The Twin Giants by Dick King Smith illustrated by Mini Grey

This story begins on Mountain Number One.

"Once upon a time there lived two brother giants. Twin brothers, in fact, something that's rare among giants. When the first one was born, his giant father looked at the huge baby and said 'Isn't be e-nor-mous!' And when the second one arrived, his giant mother looked at the huge baby and said 'There's a-lot-ov-im!'"

This is how the boys were given their names - Lottavim (Lot) and Normus (Norm). The twins were best friends and alike in every way except when it came to food. Lottavin liked meat while Normus liked vegetables. After a wonderful childhood the boys finally reached their full height of eighteen feet. 

"It's about time I found a wife." They both said.

Now we move to Mountain Number Two and Mountain Number Three.

Lot goes to Mountain Two where he meets a giantess but sadly she is a vegetarian. On Mountain Three Norm also meets a giantess but she is a meat eater. The boys rush to swap places but because they look completely alike both giantesses say NO. 

Sadly they trudge onto Mountain Seven.

They do not want to fight over finding a wife so they head off to different sides of the mountain. Lot finds a beautiful giantess.

"She was almost as tall has him ... and her hair was corn-coloured and her eyes sea blue and her teeth pearly white. Lottavim stared at her dumbstruck". 

Georgina agrees to be his wife but what about Norm. When he sees Georgina he falls totally in love too.  Now we have a real problem. Two giants and one giantess. How can this be resolved? I am sure the happy ending will totally surprise and delight you. 

The Twin Giants will be treasured for years. It's perfect for reading to children, reading together, and then to read alone. The story, the language, everything, are perfectly pitched, and will never feel too babyish or too grown up. There's a gentle level of humour throughout (best summed up by the names of the giants), which puts a smile on everyone's face. It's a warm, cosy, and lovely book. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to love every last page of it. Highly recommended. The Book Bag

The Twin Giants was first published in 2007 so sadly it is long out of print, but you might find a copy in a library. It has been issued with three different covers. Listen to an audio sample here. I used to teach a unit of work to my Grade 4 groups about conflict resolution - this book would be a perfect one for that topic. 

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. He wrote a great number of children's books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry's Mad, The Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, The Invisible Dog, The Queen's Nose and The Crowstarver. At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight. Booktrust

Giant by Nicola Skinner illustrate by Flavia Sorrentino

Dear Child,

Having a giant as your servant is an honor.

But it is also a big responsibility.

You will be paired with your giant until you turn twelve, when you will kiss them, 

turning them into stone to rebuild our island.

Sadness is not permitted at the Goodbye ceremony.

Remember: they are not your family.

You may feel fondness for your giant, but you must not mistake that for love.

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT THE

GIANT MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Minnie is different. She lives in a very structured and controlled society. Children are given giants as servants when they are very young and then after years of time spent together, at age 12, the children have to relinquish their giant in a strange and very cruel ceremony. This town is located on an island which is regularly wracked with earthquakes. Humans live on this island, but giants live there too. In the past there have been years of dreadful wars. The humans have now taken over the island and enslaved the giants who are assigned to the children. Other 'bad' giants are forced to live in an inhospitable place on the other side of a high mountain range. Children are warned to never go there because these giants are extremely dangerous. The servant giants are assigned to the children because the Giant Management Company, who control everything, make use of a surprising discovery that if a giant is kissed by a child it turns to stone. Stone is a valuable commodity in this place because it is used to rebuild the town after the regular earthquake events.

Children learn the rules from a young age:

• Giants are your servants not your friends
• You must not love your giant
• Giants must never ask children to keep secrets
• Everyone should be happy at the Goodbye Ceremony. 
• Giants and children cannot stay together forever.
• Never go to the No-Go Mountains

Back to Minnie. She is not pretty. Her parents are poor. In fact she looks quite neglected. She is also very small and in constant pain. Twice each day she has to inject pain medications. Her father is working on ways to predict and stop the earthquakes but the authorities keep rejecting his plans. Oh, and you need to know Minnie has broken several of the rules - especially the one about loving your giant. Her giant is called Speck because she is unusually small for a giant (she is still quite enormous). As the story opens there has been one of the largest earthquakes ever. Minnie is not due to say goodbye to Speck for many months but the town rulers, have ordered all ceremonies to be brought forward to tomorrow. Minnie cannot bear the idea of turning her beloved friend into a stone statue. While playing a game, Speck has shown Minnie a route to safety. Minnie thinks if she runs away, she can delay or even stop the ceremony. Along the way Minnie makes two important new friends - a jackal she names Twist and a young rubbler named Robin. Rubblers are the lowest eschalon of this society. They dig through the rubble and assist with all the town rebuilding. It is back breaking work which even children are forced to do and their lungs are filled with dust and they live in poverty. 

Here are a few text quotes:

"Would future children of the island shudder a little too, when they passed Speck's statue. Would they look up into her stone face and know, or care, that she had looked after Minnie Wadlow, and swum in a lagoon for forty-five glorious stolen minutes. Or would they not even see her, would she just fade into the background, as many of the statues did after a while? How would they know that Speck liked watermelon slices, and broke a plate every day, and had a specially soft voice if Minnie ever cried?"

"Then she gently, put her hand on the top of his head. It was the first time she had ever touched a jackal. She let her hand stay there, and he allowed it. She took in the solidity of his skull, the warmth of his flesh, and the softness of his fur, all at one - all this strength and fragility under her fingers, and she was humbled by what he had done for her, after she had rejected him."

"There's a possibility of survival if you keep going. If you stay, you're going to get crushed. Dad always said, once things start falling, don't wait around hoping things will get better. They won't. Get out when you can."

The journey undertaken by these three is so dangerous and the final showdown and battle with the hunters intent on their capture will leave you reeling. I just raced through the final chapters - 41-53 desperate for that all important happy ending.

Publisher blurb: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either . . . or so Minnie thinks. But when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant – not forever – not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant . . . and ultimately herself.

Despite the playful language and imaginative setting, this book packs some serious punches as Skinner tackles unnerving concepts head on. Providing an undercurrent throughout the plot are the ongoing implications of colonisation and totalitarianism, where in this unequal society giants are forced to live either as servants or are cast out to the No-Go Mountains. ... This may sound rather heavy for a book perfect for the end of Year 4 upwards, but in the big-hearted and wildly inventive hands of Skinner such themes are skilfully and subtly explored. It is love, however, that is the real driving force behind this story – particularly the love story between Minnie and her giant Speck. A mesmerising triumph, this book would enrapture a class as a read-aloud and has enough meaty themes to make a great whole class text. Just Imagine UK

This is a long book with over 390 pages but I almost read the whole story in one day!  YES it is that good. In fact this is going onto my list of top favourites. I expect to see this book on lots of award lists. The paperback is a really good price so I highly recommend you add this book to your library shelves today! Reading this book adults might think of the movie The Help. 

Take a look at all these book covers by Flavia Sorrentino. I am now very keen to read other books by Nicola Skinner.

Starboard Kirkus Star Review; Storm Kirkus Star Review

The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

This book is set during the early years of World War II. Col's father has been killed in the city and so it is decided that Col will leave his sister to continue her work as a messenger and Col himself will move to Buxton to stay with his aunt. None of this is what Col wants. He has lost his dad and now it feels as though he has lost his sister. He clings to the promise that she will visit for Christmas but when she fails to arrive Col knows he has to get back to London. 

As a very young child, Col had three special imaginary friends. A huge tiger who can grow and shrink; a badger who wears a waistcoat; and a small but very opinionated knight. When Col sets off from Buxton he finds himself drawn to a house where he used to stay with his father and sister. In the attic he encounters his old friends. They share some devastating news. London will be bombed heavily in just a few nights. His sister Rose will be in great danger. This bombing is by Hitler but it also coincides with the rise of Midwinter King. This evil character is set to destroy his own enemy - the Green Man. S, this story becomes a race to London, a race to save Rose and even more importantly a race to stop the Midwinter King and his evil army.

One review comments: Confused? It does seem like a bit of a mixture of genres - an evacuee story a la 'Goodnight Mr Tom', and more recently 'The Skylark's War' and 'Letters from the Lighthouse'; a giant big-cat guardian, fighting knights and other-worldly battles with creatures a la 'Narnia' and the 'Lord of the Rings' adventures, and a Midwinter King reminiscent of Game of Thrones 'Night King', complete with his own skeleton horse, army of giants, dark-metal sword, and the threat of bringing winter, death and destruction to the human realm...

There are several things that help to make this book a gripping read - the action moves along quickly because there is a six- or seven-day deadline. The three friends are, at times, very funny but they also make a terrific team. Pendlebury (the tiger) is the voice calm reason; Mr Noakes (the badger) tries so hard to help Col and he makes the little Knight so angry every time he forgets to use his full title - King of Rogues. Between chapters there are fact pages based on real World War II newspapers and leaflets. This reminded me of Vinnie's war. Col is joined by another young refugee (you can see her on the book cover) - a young Jewish girl named Ruth. She gently shares some of her traditions with Col such as lighting the Chanukah candles. Some of the mythical creatures such as the giants are also very funny. 

Thanks to the Three Sparrows bookshop for this book recommendation. This book would be enjoyed by readers aged 11+ who have strong reading stamina, a curiosity about World War II and who enjoy stories of the triumph of good over evil. 

The prose includes plenty of dialogue, is stylish and contemporary – accessible, carrying the reader through the adventures and bringing them to life. This is an author whose skills have been steadily developing and here we see him at his best. Love Reading4Kids

A magical mix of action, magic and adventure, and a moral tale about love, courage and memories conquering darkness and evil, I cannot wait to use this in my classroom - it will have the children hanging on every word - I was! What I read

Listen to an audio sample here. 

Elf dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson illustrated by Junyi Wu

 

"Clay had never seen a dog like her. She was thin like a greyhound or a whippet. She was milk white. She had tall, pointed ears. And the inside of those ears was red. That was the strangest thing. The red pointed ears."

This wonderful dog has come from Under the Mountain. She was part of a pack chasing an old, clever wyrm. Later we discover her name, written on her collar in an ancient script, is Elphinore. 

Wyrm is derived from the Old English word “wyrm,” which means serpent or worm. It is often used to describe dragons that are more snake-like in appearance, with long, slender bodies and no wings. These dragons are typically associated with European mythology and are often depicted as evil or malevolent creatures. On the other hand, dragon is a more general term that can refer to any type of dragon from any culture. Dragons can vary greatly in appearance and abilities depending on the culture they come from. In Western cultures, dragons are typically depicted as large, winged creatures with scales and the ability to breathe fire. In Eastern cultures, dragons are often seen as benevolent creatures that bring good luck and fortune.

Here are some text quotes which might help you understand the plot:

"Except there was one dog left behind. The young elegant elf-hound with the sharp eye."

"She ran through the spruce woods and pine woods and a stand of maples. She ran to the bottom of the mountain. It was almost night when she got there. She sniffed at the ground, following the scent of her brothers and sisters. She smelled the horses of the Royal Hunt. Their track led right up to a huge cliff face. Then it stopped. But wasn't that where they had come out? Hadn't they all tumbled out into the sunlight in exactly this spot? But now time and magic and the curtain between worlds had shifted, and the door was not there anymore."

Clay is stuck at home because all of the world has shut down. (Covid is not mentioned but readers will link the fear, isolation, and home schooling to these times). Clay is allowed to wander in the forest area near his home and that is where he finds this glorious dog. Little does he know she will lead him to another world.

Clay stumbles on a village filled with strange people. He watches them using a strange powder and it seems to make their vegetable garden grow before his very eyes. Without thinking Clay steals the container and he takes the magic powder home but of course there are consequences.

"They were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, as if it were still 1800; long brown coats and wide black hats. one of the men started to turn his head. He did not stop turning his head. His head turned all the way around on his neck. A face was looking backward toward Clay. It was the face of a huge owl. The eyes were metallic like gold foil."

A young member of this strange community follows Clay and explains he must return the magic shaker. His name is Amos. Now the adventures can begin.

"Elphinore led them to places they had never seen before; seas of ferns and boulders in pure white marble. She bought them to a clock growing out of a tree, still ticking, but keeping the wrong time. She led them to a waterfall deep in the forest, where the river tumbled down a hillside and split into two - one part flowing toward the sea, and the other fell into a deep back hole, down into the world below the mountain."

I have one question for MT Anderson: Why did you name Clay's sister DiRossi?

Spoiler alert - I love the scene on page 154-155 and the way it links to the magical ending. 

"Nobody mentioned to Clay that they'd actually thrown Elphinore's old collar into the trash. A couple of days later, Clay's mom took the trash to the dump. No one in the family noticed."

I also loved the relationship that forms between DiRossi and the once sleeping pessimistic giant. I highly recommend Elf Dog and Owl Head. It would be a wonderful book to read aloud to a Grade 3 or 4 group or each night with your family. After reading this book you will want to keep your eyes open incase you  also find a wonderful dog like Elphinore.

Publisher blurb: Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents' financial worries, he's only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. With this mysterious Elphinore as guide, he'll glimpse ancient secrets folded all but invisibly into the forest. Each day the dog leads Clay down paths he never knew existed, deeper into the unknown. But they aren't alone in their surreal adventures. There are traps and terrors in the woods, too, and if Clay isn't careful, he might stray off the path and lose his way forever.

A hilarious, heartfelt triumph. Kirkus Star review

Elf Dog and Owl Head is a sly novel, told in a droll, wry cadence that conceals the increasingly fantastic nature of the story. Just as Clay begins to slowly realize the extent of the hidden worlds around him, so does the reader begin to understand the depth of the story being told. Book Page

It is a really good story, with the real world and the fantasy balanced beautifully.  The characters and relationships are rock solidly constructed, and the places appeared in glorious technicolor, as it were, in my mind's eye.  I especially was pleased, in one memorable scene of a nighttime magical revelry, to be reminded of my favorite bit of Moominland Midwinter, which doesn't often happen; probably not the author's intention, but it made me happy. Charlotte's Library

Clay and his family are complex, engaging characters whose love-hate-mostly-love relationships will feel familiar to many readers still remembering the frustrations of lock-down and learning from home. Although the story draws on familiar fantasy elements, such as the wild hunt and the wicked dragon, many of the fantastical elements of the story feel fresh and new – especially the severe Owl Heads and their magic gardens. The Children's Book Review

MT Andersen talks to SLJ and Betsy Bird about the real dog and forest wilderness that inspired him to write this story during Covid. 

A veritable plum pudding of energetic action and witty delights, but a -foundation of traditional folklore elements—standing stones, half-buried sleeping giants, fairy mischief, portals to the underworld, the Wild Hunt, and predatory wyrms—creates an underlying hint of genuine menace. Balancing this chill is the devoted relationship between Clay and his dog companion, a theme that stands sturdily in the middle of the mayhem. Black-and-white full-page pencil illustrations contribute to both coziness and eeriness. The Horn Book

Here is a discussion guide to use with this book.

Listen to a four minute audio book sample.

John Newbery Award 2024 - WINNER Eyes and the Impossible. 

Honour books:

• Eagle Drums written and illustrated by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson
• Elf Dog and Owl Head written by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Junyi Wu
• MexiKid: A Graphic Memoir written by Pedro Martín 
• Simon Sort of Says written by Erin Bow
• The Many Assassinations of Samir, The Seller of Dreams written by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Two Giants by Michael Foreman

Two giants named Sam and Boris lived in harmony on a small island enjoying sunny days and in winter the soft white snow until the day they found a single pretty shell on the beach. 

"For the first time in their lives they began to argue. And as they did the sun went behind a cloud and and cloud became bigger and blacker. ... Before they could put their shoes on, a huge wave completely covered the beach. The wave swept away the shoes and the shell. The giants were furious and threw stones at each other as they ran towards the mountains to escape the flood."

The two giants are now positioned opposite one another on the top of two mountains. Over the years their battle continues as each day they throw stones (huge boulders) at each other. Meanwhile the weather stays cold and windy in direct contrast with the past when the two were friends.

This s a simple, sweet, classic story. It’s funny and it’s silly in places, and it’s told perfectly for children. So, when rocks are being thrown it’s not in a nasty, violent way, for example, but in an over the top one. The sort of thing only giants would do. Silly giants. There’s a message, though. Of course there’s a message. This one is about friendship and making mistakes, and forgiving people. It’s about how you shouldn’t let a silly falling out ruin your relationship with someone, and about how you can make up, be friends again, and go back to the adventures you used to have. The Book Bag

Michael Foreman illustrated his first book in 1961 and as recently as 2021 he has produced his most recent book: Noa and the Little Elephant. He has been nominated twice for the IBBY Hans Christian Andersen Medal. 

I saw this book for the first time yesterday. One of the library staff where I volunteer asked me if the library should keep this book - it is a book from 1967. The library copy was purchased in 2011 and it is in top condition but sadly it has only been borrowed once. I think this is a terrific book which teachers could use to talk about conflict and friendship. If you act really quickly here in Australia (June 2023) you can pick up a bargain copy of the 2015 reprint of this book with the cover above. The original cover is not as appealing and has a slightly different title - The Two Giants.

Michael Foreman books can seem simple but often explore deeper themes:

You could also look for these terrific books:

Grandad's Secret Giant by David Litchfield

Because what Billy had realised was that the giant wasn't

 just a giant. He was also a person.

From the opening page of Grandad's Secret Giant it is clear this is a united community.  People of all ages have gathered to paint a huge mural on the wall surrounding their town but there is a problem.  No one can reach to top of the wall.  Grandad says not to worry he knows someone with "hands the size of tables and feet as big as rowing boats."  Billy thinks these tales of the secret giant are just that, fanciful tales but Grandad carefully recalls all the times when the giant has helped the town and indeed Billy and his grandad out of sticky situations.  The problem is :

"... people are scared of things that are different.  When people see the giant, they scream and run away."

Billy gets up early to visit the mural.  He does see the giant but he is so frightened he runs away. When he realises this was the wrong way to react he turns back but the giant is gone.  How can Billy right this wrong?

I had an ambitious plan to read all the books on the Kate Greenaway 2018 Nominations list but there are 116 of them so I will just dip into a few such as Grandad's Secret Giant.  I was excited to see Australian books on this prestigious list  - Home in the Rain by Bob Graham and Storm Whale by Sarah Brennan.

You can see some of the illustrations on David's web site.  Here is an interview where David talks about his work and future projects.  You can read about the creative process here.  You can see more illustrations and read a detailed and very warm review here.  I would follow this book with The Gentle Giant by Michael Morpurgo, Giants by Mij Kelly and for older students The Iron Man by Ted Hughes.  One more thing - make sure you take time to look at the end papers which are very special.

Princess Smartypants and the missing princes by Babette Cole

I first read Princess Smartypants thirty years ago.  I loved it and gave a copy to a newly born young relative much to the consternation of her conservative grandfather.

I have always had the full set of Princess Smartypants books in our library along with so many other terrific titles by Babette Cole.

Sadly, just recently, we lost the wonderful Babette Cole.  Fortunately this new book was already published.  The format here is a junior novel with 130 pages and 8 chapters.

In this latest installment (more will follow this year) Princess Smartypants has a problem. Her friends Snowy (Snow White), Cindy (Cinderella) and Punzie (Rapunzel) arrive in a carriage.  They need a venue for their engagement party.  "Unfortunately, the princes (the girls were planning to marry) had very troublesome mothers who all wanted the official engagement party to be held at their own particular palace. The girls had decided to take the matter into their own hands..."

Princess Smartypants is given the guest list but one name is missing - Araminta Allspell.  Think of Sleeping Beauty and the consequences of rejecting the bad fairy.  On the night of the party the three princes fail to arrive. Princess Smartypants realises they have been taken by Araminta and so the chase begins.  Of course it all ends happily ever after!  Well sort of.

This is an easy reading little chapter book filled with recognizable fairy tale characters and madcap situations.  Good will triumph but only because Princess Smartypants uses her brain and problem solving power.

You might also enjoy The Tough Princess by Martin Waddell, The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry and The Pea and the Princess by Mini Grey.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG is, of course, such a famous book.  I won't go into all the plot details, inventive and amazing words or the very special relationship between this brave little girl and her gentle giant friend. Read here for some ideas to use with a class.  Next item on my school shopping list is the audio book read by David Walliams.

Instead I just thought I might quote a couple of my favourite passages :

"The butler, an imposing personage named Mr Tibbs, was in supreme command of all the palace servants and he did the best he could in the short time available.  A man does not rise to become the Queen's butler unless he is gifted with extraordinary cunning, sophistication, sagacity, discretion and a host of other talents that neither you nor I possess."

"Sophie, still wearing only her nightie, was reclining comfortably in a crevice of the BFG's right ear. She was actually in the outer rim of the ear, near the top, where the edge of the ear folds over, and this fold-over bit made a sort of roof for her and gave her wonderful protection against the rushing wind. What is more, she was lying on skin that was soft and warm and almost velvety. Nobody, she told herself, had ever travelled in greater comfort."

"Then out he came!
Twenty-four feet tall, wearing his back cloak with the grace of a nobleman, still carrying his long trumpet in one hand, he strode magnificently across the Palace lawn toward the window .. he stopped and made a graceful bow ... 'Your Majester ... I is your humbug servant."

I re-read The BFG today in preparation for seeing the new movie. I do hope it has the same magic (and marvelous words) that make the book so special for every generation.