1000 Books before School

 

If you have a child aged 0-6 and your local library logo is on this poster, why not investigate this program. This program is also run in other parts of Australia such as Victoria. 

I know 1000 books sounds like a lot of reading but really a picture book only takes a few minutes to read and if it is a winner with you and your child it will be a joy to re-read. 

Read three books a day and you will finish in less than one year. Read one book a day and you will finish in less than three years. Every book that your child completes or listens to counts!

How the program works:

• A library membership card is required. Not a member? Join for free at your local library or online. 
• Visit a library to register and receive your first reading record.
• Mark your reading record each time you read together with your child.
• Once you have read your first 100 books, visit your local library to receive your ‘I’m reading 1000 Books Before School’ book bag.
• Each time you reach the next 100 books milestone, bring your reading record into your local library to receive a merit patch for your book bag.
• After reading 1000 books, children are awarded a certificate to celebrate their achievement.
• The program finishes once your child reaches the goal of 1000 books, starts school, or turns 6 years of age.

These charts are about school aged children but it is so important to start your daily read aloud routine in a family during the early years.

Honk, Honk! Hold tight by Jessica Souhami

"I will share my kingdom with anyone who can make Princess Alice laugh."

Many people try but they all fail. Then along comes young Peter and as you might expect he is poor but also kind and honest. On the way to the palace, he sees an elderly lady who is tired and hungry. He gives her his bread and wine - I told you he was kind. YES of course, this is a fairy tale or should we call it a folktale? To repay this kindness the old woman reveals a golden goose under her cloak.

"Tuck this magic goose under your arm and carry it to the palace, where you will be rewarded."

As he travels along the road a woman reaches out and touches the fine feathers of the goose and immediately she is stuck. Seeing the problem a man on the road takes hold of the woman but - YES - he is now stuck. And so the procession is formed. Honk honk! Hold tight. A chain of people now travel behind young Peter. Can you guess what happens when Princess Alice sees this huge procession of characters? Yes she does laugh and YES they do get married (it is a fairy tale after all) but there is one delicious twist - it is Alice who proposes to Peter and he says YES!

"And they lived merrily ever after."

Notice the goose on the cover - the image above doesn't show this properly but the goose is actually gold foil. The end papers are filled with gold feathers. 

Bookseller blurb: This very funny folktale tells about the princess who will not laugh. Her father says he will give her hand in marriage to the man who can make her laugh â?? and one boy plus a golden goose set off to the palace to try their luck? As they go along, the animals and people they meet all try to steal one of the golden goose's feathers â?? and they stick fast to the goose. "Honk Honk Hold Tight!" says the boy, and the whole parade soon ends up at the palace. What will the princess do? A fabulous read-aloud, laugh-out-loud story that has its origins in Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK, with variants discovered in Russia and Egypt.

Check my earlier post about Jessica Souhami. I should not have been surprised to discover the library I visit each week had so many books written and illustrated by Jessica Souhami including this one. 

Here are some other books about Princesses or daughters of wealthy men which include a set of challenges to find a prince and/or to make the princess smile or laugh or in some way be restored.

The Glassmaker's Daughter

The Seeing Stick

The Most Wonderful thing in the World

The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup

With all the people stuck to each other you might also like to revisit this classic story or a variation:

The Empty Pot by Demi

Publisher blurb: A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!" Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot.  Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.

Ping has an empty pot but others bring pots filled with glorious bright flowers.

"I admire Ping's great courage to appear before me with the empty truth, and now I reward him with my entire kingdom and make him Emperor of all the land."

A lovely story, well told and most attractively presented. Kirkus Star Review

A couple of days ago I mentioned The Empty Pot by Demi and I realised I had not shared this splendid book with you here. In fact I also need to talk in general about the US author and illustrator Demi.

Who is Demi? Demi is is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred books for children. Her works have received numerous awards and accolades, among them ALA Notable Children’s Books, The New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Notable Books for a Global Society, American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, the Middle East Book Award, and the Christopher Award, which recognises individuals whose work makes a positive difference in the world. Demi has travelled extensively and studied art in Mexico, India and China.  She lives with her husband in Washington.

Her Chinese husband, Tze-si “Jesse” Huang, told Demi the story of The Empty Pot and The Magic Pillow. He remembered these tales from his childhood in China where his grandmother used to tell him ancient stories. Her original name was Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt.

This is a painting by William Morris Hunt the great grandfather of Demi:

Image source: Wikipedia Commons

Here are just a few of the books by Demi. They are expensive here in Australia and some are out of print but I suggest you look for books by Demi in your local or school library. If you work in a Primary school library I recommend you add The Empty Pot and The Magic Pillow to your library and if you work in a High School library I am certain your art teachers will love the colours, book design, and use of circle frames. Demi's book are wonderful to share with students. 

