Book news

Check out some of the new Non Fiction books I have recently processed for the library:

On the shelf: I have completed processing the books bought using the remainder of the rewards from last year's Scholastic book fair, selected from Issue 1 of the Lucky book club. 

I'm currently getting Issue 2's books ready for you.

Last night I attended a book buzz at Dorothy Butler Children's Book Shop:

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to publishing guru, Melanie-Laville Moore from Allen & Unwin, and Joanna Grochowicz, author of "Into the White" and "Amundsen's Way". These books are definitely on my To Be Read pile so that I can review them for you.

I took advantage of a book buzz discount and bought some beautiful books for the school library, which I can't wait to process for you.

Hope you have a safe and happy weekend.

Kate

Nadia Lim's Marvellous Marvin - book review

This is a delightful story about a hand reared chicken. His name is Marvin and he is marvellous. He wins the hearts of the family, sitting on shoulders, sleeping on a hot water bottle, pulling up worms and doing regular chicken things. 

Marvellous Marvin is inspired by a true story about a chicken, hatched by Nadia Lim in a freezing cold winter. There are photographs of the family and the little chick in the front and back of the book, and a word about the real Marvin.

The illustrator, Fifi Colston has captured the adorable chick's antics in fabulous Fifi style! I imagine her making 3D models to paint from, or photographing Marvin in different poses, to get the pics just right.

Marvin reminds me of a chicken called Perky that I raised. Here's my story. When I was a kid, around ten, a friend of the family arrived with a little chicken that he had found in a puddle of oil on his farm. He couldn't find the mother hen, and asked if we wanted to raise it. I named her Perky, and she slept on my pillow the first night. I kept her warm, fed her with a dropper, comforted her and raised her. She lived inside the house for a while! When she became a mother, she was different to the other hens in our garden. Instead of roosting on the ground, she insisted her teenage chicks follow her up into a tree to roost at night - which involved much squawking and faffing! So, having had a similar bond with a chicken, I could totally relate to Marvellous Marvin. 

PS - There is an "Eg-cellent Fluffy Saturday Pancakes Recipe" in the book!

By Kate

Joe & the Stars - Book Review

"In the red dust, where the sky is wide, Joe loves watching the stars. He marvels at their mystery and wonder. But when his family moves to the city... the stars are hard to see. Will Joe find a way to make them shine again? A twinkling tale of resilience, family and friendship."  (Publisher)

I seem to be reading a few books about moving house lately. I'm currently listening to the audiobook of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and reading The Wishing Spell, which both start out with the painful prospect of a house move.

Joe & the Stars captures the world changing upheaval of a move to a dramatically different environment. They shift from what looks like the Australian outback, to a concrete jungle. Here, he can't climb a tree and enjoy looking at the constellations, listening to the tinkling of a windchime. Joe has lost his starry skies, however, through creativity and friendship he finds a new sparkle in his life.

This book is currently being covered and will be available soon!

Kate

I talk like a river - Book Review

I talk like a river, written by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith is the story of a boy with a stutter, who wakes up in the morning aware of the sounds of words, but finds they grow roots, get tangled, or stick in his throat. Some days are worse than others. He struggles to articulate when he finds all the classmates turning and looking at him.

The boy's dad picks him up from school and says, "It's just a bad speech day." His father takes him "somewhere quiet." They go to a river, where they walk along the shore looking for colourful rocks and bugs. He thinks about "all those mouths giggling and laughing." His dad points at the churning water, and says, "See how that water moves? That's how you speak." He looks at the water, "bubbling, whirling, churning and crashing." Then he realises, "Even the river stutters. Like I do."

In an afternote, the author says that when his father, in real life, pointed to the river, "he connected my stuttering to the movements of the natural world and I delighted in watching my mouth move outside of itself."

This is a stunningly beautiful book, rich with metaphorical language. The story is moving, and brought to life by the captivating watercolour illustrations. The illustrator, Sydney Smith, expresses a feeling of disconnect and disorientation with the world, and words - initially - but at the river - there is profound peace and an awakening. Take time to read this slowly, pouring over the pictures and words. 

Book review by Kate, Librarian

World Book Day

Kia Ora,

It is World Book Day today! 

