Human Ingenuity
Picture Books
D is for Doufou: An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture by Krach Maywan Shen illus by Hongbin Zhang An exceptional book which gives an insight into the pictographic nature of the Chinese language through 25 Chinese words and phrases. It gives a fascinating historical and cultural background through well known words such as kungfu, feng shui or more complex words like “ai” meaning “love” where the explanation shows some of the cultural differences between Chinese and western ways of thinking. Wonderful illustrations in the style of Chinese folk art. (9 years up)
Tokyo Friends - Tokyo no Tomodachi by Betty Reynolds
This is an excellent introduction to Japanese language and culture and also some of the differences between Japanese and western customs. When Katie meets her two Japanese friends in Tokyo, they show us some of the everyday things that they do and the Japanese and English words for them. The words are written in English, in Japanese phonetically and also in the Japanese script and are accompanied by lively illustrations. (6 - 12 years)
The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes illustrated by Charles Keeping This classic stirring poem comes to life through the stunning black and white illustrations by Charles Keeping. (10 years up)
Collections
A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Form selected by Paul B Janeczko illustrated by Chris Raschka A delightful selection of poems which are examples of 29 different poetic forms. The author explains that knowing the rules makes the writing of the poem more challenging, more exciting, more like a game. Each poem is imaginatively illustrated and the poems are chosen for their wit, beauty and as examples of their particular form. There is a detailed description of the forms and how it works at the end of the book. (10 – 14 years)
In Every Tiny Grain of Sand A Child’s Book of Prayers and Praise collected by Reeve Lindbergh. A beautiful collection of poems and prayers that comes from people of many different ages, cultures and religions round the world. It is divided into different sections: For the Day, For the Earth, For the Home and For the Night, each of which is illustrated by a different artist. (9 years up)
Poems From Many Cultures Compiled by Fiona Waters
A wonderful collection of poetry from many different cultures round the world. It includes well known poets such as Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Michael Ondaatje (Sri Lanka), Grace Nichols (Guyana) and Benjamin Zephaniah (Jamaica/England) and many more not so well known. Some poems are traditional though most are modern. All the poems give us an insight into the way people think and feel and see from different cultures round the world. (11 years up)
Seasons of Splendour by Madhur Jaffrey
These are marvellous retellings of traditional tales from Hindu epics, which Madhur Jaffrey has enriched with descriptions of how the stories were told and celebrated in her own family. The stories have been arranged in sequence as they might be told at religious festivals in the course of a Hindu calendar year. It is a collection which gives a rich personal insight into Indian life. (8 years up)
This Same Sky A collection of poems from around the world selected by Naomi Shihab Nye An excellent collection of poems from round the world. A very impressive range and choice of inviting poems from a truly wide range of countries and cultures. (8 years up).
Fiction
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
It is hard to know which area is most appropriate for this wonderfully entertaining and continually surprising story of Maurice, a streetwise tomcat who suddenly has acquired the gift of talking and thinking. He wants to put these skills to ever more inventive money-making scams with the assistance of his unlikely friends the educated rats who also acquired the skills of speaking and thinking at about the same time. However as a natural consequence of being able to think, some of the rats begin to struggle with the question of what is right and what is wrong (especially in relation to some of Maurice’s schemes) and also with the stirrings of a conscience. This is a hilarious skit on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, however it could also be used as a challenging and very entertaining introduction to the subject of ethics. (10 – 16 years)
Galax-Arena by Gillian Rubinstein
Peter, Joella and Liane managed to escape from a life in which they were forced to perform acrobatics in a highly competitive dangerous world. It is a gripping and thought-provoking futuristic story. (11 - 16 years)
Macbeth and Son by Jackie French
I have included this book because it deals with a most unusual topic for a novel. Jackie French has written a novel about the truth in history and whether it really matter? Her complaint is with Shakespeare who wrote about the Scottish King Macbeth who was by all accounts an honourable king but was turned into a villain in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Jackie uses the dreams of a modern day boy, Luke who is studying the play at school to show what really? or possibly happened to Lulach and his father Macbeth in eleventh century Scotland. She uses a time-slip device to contrast events in the lives of both Luke and Lulach. Jackie vividly describes the battles and difficulties Lulach faces. But the most fascinating aspect of the story is the theme of whether the truth really matters and whether Shakespeare was justified in making Macbeth a villain for the sake of the play. This would make a fascinating book for discussion. (11 – 14 years)
Weird Stuff by Richard Tulloch
This is a very funny novel about a boy who, although he thinks he has very little imagination is always able to think up fantastic excuses for being late for school. However when it comes to creative writing he can never think of anything to say. This all changes when he borrows a pink Easyflow pen from a friend and he finds he can hardly stop writing but to his dismay, the writing is flowery and romantic. In the midst of all the fun, Richard invites kids to look at and compare various writing styles. This book would be great to read aloud and then to discuss. Sequels are Weird Stuff and Awesome Stuff pb $15.95 each (9 - 13 years).
