A week of shortlists

Every blog post I have read this week seems to mention a new book award shortlist:

• The 2012 Carnegie Medal Shortlist - My Name is Mina by David Almond shortlisted again!
• The 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist - We love There Are No Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz in our house!
• 2012 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize - winner, The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle, looks absolutely brilliant
• English Association Primary Website Book Awards Shortlist - This is a new one for me, a very nice list,  I must get  a copy of I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The BFG is 30 - lets have a frobscottle

The BFG cropped up at our recent Volunteer Reading Mentors meeting. One of our smashing Reading Mentors has being using Roald Dahl's book in her reading sessions. The super use of language is working really well with her partner who can identify with the spellings and phrases such as  "human beans" and "snozzcumbers".

Then on the Schools Librarian Association Blog I learn the BFG is 30 years old! On the 13 September you can celebrate his birthday. So plenty of time to start planning some fun. Download the pdf leaflet.

Lists and Comics and Graphic Novels

I recently treated myself to 1001 Comic Books: You Must Read Before You Die. I love lists, I think it's a male thing. It's given me a long list of books to read, top of that list is Habibi by Craig Thompson.
As I was reading 1001 Comic Books, the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) produced a list of the top ten graphic novels for teen readers. This is one of many YALSA list another is Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. These top 10s have been nicely presented by the Walking Brain Cells blog.

I think graphic novels and comics are perfect for the young people we support here at Reading Matters. Bridging the two lists (graphic novels and quick picks for reluctant readers) is DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide. Again, there is something about lists that really appeals to boys. I had to buy a last minute Christmas present for a 10 year old friend. I went for LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia. I am not usually a great present selector, but this one was a massive success.

I'd urge you to check out some of these lists, there's something for everyone!

Prime Minister says "Reading Matters"

David Cameron reads with Divine Obijiaku: from Evening Standard Website

There is a nice article on the Evening Standard website about the Prime Minister's visit to a London school. He was checking out the Get London Reading campaign. It's a very similar model to ours here at Reading Matters; using Reading Volunteers to improve literacy.


To hammer home the point here is a quote

Reading matters for two simple reasons, he told pupils. "If we don't learn to read properly, then everything else in education is a closed book. But above and beyond that, reading is a joy and a pleasure and it is for life."

Barrington Stoke Solos: Bighead by Vince Cross, Take Two by Jo Cotterill, Bomb by Jim Eldridge and The After School Club by Alison Davies

Over Christmas I read four relatively new books in Barrington Stoke's Solo range. I thought I'd write them up in one go here. Solos are described as 'short, whole novels that offer an easier introduction to real books'. They have a large difference between Reading Age (6.5 years) and Interest Age (11+).

Bighead by Vince Cross
Andy's in a wheelchair after an accident, his Dad has walked out and his Mum's struggling to find direction in her life. Understandably Andy has poor self-esteem, but the band he forms with is friends gives him the inspiration he needs. Bighead, the new band's name, reflects this new found confidence. The band can't fail on their path to stardom, and even Andy's Mum sorts herself out. Bighead is quite a cheesy story, but you can't help but smile.

Take Two by Jo Cotterill
I am afraid to say it, Take Two is aimed purely at a female audience, it includes a lot of pink, stars, dresses and glitter. It explains how Carla and Lily get their own back on the sneaky, arrogant Max. The girls see through him straight away, "he's too up himself", and find a great way to embarrass him. Take Two mixes some British, American and Japanese institutions: rugby, school proms and manga pictures. The blurb on the back tells you all you need to know; One prom + One hot boy + Two best friends = A lot of trouble!

Bomb by Jim Eldridge
I really like the way Bomb is presented; dramatic pictures, lots of talk of MI5 an secret reports. It makes the story of a bomb in a school come to life. Rob is the bomb disposal expert, he is only 19, but he's the best. But he is troubled because his best mate was killed by a terrorist bomb like the one he must face. He has 45 minutes to diffuse the bomb, this is about how much time it might take to read, so it feels like it is in real time, which is a neat trick. It ends with a classic decision of which coloured wire to cut, I won't spoil it for you!

The After School Club by Alison Davies
The pictures and words in The After School Club seem to be telling different stories. Without the pictures it would be  a scary horror story about a secret club. But the images are done in a jokey cartoon way, which reduces the impact of the spookiness. Sam can't resist when Lena, the coolest girl at school asks him to join the 'Hairy Bikers' gang. Inevitably things do not go as he hoped and he has a series of run-ins with the other gang members and school bullies. The big revelation is perhaps easy to spot coming, but it is still a fun read. I would have liked the pictures to been as unsettling as the text though.

