The
Fiction Gateway
Enriching the curriculum with children’s literature
Suzanne Eberlé and Noelle Williamson
Enriching the curriculum with children’s literature Suzanne Eberlé and Noelle Williamson
ACER Press
First published 2009 by ACER Press, an imprint of Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd 19 Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell Victoria, 3124, Australia www.acerpress.com.au
[email protected] Text © Suzanne Eberlé and Noelle S. Williamson 2009 Design and typography © ACER Press 2009 This book is copyright. All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of Australia and subsequent amendments, and any exceptions permitted under the current statutory licence scheme administered by Copyright Agency Limited (www.copyright. com.au), no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, broadcast or communicated in any form or by any means, optical, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Copying of the blackline master pages The purchasing educational institution and its staff are permitted to make copies of the pages marked as blackline master pages, beyond their rights under the Act, provided that: 1 the number of copies does not exceed the number reasonably required by the educational institution to satisfy its teaching purposes; 2 copies are made only by reprographic means (photocopying), not by electronic/digital means, and not stored or transmitted; 3 copies are not sold or lent; and 4 every copy made clearly shows the footnote (e.g. ‘Copyright © Eberlé and Williamson 2009’). For those pages not marked as blackline masters pages the normal copying limits in the Act, as described above, apply. Edited by Carolyn Glascodine Cover and text design by Mason Design Typeset by Mason Design Printed in Australia by Ligare Cover image © Ableimages/Riser/Getty Images National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data: Author: Title
Eberle, Suzanne Louise, 1947The fiction gateway : enriching the curriculum with children's literature / Suzanne Eberle, Noelle Williamson. ISBN: 9780864318800 (pbk.) Notes: Includes index. Subjects: Curriculum enrichment. Children's literature. Other Authors/Contributors: Williamson, Noelle S., 1933Dewey Number 375.001
Disclaimer: The sites recommended in this book have been scrutinised for their age appropriateness; however, contents of links on the World Wide Web change continuously. Due to the temporary nature of websites, teachers are advised to review all sites and links before directing students to access them.
This handbook should be dedicated to the small group of teacher-librarians and classroom teachers who were the early pioneers of children’s literature in Australia. These early pioneers, supported by a range of publishers, booksellers and academics such as Warwick Eunson, Frank Ayre, Albert Ullin and George Holman in the 1950s, followed by Walter McVitty and Stella Lees in the 1960s and 70s, and Pam McIntyre in the 1970s and 80s, enthusiastically endorsed and promoted children’s literature as an essential component in the literacy curriculum in Victorian schools. The movement spread nationwide, supported by enthusiasts in all states, including Dr Maurice Saxby and Joyce Fardell (NSW) and Dr Belle Alderman (ACT). I imagine these people would be delighted to see this publication as another important contribution to the field. As a participant who saw the sad demise of teacher-librarianship courses in the 1990s, and to a certain extent the accompanying decline in interest in children’s literature, I am pleased to see this helpful resource emerge. It provides teaching strategies and classroom activities that should assist teachers to bring children’s literature alive in the classroom.
DR GRAHAM P CORR
Former Associate Professor & Deputy Dean Faculty of Education University of Melbourne Former member of staff Department of Librarianship Melbourne State College
iii
About the authors
ix
Acknowledgements
x
Introduction
1
Guide to appropriate reading and content levels
4
Summary sheets for selected children’s literature
7
Airborn
KENNETH OPPEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness Quartet) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Ark in the Park
TAMORA PIERCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
JUDY BLUME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
WENDY ORR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Artemis Fowl (series) EOIN COLFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Arthur Corunna’s Story
SALLY MORGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Babe DICK KING-SMITH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Bamboo Flute GARRY DISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Banner Bold (My Australian Story) The Barrumbi Kids
NADIA WHEATLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
LEONIE NORRINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Being Bee CATHERINE BATESON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The BFG
ROALD DAHL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Boss of the Pool
ROBIN KLEIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Boy Overboard MORRIS GLEITZMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Boy Who Would Live Forever (Aussie Chomps) Bridge to Terabithia The Burnt Stick
MOYA SIMONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
KATHERINE PATERSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ANTHONY HILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Buzzard Breath & Brains
JAMES MOLONEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Cabbage Patch Fib PAUL JENNINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cairo Jim and Doris in Search of Martenarten (series) GEOFFREY M C SKIMMING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Cannily, Cannily
SIMON FRENCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Captain Mack JAMES ROY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Cat on the Mat is Flat Catastrophe Cat The Cay
ANDY GRIFFITHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
MARY SMALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
THEODORE TAYLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Charlotte’s Web E. B. WHITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The China Coin
ALLAN BAILLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
A Company of Fools
DEBORAH ELLIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Cool! MICHAEL MORPURGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Corby Flood (Far-Flung Adventures)
PAUL STEWART & CHRIS RIDDELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Crocodile Attack (Extreme Adventures) Dear Mr Henshaw
JUSTIN D’ATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
BEVERLY CLEARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Deep Water (Eden-Glassie Mysteries) ELAINE FORRESTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Devil’s Own
DEBORAH LISSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
v
vi
C O NTE NTS
Don’t Call Me Ishmael! Doubting Thomas
MICHAEL GERARD BAUER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
MORRIS GLEITZMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
The Eighteenth Emergency BETSY BYARS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Extreme Danger (The Hardy Boys) The Fall (The Seventh Tower)
FRANKLIN W. DIXON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
GARTH NIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Fantastic Mr Fox ROALD DAHL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Forests of Silence (Deltora Quest)
EMILY RODDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
A Fortunate Life A. B. FACEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Fragile Cargo (Crime Waves) Frankel Mouse
BILL O’BRIEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
ODO HIRSCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Frozen Fear (Zac Power)
H. I. LARRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Game of the Goose
URSULA DUBOSARSKY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Garden of Empress Cassia
GABRIELLE WANG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
The Gizmo (series)
PAUL JENNINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
A Handful of Blue
VINCE FORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (series) J. K. ROWLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Hatchet
GARY PAULSEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Hating Alison Ashley Haunted Australia
ROBIN KLEIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
JOHN HEFFERNAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Hitler’s Daughter JACKIE FRENCH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Holes LOUIS SACHAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Horrendo’s Curse
ANNA FIENBERG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
I Am David ANNE HOLM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 ‘I Own the Racecourse!’
PATRICIA WRIGHTSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4
The Incredible Journey
SHEILA BURNFORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
The Invention of Hugo Cabret The Iron Man
BRIAN SELZNICK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
TED HUGHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Island of the Blue Dolphins Jodie’s Journey (Takeaways)
SCOTT O’DELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 COLIN THIELE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Josh IVAN SOUTHALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Journey to Eureka KERRY GREENWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 The Jungle Book
RUDYARD KIPLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Lassie Come Home ERIC KNIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) C. S. LEWIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Little Brother
ALLAN BAILLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
The Little Prince ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 The Long Walk
KERRY GREENWOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Loopy Locusts JENNIFER CLUTTERBUCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Macbeth and Son
JACKIE FRENCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Mad Goat Mystery (Quick Reads) Master of the Grove
VICTOR KELLEHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Menace (Sam Silverthorne) Misery Guts
JONATHAN HARLEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
GARY CREW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
MORRIS GLEITZMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
More Than Gold
JOHN HEFFERNAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim My Side of the Mountain Netball Diary
CASSANDRA GOLDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
JEAN CRAIGHEAD GEORGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
BERNADETTE HELLARD & LISA GIBBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Nips XI (Takeaways) No Safe Harbour
RUTH STARKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
DAVID HILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
CONTENTS
On Board the Boussole (My Story) Onion Tears
CHRISTINE EDWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
DIANA KIDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Pagan’s Crusade (Pagan Chronicles) Pharaoh
CATHERINE JINKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
JACKIE FRENCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig
PAUL SHIPTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Pigs Do Fly (It’s True!) TERRY DENTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Playing Beatie Bow
RUTH PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Powder Monkey PAUL DOWSWELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 The Power of One (Young Readers’ Edition)
BRYCE COURTENAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Quentaris in Flames (The Quentaris Chronicles) The Quicksand Pony The Red King
MICHAEL PRYOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
ALISON LESTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
VICTOR KELLEHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Riddle of the Frozen Phantom
MARGARET MAHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Riding with Thunderbolt (My Story)
ALLAN BAILLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The River Kings
MA X FATCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Rowan of Rin (series)
EMILY RODDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Ruby the Red Fairy (Rainbow Magic)
DAISY MEADOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice) The Rum Rebellion (My Story)
LIBBY GLEESON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Sarindi and the Lucky Bird Saving Abbie
JOHN FLANAGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
ELEANOR COERR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
JANINE M. FRASER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
ALLAN BAILLIE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Secrets of Eromanga
SHERYL GW YTHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Selby Speaks (Selby)
DUNCAN BALL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Seven Little Australians
ETHEL TURNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Silk Umbrellas CAROLYN MARSDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 The Silver Horn (The Eaglesmount Trilogy)
CHERITH BALDRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Snowy (My Story) SIOBHAN MCHUGH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Soundtrack
JULIE BERTAGNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Spaceman Bill (Quick Reads) VICTOR KELLEHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Spaghetti Legs
JOHN LARKIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Specky Magee (series) FELICE ARENA & GARRY LYON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Storm Boy COLIN THIELE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Stuart Little
E. B. WHITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Surviving Sydney Cove (My Australian Story) GOLDIE ALEXANDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Tales of King Arthur (Usborne Classics) Tashi (series)
FELICITY BROOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
ANNA FIENBERG & BARBARA FIENBERG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
The Thief Lord CORNELIA FUNKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Thor’s Tale
JANICE MARRIOTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Thunderwith LIBBY HATHORN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Toad Rage MORRIS GLEITZMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 The Tuckshop Kid
PAT FLYNN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
The Twenty-seventh Annual African Hippopotamus Race Two Hands Together
Walking the Boundaries
JACKIE FRENCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
When the Tripods Came (The Tripods Trilogy) Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events) Wreck!
MORRIS LURIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
DIANA KIDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
JOHN CHRISTOPHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 LEMONY SNICKET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
ALLAN BAILLIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Young Bloods KERRY WAKEFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
vii
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C O NTE NTS
Young Murphy
GARY CREW & MARK WILSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Young Nick’s Head
KAREN HESSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Appendices Note: The Appendices are templates that can be photocopied for class use. Appendix A: Research on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Appendix B: Character web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Appendix C: SWOT analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Example: Island of the Blue Dolphins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Appendix D: Deciding on a course of action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Appendix E: Book review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Appendix F: Similarities and differences: Venn diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Appendix G: Forming an opinion (PMI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Appendix H: Coat of arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Appendix I: Information organiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Appendix J: Example of a drama script – The Red King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Subject index
155
Index of authors
160
Index of series
162
Suzanne Eberlé (BA) (NSWTC) spent 13 years as a classroom teacher in three states and then became a teacher librarian after gaining a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management (UC). She has extensive experience in teaching literacy strategies such as Literature Circles and integrated Information Literacy programs, which she has presented at various professional development symposia. Noelle S Williamson (TPTC) (TTLC) established new libraries and reading programs at Boronia West, Croydon West, Bimbadeen Heights and Chirnside Park primary schools and delivered mobile library services to country schools in Victoria. She co-authored the Reading Adventure reading scheme based on multiple copies and dedicates her spare time to tutoring reading.
ix
The authors would like to thank the following publishers for their kind permission to reproduce the cover designs from the books listed below. For catalogues and latest releases, refer to the publishers’ websites.
Allen & Unwin
www.allenandunwin.com.au
HarperCollins Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
A Company of Fools by Deborah Ellis, 2004, Allen & Unwin,
Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie French, 1999, HarperCollins,
East Melbourne, VIC.
Pymble, NSW.
Frankel Mouse by Odo Hirsch, 2000, Allen & Unwin,
Sarindi and the Lucky Bird by Janine M. Fraser, 2001,
St Leonards, NSW.
HarperCollins, Pymble, NSW.
Horrendo’s Curse by Anna Fienberg, 2002, Allen & Unwin,
Walking the Boundaries by Jackie French, 1993, HarperCollins,
Crows Nest, NSW.
Pymble, NSW.
Pigs Do Fly! It’s True by Terry Denton, 2004, Allen & Unwin, East Melbourne, VIC. The Quicksand Pony by Alison Lester, 1997, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW. Tashi by Anna Fienberg, 1995, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW.
Bloomsbury Publishing, UK
www.bloomsbury.com
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Copyright
©
1997
Angus & Robertson Publishers Australia (imprint of HarperCollins) Ark in the Park by Wendy Orr, 2001, Angus & Robertson, Pymble, NSW. Macbeth and Son by Jackie French, 2006, Angus & Robertson, Pymble, NSW. Netball Diary by Lisa Gibbs & Bernadette Hellard, 2003,
J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, London.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble, NSW.
Holes by Louis Sachar, 1998, Bloomsbury, London.
Onion Tears by Diana Kidd, 2003, Angus & Robertson,
Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell, 2005, Bloomsbury, London.
Pymble, NSW. Pharaoh by Jackie French, 2007, Angus & Robertson,
The Chicken House, UK www.doublecluck.com The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, 2002. Cover design: Christian Birmingham. The Chicken House, London.
Egmont UK Ltd www.egmont.co.uk I Am David by Anne Holm, 2000, Egmont, London. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943, Egmont, London.
Fremantle Arts Centre Press www.fremantlepress.com.au
Selby Speaks by Duncan Ball, 1988, Angus & Robertson, North Ryde, NSW. Specky Magee by F. Arena & G. Lyon, 2002, Angus & Robertson, Pymble, NSW.
HarperCollins New Zealand www.harpercollins.co.nz Thor’s Tale by Janice Marriott, 2006, HarperCollins, n.p.
Arthur Corunna’s Story by Sally Morgan, 1990, Fremantle Arts
Hachette Livre Australia www.hachette.com.au
Centre Press, Fremantle, WA.
The Bamboo Flute by Garry Disher, 1992, Hachette Livre
Greater Glider Productions www.greaterglider.com.au Loopy Locusts by Jennifer Clutterbuck, 2002. Illustrated by Dale Leach. Greater Glider, Maleny, QLD.
x
Pymble, NSW.
Australia, Sydney, NSW. Journey to Eureka by Kerry Greenwood, 2005, Hachette Livre Australia, Sydney, NSW. The Long Walk by Kerry Greenwood, 2004, Hachette Livre Australia, Sydney, NSW.
Hardie Grant Egmont www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au
Menace by Gary Crew, 2006, Hachette Livre Australia,
Frozen Fear (Zac Power) by H. I. Larry, 2006, Hardie Grant
Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn, 1989, Hachette Livre Australia,
Egmont, South Yarra, VIC.
Sydney, NSW.
Sydney, NSW.
ACKNOWLEDGE MENTS
Lothian Children’s Books
Crocodile Attack by Justin D’Ath, 2006, Penguin Group
(imprint of Hachette Livre Australia)
(Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
The Devil’s Own by Deborah Lisson, 1990, Lothian Children’s
Deep Water by Elaine Forrestal, 2003, Penguin Group (Aust),
Books, Port Melbourne, VIC.
Camberwell, VIC.
Nips XI by Ruth Starke, 2001, Lothian Children’s Books,
Doubting Thomas by Morris Gleitzman, 2006, Penguin Group
Port Melbourne, VIC.
(Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
Quentaris in Flames by Michael Pryor, 2003, Lothian
Dramatisation from The Red King by Victor Kelleher, 1989,
Children’s Books, South Melbourne, VIC.
Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, Vic.
Secrets of Eromanga by Sheryl Gwyther, 2006, Lothian
The Garden of Empress Cassia by Gabrielle Wang, 2002,
Children’s Books, South Melbourne, VIC.
Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, Vic.
Young Murphy by Gary Crew & Mark Wilson, 2005, Lothian
The Gizmo by Paul Jennings, 1994. Illustrated by Keith McEwan. Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
Children’s Books, South Melbourne, VIC.
Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein, 2000, Penguin Group
New Holland Publishers Australia www.newholland.com.au
(Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
Storm Boy by Colin Thiele, 1968, New Holland, Sydney, NSW.
‘I Own the Racecourse!’ by Patricia Wrightson, 1994, Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
Omnibus Books www.scholastic.com.au
Little Brother by Allan Baillie, 2004, Penguin Group (Aust),
(imprint of Scholastic Australia P/L)
Ringwood, VIC.
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness: # 1, series) 1983 Tamora Pierce. Cover
©
©
2000 Joyce Tennesson. Omnibus
Master of the Grove by Victor Kelleher, 1991, Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
Books, [Lindfield], NSW.
The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim by Cassandra
The Barrumbi Kids by Leonie Norrington, 2003. Cover artwork
Golds, 2005. Illustrated by Stephen Axelson. Penguin Group
by Vivienne Goodman. Omnibus Books, [Lindfield], NSW.
(Aust), Melbourne, VIC.
Boss of the Pool
©
1986 Robin Klein. Cover design
©
2005
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park, 1998, Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
Omnibus Books. Omnibus Books, [Lindfield], NSW. Don’t Call Me Ishmael
©
2006 Michael Gerard Bauer. Cover
©
Rowan of Rin
©
1993 Emily Rodda. Cover artwork
©
2003 Barry
Downard. Omnibus Books, [Lindfield], NSW.
Pan Macmillan Australia
www.macmillan.com.au
The Cat on the Mat is Flat by Andy Griffiths, 2006. Illustrated by Terry Denton. Pan Macmillan, Sydney, NSW. Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman, 2001, Pan Macmillan, Sydney, NSW.
Penguin Group Australia
The Power of One (Young Readers’ Edition) by Bryce Courtenay, 2006, Penguin Group (Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
2006 Joe Bauer. Omnibus Books, [Lindfield], NSW.
The Red King by Victor Kelleher, 2000, Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC. Saving Abbie by Allan Baillie, 2000, Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner, 1994. (First published 1894.) Penguin Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC. The Twenty-seventh Annual African Hippopotamus Race by Morris Lurie, 1989. Illustrated by Elizabeth Honey. Penguin
www.penguin.com.au
Group (Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill, 1996. Illustrations by Mark
Two Hands Together by Diana Kidd, 2000, Penguin Group
Sofilas. Penguin, Ringwood, VIC.
(Aust), Ringwood, Vic.
A Fortunate Life by A. B. Facey, 2005, Penguin, Camberwell, VIC.
Wreck! by Allan Baillie, 1997, Penguin Group (Aust),
The Game of the Goose by Ursula Dubosarsky, 2000, Penguin,
Ringwood, VIC.
Camberwell, VIC.
Young Bloods by Kerry Wakefield, 1997, Penguin Group
Puffin Books
(Aust), Ringwood, VIC.
(imprint of Penguin Group)
Penguin Group (UK)
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, 2002, Penguin Group (Aust),
Babe
Camberwell, VIC.
Mary Rayner. Penguin Books, London.
©
©
© 1982 Roald Dahl Nominee (Puffin 1985, 2007). © 1982 Quentin Blake. Penguin Books, London. Bridge to Terabithia 1977 Katherine Paterson (Puffin 1980). ©
Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman, 2002, Penguin Group
The BFG
(Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
Illustrations
The Boy Who Would Live Forever by Moya Simons, 2003,
www.penguin.com
1983 Dick King-Smith (Puffin 1985). Illustrations
Penguin Group (Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
Penguin Books, London.
The Cabbage Patch Fib by Paul Jennings, 2002. Illustrated by
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Craig Smith. Penguin Group (Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
2002). Penguin Books, London.
Cannily, Cannily by Simon French, 2003, Penguin Group
Fantastic Mr Fox
(Aust), Camberwell, VIC.
Illustrations
The China Coin by Allan Baillie, 1992, Penguin Group (Aust),
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Ringwood, VIC.
Penguin Books, London.
©
© 1952 J. White (Puffin 1963,
© 1970 Roald Dahl (Puffin 1996, 2007).
1996 Quentin Blake. Penguin Books, London.
© 1958 Scott O’Dell (Puffin 1966).
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AC KNO WLE DGEM EN TS
The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig
© 2004 Paul Shipton (Puffin
2004). Penguin Books, London.
Penguin Group (USA) http://us.penguingroup. com/ My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, 1959 (Puffin 2001). Penguin Group (USA), New York. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, 1977. Illustrated by Ronald Himler (Puffin 1999). Penguin Group (USA), New York.
Ranger’s Apprentice 1: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan, 2004, Random House Australia, North Sydney. Spaghetti Legs by John Larkin, 1993, Random House Australia, North Sydney.
© Scholastic Press 2000. Graphics: Kate Rowe. First published 2000, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. Haunted Australia
©
© 2005 John Heffernan. Cover photographs ©
Guy Kierulf. Illustrations by Lake Shore Graphics. Cover
Scholastic Press 2005. First published 2005, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. More Than Gold
© 2000 John Heffernan. First published 2000,
[Lindfield], NSW.
Scholastic (USA) www.scholastic.com The Invention of Hugo Cabret
© 2007 Brian Selznick, Scholastic
Inc./Scholastic Press, New York. The Seventh Tower: The Fall by Garth Nix. Cover illustration by Steve Rawlings. Illustration
Scholastic Australia www.scholastic.com.au My Australian Story: A Banner Bold: The Diary of Rosa Aarons
© 2000 Nadia Wheatley. Cover design: Antart, Sydney. First published 2000, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. My Story: On Board the Boussole: The Diary of Julienne Fulbert
© 2002 Christine Edwards. Cover design: Antart, Sydney. First published 2002, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. My Story: Riding with Thunderbolt: The Diary of Ben Cross
© 2004 Allan Baillie. Cover © Scholastic Press 2004. Cover design: Antart, Sydney. First published 2004, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. My Australian Story: The Rum Rebellion: The Diary of David
© 2001 Libby Gleeson. Cover © Scholastic Press 2006.
Cover design: WideOpen.net.au. Illustrated by Amy Tovey. First published 2001, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW.
© 2003 Siobhan © Scholastic Press 2003. Cover design: Antart, Sydney. Cover background images Commonwealth of Australia. ©
My Story: Snowy: The Diary of Eva Fischer McHugh. Cover
First published 2003, Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW. My Australian Story: Surviving Sydney Cove: The Diary of Elizabeth Harvey
©
Margaret Hamilton Books, an imprint of Scholastic Australia,
Random House Australia www.randomhouse.com.au
Bellamy
Deltora Quest 1: 1 The Forests of Silence text and graphics
2000 Emily Rodda. Cover illustrations: Marc McBride. Cover
© 2000 Goldie Alexander. Cover © Scholastic
© 2000 Scholastic Inc. 2000,
Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Press, New York.
University of Queensland Press www.uqp. uq.edu.au Being Bee by Catherine Bateson, 2006, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD. Buzzard Breath & Brains by James Moloney, 1998, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD. Captain Mack by James Roy, 1999, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD. Josh by Ivan Southall, 2006, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD. The Tuckshop Kid by Pat Flynn, 2006, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, QLD.
University of Western Australia Press www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au Catastrophe Cat
© 1994 Mary Small. Cygnet Books, n.p.
Usborne Publishing (UK)
www.usborne.com
Classics Retold: Tales of King Arthur retold by Felicity Brooks. Copyright
© 2002 Usborne Publishing, London.
Wakefield Press
www.wakefieldpress.com.au
Press 2000. Cover design: Antart. First published 2000,
The River Kings by Max Fatchen, 2004, Wakefield Press,
Scholastic Press, [Lindfield], NSW.
[Adelaide], SA.
This handbook has been written to promote the wider use of literature, particularly fiction, as a portal to cross-curriculum learning in the primary to lower secondary years. It is designed to be used in support of literacy strategies that develop reading ability in students who have acquired a level of reading independence. For students who have reached this stage, the focus can shift from an emphasis on the mechanics of reading to the use of reading (particularly fiction) as a tool to explore knowledge in other subject areas. The investment in multiple copies of novels can be repaid immeasurably by the positive influence of social reading programs. The aim is to turn reading from a chore into a powerful tool that gives students pleasure and confidence and develops self-esteem associated with an ability that enhances their academic success and enriches their lives. Teaching strategies for each book are presented under the following headings. Refer to the sample page (p. 3) for further explanation. • Synposis: The synopsis gives a brief summary of the plot and main characters of the story. While it is obviously desirable for teachers and librarians to have read all the books they are recommending, this is not always possible, so this section provides interim support and more details than the cover blurb. • Related topics and subjects: The subjects and topics indicate where the work of fiction can be integrated into other subject areas to introduce or extend a topic under study. The Values section includes topics from the ‘Character is Destiny’ national Values Education programme, which comprises nine key topics: Care and Compassion, Doing Your Best, Fair Go, Freedom, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion. Other Values Education topics are represented in this section. • Reading level / Concepts level: This grid has been developed to give teachers, librarians and parents an idea of the suitability of a book for a particular student at a glance. The grid has been arranged to indicate not only the level of reading skill required, but also the suitability of the content; for example, while an advanced younger reader may be able to read a certain book independently, the maturity of the content may be inappropriate for such a young child. This information is not always apparent on the cover blurb and is more descriptive than a simple ‘10 years +’ classification. • Questions for discussion: These questions are intended as a stimulus for group discussion; they are not simply a memory test to see if the student has read the book. Questioning should be designed to produce thinking strategies that give practice in analysing, evaluating, speculating, categorising, appreciating other points of view, acquiring new knowledge and articulating and discussing conflicting opinions.
1
2
I N T R O D U CTIO N
• Excerpt to read: The excerpts should save teachers hours of time looking for an exciting ‘hook’ to read aloud so that students will want to read the book themselves. A brief sentence gives an indication of how the excerpt fits into the context of the story. • Suggested post-reading/presentation activities: These suggestions are designed to give students the opportunity to evaluate, present and share their reading experiences as a group or individually. Some of the group activities are also useful for the culmination stage of Literature Circles, Social and Guided Reading programs and can be used to showcase literacy activities at assemblies or for assessment purposes. Individual activities can augment computer-based reading schemes that monitor individual progress. The activities draw on a variety of multiple intelligences to provide expressive and creative opportunities for diverse talents and interests. There is also a great opportunity to integrate information technology skills into the curriculum by presenting students with structured lines of inquiry-based research on specific topics in order to present information of high quality. (Please note the disclaimer regarding Internet sites.) Appendix A has information for students about accessing the World Wide Web and could be enlarged and put on the wall beside computers. The other Appendices provide teachers with eight graphic organisers to help develop thinking skills. They can be photocopied for classroom use to help students assemble and arrange their thoughts about the texts and the lines of inquiry their reading stimulates. These Appendices include activity sheets for a character web, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, a choices and consequences page, a book review, a Venn diagram for identifying similarities, differences and common characteristics, an organiser to use when forming an opinion or argument for discussion or debate (plus, minus and interesting), a coat of arms, an information organiser and an example of a drama script based on one of the texts. We hope that young people will discover a passion for a particular subject when exposed to the stories that stimulate further investigation. The great value of literature is that it gives them a universal yardstick by which to evaluate their own lives and promotes a rich interior life through the pleasure of reading. It is well to remember there is nothing as motivating and infectious as your own spontaneous enthusiasm for books! Suzanne Eberlé Noelle Williamson
INT RODUC TION
The first publication date given is the book’s first release followed by subsequent editions where applicable.
These topics and subjects indicate curriculum areas in which the text can either introduce, or enrich and enhance an understanding of the subject being studied.
This table and notes provide a guide to the degree of reading competence required at the level indicated (developing, competent or advanced) and whether the concept level is appropriate – not too mature (or juvenile) – for the age of the student.
The synopsis gives a brief summary of the plot, main characters or theme.
Title
Onion Tears
Author
Diana Kidd
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins 1990, 2003
Synopsis
Nam-Huong lived in Vietnam until the night her parents sent her away secretly with her grandfather to escape the ravages of war. The pair escaped to the coast from where they set sail in a refugee boat on a terrifying journey. Now Nam-Huong lives with her ‘Auntie’ and another refugee, Chu Minh, in Australia where they run a restaurant, but Nam still waits for her parents to come and get her. Images of her ordeal have frozen inside her, so she rarely responds to the other children at school, until her teacher, Miss Lily, takes the children camping and Nam sees the sea again for the first time.
Related topics
Access Asia Vietnam Refugees Family relationships Grief and loss Values: Belonging, Courage, Freedom, Resilience
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
3
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Nam is remembering the trip she made on the refugee boat that brought her to Australia. Excerpt to read
Start: Letter to the little yellow canary, p. 59, ‘There was ...’ Finish: End of italics, p. 62
Note: This is a short, easy-to-read story for developing readers
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Nam sent away from Vietnam and not the other children in her family? 2 Why do you think the author chose the title ‘Onion Tears’? 3 What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant? 4 Where do refugees stay when they arrive in Australia? Why? 5 What happened to Nam that finally allowed her tears to flow? 6 What technique does the writer use to tell us about Nam’s life in Vietnam? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
As part of a Vietnam wall display, obtain an outline map showing Australia and South-East Asia. Colour Vietnam and Australia and write the names of the surrounding seas and oceans. Display information about aspects of Vietnamese life, such as their calendar of festivals at
. Vietnam was dominated by China for 1000 years during which time the Vietnamese people made attempts to gain their freedom. Many of the resistance leaders were female. At find out about the Trung warrior sisters and how they are revered today during the Tet festival. Paint a large, dramatic scene of the Trung sisters riding elephants into battle. Which other countries have invaded Vietnam?
These open questions are designed to stimulate thinking, discussion and inquiry.
Cross-curriculum activities are designed to help students evaluate, present and share their reading experiences either as individual projects, presentations to culminate literature circles or as whole class activities to enhance inquiry-based research and information technology skills.
A dramatic or significant excerpt (cliff-hanger) has been selected for reading aloud to students to promote the book. A sentence explains how the excerpt fits into the context of the story.
Guide to appropriate reading and content levels
Note: D = developing
C = competent
A = advanced (reading ability for age) Lower/ Middle Primary Grades 3-4
TITLE
D
C
A
Middle/ Upper Primary Grades 5-6 D
C
✔ ✔ ✔
Airborn Alanna: The First Adventure Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Ark in the Park
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
The Bamboo Flute A Banner Bold The Barrumbi Kids Being Bee
✔
The BFG Boss of the Pool
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Boy Overboard The Boy Who Would Live Forever
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Bridge to Terabithia The Burnt Stick Buzzard Breath & Brains
✔
✔
Cairo Jim and Doris in Search of Martenarten Cannily, Cannily Captain Mack The Cat on the Mat is Flat Catastrophe Cat
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
The Cay
✔
Charlotte’s Web The China Coin
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
A Company of Fools
✔
Cool! Corby Flood Crocodile Attack
✔
Dear Mr Henshaw
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Deep Water
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
The Devil’s Own Don’t Call Me Ishmael!
✔
Doubting Thomas The Eighteenth Emergency
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Extreme Danger The Fall Fantastic Mr Fox The Forests of Silence
4
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
C
A
✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
Page No. 7 8 9
✔
Arthur Corunna’s Story Babe
D
10
Artemis Fowl
The Cabbage Patch Fib
A
Upper Primary/ Lower Secondary Grades 6-7
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
11 12 13 14
✔ ✔
15 16 17 18
✔ ✔
✔
19
✔
✔
20 21
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
22 23
✔
24 25
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
26 27 28
✔
29 30
✔
✔
✔
31 32
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
33
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
34 35 36 37 38
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
39
✔ ✔
40 41 42 43
✔
44 45 46
✔
✔
47
GUIDE T O AP P ROP RIAT E READING AND CONT ENT L EVEL S
Note: D = developing
C = competent
A = advanced (reading ability for age) Lower/ Middle Primary Grades 3-4
TITLE
D
C
A
Middle/ Upper Primary Grades 5-6 D
A Fortunate Life
C
A
D
C
A
Page No.
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
48
✔
Fragile Cargo Frankel Mouse
✔
✔
Frozen Fear The Game of the Goose
✔
The Garden of Empress Cassia The Gizmo
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
A Handful of Blue
✔
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Hatchet Hating Alison Ashley Haunted Australia
✔
Hitler’s Daughter Holes
✔
Horrendo’s Curse
✔
✔
I Am David ‘I Own the Racecourse!’ The Incredible Journey The Invention of Hugo Cabret
✔ ✔
The Iron Man Island of the Blue Dolphins Jodie’s Journey
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
Josh
✔
Journey to Eureka The Jungle Book
✔ ✔
Lassie Come Home The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Little Brother The Little Prince
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
The Long Walk Loopy Locusts
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔
Master of the Grove
✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
Menace Misery Guts
✔
More Than Gold The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
My Side of the Mountain Netball Diary Nips XI
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
No Safe Harbour On Board the Boussole Onion Tears
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔
Pagan’s Crusade Pharaoh The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig
✔
✔
49 50
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
51
✔
52 53
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
54 55 56
✔
57 58
✔
59 60
✔
61 62
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
65 66 67
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
68 69
✔
70 71
✔
72 73 74 75
✔ ✔
76 77 78
✔
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
63 64
✔ ✔
Macbeth and Son Mad Goat Mystery
Upper Primary/ Lower Secondary Grades 6-7
79 80 81 82 83 84
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
85
✔ ✔
86 87 88
✔
89 90
✔
91
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
92 93
✔
94
5
6
G UI D E TO AP PRO P RIATE REA DING A N D CO NT ENT LEVELS
Note: D = developing
C = competent
A = advanced (reading ability for age) Lower/ Middle Primary Grades 3-4
TITLE
D
Pigs Do Fly (It’s True!)
