Subversive Reader Reviews: Meet Grace (AWW2013)

February 2, 2013Books and ReadingAWW 2013, Book Reviews, books, Subversive Reader Book Reviewssubversivereader One comment

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 16

Meet Grace

Sofie Laguna
Children’s Historical Fiction

Library Book, Moreton Bay Regional Libraries

This is a really interesting ‘series’ (there are actually four groups of four books) for younger readers. Each series showcases one girl at a particular point of Australian history. I got the 1808 (Grace) and 1864 (Poppy) books out of the library first, so I read them before reading the 1841 (Letty) and 1900 (Rose) books – however, so far I’ve only read the first book in each of the series!

Meet Grace introduces us to Grace, a young ‘mudlark’ who scavenges for things to sell from the mud of the River Thames. She lives with her harsh and abusive uncle, but soon finds herself in trouble with the law when she steals apples to feed a starving horse. Before long she finds herself on the way to New South Wales, another convict being sent to a faraway town.

Grace lives in horrific conditions, and the book doesn’t shy away from how hard it could be for a young girl like her. I wonder whether some children, living in a country which expects them to study until they’re at least seventeen, would find Grace’s circumstances to be a bit unbelievable. She has a strong interest in horses, something which I am sure will come into play in later books, and is incredibly sympathetic to the people and animals which have it worse than her.

One of the things I really liked about these books, is that they’re clearly appropriate for younger years, but engaging and well written enough for all readers to enjoy. They’re short, with larger text, but the stories are rich – making them particularly good for children with reading difficulties. These would have been an absolute hit in my classroom, and I would have easily recommended them for a wide range of students. They’d also be great for reading aloud, getting students involved in the time period.

Subversive Reader Reviews: Froi of the Exiles (AWW2013)

February 2, 2013Books and ReadingAWW 2013, Book Reviews, books, Subversive Reader Book Reviewssubversivereader One comment

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 15

Froi of the Exile

Melina Marchetta
Young Adult Speculative Fiction

Library Book, Moreton Bay Regional Libraries

This is the second book in the trilogy, coming after Finnikin of the Rock. I was really apprehensive about reading it, since it was such a thick book in the fantasy genre – which I still have some trouble with. However, by and large, I was fine with reading it, and most of the time I didn’t even realise how long it was. Spoiler warning – I’ll probably spoil the first book in this review. Go and read the first book first!

This time the story focuses primarily on Froi, the boy picked up by Finnikin and Isaboe during the first book. There are big problems in the neighbouring kingdom of Charyn and Froi is recruited to head across the border with orders to assassinate the king. He is accompanied by the perpetually grumpy, Gargarin, and is soon entered into the royal court on (lengthy and complicated) false pretenses. There he meets the strange and damaged Quintana and the story becomes even more complicated and engrossing. Meanwhile, back in Lumatere, Finnikin, Isaboe and Finnikin’s old friend Lucian are all coming to terms with the responsibilities which have been thrust upon them.

To be honest, at times I felt like the book was too long. I wondered whether it would be better cut into two books, to create a series rather than a trilogy, or whether a heavy dose of editing would have helped. It almost always felt longer during the parts that were set with Froi – there seemed to be endless close calls and near misses which made it harder to follow at times (though maybe I’d have done better if I was the kind of person to look at the maps at the front of books). I adored the parts with Isaboe, coming to terms with not only being Queen, but also being a new mother. I also loved Lucian’s story, and almost wish I could get more about him.

The new characters introduced in Froi of the Exiles are universally interesting, if not always likable. Almost every character is written with several motivations and backgrounds, some of which we only catch a glimpse of as we are reading. Parts of the story are incredibly sad, and other terribly frustrating (just because the characters make silly choices, not because of the writing). I did enjoy it, and I am trying to find the third in the trilogy at the local library, but I might take a little time out with some other books – and I might even stretch a bit more into some adult fantasy!

Subversive Reader Reviews: Whisper (AWW2013)

February 2, 2013Books and ReadingAWW 2013, Book Reviews, books, Subversive Reader Book Reviewssubversivereader View all 3 comments

Book reviews and AWW posts can be found here.

AWW2013 – Book 14

Whisper

Chrissie Keighery
Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

E-book, Kindle

Demi was just a regular 14 year old until she got meningitis, leaving her profoundly deaf. This means a totally new life to come to terms with, a new school and friends to adjust to, and working out where she fits in with her old friends and her family, all of whom remain firmly in the ‘hearing’ world.

