Lift-the-flap computers and coding by Rosie Dickins
Ill. by Shaw Nielsen. Usborne, 2015. ISBN 9781409591511
Among the stated outcomes of the Digital Technologies strand of the Australian Curriculum for students
in Foundation to Year 2 are the ability to 'recognise and explore
digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose'
and 'follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and
decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems'. So
right from their first years of formal schooling, our students are
expected to be able to understand the parts of a computer, use
software and begin to manipulate the devices to meet their needs.
This book with its myriad of flaps to lift and explore is perfect
for introducing this age group to what computers are and how they
work. Starting with 'What's a computer?' and an explanation of what
coding is, it moves on to show how computers think, including lots
of interactive activities that encourage the reader to participate
and thus gain a better understanding of the focus topic. For
example, the binary code is explained and then the reader is
challenged to convert decimal numbers to binary with the answers
under the flaps. Pictures via pixels are explained and so are
colours. There's even a treasure map to help Pixel the Pirate hunt
for treasure while teaching about writing instructions and flow
charts. The flaps reveal answers, explanations and things to think
about ensuring that the reader is actively engaged in their
learning.
The more I delved into this book the more I went back to my early
days of learning to program a turtle using Logo and even earlier
still to when we bought books with the coding for games in them and
we put these into our basic computers which ran on audio tapes! This
book encourages kids to explore and use Scratch which is so
highly recommended by my computer guru colleagues and just continues
on with so much info and fun that I'm surprised it hasn't been
written before!
But even if you buy multiple copies of this for your students, you
should also consider buying it for those teachers who feel daunted
by the requirements of the curriculum because apart from helping
them understand the technical aspects of computers and coding, it
offers a myriad of ideas for supporting the learning within the
classroom using activities that don't require a device. You might
also like to scour your TR section for all those books about
encouraging logical thinking and problem solving that were so common
a few years ago because they are all grist to the mill, and also
return to the basics of the information literacy process of
What am I being asked to do?
What do I already know?
What more do I need to find out?
Where can I find that information?
So even if writing a million-dollar-making app is beyond the reach
of many nevertheless they will have had lots of scaffolding and
experience in thinking logically, posing and answering questions and
solving problems - which all the futurists says are the essential
foundation skills for the future.
Barbara Braxton
Rain by Manja Stojic
Pavilion, 2016. ISBN 9781843653059
Picture book. On the African savannah the animals are waiting for
the rains as the soil cracks from the hot, dry, unending sun.
Porcupine can smell the rain; Zebra can see the lightning and Baboon
can hear the thunder. Rhino feels the first drops and then Lion can
taste it. It rains and rains and rains but even after it stops it
continues to bring comfort to the animals. Until the whole cycle
starts again.
As the vegetation of south-east Australia withers beneath an
unrelenting heatwave and that of central regions blooms under record
rains, this is a most timely story to share with young readers
learning about the cycle of weather and its impact on the
environment. Using simple, cumulative language and big, bold type
and pictures that encourage young listeners to join in, it
introduces them to a climate that might be very different from that
which they experience as well as encouraging them to think about how
we are as dependent on rain as those on the African savannah. By
focusing on how the animals use their senses to predict the rain, it
also offers an opportunity to explore how animals more common to
them use their senses - such as a dog's dependence on smell - as
well as how humans use theirs.
In her debut book for children, Stojic has used colour very well to
contrast the dry, cracked, sunburnt landscape with that after the
rains have fallen. For those where rain brings such a change to the
landscape, this could encourage some interesting before/after
artwork from children with the focus on colour and hot and cool
tones. For those who are ready, there could also be a focus on
adjectives as Stojic has carefully chosen her words to depict that
which can't be shown in pictures. The relationship between text and
pictures is such that even youngest readers would be able to 'read'
it for themselves.
What seems a simple book on the surface has a depth that makes it
more than a one-off read-aloud.