Middle/ Upper Primary Grades 5-6
C
A
D
C
A
D
C
A
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Playing Beatie Bow Powder Monkey The Power of One (Young Readers’ Edition) Quentaris in Flames The Quicksand Pony The Red King
✔
The Riddle of the Frozen Phantom Riding with Thunderbolt The River Kings Rowan of Rin Ruby the Red Fairy
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
The Ruins of Gorlan The Rum Rebellion Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Sarindi and the Lucky Bird
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Secrets of Eromanga
✔
✔
✔
Seven Little Australians Silk Umbrellas
✔ ✔
The Silver Horn Snowy
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Soundtrack
✔
Spaceman Bill
✔ ✔
Storm Boy Stuart Little
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
Surviving Sydney Cove
✔ ✔
Tales of King Arthur Tashi
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
The Thief Lord
✔
Thor’s Tale Thunderwith Toad Rage The Tuckshop Kid The Twenty-seventh Annual African Hippopotamus Race Two Hands Together Walking the Boundaries
✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
Wreck! Young Bloods Young Murphy Young Nick’s Head
✔
✔
✔
96 97 98 99
✔
100 101 102 103
✔
104 105
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
107 108
✔
109
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
✔
112
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
113
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
114 115
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
111
116 117
✔
✔
✔
✔
118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
127 128
✔
129 130 131 132
✔ ✔
When the Tripods Came Wide Window
95
106
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
Spaghetti Legs Specky Magee
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Page No.
110
Saving Abbie Selby Speaks
Upper Primary/ Lower Secondary Grades 6-7
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
133 134
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
135 136
✔
137 138 139 140
Title
Airborn A prequel to Skybreaker
Author
Kenneth Oppel
Publisher
Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Livre 2004
Synopsis
Matt Cruse, a cabin boy on the airship, Aurora, has flying in his blood. One night on lookout duty, he rescues an injured, elderly, hot-air balloonist who hints at having seen huge flying mammals as he breathes his last breath. The balloonist’s granddaughter, Kate, enlists Matt’s help to find these mysterious creatures she calls ‘cloud cats’, but their progress goes awry when the Aurora is hijacked by Vikram Szpirglas, a murdering air pirate, and his gang. Matt and Kate are taken prisoner and a deadly cat-and-mouse game begins on the Aurora as they try to free the airship from the invaders.
Related topics and subjects
Fantasy genre Pirates Transport: dirigibles / ballooning Science fiction Values: Co-operation, Courage
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: A great adventure story but the length (433 pp.) may deter reluctant and developing readers. Mature content: character shot at close range.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 6, fourth line from the end of p. 119 Finish: Chapter 6, top of p. 123, end of second line
1 Why did Matt miss out on promotion to junior sailmaker when he showed such promise? 2 What fuel powered the Aurora? What fuels were used in real airships? Find out and describe their different properties. 3 List all the information about cloud cats in the book: appearance, habitat, feeding, reproduction, migration, etc. 4 This is a fantasy story but what clues indicate that it may have taken place in the early 20th century? (e.g. ‘Do you have a chaperone?’) 5 In Chapter 13, we learn about the death of Matt’s father. How did he die? How did this contribute to Matt’s dislike of not being airborne? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
Matt Cruse is on night watch in the glassdomed crow’s nest of the airship Aurora when he sees a dark shape in the sky blotting out the stars ahead of them.
•
•
• •
Go to <www.airborn.ca/crossword/airborn_crossword.pdf> to have some fun learning about the world of Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries by doing the crossword. By the 1930s, it was believed that airships would be the future of aviation until the tragic fate of the Hindenburg. Go to <www.unmuseum. org/hindenburg.htm> and use the information to give a presentation on airships, focusing on the Hindenburg. Book display: Use the diagram at the front of the book as a guide to construct a model of the Aurora. Try to incorporate a small helium balloon inside your model and anchor it with fishing line in front of a night sky background with cloud cats pasted on it. Use your research skills to try to find a short, simple version of the epic of Gilgamesh. Make a jigsaw puzzle from a painting of the story.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
7
Title
Alanna: The First Adventure Book 1 of the Song of the Lioness Quartet Prequel to In the Hand of the Goddess
As a result of persistent dreams, Sir Myles of Barony Olau feels compelled to take Alanna to see some ancient ruins on his estate. They begin exploring.
Author
Tamora Pierce
Publisher
Omnibus, Scholastic 1983, 2007
Synopsis
Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight while her brother, Thom, yearns to be a sorcerer, so when they are sent away for training, they swap identities and Alanna becomes Alan, a page at the Palace of Naxen. Alanna works hard and is noticed by the heir to the throne, Prince Jonathan. Duke Roger of Conté, second in line to the throne, warns Jonathan against going to a place called the Black City, but although Alanna suspects it is a lure, she goes with him. Jonathan is shocked to learn his page is a girl, but by now she has proved her mettle, leaving him with some hard decisions to make about the future.
Related topics
Fantasy genre Chivalry Knights and knighthood Heroines Magic Values: Friendship, Resilience, Honesty and Trustworthiness
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Start: Chapter ‘Womanhood’, paragraph 6, p. 129 Finish: End of paragraph 2, p. 132
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced Note: Explanation of menstruation and conception (pp. 117–120) Check suitability for younger advanced readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How did Alanna persuade her manservant, Coram, to co-operate with her secret scheme to become a knight? 2 George Cooper, King of the Thieves, is not all bad. What actions show that he was both clever and kind? 3 Alanna complains that the steps to knighthood had too many rules. What rules did she break when she fought with Ralon of Malven and why was she punished so lightly? 4 Prepare a character web for Jonathan (Appendix B). What evidence is there in the story that he was likely to become a good king? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
8
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a list of the 12 chivalric virtues and find their meanings in a dictionary. Type and print them out in a suitable font and make the paper look like a decorated medieval parchment that a knight may have rolled up and carried with him. This website may help: . Prepare a visual or digital presentation on the life of a famous female battle leader, such as Joan of Arc, Boadicea, Blanche de Laurac, or any other you can find through research.
Title
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Author
Judy Blume
Publisher
Pan Macmillan 1970, 2001
Synopsis
This sensitively written book captures with humour the joys, fears and uncertainty that young girls approaching adolescence experience. Getting her period, her first bra, and worrying about boys are all part of Margaret’s growth, as is her confusion about religion. Margaret’s plans for a trip by herself to Florida to stay with her Jewish grandma are dashed when her mother’s estranged parents (devoutly religious Christians) decide to pay a visit, leaving her resentful and even more confused. Her project about religion is moving, and her belief in her God unshaken, despite the pressure by family members.
Related topics and subjects
Family relationships Friendship School life Growth and development Values: Respect, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
On Margaret’s twelfth birthday, she expects to have a great day but finds her teacher, Mr Benedict, has put her in a project group away from her friends. Excerpt to read
Chapter 18
Note: An easy read which may appeal to reluctant girl readers. Deals with menstruation and aspects of pubescent emotional and physical development.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Judy Blume’s books have been translated into over 20 languages but are unmistakably American. Do you think children in other countries, say China or Egypt, would experience the same problems as her characters? Why?/Why not? 2 Do you hate it when your parents fight? What can children do to cope with this situation? 3 What are the consequences of passing on harmful or hurtful information? What is ‘defamation’? 4 Do you think young people are better off being told what religion they are, or being allowed to decide for themselves? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Write about a typical day in your life that expresses in diary form your joys, fears, hopes and problems. Have each member of your group select a different title from the list of many books Judy Blume has written and give each book a brief, but dynamic, ‘sell’ without giving away too much of the plot. Afterwards, arrange a display of all the books on a table with a photo and biography of the author.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
9
After looking down on the Noah’s Ark pet shop in the park opposite her house for so long, Sophie finally gets to pay it a visit.
Title
Ark in the Park
Author
Wendy Orr
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins 1994, 2001
Synopsis
Sophie spends most of her time at the window of her family’s high-rise apartment which overlooks a park where the biggest, most unusual pet shop, shaped like Noah’s Ark, shows through the trees. She longs for something interesting to happen, but her mother is busy every day with newborn twins and her father is mostly at work. Mr and Mrs Noah from the pet shop long for a grandchild, but as they had no children, this is an impossible dream until Sophie meets them on her birthday.
Related topics
Animal stories
Pets
Family relationships CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Chapter 4, p. 28, ‘At the top ...’ Finish: Chapter 4, p. 29, ‘Just “oh”.’
Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
•
presentation activities
Lower
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 Do you think Sophie’s parents are over-protective? Are you allowed to go out anywhere on your own? 2 What appeals to you about living in a city – what are the advantages and the problems? 3 What makes a good friend? 4 Where was the brass dolphin?
post-reading/
•
•
10
Noah’s Ark
and subjects
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a large Noah’s Ark using strong cardboard, paint boards on it and draw double-sided figures of animals to place on the decks that can stand up when folded in half – two of each. Design an inner-city housing complex with as many natural features as possible to make it a good place for children to live in. Perhaps you can include a cave, a cubby house, a fort, a bike track, a waterfall, an animal enclosure and other features you would like the city children to enjoy. Imagine you are a child living on a farm a long way from the nearest neighbours. Write a short piece beginning with the words, ‘I wish I lived in the city because ...’ Then write another piece by a child living in the middle of a crowded city and begin with the words ‘I wish I lived in the country because ...’
Title
Artemis Fowl Series: Artemis Fowl
Author
Eoin Colfer
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1990, 2002
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a juvenile-James-Bond-type figure with no redeeming motives who uses futuristic hi-tech gadgets to steal the legendary gold of the fairy ‘other world’ in an effort to restore the family’s millions. He extorts the fairies’ secret manual from a hapless, fey creature then proceeds to kidnap Captain Holly Short, a promising fairy operative, in order to extract information about the gold he craves. A lot of blood and mayhem later, he outwits all the magic, technology and wizardry of the People (the name applied to inhabitants of the fairy realm), so our anti-hero avoids his comeuppance and lives to plan his next exploit.
Related topics
Fantasy
Crime
Irish folklore
Scientific technology
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: It is unlikely younger readers will understand the rather cynical parody associated with the main character’s code of greed and self-interest. Lots of violence. Difficult vocabulary for young readers (e.g. ‘arcane’, ‘metaphorically’, ‘extrapolation’)
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4 5 6
What is Fowl’s motive for stealing the secret manual of the fairies? Artemis Fowl is a very unusual ‘hero’. Why? Who were the main operatives in the Lower Elements Police (LEP)? What ritual did Holly have to perform to recharge? Why does Fowl agree to give back half of the gold to the People? The Mud People (humans) are held in contempt by the People. Find instances in the book where human behaviour and morality are called into question. 7 How would you describe this book – ‘playful and very funny’? (Time) •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Captain Holly Short, a fairy operative, has been ordered to fly to Ireland and perform the Ritual to restore her magic energy powers by planting an acorn at full moon, unaware that Artemis Fowl and his assistant, Butler, are lying in wait to capture the next fairy that appears. Note: LEP = Lower Elements Police; Mud People = humans; the People = all forms of fairy life – see Synopsis
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 4, section break, p. 72 Finish: End of Chapter 4, p. 77
Research widely then write an illustrated encyclopedia of all paranormal life forms believed to inhabit the ‘other world’ (e.g. fairies, trolls, leprechauns, unicorns, centaurs, trolls, wizards, goblins, gnomes, elves, giants, etc.). Arrange your collection in alphabetical order before binding into a book. (Folklore – Irish may assist you in your search.) Quoting examples from the text, prepare a SWOT analysis (see Appendix C) of Artemis Fowl’s character. Use the information to support your evaluation of him as a hero.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
11
Title
Arthur Corunna’s Story See also: Sally’s Story and Mother and Daughter
After a merciless beating, Arthur has run away with two other boys from the Swan Native and Half-Caste Mission and must now try to evade all police and government authorities.
Author
Sally Morgan
Publisher
Fremantle Arts Centre Press 1990, 1995
Synopsis
When Sally Morgan discovers she has Indigenous ancestry she begins a quest to find out more. Fortunately, a great-uncle in his nineties has much to tell her. His real name was Jilly-yung, son of Annie Padewani and a white station owner in the Pilbara, Western Australia. As a part-white child, he was taken to an Anglican mission where he received some education and a terrific beating. He ran away and made a name for himself as a boxer, then worked for a series of settler-farmers who consistently denied him his wages until, in 1916, his fortunes began to change.
Related topics
Indigenous Australia Western Australia Family relationships Biographies and memoirs Racism Values: Belonging, Self-esteem
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Beginning of Chapter 5 Finish: Chapter 5, end of paragraph 8, p. 56, ‘... our lives.’
Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
• •
activities
•
12
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
1 There are several reasons why Sally had little knowledge about her identity, background and relatives. What were they? 2 Identify people in the story with whom Arthur came into contact and describe how they treated him. 3 Aboriginal kinship arrangements can be quite complicated. See if you can construct Sally’s family tree. How far back can you construct your own family tree? 4 Do you think it’s important to know about your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents? Discuss this in relation to cloning, technologyassisted conception, surrogacy and adoption.
post-reading/ presentation
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Complete a character web (Appendix B) to show the traits and qualities Arthur possessed. Aboriginal art has a strong storytelling component. Look at the illustrations and observe how modern, as well as traditional, stories can be told. Paint a story about your own identity in an Aboriginal art style. Make a poster about the geography, land use and features of Western Australia. Make sure you include a distance scale.
Title
Babe Originally published as The Sheep-Pig
Author
Dick King-Smith
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1983, 1995
Synopsis
When Farmer Hogget guesses the weight of a piglet at a country fair, he wins an extraordinary animal. The pig is adopted and christened ‘Babe’ by the farmer’s dog, Fly, who teaches the pig all she knows about sheep herding. Babe becomes a hero when he stops sheep rustlers from stealing Hogget’s flock, but when he is found in a paddock with a dead sheep and blood on his snout, it must spell the end for him. Babe still hopes to reinstate himself when the farmer enters him in the Grand Challenge Sheep Dog Trials. Can he earn Farmer Hogget’s highest praise of ‘that’ll do’?
Related topics
Animal stories
Farming
Pigs
Values: Bravery, Justice
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: Younger readers may have difficulty with British dialect spelling, e.g. ’twern’t and ’twouldn’t, etc. but a good story to read aloud to the class.
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/ presentation activities
1 2 3 4
How did Babe come to live at Hogget’s farm? Why was Fly happy to allow Babe to take over the herding tasks? When did Babe show his first courage? What was different about his approach to the sheep compared to Fly’s? 5 What was the secret that enabled Babe to communicate with the sheep at the Trial? 6 If you have seen the movie, which did you enjoy more – the book or the film? Why? •
To his horror, Babe has found two stray dogs attacking the sheep (or ‘worrying’ them, as Farmer Hogget calls it), so he chases them away, then comes back to help his special friend, an old ewe called Ma, who has been hurt. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 8, p. 78, ‘Howling ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 8
Classifying animals: Use this activity to learn about organising information using ICT skills: Create a table in Microsoft Word with 5 columns and about 15 rows and see how many cells you can fill with the help of a dictionary or encyclopedia. Learn how to move from cell to cell using the tab and arrow keys. Species
Male
Female
Young
Group
sheep
ram
ewe
lamb
flock
horse
stallion
mare
colt
herd
geese
gander
goose
gosling
flock
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
13
Paul’s teacher, Mr Riggs, is a wounded ex-soldier from the First World War. The class has just been warned about a criminal called Eric the Red whom Paul has befriended and now at the end of the school day, he thinks he might be in trouble.
Title
The Bamboo Flute
Author
Garry Disher
Publisher
Hachette Livre 1992, 2002
Synopsis
Children can dream, even if life on a farm in rural Australia in the late 1920s means long days of chores, school, more chores and long walks to school and back. At one time, Paul’s family had owned a piano, didn’t work on Sundays, and sometimes wore their best clothes. That was before the endless procession of jobless men came tramping along the road past their farm gate. Paul’s war-affected father is remote and unresponsive, but when Paul discovers a vagabond called Eric the Red camped in an old garden playing a flute like the Pied Piper, he feels the music trickling back into his life.
Related topics
Australia: modern history The Great Depression School life Musical instruments Values: Care and Compassion, Optimism
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent
Start: Chapter 10, p. 62, ‘Good afternoon, ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 10
Advanced
✔
Note: A short, easy novel suitable for developing older readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why were so many swagmen passing through the little town of Tarlee where Paul lived? 2 Why do you think Paul’s father was so bad tempered? 3 Eric the Red had been through the First World War too, but he was different to Paul’s father. How? 4 Why hadn’t Paul been invited to join Margaret’s Secret Society? 5 Look at each of the black-and-white photos at the end of the book and discuss how life has changed in Australia since the 1930s. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
14
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
If you have access to some bamboo, see if you can make a flute that produces musical notes and learn to perform a song. Note: Get adult assistance with sharp tools. Use Microsoft Publisher to make an illustrated WANTED poster for Eric the Red. Remember the reward must be in pounds (£), not dollars. (Five pounds per week in those days was an excellent wage and a house could be purchased for £500.) Choose a significant event from Australia’s history in the 1930s and make a visual display or digital presentation about the event. To get started, visit .
Title
A Banner Bold The Diary of Rosa Aarons, Ballarat Goldfield, 1854 Series: My Australian Story
Author
Nadia Wheatley
Publisher
Scholastic 2000
Synopsis
Rosa is a clever young Jewish girl who migrates from London to Australia with her parents in the 1850s. They settle in a tent city on the goldfields near Ballarat where Rosa learns about the conflicts of difference in race, religion, culture and class. She has written a play and practises hard with her friends to make it the best performance ever, but events overthrow their plans and instead Rosa is caught up in the events of a miners’ rebellion, later known as the Eureka Stockade.
Related topics and subjects
Diary genre Eureka Stockade Australia: 19th century history Civics and Citizenship Gold Drama Values: Friendship, Justice
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
1 What was the ‘Yellow Fever’ Vati was supposed to have caught? 2 What did the miners believe was unjust about the licensing system? 3 How did Rosa overcome the problem of having no friends? What got in the way of her efforts to establish friendships? 4 The miners formed the Ballarat Reform League in protest against the constant licence hunts by police, but the League’s concerns soon included other issues. What were they? (Refer to page 104.) 5 Why did the women sew the Southern Cross flag in secret? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
Lower Secondary Mature content
• •
•
Rosa’s father, Vati, is on sentry duty in the Stockade the night Rosa’s baby brother is born. Rosa decides she must creep through the darkness to go and bring her father back to their tent. Excerpt to read
Start: Entry for Sunday 3 December 1854, p. 131, paragraph 4, ‘I push ...’ Finish: Entry for Sunday 3 December 1854, p. 135, to section break, ‘... I think.’
Find out the weight and value of the gold that was transported under guard to Melbourne during the gold rush in Victoria. Try to find out the value of the gold in today’s money. Make a Eureka flag that can be used in the next activity. Write and perform a play about the Eureka Stockade. Study drawings of 19th century gold miners to inspire your costumes. Use large painted cardboard boxes to construct a wall of the stockade, a gold cradle and windlass. The dialogue of your play should inform the audience about the miners’ grievances and portray the famous personalities involved; it shouldn’t just be an endless pitched battle between the miners and the police/soldiers! (See Appendix J for an example of a drama script.) Compose a song about what the miners were standing up for to finish the performance.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
15
Dale, Tomias and little brother Jimmy have taken a fishing lure from Dale’s dad without permission. Near the river, they meet Tomias’s parents, Rex and Mavis, and Dale’s sister, Lizzie, before moving further upstream to find the best fishing spot where the lure becomes caught in a tree on the other side of the river. They are too scared of gingas (crocodiles) to wade across and get it, so they run back to Rex and Mavis to tell them what they’ve done.
Title
The Barrumbi Kids
Author
Leonie Norrington
Publisher
Omnibus, Scholastic 2002, 2003
Synopsis
Dale and Tomias are two boys growing up in a remote Aboriginal community near Katherine in the Northern Territory where they straddle two cultures. It is the last year before they leave for boarding school where they will no longer be able to wag classes to go fishing in crocodile-infested waters, hunt in burning grasslands or even be rescued from their exploits by young Lizzie. When the dry season lasts too long, they join an excursion to Barrumbi, a place where the old people ‘do ceremony’ and when the rains finally come, they see something from the Dreaming they will never forget.
Related topics
Indigenous Australia School life Environment and sustainability Racism Values: Friendship, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion, Respect
and subjects
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 14, paragraph 2, p. 99 Finish: Chapter 14, end of paragraph 3, p. 104 Suggested
1 Tomias is soon to ‘do ceremony’. What does this mean and why won’t Dale be able to do it? 2 Some white people in the community disapproved of the way the Indigenous Australians routinely set fire to the bush. Why is this practice carried out? 3 What did the boys do to survive the fire? 4 In Chapter 10, the term ‘positive discrimination’ is used. What does it mean? 5 What do you think the Armstrongs felt about living at Long Hole? What instances support your opinion? 6 Why couldn’t Dale and Tomias get along with Gordon? How could the intolerance on both sides have been overcome? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
16
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Ask a librarian to help you find a map of Australia showing the boundaries of Aboriginal countries before the arrival of non-Indigenous people. What is the Aboriginal name of the country around Katherine in the Northern Territory where the story takes place? Find the Aboriginal name of the area of Australia where you live. This story describes the experience of growing up in two cultures. Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to identify the similarities and differences in Tomias’s experiences of Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture.
Title
Being Bee
Author
Catherine Bateson
Publisher
University of Queensland Press 2006
Synopsis
His cooking and housekeeping may not have been the best, but Bee was content to live just with her dad after her mother died. Everything is fine until he brings Jazzi onto the scene. To add to her annoyance, this woman calls her Beatrice! Dealing with this at home and two catty classmates at school has Bee taking refuge in the back garden with her two guinea pigs, Lulu and Fifi, with whom she exchanges letters! But Bee discovers that Jazzi has a secret concerning her brother Harley. When Bee runs away from home, it is to Harley’s place that she goes and when Jazzi comes to find them, everything has changed.
Related topics and subjects
Family relationships Step-parents Mental illness Bullying Animals: guinea pigs Grandparents Values: Sharing, Tolerance
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: Children adjusting to a step-parent may relate well to this story.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Bee has been picked up from school by Jazzi, her father’s girlfriend who insists on calling her Beatrice. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter ‘Harley and to be’, p. 31, ‘When Jazzi picked me up ...’ Finish: Chapter ‘Harley and to be’, p. 34, ‘... to tell him.’
1 Why do you think Jazzi kept her brother’s existence a secret? What was she afraid of? 2 In times past, people with a mental disturbance were confined to mental institutions. Now they mostly live in community houses. Use the PMI organiser in Appendix G to help you discuss this issue. 3 There were many reasons Bee thought Jazzi was ‘invading her territory’. What were they? Do you have ‘territory’ that you don’t like people to encroach on (e.g. time, place, possessions, relationships, ideas)? Is sharing a negative or a positive thing? 4 Sometimes in stories, the person who is the target of bullying ends up being the one who gets punished. Does this tally with your experience? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
We often express our identity in the way we arrange our living space. Design your ideal bedroom by collecting paint sample brochures, fabric swatches and pictures from decorating magazines. Make a model or paint a sketch to show the style of furniture and its arrangement. Write a story about one of your grandparents. Include a photo if possible. If you don’t know how to knit, find someone to teach you and knit a scarf.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
17
The BFG is showing Sophie his dream collection when a hideous, carnivorous giant called the ‘Bloodbottler’ barges into the cave demanding to know who is talking to the BFG and accuses him of hiding a human in the cave as a pet. The only place Sophie can hide is inside a half-eaten snozzcumber.
Title
The BFG
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1985, 2007
Synopsis
An orphan called Sophie is plucked from her dormitory by a Big Friendly Giant who is doing his nightly rounds blowing dreams through bedroom windows with a strange, trumpet-like contraption. He takes her to Giant Country where she discovers he is quite small (24 feet tall) compared to the other nine giants who live there. Unlike the BFG, who only eats revolting vegetables called ‘snozzcumbers’, these giants eat humans, particularly young ones! The BFG and Sophie concoct a plan to gain the Queen’s attention so they can plead with her to send her Army and Air Force to capture the giants and keep them secured.
Related topics
Fantasy Giants Humour Queen Elizabeth II Language: made-up words Dreams Values: Friendship
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: A good story to serialise aloud to the class. Extensive use of made-up words may slow developing readers.
Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter ‘The Bloodbottler’ Finish: End of paragraph 4, p. 52, ‘... being lifted up and up and up.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4 5
Why did the BFG feel it was necessary to take Sophie away? Who did the giants regard as their only threat? Why? How did the BFG learn to read? What interesting observations did the BFG make about humans? What examples can you find to give an idea of the Queen’s character in the story? Use Appendix B to document your ideas.
•
The last page of the atlas was missing when the helicopters were trying to follow the BFG to Giant Country. On a large sheet of paper, draw the missing map in colour showing the route that they followed and all the ground features. To dramatise the BFG, consult Roald Dahl’s The BFG – Plays for Children adapted by David Wood (Puffin, 1993, ISBN 0-14-036367-X). Hold a BFG Day on which students can dress as Sophie, the Queen, the BFG or any of the giants or military personnel (with moustaches!). Bring fizzy lime drinks (frobscottle) and use the day to display BFGinspired artwork: paintings/models of giants, helicopters, dream jars, etc. Encourage students to bring cucumber (snozzcumber) sandwiches.
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
18
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Title
Boss of the Pool
Author
Robin Klein
Publisher
Omnibus, Scholastic 1986, 2005
Synopsis
Shelley is a girl with an attitude problem: she is contemptuous of the disabled and the elderly, she feels envy towards all her school friends, and is prone to self-pity. She also feels ashamed that her mother works at a hostel for the disabled and is angry when her mother insists on taking her to the hostel during the holidays. Despite the lure of an indoor pool, Shelley can’t imagine anything worse than being near people who frighten and disgust her, especially a resident called Ben who follows her around and watches her swim, but maybe she can use his terror of the water to get rid of him.
Related topics and subjects
Disabilities Friendship Down Syndrome Prejudice Sport: swimming Values: Respect, Diversity
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
1 What do you think causes Shelley to be so disrespectful to disabled people? 2 Who were Shelley’s friends and what was it about each one that she envied? 3 What gave Shelley a surprise when she forced herself to look beyond Tanya’s birthmark? 4 How did Ben manage to bring out the best in Shelley? 5 Mixing with disabled people gave Shelley a new perspective on her girlfriends. What did she see? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Shelley’s mother, Anne, works at a hostel for the disabled and insists that Shelley comes with her during the holidays. Shelley feels rebellious and refuses to leave the car when they arrive. Excerpt to read
Start: Last 9 paragraphs of Chapter 1, from ‘Shelley sulked ...’
Present a talk supported by a visual or digital display about what constitutes a disability and explain its medical, social and cultural aspects. To start your research, visit and click on About Disability. Find out about a condition called Down Syndrome and present your findings in any format. The search terms Parenting Child Health Down Syndrome will yield a useful site to begin your research.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
19
Title
Boy Overboard See also: Girl Underground
Jamal, his sister, Bibi and their friend Yusuf (whose leg has been blown off by a landmine) are playing soccer when the ball is kicked over a sand hill and lands beside the wheel of an army tank.
Author
Morris Gleitzman
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2002
Synopsis
Jamal dreams of playing soccer in the World Cup even though he lives in a country where children are not allowed to play the game. When the family is forced to flee their homeland, Jamal and his sister Bibi are separated from their parents and must continue the perilous journey alone with other refugees on a leaking boat. Jamal’s chances of landing in Australia and finding his parents seem hopeless when the food runs out and pirates come aboard. This story is not about an actual family but the author has written it with help from people who told him of their own dangerous journeys.
Related topics
Refugees Afghanistan Family relationships Values: Sacrifice, Endurance, Courage
and subjects Reading level /
Sport: soccer
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Chapter 3, paragraph 1, ‘Get down, ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 3
Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Note: Check Chapter 12: a description of women about to be executed in an Afghan stadium. Though not explicit, it may alarm some children. Story moves quickly. Short sentences.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 When you imagine these children’s dreary lives, what are you able to do that makes you fortunate to live in Australia? 2 When is lying the best thing to do? Give examples. 3 Optimism and hope – can you find some examples in the story? 4 Jamal is always asking or thinking questions. What do you think about this narrative technique? 5 How would you have finished the story? 6 Make a list of new words and expressions Jamal had to learn about. •
post-reading/ presentation
•
activities
•
20
Survival
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a short movie of the story using software such as 3-D Movie Maker. Research the history of Afghanistan and make a collage poster of the most significant events. Include a map of the country and its location. The arrival of refugees in Australia is a controversial and complex issue. What are the opposing points of view that divide the community? Think about the arguments for both sides and find a competent volunteer to lead a class discussion in the style of the Insight or Difference of Opinion programs on television.
Title
The Boy Who Would Live Forever Series: Aussie Chomps
Author
Moya Simons
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2003
Synopsis
In 1815, Daniel was found by a childless couple who adopted him, but as the years passed, he never grew any older and when the couple finally died, Daniel left the farm and went to London. He has no memory of his past; he only knows that because he will always look like a 12-year-old child, he has to move on every few years. He is adopted frequently over the next 200 years until he goes to live with a woman called Sally and her 12-year-old daughter, Holly. Daniel feels that at last he has found a real home; it is at this moment that his former life comes to claim him.
Related topics and subjects
Science fiction Ageing Family relationships Childhood Values: Belonging, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Diversity
✔
✔ ✔
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Daniel, the boy who never grows old and can see into people’s thoughts, has been caught thieving and is transported to Australia. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, p. 24, ‘Daniel had ...’ Finish: Chapter 3, section break, p. 27
1 What are people’s reactions to Daniel when they realise he never ages? 2 What strategies did Daniel have to use to ease his way through difficult situations? 3 What made Holly suspicious of Daniel before he actually tells her the truth? 4 What aspects of life on earth as a human attracted Daniel, compared to his original existence? 5 Why did Daniel decide ‘nudging’ was wrong? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
After reading the Afterword, organise a debate about the theme of the story. Topic: ‘A great scientific discovery would be to make it possible for humans never to grow old.’ Allow the audience to vote for the winning team. If you could go back (or forward) to spend some time living in another time, what era would you choose? Accompany your talk with a visual or digital display that describes the clothes, events, discoveries, occupations, transport, dwellings, etc. and explain why you are attracted to that time. Did Daniel make the best decision in the end? Use Appendix D to help your discussion.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
21
Jesse has been practising running all through the holidays and he’s pretty sure he is now unbeatable. A new girl, Leslie Burke, has come into the boys’ part of the playground where a boy called Gary Fulcher is organising the running races.
Title
Bridge to Terabithia
Author
Katherine Paterson
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1977, 2005
Synopsis
Jesse Aarons is the son of a poor farming family where it’s his relentless job to milk the cow while his four sisters seem to do nothing. During the holidays, Jesse pours his energy into being the best runner in grade 5. On the first day back, a new girl called Leslie Burke enters the boys’ part of the playground and outruns every other contender. Jesse is furious, but they become friends. She opens up a different world for him, especially the magical kingdom across the creek they call Terabithia. When Leslie departs, Jesse struggles through anger and grief and emerges knowing who he is and what he wants in life.
Related topics
Grief and loss School life Friendship Family relationships Fantasy Bullying Death Values: Courage, Self-esteem
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent
Excerpt to read
Advanced
Start: Chapter 3, p. 25, ‘Brrrrrring. The recess bell ...’ Finish: Chapter 3, p. 31, ‘ “So shoot me,” he said.’
Note: Deals with the accidental death of a child.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Jesse and Leslie have very different backgrounds but become close friends. Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to list their differences and the things they have in common, to explain their friendship. 2 Leslie thinks up a plan to take revenge on the bully Janice Avery. What was the outcome? Do you think all bullies have an ‘excuse’ for terrorising other people? 3 In the last pages of the book, Jesse feels as though he has been knighted in Terabithia. What sentence expresses what he thinks is his ‘mission’ in life now having known Leslie? 4 Why does Jesse build a real bridge to Terabithia and allow May Belle in? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
22
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Leslie lived in an affluent family, full of books, conversation, art, scuba diving, etc., while Jesse’s life was about bad TV shows, milking, running and sibling arguments. Write a biography about you. What is your situation? What would you change? What is good about your life? Jesse drew animals in weird, funny and unlikely situations. See if you can draw in that style.
Title
The Burnt Stick
Author
Anthony Hill
Publisher
Penguin Group (Australia) 1994, 1996
Synopsis
John Jagamarra is a young Aboriginal boy who is taken from his mother by government authorities because he had a white father. This policy of removing ‘half-white’ children from their families was believed to be in the child’s best interests but it caused great heartache. In a desperate effort to hide him from the Welfare Department, John’s mother thinks of a way to outwit them by colouring his skin with a burnt stick, but this ploy eventually fails and he is taken away to be reared in the Mission at Pearl Bay.
Related topics
Indigenous Australia Racism Grief and loss Values: Respect for Cultural Differences
and subjects Reading level /
Family relationships
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: This short, well-illustrated book contains simple language and vivid depictions of Aboriginal culture and experience.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What habits of the white people at Dryborough Station did the Aboriginal tribe find strangely amusing? 2 What was John’s Dreaming totem? 3 What incorrect assumption about Aboriginal mothers was used as a justification for the heartless removal of their children? 4 Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to show the similarities and differences in the way Aboriginal and white communities educate their children. 5 What evidence is there in the book that the traditions of Indigenous Australians had been severely disrupted by the time John grew up? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Liyan is an Aboriginal mother whose little boy had a white father. One night she is approached by an Aboriginal stockman called Charlie Warragin with some devastating information. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of p. 20, ‘One night, ...’ Finish: End of p. 23, ‘... to her.’
Try to find out as much as you can about the removal of Aboriginal children from their families. Today it is considered illegal and destructive, but do you think church authorities and government authorities at the time thought they were doing the right thing? Start your search at . When you have gathered some information, write and perform a dramatisation of the story. The dialogue should illustrate the part played by all the main characters in the story. Refer to Appendix J for an example of a drama script.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
23
Title
Buzzard Breath & Brains Sequel to Swashbuckler
While Tony O’Brien and Rex are over in the Principal’s office because they were reported bullying Lucy Harrington, their class has been trying to write poetry.
Author
James Moloney
Publisher
University of Queensland Press 1998, 2003
Synopsis
Natalie is in the same class at school as her cousin, Rex, but she doesn’t like to advertise the fact because Rex and his best friend, Tony O’Brien (known as ‘Buzzard Breath’ and ‘Brains’ respectively), amuse themselves by bullying and scaring anyone who crosses them. When they are punished for vandalising the Principal’s rose garden, they set out on a campaign of terror to discover who framed them. A boy called Peter McNeill knows the answer, but he is not prepared to divulge the information. So when Tony O’Brien enlists two other boys to thrash Peter, Rex decides he’s had enough and seeks out his cousin, Natalie.