This is a beautiful snapshot of a story, one which highlights particular moments in a life, while showing you glimpses of what’s happened before and hints at what might happen into the future. Demi is a believable and interesting character, incredibly smart with high ambitions, but not sure what that will mean now that her world has changed so much. While she’s coming to terms with her own problems, she sometimes misses other things going on around her – such as what’s happening with her sister or her old best friend, or how to approach new people in her life, such as Stella in her class.

There’s also a fascinating discussion of what it means to be deaf in modern society. Often, when you are able to hear you can’t even imagine what things would be harder if you couldn’t. I was watching coverage of the floods on the news the other day, and when they interviewed Campbell Newman (who had important information) he was accompanied by a sign language interpreter, allowing the important information to reach everyone in the community. Well, until the TV station decided they would put some file footage on the television, instead of showing the interpreter. Suddenly a section of our community was completely shut out of important information. In Whisper, Demi is aware of some of these restrictions, but has her eyes opened to many more thanks to her new classmate, Stella.

This was a fabulous book, which would be great for middle grade readers and older readers alike. If I was still teaching, I would have definitely bought a copy for my classroom library!

Project 365 Books: Week Five

February 2, 2013PicturesPhoto post, Project 365: Bookssubversivereader Leave a comment

I’m undertaking a 365 project for the first time. My theme for the year is books! Eventually you’ll find all the posts under this tag. At the moment I’m aiming to be posting them on Friday, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday might be interchangable!

Week Five

The Daily Photos

25/365
Books at Mitchelton Library

26/365
Mr Pilot’s reading collection

27/365
A special deal got us some special books!

28/365
Squirm’s book basket – overflowing as usual

29/365
A book with a surprising twist

And I missed another day – poor old 30/365

31/365
A small pile of library books to review and return

Life with a More Mobile Baby . . .

February 1, 2013Familychildren, Motherhood, Reflection, squirmsubversivereader View all 3 comments

Just before Christmas, Squirm decided to roll from his back to his front. Twice. When we weren’t looking. We thought it was wonderful and amazing and asked him very nicely if he could just wait until he were watching next time . . .

Now, of course, he’s unstoppable. Rolling is like second nature to him. And once he was on his front he started pushing himself around . . . backwards. Then changing direction. Then creeping forward. From the way he gets up on his hands and knees, we’re getting closer and closer to crawling.

Of course, things change a little when your adorable, but stationary, baby starts moving. Suddenly you’ve got to think about what else is on the floor (note to Mr Pilot. Don’t leave the newspaper on the floor). Toys start migrating from one part of the room to the other. Babies disappear under furniture (well, that might only be my baby).

In truth, though, it makes for a pretty remarkable time. Squirm gets a bit frustrated when he can’t get where he wants to go immediately, but he usually keeps trying until he figures it out. (I wonder if he’ll be like that when he’s older). He loves being able to explore his surroundings. He loves finding new things – like the fact that kicking his feet on the lino sounds different than kicking his feet on the carpet. And he really does love rolling and creeping under things.

Adventure of a Subversive Reader: Hiding

Squirm finds it roomy under the couch . . .

I’m really making sure to enjoy this stage, for I’m sure it will be fleeting. Before we know it, we’ll be looking at crawling and standing and walking, and Squirm’s world will open up even more. Looking at all the lovely school photos and posts this week, I’m all too aware that these early years, filled with such love and hugs and crawling around on the floor will come to an end, and I’ll be the one sending my little boy off to school, while another mother is watching her little boy learn how to move on their own.

Adventure of a Subversive Reader: Squirm Moves

Squirm’s Book Reviews: Cat and Dog Edition

January 31, 2013Books and ReadingAWW 2013, Book Reviews, books, children, Reading, Squirm's book reviewssubversivereader One comment

Each week I review books we’ve read with Squirm. Find other reviews here

Come Down, Cat! by Sonya Hartnett

Adventures of a Subversive Reader: Come Down Cat

(AWW 2013 Squirm Challenge: Book 12)

Written and Illustrated by the same pair who created The Boy and the Toy, this is a very different, yet still very beautiful book. It’s a fairly simple tale about a cat who refuses to come down from the roof, despite the creepy crawlies that she might see there through the night. However, when the rain comes, Nicholas will be called on to assist the cat to safety.

