A Dog So Small by Philippa Pearce

First published in 1962 this book may not appeal to many of today's young readers as they may not be able to relate to everything in the text. But, some will find it quite enchanting, especially if they enjoyed Philippa Pearce's award winning novel Tom's Midnight Garden. Ben, the main character, would dearly love a dog and when his grandfather promises him one for his birthday he is very excited. However, his excitement turns to dismay on his special day when he receives a hand embroidered picture of a chihuahua in a frame from his grandparents. It seems nobody thinks a dog is a good idea when you live in a small abode in the middle of a busy city like London. As it so happens, the reader learns, that this picture has special significance to his grandmother and was lovingly stitched in Mexico. As the novel progresses we see Ben visit his grandparents, as he does regularly, and enjoy the company of their dog Tilly. Upon his return to London he starts to obsess over the picture of the miniature chihuahua dog to the point where it nearly costs him his life. Some readers will find Ben's attitude in the final chapter very disconcerting and unexpected. Avid upper primary readers with good comprehension skills would definitely take away more from this book than a less capable reader. It contains some powerful insights into life.

He saw clearly that you couldn't have impossible things, however much you wanted them. He saw that if you didn't have the possible things, then you had nothing.

Ink drawing by Anthony Maitland are regularly dispersed through this book and are very representative of the way children's novels were illustrated in the sixties and seventies. I really enjoyed the illustrations as much as the story.

The hand embroidered picture

One of Ben's visions

Click on the link below to hear famous actress Judy Dench tell part of the story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUHwGqSKWe4

Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French

Mark, Anna, Ben and Little Tracey have a game they play each morning as they wait for the school bus; they make up stories. This time it's Anna's turn and she has an enthralling one to tell about Hitler's daughter, a daughter only a few select people in the Third Reich know about. Mark is particularly captivated with the story and Germany's dark history. But what is reality and what is imagination? It's difficult to tell until Anna reveals some startling news at the end of her two week narration. This book skips between the two stories, the one about the lives of the bus stop friends, and the one about Heidi, the unacknowledged daughter of Adolf Hitler, story set back in World War 11 Germany. It throws up many questions, like what it would be like to be a child of someone evil?  How can someone love someone who commits terrible crimes? This novel was first published in 1999 and has sold over 100, 000 copies in Australia alone. It has also received a lot of critical acclaim in many countries and it would be great if every upper primary student had the opportunity to read this book.

Ben's Dream by Chris Van Allsburg

Ben and Margaret pedal quickly to make it to their respective houses before the rain pelts down. Both have to study for an upcoming geography test on great landmarks of the world. Ben arrives home to an empty house and settles down to study. However, the steady rhythm of the rain lulls him to sleep. Only seconds later, the house shakes violently and his finds himself drifting past some of the great landmarks in the world such as the Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to name just a few. Chris Van Allsburg's book will enthrall and mesmerize with the detailed ink drawings, and after reading the end, many readers will be forced back through the book in order to study the drawings more closely and to look for further clues. Many of Allsburg's books switch between the waking and the sleeping worlds and between reality and fantasy.

His amazing website is well worth visiting where you can incidentally watch an animated form of the book
http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/home.html

The following website also has some excellent teaching ideas:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/tg/bensdream.shtml#plot

Underground Hero by Elaine K. McEwan

Josh hasn't learnt not to listen to Ben Anderson's bright ideas. Together they decide to explore the old Klum place which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. They find evidence to suggest that this house isn't deserted as people think. And on top of this Ben is trying hard to deal with his parents' divorce.