Information Resources

 Here are some information resources for children and young people that I like

Many Answers

Specifically designed to help children and young people find information, this site is a compilation of answers to questions asked at Any Questions (Anyquestions.co.nz) which offers real time homework help.  Rather than giving answers to questions, the site gives suggested sites and searching tips to help children find their own answers.  Browse hot topics or submitted a question.

Any questions? Many answers = Uia nga patai?  Nga whakautu maha. (n.d.). Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://manyanswers.co.nz/ 

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of NewZealand

This comprehensive, visually appealing, and user-friendly website offers a wealth of info about NZ.  The intended audience is general, but the language is accessible for older children and young adults.    In depth coverage and quick reference is available on history, culture, biography, the natural environment, society, and economy.  Contributions and comments are also included.

 Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2005-2011). Te ara: The encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved June 3, 2012, from http://www.teara.govt.nz/‌en

  

The World Fact Book

Brief overviews of topics such as geography, history, people, and society covering 267 countries.  Country comparisons rank countries on a wide range of topics, from area and population, to adult obesity and infant mortality rate.  Information is updated weekly.  Searching can be done via flags of the world, regional maps, or alphabetical lists.  Suitable for young adults.

Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). The World Fact Book. Retrieved June 3, 2012, from https://www.cia.gov/‌library/‌publications/‌the-world-factbook/‌index.html

World Book Online For Kids

This is an encyclopaedia for children which can be browsed by topic or searched by keyword. Some articles include mini quizzes and links to related topics.  Also included are a children’s dictionary, a variety of maps, and a picture gallery.  A selection of games and activities are also available.

World Book, Inc. (2012). World Book online for kids. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from Christchurch City Libraries’ Kids Internet Gateway

Just for Fun

I wanted to include some websites that were just fun and games for kids.  I've watched my kids playing a lot of computer games, some are hopeless and some are great.  I like the games on these sites, they are well designed for the capabilities of the target audience, and my kids enjoy playing them.

Fun with Spot

Fun activities inspired by Eric Hill’s Spot books. Designed for a wide range of computer and literacy skill levels, the games are highly appropriate from toddler to young child. Information and resources are included.  The opening interactive story allows children to type their name which is then featured in the story; a great way to introduce letter and name recognition.

Fun with Spot. (2010). Retrieved May 31, 2012, from http://www.funwithspot.com/‌au/‌index.html 

PBS Kids

An extensive range of games and activities featuring familiar characters from children’s books and television programmes.  These games cover a wide range of topics; they are educational and fun, and suitable for a range of ages and learning abilities.  Links to resources for parents and teachers are also included.

Public Broadcasting Service. (1995-2011). PBS kids. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from http://pbskids.org/

Literacy and literature supporters

Storylines

The Storylines Trust promotes reading and literature for children, and supports NZ authors and illustrators.  Features NZ author and illustrator profiles, resource downloads, and useful links.  Storylines publishes a news letter, a year book, and member-only booklists.  Awards recognise children’s literature advocates, authors and illustrators, and encourage up-coming talent.

Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust on New Zealand. (2010). Storylines. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.storylines.org.nz/

New Zealand Book Council

This website promotes New Zealand authors, and reading in general.  The site is for all ages, and includes sections for children, parents, and teachers.  There is a comprehensive list of New Zealand authors’ biographies, as well as author spotlights and book reviews.  Children can upload their own reviews and creative writing.  Useful links are also included.

New Zealand Book Council. (n.d.). New Zealand book council = Te kaunihera pukapuka o Aotearoa. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/ 

Kids’ Lit Quiz

The brainchild of New Zealander Wayne Mills, Kids’ Lit Quiz is an annual international competition which aims to encourage reading and reward children who are keen readers.  The site includes all the details about participating in the competition, testimonials from teachers and school librarians, and past questions to practice on.