Related topics
School life Bullying Netball Family relationships Poetry Values: Justice, Loyalty, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Courage
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Start: Chapter 5, p. 20, ‘After ten minutes ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 5
READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Note: The story is written in the first person from two points of view.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What are Rex’s feelings about his relationship with Tony? Why does he keep falling in with Tony’s thuggish behaviour? 2 How does Rex’s father let him down? 3 How did Rex and Tony get their nicknames? 4 What was the deal Ms Silec makes with Natalie? 5 How did Lucy Harrington’s kind gesture towards Natalie cause her to rethink her own mean-spirited behaviour? 6 Why did Peter McNeill go and talk to the Principal? What was Peter’s dilemma? What actions reveal his character? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
24
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
One of the themes in this story explores the emotion of fear. Using the organiser in Appendix I, write ‘Fear’ in the centre circle and the name of a different character in the story in each square. Identify each character’s fears (e.g. ‘Natalie’ – that her friends might ridicule her for wearing the pink dress. ‘Rex’ – that Natalie might tell someone he put on the clothes from the dress-up box, is just one of Rex’s many fears). You could also look at the characters of Lucy, Tony and Peter. Find some humorous poems in the library by poets such as Ogden Nash and Edward Lear, choose your favourite and learn to recite it from memory. Organise a Poetry Day on which each class member has a turn to recite a poem during the day.
Title
The Cabbage Patch Fib
Author
Paul Jennings
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1988, 2002
Synopsis
Dad is angry about the table manners of his six kids and insists that the TV is turned off during mealtimes (after he has watched his favourite show). He instructs the children to engage in civilised conversation, so when Chris asks ‘Where do babies come from?’ and Dad replies, ‘the cabbage patch’, Chris spends the night searching the vegetable garden. Astonishingly, that’s exactly where he finds a little (green) baby that instantly becomes attached to him, but soon the responsibilities begin to wear him down.
Related topics
Family relationships Fairytales Biology: reproduction Humour Babies Values: Honesty and Trustworthiness, Responsibility
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
1 2 3 4 5
How does the baby display its attachment to Chris? Describe how the baby changes Chris’s life. What new responsibilities does Chris have? Who is telling the story? Chris says he loves the baby, so why does he put it back in the cabbage patch? 6 What do you think are the good and bad things about being a parent? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
When Chris is told that babies come from the cabbage patch, he waits till night time then sets out for the vegetable patch to see for himself. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 2, p. 9, ‘Well, the rest …’ Finish: Chapter 2, p. 13, ‘… a baby crying.’
Divide a large poster into four squares and draw the life cycles of a frog (reptile), a hen (bird), a cat (mammal) and a kangaroo (marsupial). Alternatively, use Inspiration software to present the same information on the computer. Write the script for a funny play about The Cabbage Patch Fib and perform it for an audience. See Appendix J for an example of script writing. Ask someone who has a baby to come and talk to the class about what it’s like to take care of a new baby 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
25
Title
Cairo Jim and Doris in Search of Martenarten Series: Cairo Jim
Cairo Jim has finally found the entrance to the lost tomb of the pharaoh Martenarten and is down in the tomb with his talking macaw Doris looking for the pharaoh’s burial chamber.
Author
Geoffrey McSkimming
Publisher
Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Livre 2002
Synopsis
This is a light-hearted romp about an archaeologist with poetic leanings who is searching for the tomb of the pharaoh Martenarten (inspired by Akhenaton?) in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings with the help of two unlikely assistants: a blue and yellow macaw called Doris and a camel called Brenda, both of whom can hold conversations. A jealous ex-colleague of Jim’s, Neptune Bone and his malevolent companion Desdemona (a raven) are intent on thwarting Jim’s successful discovery by employing a couple of shifty twin brothers called Kelvin and Abdullah Rhampsinites.
Related topics
Humour
Ancient Egypt
Archaeology
Animal stories
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 9, p. 120, paragraph 4 Finish: Chapter 9, p. 124, line 14
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: The content is appropriate for younger readers but the language is quite difficult for this audience and for developing older readers (e.g. pinioned, rapscallion, ingratiating). Some lengthy descriptive passages.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Doris asks Jim: ‘Why not leave the pharaoh’s grave undisturbed?’ Is there really any difference between tomb robbers and archaeologists who dig up ancient tombs? Before your discussion, use the PMI organiser in Appendix G to write your ideas about whether Jim is doing the right thing. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
26
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Write a script about the climax of the story in the tomb and the rescue. Either perform the play in costume or build a puppet theatre from a large carton, paint a background depicting the inside of the tomb and make puppets (including the animals) of all the main characters to speak the lines. See Appendix J for an example of script writing. Design and build a model of a booby trap (using materials such as fishing line and pulleys) similar to the one in the tomb described on page 121. Place your working model in a pyramid-shaped box (with one side open), painted on the outside to resemble a pyramid made of stone. Write a book report on Cairo Jim and to promote the series, make a display of Egyptian artefacts from papier-mâché (such as Tutankhamen’s mask, tomb paintings or golden cobra headdress, etc.).
Title
Cannily, Cannily
Author
Simon French
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2003
Synopsis
Trevor Huon’s life involves travelling about Australia in a Kombie van with his hippy parents, Kath and Buckley, always starting at new schools, before being uprooted again. The rural school he arrives at this time is football mad, so Trevor makes a false claim that he has played at competition level before, in order to gain acceptance. The teacher, Mr Fuller, is more obsessed with winning than teaching the boys to enjoy the sport, so when Trevor is unmasked, Mr Fuller pursues a campaign of scorn and bullying against him. But one boy, Martin Grace, makes an attempt at friendship, even though he risks Fuller’s anger and ridicule by the team.
Related topics and subjects
Bullying Sport: football (Aussie Rules) Values: Resilience, Belonging
Reading level /
School life
Friendship
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Trevor has survived his first unpleasant day at the new school and returned to the caravan park where he is living with his parents, Kath and Buckley. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, p. 28, ‘School puzzled ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 3
Note: Subject matter may appeal especially to reluctant / boy readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Besides being ‘the new boy’, what made Trevor different to his peers? 2 Mr Fuller was less than ideal as a teacher and coach. What were his particular failings? What makes a good teacher in your view? 3 What makes a successful football team? Which is the more effective strategy – aggression or skill? 4 Football encourages community violence and discord. Discuss. 5 Was Trevor justified in lying about his football experience? What do you think would have happened in the story if he hadn’t lied? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Find out about the history of the game of football. When and where was it first played? Present a Microsoft PowerPoint or visual display about the various stars and codes (e.g. Rugby, Gridiron, Aussie Rules etc.) to support your talk/book review. Drawing on your own experience, write a short piece to read aloud about someone facing something new and unknown. Try to describe the feelings as vividly and accurately as possible. The definition of ‘cannily’ is on the cover of the book. The word is an adverb; it describes an action. Make a giant wall chart of adjectives and their equivalent adverbs, (e.g. guilty / guiltily; final / finally; angry / angrily; grateful / gratefully).
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
27
Danny’s neighbour, Ellie, has taken him to the geriatric hospital where she works and asked him to wait for her while she collects some things from her office.
Title
Captain Mack
Author
James Roy
Publisher
University of Queensland Press 1999
Synopsis
Danny is living with his dad in an inner-city terrace when a new neighbour invites him to her workplace at a geriatric hospital. He encounters a man in his eighties who chastises Danny for not saluting and warns him to keep his voice down in case their escape plans are overheard! At first, Danny is a bit taken aback but soon begins to understand Captain Mack’s mental and physical predicament. When Captain Mack persuades Danny to help him make a real escape and gives him a reward, Danny becomes a target for the school bully and soon discovers you’re never too young to start learning about courage.
Related topics
Bullying World War, 1939–1945 Burma Railway Values: Courage, Care and Compassion, Friendship
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 5, p. 31, ‘From the street ...’ Finish: Chapter 5, p. 35, to section break ‘... the garden.’
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 The theme of tolerance in this book appears in several guises. In what ways are characters intolerant of difference? 2 Should Danny’s father have intervened sooner at school? What is the best role for parents to take in regard to school bullying? 3 Not all old people suffer from memory loss and mental confusion. Look up Dementia in an encyclopedia and explain its cause, symptoms and treatment. 4 Was it right for Danny to keep the medal at the end of the story? Is there any way he could return it to Captain Mack’s son? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
28
Ageing
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Bravery is a quality we may not be aware we possess until we are called upon to find it in ourselves. Many children, even as young as six years old, have received Bravery Awards. Write a magazine article about Sam Isaacs and Grace Bussell. You will find information about them at and Include illustrations. Recently some children who were attacked by dogs were given bravery awards, but sometimes bravery can be displayed in other ways; just speaking out, accepting blame or facing a bully needs courage. What is the bravest thing you have had to do so far in your life? Write a short piece about the situation and how you felt throughout your experience. Mention someone whose bravery has inspired you.
Title
The Cat on the Mat is Flat
Author
Andy Griffiths (illustrated by Terry Denton)
Publisher
Pan Macmillan 2006
Synopsis
Younger and developing readers will be eager to read this ‘chapter’ book (a send-up of Dr Seuss?), with its funny rhymes and crazy drawings by Terry Denton. Some of the nine stories include: Unlucky Lou and the kangaroo, Pinky Ponky the shonky donkey, Harry Black and the yak called Jack, Chuck the duck who is sucked up by a muck sucker-upper, and even a story about Andy and Terry being saved from an angry bee by a tea lady. The large print, limited vocabulary and whacky storylines will help build reading confidence, while the scribbly illustrations are sure to entertain and engage young readers.
Related topics
Humour Poetry
Rhyming words
Animal stories
Cartoon drawing
and subjects Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
1 What was your favourite Dr Seuss book when you were little? Why? 2 There is a lot of movement in Terry Denton’s drawings. Examine the illustrations and discuss how he achieves this. 3 What advice does Andy give to people who walk with a snack in a sack on their back? What happens if the advice is not heeded? 4 Who saved Andy and Terry from the bee and how did she do it? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
Lower
Excerpt to read
First story
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
A new twist on ‘The cat sat on the mat.’
•
• •
•
Make lists of common and unusual rhyming words and use them to write your own verses with illustrations. Compile them into a class book for the library. Make up a series of questions about the stories with one-word answers (e.g. Where did Unlucky Lou land?) Use the list of answers to design a crossword puzzle. Use Hot Potatoes or similar software to help construct the crossword if available. Print out copies for anyone who wants something to do if they finish their work quickly or to do in the library at lunchtime. Choose your favourite story and learn to recite it from memory with a friend. Research the following forms of verse: limerick, haiku and nursery rhymes. Read some examples and write original verses using each format, with illustrations, of course. Make a poster about this book with a collection of colourful drawings about each of the stories and write the title of each story as a caption under each picture.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
29
The Gillespie family and their pets, a Siamese cat called Tia and Carrie the dog are watching the build-up of a tropical cyclone heading towards their home in Darwin.
Title
Catastrophe Cat
Author
Mary Small
Publisher
Cygnet Books, University of Western Australia Press 1994, 2004
Synopsis
On Christmas Eve in 1974, the Gillespie family – Mum, Dad, Ross, Steve and little Leisa – are forced to eat their Christmas feast quickly as the sky darkens and the high winds of a cyclone sweep towards Darwin. Soon the windows are smashing, the rain is pouring in and the deafening thunder and lightning send them scuttling down to the shelter of their downstairs bathroom. When Leisa’s beloved Siamese cat, Tia, slips out of her grasp and disappears into the storm, Leisa is inconsolable. Could it be true that cats really do have nine lives?
Related topics
Cyclones Natural disasters Cyclone Tracy Values: Care and Compassion, Co-operation
and subjects Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 3, p. 15, ‘Now with ...’ Finish: Chapter 3, to last section break, p. 18, ‘... the stairs.’
Developing Competent Advanced
discussion
Suggested
• •
activities
•
30
Lower
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 How was Leisa going to protect her cat from the cyclone before it ran away? 2 What Cyclone Tracy statistics are mentioned in the book? (e.g. How many died? How many were evacuated?) 3 What were the most dangerous hazards after the cyclone had passed? 4 Who were the people who saved Tia’s life? What did they do? 5 What suggestion did Trottie make to help Leisa cope with her grief?
post-reading/ presentation
Grief and loss
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Questions for
Survival
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a well-illustrated poster or a digital presentation with evidence of an extensive information search about Cyclone Tracy. Write a short piece of poetry or prose about the life of an animal you have known that is no longer alive. Find out what a cyclone-proof house looks like and the features it needs before you design some plans for a house that could withstand a cyclone.
Title
The Cay
Author
Theodore Taylor
Publisher
Random House 1969, 2006
Synopsis
Eleven-year-old Phillip Enright is living with his parents in Willemstad in the Caribbean during the Second World War when his mother decides to return home to the United States of America for safety. Their ship is torpedoed and Phillip finds himself floating on a raft with an elderly black man called Timothy and a cat called Stew. Phillip has a head injury and soon realises he’s going blind. They drift onto an unmarked coral cay (pronounced ‘key’) where their fight for survival begins and where they learn to cope with Phillip’s blindness and his inherited racial prejudice. A terrifying hurricane places Phillip in unimaginable peril.
Related topics and subjects
Racism Biomes Natural disasters Hurricanes Disability World War, 1939–1945 Values: Care and Compassion, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
After the ship he was on is torpedoed, a young boy called Phillip finds himself floating on a raft with an old West Indian called Timothy and a cat. He has sustained a head injury. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 4, from first section break. Finish: End of Chapter 4
Note: Timothy’s speech, written in a West Indian accent, may slow some readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How is the theme of blindness explored in the story? 2 What signs alerted Timothy that a hurricane was approaching? 3 What did Phillip think Timothy had done to Stew Cat? What had Timothy actually done and why? 4 Explain how Phillip overcame his racial prejudice by the end of the story. 5 After your discussions, prepare a SWOT analysis (Appendix C) of Phillip’s character and situation, and a character web (Appendix B) for Timothy. •
post-reading/ presentation
•
activities
• •
•
On an outline map of North and South America, mark in all the place names mentioned in the story. Present a profile on Dr Martin Luther King using text and graphics in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Make a series of coloured sketches of the scenes from the story that are most vivid in your mind. Learn and recite the poem ‘On his blindness’ by John Milton after explaining how it relates to the experiences of Phillip Enright in the story The Cay. Research some of the most famous ships lost in the Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War and present an illustrated talk.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
31
Wilbur the piglet is growing fast and has been moved to the barn at Uncle Zuckerman’s farm where he has become best friends with Charlotte the spider.
Title
Charlotte’s Web
Author
E. B. White
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1952, 2006
Synopsis
When Farmer Arable goes to kill the runt of a litter of pigs, his daughter Fern pleads with him to let her keep the piglet. She hand-rears him, calls him Wilbur and puts him in her Uncle Homer Zuckerman’s barn where he gets to know an old sheep, a pair of geese, a self-centred rat called Templeton and a large grey spider called Charlotte. When the old sheep warns Wilbur he is being fattened up to be killed in the autumn, Charlotte the spider decides on a campaign to try and save Wilbur’s life by weaving miraculous writing about the pig in her web.
Related topics
Animal stories Pigs Fantasy Farming Friendship Minibeasts: spiders Values: Loyalty, Care and Compassion
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 7, paragraph 5, ‘As the days ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 7
Developing Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
Note: A good story to read to younger children who are not yet ready to read it independently.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Explain the meanings of ‘runt’, ‘salutations’ (Chapter 5), ‘sedentary’ (Chapter 9), and ‘gullible’ (Chapter 10). 2 What was the only way Templeton could be persuaded to help Charlotte save Wilbur? What does that tell us about him? 3 Why didn’t Charlotte go back to the farm when the fair was over? 4 How many babies were in the egg sack? What happened when they came out? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
32
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
In the second last paragraph of the book, Wilbur explains why Zuckerman’s barn is the best place to live. Make a list of the reasons and write a poem about them. Draw a picture showing a spider’s body parts, label them and cut them out, then paste them onto a sheet of black paper. Decorate the edge of the paper with fine lines of glue to make spiders’ webs and then sprinkle the wet glue with silver glitter. (See Chapter 9 and research Spiders for body parts diagram.) Write and perform a short play about one of the following: the sheep telling Wilbur of his fate, Charlotte weaving ‘Some Pig’, Lurvy and the Zuckermans seeing the writing, Templeton having to be persuaded to look for a newspaper clipping, etc. See Appendix J for an example of a drama script.
Title
The China Coin
Author
Allan Baillie
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1991, 1992
Synopsis
Leah and her mother (Joan) go to China hoping to find the family they’ve never known, taking with them the blackened half of an ancient coin that belonged to one of Joan’s forebears. At first, they find the culture shock enormous, but eventually begin to feel at home in the tiny village of Joan’s family. Leah befriends her 18-year-old cousin Ke, a student who is caught up in the national rebellion against corruption that ends in a massive demonstration. Her world is turned upside down when she goes to Tiananmen Square to look for Ke and witnesses the violent events taking place.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia China Tiananmen Square Massacre Multicultural Australia Grief and loss Values: Belonging; Freedom; Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Great descriptive writing, but rather wordy. Requires concentration as the action swings back and forward in time.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 This story is about a mental and emotional journey as well as a physical one. How do Leah’s experiences change her? Why was it hard at times for her to understand her mother’s behaviour and reactions? 2 What aspects of life in China did Leah and Joan find most difficult to accept? 3 What did some Chinese people want from overseas Chinese who returned to China? What was a ‘Hong Kong’ house? 4 Heng is a complicated character in the story. What are some of the contradictions he displays? 5 What does the Chinese word ‘guangxi’ (page 127) mean? Can you give examples? 6 How does Tong define democracy on page 129? What do you understand democracy to mean? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Leah and her mother have arrived in a village in China and met up with a family they think might be related to them, including a little girl called Swallow who pesters Leah with endless questions about her life in Australia, and draws some interesting conclusions. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 6, halfway down p. 48, ‘Do you go ...’ Finish: Chapter 6, line 8, p. 49, ‘... a duck.’
Use the data at to give a presentation on the Three Gorges Dam Project. Begin your research at to help you create a study booklet about China for younger students in your school. Include basic information, illustrations and activities about as many aspects of China as possible.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
33
A young choirboy called Henri has just seen Micah, the dirty street urchin who can sing like an angel that Brother Bart (short for Bartholomew) has brought back to the Abbey of St Luc.
Title
A Company of Fools
Author
Deborah Ellis
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 2003
Synopsis
Henri is a quiet, studious choirboy growing up in the Abbey of St Luc near Paris in 1348 when Brother Bart returns to the abbey with a dirty, untutored urchin called Micah whom he rescued because the boy’s voice is celestial. Henri and Micah become friends but their idyll is shattered with the outbreak of the Plague. A troupe of monks and choirboys dressed as buffoons is sent out to relieve the misery of the suffering populace and Micah’s heavenly voice gains him the reputation of legendary miracle worker. But the adoration goes to the boy’s head and seems set to destroy him.
Related topics
The Plague Friendship Greed Medicine Middle Ages Values: Resilience, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent
Start: Chapter 1, p. 7, ‘What is your name, lad?’ Finish: Chapter 2, p. 12, ‘... a bath before.’
Advanced
Note: Includes a glossary and maps. Mature content: descriptions of death from bubonic plague and concepts about religious dogma, superstition and integrity. Specialised vocabulary.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How did people react to serious illness in the 14th century? What did they think caused the Plague? Why is our response different in the 21st century? 2 Micah and Henri show there are different kinds of intelligence. What skills does each one have? Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to note down your ideas. 3 The functioning of the abbey depended on each monk having a particular responsibility. Make a list of the 20 or so monks and their jobs. 4 What is an amulet and why do people use them? 5 Lord Morley and Micah both thought it was okay to use the misfortunes of others to make money, but what made their attitudes different? What does Micah do when he realises his singing is not curing the Plague? 6 How does the Prior’s character and morality demonstrate that he is not worthy of the holy office he holds in the monastery? Use Appendix B to make a note of examples and compare his actions with Brother Bart. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
34
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Find examples of medieval art, then make detailed drawings with a fine brush and watercolours to produce a bookmark in the illuminated manuscript style. Attach a small, coloured tassel. Jesters would make a good subject. To imagine Micah’s voice, listen to a CD of choirboys singing ‘Miserere’ while you’re painting. Present a research project in any format on the Plague or other aspect of medieval life.
Title
Cool!
Author
Michael Morpurgo
Publisher
HarperCollins 2002
Synopsis
In just seconds, 10-year-old Robbie Ainsley’s life is shattered when he races across the road to save his dog Lucky from under the wheels of a car. Robbie tells his story from behind the wall of a coma as he lies in a hospital bed where he can hear his mum, dad and sister Ellie, best friend Marty, the doctor and his nurse Tracey, all urging him to wake up. As the weeks drag on, the family tries desperately to reach him but not even a visit from Gianfranco Zola, Robbie’s soccer hero, brings their boy back. Now, it seems, they need a miracle.
Related topics and subjects
Animal stories Dogs Coma Family relationships Values: Perseverance, Care and Compassion
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
discussion
Suggested
Soccer
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Questions for
Death
✔ ✔
Upper
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
1 What do we learn about the person who knocked Robbie down? 2 If you were in Robbie’s situation, who would you want to visit you? What made you choose that person? 3 The threat to Robbie’s life made his parents vow to make changes in their thinking and behaviour. What were those changes? 4 If your life was under threat, which five things (big or small) would you like to do? 5 Because sporting heroes are often held in high regard, they have a responsibility to set an example as honest and law-abiding. Do you agree? Use the information organiser in Appendix I to think through your views on this issue. Discuss whether they should be barred from their sport at the first sign of cheating, street violence or drug taking? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
After being knocked down by a car while chasing his dog, Robbie has been in hospital in a coma for more than a month and even his optimistic nurse Tracey is losing heart. She and his family don’t know he can hear them. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 6, last 3 lines, p. 90, ‘Mum and Dad ...’ Finish: Chapter 6, middle of page, p. 92, ‘I just want to go ...’
Find out what medical science knows about comas and explain your findings in a short presentation. Begin your research at . Include some information about Elaine Esposito. Present a biography about someone you really admire. It can be someone you know personally or someone famous, living or dead. Explain what contribution they have made to the world and what qualities you admire about them. Support your biography with digital or visual images and a portrait you have drawn.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
35
Title
Corby Flood Series: Far-Flung Adventures
The ageing SS Euphonia is no longer a luxury liner, so the fittings don’t work as well as they used to.
Author
Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Publisher
Corgi Yearling 2005
Synopsis
Corby Flood is travelling home by sea on an old ship that used to be a luxury liner, with a strange group of passengers including a group of sinister clowns, the mysterious man in Cabin 21 and a couple in tall hats whose speech is unintelligible. When Corby hears mournful singing in the cargo hold, she discovers a mysterious captive on board and this puts her in immediate danger. She is accidentally off-loaded with some cargo in a place called Doralakia and, to the delight of the townsfolk, she uncovers a plot to steal the treasured secret captive who came ashore with her from the SS Euphonia.
Related topics
Humour
Technology
Parody
Caricatures
Mystery genre
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 5, top of p. 59 Finish: End of Chapter 5, p. 64
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Competent and advanced younger readers can enjoy this story at face value, but the parody will probably only be appreciated by more mature readers. Appealing cartoon-like illustrations throughout the text.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What ‘big disappointment’ kept Mr Flood lying in bed with no wish to get up? 2 Where did the authors get the idea for the names of the members of the Brotherhood of Clowns? (Hint: You will find the answer on your computer toolbar; click on Format, then Font and scroll down.) 3 At the beginning of each chapter is a sad lament by the mysterious captive. What did it turn out to be? When you were reading the story, did you imagine it might have been something or someone else? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
36
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
This story pokes fun at certain things. This is called ‘parody’ (which means to make fun of something by copying it). For example, there was a very famous travel guidebook called Baedeker. Can you find anything else in the story that could be a parody of something? Make a model of the emerald rhinoceros to display with the book. Technology task: Choose an everyday item and see if you can redesign it so that it will automatically perform a task for you – remember Corby’s deckchair that walked? Try to build a model of your invention from your design plans and assemble a class display of them.
Title
Crocodile Attack Series: Extreme Adventures
Author
Justin D’Ath
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2006
Synopsis
In far north Queensland, Sam and his two-year-old cousin Nissa are in his Auntie Erin’s corner store when it is robbed at gunpoint and the two children are kidnapped during a tropical cyclone. The robber speeds away with the children and ends up driving the ute into the swollen Crocodile River. Rising floodwaters and fast-flowing uprooted trees that act like battering rams are only the beginning of their ordeal. When the man with the shotgun disappears, Sam still has to contend with venomous, desperate creatures escaping the floodwaters and then there are the crocodiles ...
Related topics and subjects
Reptiles: crocodiles Natural disasters Cyclones Kidnapping Values: Courage, Responsibility, Care and Compassion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: A short, easy read with lots of action. May appeal especially to older developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Sam had to make difficult decisions during his 24-hour ordeal. Use Appendix D to help you identify some of the decisions and discuss his possible options. 2 Do you think the robber deserved Sam’s help and compassion? Why? Did he do anything to warrant Sam’s consideration? 3 Why did Sam think it was important to keep watching when the crocodile came after Nissa, but shut his eyes when it was his turn? 4 How did the female crocodile protect her young? How big was the crocodile that came towards them at the end of the story? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
The robber and Sam are both clinging to the branches of a baobab tree in the flooded river and Sam’s little cousin Nissa is at the other end of the tree among the roots, when the tree suddenly rolls 180 degrees like a performing seal and Nissa disappears. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 12, p. 61, ‘I leapt into the flood ...’ Finish: Chapter 12, p. 62, ‘... high above.’
Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that gives a tour of some of Australia’s ‘big’ landmarks like the 35-metre fibreglass crocodile in the story. Balance each slide with text and pictures. A good place to start is . Use 3D Moviemaker or draw a comic strip of the scene where Sam tries to stop the robber kidnapping Nissa. Create a character web of Nathan MacDonald (Appendix B) to help assess his character.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
37
Leigh’s mother works for a caterer and is allowed to bring treats home for Leigh to have for lunch next day, but every day they are stolen.
Title
Dear Mr Henshaw
Author
Beverly Cleary
Publisher
HarperCollins 1983, 2000
Synopsis
In a series of letters to his favourite author, the events in the life of Leigh Botts unfold as he moves through primary school. His father is a truck driver whose life away in a big rig has led to his parents’ divorce. Leigh also misses his dog Bandit who has gone with his dad. Leigh finally makes a friend at his new school when his lunch is repeatedly stolen and he builds an alarm that he fits in his lunchbox. Entering a writing competition, he meets a real author who tells him about the Mr Henshaw that Leigh has been writing to for years. When Leigh arrives home, he finds another of his dreams has come true.
Related topics
School life Family relationships Divorce Authors Writing: letter writing Values: Resilience, Optimism
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Diary entry for Saturday, March 3
READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔
Note: Useful tips about writing techniques are mentioned.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Have you ever written to an author? If not, to whom would you write? What is your favourite book so far and who is your favourite author? 2 This book was first published in 1983 before emails were in common use. Why would you have to be careful answering those questions about yourself (online) these days? 3 What did Angela Badger admire about the piece Leigh wrote called ‘A Day on Dad’s Rig’? What advice did she give about becoming a good writer? 4 In the story, we learn quite a lot about Leigh’s life. Use the Venn diagram (Appendix F) to compare yourself with Leigh. What is different about his life and yours? In what ways are you similar? •
post-reading/ presentation
•
activities
•
38
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Write your own answers to the 10 questions Mr Henshaw sent to Leigh. Make your answers about as long as Leigh’s. Do your own searching or contact your local library to find out if there are any writing competitions you could enter and when the entries close. Find the homepage of your favourite author and send him or her a letter or email, if the contact details are provided.
Title
Deep Water Series: Eden-Glassie Mysteries
Author
Elaine Forrestal
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2003
Synopsis
Tori and his sister Maddie are staying with their cousins, Bronte and Morgan, at Eden-Glassie, the family-owned vineyard that has just survived a flood. When the two farm dogs turn up alive after the flood, everyone is relieved but Tori’s own dog, a beagle called Axle, isn’t with them. Days later, he and Bronte hear howling, so they swim across the river in the moonlight and discover an old tin shed. Peering in the window, they see a dead man lying on the bed staring at them and a dog’s bowl on the floor. It is Tori’s persistence that solves the mystery and leads to the discovery of Axle.
Related topics and subjects
Mystery genre Animal stories Dogs Farming Natural disasters Floods Values: Persistence, Courage
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/ presentation activities
1 2 3 4
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Why did Tori and Bronte decide to cross the river at night? How did the old man in the shed die? What behaviour indicates that Morgan is becoming more mature? Do you think it’s better to grow up in the city, the suburbs, or the country? Why?
Tori is convinced his dog Axle is still alive, so he and Bronte swim across the river in the moonlight and head through the bush in the direction of the howling he thought he heard earlier. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 7, p. 34, ‘We set off ...’ Finish: Chapter 7, p. 36, ‘... straight at me.’
There are a number of ways to promote this book: • Use Microsoft Publisher to design a LOST poster for Axle with a photo of a beagle, a description and all the Eden-Glassie contact details. • Design an advertisement on poster-sized paper that Tori’s parents could reduce and use in a magazine to promote the Eden-Glassie Winery. • Find out all you can about the origins and characteristics of beagles or your favourite dog breed.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
39
Convinced she has seen a spiral of smoke on the supposedly uninhabited Long Island, Julie waits until everyone on board the yacht is asleep before slipping into the dinghy and heading across to the island in the moonlight to investigate. Safely ashore, she secures the dinghy and collapses in exhaustion on the sand.
Title
The Devil’s Own
Author
Deborah Lisson
Publisher
Lothian Press, Hachette Livre 1990, 2000
Synopsis
Julie Dykstra feels rebellious about having to join a family yachting holiday off the coast of Western Australia when she would rather be with her friends. But on the eerie Abrolhos Islands she is confronted by confusion and terror at the site of the shipwrecked Batavia where centuries earlier, 200 passengers were left to the mercy of Jeronimus Cornelisz and his gang after Captain Pelsaert sailed to Java for help.
Related topics
Time slip Shipwrecks Marine archaeology Sailing ships The Batavia Mutiny Australia: history, exploration
and subjects Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Competent Advanced
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Note: Check pages 51, 88, 100, 105, 124 (violence and adult themes)
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What is a mutiny? Is there ‘good’ mutiny and ‘bad’ mutiny? 2 What motives lie behind mutiny? 3 Do circumstances or character explain the actions and behaviour of Jeronimus Cornelisz? 4 What do you think of Captain Pelsaert’s role in this catastrophe? Use Appendix D to explore whether he had other options. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
•
40
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, p. 30, ‘She must have dozed off ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 3
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a large poster about the ship Batavia, detailing its journey, where and when it was built and include a scale drawing or model. The most comprehensive information is available at but you will need to scroll through the 15 pages to find the relevant sections. Imagine that there were Woman’s Day-type magazines in the 1600s. Write up a sensational interview with a survivor of the Batavia on an A3 news sheet with suitable headlines, drawings or photographs of people in contemporary clothes. Prepare a character web of Julie (use Appendix B or Inspiration software) and convert it into a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to illustrate how her experiences changed her. What was the Dutch East India Company? Why were spices so prized at that time? Make an interactive display box of spices to show their shape, smell, taste, with botanical paintings or drawings of the parent plants and recipes for their use. Try cooking something using your favourite spice.
Title
Don’t Call Me Ishmael!
Author
Michael Gerard Bauer
Publisher
Omnibus, Scholastic 2006
Synopsis
Named after the opening lines of Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, 14-yearold Ishmael maintains his name has given him a condition called ‘Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome’, caused mainly by the bullying of a schoolfellow, Barry Bagsley. That is, until the arrival of James Scobie, a boy recovering from a brain tumour with a disconcerting tic and a razor-sharp mind. Ishmael finds his confidence returning when he becomes involved with a debating team and he is presented with an opportunity to serve Bagsley in kind. Even though this engaging book deals with some serious issues, it is delightfully optimistic with many laugh-out-aloud moments.
Related topics
Humour School life
Bullying
Debating
Values: Friendship, Courage
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
As a victim of Barry Bagsley’s bullying, Ishmael Leseur feels sympathetic alarm as he recognises the signs that the strange new boy, James Scobie, is going to become Bagsley’s next target.
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Some conversations may be inappropriate for younger advanced readers. Check Chapter 32.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was James Scobie apparently fearless? 2 Why wasn’t Scobie fazed by the spiders and insects in his desk? 3 What is your opinion about the decision Ishmael made at the final assembly with regard to his revenge on Bagsley? 4 What strategy did Razza use to repair the damage done to Bill Kingsley by Bagsley? 5 Do you agree with the opinion of Ishmael’s father that what you do comes back to you? Are there any examples in the book? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 14 Finish: Chapter 15, end of paragraph 5, p. 78, ‘... policy to me.’
Set up a debate using the ‘Four Steps of Effective Rebuttal’. Use the Debate Planner and Topic List at or, alternatively, debate the topic: ‘All school buildings should be sold off and the money used to buy every child in the country the latest wireless laptop for learning at home’. At the final school assembly, Ishmael is confronted with a difficult choice: should he publicly denounce Barry Bagsley for all the suffering the bully has inflicted on his fellow students? Use the organiser in Appendix D to support a group discussion on the question: ‘Should Ishmael publicly expose the bullying Barry Bagsley has inflicted on others?’
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
41
Thomas has ‘liedetector’ nipples that itch unbearably when he hears people telling lies. His friend Holly finds out that it is a condition that will cause him to die young, so they go to their friend Kevin’s house to get help to find a woman who knows the cure.
