I liked this book. It is about 13 000 word long maybe? Quite short, but well written and quite an easy read. Maybe kids will be hooked in by the mystery! If so, they will enjoy it. There are other books in the series – A Different Dog, and A Different Boy. I’d recommend the book for Year 4 to Year 6. And probably enjoyed more by boys.
I am in the middle of this book and throughly enjoying it. Highly recommended for a competent Year 5 reader upwards. About 25000 words or less. Very funny book.
I read this a week ago and even though I loved it, I cannot recommend it for any reading age because I cannot remember the word count or the sentence length or the suitability of the content. There is a nice twist at the end.
This is a graphic novel for teenagers and young adults. I recommend it to them.
About 60,000 words long. I loved it. The book is more of a girl’s book. Recommended to competent readers in Year 6 upwards.
It is the story of a family living on a remote, rugged and beautiful Scottish island. When the Lord of the Island dies, the family must deal with the new landowner.
The description of the island, and the characterisation is handled superbly. I highly recommend this book.
This is probably quite a nice little book for Grade 3 children, and the advanced Grade 2 reader.
The book is heavily illustrated and the illustrations are consistent and of a high standard. The font is large and the chapters are short. In total, the book is about 15,000 words, so a beginning reader will have success.
It is a simple storyline which the kids will like. Vampires and fairies are subjects which kids enjoy. The book cover is appealing.
I did not enjoy the book and doubt many children will. Less than 30,000 words, The Mark of the Maker Stone needs work in so many areas. I tried to read this book three times, but failed.
Judging from his website, Daniel Corcoran has his heart in the right place. He has written and illustrated picture books, which may be good, and his author talks are enjoyed.
The Mark of the Maker Stone is written for Year 2 or Year 3 children, but the book is too long for this age group. I do not recommend it.
Gee, Michael Morpurgo tells a good story. Twist of Gold is about 70,000 words. It is a long read for a competent reader in upper primary and high school. When their mother is close to death, two young children travel to America to find their father. On their journey they have many adventures, but never give up hope, after all, they have their family’s golden torc, which keeps them safe!
This book is highly recommended. It is too long for a Year 4 reader, or even an average Year 5 reader.
What a disappointing book! I always recommended these simple reads to my struggling boy readers in Year 4, but not any more.
The first paragraph is present tense and the rest is past tense.
Kyah and Shae come running into the kitchen on page 13. They aren’t introduced as brothers and I don’t know which is which.
Two big questions on page 20 are both said, rather than asked, and on page 5, I laugh as Studs and Hacker might fly off!
I force myself to finish the book. Approximately the first quarter is about Timmy and his friends preparing for their holidays, saying what they are doing. None of this is revisited. The book finishes while Timmy is still on Sunshine Island.
This book will NOT improve a child’s reading. Scholastic has let itself down here. I wonder what the other books in this series are like.
I am not sure what to say. There are less than 2000 words in the book. There are some pages with less than 5 words on them. Huge illustrations on each page. There is a story. The books are cleverly marketed. I think these books are ideal for Year 3, and for weak Year 4 readers.
The story is so simple it would not be beneficial for Year 5 readers, even the weaker readers, except for the boast of having finished a book.
This is a simple book and some parts needed better editing, but it is light and easy to read, with plenty of examples of good behaviour. I actually enjoyed the book and I think a Year 3 or Year 4 child would as well. With so many black line illustrations inside, it is difficult to determine the number of words, but maybe there are 14,000.
A young boy has a pet dragon, which he keeps hidden from the adults; however, most kids seem to know about it.
The story is about two dads, a bunch of kids, and a dragon who go on a camping trip.
I think books which start with only two characters are so much easier to continue with. In the first chapter we have a ‘nice’ old man asking his grand daughter to bring him a disposable boy.
I was hooked.
The book was well written and boys and girls in Year 6 upwards would enjoy it. I think it is about 70,000 words long, so a competent Year 4 or Year 5 child would also enjoy it.
The Rogues is part of The Keepers series. A clever young girl and a painfully trusting young boy are given magical gifts, which they use to battle the evil spirit, who is trying to kill the Heir of Neuhalt.
I read Run, Pip, Run last year and had forgotten how good it was. When I approached Pip and Houdini, I wasn’t keen, but I persisted and was rewarded for the effort. These books are excellent middle grade readers – no wonder they feature in the CBCA awards. Highly recommended for a good Year 3 reader to a Year 5 or Year 6 level.
Pip is on the run from the authorities again, this time heading up the coast in search of her mum. She has a big heart, and is accompanied by a goofy dog.