Kids’ Lit Quiz. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.kidslitquiz.com/ 

School Library Journal

This website has an extensive range of reviews and articles on books, technology, and literacy related topics.  Although the full list of reviews is only available to subscribers, there is still a wealth of information available for the casual reader.  Several blogs and free newsletters are also available.

Media Source, Inc. (2011). School Library Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/‌csp/‌cms/‌sites/‌SLJ/‌Home/‌index.csp

Publishers

I found these websites really useful, lot's of information here, even games.  While I was surfing, I found it interesting how much some publishers put into their sites, and how little others do!

Puffin Books

This is a comprehensive and informative website featuring books published by Puffin.  Find the latest books, learn more about favourite authors and illustrators, listen to podcasts of audio book extracts, download activities inspired by your favourite books, and even play some games.  Downloadable classroom activities, hot topics, and recommended books are included.

Penguin Books. (1995-2012). Puffin Books. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from http://www.puffin.co.uk/‌index.html 

Scholastic

This is a very comprehensive website with a wide range of resources and information available for librarians, children, parents, and teachers. Independent book reviews from a variety of sources are included.  Children and young adults can search for new books, play games, discuss their favourite books on moderated message boards, and find out more about favourite authors.  

Scholastic, Inc. (2012). Scholastic: Read every day. Lead a better life. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://www.scholastic.com/‌home/

Book Awards

Here are a couple of websites about children's book awards:

New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards

This website features winners of the NZ Post Children’s book awards.  Lists of winners and finalists from past years are included, as well the current year.  Resources relating to the finalists from current and past years, as well as general literacy resources for teachers, librarians, and parents, are available for download.  Kids are able to vote for the annual Children’s Choice award.

Booksellers New Zealand. (2011). New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.booksellers.co.nz/‌awards/‌new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards

Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals

Winners of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway awards are featured here.  The Living Archive displays wining books by their cover, with links to information about the book and author; and some reviews.  The Shadowing Site encourages kids to read the shortlisted books.   Reading groups can join in by writing reviews, watching clips of authors and illustrators, and using resources.

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. (n.d.). The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway children’s book awards. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/‌home/

Reading and Reviews on the Web

Here are a few websites that I found interesting, these ones are to do with fiction, reading and reviews:

Books for Keeps

This magazine style website features reviews of books for children and young adults, as well as articles on, and news about, literary issues.  There is also a forum where people can talk about children’s books and literature.  The reviews are both positive and negative, giving the sense of critical rigour to assist with book selection.  Books are given a star rating for quick assessments.

Books for keeps: The children’s book magazine online. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/

Kids Books NZ

This blog features regular reviews of both fiction and non-fiction books for children and young adults by New Zealand authors.  Reviews are written by New Zealand authors Maria Gill and Lorraine Orman, and others.  Relevant articles concerning children’s literature are also included.

Kids Books NZ. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://kidsbooksnz.blogspot.co.nz/

Kids Reads

This website features reviews of books for children as well as selected author biographies.  There is a useful “Series” list, listing books by series name.  Features include monthly “Cool and New” book lists, “Books on Screen,” a list of children’s book awards, “Great Books for Boys,” and a regular newsletter, available on the website, or by email.

The Book Report Network. (2012). Kidsreads. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://www.kidsreads.com/

Christchurch City Library Kid’s Blog

This blog is both for kids and by kids.  Book reviews by librarians and children are included, as well as news and events from the world of children’s literature.  Each month, a children’s author posts as a guest blogger, enabling children to talk directly to their favourite authors.  There are regular competitions to win books.  The latest library titles are also promoted.

Christchurch City Libraries. (n.d.). Christchurch Kids Blog. Retrieved June 3, 2012, from http://christchurchkids.wordpress.com/

turn2page1.com

Reviews and book news for young adults feature on this website.  Teens can login and share their own reviews and comment on their favourite books.  Books are arranged by genre, and can be searched by title or author.  Free extracts of latest books can be downloaded.  Selected author interviews and profiles are included.

