Review: Edie's Experiments 1: How To Make Friends

Edie is ten-and-a-quarter years old and she absolutely loves science. In fact, Edie loves to experiment in every aspect of her life, even her family's breakfast choices. Her family are completely used to her scientific ways, and some of Edie's best memories from her old school are of the amazing experiments she conducted there. So, when Edie starts in Year 5 at a new school, she figures there is no better way to make friends than to bring along her science kit and start experimenting. Unfortunately, things don't turn out quite the way Edie planned.

Author, Charlotte Barkla, has created a lovable character, who enthusiastically gets herself into awkward situations, leading to laugh-out-loud humour. Edie is energetic and inquisitive, approaching everything with scientific gusto, including her often disastrous attempts to make new friends.

When Edie manages to cover her class in slime, make them ill from apology cookies, and accidentally insult the school Principal, she can't imagine how things could get worse. But they do! Fortunately, Edie's persistent scientific efforts and her kindheartedness do eventually shine through.

Illustrator Sandy Flett, conveys fun and movement, bringing to life Edie's enthusiasm for experimenting and her vivid imagination, with such fine examples as the Before Lunch and After Lunch images of the Science Fair Trophy, and the Detention Room Expectation versus Detention Room Reality sketches. Flett is also known for her illustrations in the Juno Jones series.

Edie's Experiments 1: How To Make Friends will appeal to middle grade readers who have ever tried an experiment that didn't quite work out, like trying to make a new friend. This is the first book in the Edie's Experiments series, with a second book scheduled for release mid-2020. Charlotte Barkla is also the author of the positive picture book, All Bodies Are Good Bodies.

Title: Edie's Experiments 1: How To Make Friends
Author: Charlotte Barkla
Illustrator: Sandy Flett
Publisher: Puffin, $14.99
Publication Date: 4 Feb 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760891770
For ages: 8 - 11
Type: Middle Grade Fiction




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/38kZtRj

Review: A is for Ant

A is for Ant is a fascinating, beautifully designed board book about ants and the letter a.

Each page or spread begins with ‘A is for’ and continues with a something associated with ants including type of ants, their body parts, food, homes, environments, and my favourite, a beautifully collaged spread about an anteater.

I adore Kate Slater’s collage illustrations, the colours and textures create a unique beauty and depth while suiting the text and board book format wonderfully.

A is for Ant is the first in a series of alphabet based board books, the next is B is for Bee, which I can’t wait to read.

Kate Slater is a UK based illustrator who illustrates primarily with mixed media collage, some of her other books included ABC London and Magpie’s Treasure.

Title: A is for Ant
Author: Sam Priddy
Illustrator: Kate Slater
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley, $12.99
Publication Date: 4 February 2019
Format: Board Book
ISBN: 9780241435922
For ages: 0 – 3
Type: Board Book




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2ute0f9

Guest Post: Wendy Haynes on Where Stories Take You

I didn’t think Hayden’s Bedtime was going to be my first published book.

The story for Hayden’s Bedtime had been brewing for a while. I wrote it for my grandson, who has trouble falling asleep at night.

My son Clint has all sorts of trouble getting Hayden off to sleep every night. I wrote the book to make bedtime a fun and happy experience with dad checking behind the door, under the bed, inside the cupboard, and in the drawer.

I had been writing a middle-grade fantasy fiction for a few years (which is finished now and due out this year), but when an opportunity came via a council-run mentoring program to help creatives turn their passion into a business, I jumped at the chance. The idea was to have a product or service to sell by the end of the program.

At the beginning of August 2018, I received a call telling me I was accepted into the program. I was on my way to a self-imposed writing retreat in Lorne – only thirty minutes down the road with the intention to work on my middle-grade novel, The Door in the Woods. The Airbnb I was staying at had bad phone reception – I had to stand on the back veranda to make and receive calls. The internet connection was only available on the front deck, perfect. I took enough supplies to ensure there was no reason to leave, though I did reward myself with a cappuccino at a café in Kendall.

As most writers know, it is impossible to work on one story for the whole day, well, four days to be exact. I read, I edited what I wrote, and expanded the outline, and I started to write down ideas for Hayden’s Bedtime. I’m not sure why, but when I write poems or in picture book form, I nearly always write in rhyme. I also use a notebook rather than using the computer; the rhythm flows better for me that way.

Once I had most of the story down, I transferred it onto the computer to edit. It was at this point that I decided this book would be the project for the mentoring program.

The first thing I did from that point was to have my manuscript assessed not once, but twice. This is such an important step and was vital in ensuring my book would be the best it could be.

I then went on the prowl for an illustrator. I found my illustrator Brett Curzon through Illustrators Australia, and after negotiations, he commenced the illustrations. To self-publish a book is to become a publisher and all of what that entails – so, Inprint Publishing was born.

With every book sold, $2 goes to a local community organisation Liberty Service who helps families live free of domestic violence. Since the publication of Hayden’s Bedtime, getting it out into the greater Australian community has been a constant effort. It has been added to the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge and distributed through Woodslane or available through my website.