Wolf by Tommy Donbavand

I met Tommy Donbavand at the Doncaster Children's Book Award last year, he was short-listed for Zombie!, another Barrington Stoke book. He did a brilliant routine involving giant crabs and toilet-roll mummy children. It was obvious mnosters play a big role in Tommy's world. So it was no surprise to see his latest is Wolf, a werewolf tale.


Wolf tells the story of a normal boy called Adam's incredible transformation one evening, and the amazing reactions of his parents. 


Adam's first concern when claws rip out of his fingers "mum's going to kill me when she saw the mess!" That turns out to be the least of his worries, as a very gruesome transform takes place. The chapter names describe the process: Claws, Fur, Tail, Snout, Eyes, Spine and Teeth! I particularly like the Fur chapter; "it did feel like I was wearing a thick dressing gown."


More remarkable than the transformation is Adam's parent clam reaction to it. They are pretty prepared for it. As Adam struggles to overcome his animal instincts and work-out why his parents are behaving so oddly, it builds to a truly shocking final couple of pages.


Brilliant, horrific stuff. I hope I catch up with Tommy again soon, he is much friendlier in real life.

Free to download: How to Choose Children’s Books

I just got a copy of the free to download: How to Choose Children’s Books by Aaron Mead.

It is really comprehensive, and just a little over-whelming!

It contains

• Practical tips on picking great books for kids of all ages—infant through young adult.
• Guidance on what makes books attractive and developmentally valuable for children.
• Analysis of themes, illustrations, stories, and the use of humor in children’s books.
• Philosophical reflections on the role of children’s books in the development of moral character.
• A comprehensive list of online resources for finding excellent children’s literature, including book lists, sources of professional book reviews, and children’s literature blogs.

A key message for me, is that just because a book looks attractive to an adult doesn't mean it is going to be right for a young person. 

It's an eBook so full of links to further reviews and resources. I think our Reading Mentors, families and other people working one-to-one with young people will find it very interesting.

New Baby - Little Parachutes

My start with Reading Matters was two weeks after the birth of my first daughter, Rose, see my very first blog post. Well three years later, a new baby is on the way:

It is exciting times, I may not be to coherent around the end of April!

To prepare Rose for becoming a big sister I have been looking for reading recommendations. The Little Parachutes website, in conjunction with the local library, has proved really useful. Little Parachutes provides suggestions for 'picture books to help with life's challenges' such as a new baby. I can really recommend The Perfect Baby by Tony Bradman and Holly Swain.


With other subjects including Hospitals/Operations, Fear of the Dark, Moving House, Starting School and Healthy Eating it is great for exploring issues with children via reading.

Wildlife Trust Wildlife Watch Magazine

My colleague, Diane, passed me her latest copy of Wildlife Watch Magazine, published by the Wildlife Trust. Both the magazine and the website are super and perfect for reading partnerships where a young person is interested in nature.


Both the website and magazine are really nicely presented with lots of colour, pictures and snappy bits of text to read.


The magazine has games, competitions and activities, this edition, Winter 2011 has a beautiful Red Squirrel poster too.


The website is full of interesting things to read and do, in particular:

• Exploring wildlife by seasons, habitats tracks and signs etc.
• Activities  with loads of suggestions
• Downloads, spotting sheets, word searches, activity sheets, recipes and loads more
• Games, Greenspace Race has some reading built in
• Badger's blog and Watchers entries frequently updated

All brilliant stuff, well worth checking out.

Video Games

When trying to engage a struggling or reluctant reader, computer games can often be a less intimidating approach than a hefty tome or badly photo-copied activity sheet. I've spotted a few interactive online resources that might be of interest:

• Root, an interactive spy story - This project started this week, new chapters of Root will be published every day for six weeks. Any one can get involved and influence the story by solving mysteries, foiling plans and eavesdropping into conversations!
• The Binary - A brilliantly presented online adventure, like an interactive book.
• Book Worm Adventures - A role-playing word game involving building words and battling monsters.
• Build your own Book Mobile - This one is a bit more 'old school', download, cut out and stick together your own beautiful mobile library.
• Word Fighter - This isn't out yet, but looks too cool for words (bad pun). 

I guess the inspiration for this post was the song I am kind of in love with at the moment, Video Games by Lana Del Rey. Song lyrics are another great idea to read with a partner, try googling their favourite song.

Have fun.

My Name is O by Sam Enthoven, and Pale by Chris Wooding

;

I have received proof copies of two dystopian stories out in January 2012,  My Name is O by Sam Enthoven, and  Pale by Chris Wooding.


