Books that children MUST read

The following is a link to a brilliant book list compiled by one time children's laureate and talented children's author Michael Morpurgo, for the Telegraph newspaper. Entitled 100 books every child should read, it is divided into lists for Early Years, Middle Years and Teens. Michael says in the accompanying article,

"We get ourselves all hot and bothered about the teaching of reading, about synthetic phonics and the like, and we forget that none of it is much use unless children want to read in the first place. The motivation must come first, horse before cart."

It is important to remember that while literacy instruction is incredibly important, engaging and motivating your young reader not only enhances the process of learning to read, but it enriches the inner life of the reader as well!

Quick picks for summer

Evolution, me and other freaks of nature, by Robin Brande

What has Mena Reece done to incur the wrath of her community? Why are Casey and his family, particularly his political activist sister Kayla, so intriguing and confronting to Mena; Why does all hell break lose when ms Shepherd starts teaching evolution in her science class? A thought provoking book examining science vs. intelligent design.
Suitable for Year 8 and secondary students

reviewed by Tracy

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

Nine-year-old David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road and David is venting his anger and deep sadness out on his grandmother. Sarcastic and bossy 13-year-old Primrose lives with her childlike, fortuneteller mother and a framed picture of Clark Gable, - who she almost believes is the father she never knew. Despite their differences, David and Primrose forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship. These complicated and damaged children help each other deal with what is missing in their lives. It is about deep pain, friendship, loss and recovery.
Suitable for intermediate and higher.


Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You, by Hanna Jansen

Based on a true story, that of the author's adopted daughter Jeanne, this book is compelling reading. As an account of the Tutsi massacre and the physical and emotional survival of a child, it lends itself well to many areas of the secondary curriculum. It is an excellent book.

The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series – Michelle Paver

If you don’t yet know about this series, by Michelle Paver, it could be a good one for you to get for those keen readers (Senior Primary and up) who ask you “Have you got any other good books?” They’re the boys and girls who love fast-paced adventures, whether secret agents or fantasy stories, and have already devoured all your hot series books like Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series; Robert Muchamore’s Cherub series; Garth Nix’s Key’s to the Kingdom series; John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series, and… (let us know your favourite series books in the comments).

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is a bit like a G-Rated Clan of the Cave Bear meets Hatchet. Throw in a strong fantasy genre plot of “young heros save the world from the forces of evil”, combined with a coming-of-age novel, and a touch of animal story… Put these all together and you have, of course, something quite original and unique.

Wolf Brother, the first book in the series, opens 6,000 years ago, when 12 year-old Torak and his father face a terrifying bear attack. Before he dies of his wounds, Torak’s father explains that a demon has taken over the bear. He makes Torak swear to find the Mountain of the World Spirit, and defeat the bear. Torak’s father also hints that Torak has special abilities. Not long into the book Torak learns one of these. He meets an orphaned wolf cub, with whom he finds he can communicate. Together they set out to defeat the bear. Torak also soon gets to know Renn, a girl of about Torak’s age. Renn is an excellent archer, with a knowledge of herbs and the ways of magic. She will be his partner in terrifying adventures throughout the series.

Author Michelle Paver has “lifelong passions for animals, anthropology, and the distant past.” (from bookjacket). She has done indepth research to imagine how it might have been back in the Stone Age, in a hunter-gatherer clan, looking at their weapons, shelters, food, medicine, clothing, herbs, etc. Paver also looked at modern hunter-gatherer societies, to develop her ideas of their beliefs and spiritual world.

Wolf Brother is followed by Spirit Walker and Soul Eater. Outcast, the fourth book in the six part series, was published late last year. Altogether, a very satisfying series, with a lot of depth, good character-building, and an often nail-biting action-oriented plot. Great for good readers from age 9 up to junior secondary.

The transformation of Minna Hargreaves

by Fleur Beale
Published by Random House, 2007

Fleur Beale is noted for believable "real" dialogue among people and her ability to pull you into the story. There were many moments where I was there with the characters including the harrowing and exciting cliff scene and when Minna's mother is being very concerned about where and who Minna is going out with.

Written in first person the reader is instantly introduced to Minna Hargreaves and her brilliant city life - she has great friends and a new boyfriend. Minna is 14 and thinks she is ready to take the next step with Seb but then her Dad arrives home from work and disrupts everyone's lives.... Oddly, her mother agrees to go and live for a year with Dad, Noah, the 16-year-old brother with his own problems, and Minna on a tiny windswept island in Cook Strait.

The purpose is seeing what isolation does to the family dynamics and to make a new reality TV show starring the Hargreaves Family. How will Minna survive this nightmare? Recommended for good readers- intermediate age and secondary students/adults.

Read about Fleur Beale and her other books here

Just launched: NZ Poet Laureate blog

http://nzpoetlaureate.natlib.govt.nz

Michele Leggott, the New Zealand Poet Laureate, is blogging about her time as Poet Laureate. She'll be sharing her poetry, announcing events, and sharing other poetry-related news. More information about the NZ Poet Laureate award is also available here on the blog.

Michele has launched herblog by gathering memories and tributes from other poets about Hone Tuwhare, who died last week.

Michele has also made a huge list of poetry-related links, which you can get to from the sidebar of the blog, or on the National Library's de.licio.us page.

Fate, teenage angst and brotherly love - Just in Case by Meg Rosoff

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff (Penguin, 2006)

If you like quirky characters, a fresh and very original way of looking at the world and its inhabitants, then read this book! David Case is a 15 year old who manages to save his baby brother from certain death just in the nick of time - but what if he hadn't? David is a natural worrier who suddenly realises that Fate is out to get him unless he reinvents himself by changing his name, his appearance and his character.

