Cody and the Fountain of Happiness (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Tricia Springstubb (US)
PUBLISHED: Candlewick ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: ~150 pages ; ill.

PLOT:
Cody loves talking to ants, her family, and summer vacation. When her summer camp is cancelled, she thinks the summer might have taken a turn for the worse, with a teenage brother who is moping after a girl and a mother who has started a new job. But then she meets a new neighbour - a boy who is staying with his grandmother for the summer - and finds that that friendship and family is the fountain of happiness.

REVIEW:
This is a cute little story about a young girl and her relationships with her family and new friend. It would be an appropriate read-aloud for a year 1 class, or for children who are moving on to reading chapter books on their own.

AGE: 6+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction
RATING: 3 1/2 stars.

Grammar and Punctuation in Children's Books

I am a stickler for grammar and punctuation. No one is perfect, and I can pretty much guarantee that I've made errors in this blog, but I feel that any error detracts from the fluidity of a story because it 'catches' in your mind like a fish hook. Published works can and should be held to a high standard.

I feel no different about children's books. Children gain so much language by reading and being read to, that we shouldn't be reading them things which don't facilitate this.

These two books in particular really got my goat. I cringe just knowing that they exist.

The first is an obvious one.
Please burn any copy you may come across.

Hooray for hat.  No. Just no. No. No. No.
Hooray for hatS. Yes. Fine. Good!
Hooray for MY hat. Yes. Great!
Hooray for THE hat. Yes. Fine. Not as good, but perfectly acceptable.

'Hat' should not be used as a proper noun unless it is anthropomorphised (which it is not in this case).

The story is about animals which are upset and a friend gives them a party hat and they cheer up and say, "Hooray for hat".

Sure, perhaps the author was trying to connect with his audience by failing to use correct grammar, but he has failed if this was his approach. The only time this ploy works is when the story features direct speech from a toddler who can't speak properly.


Which brings me to the next example.

Did you notice? Missing quotation marks.

Reported speech does not need quotation marks, e.g.: Milana's grandfather noted that there were many children there. Milana's grandfather told her to look at all the people.

However, this is quoted speech and REQUIRES quotation marks.
"Wow! Look at all the people. And [there are] so many children," said Milana's grandfather.

This may be a small thing that children (and some adults) won't consciously pick up, but language is picked up subliminally in young children, and I could not have a child look at this without correcting it.


All I can say to these authors is, "Fire your editor", or maybe get one in the first place.

The Ant Patrol - books to teach social skills (PB)

This series came across my desk the other day, and I think they are worth sharing. This series, Ant Patrol, is primarily for parents and teachers to use with children who may require additional help with social skills, particularly those with ASD (but not exclusively).

They are published by M.A.ST.E.R, which has additional information and resources on their website.
They are also available from SkillBuilders, a site with extensive resources for building foundational skills, from socio-emotional to physical, etc.

The stories revolve around a colony of ants. Different ants have different traits.

 - Felix the Fire Ant struggles to control his temper and easily flies into a rage when things don't go his way.
 - Wilbur the Worry Ant is fearful of new experiences and is hesitant to participate.
 - Me-Me the Self-Focused Ant can only see her own perspective of things. She expects everyone else to do the things that she likes to do.
 - Hugo the Socially Unaware Ant also struggles to see others' perspectives. When another ant falls over, Hugo laughs because he thinks it looks like fun. He struggles to understand emotions in others.
 - Iris the Inattentive Ant can't concentrate. She is constantly day-dreaming and struggles to focus.
 - Alfie the Hyperactive Ant just can't sit still. He has so much energy and doesn't think before he jumps into something. He has a lot of trouble waiting for things.

Throughout the stories, big leader ants, Hoppy the Helpful Ant and Sergeant Ant, guide the other ants through life. Hoppy helps the other ants with their difficulties and teaches them ways to be more socially aware.
The books include significant information to help parents and teachers to guide their own children in learning the same lessons.
Some tips include focusing on breathing, being aware of and monitoring their own emotions (e.g. level of anger, and what situations may provoke angry feelings), and learning to tune in to others' feelings.

AGE: 4-8, with adult guidance.

RATING: 5 stars.

The Lost Thing (video)

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan is a picture book for upper primary school students about a teenager who finds something (a cross between a robot, a dog, an octopus, a crab, and something unknown) lost and looks for a place where it could belong. It has quite a lot of social commentary embedded in the pictures and sub-text.

It was made into a short 15-minute film.

This book and film could be used together in a literature study for middle school students.

100 Books for Primary School Children

Here is a list of 100 fiction books all children should read before leaving primary school, as chosen by teachers.

Rather than specific books, I would just list authors and recommend you read anything by:

 - Roald Dahl. "Danny, champion of the world" would actually be my choice over "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". And "Boy" would be my non-fic pick.