ReadingZone. (2012). turn2page1.com. Retrieved June 3, 2012, from http://www.turn2page1.com/‌index.php?page=home

Meet the locals

Book Review

Gill, M.  (2011).  New Zealand hall of fame: 50 remarkable Kiwis (B. Potter, Illus.).  Auckland, New  Zealand: New Holland.

               The first thing you see when you open this book is Sir Edmund Hillary’s face looking out from a five dollar bill –  your attention is captured, and you can’t help but be drawn in.  Maria Gill has penned a book which shows New Zealand children that in this country ‘we do pretty darn well when it comes to medals, famous deeds, sporting achievements and just being WORLD FAMOUS.’1   Fifty remarkable New Zealanders are represented in this interesting, engaging, and visually stimulating book.  Each person is presented on a two page spread with a colourful and creative mixture of caricatures and photographs, while the author’s ‘tireless research builds a picture of their lives.’2  Basic facts, such as birthplace, birth date, and name, are depicted as a New Zealand passport, trophy boards list achievements, and a timeline presents the major events in each person’s life.  Embellishments such as postage stamps, bank notes, and photograph filmstrips add to the visual appeal.

The individuals have been chosen with the interests of children in mind3 and the ‘informative and accessible’ text will appeal to children.4  The use of text boxes to highlight quotes and passages of text will assist children of different reading abilities to access the information.  There is plenty to interest children who find it difficult to read long passages of unbroken text, while avid readers will find plenty to sink their teeth into.  A list of websites and online documentaries is included, as well as a bibliography, to help children to extend their learning.  The book is organised in colour coded sections for different types of achievements, and a table of contents and extensive index are included.  Although there is no glossary, definitions of difficult words are included in-text.  This is an example of a ‘bright, eye-catching contemporary non-fiction’ book that does live ‘up to its appearance.'5

Many children, particularly boys, read non-fiction for pleasure.6  Boys also respond well to texts with positive male role-models7  and to books that feature sports.8  With its many male role models, such as Sir Ray Avery who began life on the streets and became an inventor and humanitarian, and sporting greats, such as former All Black Sir Colin Meads, New Zealand hall of fame is likely to be very appealing to boys, and will therefore go towards filling gaps in this area.

Maria Gill has a background in teaching as well as a diploma in journalism.  She has written several trade and educational books for children.  Her books have been shortlisted for a number of children’s book awards, and her books have twice been in the Storylines Notable Books List.  New Zealand hall of fame is a Storylines Notable Book and a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

Notes

1. Gill, 2011, p. 4

2. Beattie, 2011
3. Gill, 2010
4. Whalley, 2011, p. 8
5. The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, 2011, p. 8
6. Open Polytechnic, 2011, p. 16
7. Husband, 2012, p. 24
8. Palmer, 2008

References

Beattie, G. (2011, May 26). New Zealand hall of fame: 50 remarkable Kiwis [Web log post]. Message posted to http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.co.nz/‌2011/‌05/‌new-zealand-hall-of-fame-50-remarkable.html

Gill, M. (2010). Books: New Zealand hall of fame: 50 remarkable Kiwis: Journal note. In Maria Gill: Children’s author - freelance writer. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from http://www.mariagill.co.nz/‌newzealandhalloffame.php

Husband, T. (2012). Why can’t Jamal read? Phi Delta Kappan, 93(5), 23-27.

Palmer, T. (2008). Reading the game: Using sport to encourage boys and men to read more. APLIS, 21(2), 78-83.

The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2011). Module 3. In 72276 Literature and information resources for children and young people. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Author.

Whalley, A. (2011). New Zealand hall of fame: 50 remarkable Kiwis [Review of the book New Zealand hall of fame: 50 remarkable Kiwis]. Magpies: Talking About Books for Children, 26(2), 8.

How you doin'?