Title
Doubting Thomas
Author
Morris Gleitzman
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2006
Synopsis
Something very strange and embarrassing is happening to Thomas – his nipples start itching when he hears people lying! It takes some convincing to get his friends Holly and Kevin to believe him. Holly finds out on the Internet that there have been people like Thomas throughout history whose body parts have alerted them to lies, but they have all died young, except for a woman in Paris called Vera Poulet, who is still alive. Kevin comes up with an astounding idea to help Thomas meet her.
Related topics
Humour Friendship Family relationships France Values: Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity
and subjects Reading level /
Start: Chapter 12, first section break, p. 91, ‘Thomas opened ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 12
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Competent Advanced
discussion
Suggested
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 Who was the person that inspired the title of the book? 2 Lying can harm, betray, mislead and destroy (especially trust), but can sometimes protect, save and help someone. It is a very common human failing, so why do we harshly judge some people, such as public figures, who lie? Are there ‘good’ lies and ‘bad’ lies? Is there any difference? What does the seriousness of the lie depend on (size, effect, motive)? 3 Use Appendix G (PMI) to decide your opinion of the statement: ‘No matter what, you should never lie.’ 4 Who told the lies in this story and what were their motives? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
42
Lower
Developing
Questions for
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation with graphics, history and statistics to support a talk on the Eiffel Tower. Visit then click on Library, and under Engineering Marvels, find Eiffel Tower. Print out your slides and make a visual information display behind a model of the tower that you can construct from any materials (e.g. matchsticks, available from crafts shops, painted grey). Investigate the developments in modern technology that monitor truthfulness and security, such as iris recognition and other biometric applications. Explain your findings and include the history of the polygraph at .
Title
The Eighteenth Emergency
Author
Betsy Byars
Publisher
Red Fox 1976, 2000
Synopsis
Benjie ‘Mouse’ Fawley has the quirky habit of writing little labels on things with arrows beside them (e.g. ‘Tear along this line →’ pointing to a crack in a wall). When he writes the name of the school bully under a picture of a Neanderthal man on the History Room noticeboard, he is really tempting fate: Marv Hammerman is now after him. Mouse and his friend Ezzie have long ago thought up solutions to 17 emergencies (such as No. 12: falling off a cliff) but this new emergency has no easy solution and Mouse is left to deal with it by himself.
Related topics
Bullying
Humour School life
Values: Courage, Resilience
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Who were the people Mouse thought of telling about his anxiety regarding the treatment Marv Hammerman was going to deal out to him? 2 Was there anything Mouse could have done to avoid the situation in which he found himself? 3 Why do bullies often have an audience for their attacks? 4 Was Mouse’s solution the best or only way to deal with Marv Hammerman? 5 What do you think about the role played by the boy in the black T-shirt and Ezzie? 6 What do you think constitutes bullying? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
After several nervewracking days of avoiding Marv Hammerman and his henchman, Mouse decides to seek out his foe for a showdown, even though he’s so scared. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 9, p. 101, paragraph 3 Finish: Chapter 9, p. 104, end of paragraph 1
After a group discussion, use Microsoft Publisher to produce a pamphlet suggesting ways to help students deal with bullying: how to recognise a target by their behaviour; where to get help if you’re being victimised; what to do; what not to do; the best help to give a friend and any other advice you think is important. To make the pamphlet helpful and interesting, add small graphics and use your own collective experience to give practical and realistic solutions, but have a student welfare person or school counsellor look at your draft pamphlet before printing. Make some illustrated Zero Tolerance posters on the theme of bullying.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
43
Title
Extreme Danger Series: The Hardy Boys (Undercover Brothers)
Frank and Joe Hardy are two boys who have an unusual hobby – they are teenage undercover crime fighters.
Author
Franklin W. Dixon
Publisher
Simon & Schuster 2005
Synopsis
Frank and Joe Hardy are amateur sleuths who proved to be so successful at crime fighting they were admitted to ATAC (American Teens Against Crime) where they have been working undercover. Their assignment leads them to the Big Air Games in Philadelphia where extreme sports such as skateboarding and motocross are contested. At the games the Hardy boys strike up a friendship with a girl called Jenna who is a champion skateboarder. When sinister rumours circulating about threats to sabotage the games turn to reality, Frank and Joe find their list of suspects growing. They also discover that accepting help at face value can be extremely dangerous.
Related topics
Mystery genre Sport: extreme sports Skateboarding Crime Adolescents Values: Justice, Co-operation, Contributing
and subjects
Excerpt to read
Start: Start of Chapter 1 Finish: Chapter 1, p. 3, line 4
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: There are a great many Hardy Boys books available in the series.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What deal did Frank and Joe make with their Aunt Trudy? 2 What was Mr Hardy’s attitude to his sons’ activities? Why? 3 List the people that the Hardy boys considered suspects and explain why they suspected them. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
• •
44
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
This story is told from two points of view, with Frank and Joe relating alternate chapters. Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to describe the differences in the boys’ characters and find what they have in common. List the extreme sports mentioned in the book and select one or more to present as a Microsoft PowerPoint, explaining the sport’s origins, history, rules, equipment, etc. Find out about any extreme sports competitions in Australia. Draw a coloured cartoon of the Hardy boys in their undercover disguises chasing the Black Rider into the Monster Loop jump. Find Philadelphia in an atlas and design a poster advertising the Big Air Games. Make up a date, registration details, prizes, costs, categories, etc. and decorate with original artwork or action pictures of extreme sports. Remember to acknowledge copyright holders.
Title
The Fall Series: The Seventh Tower
Author
Garth Nix
Publisher
Scholastic (USA) 2000
Synopsis
Tal lives in a strange world: a mountain castle with seven coloured towers ruled by an empress. His mother lies gravely ill and his father has disappeared, so Tal must try to locate a source of light and energy called a Primary Sunstone that will heal his mother and help the family progress to a better world called Aenir. Tal is sent to the Red Tower but he falls through a veil of darkness to a place of ice and snow where the Icecarls live. With a shield maiden called Milla, Tal sets out to find two sunstones – one for her people and one for himself, unaware of the danger ahead.
Related topics
Fantasy
Science fiction
Quest Values: Co-operation, Courage
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
This story ends abruptly. Take some time to make up possible solutions to the following unanswered questions, then share your scenarios. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Where is Tal’s father? Who hates Tal’s family and why? Do Tal and Milla find any sunstones? Does Tal’s mother recover? Does Milla get back to the Icecarls? Why is Milla so inexplicably hostile to Tal? How does Tal get back to the Tower?
•
Group activity: There is a description of a game called ‘Beastmaker’ in Chapters 8 and 9 where 20 mythical beasts are named and described. Create your own version of ‘Beastmaker’ with little models or illustrated cards that are played out on the seven rectangles. You will need to make up your own rules and instructions about how to play the game, how many can play, how to score, and so on. Use two pieces of hinged stiff cardboard and cover the game board with clear contact paper when the artwork is complete. Prepare a book review using Appendix E.
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
After failing to locate a sunstone that will save his family, Tal takes his great-uncle Ebbitt’s advice to go to the Red Tower, but he falls through a veil of darkness with only his shadowguard to protect him. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 11, ‘Lots of fun ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 11
45
Mr Fox is going out to get some ducks for the family’s dinner, unaware that farmers with guns are waiting in the dark near the entrance to the foxhole.
Title
Fantastic Mr Fox
Author
Roald Dahl (illustrated by Quentin Blake)
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1970, 2007
Synopsis
Three farmers, by the names of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, make it their mission to eradicate a fox and his family living in a burrow under a big tree, but Mr Fox is proving a difficult target, despite the long night vigils with shotguns at the ready. The farmers bring in shovels and heavy machinery but the foxes dig in deeper still. When the whole hill has been demolished, Mr Fox digs in another direction and comes up under the best supply of food they have had in years, much to the delight of all the badgers, moles, rabbits and weasels.
Related topics
Animal stories
Foxes Values: Persistence CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Chapter 3, p. 9, ‘Don’t worry about ...’ Finish: Chapter 3, p. 12, ‘... on earth was it?’
Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: A short, easy text with large print but some testing vocabulary (e.g. smothered, murderous.)
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4 5 6
Are your sympathies with the farmers or the foxes? Why? What clue usually warned Mr Fox that a farmer was stalking him? What did each farmer look like and what did each one prefer to eat? Why were the little foxes proud of their father? Brute force or cunning – which is more effective? Make up a different ending for the story.
•
Make a cartoon sketch of each farmer from the descriptions in the book, label them and around your drawing, write as many different adjectives to describe each farmer as you can think of, checking the correct spelling in your dictionary. Make a book display. Go to the library catalogue and type in ‘foxes – fiction’. Begin making a list (titles and authors) of any story in which a fox appears (e.g. Gingerbread Man, Jemima Puddleduck, Fox, Aesop’s Fox and the Grapes, Brer Fox, The Midnight Fox, etc.). Read the stories and examine how foxes are portrayed in fiction. Are they always cunning? Are any heroic? Write and perform a play based on the story. See Appendix J for an example of a script. Foxes were introduced into Australia by early, white settlers for fox hunting. Now they are predators of our native animals. Research feral animals that are not native to Australia and that present environmental problems. Show your findings in your preferred format.
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
• •
46
Farming
and subjects
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Title
The Forests of Silence Series: Deltora Quest 1
Author
Emily Rodda
Publisher
Scholastic 2000, 2002
Synopsis
Each of the seven tribes of Deltora is represented by a precious gemstone set in the Belt of Deltora, a piece of regalia that has kept the kingdom safe from the evil Shadow Lord for generations. When the belt is treacherously broken up and dispersed, Leif and Barda are urged to restore the belt by seeking the gems in the most dangerous and sinister places in the kingdom where they are guarded by grotesque and deadly monsters. A half-wild, orphan girl called Jasmine helps them penetrate the Forests of Silence, but an all-powerful knight-keeper guards the topaz they seek.
Related topics and subjects
Quest Fantasy Gemstones Mythical beasts
Values: Bravery, Co-operation
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔
1 Why had the kings and queens of Deltora become weak and ineffective leaders with no knowledge of the suffering of their citizens? 2 How did Sharn show her resourcefulness? 3 Where did Barda come from? Describe and explain his loyalty to Leif. 4 What do you think happened to Endon and Sharn? 5 Why did Jarred wait so many years before seeking to have the Belt of Deltora restored? 6 How was Jasmine able to save Barda’s life? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
Lower Secondary Mature content
•
Leif and Barda have set off in search of the first gem missing from the Belt of Deltora that they believe is hidden in the middle of the Forests of Silence, but as they near the forest, they become aware of a powerful, unseen enemy lurking beside the path. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 11, paragraph 2, p. 78, ‘They turned ...’ Finish: Chapter 11, section break, p. 79, ‘... they were covered.’
At scroll down to the picture of the map of Deltora and play the game online using your knowledge of The Forests of Silence and the secret code. On page 6 you will find the names of the seven gems. Make a fourcolumn ‘gems table’ with the headings: Name, Colour, Symbolic meaning (as written in the story) and Mineral composition. Use your imagination to make your own Belt of Deltora (e.g. you can make the gems out of clay and cover them with cellophane) and place the belt in a minerals and gems display of specimens you have collected or made.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
47
On his first cattle muster, Bert is suddenly woken by a massive thunderstorm that causes the cattle to stampede into the bush. Quickly he mounts his pony Dinnertime (called Dinnie for short) and follows the men chasing the runaway stock, but soon realises he’s travelled in the wrong direction.
Title
A Fortunate Life
Author
A. B. Facey
Publisher
Penguin Group (Australia) 1981, 2005
Synopsis
By the time Bert Facey was nine years old, his father had died, his mother had abandoned him, he could not read or write and he was sent out to work as a farm labourer in the wheat belt of Western Australia. Cheated of his wages and beaten senseless, he manages to survive to tell the true story of his life. We live with this boy as he gives us a simple, first-hand account of his life as a cattle drover, a boxer with a travelling sideshow, a farmer, a soldier at Gallipoli where he buries his brother’s remains and later, his life as a mature man who retains his courage and optimism despite the events fate throws at him.
Related topics
Anzac Day Australia: modern history The Great Depression Biographies and memoirs Gallipoli Values: Resilience, Courage
and subjects Reading level /
Start: Beginning of Chapter 33 Finish: End of Chapter 33, middle of paragraph 16, ‘... I was scared stiff.’
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Competent Advanced
discussion
Suggested
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
1 Think about your own life so far. What do you see as the major differences between your childhood and Bert’s? Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to help you write your discussion. 2 Look up the word ‘irony’ in a dictionary to make sure you understand its meaning before discussing this question: ‘Do you think Bert Facey was being ironic when he called his book “A Fortunate Life”, or do you think he saw his life as “half-full, not half-empty”?’ Consider his reactions to the events of his life and his style of writing to help you form an opinion. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
48
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing
Questions for
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Anzac Day is a national day of observance in Australia. Prepare a brief presentation explaining Australia’s involvement in this military engagement: Who were the combatants? Why were they engaging? Where? When? How many? Why was the operation a failure? Use maps, diagrams or visuals to enhance your summary of events. Investigate your family and neighbourhood contacts to see if there are any elderly people willing to tell you about their childhood. Tell them about A Fortunate Life and ask them to help you prepare a short, illustrated story about some significant event(s) in their youth. Perhaps they will let you scan photos. (Be sure to present them with a copy and a thank you!)
Title
Fragile Cargo Series: Crime Waves
Author
Bill O’Brien
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 2003
Synopsis
Ricky and Duncan are two teenage yachting enthusiasts who decide to spend a night in a sheltered cove while on their way to a regatta. In the cove, they stumble across a rusty old launch containing caged, endangered wildlife. Unsure what to do, they decide to wait and see who turns up, but during the night their mooring lines are cut and their yacht drifts out to sea into a busy shipping lane. They have enough on their hands dodging container ships without the added complication of stumbling upon a smuggling operation!
Related topics and subjects
Wildlife smuggling Sport: sailing Mystery genre Threatened species Values: Co-operation, Friendship
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔
Advanced Note: This is a short, easy, high-interest book suitable for developing older readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Rats late for the rendezvous? 2 Why didn’t Ricky want to contact the police immediately when they found the old launch the second time? 3 How did Hydraulic get his nickname? 4 How did Rats prevent the smugglers from escaping in their inflatable Zodiac? 5 Why should we worry about wildlife smuggling? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Duncan and Ricky sleep overnight on board their yacht moored in a sheltered cove. Duncan is woken at first light next morning by movement and a strange sound. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 2, p. 19 Finish: Chapter 2, end of paragraph 4, p. 20 Note: excerpt contains the word ‘bloody’.
Wildlife smuggling and trade present a big problem for biodiversity and conservation around the world. Using Microsoft Publisher, create an illustrated pamphlet warning travellers about prohibited products. Consult the World Wildlife Fund site <worldwildlife.org> for a list of species under threat. Write up an illustrated magazine article of an imaginary interview with Ricky and Duncan describing their ordeal and the successful interception of the illegal animal smuggling operation. Illustrations could include photos of Ricky and Duncan, their yacht and some of the species that were being smuggled.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
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Realising that Cousin Ruthie has caused another Mousepanic, Frankel, Michael and Berrel know that people will soon start arriving to hunt down the station’s mice population. They must escape or hide if they are to survive.
Title
Frankel Mouse
Author
Odo Hirsch
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 2000
Synopsis
Frankel Mouse and his lazy companion Berrel decide to move from the railway platform at Swiss Cottage where they live, to a new home in an electricity cupboard in a tunnel at Baker Street station, believing it will improve their supply of food crumbs. On the way, they are joined by a timid, forgetful little mouse called Michael and later, by their troublesome Cousin Ruthie who seems to attract chaos wherever she goes, especially when she lights a fire in the tunnel!
Related topics
Transport: trains, hot-air balloons
Friendship
Animal stories: mice
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: A good story to read aloud to younger children who might have difficulty with the language independently.
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 10, from section break, ‘So, time to leave ...’ Finish: Chapter 10, to next section break, ‘... to breathe.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
What was the ‘Scaremouse’? What does ‘100,000 volts’ mean? Why didn’t Berrel want Cousin Ruthie to stay with them for long? Why were Frankel and Berrel worried about ‘Mousepanic’? If you had to be a creature other than human, what would you choose to be? Why? 5 How many words (adjectives) can you list to describe Frankel, Berrel, Michael and Cousin Ruthie? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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50
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Draw an X-ray cross-section to show all the levels of the city where Frankel Mouse lived. For example, show the buildings on the surface, underground train stations and car parks below, electricity, phone and water pipes and stormwater tunnels, and add lots of details to your underground map. See books on cross-sections and the illustrations in books such as Where’s Wally? Make small striped hot-air balloons to hang up with toy mice in the baskets. Find a good recipe and stage a ‘Bagel Day’ when parent helpers are at school to help with the cooking so that there is time to cook one for everyone.
Title
Frozen Fear Series: Zac Power
Author
H. I. Larry
Publisher
Hardie Grant Egmont 2006
Synopsis
Setting off on holiday with his family, Zac Power is suddenly hoisted aloft by a GIB (Government Investigation Bureau) helicopter. On board is Special Secret Agent Fox who needs Zac for a dangerous secret mission at the Great Icy Pole where WorldEye surveillance has detected unusual shipping movements in the polar wastes. Zac has only 24 hours to find out what is going on before the end-of-summer deadline when aerial rescue is still possible. He realises he cannot foil the malevolent intentions of Sky Industries and still make it back to the pick-up rendezvous in time, but ever resourceful, Zac has a plan.
Related topics and subjects
Espionage Robotics Technology Polar regions Pirates (modern)
Reading level /
Piracy
Crime
Biomes
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
✔ ✔
Upper
✔ ✔
Zac and his family are going to Point Relaxation for a holiday when they stop at a petrol station.
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Start: Chapter 1, p. 5, ‘Zac hopped out of the car ...’ Finish: Chapter 1, p. 7, last line ‘Zac Power!’
Note: A quick read, widely-spaced text, suitable for developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
What are the functions of Zac’s Spypad? Why couldn’t he use it on the mission? Why had petrol prices suddenly soared? What images and meanings does the word ‘piracy’ have in modern times compared to the past? 5 What was Sky Industries’ motive for hijacking the world’s petrol supplies? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
If you are interested in building robots, there is an organisation you can join. Visit for information about the robotics club. To design and make some of the Zac Power robotics, visit then click on Mission Notes. Research and prepare a talk on the impact of humans on polar regions. Begin by describing and explaining the incident in Frozen Fear when Fox handed Zac a plastic bag as part of his mission equipment.
Teacher’s note: Key Learning Areas and year levels in robotic technology resources can be found at <www.robotics.com.au> under Education → Resources.
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Fred and Rowley have made six-year-old Rabbit use all the money in his piggybank to buy an old board game, then decide to start playing without him.
Title
The Game of the Goose
Author
Ursula Dubosarsky
Publisher
Viking, Penguin Group (Australia) 2000, 2007
Synopsis
Fred (a girl), Rowley and Rabbit (six years old) live in neighbouring houses that share a backyard. In a second-hand shop, they find an old board game that contains a key, a girdle, a little pair of winged shoes and a map of a fantasyland. Rabbit chooses the key and sails to an island inhabited only by children. The Shoes of Swiftness take Rowley to a medieval fortress city where the only inhabitant is an old knight in armour caught in a maze, while Fred’s girdle lands her in a tall tower with no windows. If they are to return home, they must work out the rules of the game.
Related topics
Fantasy genre Friendship Philosophy Games Values: Optimism, Care and Compassion
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Chapter 6, ‘The Game Begins’
Developing
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
1 What was the motto written on the board game that Rabbit thought might give him a chance to win the game? What did it mean? (See Chapter 4.) 2 What other quality, besides speed and strength, was needed to win the game? 3 The old knight was lonely and sad because everyone he knew had gone. What do you think it would be like to live forever? 4 What did you think about the way Fred, Rowley and the shopkeeper behaved in the shop the first time? How was that same scene different at the end of the book? 5 Do you think things just happen in life or do you agree with people who say there is no such thing as an accident? Or do you think something else entirely? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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52
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
When words paint vivid pictures in our minds, it’s called ‘visual imagery’. Hold an art exhibition of paintings inspired by this story – think of the medieval knight, the peacock forest, the children with their kites by the sea, the golden bridge – there are many images. Philosophy is the study of life, wisdom and the meaning of existence. Discuss how The Game of the Goose could represent ‘The Game of Life’. How were the children’s experiences influenced by greed, hope, kind intentions, selfishness and any other qualities you can identify?
Title
The Garden of Empress Cassia
Author
Gabrielle Wang
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2002
Synopsis
Mimi discovers she has a talent for drawing and when her teacher gives her a box of pastels, the garden she draws on the pavement outside her parents’ shop opens up a whole new world for Mimi and all those around her. An old man in Chinatown warns her that the pastels are magical and dangerous in the wrong hands, so when Gemma, the bully who causes her so much grief at school, steals them, Mimi must act bravely and quickly.
Related topics
Fantasy Access Asia China Bullying Chinese Australians Multiculturalism Art: pastels
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: Treats bullying and the difficulties of fitting into multicultural society. Insights into Chinese cultural values and traditions (herbal medicine, dragons, Buddhism, reincarnation, feng shui, losing face).
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why could some people enter the garden and not others? 2 Who were the characters that entered the garden and what did they each do afterwards? 3 Why do you think Gemma was so nasty? 4 What special talent or ability would you like to develop? 5 China has a very ancient culture. What are some of the traditions mentioned in the story that we could learn more about? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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•
•
Despite a frightening thunderstorm and the fast approach of nightfall, Mimi bravely enters Ghost Gum Park in search of her envious classmate Gemma who has stolen the box of enchanted pastels. Mimi knows that Gemma is unaware of their dangerous power and desperately tries to get them back. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 11 Finish: Chapter 11, p. 88, ‘... You might already be too late.’
Create a mural in pastel of the four seasons in Empress Cassia’s garden. Each student contributes a drawing of a different garden feature. Find Chinese paintings of gardens for inspiration. Design and decorate a colourful and glittering Chinese dragon that you can have laminated to use as your own bookmark or as a gift for someone else. It is believed a fabulous garden was buried under the earth in China near Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s terracotta warriors. It has not been fully excavated yet, but Sima Qian wrote about it 2000 years ago. To find out about the Emperor, begin your search at . At find the section entitled Mausoleum and Terracotta Army. Use the description of the garden with its rivers of mercury to create a painting or model of the tomb’s interior.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
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Title
The Gizmo Series: The Gizmo
The gizmo has just destroyed the wedding of Stephen’s football coach and the wedding party is after him. Stephen tries to escape on his friend’s horse.
Author
Paul Jennings (Illustrated by Keith McEwan)
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1994
Synopsis
It’s not often people have to face the consequences of their crimes as quickly as Stephen Wilkins when he steals a gizmo from a market stall at the instigation of his ‘friend’ Floggit. As a man in uniform approaches, Floggit thrusts the stolen goods at Stephen and flees the scene. What should Stephen do? He tries to return the goods but the gizmo sticks to him like glue and keeps swapping the clothes he’s wearing with the nearest person! The only good thing about it is that Stephen can use this to deliver justice to his treacherous ‘friend’ Floggit.
Related topics
Inventions Humour Crime and punishment Values: Friendship, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Loyalty
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 6, p. 49, ‘Suddenly the horse ...’ Finish: Chapter 6, end of p. 50, ‘No, no, no ...’
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: This is a short, easy, high-interest book suitable for developing older readers. Contains funny picture book style illustrations.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What are the qualities of a good friend and how does Floggit prove he isn’t one? 2 Why did Stephen commit the crime in the first place? 3 Stephen and Floggit both committed a crime. What was different about their attitudes to it? 4 Do you often do the ‘right thing’ to satisfy other people or yourself? Is there any difference in the way this makes you feel? 5 How does Floggit get his comeuppance? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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54
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Design and make a gizmo that has special powers. Put your model on display with an instructions label that explains its functioning and purpose. Turn this story into a comic book. Study your favourite illustration in the book and try to reproduce it yourself (without tracing) on A4-sized paper. Use Appendix E to write a detailed book review on The Gizmo, following the headings for each section.
Title
A Handful of Blue
Author
Vince Ford
Publisher
Scholastic (NZ) 2003
Synopsis
Jeremy just can’t seem to get it right. His litany of misdeeds sees him grounded by his parents on their New Zealand sheep property by the sea. With a cyclone bearing down, his parents’ farm threatened by the bank with foreclosure, his relations with his sister Tessa turning completely sour, the last thing the family needs is a mass stranding of pilot whales on the beach opposite their farm. It is this tragic event that gives Jeremy the opportunity to redeem himself.
Related topics
Whales Farming Oceans New Zealand Values: Justice, Co-operation
and subjects Reading level /
Wildlife conservation
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Short description of nudity. Check pages 11 and 20 for suitability before reading aloud.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How did the whale stranding bring out the best and the worst in people’s behaviour in the story? 2 What were the causes of the conflict in the relationship between Jeremy and Tessa? Do you think it’s harder to apologise or to forgive? 3 What examples can you find in the book which illustrate the theme of justice? •
post-reading/ presentation
•
activities
•
Jeremy’s parents are beside themselves with worry about losing their farm and when his dad doesn’t show up for lunch, his mum becomes very anxious; fearing he may have come to some sort of harm, she sends Jeremy out to look for him. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 10, paragraph 3 Finish: Chapter 10, paragraph 8
Do some research to find out the latest theories on why whales beach themselves. Choose your own format for sharing your findings. Prepare a chart of labelled silhouette outlines that illustrate the differences in the size and shape of the world’s whales with brief descriptions about each of the species. Arrange them in order from smallest to largest. To begin your search, see the simple description of the various species at . Prepare a map of the Pacific to show the migratory patterns of whales in the waters of our region and Antarctica. Indicate the times of the year in which they appear in certain locations. See .
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Title
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Series: Harry Potter
Harry Potter’s adoptive parents have become so alarmed by the hundreds of letters addressed to him that have bombarded their home, his Uncle Vernon decides to drive the family to a remote place where the letters can’t possibly reach them, even though it is only hours until Harry’s eleventh birthday.
Author
J. K. Rowling
Publisher
Bloomsbury UK 1997, 2004
Synopsis
Raised with his detestable cousin Dudley, by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, the orphaned Harry Potter is summoned on his eleventh birthday to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From Platform 9¾, Harry leaves the world of Muggles (non-wizards) to join his new school chums: Ron, Hermione and Neville. He encounters an array of strange teachers: Professors Dumbledore, Quirrell, Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and a gigantic caretaker called Hagrid. An evil wizard of the Dark Arts called Voldemort has killed Harry’s parents and now seeks the Philosopher’s Stone, an elixir of eternal life. Harry summons his courage and expertise in a flying broomstick game called ‘Quidditch’, to take on the challenge of confronting his powerful enemy.
Related topics
Fantasy Friendship Magic Wizards and witches Values: Courage, Doing Your Best, Persistence
and subjects Reading level /
School life
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, third line, p. 37, ‘It was very cold outside the car.’ Finish: End of Chapter 3
Competent Advanced
Note: This is a long story that builds slowly to a fast-paced climax.
Questions for discussion
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone © 1997 J. K. Rowling
Suggested
1 What qualities are attached to the four school houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin (represented by the lion, the eagle, the badger and the serpent) that the Sorting Hat took into account when allocating student placements? 2 What weaknesses of character did Hagrid display when he revealed the secret of subduing Fluffy, the three-headed monster dog? 3 What was the explanation for Snape’s hatred of Harry Potter? 4 Briefly explain the rules of Quidditch. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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56
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
You can use the template in Appendix H to design your own coat of arms for the four Hogwarts houses which should include images of the animals each represents. To help with the house motto, refer to the Sorting Hat’s song in Chapter 7. Use Appendix B to make a comprehensive study of Harry Potter’s character. Sketch caricatures of some of the most memorable characters in the story.
Title
Hatchet
Author
Gary Paulsen
Publisher
Pan Macmillan 1987, 2005
Synopsis
On an access visit to his father, Brian Robeson is flown north into the Canadian wilderness in a light plane. When disaster strikes, he finds himself still alive beside a lake in a vast, silent forest. Injured, and with no food or shelter, he still has a small hatchet his mother gave him in his belt. Little does he know, it is the only thing besides his strength of will that will keep him alive. As his isolation continues, he is transformed mentally and physically as he develops a profound understanding of both himself and the world he now inhabits.
Related topics and subjects
Survival Biomes Transport: aircraft Wilderness Natural disasters Aircraft Values: Resilience
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
After many mistakes and moments of despair, Brian finally manages to make a bow and some arrows that fly. Now he is able to hunt what he calls ‘foolbirds’ and add meat to his diet, but his first expedition is terrifying and threatens his very existence.
Note: This dramatic story is a page-turner and good to read aloud.
Excerpt to read Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was the first and most important rule of survival Brian learnt? 2 What added advantages did the fire provide besides heat and light? 3 After a while, Brian realises his mind and body have changed. How was he different to the city boy he once was? 4 How did Brian learn to measure time? 5 After the first search plane failed to see him, Brian learnt two truths about himself. What were they? 6 After Brian learnt survival and hunting skills, what was his reaction to the rifle he found in the emergency pack? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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Chapter 16
As a group project, design and make a board game like snakes and ladders called Hatchet! Begin by making two lists of events: the fortunate events and the adverse events. You should be able to list at least 11 events for each list. Work out the moves by writing the events in squares you have ruled up on a large sheet of paper that can be glued onto two pieces of stiff cardboard hinged down the centre back with strong tape. Create colourful background illustrations in the squares behind the snakes and ladders. Add some dice and tokens and a box to hold the game. Using the information at (or another source), prepare a lesson in the basic use of a compass and deliver it to your class. Most schools have a collection of compasses you and your classmates can use. Use charts to illustrate your talk and make up a practice exercise for finding objects in the school grounds using compass directions.
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Miss Belmont has placed the new girl, Alison Ashley, in the seat next to Erica who immediately decides she hates this beautiful, graceful, elegant girl wearing expensive clothes, who gets all her maths right and has a gold pencil case with her initials on it.
Title
Hating Alison Ashley
Author
Robin Klein
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1984, 2000
Synopsis
Sixth-grader, Erica Yurken, lives in Barringa East where loud, uncouth voices issue from houses with newspapers pasted on the windows instead of curtains and the garden ornaments are dead cars, but when she’s a famous actress, she will leave all that behind. Erica (often called ‘Erk’ or ‘Yuk’) copes by convincing herself that she’s a cut above everyone else, until the arrival of Alison Ashley who is perfect in every way and causes Erica to face the humiliating reality of her family life. On Drama Night at camp, Erica sets out to showcase her astounding acting talent, but it certainly doesn’t turn out as she would ever have expected.
Related topics
School life Jealousy Humour Family relationships Friendship Drama School camps Values: Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion, Self-acceptance
and subjects
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent
Excerpt to read
Advanced
Start: Chapter 3, paragraph 9, p. 20, ‘We finished ...’ Finish: Chapter 3, paragraph 17, p. 22, ‘... come on.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested presentation
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
1 Why was Alison Ashley attending Barringa East Primary School? 2 What did Erica hate about Alison? Was it justified? 3 How does the saying ‘You need to walk a mile in another person’s shoes to see where they pinch’, relate to this story? 4 Is there any difference between fantasising and lying? What are some of the ‘whoppers’ Erica told to try and enhance her image? What motivates people to lie? 5 Jealousy is a very destructive emotion and is often irrational. What strategies can we use to overcome it? •
post-reading/
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activities
•
58
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
For a performance of Hating Alison Ashley, refer to the dramatisation of the story by Richard Tulloch, published by Penguin. Write a short story from Alison’s point of view about her first few days at Barringa East. Prepare character webs for both Erica and Alison using the graphic organiser in Appendix B.
Title
Haunted Australia Note: non-fiction book
Author
John Heffernan
Publisher
Scholastic 2005
Synopsis
The author has sifted through the formidable array of reports on paranormal experiences in Australia over the last two centuries and presented accounts in a short, easy-to-read style. He covers famous hauntings of mansions, ships, cottages, country roads, theatres, hospitals, gaols and Indigenous sacred sites and scenes of massacres. His approach is neither persuasive nor sceptical, but suggests that if one has experienced a frightening, paranormal encounter, he or she is less likely to remain a sceptic. Hauntings are listed by postcode; there is a section on FAQs and a glossary.
Related topics and subjects
Ghosts Paranormal phenomena Australia: folklore
Reading level /
Australia: colonial history
Convicts
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
This excerpt deals with the strange experience of two young men riding motorcycles one night near Quirindi in New South Wales. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter ‘Night riders’, section ‘Spooks on tour’, p. 120 Finish: p. 121, ‘... strange lights.’
Note: Some frightening accounts could be disturbing to younger readers. To check suitability, read ‘The Glen’.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 There is still no conclusive, scientific evidence that explains why so many people have felt or seen unexplained apparitions. Use Appendix G to help you decide about what you have read in Haunted Australia. 2 Have you ever personally experienced anything similar to the accounts in the book? 3 Why do you think it could be risky to ‘dabble’ in ghost sleuthing? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
In November each year a festival is held in Campbelltown, New South Wales to commemorate a famous Australian ghost story. This website contains a poem: . Use the poem to introduce an oral book review of Haunted Australia by reciting the verse or, if you are musical, set the poem to music and singing the song. Use Appendix E for your book review. If you have access to video equipment, film a play about Fisher’s Ghost or any other ghost story.
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Heidi has lived all her life with just her governess, Fräulein Gelber, until one night towards the end of the war; Hitler sends a car to collect them.
Title
Hitler’s Daughter
Author
Jackie French
Publisher
HarperCollins 1999
Synopsis
Anna, Mark, Ben and Little Tracey wait for the school bus every day and Anna tells imaginative stories to pass the time, but there is something strangely compelling about the story of Hitler’s daughter who knew nothing about concentration camps or the falling of bombs. Anna recounts how Heidi is not a blonde, athletic, perfect specimen Hitler would be proud to show off as his daughter, so she is concealed with her governess, Fräulein Gelber, in a remote village. Was Anna’s grandmother really just an ordinary girl who arrived in Australia after the war, or did she tell Anna a momentous secret about herself before she died?
