This blog contains reviews and comments on children's books which I own, have read, and would like to share. I look for books at markets and opportunity shops. They are cleaned up, covered and read. Then I take them to the classroom for students to read. Students can borrow the books at any time. Many books are also from my personal library, especially the Youth Fiction. Students can preview some of them on this blog. Now, I am also on the lookout for great new releases for my grandson Archie.
Showing posts with label British Literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Literature. Show all posts
Loved this book, Daddy Lost His Head, before I even read the first page. What kid wouldn't pluck this one right off the shelf? I found the book very amusing. If your Dad lost his head you would fashion him a new one of course. Newspaper, paint and a potato for a nose and voilà...there it is a new functioning head with many advantages. You see, he doesn't snore or shout, he readily agrees with you and is quite happy to do the vacuuming. Even better, take him shopping and he will buy anything you ask for. But...will Daddy ever find his real head and just how did he lose it in the first place? This is certainly a very absurd story but also very inventive and funny.
When the Window Blows by Raymond Briggs is a very dark book really aimed for children over maybe eleven and it could really be appreciate and more fully unpacked by adults. According to Briggs in an interview, he never intended it to be a political comment. I've also watched the movie which is just as disturbing and sad, a complete turn around from the light-hearted Snowman, and Father Christmas books which won him so much fame. I've also seen the movie and that doesn't change just how horribly sad the book is with its many moments of black humour. The bleak adult subject matter serves to underline the absurdity of the situation lived through by elderly James and Hilda Bloggs as they somewhat cheerily set about preparing their house for the nuclear strike using the ludicrous "The Householder's Guide to Survival" and continue with their banter and attempt at normality even after the devastation of the "fall out." The last two pages left me feeling sick to the stomach.
True to Dahl's witty style and brilliance, this book doesn't fail to entertain. One day, a young lolly shop aficionado called Billy sees an old sweet shop, The Grubber, which has been recently sold. Whilst standing goggled-eyed and wishing it had been him who was the lucky purchaser, a porcelain lavatory comes flying out the window, followed by a kitchen sink and an empty canary cage. The reader is engaged immediately. As it turns out the building is being renovated by a giraffe, a pelican and a monkey; a very unlikely trio. They are however, a very enterprising window-cleaning team and it seems that one of the richest men in Britain requires their services. The Duke cannot believe what service this team has to offer; a giraffe with an extendable neck is one marvellous thing but their criminal-foiling abilities is quite another. They are simply indispensable and so who will look after The Grubber in their absence? Quentin Blake comes to the party as always with his comical sketches adding greatly to the eccentric and bizarre characters who inhabit the books of Dahl. This is a short novel which will be quickly devoured by primary school children as well as being appreciated by adults.
Add caption
You can listen to the unabridged version by Hugh Lorry:
"Whiskerchew," is the catchphrase in this retro picture book which made its debut in 1951. It is also the word uttered by the old fox as he goes about his daily activities and notices the hiding places of other woodland animals and their secret stashes of food. They are unnerved by the red fox and are panicked into departing from their daily routines. Author, Margaret Wise broom published over a hundred children's books and unfortunately for the literary world only lived to be forty-two. This little gem which introduced many a ninety-year old to reading is now sadly out of publication. The above Collins Picture Lions edition was published in 1980. Below is one of the beautiful illustrations by illustrator Garth Williams and you can see the fox spying through the rocks.