Here is a list of some titles by Demi:

Marie Curie

Florence Nightingale

St. Francis of Assisi

Tutankhamun

Genghis Khan

The Girl Who Drew a Phoenix

Marco Polo

The Magic Pillow

The Boy Who Painted Dragons

Mother Theresa

The Legend of St Nicholas

King Midas: The Golden Touch

The Dalai Lama: Foreword by his Holiness The Dalai Lama

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folk Tale

Buddha

The Someday Birds by Sally J Pla

 

Charlie has difficulties. His condition is not given a label in the story. Some reviewers say he is autistic. Whatever the issue, Charlie has set up some good coping strategies when sensory overload threatens to engulf him. Loud noises; strange tasting foods; and change can upset him. But he is a boy who has developed a deep understanding of himself - he accepts his own limitations and anticipates when life circumstances will be difficult. Charlie also has a quirky sense of humour which I loved.

Charlie's mum died when he was small so now we have a family of four. Older sister Davis; twin brothers Joel and Jake; and Dad.  Unfortunately Dad is now in hospital following a terrible incident in Afghanistan where he was working as a journalist. Gram has moved in to help the family but Dad's injuries are so complex the doctors decide he needs to be transferred to a different hospital.

Gram goes with Dad to Virginia. The babysitter has an accident and so Gram sends the mysterious Ludmila to look after the kids. Davis decides Ludmila is dangerous and so late at night she packs up her brothers and with the help of her flaky boyfriend Jonathan Dylan Daniels the group of kids set off to drive across the country so they can all be with Dad. 

Gram knows they are coming and so she organises for Ludmila to find them after the car driven by Jonathan Dylan Daniels crashes. He leaves the group and Ludmila takes over driving an old camper van. Gram says:

"The tests continue, it's all status quo here, so don't rush. These poor kids have seen nothing but a waiting room all summer ... so why don't you help them have ... fun. ... Do some things, find ways to at least enjoy the trip."

Ludmila asks the kids what they would like to do, where they would like to go. Charlie has a list of birds that he and his Dad made in the hope they might see them someday. There are eight birds on the list: Bald Eagle; Great Horned Owl; Trumpeter Swan; Sandhill Crane; Turkey Vulture; Emu; Passenger Pigeon; and Carolina Parakeet.  This seems impossible because two of these birds are extinct and one is in Australia! Charlie also has a secret ambition to meet his bird expert hero - Tiberius Shaw PhD. And so the journey begins.

Each chapter opens with words of wisdom from Professor Shaw:

"Human and bird behaviour share similar qualities when it comes to the issues of family and survival."

"Change is possible. It is not to be feared."

Australian readers will need a US Map to follow the journey of Charlie and his family from California to Virginia. Here is a very generous chapter sample (chapters 1-6) from the publisher. This book trailer, which you could use with a senior primary class in a book talk, gives you a good overview of the story. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. One of the really satisfying aspects of the storytelling in The Someday Birds is the ways all the little coincidences line up - a bit like putting pieces into a jigsaw puzzle and with each addition you begin to see the whole picture. One example is when Charlie finds the personal diary of Professor Shaw very early in the journey. This sets things up so beautifully for an utterly perfect ending.

Hopeful, authentic, and oddly endearing. Kirkus

Hop in the RV with this ragtag group and enjoy the ride. Book Page

Throughout this delightful story, you’ll never guess what waits around the next bend in the road. But I can promise that readers of all backgrounds and ages will be entertained, moved, challenged and uplifted by what they find there. Nerdy Book Club

I would pair this book with The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

Posted John David Anderson

Posted is set in an American middle school. The narrator is a kid who needs a tribe. He finds three friends and this means he has someone to sit with at lunch, someone to hang out with on the weekend and most importantly (even though he doesn't really talk about this) Frost needs other kids to care about and to know other kids care about him.

Characters:
Frost - real name - named after the poet Robert Frost. Frost is the narrator who explains how the posting of post-it notes began, and how it escalated into something nasty.

Bench - real name Jeremiah Jones - called Bench because in most sports he seems to be left on the bench even though he is very keen to play and has some skill. He is left out because other kids are better players.

Deedee - real name Advik Patel - fan of dungeons and dragons, Harry Potter, and dice which he uses to predict the future.

Wolf (short for Wolfgang Mozart) - real name Morgan - musical genius who wins lots of competitions but most people at school do not know about this.