My advice if you are going down the self-publishing road is it is best to publish a text-based book first, and it’s the more affordable option. Also, having a checklist and doing some research is vital to ensuring sales and reaching your audience. But the most important thing is to keep practicing your craft.

Wendy Haynes is the author of Hayden’s Bedtime, a picture book written for children aged 3-6 years old. The book was developed with her grandson Hayden in mind and his fear of going to bed. The book was originally released late March 2019 and is illustrated by the talented Brett Curzon. She has completed a Diploma in Creative Writing at Southern Cross University, and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and has conducted motivational and writing workshops on and offline through her business Writing for Keeps. Wendy is the founder of Inprint Publishing, where you can find more information at the website: www.inprintpublishing.com.au/

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/38iJYcn

10 Quirky Questions with author/illustrator Frané Lessac

1. What's your hidden talent?
Synaesthesia. Letters and numbers trigger a visual colour experience and I sometimes use it to remember people’s names, phone numbers and addresses.

2. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
In high school, I took art as an elective. My grades were so bad that after school I would crawl through the classroom window and change my grades in the teacher’s book.

3. Who is your favorite literary villain and why? 
The Wicked Witch of the West, from Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Growing up, she was the one literary figure that could scare the pants off me. She’s manipulative, cruel and intimidating. She gets what she wants through her evil behaviour. I want to know how she became so misguided. More importantly, I want to free the Winkie guards and the flying monkeys!

4. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead) 
Keith Richards, Jack Kerouac, Samuel Clemens, Patti Smith, and Tom Robbins.

5. Which literary invention do you wish was real? 
The 'thinker-upper machine' by Dr. Seuss. How handy to have a bit of help with infinite possibilities.

6. What are five words that describe your writing process? 
Conceptional. Loony. Procrastinated. Self-taught. Miraculous.

7 Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer? 
Resourceful. Tenacious. Imaginative. Colourful. Fun.

8. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Window with a view, Banjo my dog. Heart-shaped stones. Family photos. Books.

9. What book character would you be, and why?
Peter Rabbit: He’s brave, mischievous and overcomes obstacles. A rabbit after my own heart.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Never having to make this choice.

Frané Lessac is an author and illustrator of international renown, having nearly 50 children’s books published throughout the world. She was born in the USA and lived on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, as well as in London, before moving to Australia. Frané loves to travel and create books based on her journeys. She has contributed her distinctive paintings to many critically acclaimed children’s picture books, including The Legend of Moondyne Joe, which won the West Australian Premier’s Children’s Book Award, and Simpson and His Donkey, a CBCA Honour Book that was also selected as a USBBY Outstanding International Book. In 2019, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, written by Traci Sorell, was awarded the Robert F Sibert Honor Book Honor medal, the Orbis Pictus Honor Book medal and the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor medal. For more information, see www.franelessac.com.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/38iGzKW

Review: The Night Country

Review: Marlow Brown: Scientist in the Making

Review: H is for Happiness

Barry Jonsberg’sH is for Happiness is a reissue of My Life as an Alphabet, published early 2013. This stunning piece of work deserves all the kudos it receives. It won the 2013 Gold Inky, the Children’s Peace Literature Award, the 2014 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, and was short-listed for the CBCA Awards in 2014, and a string of other awards. Now the movie is being released early 2020.

The prose sizzles through the voice of protagonist, Candice Phee – a girl different to other children. She marches to her own tune; is clever and loving. Friendless apart from Douglas Benson From Another Dimension, Candice is unfazed by the ridicule she receives at school, she sees the good in everyone and never speaks negatively to, or about, anyone. She adores her Rich Uncle Brian who is estranged from his brother, Candice’s dad.

Douglas is also a rare individual. They fit together perfectly, as they accept each other’s idiosyncrasies as normal. Douglas is trying to find a way to return to what he believes, is his real family in an alternate universe.

A class assignment is set. Each pupil must write about themselves. Each paragraph must begin with a letter of the alphabet, from A to Z. But one paragraph per letter is barely enough for the expansive and eloquent Candice.

This opens the closed doors of Candice’s life and thoughts. It is through these alphabetically listed paragraphs, that Jonsberg reveals a detailed and intimate view of just how extraordinary is his main character. For this book is all about Candice.    

The serious problem of loneliness grows worse in the Phee family. Since the death of her baby Frances, Mum lies on her bed all the time and never smiles. Her father’s escape is the garage and his computer. Since his falling out with his brother and the ending of their business partnership, he is withdrawn and broody. Home is a dark place.

Candice misses her family. She is determined to bring happiness back into their lives as she can no longer endure the depressive sadness that has destroyed her parents.

This is an outstanding novel; perfectly executed and delivered. His previous book, A Song Only I can Hear, published in 2018 has now been optioned for a film with the screenplay underway.

Title: H for Happiness

Author:Barry Jonsberg

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $16.99

Publication Date: January 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781760527402

For ages: 10 - 13

Type: Teenage Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2H5eN8r

Winner: The Day Henry Met...

Our winner is...

Simon Spark, NSW

Congratulations!