Related topics
Racism Adolf Hitler World War, 1939–1945 Time slip Storytelling Prejudice
and subjects Reading level /
Start: Chapter 16, beginning of p. 113, ‘Fräulein Gelber came ...’ Finish: Chapter 16, end of paragraph 2, p. 115, ‘Fräulein Gelber ushered ...’
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Mature content which deals with Jewish persecution but is not graphic or specific.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Mark relieved that Ben was away sick and missed most of Anna’s story? 2 If you were Hitler’s child, would you tell anyone? Why? 3 Mark kept thinking about what he would do if his parents did something he thought was wrong. What do you think you would do if that situation occurred? 4 ‘Children of famous people are really lucky.’ Use the PMI in Appendix G to decide if you agree with this statement and have a group discussion about your opinions. 5 People often do things that are widely condemned but they think they’re in the right. See if the people in your group can agree on a list of examples of ‘right’ versus ‘wrong’ human behaviour. •
post-reading/ presentation
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activities
60
Ethics
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Survival
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Write a story about the life of an imaginary son or daughter of a famous person in history. The majority of war stories have been written from the point of view of (male) soldiers, but women have frequently had to face the enemy unarmed which takes extreme courage. Prepare an oral presentation, supported by Microsoft PowerPoint visuals, about the life experiences of Vivian Bullwinkel. You might start your biography search at and then move on to print material resources.
Title
Holes A prequel to Small Steps
Author
Louis Sachar
Publisher
Bloomsbury UK 1998, 2000
Synopsis
After being found guilty of theft, Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake, a vast dried-up lake bed where young offenders must dig holes all day in the hot sun. The purpose of this mindless activity is to uncover a load of treasure the Warden thinks was buried there 100 years ago. In order to survive, Stanley quickly learns about this brutal environment, his place in the pecking order, the fatally venomous yellow-spotted lizards and a sadistic warden. He forms an uneasy friendship with an illiterate youth called Zero and together they make a bid for freedom.
Related topics and subjects
Justice Crime and punishment Family relationships Racism Civics and Citizenship Values: Friendship, Honesty and Trustworthiness
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Believing his friend, Zero, could be out somewhere dying of thirst, Stanley sneaks away from the camp and heads across a vast, dried-up lake bed. Excerpt to read
Chapter 34
1 What is rehabilitation? 2 When are harsh punishments justified? 3 Do we have too many laws? Why do we need them? Do you think our justice system works well? 4 Should victims’ families have a say in sentencing? 5 What do you know about your great-grandparents? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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In order for society to function, laws have been thought up to govern human behaviour. At you can find out about some of the first written civil laws. Who wrote them? When were they written? Are any of them relevant today? Click on Solve some problems Hammurabi faced and test your judgements. Tell your class about some of Hammurabi’s 282 laws (codes) and lead a discussion about which laws they think are the most important for society today. Try to make a list that gains everyone’s approval of the 10 most important laws. See if you can find out the name and life story of one of your greatgrandparents and write his or her biography. If there is no family information about them, make up an illustrated legend about a real or imaginary ancestor.
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Horrendo has managed to divert the attention of the pirates so that the other boys can climb over the side of the ship into the jolly-boat. They row away quickly towards the treasure island and just as they believe themselves to be safe, their fortune turns ...
Title
Horrendo’s Curse
Author
Anna Fienberg
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 2002
Synopsis
Every year Horrendo’s village awaits with dread the arrival of pirates who kidnap all its 12-year-old boys. The boys are taken away to work on a ship as slaves and are never heard of again. Knowing this, the villagers raise their sons to be rough, rude and foul-mouthed to prepare them for their fate but Gretel the witch puts a curse on Horrendo which makes him unfailingly polite and considerate. Luckily, Horrendo finds a wonderful way to use his curse to everyone’s advantage.
Related topics
Pirates Humour Volcanoes Sea shanties Subjects Transport: sailing ships Values: Co-operation
and subjects Reading level /
Start: Chapter 11, p. 105, ‘The boys had little pauses ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 11
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Competent Advanced
discussion
Suggested
Middle
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
1 What was Horrendo’s curse? Why was it considered a curse? 2 How did Horrendo’s curse save the day during his captivity? 3 What do you think is the meaning of the saying ‘You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar’? 4 Why did Horrendo allow himself to be caught? 5 Which is more important, honesty or kindness? •
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Lower
Developing
Questions for
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Your own exciting treasure hunt can be found at <www.nationalgeo graphic.com/features/97/pirates/maina.html>. If you can do the tasks in the island-hopping game, you will succeed in finding which island has the treasure. There are instructions for making a realistic treasure map and other fun activities on the State Library of Queensland website . Write a short play about the scene in which Horrendo is forced to walk the plank while the other boys escape. Learn the words and music of a sea shanty to sing at the beginning of your play and make authentic costumes. (For an example of a script, see Appendix J.)
Title
I Am David
Author
Anne Holm
Publisher
Egmont UK 1963, 1993
Synopsis
This is the story of David, a 12-year-old boy who lived in a concentration camp from the age of one until a guard mysteriously lets him escape. He knows nothing about the world and yet has worldly wisdom and an ability to speak foreign languages, so who is he? As he treks his way across Europe, he quickly learns about himself and life from the people he encounters: a family grateful to him for saving their daughter from a fire; an artist with vital information about his identity; a farming family that shows him the worst side of human nature; and a dog that shows him the meaning of nobility.
Related topics and subjects
Survival Journeys Civics and Citizenship Freedom Ethics Values: Honesty and Trustworthiness, Love and Hate, Gratitude, Integrity, Responsibility
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing
Excerpt to read
✔ ✔
Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
Note: Mature content: concepts of ethics and religion.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What explanation is given for the guard arranging David’s escape? 2 Who was David’s mentor? Describe David’s unusual education. 3 On page 161, Johannes warns David against saying ‘it’s someone else’s fault’. Why did he think it harmful to indulge in this kind of reasoning? 4 How did David learn emotional intelligence? How did his outlook on life change after he’d felt love for Maria? What did the dog teach him? 5 When he imagined finding his mother, what three qualities did he hope she’d have? (See page 158.) 6 David felt critical about the attitudes and behaviour displayed by children growing up in a ‘normal’ environment. Think about your life and list all the ‘pluses’. Do you take some aspects of your life for granted? 7 Describe David’s thoughts about greed. Do you agree? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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Having spent his childhood in a concentration camp, David is puzzled when a hateful guard offers to let him escape and tells him he will have 30 seconds to clear the fence while the electricity is turned off.
Start: Chapter 1, first section break, ‘There could not ...’ Finish: Chapter 1, end of paragraph 4, p. 7, ‘... the most of it.’
On a map of Europe, trace David’s journey from somewhere north of Salonika to Denmark through the places he travelled. Select one location and prepare a visual/information display about that region or city. As a group, prepare a SWOT analysis of David’s character and situation (see Appendix C), for example losing the compass in the sea comprised a threat. A man called Abraham Maslow made up a list of the most important things humans need to live. He divided them into five groups called ‘the Hierarchy of Needs’. What do you think are the most important needs of human beings?
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Beecham Park Racecourse seems to draw Andy like a magnet to the magic and splendour of its night time race meetings.
Title
‘I Own the Racecourse!’
Author
Patricia Wrightson
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1994
Synopsis
Andy had heard his friends Joe, Matt, Terry and Mike play a game of verbal ‘Monopoly’, pretending to buy and sell local landmarks. When an old tramp tells Andy he can have the Racecourse for $3, Andy believes he now owns Beecham Park ‘lock, stock and barrel’. He begins frequenting the racecourse where he tells the regulars he is the owner and is keeping an eye on things, but when Andy’s conviction starts to get him into trouble, his friends decide they have to try and convince their mildly retarded friend to abandon his fantasy.
Related topics
Disabilities Racing Australia in the 1960s Values: Friendship, Care and Compassion, Doing Your Best
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 2, paragraph 6, p. 25, ‘Andy wandered off ...’ Finish: Chapter 2, p. 28, ‘... a long time.’
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why did the boys argue about how to persuade Andy to let go of his delusion? 2 How did Bert Hammond and the others at Beecham Park react to Andy? What do you think motivated them to interact with him that way? 3 What were some of the ways young city kids amused themselves in the days before computer games and widespread TV ownership? 4 What signs tell you that Appington Hill was not a wealthy suburb? 5 What were the ingenious ways Andy adopted to earn the dollar he needed? •
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Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Using the graphic organiser in Appendix B, compile a character web for Andy to show his complex and appealing personality and find examples in the story to support the character traits you have attributed to him. During the era in which this story was set, plane and ship modelling were popular pastimes for young people. See if you can make a plane, ship, kite, billycart or other model that children of that era would have enjoyed making. The model can be made from scrap material or even a kit, if you prefer. Research the causes of mental retardation and find out about particular forms of the condition. Present your findings in a poster display or digital presentation.
Title
The Incredible Journey
Author
Sheila Burnford
Publisher
Random House 1961, 2004
Synopsis
When the Hunter family goes overseas, they take their three pets (Luath, a young, golden Labrador; Bodger, an ancient, white bull terrier; and Tao, a male Siamese cat) to be cared for by their father’s friend, John Longridge. Before long, Luath the Labrador decides he has pined long enough and leads the other two animals 300 miles west across the Canadian wilderness in search of home. It is a perilous journey for three domestic animals during which Luath develops an infection in his jaw; Bodger is attacked by a bear and Tao stops breathing when he is washed up on a riverbank. The survival of all three is against the odds.
Related topics and subjects
Animal stories Survival Biomes Journeys Values: Friendship, Courage, Perseverance
Reading level /
Pets
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
A fast-flowing river blocks the path taken by the three animals. The two dogs manage to swim across but the young Labrador goes back to try and entice the Siamese cat to follow. Excerpt to read
Last nine paragraphs of Chapter 5
1 Some religions teach that animals don’t have souls. From your own observations, do you agree or disagree? Why? 2 Could this journey really have taken place? Have you heard of other animals that have travelled long distances? 3 Hunting is treated uncritically in this story. Should people living in the modern world of supermarkets still hunt animals? Organise a debate. 4 Describe the human contact the animals experienced. Can you draw any conclusions to explain the different reactions people had when they encountered the pets in the wild? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
Many dogs have been bred for specific tasks (e.g. kelpies, St Bernard’s, Dutch barge dogs). Research a breed that appeals to you and organise your information for a visual display. If available, use Inspiration software to document the information you gather. Visit for activities available free to teachers. If you have a pet, write an imaginative story in the first person about a day in the life of your pet. Describe the people and other animals around you, what is happening, and what you think about it from the animal’s point of view.
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Title
The Invention of Hugo Cabret A novel in words and pictures
Hugo has promised to bring the automaton from his hiding place at the railway station to the house of Georges Méliès, the man who made it many years ago.
Author
Brian Selznick
Publisher
Scholastic Inc (USA) 2007
Synopsis
A young orphan who lives above a railway station in Paris in the 1930s finds himself alone when his uncle disappears. To avoid detection, he remains in hiding above the station and takes on his uncle’s job of keeping all the station’s clocks going. In the burnt-out remains of a museum, he finds a smashed automaton which he begins to repair by stealing mechanical bits and pieces from a toy seller opposite the station, until the toy seller’s goddaughter, Isabelle, uncovers Hugo’s secret activities. Together they set out to solve the mystery surrounding the automaton and a man called Georges Méliès.
Related topics
Automatons (robots) Technology Graphic novels Art Paris, France Cinema Values: Belonging, Resilience
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Start: Chapter 9, p. 409 Finish: Chapter 9, p. 412, end of paragraph 3, ‘... ringing crash.’
READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
Note: There is an even balance of text and fascinating multi-focused artwork. Unique format.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What do you think inspired the book’s format and layout? (Try letting the pages flick forward quickly from under your thumb.) 2 Explain the story behind the photograph on pages 382–383. 3 What led Georges Méliès to destroy over 400 of the films he’d made? 4 What real-life events inspired the author to write the book? (See page 528 and the flyleaf.) 5 Explain Méliès’s philosophy about cinematic filmmaking. How does he relate it to dreams? 6 What complicated automaton is Hugo referring to at the end of the book? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
The website mentioned in the book has many interesting online and off-line mechanics activities as well as information for teachers. Buy a clock from a $2 shop (or find a broken one at home) and take it apart. Assemble the pieces and use them to draw a design for your own automaton. Draw a copy of your favourite illustration in the book to master the art style and then try to make a series of drawings that run together to show a zoom focus or some animated movement. Present a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on the Lumière brothers or any other pioneer of filmmaking.
Title
The Iron Man A prequel to The Iron Woman
Author
Ted Hughes
Publisher
Faber & Faber 1968, 2005
Synopsis
A modern fairy tale about an automaton that disintegrates when it falls from a cliff only to reassemble itself and begin devouring tractors, trucks and anything metallic. The local farmers dig an enormous pit and when the Iron Man falls in, they cover him with the soil, but their troubles are only just beginning. A monstrous alien descends from outer space and flops down on Earth where it covers most of Australia and threatens the extinction of all life. Then a boy called Hogarth begins to wonder if the Iron Man can be persuaded to help them.
Related topics and subjects
Automatons (robots) Fairytales Environment and sustainability Values: Co-operation, Conflict resolution
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
A boy called Hogarth is about to make a terrifying discovery that will change his life and he will be called on to save the world. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning Chapter 2, p. 11 Finish: End of Chapter 2, paragraph 2, p. 12
Note: A good story to serialise aloud to the class.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4 5 6
Describe the proportions of the space monster. When confronted by the space monster, how did human beings react? What attracted the space monster to Earth? How did Hogarth persuade the Iron Man to help him? Where did the space monster end up and what was its new role? Does the author of this legend have a message? Can you explain what it could be?
•
If the space monster’s chin was in the Indian Ocean and its tail was draped over Tasmania, work out its length by consulting an atlas. Then draw a scale drawing of the alien on Australia. Make sure you include the scale ratio below your diagram. The space creature came from the constellation of Orion. Where in the sky is this and what does it look like? Make a matching game called ‘Constellations’ consisting of a set of cards (12 cm x 8 cm) illustrating the constellations, then make a second set of cards (2 cm x 7 cm) on which to write the names of the constellations. Place them all in a decorated box and donate it to the library.
post-reading/ presentation activities
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With the weather so oppressively hot, Karana leaves her dog Rontu-Aru behind and paddles her canoe around the reef to the sandspit where she repairs the gaps with pitch.
Title
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Author
Scott O’Dell
Publisher
Penguin Group (UK) 1960, 2004
Synopsis
How could a young girl survive by herself on an island in the Pacific Ocean for 18 years? This remarkable story is inspired by the real-life experience of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas. When her Chumash tribe is evacuated from the island, Karana is left behind because she leaps off the ship and wades ashore in search of her little brother who is killed by a pack of wild dogs a short time later. She manages to feed, clothe and shelter herself, but is then confronted by a pack of wild dogs, an earthquake, a tsunami, a giant octopus and the return of the murderous men who had killed many of her tribe.
Related topics
Natural disasters Indigenous Americans Survival Values: Loyalty, Courage, Resilience, Persistence
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 27, paragraph 1, ‘After the fierce storms ...’ Finish: Chapter 27, last line, p. 143, ‘... earth began to move.’
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
1 What did Karana’s people believe would happen if women made weapons? Why do you think they believed this? 2 How and why did Karana’s attitude to animals change over time? 3 Karana mentions her loneliness infrequently. What strategies did she adopt to overcome her feelings of isolation? When did she suffer most from loneliness? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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68
Ocean
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
As a group effort, make a simple skirt covered with black feathers and a top made of woven raffia to resemble Karana’s outfit. The materials you need are available at craft shops. Use old sheets or other material as backing. If working alone, make the outfit doll-size. Use as a visual aid for displaying with a book review. To find out what happened to the real Karana when she left the island, try completing the web quest at as a group activity. The earthquake and the tsunami that rocked the island were probably caused by a shift in the tectonic plates of the San Andreas Fault. Find out about this phenomenon and present the information to the class in a format of your choosing. You can learn the words and music of a song called ‘Toki Toki’, believed to have been sung by the real ‘Karana’. You can find it at
Title
Jodie’s Journey Series: Takeaways
Author
Colin Thiele
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 1988, 1997
Synopsis
Jodie Carpenter is showing great equestrian promise as she competes and wins in show jumping events on her horse, Monarch, until the day of the Pony Club Cup when sharp pain in her hands suddenly loosens her grip and her horse baulks at the final jump. Finally, the continual pain in her body is diagnosed as an illness that may leave her in a wheelchair, unable to ride Monarch again. Watching her friend, Tanya, taking over the care of Monarch and winning trophies, is as painful as the endless treatment and stays in hospital, but on one hot February day, Jodie finds herself in a situation more difficult than anything she has ever encountered.
Related topics and subjects
Natural disasters Bushfires Rheumatoid arthritis School life Horses: show jumping Values: Courage, Resilience, Overcoming fear
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
Jodie, confined to a wheelchair, is home alone on a hot February day, when she realises she must somehow save herself and her horse Monarch from a bushfire. Excerpt to read
Chapter 15
✔ ✔
Note: Should appeal especially to readers who love horse riding.
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/ presentation activities
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
What were the first symptoms of Jodie’s disease? How were the symptoms explained? What cures did well-wishers suggest to Jodie? Is the disease curable at present? What treatments did she undergo? What are the daily responsibilities of owning a horse? What is Jodie able to do at the end of the story despite her condition? What were the statistics quoted about the Ash Wednesday devastation?
Prepare a visually or digitally supported oral presentation on one of the following: • A profile entitled Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis that explains all aspects of the disease. The website contains some useful information. Use the URL above or type ‘Kidshealth Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis’ as your search terms. • Present some aspect of horse ownership, such as the impact of equine flu, show jumping or protecting horses in the event of fire. Access the Pony Clubs Australia NSW website at <www.pcansw.org.au> and click on Facts Sheets, then Bushfires (or other topic), or type in the following URL
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Fed up with being tormented, Josh confronts the local boys but in the punch-up that follows, he comes off far worse and is carried home to Aunt Clara’s. Later, he hears his aunt and Mr Cotton, the local headmaster, outside his room.
Title
Josh
Author
Ivan Southall
Publisher
University of Queensland Press 1971, 2006
Synopsis
Josh is a 14-year-old boy growing up in Melbourne, but his forebears pioneered Ryan Creek near Ballarat where his aunt Clara still lives in the ancestral home. When Josh arrives for a three-day visit, he is resented as a privileged outsider by the town’s young people, but they seem to be at pains to hide their taunting and aggression from his aunt Clara. His relationship with the young people deteriorates to the point that he is blamed for preventing an important district cricket match. The reprisal inflicted on Josh is extreme but has an unexpected outcome.
Related topics
Family relationships Australia: modern history Bullying Values: Honesty and Trustworthiness, Belonging, Integrity
and subjects Reading level /
Sport: cricket
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 30, p. 168, ‘Josh perched on the side ...’ Finish: Chapter 30, halfway down p. 171, ‘... That’s just what I’d say.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 This book has been described as ‘arguably the greatest book of the greatest Australian writer for young people’ (The Age 14 July 2007, p. 9). Do you agree or disagree? Explain why. 2 ‘Speech has been invented to disguise true thoughts.’ How does this saying apply to this book? Think particularly about the ‘stream of consciousness’ or inner voice commentary that runs beside what the characters say and do. 3 What was ironic about Harry accusing Josh of ‘sponging off’ his aunt? 4 What did Josh find out about his great-grandfather’s life by reading the headstones in the graveyard? How does he relate this to his own life? 5 In Chapter 15, Josh says ‘I’d rather cry for a little rabbit than kill thousands of ancient Egyptians who worshipped someone else’. What does he mean by this? How is his religion different to Aunt Clara’s? 6 The bridge is an important theme in the book. Why is it significant? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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•
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Do a black-and-white sketch (e.g. pen and ink) depicting any incident that took place in the book near the bridge. Make sure part of the bridge appears somewhere in the scene. Write a newspaper article about the Great Depression, briefly explaining what happened. Include an imaginary interview with the woman whose photo appears on this website: .
Title
Journey to Eureka
Author
Kerry Greenwood
Publisher
Hachette Livre 2005
Synopsis
By a twist of fate, Lou Jones gains a passage on the ship Great Britain bound for Australia in 1854. Rather than seek to be reunited with his uncaring, criminal mother, Arianrhod, he looks for his strange uncle Gwydion, an animal whisperer, who cared for him when he was little. He is taken up by a kindly Mrs Rowlands and her large family, travelling to the goldfields of Victoria. But Lou’s mother learns of his whereabouts and tracks him down, using his loyalty to the Rowlands to further her own schemes. When the Eureka Rebellion breaks out, Lou’s loyalty and integrity are severely tested.
Related topics and subjects
Eureka Stockade Australia: colonial history Civics and Citizenship Discovering Democracy Gold Values: Integrity, Loyalty
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
Note: Suitable to read to developing readers for cross-curriculum tie-in.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was Gwydion’s philosophy about human nature that he warned Lou to look out for? 2 How did Arianrhod persuade Lou to pretend he was the Major’s son? 3 The Major sent Lou out to gain the opinions of three people about the miners’ rebellion. Who did he ask and what were their opinions? 4 What were some of the perils and discomforts of coming to Australia in the 1850s? 5 A theme of this book is ‘truth’ – whether it is ‘black-and-white’ or ‘grey’. What contradictions did the author find between the documents she read and the commonly held myths about the Eureka Stockade? •
post-reading/ presentation
•
activities
•
Lou has found a home with a loving family called the Rowlands on the Victorian goldfields because they think he’s an orphan. But he hasn’t told them about his mother. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 7, last three paragraphs, ‘Spring was coming ...’ Finish: Chapter 8, to paragraph 4, ‘“Get up,” she ordered.’
Using Appendix B, prepare a character web for Lou using examples from the story to justify the traits you attribute to him. Use the PMI organiser in Appendix G to decide your opinion about the following topic: ‘The miners were wrong to use violence at Eureka’. Build a diorama of the Eureka Stockade from the description given in the story. Use damp sand mixed with diluted PVA glue in a shallow box lined with cling film and sharpened icy pole sticks for the palisade. Add a Eureka flag on a pole and make tiny figures of the miners and redcoated soldiers, horses, etc.
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In the story ‘Rikki-TikkiTavi’, the mongoose (p. 132) meets a tailorbird called Darzee and his wife (p. 129) in the garden.
Title
The Jungle Book
Author
Rudyard Kipling (illustrated by Robert Ingpen)
Publisher
Walker Books 1894, 2006
Synopsis
Mowgli (the man-cub), Shere Khan (the tiger), Bagheera (the black panther), Akela (the wolf leader) and Kaa (the python), amongst others, are creatures that appear in these classic stories of India that have been enhanced for a new generation of young readers by Robert Ingpen’s evocative illustrations. Unfamiliar vocabulary requires competency from independent readers but when read aloud, the stories appeal to younger and less confident readers, especially the tale of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Although the stories set in India reflect a bygone era, the theme of human and animal interaction is relevant today and descriptions provide support for social studies of the sub-continent.
Related topics
Access Asia India Animal stories Biomes Jungles Wildlife conservation Art Values: Courage, Persistence
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Start: Chapter ‘RikkiTikki-Tavi’, paragraph 6, halfway down p. 127 Finish: p. 130, end of first paragraph
READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Depiction of seal clubbing in ‘The White Seal’.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Mowgli cast out of the jungle? 2 What was the Red Flower and why were the animals afraid of it? 3 What did the jungle creatures think of the Monkey-people? Where did the monkeys take Mowgli when they kidnapped him? Why? 4 Why did the people in the village think Mowgli was a sorcerer when he killed Shere Khan? 5 In the story ‘The White Seal’, what made Kotick the white seal spend so many years swimming from one island to another? 6 In the story, ‘Toomai of the Elephants’, describe the strange ceremony Toomai witnessed. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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72
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Choose an animal from any of the stories and research the animal’s situation in the world today: characteristics, species types, habitat, threats to its survival, estimated numbers. Sketch the animal in various poses before colouring your best drawing to illustrate the information you are presenting. Construct a topographical map of India in a large carton (about 10 cm deep) using papier-mâché that shows the coastal outline and surrounding seas, the Himalayas, the Ganges River, deserts, jungles and major cities. Make small labels to identify the features. Make a colourful display that profiles the most well-known deities in the Hindu pantheon. Begin your research at and type ‘Hindu deities’ in the search box.
Title
Lassie Come Home
Author
Eric Knight
Publisher
Square Fish 1940, 2007
Synopsis
Joe Carraclough is devastated when the closure of the coalmines at Greenall Bridge in Yorkshire forces his father to sell their beloved, pure-bred collie dog, Lassie, to the Duke of Rudling. But when Lassie turns up again to wait for Joe at the school gate, his father insists they return her to the not-toogentle care of Hynes, the Duke’s kennel man. The Duke takes Lassie away to the north of Scotland, but she feels the separation so keenly she begins an epic 400-mile journey back home. But, if she survives, will this prevent the Duke from coming to claim her once more?
Related topics and subjects
Animal stories Dogs Journeys Family relationships United Kingdom Values: Loyalty, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity, Perseverance
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Injured and near death, Lassie has covered over 300 miles of her journey home, when it seems her strength has finally run out. Excerpt to read
Last 6 paragraphs of Chapter ‘A Gallant Heart – and a Goodbye’
Note: A classic story first published in 1940.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Explain what you understand by the word ‘instinct’. What were some of the things Lassie knew instinctively? (Hints: time, illness, direction, men.) 2 What was the practice of ‘dog coping’ that breeders sometimes used? 3 Even at the end of the story, the Duke was still determined to have Lassie, so how did he achieve it? What did he tell his granddaughter about the deal? 4 What treatments were used to keep dogs healthy? (See end of Chapter 11.) •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Prepare a coloured brochure advertising a tour of Scotland and northern England showing some of the sights your tourists will see, such as the major cities, castles, Hadrian’s Wall, a tartan-weaving factory, the Loch Ness Monster (perhaps), the Edinburgh Tattoo, etc. Using Appendix B, create a character web for Lassie using extracts from the text to illustrate the traits you have attributed to her. Paste the character web on a poster next to a portrait of her that you have painted or drawn. Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation about all the various breeds of dogs that have been bred for a specific purpose.
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Title
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Series: The Chronicles of Narnia (#2)
The four Pevensie children are exploring the big old house they have come to live in when the youngest, Lucy, discovers a large wardrobe in an empty room.
Author
C. S. Lewis
Publisher
HarperCollins 1950, 2001
Synopsis
Four children are evacuated from London during the Second World War to live in a large old house in the country. It is Lucy who first steps through the back of a wardrobe into the snowbound kingdom of Narnia where she takes tea with Mr Tumnus, a creature half-human, half-faun. Her brother, Edmund, then ventures forth and is bribed by a witch, who claims to be the Queen of Narnia, to bring Lucy, Susan and Peter to her castle. When the children return to Narnia, they meet a couple of beavers who lead them to Aslan, the lion that may save Narnia from the witch’s spell of eternal winter, if he can undo the damage done by Edmund’s greed and betrayal.
Related topics
Fantasy Magic Time slip Mythical beings Values: Loyalty, Courage, Integrity
and subjects Reading level /
Animals
Seasons
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 1, p. 15, ‘Looking into the inside ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 1
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: See inside back cover for the author’s preferred order for reading the series. A good story to read aloud to developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why were the children sent away from their home in London to stay with a stranger? 2 What motivated Edmund to betray his siblings? Give a description of his character. 3 Explain the Deep Magic behind Aslan’s resurrection and how it differed from the witch’s magic. 4 Many stories have been written about self-sacrifice. What is it, and why do you think people are willing to suffer for others? 5 Ancient societies in prehistory often performed ceremonies involving sacrifice in the spring. Why do you think early humans did this? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
74
•
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
For teachers: a number of online activities are available. A useful teacher resources site is or type in ‘Narnia web quests’. On a large poster, draw and colour a map of Narnia showing the features mentioned in the story, such as Tumnus’s house, the stone table, lamppost, etc. Then show the journey taken by Mr and Mrs Beaver and the children to meet Aslan. Surround your map with drawings of all the mythical beasts described in the story.
Title
Little Brother
Author
Allan Baillie
Publisher
Penguin Group (Australia) 2004
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Muong Vithy becomes separated from his older brother Mang in the Cambodian jungle when fleeing the Khmer Rouge army that has overrun the country, killing thousands of people. Mang told him he must try to reach the border with Thailand, so he sets out alone to make the 400-kilometre journey on foot. He reaches the eerily empty city of Phnom Penh where a boy gives him food and helps him hide in a rice truck to Siem Reap. He manages to build himself a bicycle from scrap metal, but when he’s only 41 kilometres from the border, it seems his luck has run out.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia Cambodia (Kampuchea) Family relationships War and conflict Survival Values: Freedom, Courage, Integrity
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 9, ‘Thief!’, p. 73, ‘Vithy looked at the rim of the rising sun ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 9
1 Vithy had nearly reached safety when he found a girl who had been shot but was still alive. What decision did he make? Use Appendix D to pose a question about the situation and explore his moral dilemma. 2 What did Vithy say to himself about what happens to care and compassion in times of war and chaos? Do you think this is always true? 3 Why did the Khmer Rouge kill Vithy’s sister? Which professionals were taken away and killed? Why do you think they were targeted? 4 What advice did Mang give Vithy to help him survive in the Big Paddy? 5 Why was the city of Phnom Penh empty? 6 What secret did Dr Harris keep from Vithy on the way to Australia? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
✔
After a terrifying journey through the jungle, Vithy is at last only 41 kilometres from the Thai border where he will be safe.
•
On a map of South-East Asia, trace a coloured border around Cambodia (Kampuchea) and mark in the Mekong River, Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat and Siem Reap. Label all the neighbouring countries. Give an oral presentation supported by either a poster or Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on one of the following: the Red Cross, Angkor Wat, Apsara dancing, fauna of South-East Asia, or some aspect of life in Cambodia.
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75
The Little Prince has visited six planets on his way to Earth and now he has finally arrived.
Title
The Little Prince
Author
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Publisher
Egmont UK 1943, 2005
Synopsis
A pilot makes an emergency landing in the Sahara Desert. He is trying to repair the plane when a little boy with golden curls and a long scarf appears beside him and asks him to draw a picture of a sheep. The little prince tells the pilot about his tiny planet where he tends a garden with one flower, three volcanoes and lots of little baobab seedlings. On his journey to Earth, he passed six other planets, each with only one inhabitant, and gives a strange account of each: a king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, a lamp lighter and a geographer.
Related topics
Philosophy Science fiction Deserts Death Values: Friendship, Wisdom, Value systems
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Section XVI, ‘The seventh planet ...’ Finish: Section XVII, ‘... Pacific islet.’
Space
Animals
Biomes
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: A thought-provoking classic first published in 1943.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What were the clues the pilot learned about the Little Prince and where he came from? 2 What was the secret the fox told the Little Prince and what did it mean? 3 What did the fox mean when he said, ‘the only things you learn are the things you tame’? 4 What do you think are the responsibilities of friendship? 5 What does ‘seeing with your heart’ mean? Give examples from the story. 6 Some of the themes in this book relate to time, power, money, friendship, love, beauty, vanity, greed and death. Find examples that deal with these issues and look for other themes. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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76
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Write and perform a play about the Little Prince’s journey to Earth and the inhabitants of the seven planets he visited. Make sure the characters wear appropriate costumes. Refer to Appendix J when writing your script. Re-read Section IV. The pilot says that grown-ups and children judge a friend differently. Write a biography about yourself, describing the ‘inner’ person that your close friends and family know. Try to imagine how people who don’t know you very well would describe the ‘outer’ you and write the ‘grown-up’s’ biography.
Title
The Long Walk
Author
Kerry Greenwood
Publisher
Hachette Livre 2004
Synopsis
In 1931, Isa Wyatt’s mother is diagnosed with tuberculosis and is sent away to a rest home. The authorities decide to place Isa and her siblings in separate orphanages. In order to keep the family together, Isa invents an ‘Auntie Kate’ she tells the authorities will take care of them. Gathering up their few possessions in a pram, they travel by train from Melbourne to Colac. From there, Isa, Johnno, Rosie and little Billy must walk south through the bush to find their father who is helping to build the Great Ocean Road. Their fear of being alone on the road begins to subside until they meet two men who think nothing of preying on travellers, even defenceless children.
Related topics and subjects
The Depression Family relationships Built environments Australia: modern history Values: Resilience, Courage, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
Why was Isa so determined to keep the children together? Why was Maccie frightened of the children? What was wrong with him? Why had Isa never seen her Auntie Kate? Make a SWOT analysis of Isa’s story. (See example in Appendix C.)
•
Using Microsoft Publisher or similar software, design and produce a tourist brochure about the places of interest along the Great Ocean Road. Don’t forget to include a map. Write an illustrated magazine article about Julie Squires and the sculpture she has made to mark the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Great Ocean Road. Gather your information from websites such as the Geelong Advertiser site. Prepare a poster or a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation which shows old photographs of how the Great Ocean Road was built and what it looks like today. Include fact boxes that explain who built the road and why it is called a ‘Memorial’. John Harris was an ornithologist. Make his watercolour sketchbook on thick watercolour paper illustrating the birds and animals he would have seen. Try to make the book look very old by tearing the edges and staining them with a tea wash.
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
•
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
Just as Isa, Johnno, Rosie, Billy and their dog Boy are nearing the end of their journey, they suddenly find themselves face-toface with Walchett and Collins, the two men who took their food and now seem to have followed them with robbery and worse in mind. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 7, last section break, ‘It was a drizzly day ...’ Finish: Chapter 8, end of paragraph 4, ‘... won’t hurt you.’
77
Emma is grooming her budgie Bob to be a perfect bird so she can enter a photo of him in a magazine cover competition to earn some money.
