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Archive for the ‘Topics and Recommendations’ Category

We Love You Hugless Douglas

9781444908299By: David Melling

Douglas is helping Flossie find her best friend, as they search he realised everyone else seems to have a best friend and Douglas decides he would like one of his own. Feeling a little sad he he starts to think about it all and wonder why he doesn’t have one. Maybe though for Douglas the answer is right under his nose, even if it isn’t the answer he was expecting.

Hugless Douglas books are great. Douglas is just a wonderful character who has an incredible spirit, his stories are of family and friendship, they are warm and inviting. The illustrations a bright and welcoming. Together the whole package is a real joy to share with little ones.

Highly Recommended.

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Published: 03 January 2013

Format: Hardback 32 pages

Categories: Animal Stories, Friendship

ISBN 13: 9781444908299

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

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Picture Books, Topics and Recommendations

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Little Elephants

9781419704635

By: Graeme Base

Jimmy and his mother live on a farm. It’s almost harvesting time and their harvester is broken. If they can’t think of a way to bring in the crop they may lose their farm. Despite the difficult time Jimmy shows kindness to a stranger and this simple act may be the thing that helps change their fortunes. Though who would have thought the answer would lie with elephants.

This is a magical and wonderful tale from the creator of  Animalia and The Legend of the Golden Snail. Base has given us a truly inspirational tale. Jimmy is a great character with a generous heart. The art work as always is wonderfully detailed and incredibly imaginative. Base’s stories draw you in on all levels. What’s not to love about tiny elephants?

Highly recommended.

Publisher: Abrams

Published: 01 September 2012

Format: Hardback 40 pages

Categories: Animal stories

ISBN 13: 9781419704635

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

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Picture Books, Topics and Recommendations

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Faves of 2012

Okay it is that time of the year again where anyone and everyone puts together lists of their top picks of the past year. I am going to be no different, I will, however, not be doing a top 10. What I have put here are the ones that really stood out, but truthfully I had many wonderful reading experiences this year just about gone, and I did limit this list to those books published in 2012.

Let me start with the youngest first and believe me there were so many really cool picture books this past year but here are a few that stood out.

The Snorgh and the Sailor : Will Buckingham and Thomas Docherty

9781407116525

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore : William Joyce

9781442457027

I Love You Little Monster : Andreae Giles and Jess Mikhail

9781408314289

Plant a Kiss : Amy Rosenthal and Peter H Reynolds

9780061986758

What Does Daddy Do? : Rachel Bright

9780141502649

Fiction 4 – 9 years.

Secret of the Swords : Frances Watts and Gregory Rogers

9781742377285

Hey Jack! series : by Sally Rippin

9781742971254

Billie B Brown series by Sally Rippin

9781742971414Fiction 8 – 12

Floors : Patrick Carmen

9781906427900

Summer’s Dream :  Cathy Cassidy

chocolate-box-girls-summer-s-dream

Dork Diaries series : Rachel Renee Russell

9780857071194Young Adult Fiction

Stormdancer : Jay Kristoff

stormdancer-hi

The Fault in Our Stars : John Green

9780525478812

Team Human : Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

9781742378398

 

 

Category:

A Little Fun, Topics and Recommendations

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Secret Girls’ Business

I received this from the publisher.By: Maggie Hamilton

A book full of fun, fashion and tips on helping you find your way through the teenage years. Interspersed between craft activities and style tips are sections of information on tough issues such as bullying, depression and popularity.

This book has been put together by Maggie Hamilton who has done some intense studies of teenage girls and authored the book ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’

The serious information is kept concise whilst letting them know that they are not alone in experiencing these feelings.

In the spirit of living in a multicultural country we are given peeks into the lives of girls from different cultural backgrounds. To show you what girls are capable of, women who have achieved success in a great variety of careers are given brief profiles.

As well as recipes for all sorts of things there are plenty of fashion and gift craft ideas.

This is a wonderful gift idea for a creative teenager, full of plenty of ideas to help them develop their own style, and work through the time of figuring out their own identity, something that can be a tricky thing to do. A previous book I mentioned that ran along a similar  vein was great for tweens and young teens but this one is aimed at older teens. I would say best suited for  14-16 year olds.

Definitely worth a look.

Publisher:  Viking Australia

Published: 22nd August 2012

Format: Paperback 192 pgs

Genre: Non-fiction, Craft, Teenager, Multiculturalism

ISBN: 9780670076772

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of page

Category:

Coming Soon, Topics and Recommendations

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GIRL! The Ultimate Guide to Being You.

