Fast Food and No Play Make Jack a Fat Boy by Andy Griffiths, Jim Thompson and Sophie Blackmore

This book is a team effort by Andy Griffiths (humorous Australian Author), Jim Thompson (a former athlete and fitness instructor), and Sophie Blackmore (a dietician). Whilst having an entertaining storyline, it is also filled with practical information and advice on being healthy. Jack is an ordinary Australian boy who shares his life with us; he is overweight, always tired and addicted to computer games and television. Suddenly this lifestyle is causing him real issues, especially when his father, on whom many of his habits are modelled, has a major health scare. It is clear that things around the house are going to have to change.. Each chapter in Jack's life is complemented with a discussion of real-life facts as well as easy-to-follow strategies for making the necessary changes. This book is as much for adults as it is for children, and it would also make an excellent read-aloud novel for the whole class. Meet one of the authors, Andy Griffiths, by clicking on the link below:

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/s3305754.htm

The Puberty Book by Wendy Darvill and Kelsey Powell

I think just about every student in my grade 5/6 class at Illawarra read this book or a later edition of it in 2011. Both books were hardly ever on the shelf in our little library. Its a great book to read before you go to high school. It has indepth chapters on changes which happen to your body when you are going through puberty, it explains the differences between male and female bodies, and it also has chapters on how to keep yourself healthy, and also on how to get along with others. The last part of the book focuses on fertilisation, pregnancy and birth. There is also a chapter on where to get help if you need some advice on things that are in the book or things that are bothering you. It is an excellent resource for teenagers or students approaching their teens and it is recommended by Family Planning Australia.

Did You Know...About Insides and Outside? by David Suzuki

This book is one in a series by well-known scientist David Suzuki. It deals with human anatomy but also contain some very interesting snippets about animals. An insect doesn't have lungs, so how does it breathe? What is that strange powder on a butterfly's wings? How does a woodpecker eat? You'll be amazed at the answers to these questions and others. The text is accompanied by quirky illustrations. Matthew has read it, ask him all about it.