This is the first book, written in 2013, by well known British crime fiction writer Ruth Rendell for younger readers. Archie, the golden cat with golden eyes, and Archie, the quiet King Charles Spaniel, are neighbours and they inhabit a street full of feline friends and foes. When Pearl, Archie's pussy cat house companion dies suddenly Archie takes more notice of the dog Archie who lives next door and also of Gracie the cat next door. And then there is Tess, Rosie, Boat Cat and White Leg and of course the Bengal cat, Loki. This small book has a huge cast of characters. Whilst this book may well appeal to animal lovers, it is very thin on plot and really much more of a lyrical run down on the personalities of moggies and mutts who happen to live in the same street.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to all upper primary and lower secondary students. It is a graphic novel by English author and illustrator, Ronald Briggs which tells the story of his parents from their initial meeting in 1928 until their deaths in 1971. It is an engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable history capsule making reference to many significant events in British society during these years. The plot is a heartwarming progression through the lives of Ethel and Ernest with it's ups and downs, and their joys and sorrows. When Ernest meets Ethel, she is a lady's maid with a middle class mentality and firm ideas of what is respectable. She marries Ernest, a milkman with socialist ideas and a passion for progress. Eventually they are blessed with a son, Raymond, and live in a London suburb experiencing the Great Depression, World War II and the bombing of London, as well as the postwar advances such as the advent of television and automated household appliances. The book richly depicts London working class life and makes references to the major political developments of the 20th century. This books succeeds in making the social history personal. The illustrations can only be described as small masterpieces, which coupled with a witty and thought-provoking dialogue between two people from totally different classes makes for page turning reading. It is a tribute to ordinary folk living through quite extraordinary times.
The Complete Father Christmas by Raymond Biggs would have to be one of my all time favourites. If this book doesn't bring a smile to your face, well ,you would have to be a real sour puss. The book contains two stories, told in cartoon strip format, the first called Father Christmas, and the second, Father Christmas goes on Holiday. It's a very grumpy Father Christmas, not really looking forward to his hectic job on Christmas Eve. "Blooming Christmas here again.:" Later on, it's "Blooming snow," as he looks out his bedroom window in despair. He hates "the blooming cold," the "blooming chimneys, " the "blooming soot," the "blooming aerials," and the "blooming cookers." Then, after finally delivering all the presents he can relax and check out his presents. What's he received? He unwraps a "blooming awful tie from Auntie Elsie, horrible socks from Cousin Violet.," but... thankfully, good old Fred has come through with a bottle of Cognac. Click on the video below to watch an adaption of the book.
The second story tells of his holiday in France, and sends up the French culture. As soon as people discover his identity it is time for him to move on to Scotland. After experiencing the oddities of this culture and after being recognised yet again he moves on to glitzy Las Vegas. Will he make his fortune here? Both stories are very funny and provide real chuckles.
A simple book about two brothers. William is finding it difficult to get along with his younger brother, Charlie. he thinks he is a show-off, asks far too many questions and is always saying the word "absolutely." It is a little bit dated but anyone who finds younger siblings pesky might relate to this little book. Some of it would be considered politically incorrect these days. Their mum threatens to hit William if he hits Charlie again. There are seven chapters in the book and each chapter is basically a separate story. The chapter called Snapdragon is quite a nice story about Charlie's pet beetle which he has named Snapdragon. One day William is looking in the matchbox where Charlie keeps him and accidentally lets him go...
Michael Rosen's poems are actually funny and my last year's class just loved him, especially his video clips performing his own poetry which are available on line. This little book was one of his first. He writes about every day objects and circumstances, about things that would happen in a home... like the one about the mum waiting for her son to put his shoes on and he can't find them, or the one about what dad feeds the kids when the mum is away. I always was a big fan of his Down by the dustbin poems.
Down by the dustbin
I met a dog called Jim.
He didn't know me
And I didn't know him.
Check out the clip below of Rosen reciting some of his dustbin poetry.
This now out of print book is set in the 1930's in Tyneside, North England, where author Robert Westall grew up, and is about a gang of boys who get up to all types of mischief. They have a vendetta against a vicious old hag called Miss Crimond who lives in their street who is constantly checking on those families who rent her houses and threatening them with eviction. Some of the boys' plots backfire miserably but they have the occasional victory. Billy's family used to be wealthy but now they live in this street and face the same economical woes as their neighbours. It doesn't help that Billy's father has a drinking problem and often squanders what little money they have. Throw in a broken-down old mare who pulls the dunny can collectors' cart, who wins Billy's heart, and you have the making of a very enjoyable read.