Barbara Braxton
Glass sword by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen bk 2. Orion, 2016. ISBN 9781409159353
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Glass Sword picks up directly where
the gripping Red Queen left off. Mare is unique; with red
blood like the common folk of her home, and powers to rival the
silvers who rule them. With the discovery of the other 'new bloods'
(people with red blood and silver abilities) and Mare's escape from
the palace and the newly crowned and vindictive, King Maven, Mare
sets off on her journey to find the other 'New bloods'; the people
like her. The question is; will she be able to find them, or will
Maven beat her to it?
Aveyard has created a gripping and complex storyline, shrouded in
death, heartbreak and a cruel view of humanity. The novel starts off
slowly, but quickly builds into a fast paced and suspenseful
storyline. Mare Barrow, the main protagonist, struggles throughout
the novel with the betrayal of Maven and her inability to feel as if
she belongs, neither to reds nor silvers. Glass Sword shows
an almost completely different character in Mare than what she was
in Red Queen and she was not particularly likeable
throughout this sequel. Mare came across quite frustratingly cold
and bleak to the reader when compared with her fire and passion in
the first novel. This did in return have the positive outcome of
making her feel a lot more real as it was easy to see that Mare was
struggling to deal with certain aspects of her life, as any real
person would in her position.
Overall, Glass Sword is a particularly compelling and
gripping novel, and would give rise to discussions surrounding the
nature of humanity and many impending world issues.
Georgia Cunningham (Student)
Good knight, bad knight by Tom Knight
Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760402921
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Knights, Friendship, Dragons, Humour. Bad
Knight is not enjoying his Knight school: he is failing at
everything. He has really strict teachers and finds the work very
hard, so much so that the other kids laugh at him. He is building a
catapult in school while others are making nesting boxes, but he is
waiting for his cousin to arrive. Good Knight will be a friend. But
Good Knight turns out to be just as good as Bad Knight is bad. He
can talk to his mother about cooking, is terrific at swordsmanship,
goes into the haunted forest with aplomb, and has even mastered
tapestry making. During his visit he comes top of the class while
his cousin lingers at the bottom rung. The teacher plans a
tournament with the pair playing each other, with rather predictable
results, that is until a dragon arrives and target Good Knight. But
cousin Bad knows just what to do, luring the dragon away so that he
can use his invention to the satisfaction of everyone, except of
course, the dragon.
A funny read, children will learn lots of information about medieval
times as well as courage and friendship. The humorous illustrations
will further entreat the readers as they read through the book, and
they will pore over the endpapers with their intricate drawings
designed to tickle everyone's funny bone.
Fran Knight
The Love Pug by Jennifer Sattler
Chick 'n' Pug series. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781619636729
(Age: 4+) Chick and Pug are best friends, they enjoy playing and
spending time together. Unfortunately a pretty young pug called
Daisy appears and she falls for the very handsome Wonder Pug. Chick
welcomes their new friend, and shares stories of Pug's heroic deeds.
Images of Pug in a superhero cape flying through to air to rescue
poor Chick accompany the easy to read text. Pug is not impressed,
all he is interested in is taking a nap. The little yellow bird hops
into action supporting Daisy in her quest for love.
Jennifer Sattler's bright illustrations bring the characters to life
- Daisy saves Pug from the buzzing bee and Chick's expressive
actions and a range of emotions as she assists her new friend.
A fun story to read aloud to a young audience.
Rhyllis Bignell
Be Frank with me by Julia Claiborne Johnson
Corvus, 2016. ISBN 9781782399179
(Age: Adult - Discerning secondary students) As you know, I don't
seem to get around to reading grown up books often but there was
something about the blurb for this one that begged me to read and
review it.
Thank you thank you Allen and Unwin for allowing me the unmitigated
pleasure of doing so! Charming, funny, poignant, realistic and with
a cast of unforgettable characters, this has been an absolute joy
for my night time reading of the past week.
The reclusive and reputedly eccentric author M.M. Banning has been
shamefully victimised by a fraud which has left her penniless. Her
literary fame which rests on a single perfect novel now studied in
schools all over America burns as brightly as ever but the funds
have dwindled desperately.
Banning's publisher, Isaac Vargas, despatches his most able young
assistant Alice Whitley from New York to the East Coast to monitor
Banning's progress with a promised new novel. Despite having not
published a word since 'The pitcher', Banning's contract for
this new book is her financial salvation but the progress is not
without obstacles. Alice's mission is not just to deliver reports on
the book's progress but to 'manage' both Banning's domestic life and
her nine year old son, Frank. If M. M. Banning is considered
eccentric then her son Frank has not only inherited her genetic
makeup but taken oddity to a whole new level.
A nine year old boy addicted to old movies, with a remarkable
intelligence and a wealth of trivia hoarded away in his brain, Frank
dresses in a range of outfits that transform him from a mini Teddy
Roosevelt to a Clarence Darrow with equal ease and completely lacks
any awareness of social mores. Needless to say, this does not stand
him in good stead with other fourth-graders and indeed, many adults
are taken aback by Frank's rather unnerving personality.
Alice's initial surprise as this strange household assaults her
senses gradually turns to an unconditional acceptance of Frank and
she becomes to a huge extent a surrogate parent for him.
Throw into this mix, the devastatingly attractive Xander whose
presence throws Frank into paroxysms of joy, has a soothing effect
on Mimi (M.M.) and thoroughly unnerves Alice.
This book has so much to offer the reader in terms of pure joy but
has also a great deal to say about our acceptance of others, and
society's definition of 'normal'.
You will not be disappointed if you look out for this one. While
primarily aimed at an adult audience there is nothing in this that
would prohibit being a delightful addition to a secondary library
for discerning readers.
Sue Warren
True stories of polar adventures by Paul Dowswell
Usborne, 2015. ISBN 9781474903820
(Age: Upper middle primary) One of the first places on this planet
little children get to know about is the North Pole, that legendary,
mythical home of Father Christmas, aka Santa Claus. Marked by a red
and white striped pole and inhabited by the man himself and his
wife, industrious elves and magical reindeer, it is a place of
mystery, intrigue and imagination. It is hard to believe that just
over a century ago that that was exactly the aura that shrouded this
place as expedition after expedition tried to uncover its secrets
for over 500 years. Perhaps that is why it was designated as Santa's
home - it was so remote and unattainable that no one would ever
discover the truth. From Sir Edward Willoughby's unsuccessful
attempt to find the northeast passage in 1553 until the
still-disputed claims of Frederick Cook and Robert Peary in 1908 it,
with its southern equivalent, was considered to be the Holy Grail of
exploration.
This book, written for middle-upper primary readers, contains the
stories of some of the most intrepid Arctic and Antarctic explorers
- those who succeeded and those who didn't; those who went for the
adventure and those who went for other reasons - and introduces a
new generation to the hardships, trials and tribulations of what
such a short time ago was the last bastion of exploration before the
age of flight and radio let alone satellites and GPS.
Included are the stories of Roald Amundsen, the first to the South
Pole and who beat my own personal hero Sir Robert Falcon Scott by
five weeks, but whose story is often over-shadowed by that of
Scott's because of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Scott
and his companions. As I re-read the stories of the conquerors of
the south, once again I realised the impact that their journeys have
had on my own life all these years later as my mother was determined
to visit Scott's Hut (and did so in 1968 as the first female
journalist to go south) and Scott's story The worst journey in
the world by Apsley Cherry-Garrard was as familiar to me as
The famous five!
Illustrated with maps of the various expeditions but sadly no
photos, True stories of polar adventures could serve as just
the introduction to the exploration of these unique, hostile lands
and spark an interest in what it is that drives people to put their
life on the line to go where none has gone before and to delve
deeper into these tales of 'hardihood, endurance and courage'. This
is but a taster of an extraordinary smorgasbord of adventure stories
linked by the most hostile environments on the planet.
Barbara Braxton
The lovers by Rod Nordland
Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN 9781473607002
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Journalist Rod Nordland's biography
about the Afghan lovers Zakia and Ali is an engrossing tale about
survival against all odds. The forbidden lovers' lives are changed
forever by Ali's foolhardy declaration of love.
Like many Afghan woman, Zakia lived a sheltered life under the
watchful eyes of her father, brothers, and male cousins. For Afghan
pride however, they were not watchful enough. Zakia falls in love
with the Hazara boy next door. The couple's courtship begins with
just a handful of words in stolen moments but soon it progresses to
scandalous secret phone calls and night-time visits in which Ali
stands outsider Zakia's window, risking discovery just for the
chance to talk with her. People just don't marry for love in
Afghanistan, let alone marrying across ethnic groups (he was hazara
and she was tajik). Before long Ali asked Zakia to marry him,
despite their opposing ethnic groups - they would have to elope, a
concept that was dangerous and would put both of them at risk of
honour killings. Once the couple had run off together Zaman, Zakia's
father, and his sons and nephews left their farm to hunt the couple
down. Zakia had dishonoured her father and her family. The only way
to regain that honour was for them to kill her. Zakia and Ali spent
the next few years of their lives running from Zakia's family. Their
plight received international attention with Rod Nordland's articles
posing them as the Afghan Romeo and Juliette, not only did he write
their stories for the New York Times, but he became the go-between
for foreign assistance for the couple. He played an important role
in their survival and continued international interest.
This novel is an eye-opener to the cultural differences between
Afghanistan and the western world. It is certainly a testament to
the luck of women living in a westernised world that they can voice
their opinions, study, work, fall in love, and leave their house
unattended without fear. Highly recommended for young people, in
particular girls aged fifteen and up.
Kayla Gaskell (University student)
The Endermen Invasion: An Unofficial Minecrafter's Adventure by Winter Morgan
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015. ISBN: 9781408869666
Themes: Games; Minecraft; Adventure. Imagine a popular computer game
that inspires the text for an adventure . . . .collecting of
treasure and 'building' while retaining the uncertainty and
randomness of attack and defence within that game, and you have The
Endermen Invasion. Young Minecraft devotees may enjoy this
opportunity to read a game scenario, but the narrative lacks
character development and the plot complications rely on knowledge
of Minecraft strategies and game play. The fantasy element involves
fighting ender dragons, and three-headed withers while competing in
a 'building competition' which is under attack, while remembering
the need to restore energy levels by collecting mushroom stew by
milking 'Mooshrooms' to ensure energy supplies. This will be
understood by game aficionados and just seem bizarre to any who have
managed to miss the Minecraft world.
Not highly recommended for its literary quality, but if you have a
reluctant reader who loves to play Minecraft, you might be able to
entice them to read this book. Its quality is in 'getting them
reading'.
Carolyn Hull
We're going on an egg hunt by Laura Hughes
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN: 9781408873861
(Age: 2+) Recommended. Paperback with flaps to lift. Themes: Easter,
Poetry, Rhymes. We're going on an egg hunt.
We're going to find them all.
We're REALLY excited.
Hooray for Easter Day!
Laura Hughes's lively Easter picture book is based on the
traditional rhyme 'We're going on a bear hunt.' Four young rabbits
start out with their wheelbarrow on the search for ten hidden eggs.
The farm setting provides plenty of tricky obstacles, through the
sheep enclosure, in the chicken coop, passed the busy bee hives,
even at the duck pond there are eggs to collect. The eggs are hidden
under logs, flowers, bulrushes and even the milk churn. Each
brightly coloured egg is collected in the wheelbarrow, their
baskets, buckets and a butterfly net, until they find the biggest
egg of all. Hiding behind this flap is a surprise - the big bad
wolf. The bunnies hurry and scurry back through the ducks, bees,
chicks and lambs dropping some Easter eggs along the way. Of course,
they arrive safely back at their house just in time to enjoy the
chocolatey treat. Even Mr. Wolf enjoys Easter, munching on the eggs
dropped in haste.
This engaging story is just right for sharing with youngsters this
is an exciting read-aloud story, with counting, familiar things to
find and animals to name. The pastel, watercolour wash backgrounds,
rustic settings and charming animal characters make this an
entertaining picture book.
Rhyllis Bignell
Zoo Zoom by Candace Ryan
Ill. by Macky Pamintuan. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781619633575
(Age: 3+) The animals are off in a rocket to the moon, the monkey,
puffin, cockatoo, even the buffalo are ready for a big adventure.
The rhyming text questions which tasks need to be undertaken to
launch the rocket - using the keys, gear and dials. As the animals
are strapped in, even the kiwi, the hippo notices the sleeping rhino
has caused a major problem.
Manny Pamintuan's vibrant and lively computer generated scenes
filled with the more unusual zoo animals carry the story.
Rhyllis Bignell
And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Ill. by Henry Cole. Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781481448840
(Age: 3 - adult) Highly recommended. Animals, Chinstrap penguins,
Family, New York. This tenth anniversary edition deserves a place in
every library. The true story of two male penguins in the Central
Park Zoo in New York is enough to bring tears to the eyes in its
affirmation of what makes a family and what constitutes love.
The two penguins did everything together after meeting in 1998, so
much so that when the female penguins formed partnerships with the
males and made nests of stones ready for their eggs, Roy and Silo
did too. They even found a stone to put in their nest to sit on and
hatch like all the others. But it did not hatch.
The keeper, Mr Gramzay noticed that another pair had laid two eggs,
and knowing that they were never able to raise more than one chick,
moved one egg to the nest of Roy and Silo. They did everything the
other penguins did: they sat on the egg, moving it to keep it warm,
they slept on the egg, changing places when they needed to, until
finally the egg hatched. And it was named Tango.
The trio became a most loved family amongst the penguin colony at
Central Park Zoo, Silo and Roy teaching their chick to dive and
swim, snuggle into their warmth at night and sing for its food.
This life affirming book confirms the place of family and the love
that brings two together to make a family. Children need to see
their own family make up in the books they read, and this goes a
long way towards redressing the dearth of such books in the past.
An afterword of this anniversary edition tells us of the history of
this book since it was first published. It makes salutary reading
that in this age of Western freedoms, authorities seek to restrict
some voices. The work of the parents in Singapore in stopping this
book being pulped is wonderful and needs greater publicity,
happening so recently (2014) A post script from the two authors
telling us that they now have a daughter is a joyous end to a
wonderful read.
Fran Knight
The emperor of any place by Tim Wynne-Jones
Candlewick, 2015. ISBN 9780763669737
(Age: Older teens) During the Second World War, Oshiro, a wounded
Japanese soldier finds himself on a small and remote Pacific island,
after having escaped by raft from the Island of Tinian where U.S.
forces were crushing all resistance. Gradually he recovers and lives
a peaceful existence, living off the land and utilising a range of
supplies from debris washed ashore following battles at sea.
The soldier's simple quest to survive the war and return alive to
his beloved new wife is threatened when he discovers a recently
crashed American transport aircraft loaded with rifles and
ammunition, in the island's interior. Evidence reveals that one of
the crew has survived in a seriously injured state but has escaped
to an unknown hiding place. Fearing discovery by the enemy soldier,
Oshiro carefully searches the island for him and a series of bizarre
events lead to his capturing Derwood, the American. Language
difficulties limit the pair's communication but in time, both come
to understand that it is simply impossible for Oshiro to confine
Derwood as a prisoner and the pair live an agreeable and cooperative
existence on the island, posing no threat to one another and
further, coming to depend on each other for survival.
Fifty years later, Evan, a Canadian teenager is distraught when his
father, whom he loves dearly, dies unexpectedly from a heart attack.
Evan's ninety year old Grandfather arrives to tend to his son's and
Evan's legal affairs. Evan has never met Griff, a Marine veteran
from World War II and fears him, based upon warnings and tales from
his own father who fled from Griff and ceased all contact with him
as soon as he was old enough.