Title
Loopy Locusts
Author
Jennifer Clutterbuck
Publisher
Greater Glider Productions 2002
Synopsis
The child of an outback sheep farming family, Emma can remember the last time it rained (for longer than ten minutes) when she was seven and now she is 12. With their farm reduced to a few starving sheep in dusty paddocks, Emma’s mum and dad have almost given up, so Emma tries to launch some money-making ventures. When her father changes tack and puts in a wheat crop just before some good rains fall, things start to look up, until a plague of locusts arrives. Only someone as enterprising as Emma could turn that into an advantage with a bag of cement!
Related topics
Drought Farming El Niño Entomology: locusts Values: Optimism, Doing Your Best, Perseverance
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 5, last paragraph, p. 29, ‘When we arrived ...’ Finish: Last line, p. 31, ‘... I whispered.’
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Note: A short, easy text suitable for developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Explain why each of Emma’s enterprises failed. 2 How was Emma eventually successful in helping her family? 3 What explanation was given for the failure of the crop dusting to control the locust plague? 4 What were some of the things Emma and her friends did that city children would be unlikely to do? Use the Venn diagram in Appendix F to document the similarities and differences between rural and urban children’s lifestyles. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
78
Sustainability
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Water-saving tips are often beyond the control of young people (such as installing a water tank or buying a water-saving washing machine). So, what can children do to help save some of the 200 litres a day that the average Australian uses? Design a poster aimed specifically at children to help them save water. Visit for some suggestions. Decorate your own ‘products’ (e.g. wooden pegs for holding papers together such as bills) using little painted models of your favourite insect in the same way Emma made hairclips and pencil holders with locusts on them.
Title
Macbeth and Son
Author
Jackie French
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Australia 2006
Synopsis
Luke is studying Shakespeare’s play Macbeth at school when he starts having vivid dreams about the life of Lulach living in 11th century Alba (later Scotland) with his stepfather, Macbeth. But Luke’s dreams are at odds with Shakespeare’s view of Macbeth as a morally bad man. Luke’s own stepfather, Sam, is a TV celebrity who uses his influence to obtain a leaked exam paper to ensure Luke is offered a scholarship to a prestigious school. Luke begins to feel that the weight of his conscience is too great a burden despite the harm he perceives that will follow if he confesses all his ‘mistruths’. The issue of honesty bridges the lives of the two boys, a thousand years apart, as they struggle to rescue their integrity.
Related topics and subjects
Time slip Shakespeare Friendship Family relationships Civics and Citizenship Scotland Values: Honesty and Trustworthiness, Integrity, Courage
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Five-year-old Lulach is waiting with his mother, Lady Gruoch, for the clan’s warriors to return from battle when they see six men approaching, carrying a body on a funeral bier. Excerpt to read
Start: Prologue, p. 5, ‘Suddenly Lulach realised ...’ Finish: First line, p. 7, ‘... follow me forever, thought Lulach.’
1 Prepare a character analysis of Lulach using Appendix B. Show how his treatment of others (such as Thora and Knut) reveals his character and examine traits such as duty, honour, courage. 2 Why was Sam so reluctant to help the Fishers fight the resort development? 3 What were the arguments against the resort development? 4 Why did Shakespeare portray Macbeth and his wife in such a bad light? Discuss the statement: ‘History is written by the victors’. 5 Complete Appendix D to help you discuss the options and consequences confronting Luke as he stood in front of his class to give his talk. Should he tell the truth? All of it? Some of it? None of it? 6 What were the crucial differences between the laws of Alba (Scotland) and England in the 11th century? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Use the information at to compare the historical figure of Macbeth (‘The Last of the Great Scottish Kings’) with the Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play. (Note: Tales from Shakespeare – Macbeth provides a more accessible version of the drama for young readers.) Use the visuals at <www.pbs.org> or type in the search terms ‘NOVA Viking village’ to help with the construction of a model of Thorfinn’s village.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
79
Title
Mad Goat Mystery Series: Quick Reads
Seb has a goat called Dandruff that has suddenly become ferocious and attacks anyone who walks past, including two surfers who had their surfboards wrecked. Seb is telling his classmates about it when he is overheard by Hugo Crumb and Bradley Jinks.
Author
Jonathan Harlen (illustrated by Shane Collinge)
Publisher
Word Weavers Press 2005
Synopsis
Seb and Kara are excited when their father buys a goat to keep the grass down in their back paddock. ‘Dandruff’ is a big, white goat with yellow eyes and lethal horns, but he’s friendly and docile. However, it is not long before Dandruff has an alarming change in personality and begins terrorising anyone who comes near him. When two smart-Alec older boys from school hear about the goat, they bet Seb $100 they can cross the goat’s paddock. The problem is that Seb doesn’t have the money to pay the bet. When Dandruff begins digging in the same spot every day, it leads Seb to make a remarkable discovery.
Related topics
Mystery genre Humour Values: Justice
and subjects
Animal stories
Reading level /
Goats
Bushrangers
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent
Excerpt to read
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Advanced
Start: Chapter 4, p. 28, ‘What’s everyone listening to you for, Wilkinson?’ Finish: End of Chapter 4
Note: Easy, widely-spaced text suitable for older developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why couldn’t the Wilkinsons take Dandruff back to the farmer as soon as the trouble started? 2 What was it about the expression in Dandruff’s eyes that Seb found so scary? 3 Hugo and Bradley pulled a bit of a stunt to win the $100. How did they do it? 4 What was the legend of Jasper Moloney? 5 How was Seb finally able to pay his debt? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
80
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
There are many stories of ghosts trying to point the way to where someone has suffered as a result of some foul deed. Research the famous Australian legend of Fisher’s Ghost, then write and perform a short play of the story. The story about Dandruff would also make an entertaining, funny play. Go to <www.fishersghost.com.au>. Write an illustrated story in the first person from Dandruff’s point of view.
Title
Master of the Grove
Author
Victor Kelleher
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1982, 1991
Synopsis
Derin wakes up on a snow-covered hillside with a wound to the head, no memory and a lame right leg. Near the burnt-out remains of his home, he discovers an old woman who tells him his father has been taken away by soldiers. He makes a perilous journey with her across war-torn plains and mountains to find his father in a place called ‘The Citadel’ where the overlord called Krob controls his followers by invading their minds. In the final battle between the two symbols of power, the Sword and the Staff, Derin must take on the evil power of Krob but his only apparent weapon is his belief in his own integrity.
Related topics and subjects
Fantasy genre Quest War and conflict Values: Courage, Freedom, Honesty and Trustworthiness
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent Advanced
Note: This is a good story to read aloud to reluctant older readers; it is a long story with small print.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why did Marna take Derin’s memory and make him believe he was selfish and cowardly? 2 How did Marna manage to smuggle the Sword and the Staff into the Citadel? 3 Why did Marna plant the jewelled sword in the attic of the peasant woman’s house for Derin to find? 4 Krob had one weakness that finally enabled Derin to overcome his stranglehold on the Council at Iri-Nan. What was it? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
The beginning of this book is the best place to read an enticing excerpt aloud. The atmosphere that sets the scene is cold and full of foreboding, puzzling mystery and unseen danger.
Start: Chapter 1, beginning of paragraph 1 Finish: Chapter 1, end of paragraph 12, ‘... the way you acted.’
Design and illustrate a large map of the location of this story. Use your imagination to place the features mentioned in the story, such as the plains, the woodlands, the mountains, the village of Sone, Iri-Nan and the Citadel, the cave of Obin, Derin’s burnt-out farmhouse, etc. Give your map a title and include a compass. The emblem of the 10-pointed star in a circle haunted Derin throughout the book. An emblem or symbol sends a wordless message to the people who see it. We have emotional responses to emblems – some negative, some positive. See if you can find more than 50 emblems and make a chart, giving each emblem a label (e.g. your school emblem, a skull and crossbones, a red cross, a swastika, Neighbourhood Watch, a crucifix, the McDonald’s ‘golden arches’, etc.).
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
81
Title
Menace See also: Quest, Victory Series: Sam Silverthorne #2
Sir Arthur Silverthorne is telling his son, Sam, what a police officer has just reported to him.
Author
Gary Crew
Publisher
Hachette Livre 2006
Synopsis
In Victorian England, Sir Arthur Silverthorne, is commissioned by the British Government to find the source of a strain of killer, blood-sucking butterflies that has been secretly bred and imported into England by the infamous Prince Chi Lin. On reaching Shanghai, Sir Arthur is struck down with food poisoning and entrusts the mission to his 17-year-old son, Sam, who sets off up the Yangtze River with his friend Lucas, to find the palace of Chi Lin. When they are captured, Chi Lin’s precious butterflies have a new source of English blood, but perhaps Sam can use this to help them escape.
Related topics
Access Asia China: history Entomology: butterflies Quest Imperialism Values: Courage, Prejudice, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
and subjects
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 1, p. 6, ‘It seems a nanny ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 1
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
Note: Check Chapter 10 for mature content: sexual references, implies prostitution.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was Sam’s motivation for agreeing to take on the mission? 2 Explain why Prince Chi Lin wanted to wreak vengeance on the British, particularly Queen Victoria. 3 What comparisons did Tian Tan draw between Chinese girls with bound feet and upper class Victorian English girls? 4 Why did the Chinese believe English architecture, particularly churches, had bad feng shui? 5 What examples of prejudice are mentioned in the book between the English and the Chinese? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
82
•
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a presentation on the Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion. Begin your research at for a simple explanation. Imagine you are a 19th-century lepidopterist searching for the world’s most beautiful butterflies. Start with the Chinese Peacock butterfly and compile brief field notes and comments on location, habitat, life-cycle stages, etc. Add vivid watercolour paintings to create a hand-made book on thick paper (aged to look old) to document your travels.
Title
Misery Guts
Author
Morris Gleitzman
Publisher
Pan Macmillan 1990, 2002
Synopsis
Keith lives in London, in a cold, grey world that has turned his parents into a pair of misery guts, so he tries to cheer them up by painting their fish ’n chip shop with Tropical Mango Hi-gloss. If only he could persuade them to move to far north Queensland where the sun shines 365 days a year to make them happy again. When Keith unexpectedly gets his wish, he discovers Australia is no paradise. He keeps quiet about the box jellyfish, crocodiles, stonefish, killer coconuts and snakes, but then real disaster strikes. Now his parents really will head back to England.
Related topics and subjects
Humour Great Barrier Reef Family relationships Cyclones Values: Optimism, Care and Compassion, Doing Your Best
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Note: An appealing book, especially for developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What were some of the strategies Keith used to try to persuade his parents to move? 2 Look up the word ‘poignancy’ in the dictionary. Morris Gleitzman has written a story where ‘poignancy and laughter are never far apart’. What does that mean? 3 Do you know any ‘misery guts’? Are you one? Why did Tracy think Keith was being a misery guts? 4 Is happiness and optimism a matter of choice, or does it depend on what happens to a person? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
To stop Keith going on about moving to sunny Australia, Keith’s mother decides they should go for a picnic by the seaside since they can’t afford a holiday. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 6, section break, p. 50, ‘Keith sat on a deckchair ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 6
Trace out a world map using a transparency projected onto a rectangular wall chart about 1 m × 1.5 m. Paint the map to show the land and oceans. To show the route taken by Keith from London to Cairns, link the labelled place names with red wool. Research the stopover places in the story and paste small pictures and fact boxes beside each of the travel destinations. Above your display, give the title ‘Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman’. Make a presentation in any format (digital, oral or visual) profiling Australia’s most deadly creatures.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
83
Although he is an outstanding runner, Raiko’s performance has suddenly dropped off, much to the disgust of Jay, his best friend and trainer, and to the concern of Dr Jones.
Title
More Than Gold
Author
John Heffernan
Publisher
Scholastic 2000
Synopsis
Raiko Stenkovic and his mother, Jehona, fled Yugoslavia after his father disappeared during the Balkans War. They land in Australia and, deciding that life in the city with the Yugoslav community would not give them a new beginning, Jehona finds a job as a housekeeper for a Dr Jones in a little town called Wilsonvale. A Koori boy called Jay decides Raiko’s talent for running and soccer needs managing and appoints himself to the position. When Dr Jones realises Raiko has extraordinary talent, he contacts the Australian Institute of Sport about a scholarship, but is a boy scarred by war capable of the psychological strength needed to be an elite athlete?
Related topics
Refugees Yugoslavia Balkans War Sport: athletics Friendship Values: Resilience, Doing Your Best
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 6, paragraph 4, p. 88, ‘Look, ...’ Finish: End of sentence 1, after section break ‘... baby.’
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: May motivate developing readers interested in track and field.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Raiko’s father was a prisoner of war in the Balkans War. What was ‘ethnic cleansing’? Was Raiko’s father likely to be released? 2 Why didn’t Raiko’s mother want to stay in the city with Aunt Bela near their countrymen? 3 What errors did Raiko make in the Under Eighteens 3000 Metres Steeplechase that nearly cost him a place? 4 What reasons did Raiko give for not accepting the AIS scholarship? What made him change his mind? 5 How was Jay’s devotion to his friend rewarded? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
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•
84
Olympics
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a character web for Jay using Appendix B. Think about his abilities as a coach, friend and inventor. What qualities does he display? Find examples in the book. Present a biography on the life and achievements of John Landy, Roger Bannister, Cathy Freeman or any other elite track and field athlete of your choice. Support with visual or digital graphics. Prepare a book display for ‘More Than Gold’ that includes a large map of the Balkans with all the countries clearly labelled. Make a few gold medals with colourful neck ribbons, a stopwatch, and other track and field items (e.g. an Olympic flag and an old pair of runners painted gold).
Title
The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim
Author
Cassandra Golds
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2005
Synopsis
This is a comic book version of the life of explorer Matthew Flinders and his cat Trim. Driven by dreams of adventure, Matthew joins the Navy where he meets George Bass on a voyage to Botany Bay. Together they explore the New South Wales coast in a tiny boat called Tom Thumb, and later name Bass Strait when they circumnavigate Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) on a ship called Norfolk. On his second voyage, he is imprisoned on Mauritius where he languishes for nine years. Finally, he returns home where he battles poverty and illness to write an account of his extraordinary experiences.
Related topics and subjects
Graphic format books Explorers Matthew Flinders Australia: history, exploration Values: Perseverance, Resilience
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: Appealing to readers who enjoy comic book format.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 This story weaves together fact and fiction. Identify one part of the story that you consider to be fictitious, one part that could possibly be true, and one part that has been established as fact. 2 What dreams did Matthew have which were destroyed by the Lords of the Admiralty? 3 Go through the story to find all the events relating to Ann Flinders. Build up a version of the events from her point of view. What do you think might have happened to her after Matthew died? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Excerpt to read
To present this book, show the graphic format and explain the unusual language: ‘thee’ and ‘thy’ instead of ‘you’ and ‘your’ and the French dialect: ‘Zey say ’e misses ’is cat more zan ’is wife’. Even though there are sad events in this story, there are lighthearted moments with many funny snippets throughout.
Using a good atlas and other resources, see if you can calculate how far Matthew Flinders travelled by sea during his lifetime. Trace the journeys in different colours on a poster map (similar to the one in the front of the book) and write the distances on each lap of his journeys. During the 18th century, many people suffered from tuberculosis, and sailors especially suffered from scurvy. What were the symptoms and causes of these diseases? Type in the search terms ‘scurvy science questacon’ to begin your search for information. Present your illustrated findings using Microsoft PowerPoint. Choose several species, including the Dodo, to make an illustrated fact file display about animals that have become extinct due to human interference. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) website has a gallery of illustrations of extinct species.
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In the depths of winter, Sam is often confined to the home he has made in the bole (or trunk) of a large hemlock tree with his pet falcon called Frightful and a nuthatch bird he calls Barometer.
Title
My Side of the Mountain
Author
Jean Craighead George
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (USA) 1959, 2004
Synopsis
Sam Gribley leaves his large family in their crowded New York apartment to find the old family property in the Catskill Mountains. He makes a house for himself in a huge hemlock tree and sets out to provide all the necessities of life. At first, his only companion is a falcon he names Frightful until Bando, a lost hiker, appears at the camp. Sam’s time alone in the wilderness gives him a new independence that helps him live confidently with his environment and the people in his life.
Related topics
Survival
Sustainability and environment
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
•
presentation activities
✔ ✔
1 Why was it important to Sam to be independent? What did he set out to prove? Was Sam prepared for the task he had set himself? 2 What did he do to survive? How did he use the natural materials to make what he needed? What was the importance of planning ahead? 3 Who were Sam’s companions and what part did they play in his survival? 4 What did Sam learn from his experiences? 5 Do you think he was lonely? Why did he avoid seeing people at first and then seem not to mind them? 6 What do you think of the way the story ended?
post-reading/
•
• •
86
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent
Start: Chapter 19, January 8, from first section break, ‘One week the weather ...’ Finish: Chapter 19, middle of paragraph 5, ‘It was a fearful and dreadful sound.’
Values: Self-reliance
and subjects
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a tourist brochure of the Catskill Mountains, showing their location in relation to New York, the wildlife likely to be seen, views of the terrain and recreation activities. Prepare an illustrated talk or Microsoft PowerPoint presentation about the history of falconry. Type in the search terms ‘Virginia Falconers History’ to start your search. Compile a guide to Australia’s birds of prey. If you were to go and try to live in the wild, what would you miss most? What would you consider the five essentials for survival in the wilderness? Put these questions to your classmates and conduct a survey. With the data you collect, prepare graphs showing the results.
Title
Netball Diary
Author
Bernadette Hellard & Lisa Gibbs
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Australia 2003
Synopsis
The dream of representing Australia in netball at the Commonwealth Games was the focus of Rachel’s life for as long as she could remember. When she lost her scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport, it seemed she would have to give up that dream. Then, out of the blue, the coach of the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games rings with an incredible offer. Does the second youngest ever representative of Australia have what it takes to pull all the strands of her life together? And win gold?
Related topics
Sport: netball Commonwealth Games Canada Teamwork Values: Co-operation, Perseverance, Doing Your Best
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
After training hard and giving it her best, Rachel has at last had the opportunity to show the selectors for the Commonwealth Games team what she can do. Now the moment has come to ring up and find out if she made it. Excerpt to read
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was an important strategy for maintaining team harmony that was a regular feature of team meetings? 2 What problem did Rachel have with another team member that she was too shy to mention? How was the problem resolved? 3 Explain the ‘give-and-go’ tactic in netball. (See Chapter 12.) 4 Describe how Rachel found an unusual way of fulfilling the requirements of her French homework assignment. 5 How did the media interview that Rachel gave show that she had gained the maturity she needed from experience? 6 Each country seems to have its own unique style of playing netball. Describe the different countries and their approach to netball mentioned in the story. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Start: Chapter 2, p. 15, ‘Rachel knew ...’ Finish: Chapter 2, p. 17, ‘... put down the receiver.’
Prepare an oral presentation about the history of netball supported by digital or visual graphics. Begin your research at . Use this website to help you write a clear and concise exposition of the rules for playing netball: .
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Title
Nips XI Series: Takeaways
Lan Nguyen’s halfformed Big Idea for an alternative to the school’s multicultural concert has leaked out and reached the ears of the principal, Mr Drummond, who is not very impressed, to say the least.
Author
Ruth Starke
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 2001
Synopsis
When Lan Nguyen hears Mr Drummond enthusing about this year’s North Illaba Primary School multicultural concert, he rebels, telling his friend Izram that he’s fed up with celebrating his cultural difference and would rather celebrate sameness. He rashly tells the principal he has a Big Idea (which he hasn’t) and for three days frantically ponders on what he can come up with. He realises that cricket is the quintessentially Anglo-Australian sport and decides to form an ethnically diverse Aussie cricket team. With no knowledge of the game, no encouragement, no players, no equipment, no coach and nowhere to play, Lan manages to pull off an incredible event.
Related topics
Sport: cricket Friendship Multiculturalism Food School life Values: Perseverance, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion, Self-esteem
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Chapter 4, second section break, p. 37, ‘By the end of the day ...’ Finish: Chapter 4, p. 41, line 2, ‘... King’s First XI.’
Competent Advanced
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Note: An interest in cricket may sustain slower readers of this rather long story.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Lan against celebrating cultural diversity? 2 What was the reason ‘Spinner’ McGinty stopped playing Test cricket? 3 What kind of parental resistance did the boys encounter? Explain the different reasons why the parents disapproved. 4 What turned out to be funny about the name Lan chose for the team? 5 Compare the sportsmanship of Lan and Matthew Macmillan. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
•
88
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a list of the countries mentioned in the story where cricket is played with great enthusiasm. Prepare a profile on two or three famous players from each country. Include a photo of the player, a small map of the world showing the country’s location, its flag, the cricketer’s personal details and cricketing achievements. Find out what ‘The Ashes’ are and explain their history in an oral presentation. At you will find information about women’s cricket in Australia. Prepare a presentation about the history of women’s cricket from 1874 to the present day. Organise a cricket clinic open to any boys and girls who have not played before.
Title
No Safe Harbour
Author
David Hill
Publisher
Mallinson Rendel 2003
Synopsis
The captain of the passenger and car ferry, the Wahine, had made the crossing between the north and south islands of New Zealand 200 times, but in April 1968, when Stuart and his twin sister Sandra are on board, they are unaware that all 700 passengers and crew will soon be fighting for their lives. Stuart watches the events unfold around him in awe and confusion before he is plunged down into the turbulent, green ocean where he sees the gash in the hull that claims the ship. It would be so easy to close his eyes, stop struggling and drift away, but his twin sister has other ideas. This story is based on true events.
Related topics and subjects
Man-made and natural disasters Family relationships Shipwrecks Survival Cyclones Values: Courage
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Stuart’s Grandma undergoes a change of character. How does she change? How do you account for it? 2 What tragic combination of events led to the sinking of the Wahine? 3 What acts of selfless bravery are described in the book? 4 How did this event affect Stuart and Sandra’s relationship? 5 Can you recall a situation in your life in which you have needed to draw on all your courage? •
post-reading/ presentation
Ocean
•
activities
•
The passengers were told several hours ago to get their lifejackets and assemble at the overcrowded emergency points to await further instructions, but children are getting restless and most people are annoyed and impatient, rather than fearful, about what is happening. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 7, from section break, p. 43 Finish: Chapter 7, to section break, p. 44
On a detailed map of New Zealand, find the place names of all the locations mentioned in the book and the route taken by the Wahine. Go to and type ‘1968 Wahine’ in the search box. Use the information and graphic to write an imaginary judgement that you might hand down if you were presiding over the Inquiry into the tragedy. Give an oral presentation (alone or as a group), supported by visuals or Microsoft PowerPoint slides about a famous shipwreck (e.g. Mary Rose, Titanic, Lusitania).
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Title
On Board the Boussole The Diary of Julienne Fulbert Series: My Story
Always hungry, Julienne has found a stale piece of bread to eat but an older street urchin she calls the ‘boy-beast’ is chasing her and she has no intention of allowing him to hurt her and steal the bread.
Author
Christine Edwards
Publisher
Scholastic 2002
Synopsis
Living in the back streets and tunnels under a harbour port in France, young Julienne, who has lost her memory, is forced to run for her life. She manages to stow away on a ship that is about to set sail, but to stay on board, she must disguise herself as a boy. The journey takes her to Botany Bay where they stay for eight weeks observing the First Fleet from England as it struggles to set up a penal colony. When a jealous young midshipman steals her diary and threatens to expose her, Julienne knows she must confess her deception to Admiral La Pérouse and face the consequences.
Related topics
Diary genre Australia: history, first white settlement First Fleet Convicts Explorers La Pérouse Orphans Survival Values: Resilience, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Courage
and subjects
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Diary entry for 9th July, 1785
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced Note: Describes menstruation and a hanging.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
Why was Julienne such an unusual street urchin? Why did she have to disguise herself as a boy? What would normally happen to stowaways in the 18th century? Why did the First Fleet leave Botany Bay and sail north to Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to set up the penal colony? 5 Why was Thomas Barrett hanged for stealing a bit of food? 6 What did Julienne learn about her identity from Admiral La Pérouse? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
90
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Set up your own museum display about the voyage of discovery by La Pérouse. You will find information, a portrait of him, a map and an 18th century logbook at the Mariner Museum <www.mariner.org/ exploration/index.php>. As well as painting his portrait yourself, make a facsimile of the logbook of the Boussole. Another portrait of him can be found at < ttp://www.hordern.com/catalogues/web/australianportraits/index.aspx>. The astrolabe, quadrant and compass were just some of the navigational instruments used by travellers 200 years ago. Consult the Mariner Museum website cited above and make your own instruments. Click on Activities in the top right-hand corner of the screen for instructions. Add your models to the museum display. The site also has information about life on board ship, sailors’ diseases, explorers and a game called ‘Merchants of the East’.
Title
Onion Tears
Author
Diana Kidd
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins 1990, 2003
Synopsis
Nam-Huong lived in Vietnam until the night her parents sent her away secretly with her grandfather to escape the ravages of war. The pair escaped to the coast from where they set sail in a refugee boat on a terrifying journey. Now Nam-Huong lives with her ‘Auntie’ and another refugee, Chu Minh, in Australia where they run a restaurant, but Nam still waits for her parents to come and get her. Images of her ordeal have frozen inside her, so she rarely responds to the other children at school, until her teacher, Miss Lily, takes the children camping and Nam sees the sea again for the first time.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia Vietnam Refugees Family relationships Grief and loss Values: Belonging, Courage, Freedom, Resilience
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
Upper
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Nam is remembering the trip she made on the refugee boat that brought her to Australia. Excerpt to read
Start: Letter to the little yellow canary, p. 59, ‘There was ...’ Finish: End of italics, p. 62
Note: This is a short, easy-to-read story for developing readers
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was Nam sent away from Vietnam and not the other children in her family? 2 Why do you think the author chose the title ‘Onion Tears’? 3 What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant? 4 Where do refugees stay when they arrive in Australia? Why? 5 What happened to Nam that finally allowed her tears to flow? 6 What technique does the writer use to tell us about Nam’s life in Vietnam? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
As part of a Vietnam wall display, obtain an outline map showing Australia and South-East Asia. Colour Vietnam and Australia and write the names of the surrounding seas and oceans. Display information about aspects of Vietnamese life, such as their calendar of festivals at . Vietnam was dominated by China for 1000 years during which time the Vietnamese people made attempts to gain their freedom. Many of the resistance leaders were female. At find out about the Trung warrior sisters and how they are revered today during the Tet festival. Paint a large, dramatic scene of the Trung sisters riding elephants into battle. Which other countries have invaded Vietnam?
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Title
Pagan’s Crusade See also Pagan’s Vows, Pagan in Exile, Pagan’s Scribe, Pagan’s Daughter Series: Pagan Chronicles
Pagan Kidrouk is assigned as a squire to Lord Roland Roucy de Bram. A sergeant (whom Pagan has silently labelled ‘Rockhead’) is showing him over the Templar headquarters when they enter the stables and Pagan sees Lord Roland for the first time.
Author
Catherine Jinks
Publisher
Hodder, Hachette Livre 1992, 2004
Synopsis
In 1187, 16-year-old Pagan Kidrouk finds himself in Jerusalem assigned as a squire to Lord Roland Roucy de Bram, a Knight Templar whom Pagan immediately decides would cast Saint George in the shadow with his noble and saintly bearing. Pagan is an orphan who believes his own father was one of the ‘Infidels’ the Crusaders have come to the Holy Land to fight. When Salah ed-Din (Saladin) successfully attacks the city, a peace is negotiated for the release of the inhabitants. To Pagan’s horror, Lord Roland forfeits his freedom to save others, but Pagan is determined to save the only good person who has ever come into his life.
Related topics
Crusades, Third, 1189–1192 Knights and knighthood Humour Religious beliefs Middle Ages Values: Loyalty, Honour
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent
Start: Chapter 1, p. 6, paragraph 5 Finish: Chapter 1, section break, p. 11
Advanced
Note: Mild coarse language. Witty, main character commentary engages reader.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What were the crusades and why were they launched? 2 Why was the Order of the Temple originally set up by Lord Hugh de Payens? 3 When Pagan found him collapsed in a corner, what had caused Lord Roland’s spiritual crisis? 4 What was Lord Roland’s reaction when Pagan approached Saladin? Why was he angry? 5 Describe how Roland and Pagan each viewed the young squire’s ability to read and write. 6 What techniques does the author use to make Pagan a real and vivid character? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
92
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
To showcase this book, cut two life-sized figures out of a large carton and attach a prop to the back so they stand up. Visit to research crusader clothes and equipment, and find drawings of Saladin, then dress each figure in battledress with shield, chain mail, turban, etc. and paint in their features (Templars had beards). Make a large coloured map of the Holy Lands using the map in the book. Use it as the centrepiece for an information wall about the Third Crusade. is a comprehensive website (but slow download).
Title
Pharaoh
Author
Jackie French
Publisher
Angus & Robertson 2007
Synopsis
Centuries before the pyramids were built, King Scorpion of Thinis makes his younger son, Narmer, his heir, but his elder son, Prince Hawk, is determined that his younger brother will never sit on the throne, so he leads Narmer into the path of a crocodile that maims the boy. Narmer is forced to leave his home and birthright to follow a trader and his translator, a crippled girl called Nitho. They journey through the desert to Sumer where Narmer learns all the new technology of a great civilisation. Armed with this powerful knowledge, Narmer travels back to Thinis, only to find his country in ruins and his people taken captive by the enemy town of Yebu.
Related topics and subjects
Ancient history Egypt, Ancient Deserts Water
Reading level /
Sumer
Middle East
Technology
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Excerpt to read
Note: Mature content in Chapter 23, concerns Sumerian fertility rites. Book contains maps, historical chronology, extensive explanatory and factual notes on text.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
What is an oracle? What commodities were traded in the Middle East in 3000 BCE? What was the Queen of Punt’s strategy for defending her realm? What technological advances had Sumer developed that the Egyptians hadn’t yet discovered? 5 How long after Narmer’s reign was the first pyramid built? 6 Describe Narmer’s attitude to power. Was it the same as his brother’s? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Young Prince Narmer is enticed out into the night by his brother to hunt down a rogue hippopotamus that is trampling the fields, but his brother’s motive is more sinister than Narmer realises.
Start: Chapter 8, p. 52, from section break, ‘The moon ...’ Finish: Chapter 8, line 3 after section break, p. 53, ‘... thought of a crocodile.’
Re-read Chapter 18 of the book, then write and perform a play about the scene where the trader, Nitho and Narmer performed an operation on the Queen of Punt. (See Appendix J for an example of a drama script.) Find a picture of the Narmer Palette and Titulary. Click on N at <www. ancient-egypt.org/index.html>. Make clay copies of the palette and titulary. When hardened, paint them with vivid jewel colours (especially turquoise, the sacred colour of the goddess Hathor) to make an artefacts display. Prepare an illustrated Microsoft PowerPoint or visual talk on the technological advances developed by the Sumerians, explaining the benefits and challenges of a settled, rather than nomadic, life.
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Gryllus has been turned into a pig, but he can still talk. Two café owners, Stavros and Gorgina and their son, Homer, have captured him. Every day Gryllus is locked up, but at night he has to tell jokes, dance and sing for the customers, forever hoping he will get a chance to escape.
Title
The Pig Scrolls by Gryllus the Pig
Author
Paul Shipton
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 2005
Synopsis
Gryllus was one of the men who was turned into swine on a journey with Odysseus, but when Circe turned them back into men, Gryllus was hiding and so remained a pig, but with one big difference: he could talk! By order of the god Apollo, he is sent on a quest with a trainee-prophetess called Sibyl and a half-wit goatherd he calls Bumscruff, to save the world from Chaos. They are pursued by Chimeras and a sinister gentleman called Epicurus on whose dining table our porcine hero ends up with an apple in his mouth before he escapes. Unfortunately, Gryllus is a lazy, self-centred, gluttonous creature, but perhaps he can redeem himself.
Related topics
Humour Ancient Greece Gods and goddesses Animal stories Mythical beings Values: Co-operation, Concern and Compassion
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Excerpt to read
Start: Book VII, p. 54, ‘OK, let’s be honest ...’ Finish: Book VIII, p. 58, ‘... through the doorway ...’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was the one experience the immortal Zeus craved that he couldn’t have? 2 Who was the tall, elegant man that followed Gryllus throughout the story and what plans did he have for the talking pig? 3 What did Thales believe caused humans to begin disregarding the gods? 4 Who was helping Chaos reassert control over the cosmos? 5 Gryllus makes a lot of excuses for his failings. Use Appendix B to identify his traits and find examples to illustrate these characteristics. 6 Even though Gryllus has so many faults, how does the author try to make him quite an appealing hero? 7 How does Gryllus redeem himself at the end of the story? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
94
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Type in the search terms ‘Adventures in Cybersound Thales of Miletus’ and make a note of the five theorems of geometry attributed to him in the Britannica Online article. Present an explanation of the five theorems with diagrams and give a summary of his achievements. Make a deck of playing cards of gods and goddesses, and make up a game in which they pit their strengths and abilities against each other. is an interactive site about the gods and goddesses (pantheon) of Ancient Greece. Borrow a copy of The Wanderings of Odysseus: The story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliffe and write a series of dramatisations from the story for presentation.
Title
Pigs Do Fly Note: Non-fiction book Series: It’s True!
Author
Terry Denton
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 2004
Synopsis
A humorous and narrative approach to learning about the history of flight, Pigs Do Fly begins in China 2000 years ago and traces the progress of human attempts to become airborne with some funny, but more often fatal, results. Topics covered include kite construction, ornithopters, micromechanical flappers, hot-air balloons, fixed-wing machines, aerial steam carriages, to the eventual success of a powered, controlled flight. One hundred years later, we have stealth bombers, space shuttles and black box recorders. At the end of the book, the author has written a glossary, a quiz (with answers), a time line and a list of digital and paper resources.
Related topics and subjects
Transport Flight Inventors Inventions Kites Man-made disasters Values: Perseverance
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Technical design
Lower Secondary Mature content
It is 1783 and the first successful balloonists have achieved a 25-minute flight. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, section beginning ‘Let’s find a more dangerous way to fly’, p. 32 Finish: End of section, ‘... invented yet, either.’