About 40,000 words long so a bit of a task for a Year 3 reader. I think this would be a good book for a Year 4 class to listen to.
A nice little story of a Pakistani boy who is separated from his family when a flood destroys his village. He survives by clinging to a tree for a month. The narrative is told by the boy, and also by a dog who is searching for its pups. Some parts of the story felt real, but other parts were unbelievable – not only because of the dog narrating .e.g. the boy is taught to swim by the dog. The dog directs the boy to steer his ‘boat’ left and right to get to where it wants to go. The pups survive for a long time with no food.
But it is a story of a boy and a dog surviving against the odds, so I think kids will like the story.
It is a simple and straightforward story, and recommended for Year 3 and Year 4 readers. Also some Year 5 kids. The book is about 25000 words.
The book starts quickly and it is a good read. It is the story of a young boy and his community who survived the Tsunami of 2011. What a powerful story.
66 000 words – I would have thought more.
There are many wonderful themes in the book : entrenched corruption and the power of teenagers to overcome it, taking leaps of faith, friendship, persistence…
Highly recommended for competent readers in Year 6 upwards. It is quite a lengthy book at 220 pages x about 300 words per page =
Even though I was quite tired when I read this, it still appealed to me. Therefore, it must be good.
It is a verse novel, so it is an easy read, and one which would enable a struggling reader to have success with a long book. The characters in the story are in Year 2. I felt that many of their actions were more of a Year 4 ability.
The issues dealt with are typical amongst young girls. I’d recommend the book for advanced Year 2 readers, up to Year 5 readers, and it is mainly written for girls.
This book is by Martine Murray. Some of her work is fantastic, but I was disappointed in this story.
The book is beautiful with a hard cover and different colour fonts, but the story is slow.
Basically it is a story of a girl who is impatient for her pregnant mum to have a baby.
The author recounts various incidents until the birth.
That is it.
I suppose a competent Year 4 girl, might enjoy the story.
I quite enjoyed this book because I learnt about Ghana. The dialogue was strange and I see this as an accurate portrayal of children’s speech in Ghana.
I learnt about the slums in Ghana as well. The only thing I question is “Would a child get a scholarship JUST because she has lost an eye?” I wish this issue was addressed. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers in Years 4 to 6.
This book by Cate Whittle was particularly good at the start. The author strictly adhered to cause and effect, which I enjoyed.
A year 4 reader would enjoy it. I suppose it is about 8000 words, at a guess. The story is about a new kid at school who doesn’t believe in dragons, which results in the protagonist’s dragon beginning to fade away. The punchline is Believe in Yourself. I think the last quarter of the book needed attention from an editor.
It may have been a CBCA notable in 2018.
When I started reading this book I thought, “Another book about kids going camping! Oh dear.” But after just a few pages I was hooked by the writing. The book reads like someone is sitting beside you and telling you a tale. It is like listening to a story of your childhood, told by someone you trust. All the messages in the book are wholesome, healthy, and refreshing. I didn’t feel this book was written, adhering to a strict plot structure, although perhaps it is. I just enjoyed it. I am going to school tomorrow and recommending it to a Year 4 girl who is a keen reader. I know she will love it.
This book is recommended for children in Years 4, 5 and 6.
(Copy copyright: This isn’t a Western Australian Children’s book.)
The first time I read ‘The Elephant’ I must have been in a rush, and I didn’t think much of it. After rereading the book I appreciate it so much more. I think it is excellent, with delightful images and gentleness which adults will particularly enjoy when reading to children. It is a story of a little girl dealing with her father’s depression after her mother dies. Plenty of messages in the book, some of which come to you in a second reading. There is a nice little twist in the tail which will make you smile.
(Copy copyright: West Australian Author – Grey things can be colourful. )
It goes without saying that Rodda writes well.
The Shop at Hoopers Bend is well written but it didn’t grab me. I suppose the theme is something along the lines of ‘Everything is connected’. Rodda even gives a magical explanation of why this may be the case. With the magic alluded to, the reader believes in all the strange coincidences. The story is complete and everything has its place. The story is also warm and gentle, revealing the value of family, friends and place. Emily Rodda is a clever storyteller.
I found it hard to believe in the amazing increase in rental opportunities that suddenly arose for the shop. I also couldn’t believe that a stranger would take a girl in off the street without at least speaking to her parents/aunt? These two crucial aspects of the novel are what put me off.
I recommend the novel for a good Year 6 (and upwards) reader. It is between 60,000 and 70,000 words long. All main characters are female, and the baddies are the guys. Ha! It is definitely more of a girls’ book than a boys. It was shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA.
Felice Arena writes well. The book has captured the essence of Paris at the time, or how the author thinks it was, and the reader believes this.
The start is very slow. It took a quarter of the book before I was hooked.
I think there are too many incidental moments where the hero saves someone.
I don’t think the ending worked! The killer doesn’t mind losing a really expensive gem! I don’t know why the hero was not disposed of, after he was in the hotel room of the killers!
Despite my criticisms I enjoyed the book. I just think the editor needed to pick up a few things.
Recommended for Year 6 Boys and Girls. More of a Boys book.
What makes this book so valuable is the following, taken from the Western Australian curriculum.
The range of literary texts for Pre-primary to Year 10 comprises Australian literature, including the oral narrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, as well as the contemporary literature of these two cultural groups, and classic and contemporary world literature, including texts from and about Asia.
This book is all about a Torres Straight Islander boy and his life as a Pearl-shell diver. I think the inclusion of so much history has interfered with the writing, however, it is an informative book which I enjoyed. There is plenty of suspense but the pacing needs work as does the characterization. Also, many problems are not resolved. Does his mother survive? He was working for money but did the cyclone rob him of this? What happened to his dad? Does he find out what happened to his cousins? Whatever happened to the sea captain who was chasing him?
Still I would recommend this book, especially to teachers to read so as to cover the curriculum, probably for Years 5, 6 and 7.
Also, I recommend the book for children in upper primary and lower secondary school who want to learn about Australian history. It is well researched.
Karen Foxlee has written a wonderful fantasy book for primary children. Unfortunately I have been sick, my wife has been sick, the dog was sick, my fish have died, I have been searching the internet for pictures of fish and cutting them out, and stringing them in my aquarium, so I have only read half the book. But I have thoroughly enjoyed the part I have read. This book is recommended for upper primary and lower secondary children.
For some reason I have never been grabbed by the books of Wendy Orr, but this has changed with DragonFly Song. What a superb book for upper primary or secondary readers. My wife and daughter will scold me for saying it is a girl’s book. I don’t know how many words are in the book because many of the pages are formatted as verse. It is a lengthy fantasy book. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to lower secondary school girls.
The Icarus Show by Sally Christie is well written and clever. POV is handled so deftly. The start was interesting, the middle was clever and the ending was quite good. Most of it was believable. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think a young adult audience would too. Sally Christie is a skilled writer and I’d be keen to read more of her work.
I am not really sure what to make of this book. The illustrations are an unusual, gentle and pleasing style. The writing isn’t noteworthy. The story ending is unbelievable yet also predictable. It is a short book for girls. I wouldn’t recommend it as a read aloud for a class, but a Year 5 to 8 girl might appreciate it.
This is a story of elephants in Nepal. I do not think it is particularly well written…BUT… the subject matter is so amazing, so you can’t put the book down. I read it in a couple of days because it was just so interesting. ‘What elephants know’ could be read to a class of Year 5 children or to older children. Young teens could read it and they would love it too. Over 60,000 words.
Recommended read.
(Reviewed by Western Australian children’s author)
I have read a book by Kate Di Camillo I did not enjoy. This is a simple story idea which was stretched out to book length, and it shouldn’t have been. It is for a young age reader (Year 4 maybe), but I think they’d get bored.
I think Kate is writing a few books in a series. I much rather her publications were based on what she loved to write, rather than what a publisher wants her to write. Sigh.
Reviewed by Western Australian author of children’s books.
How sad that I must slow down my reading of books.
Now I am back at school my eyes fail so I cannot stay up late and read. Oh well, last year was brilliant for my consumption of books.
Last night I had a choice to read or watch TV. The review of Salvation meant I had to watch it and I am glad I did; however, the choice meant no reading.
Today, on my writing agenda is to practise my talk on ‘horror writing’. I am going to present to 180 12-year-old boys on the topic of writing horror, so I must review the talk and get it up to scratch. The boys usually love it and walk away highly motivated to write, and with some extra writing tools.
Also, I have to prepare my school lessons, catering for someone to come into my class and teach, so I can do the talk. I had best get started.
This is a Young Adult book. I thought the start was brilliant but afterwards, so much of the story just seems unbelievable. Later, the implausibility is justified, but the twist is too late in the book. The story started believable but then went on to become some weird crud. Still, I think a Young Adult (boys and girls) would enjoy the book because of the start, the love interests, and the weird twists of plot.
Reviewed by Western Australian author of children’s books.