I am very much falling in love with the illustrations of Lucia Masciullo which seem to carry a whimsical feel with them, no matter what style she’s used. This book is more fairy tale than steam punk in style, but uses similar use of perspective to create suspense and excitement as was used in The Boy and the Toy. I particularly loved that so few of the lines are straight, that there’s bends and twists and curves in this magical world. The language is gorgeous as well – with a wide breadth of words including ‘peered’, ‘dismayed’ and ‘wafting’ 🙂 (This is why picture books are so important – those words are very unlikely to appear elsewhere!) There’s also alliteration and personification and just the right mix of real and unrealistic.

This would be the perfect book for looking at fears and how different things scare different people. You could also use it to talk about who might be able to help if you were scared of something. Alternately, you could also use this book to talk about bravery, and the brave things that your child has done. I could also see the gorgeous illustrations of the house and the ladder inspiring drawings of other houses and ladders and even 3D models of them!

Maximilian Jones by Elise Hurst

Adventures of a Subversive Reader: Maximilian Jones

(AWW 2013 Squirm Challenge: Book 14)

This was a bit of a surprise of a book. By the front cover I was expecting the basic book of a boy and his dog and how much he loved the dog. But suddenly I was thrown into a world of weird coincidences, mass hysteria and the amazing league of the postal service. One day Max finds a friendly dog, whose name is also Max. Suddenly the whole town embraces the name Max, causing the poor postie a lot of confusion and frustration until he calls in back up.

There’s a wonderful, weird twisty feel to the story and the illustrations in this book. The illustrations are absolutely essential to the story, and a great way to encourage more visual literacy by looking for the character and story details contained within them. The words interact with the illustrations, moving up and around and moving your eye across the page. I also adore the fact the mayor is female! That’s definitely not something you find in every children’s book. There’s a real rhythm in the words in this book, a lilting up and down feel which makes it very easy to read aloud.

I would love to use this book with a whole lot of activities about the postal service. You could set up your own little post box at home, look at different post workers around the world, work out how a letter gets from one place to another and the different ways that post can be delivered. Australia post has some information here. You could also look at names and what people or place names mean. There’s a whole lot of town related activities you could play with as well, from creating a town map to designing and acting out a town fair to learning more about what people in the community do.

Wordless Wednesday: Hiding

January 30, 2013Picturessquirm, wordless wednesdaysubversivereader View all 10 comments

Linking with

10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Reading in the New School Year

January 29, 2013Books and Readingbooks, Readingsubversivereader View all 17 comments

The beginning of a new school year is a great time to start new routines, new activities and new approaches to things! With school heading back this week or next week around Australia (though, belatedly in some parts of Queensland!) it’s a great time to get your kids excited about reading!

Even better, most of these tips will work at any time – making reading exciting is not limited to one part of the year!

10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Reading in the New School Year

1. Make Silent Reading Part of the Homework Routine

Silent reading is a great way to settle children before they do work – teachers often use it as a circuit breaker when children come back into the classroom after a break. And it’s easy to do too – you just need a place to curl up and a good book.

Silent reading could be used before homework, or as a break in the middle of it. Set a time (between 5 and 20 minutes would work, depending on the age and enthusiasm of your child) and let your child read any reading material they like. If your child doesn’t have any homework, then you can still use silent reading to keep them in their routine.

2. Talk to the Teacher About What You Can Do to Encourage Reading

Arrange a time to talk with or contact your child’s teacher or English teacher. Let them know that you want your child to be excited about reading and ask if they’ve got any tips you can use at home. They might even have a list of books to recommend to you!

3. Read More than Home Readers

In the early years of schools, children often come home with home readers. While these are great for practicing reading skills, the stories aren’t always interesting and the vocabulary can be quite limited. There’s lots of great picture books and early reader novels which might appeal to children more, so make sure that those options are available for your child.

4. Make Books Available

The best way to display books for children is with the covers facing out – children are more likely to pick up a book when they can see the cover. While this might not be possible in your home, it’s easy to put together a small selection of books in a basket with the covers facing out. Put these books in an easily accessible area for your children – near their bed, their reading nook or their homework area would work great!

5. Join or Visit the Local Library

If you’re not a member of a local library, now’s a great time to join one. Children will be learning about good library behaviour at school, so going to the local library regularly is a great way to reinforce those behaviours. Library visits can be built into the weekly routine, along with other weekend or after school activities, which reinforced the idea to your children that books are important.