My Name is O, is set entirely in the Bank of England as O tells the reader of his daring break-in and the reason for it. We learn directly from O that he/she "was born in a special breeding programme run by our secret masters", the implication is that the reader is as much a part of this controlled society as O. But O has been singled out for particular conditioning, but without his masters knowledge he has "built a personality". O starts out pretty cocky, but gets more and more out of his depth, he doesn't understand his situation as much as he thinks. It's a gripping tale, set over a short time period in a single location, but very much part of a wider, scary world.


In contrast Pale, covers a long time period. In fact Jed grows, dies and comes back to live another life within the 69 pages. It is set in another scary world, in a future where some people can be resurrected as Pales. The Pales are completely shunned by regular society; jealousy, fear and ignorance all play a part. Sometimes feelings are understandable, it's hard to argue with a statement like "dead kids shouldn't be allowed to go to school". But it's clear people need to learn to deal with these new members of society. Jed, our narrator sees both sides. I hope I am not spoiling it by telling you he dies on page 16! It is tale of violence, betrayal and hatred with a gripping conclusion of rescue and revelation.


In both books, and like in all good Science Fiction, they tell us as much about our own lives as those of the characters in the fantasy settings. Pale in particular seems to be all about current news-worthy themes of immigration, religious differences and human rights. I think they would provide lots of discussion in reading partnerships.

Sheffield Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer 2011

A few weeks ago we had a celebration event for the Sheffield Volunteers who supported the Summer Reading Challenge in 2011 and their parents. It was a great event. With each of the volunteers presented with a certificate and goodie bag by Dr Sylvia Dunkley, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield.

I have just got this great photo and a wonderful quote from one of the volunteers:

I want to say thanks to you [all] for the ceremony. It was a great and unforgettable experience.

I agree, it was a lovely evening. Everyone was great!

Free Copy of First News

First News is a brilliant weekly newspaper for young people, it's perfect for our reading partnerships. Full of topical articles presented really nicely with lots of images, graphics and accessible text.


Courtesy of Sainsbury's magazine you can get a free copy.


Call 0800 665480 and quote SBFREE or text NEWS to 78070 before 31 October 2011.


Another good deal is 3 issues for £1.

Reading Videos

A few videos I have spotted recently:

• Inspiring Reluctant Readers - From the New York Times, authors James Patterson and Rick Riordan talk about the challenge of encouraging children, particularly boys, to love reading
• Booked Up Film - New video featuring the Booked Up authors and 11-year-olds talking about the current selection of books
• Going West - A wonderfully crafted video for the New Zealand Book Council, Where Books Come to Life!
• Dyslexie is a typeface for dyslectics - Silent video with common issues encountered by people with dyslexia, and how a new font seeks to assist

I'll leave you with a beautifully designed video of the ubiquitous Stephen Fry talking of his love of language.
 :

Ninja: First Mission by Chris Bradford

Chris Bradford is quite an amazing guy, before becoming the hugely successful author of the Young Samurai series he was a professional musician, he is a black belt martial artist, he is funny (check out this video) and he is a nice guy too, all the proceeds for Ninja: First Mission are going to charity!


Naturally, hugely jealous, I really wanted to hate Ninja: First Mission, his first book for Barrington Stoke, but it is hard not to love it. 


The first of a series set in Japan in 1580. Taka is training to be a ninja. He is a little over-confident and the start to the story is not what you'd expect. The back story and setting is nicely woven into the story; we learn about his family history, clan, rivals, enemies, friends and training. Super language too, I love the sound of the 'Sixteen Secret Fists' technique.


The First Mission of the title, is a personal and significant challenge for Taka. We are not sure of his true motivation, is he being driven by or vengeance rather than dedication to his ninja clan? This truly adds to the thrill of the adventure.


I am very much looking forward to the continuing series. I enjoyed the realism and historical setting, a real contrast to the Lords of Pain series, and the manga-style illustrations are superb.


By the way, the video I mentioned above, is an introduction to the Ninja Challenge, a duelling card game to be played on or offline, looks brilliant for Reading Matters partnerships, more resources on the Chris Bradford website too.

The Gun by Bali Rai

Like The Fall by Anthony McGowan (reviewed recently) and Them and Us an earlier Bali Rai book (reviewed a while back) The Gun is a serious book for serious times.


The scene is set in the prologue, Jonas is in a police cell. The details are specific and telling; officials, fashions and smells. As Jonas begins his tale in Chapter 1, we know from the first line, the world he inhabits, "freezing our arses off outside Lahore Fried Chicken".


