Author Archives: Mrs Kibble

Childrens Book Council Shortlist announced

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The CBCA Shortlist for 2013 has been announced. We have a number of them and will purchase more. It’s an exciting and diverse mix as always. Some of my favourite authors are featured, as well as some new favourites!

The shortlisted titles in each of the categories are:

Older Readers:

  • The Ink Bridge (Neil Grant, A&U)
  • Sea Hearts (Margo Lanagan, A&U)
  • The Shiny Guys (Doug MacLeod, Penguin)
  • Creepy & Maud (Dianne Touchell, Fremantle Press)
  • Friday Brown (Vikki Wakefield, Text)
  • The Wrong Boy (Suzy Zail, Black Dog Books).

 

Younger Readers:

  • Pennies for Hitler (Jackie French, Angus & Robertson)
  • Other Brother (Simon French, Walker Books)
  • After (Morris Gleitzman, Viking)
  • Children of the King (Sonya Hartnett, Viking)
  • Pookie Aleera is Not My Boyfriend (Steven Herrick, UQP)
  • The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk (Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King).

 

Early Childhood:

  • The Terrible Suitcase (Emma Allen & Freya Blackwood, Omnibus)
  • With Nan (Tania Coz & Karen Blair, Windy Hollow Books)
  • The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog (Sue DeGennaro, Scholastic)
  • Too Many Elephants in This House (Ursula Dubosarsky & Andrew Joyner, Viking)
  • It’s a Miroocool! (Christine Harris & Ann James, Little Hare)
  • Peggy (Anna Walker, Scholastic).

 

Picture Books:

  • The Coat (Ron Brooks, illus by Julie Hunt, A&U)
  • Tanglewood (Vivienne Goodman, illus by Margaret Wild, Omnibus)
  • Herman and Rosie (Gus Gordon, Viking)
  • Sophie Scott Goes South (Alison Lester, Viking)
  • Lightning Jack (Patricia Mullins, illus by Glenda Millard, Scholastic)
  • A Day to Remember (Mark Wilson, illus by Jackie French, Angus & Robertson).

 

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books:

  • Python (Christopher Cheng & Mark Jackson, Walker Books)
  • Lyrebird! A True Story (Jackie Kerin, illus by Peter Gouldthorpe, Museum Victoria)
  • Topsy-turvey World: How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers (Kirsty Murray, NLA)
  • Portrait of Spain for Kids (Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art)
  • Tom the Outback Mailman (Kristin Weidenbach, illus by Timothy Ide, Lothian).

 

Twenty-nine books in total have been shortlisted for the awards, with Penguin topping the list with six shortlisted titles, followed by Scholastic with five and Allen & Unwin, Walker Books and HarperCollins with three each.

 

Crichton Award for new illustrators
The shortlist for the 2013 Crichton Award for new illustrators has also been announced.

The shortlisted titles are:

  • The Whale Shark Song (Sadie James, Cabarita Publishing)
  • Ruby Red Shoes (Kate Knapp, Angus & Robertson)
  • A Forest (Marc Martin, Viking)
  • Yellow Dress Day (Sophie Norsa, words by Michelle Worthington, New Frontier)
  • Apollo the Powerful Owl (Stephen Pym, words by Gordon Winch, New Frontier)
  • One Very Tired Wombat (Renee Treml, Random House).

 

The winners of this year’s awards will be announced and presented on Friday 16 August, which marks the beginning of Children’s Book Week (17-23 August). The theme for this year’s Book Week is ‘Read Across the Universe’.

For more information about the CBCA Awards and Children’s Book Week, visit the CBCA website

 

67 books you should read to your child before they turn 10

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Although the title of this article is very prescriptive (only 67? And why before they turn 10? What if I am not a geek?) it is a great list to give parents some ideas for read-aloud chapter books.

We have many in the library but many of them deserve a place on YOUR bookshelf too. One of my favourites is the under-appreciated and absolutely hilarious Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. There’s not a book on the list I haven’t read to a class, my own children, had read to me  or read myself – as an adult and a child!

67 books to read aloud to your child

Is my child ready to hear chapter books?

