"I had always been a proponent of reading aloud, so the phone call should not have come as a surprise. It was daughter Jane suggesting I could read some bedtime stories - using technology - to her primary-school-aged children"
It makes my day when I arrive home and find a children's book review magazine has landed in my letter box. I have subscribed to Magpies: Talking about books for Children since it first began. They are now up to Volume 36 so I guess the magazine began 36 years ago in 1985 which by coincidence was my first year of working in a school library (Finley Public School and Berrigan Public School in southern NSW).
Issue One, Volume 36 contains an inspirational article by my friend Dr Robin Morrow. At the start of Covid and unable to see her precious grand kids in person, her daughter suggested Robin (Grandma) could read to the children via the internet using ZOOM. And so STWG or Story Time with Grandma commenced. It is now one year later and this beautiful idea continues even though the grand kids can resume their visits in person. I loved the discovery that the children wrote a song - I'd love to hear it.
Robin explains she only set two "rules" if you would like to adopt this idea in your family:
- Choose only books that are dear to your heart
- Read aloud books you (the adult reader) have read recently
In her article "Storytime with Grandma in the Age of Covid" Robin mentions so many fabulous books, some of which were my recommendations, so I asked for permission to reproduce her book list here. I do need to add some of the titles are quite old and so out of print but you may find them in a well stocked library. If the title is in red this is a link to my blog post. For newer titles I have included the publisher. You may see familiar titles here and perhaps some new discoveries. I can also tell you that the next book for STWG (not mentioned in Magpies) - will be Dominic by William Steig.
Ahlberg, Allan and Janet Ahlberg Each Peach Pear Plum
Aiken, Joan and Jan Pienkowski Tale of a One-Way Street
Alemagna, Beatrice A Lion in Paris Tate Publishing 9781849761710
Allen Pamela The Potato People Penguin Australia 9780143500865
Ayres, Eddie and Ronak Taher Sonam and the Silence Allen and Unwin 9781760293666
Bancroft, Bronwyn Possum and Wattle Hardie Grant 9781921541674
Binks, Alison Night Walk Berbay 9780994384171
Blackall, Sophie Hello Lighthouse Hachette 9781408357392
Briggs, Raymond The Snowman
Burningham, John Mr Gumpy’s Outing
Burningham, John Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car
Burningham, John Would You Rather?
DiCamillo, Kate The Tale of Despereaux Walker Books 9780763680893
Dubosarsky, Ursula and Ron Brooks Honey and Bear
Dubosarsky, Ursula and Andrew Joyner The Terrible Plop Penguin 9780143505136
Fienberg, Anna and Kim Gamble The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels
Freeman, Pamela and Kim Gamble Victor’s Quest Walker books 9781921150319
Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood Banjo and Ruby Red Hardie Grant 9781760127602
Green, Julia The House of Light Oxford Uni Press 9780192771568
Graham, Bob Ellie’s Dragon Walker Books 9781406387629
Hirsch, Odo Hazel Green Allen and Unwin 9781741144376
Hoban, Russell illus Lillian Hoban The Mouse and his Child
Honey, Elizabeth The Cherry Dress
Hollingsworth, Alyssa The Eleventh Trade Bonnier 9781848126893
Hughes, Shirley Alfie Gets in First
Hughes, Ted The Iron Man
King-Smith, Dick The Hodgeheg Penguin UK 9780141370224
Konigsburg, E L From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler Aladdin 9780689711817
Krone, Bridget Small Mercies Walker books 9781406391800
L’Engle, Madeleine A Wrinkle in Time
Lindgren, Astrid All About the Bullerby Children
Lewis, C S illus Michael Hague The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Morgan, Helen illus Shirley Hughes Satchkin Patchkin
Nordstrom, Ursula The Secret Language
Pearce, Philippa Tom’s Midnight Garden OUP 9780192734501
Potter, Beatrix The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and other titles
Robinson, Barbara The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Harper Collins 9780064402750
Rosen, Michael and Tony Ross Choosing Crumble Walker Books 9781849395281
Rosoff, Meg Good Dog McTavish Faber Factory 9781781126837
Sendak, Maurice Where the Wild Things Are Harper Collins 9780064431781
Stewart, Briony Kumiko and the Dragon UQP 9780702236198
Valério, Geraldo The Blue Rider 9781554989812
Wheatley, Nadia and Matt Ottley Luke’s Way of Looking Walker Books 9781921977725
Wild, Margaret and Ron Brooks Fox Allen and Unwin 9781864489330
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