Book Review 

Duncan, T.  (2008).  Kei te pēhea koe?  How do you feel?  North Shore, New Zealand: Puffin Books.

               ‘Kei te pēhea koe?  How do you feel?’  Tracy Duncan asks.  After reading this book, you would be able to answer that question in Māori, and if you relished this book as I did, then likely you would reply ‘Kei te pai rawa au! I feel fantastic!’

This simple picture book is an example of a ‘total entity’ which brings together the elements of illustration, text, and design to create a stunning work or art.1  The vivid and evocative illustrations use water-colour and ink, together with a combination of traditional Māori design and modern styling, to skilfully capture the various emotions and feelings.  Each emotion is presented on a two page spread with the text in Māori and English on one page, and the illustration on the other.  Behind the text is a colour block which complements the colours and mood of the illustration, and small details from each illustration are duplicated beneath the text.  In this way the design and illustrations are used together to expand on the concept of the book. 

The text of the book is very simple, and is accessible to Māori and non-Māori alike. The subject matter is one that young children will easily relate to.  Although the book has no plot, there is still a slight build up prior to the conclusion.  This is accomplished by the repetition of the question “How do you feel?” before the final feeling is presented.  In Kei te pēhea koe? Duncan has managed to avoid the contrivance of ‘self-conscious direction towards a particular market’2  found in some New Zealand children’s books.  The bilingual picture book Tutu Taniwha Fun by Robyn Kahukiwa is an example of a book where the desire to write a book with Māori content has resulted in a book that is didactic and self-conscious.   

Te reo Māori is a significant part of New Zealand cultural identity, and of the New Zealand school curriculum.  ‘By learning te reo... Māori students strengthen their identities, while non-Māori journey towards shared cultural understandings. All who learn te reo Māori help to secure its future as a living... language.’3  Although bilingual books are rare4 they assist teachers who are not confident at korero Māori to incorporate te reo into their classroom programmes.  According to the 2006 census, 23.7% of Māori, and only 4.1% of all New Zealanders, are able to converse in Māori.  Not only would Kei te pēhea koe? be useful for junior school teachers wishing to further the school goal of integrating te reo into their classroom teaching, but it would also be a valuable book for children to share with their whanau.

Kei te pēhea koe? was listed in the Storylines Notable Books List in 2009.

Notes

1: Hunter, quoted in Open Polytechnic, 2011a, p21

2: Gilderdale, 1982, p. 2

3: Ministry of Education, n.d.

4: Open Polytechnic, 2011b, p. 15

References

Gilderdale, B. (1982). A sea change: 145 years of New Zealand junior fiction. Auckland, New Zealand: Longman Paul.

Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Official languages. In The New Zealand curriculum online. Retrieved April 22, 2012, from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/‌Curriculum-documents/‌The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/‌Official-languages

The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2011a). Module 1. In 72276 Literature and information resources for children and young people. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Author.

The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2011b). Module 2. In 72276 Literature and information resources for children and young people. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Author.

Diamonds - a girls best friend??

Adolescence Book Review: Diamonds in the Shadow

Cooney, C. B.  (2007). Diamonds in the Shadow.  Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook.  [Suspense]

               Life is pretty sweet for 16-year-old Jared Finch, with nothing worse than an annoying little sister to disrupt his easy life in suburban Connecticut.  Sweet, that is, until his parents volunteer to take in a family of African refugees, forcing Jared to share his life, school, and even his bedroom with a total stranger.  But this African family is not quite what they seem; they are hiding secrets that could put Jared and his whole family in serious danger. 

                This novel by prolific author Caroline B. Cooney sheds light on the painful truths of civil war in Africa and the trade in illegal diamonds that fund those wars.  The story is told from the point of view of various characters in turn, which adds to the suspense of the story while highlighting the contrasts between the comfortable life of suburban Americans and the deprivations of refugees in Africa.  The story of the silent and traumatised Alake, who has witnessed and participated in such atrocities, is particularly poignant.  Although the work is entirely fictional, the author drew on her own experiences of sponsoring and hosting a refugee family. 