You have won a beautiful four book prize pack of the series, The Day Henry Met...including, Colours, Numbers, Actions and ABC.

Your collection is on its way.

Thank you to ALL who entered. 

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2SxXlig

Guest Post: Q & A with Joseph Elliott on The Good Hawk

What’s The Good Hawk about?
The Good Hawk is the first book in the Shadow Skye trilogy and is about a clan that live on the Isle of Skye in a mythic version of Scotland. After an invasion by warriors from overseas, the only people to evade capture are a girl with Down’s syndrome called Agatha, an anxious boy called Jamie and a young child-bride called Lileas. Together they must cross the haunted mainland, filled with terrifying beasts and dark secrets, in an attempt to rescue their family.

This is your debut novel. Had you written much prior to this?
As my other job, I work as an actor, and a large part of that has involved script-writing and editing over the years. When I first graduated, I set up a comedy sketch group with three friends called Four Screws Loose. We toured and performed together for over six years, including a run at The Adelaide Fringe, which I absolutely loved. During those years, I was constantly writing sketches for us to perform and editing the other guys’ work. 

Then I landed a job in children’s TV, which led to a fair amount of script writing work for different television shows. I’d always loved the idea of writing a full-length novel so, over the course of several years, I was silently working on a manuscript at the same time. I finished my first novel in 2015, but couldn’t find a home for it. To take my mind off all the rejections I was receiving, I started writing The Good Hawk, and that’s the book that landed me a literary agent, and then a publishing deal!

What made you decide to include a character with Down’s syndrome?
When I first started working as an actor in London, I needed a second job for when I was 'resting' (unemployed), so I started working at a secondary school for children with additional needs. I adored the job, and gradually progressed from being a teaching assistant to leading my own drama lessons and directing school productions. I taught a wide range of children, including many with Down’s syndrome, who surprised and entertained me every day. I wanted to create a heroine that the children I knew could relate to and be inspired by, which is how Agatha came into being.

One of the main themes in The Good Hawk is that of difference, or being perceived as different. What prompted you want to write about that?
I think difference is a theme everyone can relate to; we have all felt different – and insecure as a consequence of it – at some point in our lives. These feelings are even more prevalent during our teenage years, at a time of great change and personal growth. The perception of others as ‘different’ – and consequently ‘other’ as a result of it – is the cause of so much negativity in our world. I like to think The Good Hawk may help break down certain preconceptions (or reinforce positive beliefs), and prove that we should embrace one another’s differences and individuality.

What were your favourite books growing up? Were there any books in particular that inspired The Good Hawk?
I’ve always been a big fan of fantasy. When I was young, my favourite series was The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann (my mum still believes it was these books that turned me vegetarian, despite me pointing out that no one eats foxes or badgers…). As a teenager, I devoured everything by Australian author Ian Irvine. I’m still a big fan of his work, and eagerly anticipate his new releases. I think everything I’ve ever read has inspired The Good Hawk in some small way or another – even books I didn’t enjoy, as they spurred me on to write something that I would.

If you had one piece of advice to give to aspiring authors, what would it be?
I’d say to read as much as you possibly can (including my book – available to buy now from all good retailers!) Reading other people’s work helps you learn what works and what doesn’t; it’s really invaluable.

Visit again on the 16 February for your chance to win your own copy of The Good Hawk in our fresh-off-the-press Giveaway.

Joseph Elliott is a writer and actor, well-known for his work in children’s television including CBeebies series 'Swashbuckle'. His commitment to serving children with special education needs was instilled at a young age: his mother is a teacher trained in special needs education, and his parents provided respite foster care for children with additional needs. He has worked at a recreational centre for children with learning disabilities and as a teaching assistant at Westminster Special Schools. The heroine of his first book, The Good Hawk, was inspired by the many incredible children he has worked with, especially those with Down’s syndrome. Joseph lives in London. Say hello to Joseph on Twitter: @joseph_elliott.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2tzH5Vw

Look What I'm Reading! Leigh Hobbs

Review: Beast Feast

Review: The Man in the Water

Sixteen-year-old Shaun finds a dead body in the lake. He tells the police, but when they return to the lake, the body is gone.

The police don’t believe there ever was a body. Shaun’s mum thinks he’s not coping with his father’s own death and is making things up. 

Only Shaun’s best friend Will believes him, so they decide to investigate the missing body themselves — to uncover the truth and prove Shaun was right.

But what starts as some simple snooping and asking questions, quickly turns into a dangerous investigation that will reveal something sinister about Shaun and Will’s outback town.

This is a brilliant YA/middle grade mystery adventure for readers who love to solve a puzzle. 

With real and relatable characters who are experiencing the challenges of everyday life, it’s the kind of story readers will really connect with. 

You get to know these characters — their lives, hopes and fears. And then you go on an adventure with them — something a little bit out there but not completely out of the realm of possibility. I think young readers will really love this aspect of the book. It's a series of events that could happen, even it's not likely to happen to you or someone you know. It creates a brilliant 'what would I do in this situation?' feel to the story.

This is an engaging and addictive read. David Burton is a master storyteller, and he has created a cast of authentic and interesting characters here. If you like a good mystery, definitely check out The Man in the Water.