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Parents often wonder how to tell if their child is ready to start listening to “chapter books”. The shift from picture books to chapter books can be a challenging time for parents who worry that they are pushing their child, or perhaps not pushing them enough towards longer, less  picture-heavy texts.

This article goes into some detail about how to work out when your child is ready to start listening  to longer books:

Literacy, families and learning

There are some other very interesting articles on the site as well.

Parents – great article about encouraging your older children to read

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Cliff Notes:

  • Read yourself. Let children see you as a reader.
  • Read to your children until they say “no more!” (some of my fondest childhood memories are of my father reading my brother and me “Wind in the Willows” and other wonderful books.
  • Try to expand their reading horizons by finding more challenging books by familiar authors.
  • Sometimes it’s a matter of finding the right book.

My own personal observation is that reluctant readers finding a series that grips their attention is a great starting point. Keep them shorter books when you start off. I only ever read the first book in a series to students, leaving them to read the others independently.

I’ve linked to the article below.

If your child won’t read, find another book

 

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2013

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It’s that time of the year again. IT’S TIME TO READ ALL THOSE GREAT PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE BOOKS!

All students are registered automatically as our school takes part in this great activity. Last year we were among the 235,000 people who completed the Challenge – well done Timbumburi!

Next time you are in the Library, look for the Premier’s  Reading Challenge books, so you can count them towards your reading tally. Students can complete their own reading log online, or have a parent help them. Students use their DEC Portal user name and password to access their reading log on the Premier’s Reading Challenge Website

If your child does not know their user name and password please ask their teacher who will be able to give you that information. We are currently compiling username/password cards for all K-2 students which will be laminated and sent home for your information.

The following information is from the PRC website:

“The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten-Year 9, in government, independent, Catholic and home schools. Participation by schools and students is voluntary.The Challenge aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure, and to enable students to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is an initiative of the NSW State government with Dymocks Children’s Charities (principal sponsor) and Sun-Herald (media partner).

Each year, the Challenge runs from 1 March to 1 September.

When the Challenge finishes in September, students should be encouraged to continue reading and enjoying books they find on the PRC booklists and from other sources. From September to March, they can explore more books from their favourite category e.g. fantasy or by authors they discovered when they were doing the Challenge. Students can also make lists of books they would like for presents or start their own book club and share books with friends.

Students are also encouraged to take part in their local public library’s Holiday Reading Program, while waiting for the next school year.

To qualify for the Challenge, the required number of books read must be entered electronically. Online reading records are available in March and books can be entered via any computer with internet access at school, in a public library or at home.

Students use individual usernames and passwords to access their own record.

The school’s PRC coordinator validates the student reading records by selecting the ‘validate’ button. Certificates and the Honour Roll can then be generated.”

New to the non fiction section

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This morning it was raining and a bit grey so I headed to town. As all good librarians do, I wandered into a book shop. Remembering that we needed some more non fiction books and remembering also that some of our books about horses are very old, I bought the BHS Riding Manual. I think it will be an excellent addition to our collection.

 

I also bought a new book about the Titanic because I am often asked for books about it. This has lots of information and pictures.

 

And finally, a book about our fascinating and extreme world.Don’t show your parents!

 

New books from overseas!

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While I was overseas I bought some books for the library.

While in Memphis I bought a book on the struggle for civil rights in America’s South in the 1960s. It is called Freedom on the Menu. It centres around the story of Connie and her family who live in the segregated town of Greensboro NC as they work towards equal rights for white and black.

 

In New Orleans I went into a museum called the Cabildo. It had a great book store and I bought a Cajun book called Petite Rouge – A Cajun Red Riding Hood. In the words of the blurb:

“When her grand-mère comes down wit’ de flu, this Cajun Little Red knows what she has to do.  With her witty cat, TeJean, she sets off in a pirogue to bring Grand-mère some gumbo.  Who should she meet upon the way, but that big ol’ swamp gator, Claude!”

There is an interesting article about the artist’s process of illustrating the book.

Jim Harris’s illustrations

They will be available for borrowing in Term 2.

I also bought two colouring in books in San Antonio, Texas. They are called Cowboys and Cowgirls. I like them!