Unfortunately, while outwardly David becomes Justin (his new name being just one instance of how this novel is suffused with dark humour), inwardly David is still David - moody, brooding and complex. The other characters bring light relief, especially his younger brother Charlie who, in spite of (or maybe, because of) his extreme youth, seems to understand David far better than he understands himself. Then there's Fate who is given a voice which is both sinister and curious. Not a book for readers who enjoy the safe and predictable, but definitely for ambitious young adults and adults who are ready for a challenge.

review by Katrina

Hone Tuwhare, 1922-2008

Hone Tuwhare, one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed and beloved poets, died in his sleep yesterday, 16 January 2008.

Born near Kaikohe in 1922, of Ngā Puhi, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Korokoro, Tautahi, Uri o Hau, Te Popoto and Scottish descent, Tuwhare began reading and writing poetry when he was an apprentice at the Otahuhu Railways Workshop. He began writing seriously in the mid 1950s, and some of his earliest poems were published in the Māori magazine Te Ao Hou. You can read poems here and here , and an article about Tuwhare from Te Ao Hou here.

His first collection of poetry, No Ordinary Sun, was published in 1964. It was the first book of poems in the English language published by a Māori poet.

In 1969 Tuwhare was awarded the Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago. During his time in Dunedin he met artist Ralph Hotere, who created illustrations for four books of poetry Tuwhare published in the 1970s.

In the 1970s also Tuwhare became involved in Māori cultural and political initiatives. He was an organiser of the first Māori Writers and Artists Conference at Te Kaha in 1973 and participated in the 1975 Māori Land March.

Tuwhare was a prolific and popular writer, and received many recognitions. He was awarded two honorary degrees, and won two Montana New Zealand Book Awards. In 2001 he was named the second Te Mata Estate Poet Laureate.

In 2003 Tuwhare was named one of 10 living Icon Artists by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, and received the first Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement for poetry.

There’s lots of biographical info about Hone Tuwhare on the Book Council website, and a great timeline on this Hone Tuwhare website. You can read more poems here.

Image: Cover photograph of Hone Tuwhare by Ans Westra, from Te Ao Hou, No. 48 (September 1964).

Tom Crean’s Rabbit by Meredith Hooper, illustrated by Bert Kitchen

Subtitled “A true story from Scott’s last voyage”, this is a new reprint (originally published in 1998) of a very popular picture book, set on the ship Terra Nova. It is 1910 and Captain Scott and his men (including Tom Crean) are on their last expedition to Antarctica – “pushing through the ice towards land”. Preparations are underway for an onboard Christmas celebration.

The illustrations give an insight into life on board: we see a cat, parrot, ponies, dogs, barrels and sacks as Tom looks for a suitable spot for his rabbit. Icebergs, penguins and a couple of whales can be seen from the deck of the Terra Nova.

We here at National Library School Services consider Tom Crean's Rabbit a very useful book for teachers who are studying Antarctica with their younger students. There is some factual information about Tom Crean at the back of the book.

And of course it is a sweet little story to read to the class as well.

Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Sir Edmund Hillary and the Power of Reading

As we remember Sir Edmund Hillary, have a look at this quote on how his early reading first stimulated his dreams of adventuring:

"When I was going to high school, I lived right out in the country, but I went to a big school in the city and I had to travel about two hours each day, each way, to school, so I was on the train about four hours a day. I used to get a book out of the library every day, so I was reading a book a day for quite a number of years. Most of the books had some adventurous slant, so I guess these books tended to stimulate periods when I dreamt about doing all these things. I wasn't really doing anything at that stage, but I was certainly reading about it and dreaming about it. "

From http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/hil0int-1

from Geraldine

Stop Integrating Technology! - 21st Century Literacy (Part 2)

Happy New Year from Create Readers!

As a follow-up to the earlier blog post, What is Reading in the 21st Century, here are some more ideas and information about 21st literacies, from some great thinkers on the topic.

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn"
Alvin Toffler

This is quoted in David Warlick's presentation Learning Literacies for the 21st Century.

He goes on to say that:

"For the first time in history our job as educators is to prepare our students for a future that we cannot clearly describe."

According to Warlick, being a reader today means being able to "find the information; decode it; critically evaluate it; and organise it into personal digital libraries."

Along with many NZ educators, who are working hard on Information Literacy or Inquiry Learning, David Warlick believes that "the best thing that we can be teaching our children today is how to teach themselves."

David concludes his presentation with some advice that has really got me thinking.

"Stop integrating technology, and instead redefine literacy and integrate that"

Judy O'Connell is an Australian educator and information professional, who blogs as HeyJude. She has created a great slideshow on this topic: "Literacy Remixed in a Web 2.0 World"

Judy refers to Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat, quoting a flat world as "a global, web-enabled playing field that allows multiple forms of collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and work, without regard to distance or geography, and soon even language."

Judy belives that this flat world means that our kids need new communications skills. Not just reading and writing, but reading words, images, sounds, video, interaction simultaneously. Students need to learn new literacies about collaborating and networking, and to create, contribute, collaborate and connect.

Finally, have a look at this short podcast. Pay Attention was created by Darren Draper of Jordan District Schools, and referred to in Judy's slideshow. It takes the concept of our 21st century students and digital learning further. The statistics are from the USA, but if they don't apply to our students here yet, they soon will. Its well worth watching.