Zoom read-aloud sessions with me

I read three stories from Hairy Maclary and Friends this morning on Zoom. It was lovely to see so many Woodlands Park School children on my screen, as well as a few parents. I read three stories, and have two more in the book to read. If you would like to join me tomorrow - I will be reading at 11.15am. I have sent the links to your teachers.

Parents and whanau, look at these wonderful World Book Day resources! 

Check out the author/illustrator academy activities:

https://www.worldbookday.com/world-of-stories/

And there are some free audiobooks under - School/nurseries - Free audiobooks.

I have added it to the wakelet - just a reminder that there are heaps of resources on there too:

https://wakelet.com/@KateRichards978

Or, just cuddle up with your tamariki or mokopuna and read them a story.

Enjoy.

The Dog Runner - Bren MacDibble

A red fungus has destroyed all grass and grains. City people are starving. Ella and her half brother, Emery need to escape the city to find their mother and find food. But how will they traverse a dry and dangerous land? With a land-sledge and five "doggos" (dogs).

The characters embark on a gruelling cross country journey where they are challenged to the maximum. They go mushing and meet some dodgy criminals along the way. 

Emery is injured, and Ella has to dig deep. She has always been under his shadow, but now she has to step up and make life-saving decisions. Ella's character arc is subtle and believable.

I personally love the doggos and their interaction with the characters. As a dog lover, I felt that Bren did an excellent job in capturing the body language and behaviour of dogs. The story is dystopian and otherworldly, and the plot charges along at a breathtaking pace. 

Although bleak, there is a glimpse of hope at the end. Thankfully the ancient grains, mushrooms and wisdom of the first people - may be enough for them to begin to produce food for the planet again.

I would recommend this book to our seniors.

Teacher notes:

https://www.allenandunwin.com/documents/teachers-resources/1454-dogrunner9781760523572tt

Awards:

Winner Aurealis Awards 2019 - Best Children's Fiction

Winner of the Junior Fiction Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award in the 2019 NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults 

CBCA Shortlist: Book of the Year-Younger Readers  

Dr Seuss's birthday

A brief interlude from the Bren MacDibble book reviews... I have just realised that today is Dr Seuss's birthday!

Here are a couple of Dr Seuss stories for you to listen to at home:

The cat in the hat - Dr Seuss

Green eggs & ham

Dr Seuss's birthday activities

Here are some fun Seussical activities to help you celebrate his birthday:

https://www.seussville.com/educators/dr-seuss-birthday/

Enjoy!

Three books by Bren MacDibble

Kia Ora,

I hope you're all doing okay today.

I want to share three books with you, written by multiple award-winning author, Bren MacDibble. Bren was born in Whanganui, New Zealand. She has lived in "a muddle of backwater villages, farms and towns in heartland New Zealand" (http://macdibble.com/about.html). Bren lives in Australia currently. After a house fire, she moved into a bus. 

How to Bee, The Dog Runner and Across the Risen Sea, are written for teens. I would recommend them to the stronger readers at our school, who are not overly sensitive. All three books tackle a different aspect of anticipated environmental issues - through the telling of an exciting narrative.

How to Bee:

In a futuristic world, where bees are extinct, the children of poorer farming communities vie for positions as "Bees". The nimble and quick tree climbers use feathered "wands" and pollen carrying satchels to pollinate the fruit trees by hand. Immediately the reader is thrust into a different world, with unique challenges and unusual sayings. 

I was initially hooked in, trying to interpret this new and strange world. Peony is a delightfully lively girl. She is nine, and you need to be ten to be a bee pollinator. Her life's ambition is to qualify as a "Bee". Her character is instantly likeable.

She is unaware of how poor they are on the communal farm, and of how simply they live until she is snatched and taken to the city by her mother, who is looking for a better life. Like the Hunger Games, the divide between the rich and poor is striking. There are moments of domestic abuse which may be unsettling for the more sensitive reader - however, the book is not without its lighter moments. 

I enjoyed the friendship Peony develops with Esmeralda. It reminded me a little of the Secret Garden. Esmeralda is cosseted and afraid of the outdoors. Feisty Peony helps to draw her out of her shell, while Esmeralda learns to be brave and helps Peony back to the place she calls home.

Here are some teacher resources if you would like to explore this book further:

https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/childrens-fiction/How-to-Bee-Bren-MacDibble-9781760294335

Book reviews for the next two books will follow soon!