6. Encourage Borrowing at School

Different teachers and different schools take different approaches when it comes to library borrowing at school. Some insist that students borrow a book, others may not even make a weekly library visit (and that changes all again when high school comes along). Encourage your child to borrow from the school library where all the books are bought especially for the children who attend the school. Also encourage them to talk to the school librarian who knows where all the best books are. If your student’s class doesn’t borrow during class time, find out if the library is open before or after school.

7. Make or Buy a Special Library Bag

Squirm’s Library Bag

Most schools insist that children have a library bag for borrowing to keep books safe and help students carry books too and from school. It’s a good idea to have a separate bag for local library borrowing, so that you can keep library books separate. If you’re crafty you might want to make a special library bag for your child or children. Or you might like to buy a special bag and add a few special touches to it. If you are making a bag, try to include a pocket for the library card to keep it close to hand!

8. Start a Series of Books

A new school year is a great time to start a series of books. Series are wonderful things to maintain excitement because you don’t need to be reintroduced to the world or the characters each time. The Percy Jackson Books, Ranger’s Apprentice, Beast Quest, Famous Five, Fairy books, Harry Potter and CHERUB books are just some of the wonderful series out there. Ask at your local library, ask your school librarian or ask your child’s teacher for more recommendations!

9. Expand Your Reading Material

Think outside the square when it comes to the books your child reads. If they only read fiction, they might enjoy reading some non fiction. There’s also magazines and reference books which are extremely popular with kids. And don’t forget comics, or graphic novels. The area of children’s graphic novels has exploded over the last ten years, and there’s some wonderful choices out there. I highly recommend Babymouse and Lunch Lady!

10. Talk About Books!

Talk about reading with your child. Ask them about the book they’re reading, ask them if it’s a book you should read. Talk about your favourite characters and books. Make reading a normal part of your daily conversation with your child so they know that reading for pleasure is important to you.

The Great Library Tour: Mitchelton Library

January 28, 2013Library Tourbooks, Exploring South East Queensland, libraries, library toursubversivereader View all 3 comments

Adventures of a Subversive Reader: Mitchelton Library

The Great Library Tour

On a damp day, a quick trip to Mitchelton Library seemed like a great idea. And again, we managed to coordinate our visit with rhyme time, which fit perfectly with my goal to attend more rhyme times this year.

Mitchelton Library is another park based library. It’s quite a big and airy building, with high ceilings, and almost had the feel of a school library – though it might just be that the library was my default place to be on wet days! The children’s area was big and well organised with a huge selection of picture books, and a separated young adult section. However, there was a feeling that something was missing, with a lot of empty notice board and wall space – maybe the council should find a local artist to provide some awesome artwork for the wall!

The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly – I noticed a number of them going out of their way to help search for particular books, even when they were going off very little! There was a lovely welcoming feel in the library, and I noticed a number of people pausing to sit and read. This wasn’t as present in the children’s section, unfortunately, with two only two adult sized chairs to sit on.

The rhyme time had probably the friendliest mums and babies that I’ve come across! There were lots of smiles and laughter throughout the session, although it wasn’t as organised as the last two rhyme times I’ve been to. The feeling was fabulous, and it would be a rhyme time I’d return to just for the smiles and good feeling alone!

The best parts of Mitchelton Library

The friendly, helpful staff
A huge range of picture books
The happy feeling in the rhyme time

Important Information about Mitchelton Library

37 Heliopolis Parade, Mitchelton

Website

Open Tuesday to Saturday

Parking is available at the side of the library and on the street.

AWW Challenge 2013: Week Four

January 27, 2013Books and ReadingAWW 2013, Book Reviews, books, Reading, Subversive Reader Book Reviewssubversivereader Leave a comment

Follow my journey through the AWW 2013 challenge here

This week was a slower one – I finished two books and started another three for my challenge, but not too much excitement in my AWW world. It was also slower with the Squirm challenge, but that had more to do with Squirm being squirmy and a quick duck back to familiar books which he’d sit still for. Hopefully it’ll pick up in the next week.

Talking of the books I did finish, they were both books that I felt like I should finish, rather than books I wanted to finish. One of them made me happy that I did finish it, because the ending was much better than the beginning. The other one just annoyed me even more for finishing it – in fact I’m still annoyed with it, even though I’m well and truly onto other books.

With Squirm’s challenge, I realised I’m getting a bit of a thrill when I find familiar authors and illustrators in the library – if nothing else, this AWW challenge will open up the number of picture book writers and illustrators I know!