               A gripping and thought provoking novel, full of suspense and mystery, questions of guilt and innocence, and ultimately of hope and acceptance.  A great read for older bookworms.

Check out Caroline B. Cooney's website to find out more about her, her books, and the ideas behind them.

Kiwi as!

Middle Childhood Book Review:  The Phar Lap Mystery

Masson, S. (2010).  The Phar Lap mystery (My Australian story). Lindfield, NSW, Australia: Scholastic.  [Historical novel]

               The story of Phar Lap is as Kiwi as Buzzy Bee or pavlova, and here is a book that introduces kids to our equine hero in an exciting and unusual way.  Though the book is part of a series called My Australian Story, Kiwi kids will be pleased to find that due credit is given to New Zealand, since, as we well know, Phar Lap was born and raised here. 

               The novel takes the form of the diary of an 11-year-old girl, Sally, whose father is hired as a private eye to investigate the attempted shooting of Phar Lap in 1930.  When the investigations stir up trouble, putting Sally’s Dad is in danger, she is able to help the investigation in an unexpected way.  Sophie Masson writes a convincing account of Phar Lap’s exploits, and skilfully brings the mystery to a satisfying conclusion, while remaining true to the facts of the historical story and the mystery that still surrounds Phar Lap to this day. 

               There is more to this story that just Phar Lap, however.  It is also a story that about true friendship, the meaning of family, and fulfilling your dreams.  This novel will appeal to kids who enjoy reading mysteries, diaries, pony stories, and more.  I thoroughly recommend it for confident little bookworms.

Sophie Masson has written lots of books for kids and teens. If you would like to know more about her, you could visit her website

Come play with me...

Baby and Toddler Book Review: Peepo!

Ahlberg, A. (1997). Peepo! (J. Ahlberg, Illus.). London, England: Puffin. (Original work published 1981). [Interactive Picture Book]

               If you are looking for a fun, readable book for babies that will be enjoyed for many years, then Peepo! by husband and wife team, Janet and Allan Ahlberg, is just the thing.  The story, which is told in rhyme, follows a baby boy through an ordinary day, from waking up in his cot, in his mum and dad’s bedroom, through to bath-time, and bedtime.  The lyrical rhyme makes it a perfect book for reading aloud, while the repeated phrases make it very appealing to babies and toddlers.

               An entertaining feature of this book is the holes in alternate pages which give a sneak peek at the illustration on the coming page.  In board book format, this feature is very robust, giving the book a longer life-span than many other interactive books.  The illustrations, which are a vital part of the story, are beautifully executed by Janet Ahlberg, a Kate Greenaway Medal-winning illustrator.*  The highly detailed pictures depict Allan Ahlberg’s childhood in the 1930’s and 40’s.**  Children and adults alike will enjoy the “eye-spy” nature of the illustrations, with recurring features such as the dress the mother wears which is first seen hanging in the wardrobe,*** and the baby’s ball and teddy which appear on several pages.  The cover extravagantly proclaims that it is ‘the BEST book ever published for babies.’   Hyperbole though that may be, Peepo! truly is a delightful book for littlest bookworms.

*You can find out more about the Kate Greenaway Medal here

**You might like to visit the Puffin Books website to find out more about Janet and Allan Ahlberg

***Listen to Allan Ahlberg talking about Peepo!

The Book Rescue Begins

It's happened several time now.  I find just the book I'm looking for on the library catalogue, but when I go to request it, turns out that that very book is stuck in a munted library.  So when I saw on the news that the rescue  of the central library books had begun, I really felt like celebrating!!  One quarter of the cities books have been stuck in that library for one year and one month!  And that's just one library.  The library I used to work at was also munted, and most of those books had to be put into storage when the library relocated to a new site that was about the size of the staff room...and that's just two of the munted libraries...I can't even remember how many there were all together...was it six?