Then Rose comes along. She is new. She is a girl. AND she sits at their lunch table. Bench leaves the group and Frost doesn't know what to do.  Someone puts a post-it note up in the hall on a student locker. At first the other notes that appear are innocuous but then things turn really nasty.

Do you like the cover of Posted? It caught my eye. I also knew the author John David Anderson because I just loved his book Ms Bixby's Last Day.

I think this book will appeal to junior high school students. You do need some knowledge of US High Schools and their culture but, even though I am the wrong demographic, I did read this book (369 pages) in almost one sitting.

Here are a few review comments which will give you more plot details:

The characters are all wonderfully drawn and fully realized.If anything, Frost is the least developed, but this is mainly because he is still trying to figure out who he is. Rose is terrific, and if I didn't know better, would have thought she was inspired by one of my own friends growing up. Ms Yingling

From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, comes a humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, and the failures of communication between kids. In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever. YA Books Central

Kids, and the rest of the world, need more books like this one. Kirkus star review

Book Week - Find your Treasure

Book Week Celebration ideas

If you are looking for some different ideas some of these might appeal. I like to plan Book Week Challenges. I have talked about this on other occasions.

2016
2015
2013

 2018 BOOK WEEK CHALLENGES

You have a treasure box but to open it you need a special key. You have seen the key once but it was long ago. You have been asked to make a new key or if materials are scarce prepare a diagram for a trusted locksmith to make a new key. Let's hope it works.

In your hand you are holding a tiny box. Inside is a treasure. This box can only be opened when someone recites three qualities (they could be magical) of the treasure. Even though the box is very small the treasure can be any size huge or teeny tiny. That is part of the magic. Make the tiny box and attach a label with the three (magical) qualities.

Design or draw a maze (it could be three Dimensional) that shows the way to the treasure hidden in a faraway land.

Design a poster offering a reward for anyone who finds your lost treasure. The poster should describe the treasure and explain how to claim the reward.

When we think of treasure we think of pirates. Draw a labelled diagram of your ideal pirate and give him or her a name. Add some props – a parrot would be an example of a pirate prop.

There is an important treasure hidden in your classroom or another place you choose. Where is it? What is it? Why is it hidden? Why is it important? Write a set of clues or a map or a diagram on one side of your page and the answers to these four questions on the back.

One book you have read or own is truly a treasure. Write a letter to the author or illustrator or publisher explaining why this book is one you really treasure.

Use the slogan "Find your treasure" or some of the short listed titles to make a puzzle or game e.g. find a word, dot to dot, cross word or a mystery code.

Some books to use with short listed titles:

Boy  

What the Jackdaw Saw by Julia Donaldson

The Race by Christobel Mattingley

Florette

Neville by Norton Juster

Footpath flowers by Jon Arno Lawson

The curious Garden by Peter Brown

The boy who painted the Sun by Geoff Hocking

Last tree in the city by Peter Carnavas

The second Sky

Leonardo’s dream by Hans de Beer

A wish for wings that work by Berkley Breathed

Filbert flies by Karl Ruhmann

I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox

Whoever you are by Mem Fox

My Two Blankets by Irene Kobald

The great rabbit chase

James by Ruth Park

Ducky’s Nest by Gillian Rubenstein

Little Rabbit lost by Harry Horse

Finding Monkey moon by Elizabeth Pulford

A hen for Izzy Pippik by Aubrey Davis

Mopoke

Goodnight owl by Pat Hutchins

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen – for a total contrasting book about the beauty and mystery of owls

The Hunt by Narelle Oliver

Take away the A by Michael Escoffier

The Silly book by Babette Cole

The nonsense show by Eric Carle

A walk in the bush

My Little world by Julia Cooke

Up in the garden and down in the dirt by Kate Messner

With Nan by Tania Cox

Here is a poem which links with the slogan

From : https://davidlharrison.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/poem-of-the-week-my-treasure/

CBCA Winners for 2018

Eve Pownall Award (Non Fiction)

Do not Lick this book

Picture Book of the Year

A Walk in the Bush 

Book of the Year Early Childhood

Rodney Loses it!

Younger Readers

How to Bee

Nevermoor - The trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

"Death is boring.  Life is so much more fun. Things happen in life all the time. Unexpected things. Things you couldn't possibly expect because they're so very ... unexpected."

There is quite a buzz in the children's literature world about Nevermoor.  I actually bought a copy the week it was released but then I gave it away to a friend before I even had a chance to begin reading.  I picked up another copy last week from my local bookshop.  Last night and today I devoured the whole 450 pages.  This is such a great story with so many inventive ideas, scenes and memorable characters.

