Wednesday 29 January 2014

Websites...

REVIEWS OF LITERATURE AND INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE – A NEW ZEALAND WEBSITE AND AN OVERSEAS WEBSITE

1.
Wellington City Libraries (2014).  Kids blog.  Retrieved on 14 January, 2014 from http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blogs/kids/

I liked this site because the reviews are by children, for children, which can often be more effective than reviews by adults!  The rules for reviewing are simple… no poor language, and the reviews have to be submitted for moderation before going live.  Prizes are awarded after the first two reviews, and then every fifth one after that… a great incentive to get children involved in both reading and writing.

2.
The Guardian (2014).  Children’s Books. Retrieved on 14 January, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site

This is one of my favourite children’s book sites.  I love the layout and the sheer depth of information available – which is always topical and relevant.  (There is currently a feature on Catching Fire.)   There are links to a wide variety of books and book-related activities, and if all that is a bit overwhelming, you can click your age and find out about some age-appropriate possibilities.


AWARDS

3.
Booksellers (2012). New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. Retrieved on 14 January, 2014 from http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards

I use this website a lot – especially around the time of the Book Awards, but also to refer back to past nominees.  It lists all the nominees and winners right back to 1997, which is a fabulous resource for librarians.  It also explains the criteria for each award.  The site itself is easy to navigate and clearly laid out. 

4.
Storylines (2010). Awards.  Retrieved on 14 January, 2014 from http://www.storylines.org.nz/Awards.html

This is a very basic looking site, but it is a veritable font of information as it lists all the winners of 8 major literary awards, going back to their origins, some of them in the 1990s.  It is a wonderful resource for librarians and teachers as it also provides links to author bios and award criteria.


ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION OF READING AND LITERATURE

5.
Magpies (n.d.) Talking about books for children. Retrieved on 13 January, 2014 from http://www.magpies.net.au/

The Magpies website comes in conjunction with the Magpies magazine and also The Literature Base magazine.  It is NOT an e-version of either publication, but you can search keywords to find articles of interest, which you can then locate in the appropriate magazine.  It is a great resource as it enables a reader to look up areas of interest, or specific authors – and then be led to two great journals.

6.
Lit World: be the story (2012). World Read Aloud Day Activities. Retrieved on 14 January, 2014 from http://litworld.org/worldreadalouddayactivities/

I stumbled across this website, and am pleased I did.  The litworld.org website is comprehensive and inspiring as they are a group who are trying to use the power of storytelling to give hope to children.  The Read Aloud Day page is a great resource for anyone wanting to get involved.  There are activity kits for classrooms, home, communities and the office, each with ideas on how to promote reading and book suggestions.


PUBLISHERS OR BOOKSELLERS

7.
Books for Kids. (2014). Welcome to Books for Kids. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.booksforkids.co.nz/

Books for Kids is a small, independently owned book shop in Hamilton.  I use them, and their website, all the time to source books and just keep in touch with what they are promoting.  It is a simple site, but it has an online shopping option, and clear contact instructions.  It is also Facebook linked so I keep in touch with them that way too.

8.
Random House Books, NZ. (n.d.). Young readers. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/young-readers/

This is a comprehensive site, as you would expect from a large publishing house, with suggestions for popular reads, links to author information and activities.  I also like the Teacher link, which has books lists and classroom activities.  It is clearly laid out, although I would think it is aimed more at adults looking for ideas, than children.


FICTION READING AND REVIEWS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

9.
Books for Keeps. (n.d.) The Children’s Book Magazine online.  Retrieved on 15 January 2014 from http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/

This is a wonderful British site full of reviews for children (and to be fair, YA as well – so this site could fit into the category below as well), and including an online version of the Books for Keeps magazine.  There are links to a dazzling array of authors and the books they have written.  I particularly loved this edition (and so have included it on my list) because it included an interview with Chris Riddell, author of one of my favourite books last year, Goth Girl.

10.
The Children’s Book Review (2014). Growing readers.  Retrieved on 15 January, 2015 from http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

I liked this American site because you could click on links to recommended reading for different age categories (including YA, so it could fit into the next category too…), but you could also click on links to various subject/interest links (e.g. animals, award winners, fairy tales, books into movies etc…) It was a bit busy to look at for my liking, but as with the previous site, there was a huge amount to surf and a vast list of authors to investigate.

11.
Radio New Zealand (2014). Children. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.radionz.co.nz/genre/children

What a great resource for parents and teachers in this day and age of technology overload.  Children can listen to stories, classical music and reviews which have been aired on Radio New Zealand.  Although the book list is quite small, it is contemporary and there are some goodies in there, including Margaret Mahy’s The Dark Blue 100-Ride Bus Ticket and Vince Ford’s first book in his Scrap series.

FICTION READING AND REVIEWS FOR TEENAGERS

12.
Christchurch City Libraries. (n.d.) New Zealand Post Young Adult Fiction. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/kids/literaryprizes/nzpost/seniorfiction/
This is less a review site than a list of the Young Adult finalists in the New Zealand Post Book Awards from 1997 to the present day.  There are links to blurbs for each book, which makes it a handy starting point for those who might be looking for a good quality Young Adult read.

13.
Wellington City Libraries. (n.d.) Teen Blog. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blogs/teens/

This is a funky site, which looks as though it is produced by teens for teens.  Although it says it is a blog about reading it also says there may be stuff in there about Wellington and “whatever else” which recognises the fact that teens who read are interested in more than just that… The reviews tend to be copied from goodreads.com, but the site itself is appealing.

INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

14.
Maria Gill. (2013). A writer’s journal.  Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.mariagill.co.nz/

I love this site as it bridges the gap between website and the print information book, and seems to acknowledge that the two can co-exist in beautiful harmony!  You can use the site to buy Maria Gill’s books, but you can also click on links to find out additional information about the subjects in the books.  There are also links to activities for children to do. 

