Looking Out For Sampson by Libby Hathorn and Ann James

Looking after a younger sibling can be loads of fun but sometimes downright frustrating. This story follows the highs and lows of  Bronwyn who is increasingly put in charge of caring for her younger brother Sampson. To complicate matters, a family friend is staying with the family, and her daughter, Cherlyl,  is nothing short of obnoxious and likes nothing better than to criticize Bronwyn and put down her family and their way of life.

"I mean it does look a bit funny a big man like that in a tiny little apron. It's great that he wants to do the cooking but  must say its very unusual about the apron" 

She's the character you love to hate. Then one day they all go for a beach outing and once again Cheryl does her best to dominate the family's attention and steal the limelight. Bronywn feels hard done by and then... Sampson suddenly disappears.

This book is a great bridging book from picture books to novels written for the 7-12 age range. Each double page of text is accompanied by an illustration underscoring the Australian way of life. This is a welcome addition to The Little Library of Rescued Books and I know there are some students in the class who could really relate to this very Australian story. 

First at Last and Other Stories by Julia McClelland

First at Last and Other Stories by Julia McClelland is an Australian gem published in 1990. The stories are all about Zachariah whom we meet in the first story. He is not happy with his name or the teasing he receives from other students because of his name, but thanks to the ingenuity of his teacher, Miss Trams, the tables are turned. There are four other stories in the book which focus on Zacharia's family life and his close friends, Rebecca and Macca, and his newly acquired dog, Wombat. The stories are entitled: The Pet Party, Sun Sand and Sea, Big Brother, and, Away in a Manger. The stories are amusing and this book would have broad appeal to primary school students in general. The book has both ink sketches and full-colour plates sprinkled throughout with the illustrations by Ann James reflecting the light-hearted nature of the book.  The book was short-listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia.

Bernice Knows Best by Max Dann

By the time he was eight his house had caught fire twelve times, the plumbing had stopped working, the garage door had stuck and wouldn't open again, the bath had sprung a leak, all the chairs had collapsed, the chain on his bicycle wouldn't stop breaking, and his Dad's begonias didn't look so good.

"Why me? Why me? Why me? he'd ask. But nobody answered him.

You see Hugh is accident-prone, steaming- rolling his way to destruction like a mobile demolition team wherever he goes. Hugh has no friends, no-one visits the house. Enter Bernice, she is clever and vivacious and, unlike members of his family, doesn't feel the need to wear a safety helmet around Hugh. She puts him on a regime designed to cure his clumsiness. Then one day Hugh accidentally finds himself in a big bicycle race, and discovers that Bernice's bizarre exercises have given him the edge. Is he finally going to do something right?

True to Max Dunn style, this humorous little story zips along and the accompanying illustrations by Ann James with the very comical expressions of a wide cast of eccentric characters making it all the more enjoyable. If you are after a relatively quick, funny read, this may be the book you are looking for. Dusting in Love, another book by Dunn, but a slightly more challenging read, is also available in the Little Library of Rescued Books for borrowing.