And for another great read by David Burton, make sure you check out How to be Happy. You can also find out more about David in our 12 Curly Questions interview.

Title: The Man in the Water

Author: David Burton

Publisher: UQP, $19.95

Publication Date: 1 November 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978 0 7022 6252 4

For ages: 13+

Type: Young Adult Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/36XIPFN

Review: Batmouse

Batmouse is an endearing story of a curious and determined little mouse who wants to be a bat.

When Pip the mouse sees a bat flying in the sky he becomes fixated on wanting to fly too. With a clever, creative flair, he makes cardboard wings and announces himself as Batmouse; he flaps around the house and even tries jumping from the top of a hill to fly. Despite his determination he doesn’t have much luck with flying; and then, just when you’d think he might give up, he meets an actual bat… will this be Pip’s chance to learn to fly?

When discovering some eye opening facts about bats, in particular, their choice of food, Pip reconsiders, maybe he’s satisfied with being a mouse… or is he? An amusing end prevails.

I love how the story explores Pip’s drive and ambition but also gives a message about staying true to who or what you are. I also adore the charming illustrations which feature a bold palette of primary colours and show flowing movement and emotion in the characters.

A page at the back of the book features teacher notes with ideas for questions and discussions to have after or during reading.

Steve Smallman is a UK author and illustrator with over 35 years experience and an almost endless list of books including The Lamb Who Came For Dinner and Astromouse; another story featuring Pip the mouse.

Title: Batmouse
Author/Illustrator: Steve Smallman
Publisher: QED PUBLISHING, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 April 2016
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781781715734 
For ages: 0 – 5
Type: Picture Book




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2u7s25X

Review: Peter in Peril: Courage and Hope in World War Two

12 Curly Questions with author/publisher Susannah McFarlane

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I can’t watch scary movies — even movies other people think are lame! I guess that’s why I love fairytales that end ‘happily ever after’!

2. What is your nickname?
I’ve never really had one, more just shortenings (Susie, Sooze) although for a brief time I was ‘Plasticine Face’ but for reasons I can’t remember, which may be for the best…

3. What is your greatest fear?
Losing those I love

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Oh gosh (do those two count?) — grounded in truth and reality but not taking themselves too seriously (with apologies for the extra word…)

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Honest, seeking, amused, interested, hopeful

6. What book character would you be, and why?
One of the kids in The Enchanted Wood so I could visit all those lands that so entranced me as a child. I sometimes try to think of a more literary answer but, really, that would be my best.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Around 30AD to hear Jesus teach the Sermon on the Mount, the ultimate lesson in how to love.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You really don’t need to worry so much – and don’t wear that brown cap and blazer!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My two mothers (now there’s a story, which you can read in Heartlines: The Year I Met My Other Mother).

10. What/who made you start writing?
I have always written – at first as a little girl writing notes to Mum to try to get myself out of trouble and then to my daughter to try to get her out of trouble. I wrote EJ12 Girl Hero to try to inspire her and other young girls to reach high and do their best to make the world a better place. So, I suppose, I have always written to persuade.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Discombobulated (to be confused and disconcerted) – it’s almost onomatopoeic and I am always striving to be combobulated

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Bible. Whatever your faith position, it is the most wonderfully crafted collection of books of wisdom, poetry and truth chronicling the human condition, with a story arc as long as history but also played out over hundreds of individual stories within. It bears infinite re-reading and reflection

Susannah McFarlane is the author, creator and publisher of some of Australia's most successful children's book series. She is best known as the author of the bestselling EJ12 Girl Hero and EJ Spy School series, which have sold over one million copies. Susannah also created and co-wrote (with Louise Park, as Mac Park) the hugely popular D-Bot Squad and Boy vs Beast series; wrote the Little Mates series of alphabet books for under-fives; was series editor for Stuff Happens!, about the everyday challenges boys face; and wrote Fairytales for Feisty Girls. In a heartwarming companion title to her bestselling book, Bold Tales for Brave-hearted Boys was released in October 2019.

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2vNngef

Review: A Flair for Hair

Ever had a bad hair day? Can't decide what to do with your hair?

A Flair for Hair will make you feel better, if only by making you laugh.

Just imagine your dog, or cat, or any number of other animals, with wild and wacky hairstyles. Human hair styles.

The illustrations really make this book.

Each page features a distinctive creature with hair that's perfectly suited, outrageous, or hilarious.

The pages are their Instagram, their opportunity to primp and preen and show themselves to best effect.

Each animal is accompanied by a short, simple rhyming sentence that describes its preference.

There's a poodle with a bun, which is not so unexpected. A horse that feels incredibly hip with its hair pulled back in a clip. And a rabbit who likes to be trendy and tries out a spikey blue do. There are many others, too.

Not everyone is into hair, as demonstrated by the koala who is so uninspired he's just sleeping in his tree. But all the animals seem happy with their sense of individuality.

Whatever your own feelings about hair, A Flair for Hair will make you think about them, and animals, in a whole new way.