15.
B.B.C. (2014). History for Kids.  Retrieved on 16 January, 2014 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/

The BBC websites are always of high quality, and this is no exception.  Children can choose an era that interests them (Ancient History, World History, British History, and more, bearing in mind that there is a British bias) and then then have a go at some fun activities that will help them with their learning.  I particularly enjoyed the Ancient Egyptian mummy embalming game!


INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR TEENAGERS

16.
Teen Ink. (n.d.) Resources for Teens.  Retrieved on 16 January, 2014 from http://www.teenink.com/Resources

I rather stumbled across this cool website, written by teens for teens.  I am not quite sure if it fits into the Information Resource category, but its purpose is to encourage teenage creativity in all areas (art, photography, writing, health…) As well as providing some information on all these subjects, it also showcases the teens’ own art, poetry, photography, song writing etc…

17.
headspace.org.nz. (2014). Young People. Retrieved on 16 January, 2014 from http://www.headspace.org.nz/young-people/

This is a section within the headspace.org.nz website especially for teens, which talks about mental health and some of the issues which can effect teens (depression, bipolar, ADHD, suicide, eating disorders, etc…)  The site itself is reasonably simple and straightforward, but each section has links to other helpful websites and resources.

  
ANY OTHER WEBSITES YOU FOUND INTERESTING OR USEFUL.

18.
International Children’s Digital Library (n.d.) A Library for the world’s children. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

I love this website.  It is an absolute treasure trove of stuff for children. You can read books online in a variety of languages – and best of all it is free, so is a wonderful resource for parents and teachers alike.  I have to say that I am not a huge fan of its layout… it could be a little simpler and funkier, but when something is good, you can overlook the odd little fault!

19.
500 Hats (n.d.).  The Teacher Librarian in the 21st Century.  Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://500hats.edublogs.org/

This blog by Barbara Braxton has blown me away in the last couple of days.  It is less about children’s literature and more about what it means to be a good librarian, but it is so in-depth and interesting that I had to include it.

20.
The New Zealand Herald. (2013). Hairy Maclary: A dog’s life. Retrieved on 15 January, 2014 from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11152991


This article, celebrating 30 years since Hairy Maclary’s emergence onto the literary scene, is a lovely retrospective of this classic work.  As well as looking at each of the dogs (and, of course THAT cat) and their individual characteristics, it also shares information about how Lynley Dodd went about creating the story. 

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke


Cornelia Funke has been hailed as the German J.K. Rowling - high praise indeed!  I have read some of her other stories, and thoroughly enjoyed them, but this one looked a bit darker and more complex...

Prosper and Bo are orphaned brothers and they have run away from their rather unpleasant aunt and uncle, to Venice, a place which their late mother used to tell them all about.

They are befriended by a small gang of street children, led by their enigmatic leader, The Thief Lord.  All is well, until the aunt employs a private detective to hunt the children down.  From this point on, the story twists and turns all over the place, rather like the canals and streets of Venice themselves.  The plot throws up surprises and plot twists all over the place... culminating in a thrilling journey into the complete and utterly fantastical!

I loved this book and would recommend it to Year 5 and up.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry


An oldy but a goody this one... all based on historical fact.

Ten year old Annemarie lives in occupied Copenhagen, and her best friend is a Jew.  When word gets out that the Nazis are on their way to 'relocate' these Jews, the Danish people - including Annemarie - go into overdrive, and risk their own lives, in order to save these innocent people.

Monday 13 January 2014

Some kiwi titles...

I have really started to enjoy New Zealand authors, and have read these books over the holidays... all great in their own different ways.

Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun by Janet Frame

A beautiful, rather whimsical tale of a young house ant who gets lost and ends up in a colony of garden ants.  This story is over 40 years old and was written by Frame for her niece.  It is witty, clever, and is full of lots of clever ant-related puns.  Something a little different!

The Dark Blue 100 Ride Bus Ticket by Margaret Mahy

Carlo and his mother are down on their luck, so when a strange old lady gives them a mysterious bus ticket, they take it.  Then when a mysterious matching bus turns up, almost on a whim, they get on - and find themselves at the supermarket at the end of the world, a place stocked full of everything you can imagine.  Of course, such a supermarket attracts some unsavoury characters and Carlo has to make sure that these characters don't ruin the magic of the place.

No Safe Harbour by David Hill

For anyone interested in New Zealand history, this is a must.  In 1968 a monstrous storm hit the Cook Strait - and the Wahine, which was heading to Wellington from Christchurch.  David Hill has crafted this emotional fictional account of the tragedy based on historical facts.  On board the ferry are twins Stuart and Sandra.  They do NOT get on, but when they have to look after each other as the storm worsens, their relationship is  really tested.

Project Huia by Des Hunt

Another must for those who are interested in New Zealand history and for those who also like a bit of a mystery.   Des Hunt is renowned for his books which strongly feature the New Zealand landscape. Project Huia is no exception.  It is set in and around the Manawatu Gorge and for those who know the area, it is very evocative. 
Logan’s grandfather has a story to tell.  As a child, while he lived near Ashhurst at the western end of the Manawatu Gorge, and while he and his sister were out exploring one day, they thought they caught sight of the thought-to-be-extinct huia bird. So follows a terrifying adventure as the two children try and photograph the bird, whilst dodging trains coming through the tunnels of the Gorge, and whilst also having to fend off the rather unpleasant members of the Carson family. 
Seventy years later, 11 year old Logan has come to the Gorge with his grandfather and a research scientist to see if they can track down the lost huia – and in doing so, history starts to repeat itself. 
This is a fabulous story, which weaves together New Zealand scenery, history, natural history and adventure into an exciting package.