Reading Activites
‘The Tales of Mrs Mancini’ celebrates the wonder of cake and the magic of friends to solve most of the worries of the world; it is pure creamy, sugary delight and you…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Amelia Ellicott’s Garden’ Author: Liliana Stafford Illustrator: Stephen Michael King Publisher: Scholastic Australia Themes: community, gardening, chickens, urban life, friendship, sharing. Click on title links or cover image to purchase. Pud…
READ MORE
Once upon a time, but not very long ago, deep in the Australian bush, there lived two possums. Their names were Hush and Grandma Poss. Grandma Poss made bush magic… Did you…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Don’t Let a Spoonbill in the Kitchen’ Author/Illustrator: Narelle Oliver Publisher: Scholastic/Omnibus Books Age Range: early childhood – lower primary Themes: Australian birds, fantasy, imagination, habitat, visual literacy I always look forward to…
READ MORE
Jackie is my partner in crime (aka my teaching partner). She was hired as I thought she and I were SO similar. In fact we are not: she runs, hops, skips, jumps…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Drongoes’ Author: Christine Bongers Illustrator: Dan McGuiness Publisher: Omnibus Books Age Range: newly independent readers, lower – middle primary Themes: mateship, competition, selflessness, running, school, sport, asthma/breathing difficulties, school spirit The ‘Mates: Great…
READ MORE
I adore gardening but am a very chaotic and sporadic gardener. Photos of my garden on this blog are of teeny tiny sections of my garden as mostly my garden is a disaster zone.…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Bea’ Author/Illustrator: Christine Sharp Publisher: UQP (University of Queensland Press) Age Range: Early Childhood – Lower Primary Themes: daring to be different, uniqueness, celebrating difference, friendship, birds, bird behaviour, rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia,…
READ MORE
Title: ‘The Treasure Box’ Author: Margaret Wild Illustrator: Freya Blackwood Publisher: Penguin Age Range: Middle Primary – adult Themes: war, peace, lifetimes, resilience, hope, survival, literature, libraries, story. With a writer of the calibre…
READ MORE
Title: ‘The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk’ Author: Glenda Millard Illustrator: Stephen Michael King Themes: family, feelings, illness, acceptance, love, strength, courage, imagination, responsibility, siblings, reading. Publisher: ABC Books Age Range: Middle Primary…
READ MORE
Title: ‘The Big Waves’ Author: Raewyn Caisley Illustrator: Elise Hurst Publisher: Puffin Age Range: lower primary Themes: holidays, beach, waves, surfing, sand, family, bravery, overcoming fears, facing fears. Click on title link or cover…
READ MORE
We have a good friend called Maya, whose family does a great job celebrating Chinese New Year and I’ve asked her to contribute some ideas to my ‘celebrating Chinese New Year’ list below.…
READ MORE
Title: ‘One Love’ Author: Adapted by Cedella Marley Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley-Newton Publisher: Chronicle Books San Francisco Age Range: Early Childhood – Lower Primary Themes: love, songs, family, community, neighbourhood, nature. Click on title links…
READ MORE
For Christmas I had purchased PudStar a very cute mermaid tail from a local co-op handmade shop. She wasn’t even particularly into mermaids but I rather adored the tail and was pretty…
READ MORE
Title: ‘The Terrible Suitcase’ Author: Emma Allen Illustrator: Freya Blackwood Publisher: Omnibus Books Age Range: Early Childhood – Lower Primary Themes: starting school, school, classrooms, making friends, acceptance, tantrums, imagination, adventure, space…
READ MORE
Recently I found one of my old holiday journals. It is full of glued in Christmas cards, bus tickets, movie tickets, whinges and reflections on a family holiday, letters from friends on…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Ten Blue Wrens and What a Lot of Wattle’ Author/Illustrator: Elizabeth Honey Publisher: Allen and Unwin Themes: Counting, Australiana, visual literacy Age Range: Early Childhood Awards: Notable book, 2012 Children’s Book…
READ MORE
Title: ‘Squish Rabbit’ Author/Illustrator: Katherine Battersby Age Range: Early Childhood – Lower Primary Themes: Adventure, feelings, friends, problem solving, imagination, confidence Awards: 2012 Children’s Book Council Notable book (Early Childhood category) Short listed…
READ MORE
We have so enjoyed reading ‘The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’ of late. These classic Australian books contain images and adventures that stay with you always…to this day I still imagine little…
READ MORE
Title: The ‘Violet Mackerel’ Series Author: Anna Branford Illustrator: Sarah Davis Publisher: Walker Books Australia Age Range: Lower – Middle Primary Themes: family, blended families, siblings, ideas, collections. Awards: 2011 Children’s Book Council…
READ MOREAbout Me