Title: A Flair for Hair
Author: Bilyana Di Costanzo
Illustrator: Mauro Di Costanzo
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, $19.99
Publication Date: September 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760791223
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture book




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2RRD20h

Review: Full Disclosure

Review: What's The Point of Maths?

Have you ever wondered how to predict a comet, how to read a treasure map, or how to write your birthday in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics? These and many more amazing uses for maths are covered in this fun and fascinating book.

What's the Point of Maths? provides over thirty distinct ways people have used, and continue to use, maths in everyday life, from counting in ancient and modern civilizations, to finding ways to tell the time, to making aerospace calculations.

This book will show you how to count to sixty using your hands, how to work out who got the biggest piece of pizza in the family, how maths is the key to understanding morse code and how to spot the best discount in a sale.

This book will convince everyone, from lovers of maths to those who are not so sure, of the value to be found in the wonderful world of maths.

Title: What's The Point of Maths?
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley, $24.99
Publication Date: 7 January 2020
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780241343524
For ages: 9+
Type: Non-fiction




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2UiIWt4

Giveaway: The Day Henry Met...Series

Review: Vognox the Viking and the Island of Skeletons

Now here’s a different kind of junior fiction novel!

Vognox is a Viking, but he doesn’t like adventures and has no intention of going on one. 

Unfortunately for Vognox, his existence is controlled by the Awful Awfa, whose giant hand and pencil can draw him into the adventures he wants to avoid. 

When the Awful Awfa’s pencil gets taken by a dragon, he tells Vognox he won't be able to draw him at all if he doesn’t get it back, forcing Vognox on an adventure to retrieve it.

But the Awful Awfa is kind of awful. He doesn’t make it easy for Vognox along the way, putting holes in the long boat he draws for him and equipping him with some very interesting weapons and tools. 

Vognox the Viking and the Island of Skeletons is a fantastic metafiction junior novel that breaks the fourth wall in a very cool way. Vognox chats to the reader throughout the book and engages with the Awful Awfa who appears as the giant hand and pencil.

Packed with brilliant illustrations on every page and loads of giant ploops!, Yikes! and Phews!, the book is visually engaging from start to end, which is sure to lure in a junior reader looking for an easy book to read independently.

It’s also a brilliant book for reading aloud. With heaps of drama, dramatic tension and onomatopoeia, it keeps listeners glued to their seats.

If you’re looking for a new book for junior readers, I highly recommend you take a look at this one. It’s a little bit different, but delivered with new readers in mind. It's loads of fun and it's sparked several re-read requests in my house!

Title: Vognox the Viking and the Island of Skeletons

Author: Nick Falk

Illustrator: Tony Flowers

Publisher: Affirm Press, $9.99

Publication Date: 25 June 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781925712889

For ages: 5 - 7

Type: Junior Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/31d31lK

KBR's Top Young Adult Books of the Last 20 Years

KBR is celebrating 2020 with recommendations of our top titles from the last 20 years. There have been so many fabulous books published over this time, we could include many more than you see here. However, these are some of the KBR team's favourites (in no particular order). We hope you enjoy them, too.

You can also read our list of top picture book titles here.

Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (read our reviews here)

Dragonkeeper series by Carole Wilkinson (read our review here)

Yellow by Megan Jacobson (read our review here)

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (read our review here)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (read our review here)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read our review here)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

En Pointe by Chloe Bayliss (read our review here)

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee (read our review here)

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox (read our review here)

The Protected by Claire Zorn (read our review here)

Trash Andy Mulligan (read our review here)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (read our review here)

Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzi with Patricia McCormick (read our review here)

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/38RAFjx

Review: Collage Workshops for Kids: Rip, Snip, Cut, and create with inspiration from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

KBR's Top Junior and Middle Fiction and Non-fiction of the Last 20 Years

KBR is celebrating 2020 with recommendations of our top titles from the last 20 years. There have been so many fabulous books published over this time, we could include many more than you see here. However, these are some of the KBR team's favourites (in no particular order). We hope you enjoy them, too. 

You can also read our list of top picture book titles here. 

So Feral! by JA Mawter

Once by Morris Gleitzman (read our review here)

Max Remy Super Spy series by Deborah Abela (read our review here)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (read our review here)

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe (read our review here)

Paper Planes by Allayne L Webster

Tintinnabula by Margo Lanagan (read our review here)

The Thing About Oliver by Deborah Kelly (read our review here)

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon (read our review here)

The Stella Montgomery series by Judith Rossell (read our reviews here)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

The Endsister by Penni Russon (read our review here) 

The Art of Racing in the Rain Gareth Stein

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2uDGNNE

Review: Grandpa's Noises

Review: Evie and Pog: Take Off & Puppy Playtime

Evie and Pog. Two very best friends. A girl and a dog.

Evie and Pog Take Off! introduces this zany series about six-year-old Evie and her two-year-old pug named Pog. They live together in a tree house – a silver ash that stands alongside Granny Gladys’ huge old house. How to enter is left to the individual. The exit is via a slide. An open plan design with labelled areas, invites us into their life together.