Hurray for the book rescue team!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar again

As you may have already read, we just love The Very Hungry Caterpillar at our house, and it has recently become my sons favourites.  As it was a favourite of mine as a child also, I wrote some thoughts about this book the other day for my class...if you're in my class, you've probably already read this, but here's what I wrote, just in case anyone reading this is not in my class, or happened to miss my post:

"Two of my favourite books when I was very young were 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  I was recently talking about caterpillars with a friend who had some monarch caterpillars who were very hungrily eating her swan plants, and this brought me to look anew at The Very Hungry Caterpillar so that is the book I have chosen to talk about.  My copy is a 1973 reprint, and it has thankfully survived intact through my own and my children’s reading of it.  Carle’s style of collage illustration is unique, and I remember as a child being fascinated by the pages for Monday through to Friday with each one being bigger than the one before, and by the holes, by the way the caterpillar seems to come through the holes, and the same fruit is represented on both sides of each page.  I believe the book still holds the same fascination for children today.  I wonder if it was the first picture book with holes?  There are plenty of them around now, some good, some not so good.  As McCahon (1999) puts it “the picture book market has witnessed an astonishing growth in books with added extras” such as holes, flaps, pull tabs and so on, these are “sometimes worthwhile but too often mere gimmicks.”  I wonder what The Very Hungry Caterpillar would look like if it had been written and illustrated today?  One thing I noticed about my copy is that the pages are matte and the colours are rather dirty (the pages are a bit that way too, but that’s just old age ^_^).  Picture books these days seem to be glossier, and the colours brighter.  I imagine the butterfly would be a pop-up, maybe even with sparkly wings like the fish in Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister.  That might be kind of fun, but certainly an unnecessary gimmick."


Well, turns out I was wrong, they haven't added pop-ups to this wonderful book, they've added sound!!  Oh, please!  Did it need that??  If it ain't broken, people, don't fix it!  Although I was interested to watch Eric Carle reading the book...and I did notice that the pages of his copy (surely a new one) are much glossier than mine, and the colours look a whole lot brighter!

The very hungry caterpillar, and a trip to the library

Over the last few days, I have read "the Very Hungry Caterpillar" to my son several times, it seems to be his latest favourite book.  When we get to the page with the butterfly he literally shivers with excitement!  I always loved it too.  Forty years and still going strong, so that says a lot.  So here's the thing...my boy is 2 1/4 and quite a talker already, he parrots what we say all the time...and yesterday I noticed that he was "reading" the book himself.  He said "moon" and "egg" as he pointed to them, "slice of cheese," "wamermelon," and "saudos" on the page with all the food, again pointing to the pictures.  And then "fat caterpillar, hungy anymore"..."pwetty butterfy"!

So...what's going on here?  He is clearly learning to associate the words that I read with the pictures that he sees on the page, and is able to imitate what I read.  How wonderful to be able to watch that emerging language and literacy, all happening before my eyes.

I didn't learn to read until I was 8 years old, because the school I went to believed that children will learn to read when they are ready...well, I did learn eventually, but not without feelings of inadequacy from being around children from other schools who were already fluent readers, while I was still struggling with the whole thing.  In the meantime, I memorised my favourite books.  I was able to recite, cover to cover, several different books.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but when I look back on it, one day I just suddenly knew that the words on the page were the words that I was reciting, and then I wasn't reciting them anymore, I was actually reading!  It's interesting to watch my son doing the same thing, learning the words that go with the pictures and repeating them...I will be very interested to watch him learning to actually read!

So, on to our trip to the library the other day...  Miss Missy loves to read, and can polish of a book in a couple of nights or so.  So, we get to the library, and what does she say?  "There's no books here, Mum"  What nonsense!  We go to a fairly large community library, in fact it is one of the biggest in Christchurch, they have plenty of books!  But she will come away with only one or two books, if we're lucky.  I find this rather frustrating, as I know that they will certainly be read within a week.  I'm not exactly sure when it started, but it seems to be linked with her moving from picture books to chapter books.  She now refuses to read books that I recommend to her (fair enough, what would Mum know?) but she also seems to be unwilling to read anything that is not in a series or by an author that she has not already read.  This is so limiting!  I know that there are many wonderful books to read for kids, I've read plenty of them myself, over the years, and I know that there are lots of wonderful books recently published that I haven't yet read.  But here we will be at the library, and if there are no Tilly's Pony Tales, or Stacey Gregg books on the shelves, she says there are no books here!  I wonder if this is typical of her age (9)?  I've been thinking that I should try and get her to talk to the librarian about what to read, they may know some really good pony books that she hasn't yet read, and perhaps she'll listen to the librarian when she won't listen to me.  I just hope that she starts to expand her book horizons soon!

Quick Library Round-up

I went to the library the other day to look for some picture books.  I've been reading about picture books in my course, and wanted to find some of the books used as examples.  I started out looking for One Boy  by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, which was supposed to be on the shelf...but in the way it often goes with the children's library, I couldn't find it, but instead came home with a bunch of other picture books, all of which were new titles for me.


Here is a rapid fire review of them all


Spot's Hide and Seek by Eric Hill.  Spot without flaps = boring!


Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister.  I really liked the illustration style, which as it happens was explained at the back of the book - shapes cut from thick card were painted and then used as stamps.  Very effective.  Lovely textures and colours in the illustrations.  Illustrations grabbed me more than the text, which was a series of questions.  I can imagine a very curious child would enjoy it, it was nice, but not amazing.


Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell and Helen Oxenbury.  I loved this!  Funny text, so simple, the humour is in what is not said.  The illustrations are wonderful, they add a real richness to the story...in fact, without the illustrations, it just wouldn't work.  I always do like Helen Oxenbury.


The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord (I only just realised I had two by Martin Waddell).  This was a good giggle.  Fun story, clever boy hero.

The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss (ok, might not be a new title, but I didn't at first remember reading it before).  I read "What was I Scared of?"  It's Dr. Seuss, what more need I say?

Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker.  Didn't like this much.  Too didactic I think.  Miss Missy was not impressed either.  The illustrations are kind of fun and funky, but the concept seemed a bit strained to me.  The square cat feels left out because it's different.  The other cats climb inside boxes so they can all be square.  Nice message, but not very well done, I thought.  Maybe if the story had been a bit less obvious, it would have worked better.

I Went Walking by Sue Machin and Julie Vivas.  Sweet illustrations, very simple text, the picture on each page has a hint of what's to come on the next.  Very readable, repetitive story, so would be great to read to little ones.



So, there's todays picks for Little Bookworms...some great, some not so great.  Happy reading!

Spot

Kids all seem to love Spot!  My kids certainly do.  I think lift the flap books have a universal appeal, and Spot is a fun, cheeky character.  The text is usually simple, which is appropriate for the board book audience.  Also, children at this early stage are learning object permanence, so exploring lift-the-flap books with objects that are hidden but are still there even when the child can't see them is appropriate for their stage of cognitive development.

This audio of Eric Hill talking about Spot is quite interesting.  (My Young Lad thinks he looks like Grandpa ^_^)

I had a quick read of the Wiki article about Spot and I was very surprised that it claims that there is a book called Spot Saves China!  Apparently Spot stands up to an oncoming tank!  I have to say, I'm wondering if this is one of those times when Wikipedia is wrong.  It hardly sounds like the usual subject matter for a Spot book, would toddlers even understand what's going on?? It certainly is quite a departure from the life of a young child at home that Eric Hill talks about as the idea behind his stories.  If anyone has heard of this book, or even seen a copy, I'd love to know!!