Jonas is not a bad kid but his situation in life means it is tough to avoid trouble. Especially when his best mate turns out to be worryingly crazy. Throw a loaded gun into the mix and things are never going to end well.


Their estate is always violent. Jonas and his mates dabble in gangs without getting sucked right in. But it is the gun than tips them over the edge.


In his intro Rai says the story was inspired by The Wire TV series. I am still having withdrawal symptoms after this ended, so I am bias. But, I have to say, in 65 pages Rai creates some moving characters and the journey they go on filled me with affection and dismay.

Sheffield Children's Book Award and Off the Shelf Festival 2011

Whilst at the Sheffield Children's Library I picked up a couple of leaflets giving details of the Sheffield Children's Book Award and Off the Shelf Festival 2011. Both look as excellent as ever.


Sheffield Children's Book Award


A nice line-up, although, if I am honest I haven't ready many at all. A few big names; Chris Riddell for Ottoline at Sea, David Walliams for Billionaire Boy, Terry Deary for Put Out the Light and Malorie Blackman for Boys Don't Cry. I'd like to mention a few local authors; Kevin Brooks for iBoy, Caryl Hart for Rhino, What Rhino and Alex T Smith for Egg.


But for me it is hard to look at anything except David Almond for My Name is Mina, a beautiful, beautiful tale, which I wrote about this time last year.


Off the Shelf Festival 2011


Like the book award, the festival has a real mix of interesting stuff;

• Gangs of Sheffield with Andy Messer
• Let’s Celebrate! With Debjani Chatterjee and Brian D’Arcy
• Meet the Author G P Taylor
• Nick Arnold’s Horrible Science Show
• Seeing Stars: Launch of the Sheffield Simon Armitage Soundscape
• Write Away with the WEA
• Crystal Set
• Goat Boy and Other Journeys with Fay Musselwhite, Susannah Gent, Linda Lee Welch, The Only Michael
• How to Create an Animated Show with Curtis Jobling
• Game for Poetry
• Graphic Art Workshop with Nick Hayes (he designed the great festival programme cover)

I also notice a nice project A City Reads, mapping the books that have inspired the people off Sheffield. Pick up a programme and get involved.

Bookstart Book Crawl

This weekend, I was at Sheffield Children's Library. My daughter, Rose, completed her Bookstart Book Crawl. Part of the Summer Reading Challenge. Catching up with Alexis the Librarian it sounds like the Summer Reading Challenge Volunteers are doing a great job.

Alexis and Rose!

Booktrust Newsletter

I just received the latest Booktrust newsletter, I get a lot of email bulletins, but this one shone out.

• An interesting intro by Booktrust CEO, Viv Bird, on the summer riots
• A reminder about the BBC National Short Story Award 2011
• And, The Roald Dahl Funny Prize plus the Roald Dahl Day
• A great overview of Sport reading material, which is always a great way for our Reading Mentors to engage many reluctant readers, especially with the 2011 Rugby World Cup and 2012 Olympics on the horizon
• Their 2011 Best Book Guide always a great set of recommendations
• And finally an opportunity to win the wonderful looking In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda

Great stuff, sign up here.

Getting Linking 5 - Big Hitters

I have been tidying up my bookmarks (I live a very exciting life), it has inspired a long overdue return to my Getting Linking series. I previously posted up lots of links resources for use in Reading Matters one-to-one sessions. This time I have a list of websites from major institutions, that you may well know about, but are none-the-less useful.

• First News - Our favourite news paper for young people
• Books for Keeps - Online magazine all about children's books
• Ransom Books - Publishers of books for reluctant and struggling readers
• Richard and Judy's Children's Book Club - Superb set of reads
• Toon Books - Online cartoons and tools to make your own
• Harper Collins Browse Inside - Read HC's books online
• Flashlight Worthy - Handpicked book recommendations
• International Children's Digital Library - Books to read online from around the world in many different languages
• Tate Children's Books - Beautiful books
• Page45 - Nottingham based comic shop, with a super website including excellent recommendations
• Rising Stars Superscripts - series of six-part plays
• Evans Publishing - education specialists
• Words for Life - Book lists plus tips and ideas for reading together with children
• Kid's Lit Quiz - Massive literature based competition
• Illustration Cupboard - a celebration of picture books
• An Illustrated Guide - new picture book review site, beautifully presented
• Unshelved - daily book-based comic-strip
• Booktime - Book Trust book giving scheme
• National Literacy Trust; Books with Hooks List - recommended reading
• Land of Me - interactive 'living picture book' from Ladybird
• Project Aon - A beautiful recreation of the Joe Dever Lone Wolf choose-your-own-adventure looks (I loved these books when I was a teenager)

Enjoy