This is one of the first books I purchased for use in the classroom when I started teaching in 1985. The book itself was first published in 1969 and it is still a very accessible text for todays' students. It won the Book of the Year Award in 1970. This book records a family's efforts to raise a baby owl to maturity.
For Uhu it was bound to be trouble from the start. He was one of the inquisitive ones who must tempt providence. There he was on the ground, having fallen out of the nest in his pine tree...a defiant white ball of fluff with enormous blackcurrant eyes and tiny beak clicking a warning to anyone daring to enter his territory among the roots and pine needles. For a creature born to inherit the forest this was all most humiliating. No doubt if I had not come along, a fox would have found him and made a hasty meal.
The language is very descriptive with challenging vocabulary, but entirely suitable to a capable upper primary reader.
The Scarecrowsis a children's novel by Robert Westall was published in 1981. The novel was awarded the Carnegie Medal 1981, and this is the second Carnegie award for Robert Westall. It is a psychological novel with a supernatural twist, dealing with themes of rage, isolation and fear in a plot concerning a thirteen-year-old boy's reaction to his mother's remarriage. The story is a third-person narrative, but the point of view is entirely that of Simon Wood. The novel begins at Simon's boarding school, where the poisonous atmosphere of bullying and denigration has nurtured Simon's "devils", as he describes his blind rages. Here he first sees Joe Moreton, who has given Simon's widowed mother a lift to an event at the school. Simon loathes him at first sight, regarding him as yob and is unimpressed by his fame as an artist…
This story revolves around the curse which was put on the people of Samson, one of the Isles of Scilly, and how two young children and the supposedly mad Birdman of Bryher manage to redeem the curse some thirty years later. It is not a dark and sinister story about evil curses, rather it is a gentle story about friendship and trust, and it all comes about in the very beginning because of a pair of aggressive swans. The breeding pair drive Gracie and her close friend Daniel away from their favourite local pond where they sail their model ships. In their search for some safe flat water the children find themselves playing on the forbidden Rushy Beach. It is set in 1914. There has been a movie adapted from book entitled When the Whales Came, but I haven't been able to get my hands on it; well not yet. The cover of this novel is a still from the movie.
Author, Lucy Daniels, was born and brought up in the Yorkshire countryside, where she still lives. She has always loved animals. She is a full time writer. In this novel, Houdini, Lydia Fawcett’s prize goat, is in real trouble. And why do you think he is called Houdini? He keeps escaping and eating Mr. Western's prize plants. Now Mr. Western is taking matters into his own hands. Can Mandy and her friend James save the goat and save his home High Cross Farm?This enjoyable little novel is now out of print. It has beautiful ink illustrations interspersed throughout the text.
If you enjoyed Morris Gleitzman's Once and Then, I can just about guarantee that you will like this book too. It is May and France is about to fall to the German army. Ten year old Janey has been in France for two years, but now her father insists that she should return to England. In the care of Martin, the gardener, she is on her way to Dieppe when they are separated and she is stranded. She thinks of going to Quentin in search of her dad. So with a horse and a a dog for company she sets off only to discover her Dad has already left and the town is occupied by the Germans. Janey meets up with two Polish boys, also separated from loved-ones. Together, they wage their own war against the Germans. Janey is captured whilst sabotaging a truck and things take a turn for the worse.
I bought this hardback edition of Matilda when I was teaching on the west coast of Tasmania at South Queenstown Primary (which no longer exists) and my grade 6 class just loved it. It is an outstanding book by the famous author Roald Dahl who also wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and The Twits which are equally memorable. Its central character is the very intelligent Matilda who can read novels like Great Expectations and multiply fourteen by nineteen in a flash. Unfortunately, she lives with two undesirable parents, a lay-about mum and a dodgy used-cars salesman father who are blind to the fact they have a gifted daughter. In fact they treat her like dirt. At school she has to deal with the Trunchball, who lives up to her name, but luckily finds an ally in her classroom teacher, Miss Honey. There is adventure, magic and violence, the stuff of Dahl novels, and it is hard to put this one down. Students who read this novel can borrow the DVD I have. Here is the trailer for it:
