Girlosophy: A Soul Survival Kit, by Anthea Paul

Get 'Girlosophy: A Soul Survival Kit' for your girls, you'll be glad you did.
When you open this book, vibrant images, colours and words almost bounce off the pages. In the style of billboards or large stunning posters, the sound messages of this book are delivered in a very asthetically pleasing way. It's like flicking through a glossy magazine, yet instead of false images, the truth is revealed.
The messages in this book are nourishing and good. If you have a daughter, this would be an amazing gift. I thoroughly enjoyed it myself and thought several times as I was reading it from cover to cover, I wish someone had told me that info at an earlier age. For me it was everything I want my daughter to know about being the best she can be.
I have taken this book (as well as some others), to school this week and the teens I work with have all flicked through them and shared with each other the bits they found particularly interesting. Many of them asked me where they could buy them and how much. So it's not just my older eyes that saw the beauty in it. The boys too were quite interested and much of the information is human rather than female.

Queenie - One Elephant's Story

The beautiful and nostalgic picture book 'Queenie-One Elephant's Storyby Corinne Fenton and illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe was shortlisted for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. It was also a notable for the picture book category.

It tells the story of an elephant that lived at the Melbourne Zoo, delighting audiences for almost 40 years. Teachers notes provide many links to the curriculum. It's a delightful story and a beautiful book.

Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild/Anne Spudvilas

Woolvs in the Sitee has great notes for teachers on the Penguin Woolvs in the Sitee site
I look forward to sharing this CBCA Award Shortlisted book in the Picture book category with my students tomorrow when they start back at school. I began today and enjoyed catching up with my "school" friend and planning for the term ahead.

This book is suggestive and really teases your imagination. It is definitely a picture book for older readers. The pictures add much to the tension of the story. I totally enjoyed it the second and third reading and look forward to sharing it and hearing the meaning students take from it.

The Window

This Revver video reminds me of the book one of my students presented in his wider reading oral this week. The book is called the window and it tells an amazing story, without words.

Flavia

Whilst I was away I took a book called 'Everyday Heroes' with me by Flavia. I have loved her work for a long time. I remember the first discovery was a pink mug with a shooting star inside it, and the inscription 'You're a Star'. It made my heart sing.
My nana bought my daughter a little picture book by Flavia and it reminded me how lovely and inspiration the world could be.
I love her spirals and stars most of all I think, and her smily sunshines.

Gary Crew

I want to go to bed and read and I am about to after I write this. I love Gary Crew books. I am reading one at present called 'Edward Britton' that he cowrote with Philip someone, Nelson maybe, I really should check. If I was Philip I would be annoyed to read this. The chances are he won't so I will look it up another day because I can't spare the time right now to walk to my bedroom as it will deprive me of reading time.
I first 'met' Gary Crew's books in the picture book section of our school library. I loved his picture books and read as many as I could. I took 'The Lost Diamonds of Killercrankie' to Tasmania with me when I last went there on a holiday and it made the best holiday reading. I have used 'I Saw Nothing' with my year 7 classes for many years and I feel it introduces endangered species beautifully. I loved 'The Lacemakers Daughter' and was really surprised by it. Before embarking on the current book, I enjoyed 'Strange Objects'. I have used plenty of the other picture books, and there are plenty with my classes and the thing I love the most is that he has written so many. It's great.