✔ ✔
1 Answer the questions in the quiz on page 81. 2 See if you can make the experiment on page 50 work and explain what is happening. 3 Hydrogen tended to make the balloons go too high. What were some of the results? 4 What error of judgement did de Rosier make when he tried to cross the English Channel? What happened to him? 5 The developments in aviation over the last 100 years have been astonishing. What do you imagine will be invented in the next 100 years? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
•
Construct a colourful, illustrated time line wall display showing the major technological advances in the development of flight from China 2000 years ago to the most recent achievements in aviation. Include photos or drawings of the inventions and their inventors. You will find information at the back of the book, but an excellent site is: . Find and present information about some of Australia’s worst air disasters. Use the information at and make a model to demonstrate and explain the dynamics of flight. There are many graded activities at .
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Abigail is looking after a little girl called Natty when the other children in the playground start playing a scary game called ‘Beatie Bow’.
Title
Playing Beatie Bow
Author
Ruth Park
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1980, 1998
Synopsis
Abigail Kirk is watching her neighbours’ children playing a scary game called ‘Beatie Bow’, when she notices a little girl in the shadows who intrigues her and she follows the child down the narrow alleys of The Rocks in Sydney. Suddenly, Abigail is knocked down and she wakes up in a tiny cottage with the little girl’s family, but the year is 1873! Abby becomes involved in the family life of Beatie and her granny, who believes Abby is the long-awaited Stranger destined to ensure The Gift is passed on to the next generation. Abby’s love for Beatie’s seafaring brother, Judah, renders her situation all the more poignant.
Related topics
Time slip Australia: colonial history Sydney: early settlement Family relationships Values: Integrity, Respect, Care and Compassion
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 2, p. 24, last 3 paragraphs, ‘Why do you want to watch ...?’ Finish: End of p. 25 ‘... but the child just shook her head.’
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Explores first love. Mature content: check Chapter 6 which implies prostitution.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
Why was Abby so angry with her mother? What were the reasons Beatie was so antagonistic towards Abigail? Why was Uncle Samuel so deranged? Granny knew that The Stranger would come to perform a vital task. What did that task prove to be? 5 Abby thought she was saving Dovey from the fire for Judah’s sake, but what did she learn later about the fate of each member of the family that made her realise she’d been wrong? 6 How did Abby change as a result of her time slip? 7 Use a Venn diagram (see Appendix F) to compare life in the 19th-century Tallisker/Bow household with Abigail’s life in modern times. What did she think was ‘better’ in the earlier existence? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
96
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Draw and colour a series of labelled watercolour sketches showing scenes of Sydney in the 19th century and today. You can find old photos of places (such as the Ragged School) at: . In some cases you could draw scenes of the same site (such as Circular Quay) to highlight changes in housing, transport, fashion, wealth, etc. On a map of The Rocks, mark in the locations mentioned in the story. Type ‘The Rocks and Circular Quay’ in the search box at .
Title
Powder Monkey
Author
Paul Dowswell
Publisher
Bloomsbury UK 2005
Synopsis
Contrary to his father’s wishes, 13-year-old Sam Witchall signs on as a ship’s boy on the Lady Franklyn, a merchant ship that plies the coastal trade of England in the year 1800. A war against France and Spain is raging, so it is not long before the Franklyn is stopped by the Royal Navy and Sam is ‘pressed’ into service aboard the Miranda. Life on the frigate is brutal: floggings, rotten food, unjust discipline and the terrifying climb into the rigging are nothing compared to the terror of being a powder monkey facing an explosive death during sea battles. When the Miranda loses a battle against a Spanish ship, it seems that Sam and his companions will spend years rotting in a Spanish gaol, unless they escape.
Related topics and subjects
Civics and Citizenship Warfare Shipwrecks Values: Justice, Courage, Freedom, Loyalty
Reading level /
Survival
Navy battles
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: A long (276 pp.) fast action story. Descriptions of floggings and deaths in sea battles. Includes a bibliography.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What did it mean to be taken by the press gang or ‘pressed’? What were the rights and conditions of sailors (or ‘tars’)? 2 What were powder monkeys and why were they given that name? Explain Sam’s role during a sea battle. 3 What did it mean when Sam had a ‘B’ put after his name? 4 What was the main diet of the sailors compared to the captain and officers? 5 In the end, Sam faces a difficult choice. Use Appendix D to explore his possible actions and their consequences. What would you have done? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
After a battle at sea, the ship Miranda is captured by the Spanish who imprison the English crew at the rear of the ship. Sam and his friend Richard have managed to creep past two sentries to the gunner’s storeroom to get as many weapons as they can carry, but the ship’s hold is full of water. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 12, p. 240, ‘Going back quietly ...’ Finish: Chapter 12, p. 242, section break, ‘... from our captors.’
In Chapter 4, (page 84) Tom Nesbit recounts his experience of sailing in an open boat for thousands of miles with William Bligh. Find out about the events leading to this incident and the outcome. Present your findings in an illustrated oral presentation. Childhood has undergone significant cultural changes in some parts of the world in the last 200 years. Begin gathering information about the history and legislation affecting the lives of children in the past at . Present your findings in an oral report with visual or digital support.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
97
Title
The Power of One Young Readers’ Edition
Doc, a German music professor, has asked if he can give a concert to the black prisoners in Barberton gaol where he, too, is a prisoner. He has asked Peekay (known as Tadpole Angel by the prisoners) to conduct for him.
Author
Bryce Courtenay
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1999, 2006
Synopsis
Peekay is sent to boarding school in South Africa at the age of five where he suffers appalling bullying. His reprieve comes when the family moves to the town of Barberton. He meets a boxer called Hoppie Groenewald who empowers him to learn about physical and mental resilience. Peekay’s boxing skills are developed by a coach called Geel Piet, but he also learns about racism, music, botany and classics from a German professor (Doc). Peekay wins a scholarship when he turns 12 to a boarding school in Johannesburg, but this time, he sets off knowing he has learnt more about survival in six years than many learn in a lifetime.
Related topics
Apartheid Boxing Bullying Racism South Africa Civics and Citizenship Values: Resilience, Justice
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Excerpt to read
Developing
Start: Chapter 14, last paragraph of p. 298, ‘Doc played ...’ Finish: Chapter 14, end of p. 301, ‘... had returned.’
Competent Advanced
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Note: First three chapters contain graphic depictions of bullying. A long, but gripping, story to which boys particularly may relate.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How did Peekay get the name ‘Tadpole Angel’? (See page 244.) 2 Describe the mental imagery the witchdoctor, Inkosi-Inkosikazi, taught Peekay in order to cure his bedwetting. (See page 14.) 3 What did Peekay believe were the two greatest gifts an adult can give a child? (See page 332.) 4 What does ‘first with the head, then with the heart’ mean in boxing terms and in life generally? 5 What is ‘the power of one’? The cover of the book suggests it might be boxing expertise, but how does Peekay define it at the end of the book? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
98
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
The theme of the book is encapsulated in the title. One person who made a difference was Nelson Mandela. Compile an illustrated biography in any format detailing his life and express your own opinion about his choices, actions, achievements and character. Find out all you can about the history of apartheid and compile a time line that shows the main political events that took place in South Africa from 1900 to the present. If available, use Inspiration software to map the characters that influenced Peekay and write what they taught him in each character’s text box, or use the Appendix I graphic organiser.
Title
Quentaris in Flames Series: The Quentaris Chronicles
Author
Michael Pryor
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 2003
Synopsis
The city of Quentaris is under threat, not just from the Brutians who use Jarmat Baldish and his League of Virtue to expel all the city’s elves, but also from the black, beetle-like Zolka that emerge from the rift caves to attack in their hundreds. Nisha is the daughter of fire-magician parents who were killed by the Zolka years before, when she was rescued and reared by Arna and an old water magician called Stanas. When the Zolka invade and have nearly overrun the city, Nisha discovers she has inherited magic, but she needs the help of the musician, Tal (Talliganzi), and the strongman adventurer, Holm.
Related topics and subjects
Fantasy Magic Elves Mythical beings Values: Belonging, Responsibility
Reading level /
Friendship
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Lower Secondary Mature content
Upper
✔ ✔
Developing
✔ ✔
Competent
✔
Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/ presentation
✔ ✔
Nisha and her friend Tal have gone to the remains of a row of elves’ houses that had been deliberately burnt to the ground the day before. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 10, p. 66, ‘Nisha closed her eyes ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 10
1 2 3 4
Why was the First and Last Station so called? Why was Stanas so reluctant to use his water magic? What was the real purpose of Holm’s visit to the rift caves? Describe the physical appearance of the Zolka, the elves and the Jashtee. 5 Why did Nisha turn away from the final lure of the flame magic? •
As an individual or as a group project, present a well-illustrated ‘state of the earth’ profile/update on one of the elements (earth, air, fire, or water) using the headings in Column 1:
activities Earth
Air
Fire
Water
World Mythology
e.g. Gaia, Geb, Kronos, Cybele, Thor, Enlil
e.g. Aether, Shu, Try, Thoth, Anshar
e.g. Hephaestus, Bastet, Prometheus, Vulcan, Muspelheim
e.g. Hydros, Anqet, Naunet, Neptune, Atla, Aegir
Natural Disasters
Avalanches Climate change Earthquakes
Cyclones/Hurricanes
Bushfires Volcanoes Electrical storms
Floods El Niño Tsunamis Droughts
Human Uses
Mining Oil and coal Uranium Agriculture
Wind farm Windmills Flight Satellites
Solar power Nuclear power Rocket and shuttle technology
Hydroelectricity Desalination plants Irrigation Shipping and submarines
Human Abuses
Landfill Clear-felling Erosion Habitat destruction
Air pollution Ozone layer destruction Fossil fuels (carbon/heavy metals)
Deforestation
Melting ice caps Excessive irrigation Contaminated waterways Ocean habitat destruction
Note: A useful site for World Mythology: or type the search terms ‘Gods, heroes and myth’.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
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This prologue describes an event that occurred nine years before the current story about Biddy, her horse Bella and her best friend Irene.
Title
The Quicksand Pony
Author
Alison Lester
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 1997
Synopsis
Biddy lives on a cattle property near the ocean with her mum, dad and grandpa. Not far away lives her best friend, Irene Rivers, with whom she shares a love of horses – in Biddy’s case, her beautiful white pony called Bella. For nine years, Irene’s family has mourned the loss of her Aunt Joycie and a baby son, Joe, who both disappeared one night near the entrance to the bay. When Biddy is allowed to go cattle mustering, she feels as though she’s in heaven, riding along the beach on Bella. But at the camp, mysterious things begin to happen and Biddy is so preoccupied she fails to stop Bella from stumbling into a patch of quicksand!
Related topics
Mystery genre Animal stories Values: Belonging, Courage
and subjects
Horses
Reading level /
Farming
Biomes
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Survival
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Start: Beginning of Chapter 1 Finish: First section break, p. 13, ‘... going back.’
READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why did Joycie run away to the bush with her child? 2 How did Joycie and Joe survive in the bush for nine years? 3 Why didn’t Biddy’s mum contact the Rivers or the police when they suspected they had come across Joycie and Joe? 4 What is meant by the terms ‘surcingle’ and ‘pommel’? 5 Who was Biddy named after? What was the story of the first Biddy? 6 Do you think Biddy did the right thing leaving her horse to drown? Use Appendix D to explore her options and their possible outcomes. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
100
✔
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Biddy’s dad would let his cattle go wild in the bush for a year at a time and would then muster and sell them. This grazing method has been used in the High Country of the Australian Alps for many years, but this method is now disputed. Why? Use the URL or type in the search terms ‘The Age’ ‘Science’ ‘Features’ ‘Old Regrets’ to read the pros and cons of the issue. Use Appendix G to decide whether this grazing should be continued and then debate the issue. Draw a large poster of a horse and correctly name the animal’s features and saddlery equipment with arrowed labels (e.g. fetlock, stirrups, etc.). Prepare an oral presentation supported by visuals on the world’s various horse breeds and where they originated.
Title
The Red King
Author
Victor Kelleher
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1989, 2000
Synopsis
The master of a troupe of travelling performers and his slave, a young acrobat called Timkin, are infected by a deadly red mist that the Red King of the Forest Lands uses to subdue his subjects. The master removes Timkin’s metal slave collar before he dies but, as Timkin lies desperately ill, it is taken by a magician called Petie who abandons her when the king’s guards arrive and flees with his two companions, Bruno (a bear) and Crystal (a monkey). Petie the magician has plans to use Timkin’s acrobatic skills to outwit the Red King, so he tracks her down and bids for her at a slave auction.
Related topics
Fantasy genre
Quest
Values: Loyalty, Freedom
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Timkin and Petie had different motives for venturing into the caverns of the Red King. What were they? 2 What condition did Timkin impose on her agreement to co-operate with Petie? 3 What did the saying ‘Remember the key is within you’ turn out to mean? What else could it mean regarding freedom? 4 At the end of the story, what reasoning did Timkin use to overcome her disappointment in Petie? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Timkin and Petie managed to get into the Red King’s fortress, but were captured and thrown into a dungeon with a tiny window overlooking the oily surface of a moat. Excerpt to read
Start: Last 1½ pages of the chapter ‘Beyond the Portal’, p. 94, ‘Do you think it’s safe ...’ Finish: End of chapter ‘Beyond the Portal’
Acrobatics is an unusual career choice. Find out about the life of a student at Australia’s circus school at and share the information in any format you choose. For more information, go to . Write and perform a dramatisation of a scene from the story. For an example of a drama script, see Appendix J.
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The Sapwood children, Sophie, Edward and Hotspur are racing across Antarctica with their father in the hope of finding a ship called The Riddle, believed to have been frozen in the ice many years before. Finally they find a sheer curtain of ice which they break through to discover a secret world.
Title
The Riddle of the Frozen Phantom
Author
Margaret Mahy
Publisher
HarperCollins 2001
Synopsis
Sophie Sapwood has a whalebone pendant that once belonged to Captain Cathcardo of the sailing ship, The Riddle, lost in Antarctic waters 70 years ago, but the spirit of the captain cannot rest and sends out a cry for help. The cry is heard in the dreams of three people: Sophie’s father, Bonniface Sapwood, a renowned Antarctic explorer; Corona Wottley, an expert on penguins; and Rancid Swarthy, a descendant of the Captain’s treacherous First Mate, Escher Black. When all these people converge on The Riddle, the spirit of Captain Cathcardo emerges to pursue justice.
Related topics
Antarctica
Time slip CONCEPTS LEVEL Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for
Chapter 26
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
1 What event caused Bonniface Sapwood to take his three children to Antarctica? 2 Why did Corona Wottley want to go to Antarctica? 3 Why did Rancid Swarthy want to go to Antarctica? 4 What did Bonniface think should be done with the logbook? 5 How did the diamonds stolen by Escher Black come to be in Antarctica in the first place? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
102
Mystery genre
Reading level /
discussion
Excerpt to read
Biomes
and subjects
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a series of paintings depicting the different species of penguins and explain their life cycle, eating and breeding habits and their habitat. If available, use Inspiration software to organise and present your findings or download a template from the Internet, for example . Make a diorama containing a model of The Riddle (use grated white chalk and ‘Santa Snow’ on the rigging). Add models of the red-and-blue skidoos and the trailer with the provisions packed on the back surrounded by little models of penguins. Paint an Antarctic landscape for the surrounding background.
Title
Riding with Thunderbolt The Diary of Ben Cross Series: My Story
Author
Allan Baillie
Publisher
Scholastic 2004
Synopsis
When Ben Cross is orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Pratt, a brutal drunkard who has a young man working for him named Thommo. The boys decide to cut their losses and head for the bush in the hope of joining up with Fred Ward, aka Captain Thunderbolt, the notorious bushranger. Ben becomes attached to Ward, his wife Mary Ann and their children as they move constantly through the countryside, evading troopers and conducting lightning raids, but as the law closes in on them, Ben is forced to choose which road to follow.
Related topics and subjects
Diary genre Bushrangers Thunderbolt: Fred Ward Orphans Australia: 19th century history Values: Loyalty, Forgiveness
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Thunderbolt didn’t turn out to be quite like Ben imagined a bushranger would be. Why not? 2 Mary Ann was an unusual woman. What were the striking contrasts of her character? 3 What important lesson did Ben learn from Mr Li? 4 In the last raid described in the book, what did the young girl say to Ward that made him upset? 5 We don’t idealise modern-day thieves but bushrangers are regarded now as heroes as well as villains. What is the reality? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
✔
• • •
Thunderbolt and his gang have just returned to camp after raiding a homestead and stealing a thoroughbred horse belonging to a man named Beaumont. Excerpt to read
Start: Entry for Saturday 25 March, p. 44, ‘We finally made it ...’ Finish: Monday 27 March, top of p. 47, ‘... with Mr Beaumont.’
Find a collection of paintings by the artist Tom Roberts and study the painting Bailed Up! Paint your own version. (Remember the search term is ‘Roberts, Tom’.) Prepare a SWOT analysis (see Appendix C) of Thunderbolt’s character and situation. Create a WANTED poster of Thunderbolt and his gang using Microsoft Publisher. Go to the Classroom Activities page at , complete the section on Heroes or Villains? and learn one of the bushranger ballads.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
103
After a backbreaking day behind the plough is rewarded by abusive treatment from his stepfather, Shawn is desperate to get away. The arrival of a swagman at the farm is the unlikely prompt that turns his plans into action.
Title
The River Kings
Author
Max Fatchen
Publisher
Wakefield Press 1966, 2004
Synopsis
Shawn has taken as much harsh treatment as he can bear from his stepfather when he leaves the farm and heads north to the Murray River. He is taken on as a deckhand by Elijah Wilson, the captain of the paddle steamer, Lazy Jane. Shawn faces snakes, brawls, near drowning and being tied up by criminals, but he develops a deep love of the timeless river. The hardest test comes when a fire on the Lazy Jane disperses the crew of strange international characters who have become his family.
Related topics
Murray–Darling Basin Environment and sustainability Water Australia: history, 19th–20th century Transport: paddle steamers Values: Belonging, Resilience, Friendship
and subjects
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent
Excerpt to read
Advanced
Start: Chapter 1, from first section break, p. 3, ‘It was the swagman ...’ Finish: Chapter 1, at next section break, p. 6, ‘... the old horse.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How do the following people influence Shawn’s life: his stepfather, his mother, the swagman, Old Rasheen, Captain Elijah, Lord Eric and Mary? Use Appendix I to find examples for each in the story. 2 Why does the captain think the era of the paddle steamers is going to end? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
104
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Since The River Kings was first published in 1966, Max Fatchen has written an Afterword (2004). What are the threats to the Murray that the author is now concerned about? (Keywords: irrigation, carp, salinity, climate change, drought, water rights, wetlands, river gums) Give a presentation explaining your findings. What is being done to try and save the river? Include a topographical map of the Murray–Darling river system showing the major towns, the Snowy Mountains and the delta near Goolwa. You can build your own model paddle steamer by following the directions on the following websites: − To make a model that produces steam, go to . Click on Library Articles, then Rotary Steam Engine, but ensure you have adult supervision. − A design for a model of a paddle steamer is also available at <www. thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html> then click on Paddle steamer. Using a colour printer, you can print out the plans on light card and construct it yourself. Use the completed model as the centrepiece of a diorama simulating the banks of the Murray. − If you would like to see a brief video clip of a paddle steamer in action, go to <www.australianportraits.com/video/murray/paddle 150/default.htm>.
Title
Rowan of Rin See also: Rowan and the Zebak, Rowan and the Travellers, Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal, Rowan of the Bukshah Series: Rowan of Rin
Author
Emily Rodda
Publisher
Omnibus, Scholastic 1993, 2005
Synopsis
When the stream that the village of Rin relies on to water its herd of bukshah dries up, seven villagers are chosen to trek to a dragon’s lair at the top of the mountain to make the water flow again. Sheba, the village crone, uses her magic to give them a map, but its clues are only visible to a boy called Rowan who is despised by the villagers as a weakling and a coward. The seven members of the group are confronted in turn by their greatest fears and retreat back to Rin until only Rowan and an ailing Strong Jonn remain, a weak team to take on the might of a dragon.
Related topics and subjects
Fantasy genre Quest Dragons Minibeasts Values: Courage, Perseverance, Belonging, Self-esteem
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
1 What did the bukshahs look like? 2 In what ways were the villagers dependent on the bukshahs? 3 Why was Rowan chosen to go up the mountain when everyone thought he was such a cowardly weakling? 4 Why did Sheba think Rowan was the only one qualified to be the map keeper? 5 This story explores some of the common fears people have: heights, spiders, water, confined spaces. Do you have a phobia? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
The group of seven chosen to make the dangerous journey to the dragon’s mountain have climbed a steep cliff face and are moving through an eerily quiet forest when they hear a strange noise up ahead. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 6, p. 56, ‘The twittering grew ...’ Finish: Chapter 6, p. 57, ‘... reaching out for them.’
Make a visual display with fact boxes and illustrations of a selection of spiders you find most interesting. (This will be a challenge if you experience arachnophobia. You don’t need to confess your fear to anyone, but just prove to yourself that you can de-sensitise yourself to the images while you complete the project.) Dragons often feature in world mythology – in Europe they are threatening in most legends, but Asian dragons are often friendly or lucky. Draw and colour a dragon from world mythology or your own imagination, labelling its characteristic features (e.g. hollow bones for lightness, transparent scales, leathery wings, etc.). When we make New Year’s resolutions, there is usually a goal we wish to achieve or an aspiration to change in some way. Write a dated letter to yourself explaining what you want to achieve and why, then put it away until next 1 January before re-reading it.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
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Title
Ruby the Red Fairy Series: Rainbow Magic #1
Rachel and Kirsty have met on holidays and have decided to explore the island together.
Author
Daisy Meadows
Publisher
Orchard Books, Hachette Livre 2003
Synopsis
When Rachel Walker goes on holiday with her parents to Rainspell Island, she meets a girl her own age, Kirsty Tate. During the ferry ride to the island, they are spellbound by an extraordinary rainbow that appears after a sudden downpour of rain. Once on the island, they go exploring together and come across an old black iron pot lying upside down in the grass. When they turn it over, a tiny fairy dressed all in red, flies out. They learn that Jack Frost has put a curse on Fairyland by banishing the rainbow fairies.
Related topics
Fairies Fantasy Magic Friendship Light Colour Values: Care and Compassion, Helping Others
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 1, p. 20, ‘Have you heard the story ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 1
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
1 Rachel and Kirsty made sure they told their parents where they were going and later offered to help the King and Queen. What does that tell you about the girls? 2 Why did Jack Frost put the curse on Fairyland? 3 What is usually said to be found in a pot at the end of the rainbow? 4 What strange things happened to the girls when they were sprinkled with red fairy dust? 5 What was the advice the Queen gave Rachel and Kirsty about finding the other fairies? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
•
106
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make up a play in two acts (with costumes) about the scenes in the story in which (i) Jack Frost arrives and puts a curse on Fairyland; and (ii) Rachel and Kirsty arrive in Fairyland to be given advice about how to find the other rainbow fairies. has three online activities about understanding light and colour. Draw a copy of the illustration on pages 12–13 and paint in the rainbow using the correct colours of the spectrum. Use watercolour pencils if you have them. You can make a ‘Window to Fairyland’. Go to the following website and colour print the design, then glue it onto thick paper card .
Title
The Ruins of Gorlan Series: Ranger’s Apprentice #1
Author
John Flanagan
Publisher
Random House 2004
Synopsis
Will ‘No-Name’ is a ward of Baron Arald, the lord of Castle Redmont in the Kingdom of Araluen. Believing that his father had been a valiant knight, Will is disappointed when he is chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice instead of gaining a place in Battleschool. He is assigned to Halt, a hard taskmaster, who teaches him reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, archery and tracking. When news breaks that an enemy of Araluen, Morgarath, is preparing to attack, Halt and Will are among those sent to track down two fearsome beasts, the Kalkara, deployed by Morgarath to pave the way for the invasion. During the hunt, Will finds himself barely armed and the only one left to save his comrades.
Related topics and subjects
Fantasy genre Knights and knighthood Bullying Friendship Mythical beings Values: Belonging, Loyalty, Courage, Self-esteem
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Will misses out on his dream of being chosen for Battleschool to become a knight. His fate has been deferred till the next day, but he knows it is written on a piece of paper in the Baron’s study, so he waits till dark and climbs the castle wall to the Baron’s tower.
Developing Competent Advanced
✔
Note: An adventure suitable for young readers, but challenging vocabulary (e.g. ebullient, arcane).
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/ presentation activities
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 5, p. 40, paragraph 2 Finish: Halfway down p. 41, end paragraph 4
1 The five wards – Jenny, Alyss, George, Horace and Will – were each chosen for different apprenticeships. Where did each one go and what qualities determined the selection? 2 How did Will save Horace’s life? How did Horace repay the debt? 3 Why were the Kalkara such formidable enemies? 4 Why did Will turn down the one thing in life he craved when it was finally offered to him? 5 Why was Halt in a position to tell Will about his father and why did he keep this knowledge a secret for so long? •
Imagine you are George and you have been instructed to write an official illustrated account of the events in The Ruins of Gorlan. A map of Araluen is on the Ranger’s Apprentice official website. Make the document look old by fraying and staining the thick paper . Paint portraits of the main characters, the beasts, locations mentioned. Instead of rolling the parchments, sew the pages together down the spine and study medieval manuscripts for decorative inspiration.
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Title
The Rum Rebellion The Diary of David Bellamy Series: My (Australian) Story
All Kitty wants is to see Governor Bligh and maybe even speak to him, but as she and her brother Ralph are children of a convict, David doesn’t think she has much chance, until they hear soldiers marching to Government House and decide to follow.
Author
Libby Gleeson
Publisher
Scholastic 2001
Synopsis
When David Bellamy is orphaned, he is sent to Uncle George and Aunt Sarah, free settler farmers who live west of Sydney in the colony of New South Wales. On a visit to Sydney Town, he becomes friends with Kitty and Ralph O’Farrell, in spite of their father’s ex-convict background. The children hear the drums of the red-coated soldiers marching to Government House and run to watch the parade, but soon realise it is a mutiny by the army against Governor Bligh. Uncle George’s refusal to co-operate with the rebellion spells trouble for the family and David reluctantly becomes drawn into the upheaval.
Related topics
Australia: colonial history Diary genre Civics and Citizenship Mutiny Values: Belonging, Justice, Freedom, Responsibility
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent
Start: 26 January, middle of p. 67, ‘Come on, said Kitty, ...’ Finish: 26 January, end of p. 69, ‘... in the darkness.’
Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 Why was David fearful of the dog? 2 What was the Rum Rebellion? Who was behind it? What did rum have to do with it? 3 Why was Uncle George convicted and sent to gaol? What did it cost him to stand up for his principles? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
108
Convicts
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Exploring different perspectives: Write a first-person account from the point of view of one of the following people: (i) the experiences of an Indigenous Australian whose traditional hunting grounds have been taken over by settler farmers and graziers; (ii) Mrs Putland’s reaction to the arrival of the mutinous soldiers on her doorstep; and (iii) Elizabeth Macarthur’s struggle to raise her children and manage the sheepbreeding estate in her husband’s years of absence. Borrow a book of paintings by Tom Roberts, study his style of painting, then paint the scene inside Government House when the redcoats were standing guard over Mrs Putland with their bayonets while other soldiers brought Governor Bligh through the doorway. Form two teams and prepare a debate examining the conflicting views expressed in the final paragraph of the historical note at the end of the book.
Title
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Author
Eleanor Coerr
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (USA) 1977, 2004
Synopsis
When 12-year-old Sadako was two years old, she was living in the city of Hiroshima in Japan when the United States of America dropped an atomic bomb on the city. Without any apparent injuries, Sadako grew into an energetic girl who excelled at running until one day after a race she begins to feel dizzy. After she is diagnosed with leukaemia, a Japanese legend inspires her to begin folding 1000 paper cranes, which she believes will bring a miracle cure. Every day her brother Masahiro hangs them up for her in the hospital room. Based on the real-life experience of a child victim of war, Sadako is still remembered in the Hiroshima Peace Park.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia Japan World War, 1939–1945 Leukaemia Man-made disasters Values: Courage, Perseverance
Reading level /
Death
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
Sadako is fast becoming a champion runner but something strange seems to be happening to her sometimes after she finishes a race. Excerpt to read
Chapter 3
✔ ✔
Note: Deals with the death of a child from leukaemia.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What did you learn about leukaemia in the story? 2 What justification did the Americans give for dropping the atomic bomb on the civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? 3 Sadako’s 1000 paper cranes were finally completed, but by whom? 4 Describe the very highly prized gift Mrs Sasaki brought to Sadako. 5 What two important rituals were practised by the family on Peace Day? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• • •
Borrow a library book about origami or go to and make different coloured paper cranes to decorate a book display about Sadako and Japan. Add a spray of artificial cherry blossoms and other Japanese artefacts. Research leukaemia and prepare an oral presentation with Microsoft PowerPoint slides. Organise a Japanese Food Day and make sure everyone in the class can say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and a greeting in Japanese. Find out how Japanese school children commemorate 6 August each year. Refer to the website above where you will also find a special song about Peace Day.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
109
Sarindi thought his father had recovered from his injury, so he was surprised to get home from school and find his father back at home.
Title
Sarindi and the Lucky Bird
Author
Janine M. Fraser
Publisher
HarperCollins 2001
Synopsis
Sarindi lives in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and loves to play marbles even though his friend, Jaya, wins most of the time. Sarindi’s mother earns a small income painting batik cloth, and his father is a becak driver who injured his leg and can no longer work. Sarindi’s father is a great believer in luck and, unlike his wife, he is convinced that if he buys a Kutut, or Lucky Bird, their worries will be over. Sarindi’s mother decides to take more practical steps to improve their ‘luck’, while Sarindi still can’t decide if his success at marbles depends on the Lucky Bird or practice and skill.
Related topics
Access Asia Indonesia Beliefs Superstitions Values: Doing Your Best, Responsibility
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 4, p. 27, ‘Luck is a mischievous* monkey ...’ Finish: Chapter 4, p. 30, ‘... would not be so.’ Note:*Remind the children this word is pronounced ‘mischifous’, not ‘mischeev-ious’.
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
1 How did Sarindi’s mother take matters into her own hands to change their luck? 2 At the markets, each family member wanted something different. What were their reasons? 3 Sarindi’s mother didn’t believe in luck, but was it lucky that the hotel manager allowed them to park at the front of the hotel? What might have happened if he’d said, ‘no’? 4 Has anything ever happened to you that was really lucky and involved no effort on your part? 5 Despite what happened in the story, did anyone change his or her belief about luck? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
110
Lower
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a display in your classroom or library by gathering or making Indonesian artefacts: include the flag of Indonesia, a large map, some coins, batik, puppets, posters, food packets and a colourful model of a becak, etc. For the display, find out what a Kutut looks like. Make a decorated birdcage from strong strips of cardboard and draw a two-sided cut-out of a Kutut to put inside the cage. At you will find a wealth of information about Indonesia and a For Students link to activities.
Title
Saving Abbie A sequel to Wreck!
Author
Allan Baillie
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2000
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Ian and his parents travel to Borneo to return an orangutan called Abbie to her natural habitat after rescuing her from wildlife smugglers. Abbie is still traumatised by her capture as a youngster and must learn to survive alone in the jungle without Ian’s protection. While Ian is fighting his own battles back home in Australia, Abbie and her baby, Pebble, face an uncertain future with the torching of her jungle home, lack of food and the threat of death or capture by a relentless poacher named Gadas. It is five years before an apprehensive Ian is able to return to Borneo to discover Abbie’s fate.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia Indonesia Environment and sustainability Biomes Rainforest Orang-utans Wildlife smuggling Values: Responsibility, Respect, Ethical Behaviour, Care and Compassion
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How does the author use the theme of jungle in the part of the story where Ian and Abbie live separate, but parallel, lives? 2 How do you account for Ian’s father changing from a ‘roaring’ dad to one who relates and talks to Ian in a respectful way? 3 Do you think the author has succeeded in keeping the story realistic by writing from the point of view of the orang-utan? Give examples. 4 Do you think it would have been better to put Abbie in a zoo? Use Appendix G to help you consider the arguments, then explain your opinion. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Although suffering from a shotgun wound, Abbie the orang-utan manages to rescue her baby, Pebble, from a logging boat where the baby orang-utan was confined in a cage. Before Abbie can make good their escape, Gadas the poacher sees her, grabs his gun and pursues them as they drift down the river on floating logs. Excerpt to read
Chapter 34 ‘The Hunt’
Prepare a poster or give an oral briefing about orang-utans and their plight. Begin your search for information at < http://www.orangutan. org/article_natural-history.php>. Baillie reports that in 1998 huge jungle fires burnt hundreds of thousands of square kilometres in Borneo and Sumatra. Find out if the situation has worsened or improved since then. Find out all you can about El Niño (pronounced ninyo). Demonstrate where and how its influence is felt. If possible, show animated modelling from the Internet to explain the phenomenon. Refer to .
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
111
Three men have tied up Ellie and Peta, leaving them locked in the back of a truck with a vicious dog on guard.
Title
Secrets of Eromanga
Author
Sheryl Gwyther
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 2006
Synopsis
Ellie is thrilled to be invited to outback Queensland by her friend Tom Hart to join a fossil dig near his parents’ property. They are both members of the Museum Fossil Club. However, Ellie is not too pleased to find she will have to share Tom’s company with beautiful and sophisticated Peta, a friend of Tom and his family. The antagonism between the two girls increases until they find themselves alone and in danger. Superimposed on the story and the landscape is the presence of a clan of ornithopods that left their mark 95 million years ago.