By: Anna Barnes

Now I don’t normally review non-fiction, mostly because I don’t read a lot of it but I started going through this and thought it was a great idea. Not only a great idea but very well executed. This is a book that doesn’t stick to one theme in regards to growing up, it doesn’t push any one thing at you. Instead what Anna Barnes has presented us with is a self-discovery guide. It contains chapters dealing with everything from creating your own style, to body image, environmental issues to changing the world.

This book is choc full of information about all sorts of things (parents can even learn things as they look through it -I did).

It is an open, honest look at what it is to grow up and try to figure out who you are. At times it is serious other times it is funny. Best of all it offers a variety of suggestions letting the reader know that no one way is the right way to be. We are all different and this is a book that celebrates that. I would totally recommend giving this to a pre-teen or a young teen, it may even provide an icebreaker for broaching certain topics.

Definitely worth a look.

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 28 March 2012

Format: Paperback 240 pages

Categories: Social Issues, Growing Up, Adolescence

ISBN 13: 9780143305767

Purchase: here or use the Booktopia link on side of the page

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Topics and Recommendations

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Top Titles 2011

As I’m going to not be posting between now and the new year I thought I would put my top picks of this year down now.

These aren’t the only ones I loved and there is no order to them, they are simply some of the ones released this year as far as I know that stand out in my mind.

Picture Books

The Flying Orchestra – Clare McFadden

The Last Viking – Norman Jorgensen/James Foley

The Jewelfish of Karnak – Graeme Base

Fiction 4-9

Violet Mackeral’s Natural Habitat – Anna Branford

Mystery in Paris – Thea Stilton (As with the rest of the series)

The Amazing Voyage – Geronimo Stilton (really I love the whole series)

Fiction 8 – 12

Eight Keys – Suzanne LaFleur

The Medusa Plot – Gordon Korman

Wonderstruck – Brain Selznick

Young Adult Fiction

Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor

The Extraordinaires – Michael Pryor

Mastiff – Tamora Pierce

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Topics and Recommendations

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Christmas Story Clips

It’s less than a week until Christmas and I’m in the festive spirit so I thought it would be a good time to share a few videos of Christmas stories. All of these tales can be found in book form for you to share with your little ones.

Firstly because I come from the southern hemisphere where it’s hot.

Now for something a little more traditional.

 

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Topics and Recommendations

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Pirate Picture Books

Here is a selection of picture books all about that very favourite of boy topics – pirates. Of course as a girl I really rather like a good pirate story. Once again these are in no particular order.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs books – Giles Andreae

How I Became a Pirate -Melinda Long

Littlest Pirate – Sherryl Clark

Pirate Girl – Cornelia Funke

Jolly Roger – Colin McNaughton

The Night Pirates – Peter Harris

The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate – Margaret Mahy

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Picture Books, Topics and Recommendations

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Shows For Kids That Encourage Reading

With all the tv choices available to our children to watch it is nice to come across a few that encourage reading in our little ones. Of course for us in Australia Play School has always had a story-time so this is really nothing new. There are a couple of shows though that really appeal to me in this way.


One is Driver Dan’s Story Train – a show where Driver Dan and his friends solve puzzles, play games and read books. What I particularly like about this show is that after the story has been read he asks what your favourite bit of the story was, this encourages interaction and better listening skills. Also this portrays story-time as something that can be shared.

Check out Driver Dan’s Website here

My favourite though, without question is Bookaboo. Bookaboo is the best puppy rock drummer in the world but Bookaboo has a thing – if he doesn’t get a story he won’t drum. His catch phrase is ‘a story a day or I just can’t play’. This appeals to me on several levels partly the music aspect, a lot of kids love music and even as young ones, dream of being in a rock band.

The other thing is Bookaboo gets visited by celebrities of various levels who come and read him a story. Some of the celebrities have been:  Adam Garcia, Robson Green, Mel C, Johnny Vegas, Meatloaf, Lethal Bizzle, and Amanda Holden. The pictures from the actual books are given slight animation giving the story reading a bit more visual appeal for youngsters so used to that kind of stimulation. Bookaboo is also a BAFTA winning show.

Check out Bookaboo’s Website here

Both these sites have activities and further information about the books.

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Topics and Recommendations

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Lists – Australian Theme

Books about Australia, or with an Australian theme are also high on the request list, some times people just want something about home and sometimes they are looking to share a little of our culture with people overseas.

Are We There Yet? – Alison Lester

 Crow and the Waterhole – Ambelin Kwaymullina


In The City/Bush – Roland Harvey

To The Top End – Roland Harvey

Sam’s Bush Journey – Sally Mogan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Dan’s Grandpa – Sally Morgan

My Aussie Mum – Yvonne Morrison

Why I Love Australia – Bronwyn Bancroft

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Picture Books, Topics and Recommendations

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