There is also a Spot website with lots of fun activities.  My Young Lad, who is 2 years old, just loves this website.  I think it is well done, and the games are at an appropriate level for children who likely to read and enjoy Spot books.  It can be really frustrating to find that the games on a website or computer game are just far beyond the abilities of the age group it is intended for, and I have found this all too frequently.  Fun With Spot, as the site is called, has a fun interactive intro, which involves typing in the child's name, and then there is a little mini game where children can click to see who is hiding behind the door, in the clock, and under the stairs, just as in the book Where's Spot?  When Spot is found, the text includes your child's name saying "Well done .... ! You've found Spot."  I think this is a nice touch, it helps children to recognise the shape of their name and makes the site more personal.  My son has just learnt to control the mouse, and now enjoys finding Spot by himself in the intro.  He is also able to successfully use the colouring puzzles, so I think the difficulty level of the games is spot on (no pun intended ^_^)

There are certainly more Spot books than I have read, but I have noticed that in the first book (Where's Spot?), there are un-named animals hiding in Spots house who later become characters, and in later books they are drawn rather differently, to make them look younger and less intimidating I suppose.  Also, the level of anthropomorphism seems to change.  In the first books Spot and his family are more dog-like than in later books.  They eat from dog bowls and sleep in baskets, although they live in a house that does not appear to have any humans living in it.  In later books, they eat at the table and sleep in beds.  I found that a little odd.  But even so, Spot is a definite favourite of mine, and a great book to share with little bookworms.

Snap!

I just went to visit this blog which was recommended in our course material...I can't believe how much it looks like mine!  I didn't copy, honest!!  Unbelievable how we both came up with almost the exact same customization of the blogger template!  Oh well, great minds think alike maybe???

Weblinks and Lois Lowry

I have been looking at links on the Ministry of Education website, and discovered Lois Lowry's website.  I just had a quick browse, but I suddenly remembered how much I enjoyed reading her books!  I remember Anastasia Krupnik, although till just now, I'd forgotten about those books.  Lois Lowry is still writing, and she's won the Newbury medal a couple of times, so now I'm thinking I should read those books, I think they would have been written when I was a bit older, and no longer reading her books.  Number the Stars and The Giver are the two books that one medals...I think I'll see if I can find them at the library, they sound like good books.

Pony Club Secrets

I've just read the last couple of books in this series, Liberty and the Dream Ride, and Nightstorm and the Grand Slam.

I bought the first book for my daughter last Christmas, just based on the fact that it was a horsey book, I hadn't heard of it, or anything about the series.  So when Miss Missy told me that the pony died when she was just a chapter or so into the book, I started thinking "What did I just buy?"  And when she told me the main character snuck out and got a belly-button ring without telling her mother, it became "What...?!!!"

So I asked if I could read it after her.  And I found it to be a great read!  I found the books exciting, and I liked the writing style.  Although the books all have a very similar pattern, they continued to be quite readable right through to the end.  At the start of every book, there is a re-cap of the accident that caused Mystic's death, but it is introduced in a different way each time, so doesn't become too repetitive, and I assume that is for editorial reasons as much as anything else, for people who haven't read the other books (my daughter did complain about it).  Of course Issie is able to solve mysteries, and save the day when none of the grown ups can!  And I was a bit annoyed that she twice took off in the middle of a competition to save the day (in Fortune and the Golden Trophy, and again in Liberty and the Dream Ride).  I was also annoyed at a few inconsistencies in Nightstorm, Marcus's hair changed from ginger-blond to honey-blond, and the horse truck was in too places at once: Kate took off to Glasgow in the horse truck, and then just minutes later, Issie is getting ready for her next cross-country ride in the horse truck.  I was also annoyed that Issie sat GCSE's even though she lives in New Zealand.  But apart from those little annoyances, I really did enjoy the books.

Getting started

So, this post is really just to get started, and so that I can create the labels I need.  And that's it :-)