Review: Phoenix

Harper is devastated. She has discovered that her father has cheated on her mum with her best friend's mother! Now her parents are going to divorce and her life is totally upturned. 

There is no other way to describe this turn of events than as a ‘bomb’. Her friendship has broken to pieces, she and her mum, and their beloved dog Harvey, are moving away and Harper wonders can her life ever be rebuilt. 

The new house in a new town is small and is tucked into a corner of a horse farm. Harper is hesitant around horses having had so little contact with them. 

Her first encounter with a horse proves to be positive and she spends many afternoons watching the young riders at the horse farm developing their skills and building rapport with their horses.

Review: Behind the Screens

Behind the Screens not only offers friendly and timely information about navigating the online world, it also empowers and reassures young people that their choices and actions can help them thrive online.

Getting a phone? Get this book!

There’s no doubt the internet is a voracious, sometimes dangerous beast, which can also be a force for good, wonder and enlightenment. There’s also no doubt that we must handle this beast with wisdom and care.

 
Behind the Screens gives us a blueprint for the latter.

 

One-Minute Review: We’re Going on a Teddy Hunt

We’re Going on a Teddy Hunt is the latest book in the charming series The Bunnies of Hoppity Hill, written by Martha Mumford and illustrated by Cherie Zamazing.

Follow along with four sweet bunnies as they set off to find their bedtime teddies. Along the way they meet other sweet animals preparing for bed.

There are flaps to search behind and lots of delightful details in every spread for children to discover.

Review: Unicorn Post

When a young girl answers the door to her tree house one day, she’s in for a big surprise. 

Standing there is a unicorn. The girl loves unicorns, but what should she do with it? 

The unicorn could find a home at the local pet shop, with all the other animals. If only there was a spot in the shop that was just right for a unicorn. 

Perhaps a farm instead? It has wide open spaces that are much more welcoming. If only they had the kind of food a unicorn could eat.

Sunday shelfie - Spare Kisses

Happy #sundayselfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Pip Harry and Yiscah Marcatili. This week we are celebrating their beautiful new picture book Spare Kisses.

Eve’s Nan has lots of spares. A spare key in her pot plant for after-school drop-ins. Seats at the table for morning tea pop-ins. A collection of teacups in all shapes and sizes. And always, yes, always, delicious surprises. Most special of all are Nan’s spare kisses that make everything right.

A warm-hearted celebration of the endless supply of love (and treats!) that grandmothers have for their grandchildren.

Written by Pip Harry
Illustrated by Yiscah Marcatili
Published by Lothian Children's Books

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Review: The Amazing Generation – Your Guide To Fun And Freedom In A Screen-filled World

Encouraging young readers to strengthen their powers of attention and think for themselves, The Amazing Generation lays out scientific and anecdotal evidence of the deliberately addictive nature of social media and smartphones.

There are a multitude of fabulous ideas in its clever and appealing 'Rebel’s Code':

Use technology as a tool. Don’t let technology use you! Fill your life with real friendship, freedom and fun.

The book encourages us all to outsmart the tech companies – or to at least think about our daily habits. To find our own ways to switch off, have fun, connect in real life and create fulfilment, whether we're plugged in or not.

It also helps us to think about who we look up to – and why.

Fascinating anecdotes (did you know that many who live and work in the tech industry will NEVER let their children have social media or smartphones??) and stories from real life young-adult rebels who’ve ditched tech and not only survived but thrived, are all parts of this journey.

Review: Mouse Can't Stop

Take one friendly bear who likes to ‘stop and smell the roses’, pair them with a gung-ho mouse who is always in a hurry, and you have the perfect set up for the humorous story that is Mouse Can’t Stop.

On an ordinary day, Bear and Mouse decide to climb a mountain, an amazing mountain at that. While Mouse races ahead, Bear decides to take his time. The more Bear tries to get Mouse to slow down the more frustrated Mouse becomes, and the more determined he is to make it to the top, as fast as possible.

Junior Review: Valerie: Australia's Bravest Sausage Dog

Valerie: Australia's Bravest Sausage Dog is based on the true story of a little sausage dog who runs away to go on an adventure. 