 - Oliver Jeffers. The pop-up version of "Lost and Found" is a favoutite, but I also like The Hueys.

 - Mem Fox. "Wilfrid Gordon Mcdonald Partridge" = thoughtful brilliance. And every child should be read "Possum Magic" at least once in their life. For parents, Mem has written a wonderful little book called "Reading Magic" about the importance of reading from birth. It should be required reading, given out along with pre-natal vitamins.

 - Enid Blyton. Ok, so her writing is a little old, now, but I don't think the Secret Seven, the Famous Five, or her stories of magic and fantasy will ever be completely irrelevant in children's lives.

 - Dr. Seuss. Kids should read him on a train, or in the rain, or on a boat with a goat.


OK, who am I kidding? I would be listing authors for years if I continued this post! There are just so many good books and authors, there is not enough time in the day read them all.

Domino Book Chain World Record 2013

So much fun, but I'd want a lot of re-shelving volunteers!

Series: Everest (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Gordon Korman (Canada)
PUBLISHED: Scholastic ; 2012, c2002.
PAGES/ILL: ~130 pages.
SERIES: Everest: 1. The Contest 2. The Climb 3. The Summit.

PLOT: (Book 1: The Contest)
Teenagers from across America have the chance to be on the youngest team ever to climb Everest. After winning a sports drink promotion, they must compete in boot camp to prove they have what it takes to survive on the mountain. Dominic is the smallest and the youngest and is in danger of being cut at every turn. The competition is fierce, and some contestants will go to any lengths to make the team.

REVIEW:
This adventure will appeal particularly to boys in upper primary school. I would also recommend it to reluctant readers and it could be used as a year 5 class read aloud. Themes include survival, friendship and interpersonal relationships, being highly skilled, competition, etc.

AGE: 10+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction, Adventure
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

The Joy of Books (and Bookstores)

This stop-motion video would have taken forever! It would also have been so much fun (at least, I think so. I wouldn't have liked putting the movie together as much as making it, but we all have our gifts :) ).

I first saw the above video posted on Facebook and it was posted with "related" links. The following little movie would be perfect to show to a class (upper primary/elementary age) as a prompt for creative writing, or even as something to play during some relaxation time. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore was written by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, and was inspired by Joyce's mentor, children's book publisher William Morris. It also draws inspiration from Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr. the tornado from The Wizard of Oz and the devastation left by the real-life Hurricane Katrina. This award-winning video is about the curative powers of a story, both in the writing and the reading. [information from Wikipedia]

A quick google search will give you quite a few reviews and analyses, and an article in the New Yorker had a more dire view of what can be read into this story. I'll leave it up to you (and your class - probably middle school if you are going to start analysing it this deeply) to get what you will out of it.

Series: The True Trilogy (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Gary Meehan (UK)
PUBLISHED: Quercus ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 390 pages.
SERIES: True Trilogy.
BOOK 1: True Fire.

PLOT: (Book 1: True Fire)
When Megan's village is destroyed by witches, she goes searching for her twin sister, believing her to be kidnapped. Together with new friends, she discovers that what she was taught about the witches and the history of her land is laden with secrets and falsehood, created by priests who will do anything to protect their power. As she uncovers the truth, she realises that her sister hides an even darker secret. Her sister is actually leading the witches (who, incidentally, don't use magic - at least, not in the first book), believing that her child, together with Megan's child, will lead the witches to rule the world.

REVIEW:
This story didn't grab me. The plot is ok. The writing is ok (but could be better). It has its moments, but overall, the story drags and character development feels forced at times. Megan has basically never held a sword in her life but all of a sudden is killing people left right and centre. I wouldn't recommend it, but a 15 year old might find it exciting. It is part of a trilogy, so perhaps the story gets better as it goes. I'm not going to waste my time to find out.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Fantasy.
RATING: 2 1/2 stars. It's average. Nothing brilliant.

Favourite Roald Dahl Characters

For International Book Week, Roalddahl.com has a list of Top 5 Dahl heroes and heroines.

I really can't disagree with their choices, but there are a few I think give top 5 a run for their money and at least deserve an honourable mention. They include:

Grandma from The Witches. She's unflappable, knowledgeable, wise, experienced, and an all-round fun person it would be a pleasure to know.

Mr. Hoppy, the retired bachelor from Esio Trot. This sweet man is ingenious. I envy any woman who is lucky enough to find a man who will go to such lengths to gain her affection. (I should also let you know that this book will have a movie tie-in this year!)

And I absolutely must give accolades to Roald Dahl himself as the lead in his autobiography Boy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.

What character would you nominate?

(I would also add, that though they aren't characters, Dahl's books Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts. HILARIOUS and a must in every upper primary school class).