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George is written for the young and competent reader. The book is quite long (maybe around 50,000 words) and the young protagonist outwits the evil invader by pulling all sorts of tricks. e.g. Hiding all the chamber pots. It is a light read and young readers will love it.
(Copy copyright: By a Western Australian children’s author who loves books.)
Argh! I did not think Kate DiCamillo could write ANOTHER excellent book but she has. I am in the middle of Flora and Ulysses, and loving it. This book is highly recommended.
Once again, she has written a book that has a good plot and it is also enjoyable to read. The cadence of her writing is comforting. I don’t know how she does it.
This book can be read by children in Year 4, 5 and 6. And it is also an excellent read-aloud book for children in this age group.
Teachers can use this book as an entry point into superheroes and poetry.
(Reviewed by a Western Australian author of children’s books.)
I think Year 4 children would love this book. It is also probably good as a read-aloud book for Year 4 children.
As a class activity, children could design their own alien. Decide what it eats, where it sleeps, etc. They could also design a wanted poster and write a letter. They could also write a list of foods.
In fact, the children could even write their own book. They could include a section on farts and poops which would be particularly entertaining for them.
The children could also be taught about the need to draw simple characters so they can be replicated many times. In Olga and the smelly thing from nowhere there are so many illustrations.
(Copy copyright: By Western Australian Children’s author who enjoyed this book.)
Overall, this is a well-written book. I didn’t believe Amy’s uncertainty about her parents’ relationship. I had to force myself to keep reading past Sophie’s questions about boyfriends. I loved the move to the old people’s home.
At the half way point of the book I put it down because there was little to compel me to keep reading. Does Dad get something famous to attract customers to his family general store? Does Amy find out why her mum doesn’t forgive her grandfather? How will the story finish? Who cares?
After reading the reviews of this book it sounded like many issues were raised in the latter pages.
Well, I picked up the book again and read to the end. Another issue was raised immediately and it kept me interested. All the loose ends were tied off in a believable way. The book is realistic and well-written. I didn’t like all the girlfriend/boyfriend guff, but I know the general audience for the book will.
A Year 5 to Year 8 girl would probably LOVE this book if they can keep reading past the halfway mark. This is also a good read-aloud book for a teacher of Year 5 to 7 girls.
(Copy copyright: Reviewed by Western Australian children’s author who writes books – funnily enough.)
This is a Year 4 level book. It has all the excitement and magic of Harry Potter except at a Year4 Level. A teacher could read this to a class, or a Year 4 – 6 child read it for enjoyment. It is quite a long book at 340 pages, but there are only about 200 words per page = 64000 words.
It is quite large print.
Three animals – a bird, a frog and a cat – set off to save a kingdom. Two of them have magic and one(The cat/narrator) doesn’t. The dimwitted frog made me laugh out loud a few times.
Lots of goodies vs baddies situations. Plenty of magical animals – an evil seven-headed dragon, levitating cats, spying eyeball fish. An orphan cat.
This book is about friendship, making mistakes and being forgiven. It is also about betrayal and that animals are better at saving kingdoms than people. If you have a kingdom that needs saving get a frog, cat and bird.
Copy copyright: Western Australian Author reviewed this.
These books by Dana Simpson are collections of short stories/reflections on life/ jokes as seen through the eyes of an extremely, utterly beautiful, gorgeous unicorn and her rather plain human side-kick. They insult each other and many of the jokes revolve around the vanity of the unicorn, but they are also best friends.
It is all in comic form, much like Garfield.
There were quite a few laugh aloud moments.
I am trying to find a good book to read to Year 4s. Year 4 kids would read this one themselves.
(Copy copyright: Reviewed by a Western Australian Author who reads a lot and who also writes a lot – books mainly.)
This is a funny book because Ivy is so stupid and tends to say whatever she is thinking. She is brutally honest. Such a long book for this age group tends to go all blah blah and dull in the middle, but not Anyone but Ivy Pocket. The author cleverly introduces so many characters and with each there is mystery and intrigue. I found myself guessing that this or that character was evil. I found myself guessing all sorts of things about the necklace and diamond. Anyway, I am halfway through the book and enjoying it.
I just had to keep reading. I was disappointed with the end of the book, but overall it was a wonderful exciting read. I am looking for a good book to read to a class of Year 4 children. This book is super for individual readers, but not to read to a class.
I recommend this book for children in Years 5 to 9. It is more of a girl’s book with nearly all of the characters female. A keen boy reader will also enjoy it.
(Copy copyright: Reviewed by a Western Australian author who coincidentally writes books.)
What a funny book!
I did laugh out loud heaps.
But I am not sure who the book is written for/marketed to.