I wonder where she will go? How far will she go? And most importantly, will she get home? 

Read Valrie's story to find out!

Review: My Nonna Loves

For fans of My Nonno Loves comes the perfect companion book - My Nonna Loves.

Nonna is an adorable Italian grandparent. She loves getting up early and talking to the chickens. She loves baking biscotti and going to the markets. She loves knitting and sewing and even the occasional bit of gossip.

But more than anything she loves her family.

Junior Review: Dropbear

Have you ever seen a drop bear before? If you haven’t, than you better look up as you pass under those old gum trees.

Beware the drop bear! It’s definitely up there!

This is a great book that is sending a message not to always believe in things just because people tell you about them. They may not be true! I like this book because it teaches you that not all rumours are true and there is no point in believing things that are not true.

I would recommend this book to kids aged 3 to 6 but also to adults as well.

Sunday Shelfie - Girls Like

Happy #sundayselfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Katrina Germein and Deb Hudson. This week we are celebrating their delightful new picture book Girls Like.

Dance feet Dare feet Fast feet Bare feet

Vibrantly illustrated by Deb Hudson, award-winning author Katrina Germein’s gorgeous Girls Like is a joyous celebration of all the ways to be a girl.

Written by Katrina Germein
Illustrated by Deb Hudson
Published by MidnightSun Publishing 

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Review: The Fast Lane

Some of us are naturally competitive. Others are happy to go with the flow. But what happens when one meets the other?

Daisy swims 100 laps of the pool every day in the ‘fast lane’. Everyone knows that this section of the pool is reserved for the serious swimmers.

Everyone – except Frank.

Frank just wants to float around and have fun. He wants to splish-splosh and sidestroke. Daisy doesn’t have a problem with this – until Frank moves over to the fast lane!

Review: WillieBoy Eats The World

WillieBoy Eats the World is an exuberant rhyming picture book about a dachshund named WillieBoy and his human companion Steve, who discover that the world is full of delicious food, if only you're willing to try it.

WillieBoy narrates the story with boundless enthusiasm. He and Steve are creatures of habit, perfectly happy with their beloved Italian food, shrimp in spicy sauce, lasagna, linguini with clams, pizza, and cannoli. But a visit to a new dog park changes everything.

Review: Here Come the Cousins

Here Come the Cousins is a joyful and exuberant celebration of family and summer holidays by the beach. There is love, laughter, and nostalgia by the bucket and spadeful.

Written by Maggie Hutchings and illustrated by Sarah Zweck, Here Come the Cousins tells the story of a pack of boisterous cousins who descend on Pop’s beach house for a summer of fun.

Bunk beds are allotted, heights are measured, and then it’s on with the swimmers and off to the beach!

Review: Myra in the Middle

As the oldest child in my family, I could tell you many stories about how difficult it can be to have to ‘pave the way’ for my siblings. However, I have no idea of the trials and tribulations of being the youngest child – or the middle child for that matter.

Happily, there are books that address such matters, allowing us all a window into the experiences of others.

Up until the birth of her baby brother, seven-year-old Myra was the youngest of two, but now she is in the new position of ‘middle child’. 

It’s a bit of a nothing zone – a space where she's invisible, forgotten and not the ‘-est’ of anything. Myra’s not quite sure what her role is or where she fits anymore, only that she’s been relegated to the squashy middle seat in the car and she's been given the position of midfielder in her soccer team.

Review: UnBEARable

Who doesn’t love a fractured fairytale? They are always so entertaining and make such an impact in any literacy program, whether in classroom, library or home schooling.  And that’s as much a part of secondary literacy as it is primary-based. Traditional tales – in all their guises: fairytale, folk tale, myths, legends, Dreaming stories – are part of the rich fabric of human existences stretching back for millennia.

Because of most readers’ easy familiarity with these, they make for such rich fodder in the creative writing space. Just as the original tellers of these tales would have told and re-told them with their own variations, setting readers the challenge to improvise or parody a fairy story can lead to so much vibrant, imaginative creativity.