Drama
Zap by Paul Fleischman hardback
Paul Fleischman is well known as an author and poet but this is his first play. He decided to write it because so many schools seemed to put on the same plays and he thought he would try something different. He liked the idea of using the idea of the “zap” of the remote control to be able to switch back and forth between various types of plays. He decided to use Richard III and then to write six other plays all modelled on familiar categories or type of plays. There is plenty of action for as soon as the action appears to wane a little the scene flicks back and forth between each of the plays. There are many very funny contrasts. I think it would be a wonderful play for discussion and to illustrate the different conventions of various plays and their contrasts and similarities but best of all would be to perform it. (14 years up)
D is for Doufou: An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture by Krach Maywan Shen illus by Hongbin Zhang An exceptional book which gives an insight into the pictographic nature of the Chinese language through 25 Chinese words and phrases. It gives a fascinating historical and cultural background through well known words such as kungfu, feng shui or more complex words like “ai” meaning “love” where the explanation shows some of the cultural differences between Chinese and western ways of thinking. Wonderful illustrations in the style of Chinese folk art. (9 years up)
Tokyo Friends - Tokyo no Tomodachi by Betty Reynolds
This is an excellent introduction to Japanese language and culture and also some of the differences between Japanese and western customs. When Katie meets her two Japanese friends in Tokyo, they show us some of the everyday things that they do and the Japanese and English words for them. The words are written in English, in Japanese phonetically and also in the Japanese script and are accompanied by lively illustrations. (6 - 12 years)
The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes illustrated by Charles Keeping This classic stirring poem comes to life through the stunning black and white illustrations by Charles Keeping. (10 years up)
Collections
A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Form selected by Paul B Janeczko illustrated by Chris Raschka A delightful selection of poems which are examples of 29 different poetic forms. The author explains that knowing the rules makes the writing of the poem more challenging, more exciting, more like a game. Each poem is imaginatively illustrated and the poems are chosen for their wit, beauty and as examples of their particular form. There is a detailed description of the forms and how it works at the end of the book. (10 – 14 years)
In Every Tiny Grain of Sand A Child’s Book of Prayers and Praise collected by Reeve Lindbergh. A beautiful collection of poems and prayers that comes from people of many different ages, cultures and religions round the world. It is divided into different sections: For the Day, For the Earth, For the Home and For the Night, each of which is illustrated by a different artist. (9 years up)
Poems From Many Cultures Compiled by Fiona Waters
A wonderful collection of poetry from many different cultures round the world. It includes well known poets such as Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Michael Ondaatje (Sri Lanka), Grace Nichols (Guyana) and Benjamin Zephaniah (Jamaica/England) and many more not so well known. Some poems are traditional though most are modern. All the poems give us an insight into the way people think and feel and see from different cultures round the world. (11 years up)
Seasons of Splendour by Madhur Jaffrey
These are marvellous retellings of traditional tales from Hindu epics, which Madhur Jaffrey has enriched with descriptions of how the stories were told and celebrated in her own family. The stories have been arranged in sequence as they might be told at religious festivals in the course of a Hindu calendar year. It is a collection which gives a rich personal insight into Indian life. (8 years up)
This Same Sky A collection of poems from around the world selected by Naomi Shihab Nye An excellent collection of poems from round the world. A very impressive range and choice of inviting poems from a truly wide range of countries and cultures. (8 years up).
Fiction
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
It is hard to know which area is most appropriate for this wonderfully entertaining and continually surprising story of Maurice, a streetwise tomcat who suddenly has acquired the gift of talking and thinking. He wants to put these skills to ever more inventive money-making scams with the assistance of his unlikely friends the educated rats who also acquired the skills of speaking and thinking at about the same time. However as a natural consequence of being able to think, some of the rats begin to struggle with the question of what is right and what is wrong (especially in relation to some of Maurice’s schemes) and also with the stirrings of a conscience. This is a hilarious skit on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, however it could also be used as a challenging and very entertaining introduction to the subject of ethics. (10 – 16 years)
Galax-Arena by Gillian Rubinstein
Peter, Joella and Liane managed to escape from a life in which they were forced to perform acrobatics in a highly competitive dangerous world. It is a gripping and thought-provoking futuristic story. (11 - 16 years)
Macbeth and Son by Jackie French
I have included this book because it deals with a most unusual topic for a novel. Jackie French has written a novel about the truth in history and whether it really matter? Her complaint is with Shakespeare who wrote about the Scottish King Macbeth who was by all accounts an honourable king but was turned into a villain in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Jackie uses the dreams of a modern day boy, Luke who is studying the play at school to show what really? or possibly happened to Lulach and his father Macbeth in eleventh century Scotland. She uses a time-slip device to contrast events in the lives of both Luke and Lulach. Jackie vividly describes the battles and difficulties Lulach faces. But the most fascinating aspect of the story is the theme of whether the truth really matters and whether Shakespeare was justified in making Macbeth a villain for the sake of the play. This would make a fascinating book for discussion. (11 – 14 years)
Weird Stuff by Richard Tulloch
This is a very funny novel about a boy who, although he thinks he has very little imagination is always able to think up fantastic excuses for being late for school. However when it comes to creative writing he can never think of anything to say. This all changes when he borrows a pink Easyflow pen from a friend and he finds he can hardly stop writing but to his dismay, the writing is flowery and romantic. In the midst of all the fun, Richard invites kids to look at and compare various writing styles. This book would be great to read aloud and then to discuss. Sequels are Weird Stuff and Awesome Stuff pb $15.95 each (9 - 13 years).
Drama
Zap by Paul Fleischman hardback
Paul Fleischman is well known as an author and poet but this is his first play. He decided to write it because so many schools seemed to put on the same plays and he thought he would try something different. He liked the idea of using the idea of the “zap” of the remote control to be able to switch back and forth between various types of plays. He decided to use Richard III and then to write six other plays all modelled on familiar categories or type of plays. There is plenty of action for as soon as the action appears to wane a little the scene flicks back and forth between each of the plays. There are many very funny contrasts. I think it would be a wonderful play for discussion and to illustrate the different conventions of various plays and their contrasts and similarities but best of all would be to perform it. (14 years up)