Evie is unique. Lovable, active, interesting and peculiar, she is a child that loves to play and explore. Although she trips constantly (there are always positive outcomes though) and uses her cymbals to get people’s attention, this reflects her outgoing nature. She never takes anything seriously. With her funny doggie habits, Evie leads the line of this varied cast of characters.

Pog is also unique; and refined. He loves drinking tea, reading the newspaper and eating vegetables. He cooks for himself and Evie.

Granny Gladys loves knitting, baking, books, and cake, as does Evie. But, where her granddaughter loves daisy-spot grass, Granny hates it. And, she is obsessed with cleaning, her dust buster, and Evie’s scissors.

Others appearing in this book are Noah and Mr Pooch who own the Puppy School, and Miss Footlights, Evie’s teacher.

This series can be read in any order. There are three stories in each. All promise surprise, fun, incredible and bizarre happenings.

A series of unfortunate and clumsy events see Pog blamed and sent to Puppy School. But he is not one to sit, beg and speak. But Evie is. The results are unexpected and celebrated.

Pog is in the school play. He hoped to be an owl but ends up a fairy. Evie is the Butterfly Queen. Granny has knitted all the stunning costumes. Unexpected rain soaks everything. Mayhem and chaos is supported by sneezes, mix-ups, Noah as a rock, tangles of wool, loose ends and scissors’ snipping. The play is a success.

To raise money for the Puppy School, plans for a cupcake stall go ahead. But a mix-up in the cupcakes and Granny’s obsession with her dust buster cause pandemonium. Then Evie’s purse with the money goes missing. Who is the culprit?


In Evie and Pog Puppy Playtime, the tree house is freezing inside. Renovations are needed. Plans are drawn up. Noah is called upon to help. Jobs are allocated. Granny and Evie start knitting. (They are very fast knitters!)

Noah needs socks to wear but he wants to knit them. They end up as holes and loopy strings. Granny pulls out the scissors to tidy up his mess. It all turns into a game, with cymbals clashing, giggles, and floor rolls and they become tangled in a mesh of wool. Pog must snip to free them. Mishap and mayhem rules again!

A knit-a-thon begins. Can the group knit the necessary coverings and rugs to keep out the cold?

The word of the day for Evie’s class is ‘contraption’. Granny is invited to talk about her bike and the parts that make it a contraption.

It is hard convincing the children. Trips and flips interfere with the presentation. Miss Footlights suggests a recess.

Pog is making the tea. Granny’s cake wrapped in a towel is being put out. In an instant, a swooping magpie snatches it and heads to the top of a tree. The children draw on their word of the day, to create a contraption to recover the cake. Will their word work? What role can Granny’s balls of wool and scissors possibly have in this recovery?

Evie and Pog are playing with streamers in the park. Granny has a picnic basket and her knitting equipment. (She is never without it.)

Noah arrives with his two sausage dogs. Add them to a spinning roundabout, a knitted hammock, a hole in the sandpit, and finger knitting and imagine what you get! Granny’s dust buster and scissors are ever present. So is her boundless imagination. Things always fall into place after a good snip!

The hilarity and craziness of this fantastic series will appeal to a wide range of readers. Evie’s attitude to problem-solving inspires and encourages alternate thinking with her optimistic and never-give-up energy. These books represent the freedom, joy, and imagination found in play, and celebrates the difference in every child’s character.

The layout and design is eye-catching. Tania McCartney’s delightful and expressive illustrations add zing to the imaginative text, which is used creatively. Bold words appear in sentences, while others form patterns to emphasise the actions of the characters.

The audio book (below) is out April, and the third book in the series, Evie and Pog Party Perfect, will be available in May.



Title: Evie and Pog Take Off! Evie and Pog Puppy Playtime
Author/Illustrator: Tania McCartney
Publisher: Harper Collins (Angus & Robertson), $12.99
Publication Date: 20 January 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460757932 (Take Off!) 9781460757949 (Puppy Playtime)
For ages: 5 - 8
Type: Junior Fiction Younger








from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2RZwMSO

12 Curly Questions with author Rosalyn Albert

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
When I was 18 I travelled from Cardiff to Newquay for the big solar eclipse of 1999, on the back of an old moped which was decorated all over in flowers. It didn’t go above 40 miles per hour, so what would normally be a four-hour trip by car took 2.5 days. I was also wearing silver hot pants and fairy wings, so we got quite a few strange looks going along the dual carriageway.

2. What is your nickname? 
In high-school it was Big Bird because I was so tall. Luckily, I’ve lost that one! My best friend has called me Sweetpea for over 20 years. Her children even call me Aunty Sweetpea, and she introduces me to everyone as Sweetpea, to the point where a lot of her friends don’t know my actual name! To everyone else, I’m just Ros.

