Books of the Month - March 2009
Last month we launched a Book of the Month section with an old classic children's book The Magic Faraway Tree. This proved to be very popular with our readers, but we've had some feedback that 1 book a month is not enough! You want more educational books over more age levels, so that is exactly what we are giving you. 3 books, every month, different reading levels. (Thanks to all those who responded. We look forward to hearing what you all think of this month!)
Reading Level: 4-8
Big Words for
Little People
Author: Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrator: Laura Cornell.
The eighth picture-book in the series, this wonderfully told and
beautifully illustrated book of Big Words for Little People is a
charming way to teach your children to use bigger words in everyday
language. Essentially, big words aren't scarey!
The characters within are an array of differences. Some of the family
members come from other continents, such as Africa and Asia. They are
easy to identify with and all have their little quirks which only
deepens their likeabilty. For example, twins that are extremely fussy
eaters and a sweet Asian girl that is in love with "The Sound of
Music". The differences in the characters are celebrated and show that
differences keep life fun and interesting.
The lovely water-coloured pictures will be a delight for your child and
you to examine. For it's a case of the more you look, the more you
find. The small details in the illustrations add great humour to an
outstanding educational book.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 5 Stars
Reading Level: 9-12
My One Hundred Adventures
Author: Polly Horvath
This unusual tale about Jane, a 12 year old girl living with her single
mother and three siblings in a coastal town really is an adventure. It
deals with many of today's issues, such as single-parents dating,
alcholism, spiritualism, black-mail and everything in between.
Jane's quest for more adventure quickly comes and will have the reader
turning page after page. Characters are eccentric to the hilt. Jane's
Politzer prize-winning mother, a female pastor, elderly neighbours, a
drunken and violent school caretaker fuel adventure after adventure.
The whole story is brilliantly told with a dry humour. Interlaced with
Jane's poetic reverie that adds depth and you have an educational book
that will stay with your child for many years.
The only possible drawback is that some of the topics may be not
suitable for more immature-minded readers. But mostly we see it as a
great opportunity for you to discuss some of todays topics with your
child and get your child thinking about their own morals.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 Stars
Reading Level: 14 - Young Adult
Graceling
Author: Kristin Cashore
An enthralling read about fantasy and romance with a strong female lead
character. Welcome to the world of Katsa. Where Gracelings are beings
with heightened skills in different areas. Katsa has the gift/ curse of
being able to kill people with her bare hands and if forced to act as a
henchman for a manipulative king.
Although, not all Gracelings have such useful skills. For example, one
can only speak backwards without thinking about it. But throughout the
story we see our heroine grow in character as she is forced to make
decisions.
The novel is very well written, with only small amounts of fantasy,
large dollops of romance and its ability to capture the malarky of
politics with it's diplomatic face-saving and bitter back-stabbing.
It's a fantastic read that has the pages turning over and over.
The one possible negative for parents is that there are hints at sex
scenes. There are no explicit details, but it is eluded to.
Furthermore, Katsa rejects the idea of marriage. But for me, this only
serves as an opportunity to discuss these issues with your children,
because these are things that all teenagers and young adults face
sooner or later in life. So why not openly and honestly talk about
them. In this way, you can give either guidance or a different opinion
for your child to consider.
Regardless, Graceling is a wonderful read that I'm sure you will also
enjoy reading after your child.
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 5 Stars
February
2009 Book of the Month
If you would like to purchase Big Words for Little People, My One
Hundred Adventures or Graceling, why not
compare prices on the internet. For anyone who has purchased items
online before, you probably already know that Amazon.com are usually
one of cheapest, so we've got Amazon's best price on the left (so you
know what to beat).
Now, you can compare it with the prices from these
very competitive online
book stores below or your preferred seller to find the cheapest. We've
tried to make it as
simple as possible for you to find the cheapest prices.