisle's Heaven is a Place On Earth). The man on the counter must of thought it was rather weird as I sat in a tiny green chair (either made for children or ridiculously tiny women) and giggled away as I turned the pages of this picture book. The story follows Penguin's (originally named) pursuit to find his own talent. In his town, all the other creatures are preparing for the annual talent quest and Penguin feels rather left out as he has yet to discover his own. In his attempts to discover his talent he realises he can't bake, read a map or juggle household appliances...amongst a list of other things. Feeling sorry for their seemingly untalented friend, the contestants decide to throw Penguin a party which we come to find is a talent none of them house. With a single balloon, an incorrectly spelt banner and a half eaten loaf of bread, Penguin decides to turn the party around and it is here that his true talent is revealed. Alex Latimer has done it again! Who would of thought that a story about a Penguin party planner would be so entertaining but this book is just so darn cute. Not only is it entertaining but truthful in its portrayal of how everyone has a hidden talent and sometimes it takes a particularly random situation or occurrence for it to be brought to your or others attention. Simple, colour blocked illustrations paired with an easy to follow storyline lends this text to be read as a possible bed time story which could then be read independently by the child at reading age. Funny and light hearted, this story is definitely one to be enjoyed. |
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April 2017
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