3. What is your greatest fear? 
 Being in a plane crash, which is ironic given that one of the Let’s Go! books is about having fun on an aeroplane! I’m quite a nervous flyer, which is very inconvenient because I fly a lot between the UK and Australia.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Sing-song rhythm and rhyme – true to my Welsh roots

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Happy, excited, tongue-in-cheek (does that count as one word?), amusing, fun.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Sophie from The Tiger Who Came To Tea, because I love any excuse to visit a cafe, and it would be pretty cool to have a tiger come to your house.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I’d go to Berlin on the night the wall fell in 1989. It would have been an incredible moment in history to witness. I lived in former East Berlin for five years in my 20s and met lots of people who’d lived through the GDR. I’ve always been fascinated by Berlin’s stories.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I can’t believe you don’t have a dog.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
From a writing perspective I love books by Rachael Bright. They are clever and light-hearted, but always have a great message. Her rhyme and rhythm is always spot-on too. From a life perspective, my mum has always been a huge influence (much to my husband’s despair).

10. What/who made you start writing? 
I loved to write as a child, but it’s really been since having my children that I’ve written as an adult. Discovering so many amazing picture books, and rediscovering ones I loved from my own childhood sparked something in me. It’s something I do for myself and I find it very relaxing and fulfilling.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Onomatopoeia. Such a funny word, and it reminds me of messing around with my friends in high-school English lessons with an exasperated teacher standing at the blackboard.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
The Artificial Silk Girl by Irmgard Keun (translated from German) is a book I was introduced to at university, and has remained my favourite book ever since. It’s the only adult book I have read more than twice. I must have read it at least six times!

Rosalyn Albert is a British children’s author based in Sydney with her husband, Pete, and two young daughters, Sophie and Mila. She longs to have a dog but is talked out of it on a regular basis. When not writing, or doing mum chores, she can be found with her family enjoying Sydney’s beaches. Read our review of Rosalyn's first Let's Go! book here. For more information, see www.rosalynalbert.com.

 

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/37yqRuv

Review: Roo Knows Blue

Roo Knows Blue is a rhythmic, rhyming and lyrical story about a little kangaroo’s introduction to colours.

A sweet kangaroo known as Little Roo knows all about the colour blue, as seen in ‘The sky, the lake some flowers too’, but Little Roo has more to learn. The story flows gracefully and prompts readers to sing along as it follows Little Roo’s journey to learning different colours with help from a possum friend and the surrounding  environment.

I love that Little Roo doesn’t always guess the colour right but continues on a learning adventure with no sign of disheartenment; it makes the story as much about learning as colours by showing readers that failure is just the beginning of success.

Renée Treml’s illustrations create an adorable Australian setting and work magically with the text. As always, her animal characters beam with delight and positivity.

Renée Treml is an Australian author and illustrator, some of her other books include Sleep Tight, Platypup, The Great Garden Mystery and Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery.

Title: Roo Knows Blue
Author/Illustrator: Renée Treml
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, $19.99
Publication Date: 7 January 2020
Format: Hardback
ISBN:  9780143790327
For ages: 1+
Type: Picture Book




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2O2vTI7

Review: How Trains Work

Created in consultation with Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Rail Transport and Technology, National Railway Museum, UK, How Trains Work is exactly what the title says.

Amazing historical facts, interesting statistics and intricate illustrations will keep readers’ eyes searching each area of every page. 

Every time children (and adults) pick up this book they will discover something they missed the time before.

We get a total presentation on the who, what and how of rail transport beginning 400 years ago. Then, early carriages or wagons were horse-drawn and also pulled by people when narrow spaces were encountered in the mines, to bring coal to the surface. All this is depicted in detailed images.

Steam power, monorails, mass-transit trains, and suspension monorails from around the world are featured, along with streamlined trains created for speed which have reached 603kph.

Scenes of movement and progression fill the pages that fold out for an inside and out panoramic view of stations and their daily activity. Food courts, departure times, taxi ranks, bus pick-ups and all that you can imagine can be found in a train station.

Lift-the-flap sections allow a close look into the workings of cylinders, tracks, wheels, machinery, sleeping compartments and even toilets.

This is a book for train lovers and those interested in the history and evolution of trains around the world. It’s a volume of visual delight for children as they experience train travel and the whole package that comes with it. Vibrant coloured illustrations breathe life into the scenes as people and trains move from one page to the other.

It is large enough to spread on the floor, a table, or balance on two knees. This fantastic experience shows all moving parts, junctions, bridges and tunnels, freight trains, and Crazy Trains from around the world. I loved this book and I’ve shared it with a three year old twenty times. Examining it has become a daily ritual.

Title: How Trains Work
Author: Clive Gifford
Illustrator: James Gulliver Hancock
Publisher: Lonely Planet Kids , $24.99
Publication Date: October, 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781788683272
For ages: 6 - 8
Type: Non Fiction

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/30WrXOv

KBR's Top Picture Books of the Last 20 Years

KBR is celebrating 2020 with recommendations of our top titles from the last 20 years. There have been so many fabulous books published over this time, we could include many more than you see here. However, these are some of the KBR team's favourites (in no particular order). We hope you enjoy them, too.