It was recommended to me as a book to read to 9 year olds, but I wouldn’t consider it. They’d miss most of the humour. I just opened a page at random and found “…a metaphor, Dr. Dundledorf. An analogy. A symbolic tale.”
I just opened another page at random. “And I cannot digress. And I cannot defend the agency from its debilitating demise.”
Perhaps it could be read to 12 year old children. Or maybe 11 year old children in an advanced private school whose dads potter on the stock exchange. “From the Young Entrepreneur’s Fun.”
(Copy copyrighttted by a Western Australian Children’s Author who coincidentally writes children’s books.)
I am almost finished reading Mallee Boys.
It was awarded the “Winner Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award”.
I almost stopped reading after about 30 pages because I had lost track of all the characters. Instead I made an effort to go back and reread some sections. I am glad I did because I have enjoyed this ‘coming of age’ book about two brothers also coming to terms with their mother’s death.
It is a teen book but also within the scope of being in the Young Adult category. Even though there are footy games, dirt bikes, and fights, there is also plenty of reflection on these events, which made me think it was written by a female. (Wow! Have I just put my foot in my mouth.)
This book is not for kids. I’d suggest it is quite a scary book for Young Adults. I enjoyed it. This is the first horror book I have read and I enjoyed seeing different techniques used to create the ghost story.
I am not sure about some of the plot points but overall, the story worked a treat.
(By Western Australian Author – Dave Caddy)
I have finally managed to get past the first two chapters of this book. I have put it down twice before, but now I am loving it. Ben Okri somehow makes the mundane spiritual. He has created a weird and wonderful world. I am reading a few chapters each couple of days and cannot imagine reading it in one sitting.
This is an amazing book for adults.
I am now adding to this a month later. I ended up skim-reading the last part. The plot didn’t hold me. Sigh.
There is another book similar to this that I have read recently. It is called ‘The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree’.
I have just added a stack of stories I wrote some time ago. They are on the tab named ‘Moresby’.
These stories were told to me by my dad or my brothers and sisters – I can’t remember.
I have also told them to my younger brothers and sisters.
And I have told them to my kids too.
And so the Legend of Moresby grows.
(Copy copyright: Western Australian Children’s Author telling stories not yet in a book.)
I reread this book yesterday. It is a YA book about the developing relationship of two young adults who support each other in a world of sickness and pain.
Highly recommended. It grabs you in and you have no choice but to read it in one sitting.
I believe someone is making a TV series of it over in the USA.
Good stuff.
Well, I have finished reading quite a few books recently, so need a few more. My son has a copy of The Running Man, so that is next up. The quality of the writing in the first few pages has me very interested. This YA book comes highly recommended so I will keep you posted.
(On an aside – I love having this year off, giving me the opportunity to read.)
Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.(All ages)
Anyone who has not read this for a while should do so. It is just wonderful. Suitable for all ages.
The Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Young adult graphic novel)
This is for Young adults. A few of the illustrations will scare the younger readers. It is a book with a message that you need to think about.
Pandamonia by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon (Lower Primary)
This is one of the best rhyming picture books I have read in a long time. (It is for children in lower primary) I gave a copy to my little nephew and I know he will love it.
Journey to the Stone Country by Alex Miller (Adult book – Miles Franklin winner 2003)
I am sure that many readers might put this book down and describe it as too SLOW. But I have such praise for this book. What a brilliant read. I highly recommend it.
If you want to write rhyming couplets, or any poetry which rhymes for that matter, I strongly recommend the following two sites.
With these two sites you can’t go wrong.
Enjoy.
(Copy copyright by an author of Western Australian Children’s books.)
I just stumbled upon a wonderful site which lists so many series, categorised by recommended age to read.
If you type into google ‘cereal readers’ this wonderful site will pop up straight away.
This site is excellent and I recommend it highly.
Well, I have just returned from a week down the south of Western Australia. The different shires in the south coordinate to bring an author down each year. Collie organised for me to stay in Bunbury at a Motel where my meals were paid for. I was also paid for the talks, and a librarian met me on some days to drive me to the libraries.
It was a most rewarding week; the children were enthusiastic and I had a great time.
After my presentations I had the afternoons off to travel to Yalingup and surf, or stay in Bunbury and write. The weather dictated that I surfed twice and wrote thrice.
Back in Perth I dived to my computer and entered the editing I had done with pen and paper whilst south.
Because I am paid 80% of my salary this year, not having to attend work, in Bookweek I am paid twice – who would have believed it.
(Copy copyright: Western Australian Children’s books are usually of a high standard.)