You can read more about the plot here.  I thought I might just share a few of the very special moments that I enjoyed :

The opening sentence filled me with curiosity - "The cat was dead and Morrigan was to blame."

The Ages are marked by the Skyfaced Clock - "... a round glass face, with an empty sky inside that changed with the passing of the age - from the palest-pink dawn light of Morningtide, ...  into the dusky, darkening blue of the Gloaming ... and the fifth and final colour of its cycle: the inky, star strewn blackness of Eventide."  Eventide is marked as the time Morrigan will die, that is until Jupiter North rescues her and transports her to Nevermoor.

Morrigan has to go through four trials spread out over the year. in order to become a member of the Wundrous Society.  There are 500 candidates this year.

1.  Book Trial to see who is honest and quick thinking
2.  The Chase Trial to see who is tenacious and strategic
3.  The Fright Tial to see who is brave and resourceful
4.  The Show Trial

This fourth trial is the most terrifying one.  Morrigan has to demonstrate her talent, skill, knack or gift.  Morrigan is convinced she does not have anything to share.  When you read about the performances of her fellow competitors you are sure to gasp.  In these final chapters Jessica Townsend's inventive writing really soars. I won't spoil this section except to say read Chapter 21 and then read it again.

For the Chase Trial all the competitors wear white.  This is because they have to ride a living steed with no fewer than two legs and no more than four and as they ride they have to strike a target. "Each one blasted a cloud of brightly coloured powder all over the candidate's face and clothes."  There is some talk Nevermoor will be made into a movie - this is a scene that is sure to be spectacular.

For the Book Trial, the answer books catch on fire when the children do not deliver 'correct' answers.  I relish words like conflagrated, tendril, impertinent and pristine and all of these are in just one scene in one chapter.

Jessica Townsend has really balanced her characters - Morrigan has so many worries and such low self-esteem, Jupiter North lightens every scene with his quirky comments and positive outlook, Hawthorne is a perfect friend and the Magnificat Fenestra is simply marvelous.

Here are some excellent teachers notes by Robyn Sheahan-Bright.  Read some connections between Nevermoor and the Harry Potter series.  Here is an interview with Jessica. You can hear and see the author reading an extract from her book.  I am sure this book will feature on the CBCA short list for 2018.

There will be a sequel but I am happy to say enough is resolved at the end of this first installment to leave you satisfied and not in despair that you will have to wait for book 2.

Whimsical worldbuilding, humorous dialogue, and colorful supporting characters complement an adventurous, magic-filled plot that champions bravery, self-confidence, and hope.   Publisher's Weekly

The magic of Nevermoor is shiveringly, thrillingly wonderful. Open its pages and discover a hotel room that changes to suit your personality, a large talking cat with exactly the right amount of cattitude, and children with awe-inspiring magical abilities. This novel is an absolute treat.   Readings

The tooth mouse by Susan Hood illustrated by Janice Nadeau

Have you ever 

lost a baby tooth,

placed it under your 

pillow and found a coin

left by the tooth fairy?

In many countries around 

the world, there is no such

thing as the Tooth Fairy.

Instead there is ...

At some point during Grade One our library literature choices usually center on teeth and the tooth fairy.  I have a number of favourites which I love to share such as Andrew's Loose tooth by Robert Munsch, The Tooth Ball by Philippa Pearce, Wibble Wobble by Miriam Moss and The Tooth Fairy by Peter Collington.  One of the most interesting books in our school library is Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions Around the World by Selby Beeler & G.Brian Karas.  This is the book where I first discovered that there are so many variations on the tooth fairy.  I like the idea of throwing a tooth up - a bottom tooth - so the new one will grow straight and strong reaching up to the old one.  I also like the idea of burying a tooth at a university where you hope you child might study in the future.  

Not everyone believes in the tooth fairy.  In some cultures teeth are collected by mice.  This little tooth mouse lives in France.  She finds herself in a grand cathedral and hears the Tooth Mouse - La Petite Souris - ready to announce her successor.  To prove worthy of this honour there are three tasks or challenges to complete.  Sophie is so excited.  She is sure she can meet the challenge.

1. Bring me the whisker of a cat
2. Bring me a silver coin
3, Make a plan for the use of all the baby teeth you collect

Sophie's solution to problem number three is sure to make you smile.  Susan Hood has created a charming story for all young children to enjoy.  Here is review in the New York Times and one in Kirkus.  You can see all the book illustrations here.

You might also enjoy April Underhill, tooth fairy by Bob Graham, Oliver Sundew Tooth Fairy by Sam McBratney (one of my most favourite books in the whole world!) and Little Big Feet by Ingrid Schubert.