Horrible Harriet by Leigh Hobbs

Bear and Chook by Emma Quay and Lisa Shanahan

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley (read our review here)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (read our review here)

I’m a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian and Ann James (read our review here)

The Rain Train By Elena De Roo and Brian Lovelock (read our review here)

Rudie Nudie by Emma Quay

The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (read our review here)

Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury (read our review here)

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Home and Away by John Marsden and Matt Ottley

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers (read our review here)

Mirror by Jeannie Baker (read our review here)

Grandmother Fish, A Child’s First Book of Evolution by Jonathan Tweet and Karen Lewis

Belonging by Jeannie Baker

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge (read our review here)

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

At the End of Holyrood Lane by Dimity Powell and Nicky Johnston (read our review here)

Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett (read our review here)

Fox by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks (read our review here)

Peggy by Anna Walker (read our review here)

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton

The Day The Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers (read our review here)

The Duck and The Darklings by Glenda Miller and Stephen Michael King (read our review here)

The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc (read our review here)

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (read our review here)

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (read our review here)

The Book of Trees by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2RL4880

Review: Lottie Luna And The Bloom Garden

Review: The Competition

The Competition is an enjoyable junior fiction novel about dancing, friendship and chasing dreams. The story focuses on a girl who is competing with the DanceStarz Squad at her very first national dance competition.

The author is American teenager, dancer and actor, Maddie Ziegler, who has been in the public eye since she was 8 years old, when she appeared in the television program Dance Moms, and has since appeared in music videos, movies and many other programs.

The narrative is told in first person by the protagonist, Harper, whose seems around twelve or thirteen years old. The themes of the book revolve around dancing and friendship, two significant interests for many tweens and teens.

Harper, who has recently moved from one part of the USA to another, returns to her old neighbourhood when her team qualifies for the national dance competition in New York City. Amidst all the excitement of seeing the amazing venue, meeting dancers from across the country, and performing to their very best, Harper also has to navigate some tricky friendship issues.

Harper's new friends, in her DanceStarz Squad, are confused and upset when Harper runs over and hugs one of their main competitors. But Harper is only happy to see her old best friend, Eliza, and spends a day travelling back to her old studio, only to discover that things have moved on since she left there.

Harper realises that she has not always been as good a friend as she could have been, and resolves the conflicts with both her old and new friends, on the backdrop of both teams and individual dancers all achieving different successes.

Other books in this series include The Audition and The Callback.

Title: The Competition
Author: Maddie Ziegler (with Julia De Villers)
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books, $16.99
Publication Date: 21 October 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460753798
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction




from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/36oS8yr

Review: The Reptile Club

Rory wants to join a club at school, but none of the clubs he can choose from are really for him. 

He tries a few, but they just don’t fit his interests.

So Rory decides to create a new club.

The reptile club.

He makes signs and bakes cookies to tempt in new members, but none of his classmates seem interested, until… a snake, a crocodile and a gecko turn up, eager to join Rory’s reptile club. 

And once Rory’s classmates see who’s in his club, everyone wants to join.

The Reptile Club is a fun and joyful story about finding your place in the world. It’s filled with real facts about reptiles, masterfully woven into the narrative, and it explores life at school, friendships and fitting in.

This is a picture book that leaves you feeling deeply satisfied when you get to the end. There is no obvious lesson; there is no real agenda to the story. It’s just a lovely and entertaining tale about a young boy who gets to know the reptiles he loves when he starts a school club.

I am in complete awe of Elina Ellis’ illustrations. Detailed and engaging, they bring the characters to life and are filled with hidden treats and things for kids to spot. Honestly, I could stare at her illustrations for hours.

For the lovers of all things scaly, or for anyone looking for a fun and engaging picture book read, I highly recommend The Reptile Club. 

Title: The Reptile Club

Author: Maureen Fergus

Illustrator: Elina Ellis

Publisher: Affirm Press, $19.99

Publication Date: 31 December 2019

Format: Hard Cover

ISBN: 9781925972382

For ages: 3 - 6 

Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/3aFpoVt

Review: The Grace Year

Review: The Problem with Problems

Problems are everywhere, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Each one is different, but they all love to make trouble.

In this delightful rhyming picture book by Rachel Rooney, a young protagonist likens problems to creatures and goes on to explain their tricky, sneaky behaviour.

They like to set traps. They’ll stand in your way.

They turn the sky cloudy and paint the grass grey. 

But our young protagonist also has some great advice for readers.

She explains how to deal with those pesky problems and maybe look at them from a different perspective. She has great ideas for how to get rid of them and not let them ruin your day.

This is a fun AND helpful picture book. The rhyme adds joyful pizzazz to a subject that impacts on everyone’s lives. 

It sends a great message to kids that problems do exist, but there are simple ways to deal with them and there is humour to be found in every situation. Zehra Hick’s illustrations are bright and funky, and they add to the fun and whimsy of the story. 

This is a great book for kids. It’s a fun story that can be read simply for the funnies, but it can also be used to chat to kids about dealing with things that are troubling them. 

Loads of fun and very engaging, this is a great book for your home or classroom library.

Title: The Problem with Problems
Author: Rachel Rooney
Illustrator: Zehra Hicks
Publisher: Affirm Press, $17.99
Publication Date: 31 December 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925972269
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review https://ift.tt/2sTC222