At this time, Evan discovers a manuscript detailing the wartime
experiences of Oshiro and Derwood among his father's effects and
learns that Griff (somehow a part of the events), is doing his best
to suppress publication of the story. Despite his age, Griff
intimidates Evan who struggles with his rigid military ways and
threatening behaviour.
The mystery of what happened to Oshiro and Derwood, and their
connection with Griff is gradually uncovered by Evan and enables an
intriguing plot to develop. Much of the wartime narrative however
involves supernatural beings which play a significant role in the
events on the island. Aside from the notion of ghosts representing
souls yet to be born into the physical world, the supernatural
elements seemed out of place and I couldn't help thinking that the
tale suffered for their inclusion.
Rob Welsh
Editor's note: This book was on YALSA's 2016
Best Fiction for Young Adults, is one of School
Library Journal's Best Books 2015, and is on Horn
Books Fanfare list.
Fire touched by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson bk 9. Little Brown, 2016. ISBN 9780356507040
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Paranormal. Good versus evil. The 9th in
the Mercy Thompson series, finds shapeshifter Mercy and her werewolf
partner Adam and his pack, fighting a ferocious troll. Then they
find themselves with a human child, Aidan, who had been stolen long
ago by the fae and who can control fire, not always in the safest
way. Defying both the fae and their own kind, Mercy and Adam decide
to protect him no matter the cost.
I am a fan of the Mercy Thompson series and eagerly await each new
novel in this and the related Alpha and Omega series.
Patricia Briggs is a master in the art of portraying believable and
likeable characters, putting them into tense situations where they
have to make hard decisions about good and evil. There is depth to
all the characters and this makes the book a very enjoyable read.
Mercy's problems with some of the members of the pack not wanting
her to be Adam's mate feature strongly in this novel and family and
pack life are highlighted. Mercy is strong and level headed through
it all, not only fabulous in her action scenes but also in her
personal life.
In Fire touched, Mercy is not prepared to see a young boy
taken again by the fae and is determined to give him shelter and
Adam and his pack are around to give strong back-up. This results in
the fae giving chase and all are involved in some exciting and
thrilling events including evading a volcano troll and a trip to the
fae land of Underhill. Events show that if they are not careful
there could be a war where humans would suffer greatly and Mercy is
instrumental in trying to avoid this.
Each book in the series is self contained. It certainly helps to
have read the books in order, to see character development, but the
reader is not left on a cliff-hanger. There is however, plenty of
scope for future developments, especially with the status of the
werewolf pack. I suspect this series is one that older teens will be
seeking at their local libraries.
Pat Pledger
Top dog by Rod Clement
Angus and Robertson, 2016. ISBN 9780732298753
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Dogs. Cities. Business life. Samson is an
extraordinary dog. He can not only talk and walk on his hind legs,
and dress in a suit, but holds down the CEO position at a major
company in the city. Each morning he is chauffeured to work, where
he is greeted by his staff and given a cup of coffee. He and his
staff work very hard; he loves to chew things over, and throw ideas
around. His well trained staff bring his paper in each morning and
sit when he says to sit.
Readers will have a great time comparing his life with that of their
dog or cat, seeing the slant Clement puts on his extraordinary
poodle. They will laugh out loud as he turns things on their head,
showing the actions usually shown by an owner to his dog, used by
the dog to his staff: a pat on the head, a tickle on the tummy, a
bone given as a treat. All lampoon the things dogs get up to in the
family home, but here we are in a city office tower. The play on
words will intrigue and delight readers, and get them looking at
some of the idioms, such as, 'chew things over' or 'throw ideas
around'. Samson's office looks out from a great height over the
city, giving views of the harbour and city buildings. But he does
insist that his staff stay behind to do extra work, and fetch for
him, while sometimes they need to beg him for a favour.
Clement's lovely water colour and pen and ink illustrations will
delight the reader, the soft watercolour presenting an adorable dog,
one that the readers will take to their hearts. This book will
encourage a closer look at some of the words and expressions used in
relation to the children's pets.
Fran Knight
