Middle Primary
Encouraging young people to read widely and enjoy a balanced literary diet is something that can add immeasurably to their reading and writing journey. For many of us, poetry and verse novels…
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It’s a question yelled into cyberspace regularly, and to be honest even as a teacher librarian I’ve struggled with this question. Where does a reader go when they feel like they’ve read…
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A quirky comedy about one young reader/writer who doesn’t actually like reading at all! The start of a great new series for early readers from 6-10 years. Title: ‘Juno Jones Word Ninja’…
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Bruce Pascoe has penned a book, and now a younger readers edition of that book, that is, and will continue to be, the subject of many wonderful conversations and changes in the…
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‘Dream Riders’ is a new middle grade series about the lives of the ‘dream riders’ as they enter the world of the ‘Pocket of Dreams’. Located in Mullumbimby, this idyllic property is…
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Looking for some books to spark an interest in environmental issues and activism in young readers? The new ‘Eco Rangers’ series does just that, and I have suggestions for some other similar…
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Many, many Australians know and love Emily Rodda for her ‘Rowan of Rin’ and ‘Deltora Quest’ series, and like many schools, each year we usually study ‘Rowan of Rin’ in our primary…
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When I get Science based books, as much as I adore them, I pass them over the back fence for my scientist neighbour to review for me! A million thanks Sam –…
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At talks to parents and educators, I always say that books allow young people to walk in the shoes of others. Never was this saying more relevant than with the latest book…
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Title: ‘Girl on Wire’ Author: Lucy Estela Illustrator: Elise Hurst Publisher: Penguin Books Australia Age Range: 5+ (ageless) Themes: courage, resilience, emotional wellbeing, support, self-esteem Awards: CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2019:…
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The Children’s Book Council of Australia 2019 Book of the Year Shortlist was announced this week and of course it has ruffled some feathers and made some book creators weep with joy…
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This week on ‘Five on Friday’ I’m talking about a ‘group’ of books (I’m stretching the friendship on five this week) which are perfect for middle – upper primary and into lower…
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Those tricky middle primary readers huh? There is such huge variance in their reading ages and stages and that’s not even taking into consideration their reading interests. The list below is a…
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Interviewer: Joy Lawn Title: ‘The Adventures of Catvinkle’ Author: Elliot Perlman Illustrator: Laura Stitzel Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia Themes: friendship, kindness, empathy, bravery, animals, difference, tolerance, humour. Teachers’ Notes: Prepared by Penguin Random House Australia…
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Title: ‘Everything I’ve Never Said’ Author: Samantha Wheeler Publisher: UQP Age Range: upper primary Themes: Rett Syndrome; disability; diversity; voice; resilience; family; siblings. Today the we attended the book launch of a…
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Title: ‘The Flying Optometrist’ Author: Joanne Anderton Illustrator: Karen Erasmus Publisher: National Library of Australia Publishing Age Range: early childhood – middle primary Themes: optometry, eye-health, glasses, remote communities, outback, flying, aviation, medical professionals.…
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I’m a big fan of encouraging the reading of non-fiction texts, it’s an entirely different reading experience and skill set and one that I don’t think we encourage enough in our young…
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Title: ‘Zobi and the Zoox: A Story of Coral Bleaching’ Reviewer: Dr Sam Lloyd Author/Illustrator/Creators: Ailsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr and Gregory Crocetti Publisher/Production: CSIRO Publishing (2018) in partnership with Small…
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Title: ‘The Incredible Freedom Machines’ Author: Kirli Saunders Illustrator: Matt Ottley Publisher: Scholastic Press Themes: freedom; boundaries; persistence; imagination; wonder; freedom; hope; machinery; tinkering; motors; cogs; motorbikes; third person narrative; visual literacy.…
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A ten year-old family friend of ours is an avid reader and churns through books in paper form and on her Kindle at a great rate. Her mother told me recently that…
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