Related topics
Dinosaurs Australia: prehistory Fossils Biomes Values: Responsibility, Care and Compassion
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Chapter 9 READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
1 How do palaeontologists excavate a dig site so that it is properly documented and preserved ? 2 How are larger bones excavated and preserved? 3 What is being conserved at Lark Quarry in Queensland? 4 Describe the area around Longreach now and 95 million years ago. 5 For a character to be well developed in a story, she or he must reveal both strengths and weaknesses. Consider Ellie and Peta in the light of this statement. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
112
Time slip
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Gondwanaland (or Pangea) is mentioned in the story. Prepare an illustrated talk that presents information about this landmass. For a clear and simple explanation, go to or the Age of Reptiles page at . If you have access to a digital projector, you can show how the continental drift occurred on . On the ABC Ozfossils website mentioned above, you will be able to see a plesiosaur on the run in the Eromanga Sea Movie; you can download an Oz dinosaur poster, and best of all, you can become a virtual palaeontologist yourself by playing the Oz Fossils Pitfall Game.
Title
Selby Speaks Series: Selby
Author
Duncan Ball
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins Australia 1988, 2005
Synopsis
Selby is proud that he is the only speaking, reading and writing dog in Australia (or possibly the world), but he doesn’t want his owners, Dr and Mrs Trifle, to know, because he’s sure they will turn him into a servant instead of a pet. His other reason for keeping his ability to speak a secret is because he thinks he’ll have to spend the rest of his life in a laboratory being asked stupid questions by scientists. But his secret ability to speak causes a lot of quirky confusion – in fact, 18 funny episodes where the temptation to reveal his amazing ability nearly kills him, literally!
Related topics
Humour Short stories Animal stories
Dogs
Excerpt to read
and subjects
Chapter ‘The Screaming Mimis’
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Selby finally gets to see his favourite rock band.
Lower Secondary Mature content
1 What are the main reasons Selby doesn’t want his secret known? 2 Dr Trifle fancies himself as an inventor. Describe his inventions. 3 Selby watches a lot of TV. Who are his favourite entertainers and what are his favourite programs? What are your favourite programs? What makes them so enjoyable for you? 4 In ‘Famous Dead Poets’, the ‘Clancy of the Undertow’ poem is a parody of (joke about) the famous Australian poem, ‘Clancy of the Overflow’. Find and read this poem, then explain the difference between overflow and undertow. 5 What is Selby’s favourite food that he only gets once a year? What did he end up winning when he won the Mayor’s Dog Race? Write the best menu imaginable for a three-course dinner of your favourite food. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Arrange a Joke Day, giving everyone in the class a chance to find or make up a good joke. Make sure your jokes are not tasteless, cruel to anyone or offensive – that is not real humour. The jokes can either be written and placed in a box for someone to pull out and read during the day, or you can tell your joke yourself. At the end of the day, vote for the funniest. There are many fun activities on the Selby website. Make a selection from the activities listed and complete the tasks in groups or on your own. To access the site, go to .
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
113
Title
Seven Little Australians See also: The Family at Misrule, Little Mother Meg, Judy and Punch
Six-year-old Bunty can’t help telling fibs. When he’s caught out, he denies everything, then feels miserable and guilty until he confesses.
Author
Ethel Turner
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1894, 1994
Synopsis
In the late 19th century, Captain Woolcot takes his young second wife, Esther, their baby (‘The General’) and his other six children to live in a big country house, known as ‘Misrule’, near the Parramatta River. We get to know Meg, as she ventures uncertainly towards womanhood; Pip, the confident oldest son; Judy, the cleverest and most inventive at getting into trouble; Nell, the most beautiful and placid; Bunty, a boy too fond of food and prone to tell fibs; and finally, Baby who is just four years old. The children make a fateful, 300-mile train journey to ‘Yarrahappini’, Esther’s parents’ outback property where a tragedy changes all their lives.
Related topics
Family relationships Australia: 19th century Classics genre Farming Grief and loss Values: Belonging, Resilience
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 10, p. 79, ‘Bunty had been betrayed ...’ Finish: Chapter 10, line 2, p. 82, ‘... for amazement.’
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Some challenging vocabulary (‘eschewed’, ‘irascibly’) and some expressions from a bygone era may need explanation.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How has Australian family life changed in the last 100 years? (Think about parent–child relationships, discipline, education, transport, distribution of work, medical access, recreation, gender roles, etc. in the story.) 2 Why do you think Captain Woolcot’s punishment of Judy was so severe? 3 Mr Gillet is an interesting character. Use the character web in Appendix B to help you speculate about why he is living in exile in the colonies. 4 How did Meg’s view of Aldith MacCarthy change during the story? 5 If you visit an historic graveyard, you will find many graves of young people. How do you account for this? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
114
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
One of the greatest changes to our lives has been the invention of domestic appliances. Find out how your great-grandmother did the washing and describe the process with illustrations. Call your project ‘From Copper to Spin Dryer’, or you may choose ‘From Coolgardie Safe to Refrigerator’. As part of the project, find out the dates and details of some of the inventions. Visit a local history museum if possible. Make a dictionary of all the words that are new to you and write their meanings. (This is better done during the reading process.) Paint a family portrait of the Woolcots, paying particular attention to character and clothing.
Title
Silk Umbrellas
Author
Carolyn Marsden
Publisher
Candlewick Press 2004, 2007
Synopsis
Noi lives with her family in a house on stilts in a jungle in northern Thailand. When the farm that her father rents is sold, they must struggle to make a living. Her mother makes mosquito nets, her father sometimes works as a bricklayer and her grandmother paints silk umbrellas for the tourist market, but it’s not enough to feed them. Noi’s sister, Ting, is sent to work on an assembly line in a factory and Noi knows she will soon have to follow, so on the Festival of Loy Krathong, she sends an offering to the spirits and a prayer to Buddha.
Related topics and subjects
Access Asia Thailand Painting Family relationships Values: Responsibility, Doing Your Best
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Buddhism
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Eleven-year-old Noi is upset that her mother, Kun Mere, has sent her elder sister, Ting, to work long hours in a factory. She fears the same will happen to her. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 9, p. 65, sentence 1 Finish: Chapter 9, to section break, p. 67
1 Why couldn’t Kun Pa sell his harvest at the markets any more? 2 Why did Noi feel a bit estranged from her parents after Ting was sent to the factory? 3 Who was served the first food on festival day, even though the family had barely enough? Why? 4 What was put in Noi’s little basket before it was floated down the river? What did the items represent? 5 Why couldn’t Ting earn a living painting silk umbrellas like Noi? 6 Children in peasant societies often have to work hard to contribute to the family’s well-being. What responsibilities do you have at home? Do you get paid any money? Should you help out for nothing since the family shelters you? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Modern communication and globalisation often make cities of the world look much the same, but in rural Thailand, the culture is distinct. If available, use Inspiration software to construct a diagram and write notes on the values and customs mentioned in the book, or use Appendix I to document your information using the following headings: Family, Food, Schooling, Transport, Religious Traditions, etc. You might like to transfer the data onto a poster and decorate it with Thai graphics. Go to or borrow a book on silk painting before designing a circular motif for your own umbrella decoration.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
115
Title
The Silver Horn See also: The Emerald Throne, The Lake of Darkness Series: The Eaglesmount Trilogy
Vair, the pine marten, is on a journey through the woods with his family: father Sandor, mother Riska, and brother and sister, Cuffi and Mirra. They have stopped and made camp.
Author
Cherith Baldry
Publisher
Macmillan 2001
Synopsis
Vair the pine marten lives with his father Sandor, mother Riska, little brother Cuffi and sister Mirra in the land of Riverbourne. On a journey to the summer Watersmeet Fair, a silver fox called Captain Ragnar and his band of cutthroat bullies attack the family and take the injured Vair prisoner. The bandits have been hired by the evil Lord Owl to find and deliver a silver horn that can only make a sound when blown by the rightful heir to the kingdom. In Watersmeet lives the village warden, an old fox called Flick and his daughter Kyria, who is a healer. She patches up Vair and, to repay their kindness, Vair decides to take on the evil ones.
Related topics
Fantasy
Quest
Animal stories
and subjects CONCEPTS LEVEL
Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Concepts level
Excerpt to read
READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 2, paragraph 6, p. 12 Finish: Chapter 2, end of paragraph 5, 5 lines from the end of p. 14
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: Action-packed, swashbuckling forest animals engaged in sword fights.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What was the legend associated with the silver horn? 2 What deal was struck between Lord Owl and Ragnar’s gang at the meeting? 3 Why did Lord Owl want the horn in his possession even though he couldn’t blow it? 4 In Chapter 8, Vair chose not to escape when he had the opportunity. Why did he choose to stay? 5 What was Ragnar’s alibi when he was accused of injuring Flick the Warden? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
116
Values: Courage, Perseverance, Justice
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Find pictures and information about any animals in the story you may not be familiar with: vole, ferret, stoat, badger, weasel, hedgehog, squirrel, vixen (female fox) and peregrine falcon. Sketch some illustrations of three important scenes in the story and paint them with watercolours. Design a coat-of-arms for Vair with the motto ‘Rise, sound the horn, ascend the eagles’ throne!’ and include a silver horn and crossed swords. Refer to Appendix H.
Title
Snowy The Diary of Eva Fischer Series: My Story
Author
Siobhan McHugh
Publisher
Scholastic 2003
Synopsis
Eva Fischer’s German engineer father gets a job helping to build the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme, so the family moves to the multicultural township of Cabramurra where her mother takes up the post of doctor. Eva misses her best friend, Val, but finds a friend in Lizzie, whose house in Adaminaby is being submerged by a huge new dam. Horse riding in the high country, learning to ski, mastering Italian cooking, and thinking up schemes to help the people around her is repaid when Eva’s dad is caught with other men in a tunnel explosion and Eva sees first hand how the people of so many nations can all be united, whatever their differences.
Related topics and subjects
Diary genre Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme Built environments Values: Co-operation, Belonging
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Water
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 Why did Eva come to realise Val was no longer her life-long best friend? 2 What was the story attached to the Hegartys’ laundry floor? How was it rescued? 3 Why did the Snowy Mountains Authority want the horses, sheep and cattle removed from the new National Park? Explain their environmental impact. 4 Describe the differences between the American and Australian work practices. 5 What was unusual about the way Anzac Day was commemorated in Cabramurra? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Eva and her friend, Lizzie, have taken their horses, Bluey and Scrounger, for a ride into the high country despite Lizzie’s mother, Mrs H, telling them not to go because the weather looked threatening. Excerpt to read
Start: Entry for Saturday 20 June, p. 218 Finish: End of entry Tuesday 23 June, p. 222
Go to and click on the Education tab, then Kids Activities. You will find activities under the headings of Energy, History, Safety and Water that involve making a turbine, doing an origami puzzle, a crossword and a science experiment on evaporation. Write a newspaper article about the mine disaster that injured Eva’s dad. See if you can find old photographs of workers at the Snowy Scheme to illustrate it.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
117
Finn has skipped classes and taken his rowboat across the Sound to his favourite cove.
Title
Soundtrack
Author
Julie Bertagna
Publisher
Young Picador 2004
Synopsis
Finn Silverweed lives on the wind-swept coast of Scotland in a village called Laggandall where the people wait anxiously each day for the return of their menfolk’s fishing trawlers on the stormy Atlantic Ocean. Laggandall is also a Ministry of Defence submarine base and not far away is a peace camp where Finn’s friend, Ebbie, lives in a caravan with her eco-warrior family. Finn is unsure whether the strange inner voices that haunt him are psychotic or premonitions of doom. How can he explain to his father that to be forced to join the family’s MoD contracting business will annihilate his spirit? He has less trouble explaining himself to his Uncle Murray, but a maritime tragedy forces Finn to find his own inner resources.
Related topics
Mental illness Ocean Family relationships Adolescence Viking (Norse) Culture Environment and sustainability Music Inventions Values: Friendship, Self-esteem
and subjects
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter ‘A Pagan Place’, paragraph 2, p. 9 Finish: End of chapter
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Laggandall is steeped in Viking traditions. Explain the legends and rituals associated with the magic stone and the scapegoat? 2 How is the once-in-4000-year-comet a metaphor for Finn’s life? 3 Doom eager is what drove the Vikings to set sail on the vast, unmapped ocean. What was making Finn doom eager? 4 What signs did Finn think could have been premonitions of Murray’s tragedy? 5 In the end, it is Finn’s father who gives him the best advice. What was it? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
118
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Make a list of the music titles in this story and play snatches of them as background to a book promotion for Soundtrack. Use Appendix E to make notes. takes you on a virtual walk through a recently excavated Viking village near Stockholm. Type ‘Viking Village’ in the search box and follow the links. Create a surrealistic painting that superimposes a Viking theme on a painting about ocean ecology, the marine biome and nuclear submarines. (Research Surrealist painters such as Salvador Dali for inspiration.)
Title
Spaceman Bill Series: Quick Reads
Author
Victor Kelleher (illustrated by Craig Smith)
Publisher
Word Weavers Press 2005
Synopsis
Yeng is a Zontoan from planet Zing who volunteers to go on an intergalactic mission to a distant planet called Earth. Using a hard light drive, Yeng is able to project a solid hologram of himself, so that he appears as a stunningly handsome human. A translator machine converts his speech into English, so when he touches down on Sydney Harbour, he soon becomes Spaceman Bill, an Australian hero. When a sunspot causes a power failure and he appears in his alien form on TV, the nation goes into panic. A girl called Jasmine helps him with his mission as the Defence Forces close in on him.
Related topics and subjects
Science fiction Aliens The Outback Values: Diversity
Reading level /
Sustainability
Time slip
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
✔ ✔
Upper
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Note: Short story; well-spaced text suitable for developing readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Yeng has agreed to go on an intergalactic mission to Earth and his Chief is explaining how his appearance and speech can be changed so that he appears human as ‘Spaceman Bill’. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 2, first sentence, p. 15 Finish: End of Chapter 2
1 Why did the Chief choose Australia as the destination for Bill’s mission? 2 How did the human reaction to Yeng alter after his appearance changed? 3 What did Yeng and Jasmine’s mob agree was the only treasure worth having? 4 What did they exchange by way of trade? 5 What reasons were given by the Prime Minister for throwing the country’s full military might against Spaceman Bill? (See Chapter 6.) Was it justified? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
Set up a new page on the computer in ‘landscape’ and, using the Drawing tools, draw a line of correctly sized circles to represent the planets of the solar system, by clicking on the oval then expanding the +. (You will need to click on each circle, then click on Draw → Text Wrapping → Tight in order to align them.) Print them out, colour and label them and write the distance from Earth under each one. Paint fun, full-length portraits of Yeng and Spaceman Bill. Learn the words of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ and sing along with it to introduce a group book review. Use Appendix E for taking notes.
SU M M A RY SH EET S FOR SELECT ED CH ILDREN’S LIT ERAT URE
119
Title
Spaghetti Legs See also: Growing Payne, Ghost Byte, Cyber Payne
A new Year 7 at Pendle Hill High School, Eric is looking for an act of bravado that will bring him notoriety, especially with the girls.
Author
John Larkin
Publisher
Random House 2000
Synopsis
As Eric Underwood struggles towards manhood, he searches for an image that will attract the attention of the other new Year 7s at Pendle Hill High School. The possibilities were to join the sportheads or the science brains. Even though his athletic ability was his strong suit, he knew he would have to wait till the athletics carnival to shine and before then, someone might catch sight of his ‘spaghetti’ legs. When he only gets 10% in a maths test, he’s ejected from the science brains, so he changes his image and invents a cousin called Jean-Paul Ramsbottom, but his new identity doesn’t have the desired effect.
Related topics
Adolescence School life Friendship Family relationships Growth and development Values: Self-esteem, Achieving Potential
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 13 Finish: Chapter 13, end of paragraph 1, p. 99
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Mature content: Deals with male puberty and human reproduction.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What career choice did Eric aspire to that prompted him to improve his maths and science? 2 What do we learn about the character of Iggy Suede that impressed Eric so much? 3 Why was Eric the only member of the family left behind when his family went to England? 4 Jenny Underwood displays a contradictory attitude towards her brother Eric. Find some examples. 5 Jenny and Eric’s views on pacifism differed. Explain. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
120
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Using the information organiser in Appendix I, prepare a biography on Gandhi, leader of India’s independence movement (or any other reformer such as Che Guevara, Aung San Suu Kyi or Nelson Mandela). Use the boxes to categorise the events and achievements of the person’s life. Make sure you label one of the boxes Bibliography and list your information sources. Convert your notes into an illustrated Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Awareness of your own talents, interests and character traits often helps the long process of deciding your eventual career path. Explore three occupations you might consider making your life’s work in the future. Write up your findings.
Title
Specky Magee Series: Specky Magee
Author
Felice Arena & Garry Lyon
Publisher
Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins 2002
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Simon ‘Specky’ Magee is a talented football player who trains hard and plays every Saturday for Booyong High, in the Aussie Rules junior competition. However, his love of the game is not shared by his father or his mother and older sister, Alice. When Specky finds a photo of himself, aged 2, dressed in Geelong football regalia that his parents don’t want to discuss, he begins to suspect he may be adopted. A search leads him to a meeting with a famous football celebrity, Blade Furlington, whom he believes may be his father.
Related topics and subjects
Sport: football Family relationships Adopted children Friendship Values: Belonging, Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion, Courage
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Story is interspersed with tips for footy players from the professionals.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, p. 28, ‘Honey, I want you to take...’ Finish: End of Chapter 3
1 2 3 4
What circumstances led to Specky imagining he was adopted? What are the risks associated with chat room communication? When did Specky become disillusioned with ‘Uncle Bob’? Why? When do you think children should be told if they were adopted? Use Appendix G to help you form an opinion on this question. 5 Why did the coach move Specky from his position on the field and allow Simmo to play full-forward? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
When Specky’s mother asked him to carry some boxes to the spare room, he opened one and began rummaging through its contents, only to come across something very puzzling.
•
Present a profile of your favourite AFL player or team. Choose any format and prepare a poster or Microsoft PowerPoint to support your talk. Go through the story and make a list of all the football terms that would need to be explained to someone unfamiliar with the game (e.g. ‘bananas’, marks, etc.). On a chart, draw in and explain all the positions on the field as part of an oral presentation about the book.
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Title
Storm Boy
Author
Colin Thiele
Publisher
New Holland 1968, 2002
Synopsis
Storm Boy loves living on the windswept coast of South Australia near Goolwa with his father, Hideaway, in a tin shack on the sand dunes. Their only neighbour is an Aboriginal man called Fingerbone who teaches Storm Boy to read his environment like an expert. One day he finds three baby pelicans orphaned, so he rears them by hand, then releases them into the wild, but the littlest, Mr Percival, is determined to stay. Storm Boy and Mr Percival save five men from a sinking tugboat. They offer to pay to send Storm Boy to boarding school but can the boy and his pelican be parted?
Related topics
Animal stories Biomes Water Shipwrecks Murray–Darling Basin Oceans Grief and loss
Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of the story Finish: End of first section break, p. 9
and subjects Reading level /
Pelicans
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Note: This book is a joy to read aloud.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4
Would you like to live like Storm Boy? Why? Why not? Was Storm Boy lonely? Are you always lonely if you’re by yourself? What is your attitude to hunting? Reading a book like this brings vivid images to your mind’s imagination. Do you think watching a filmed version is better?
•
Study a map of South Australia where the Murray River enters the sea and make a diorama of the Coorong with damp sand, coloured with sieved chalk, in a flat cardboard box about 10 cm tall. Using Robert Ingpen’s paintings for inspiration, paint a backdrop on a strip of stiff card about 30 cm high and attach it to the back of the tray. Place little models such as the tugboat on the rocks, the tin humpy on the dunes, tiny pelicans in your scene and vegetation. You can begin to gather information about the complex nature of wetlands at , a useful site for supporting a wetland excursion. Activities include a wetland treasure hunt, a food web, predators and prey, a frog count, identifying beaks and feet, algae and role-play discussion questions about the pressures on the wetland environment.
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
122
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Title
Stuart Little
Author
E. B. White
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (UK) 1945, 2007
Synopsis
Stuart Little is a diminutive ‘mouse person’ who lives with his mother, father and brother George (all humans) in an apartment in New York where a well-brought-up, but dangerous, cat called Snowbell also lives. When Stuart gets stuck in the fridge and is recovering in bed, he is visited by a little bird called Margalo with whom he falls in love, but she flies away in the springtime. An expert driver, Stuart heads north to look for her and on the way meets a 2-inch girl called Harriet Ames, whom he takes on a ‘date’ canoeing, but it doesn’t work out, so at sunrise the next day, Stuart drives off again northward in search of Margalo.
Related topics and subjects
Animal stories Mice Fantasy Family relationships Yachting Values: Loyalty, Persistence
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Excerpt to read
Chapter 4
1 What special arrangements did the Littles have to make to accommodate their mouse child? 2 What stopped Snowbell from catching and eating Margalo? 3 What clues tell you about the kind of boy George was? 4 What do you think Stuart’s reaction to his ‘date’ with Harriet not being perfect tells us about him? 5 What laws did the children at School No.7 think were important? What are five good and fair laws that you would make if you were king of the world? •
post-reading/ presentation
Friendship
Stuart is a little mouse that lives with a family of humans who happen to own a cat called Snowbell. Snowbell always treats Stuart nicely when the family is around, but can a cat ever be trusted where a mouse is concerned?
•
activities
•
Think about Stuart’s characteristics and actions and prepare a character web for him using Appendix B or Inspiration software. The Littles tried to make a miniature world for Stuart. (He even had a miniature car that could be filled with five drops of petrol.) Make a miniature diorama of a scene from the story. Write the next chapter in Stuart’s adventures. Does he find Margalo?
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123
Title
Surviving Sydney Cove The Diary of Elizabeth Harvey Series: My Australian Story
Convict-servant Lizzie has found there is nothing left to cook for her Master’s family to eat, so she sets out to look for shellfish on the cliffs above the cove.
Author
Goldie Alexander
Publisher
Scholastic 2005
Synopsis
Wrongly accused of theft in England, Lizzie Harvey is transported to Sydney Cove with the First Fleet for a term of seven years. When it is discovered she is literate, she is assigned as a convict-servant to a widower, Surgeon Russell, to care for and teach his little daughter, Emily. His son, Winston, a marine, treats Lizzie with disdain, but Lizzie’s devotion to his ailing sister and her courage in trying to save a half-witted convict from a mob, alters his attitude. Unwilling to learn from the local Eora Aboriginal people, the white settlers drift towards starvation while waiting for the arrival of the Second Fleet.
Related topics
Australia: colonial history The First Fleet Eora people Convicts Values: Justice, Resilience, Friendship
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Entry for Tuesday, 1 June, p. 147 Finish: Entry for Tuesday, 1 June, p. 150, ‘... constant companions.’
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
•
presentation activities
✔
1 Why did the First Fleet make a sudden departure from England before the supplies had been fully loaded? What essential supplies were left behind? 2 What were the reasons for England having too many criminals in 1790? 3 Even though the Eora people had lived successfully around Port Jackson for thousands of years, the white colonists nearly starved in less than two years. What were the reasons they didn’t try to get help from the Aborigines? 4 Why did Lizzie hide the fact that she could read and write? 5 Prepare and discuss a character web (using Appendix B) for Winston Russell.
post-reading/
124
Diary genre
•
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Research and prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or illustrated talk about the Eora warrior Pemulwuy who defended his country against the white invaders. You will be able to find most of the information you need from (and related links) to create a gigantic wall mural about the early white settlement of Australia, including an interactive map of the voyage. Your mural should contain fact boxes and original art.
Title
Tales of King Arthur Series: Usborne Classics
Author
retold by Felicity Brooks
Publisher
Usborne Publishing (UK) 2002
Synopsis
When Arthur was a young lad, the Archbishop of Logres, prompted by the sorcerer Merlin, called together all the country’s knights to a great tournament in which a sword had been magically fused into a stone so that it could only be extracted by the rightful heir to the throne, which had been vacant for 13 years. When Arthur is declared king for extracting the sword, he builds a castle at Camelot, marries Guinevere and surrounds himself with the Knights of the Round Table, but the scheming of two jealous members of his household, Morgan le Fay and Sir Mordred, threatens the great kingdom.
Related topics and subjects
Classics genre Knights and knighthood Values: Courage, Loyalty, Honour
Reading level /
Myths and legends
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
1 What is the Siege Perilous and what inscription appears on it? 2 How did Arthur obtain Excalibur and what was special about the scabbard? 3 What was the bargain struck between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? 4 When was Arthur supposed to have lived and when did stories and folktales about him start to appear? Who wrote the first legendary tale about him? 5 Where is the supposed location of Arthur’s birth and death? Find these places on a map of southern England. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
The knights are attending the tournament where a huge stone has been found with a sword in it and the words ‘Whoever pulls this sword out of this stone is the true born king of Logres’. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter ‘The sword in the stone’, third section break, p. 14, ‘Kay woke up ...’ Finish: Same chapter, fifth section break, p. 17, ‘... our trueborn king.’
Find out about the age and origin of the ancient replica of the Round Table in Winchester Castle at . Paint a copy of it to use as the base for a board game about King Arthur and the Knights, making up rules for the game and tokens for each knight. You could include cards with paintings of other characters, such as Morgan le Fay, Merlin, the Green Knight, etc., to be used to help eliminate knights from the game and find the winner. Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint supported talk on the Arthur legend. You will find a photograph of a fine bronze statue of him in Winchester at and .
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125
Title
Tashi Series: Tashi
Jack has met a strange little person called Tashi and has been telling his parents about him.
Author
Anna Fienberg & Barbara Fienberg
Publisher
Allen & Unwin 1995, 2007
Synopsis
Tashi’s parents were very poor, so they sold him to a warlord. Tashi was then found by a large white swan that took pity on him, helping him to escape by flying him to Australia. One day the warlord turned up looking for him, but the swan managed to trick the warlord and Tashi is found by a boy called Jack. When Jack meets Tashi, he brings him home to play and Tashi tells him wonderful stories about dragons and giants that always begin with ‘Well, it was like this ...’
Related topics
Fantasy Dragons Giants Storytelling Family relationships Drawing
and subjects Reading level /
Excerpt to read
Start: Page 18 ‘Listen to what happened to Tashi yesterday ...’ Finish: Page 21 ‘... you will see where Tashi is hiding.’
Friendship
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent
Lower
Middle
✔ ✔
✔
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
Advanced Note: Illustrations demonstrate wonderful use of lead pencil drawing for art lessons.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Why did Jack get cross with his dad? What happened when Tashi found a ring at the bottom of a pond? Do you think Jack’s father believes his stories about Tashi? Why? How did the swan help Tashi when the warlord arrived? Why don’t dragons go near water? Why was the dragon lonely? What happened to all the others? See how many strange beings you can find in the last illustration in the book.
•
On pieces of A4 cardboard, draw and colour pictures of Tashi, Jack, his parents, the swan, the warlord, grandma, the dragon and Chintu the giant. Attach a ruler to the back of each cut-out drawing to make puppets and make up a play about the story. Alternatively, make hand puppets. Paint a backdrop inspired by the book’s illustrations to place at the back of a theatre made from a whitegoods box. Create a large mural by painting a background (see pages 38 and 39), then draw outlines of Tashi, the swan, the dragon and Chintu the giant with Jack looking on in amazement. Add as much texture to the mural as you can (e.g. white feathers on the swan, gold and glittering green scales on the dragon, red cellophane for his fiery breath, metallic plates on Chintu’s armour and helmet, etc.). Borrow and read as many books about dragons as you can find and then make up your own illustrated dragon story in picture book format.
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
126
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Title
The Thief Lord
Author
Cornelia Funke
Publisher
The Chicken House 2005
Synopsis
Prosper and his little brother, Bo, run away to Venice when their Aunt Esther threatens to separate the orphans. They take refuge with a street gang; a girl called ‘Hornet’ and two boys called Ricchio and Mosca. Their leader, the Thief Lord, is Scipio, who visits their hideout in a derelict cinema. Aunt Esther hires a private detective, Victor Getz, who is seeking a carved wooden wing missing from an ancient merry-go-round for a man called ‘The Conte’. When Scipio finds the wing and they go to the infamous Isola Segreta to seek the roundabout, they find two strange children and realise that the roundabout has a mysterious effect on those who ride it.
Related topics and subjects
Mystery genre Orphaned children Venice Ageing Family relationships Water Values: Belonging, Loyalty, Honesty and Trustworthiness
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: This well-crafted novel has small print. A long story (345 pp.) best suited to competent readers.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Prosper and Scipio have taken a boat out to look for a mysterious, ancient carousel that was believed to have been stolen and hidden on an island in a Venice lagoon. Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of Chapter 40 Finish: Chapter 40, second last paragraph, p. 253, ‘... Two huge white mastiffs.’
1 What did Scipio do that made the gang feel betrayed? 2 Why didn’t Ida Spavento turn the children over to the police when they broke into her home? 3 What was wrong with Aunt Esther’s attitude to Bo? 4 Compare the behaviour of Victor Getz and Ernesto Barbarossa towards the children. 5 Why did Scipio want to ride on the roundabout? Do you think a child could cope with suddenly becoming an adult? Childhood in 21st century Australia is different to the experience of childhood in some other countries and in past history. Discuss what you know about this. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Every year, Venice stages a carnival famous for its fabulous masks. To promote The Thief Lord, make and display a collection of masks. Cheap white plastic masks are available that can be painted, cut or used as a base on which to attach the decoration. For ideas and inspiration, go to . Prepare a tourist brochure or Microsoft PowerPoint about Venice, the ancient city built on water. To watch the lights come on in St Mark’s Square, go to . Build a replica of the roundabout. Investigate methods for making it spin.
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127
When Thor and Otto are taken on a trip to another whaling station called Stromness Bay, they find themselves with the luxury of free time, so they go exploring to see if they can find an albatross nest but encounter something absolutely astonishing.
Title
Thor’s Tale
Author
Janice Marriott
Publisher
HarperCollins (NZ) 2006
Synopsis
Eleven-year-old Thor Jacobsen is the son of Norway’s best whale harpooner on the tiny island of South Georgia. He is destined to follow the family tradition, but when a group of English explorers arrives to re-provision their ship, Thor becomes obsessed with the idea of joining their expedition to Antarctica as a stowaway. His plans are thwarted by the only other young person at the whaling station, a boy called Otto whose envy drives him to betray Thor at every turn.
Related topics
Antarctica Explorers Shackleton, Sir Ernest Whaling Environment and sustainability Biomes Values: Endurance
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: If considering reading aloud to class, check coarse language (e.g. pp. 93, 130).
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 26, p. 131, ‘After that, ...’ Finish: Chapter 26, p. 133, ‘... ran after Otto.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 How would you describe Thor’s relationship with his father? Did he receive preferential treatment? Was Otto’s resentment justified? 2 How were the whales killed? What was done to stop them sinking? 3 What is flensing? What is baleen? How was the oil extracted from the dead whales? What use for the oil was mentioned in the story? 4 What happened to the Endurance? Why are Ernest Shackleton and Frank Worsley considered heroic? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
128
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prepare a poster map of Antarctica that shows the route taken by Shackleton’s expedition from South Georgia to where the Endurance was crushed. Locate where the men camped and the journey taken in the lifeboat James Caird via Elephant Island. Make your own small illustrations for the important sites and include pictures of Shackleton and his companions, and the Endurance. Include a scale showing the distances and use a ‘Wildlife of Antarctica’ theme to decorate the edges of the map. Present a brief history of the International Whaling Commission, explaining its purpose and what it has achieved. What are the conflicts that still need to be resolved? You will find a number of web quests on the Internet using ‘Antarctica web quests’ as your search term. Choose the one you find most interesting and assign each member a role to research.
Title
Thunderwith A prequel to Chrysalis
Author
Libby Hathorn
Publisher
Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Livre 1989, 1999
Synopsis
When Lara’s mother dies, she goes to a farm near Bulahdelah, north of Sydney, to be with a father she barely remembers. Clearly, she is not wanted by his second wife Gladwyn and their children, especially the oldest girl, Pearl. When her father goes away on business, Lara is left with the hostile family in a state of grief and despair, but a mysterious dog she names Thunderwith appears during a storm and eases her suffering. It is only when she finds out the significance of the dog from an Aboriginal storyteller called Neil, that she is able to confront Gowd Gadrey, a head prefect at the school who has been bullying her unmercifully.
Related topics and subjects
Bullying School life Family relationships Grief and loss Indigenous Australia Farming Values: Courage, Belonging
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why was the silver dollar so important to Lara? What did it represent in her late mother’s eyes? 2 What did Lara find out about Gladwyn’s childhood that could have explained her moodiness and hostility? Do you think it should have made her more sympathetic to Lara’s situation? 3 Describe Gowd Gadrey’s character and actions. Do you think his antisocial behaviour can be attributed to his early childhood experiences? What opinion do you have about the influence of nature or nurture in forming a person’s character? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Lara has been given a bed out on the verandah of her stepfamily’s home where she has just been wrenched awake by a nightmare. Desperately, she scrambles out of bed in the hope of finding a kind word and comfort from her stepmother, Gladwyn. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 4, last paragraph, p. 56 ‘Lara jumped up ...’ Finish: Chapter 4, end of line 3, p. 58 ‘... She did not dare.’
Locate the book Giant Devil Dingo or any other legends by Dick Roughsey and use them for inspiration to write and paint a Dreaming story about Thunderwith’s life that explains how his life and death helped to heal Lara’s grief. Gowd Gadrey was a sinister character because he concealed aspects of his duplicitous personality. Use Appendix B to prepare a character study of him by identifying examples of his nature and behaviour.
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129
Title
Toad Rage See also: Toad Heaven, Toad Away
Limpy the cane toad is taking a journey on a semitrailer to try and become an Olympic Games mascot so that people will learn to love cane toads as much as they love the platypus, echidna and kookaburra mascots.
Author
Morris Gleitzman
Publisher
Puffin Books Penguin Group (Australia) 1999
Synopsis
Limpy is a young, idealistic Queensland cane toad who sets out to discover why humans are constantly trying to run over his relations as they go about their business catching food on the highway. He doesn’t understand why cane toads are so universally loathed and he wants to change things. He hitches a ride on a semitrailer to a town where he sees some animal mascots for the Olympic Games that appear to be loved by humans and decides cane toads would make ideal mascots. He heads south determined to show the authorities how cane toads could star in the Animals Games.
Related topics
Cane toads Sustainability Olympic Games Humour Values: Doing Your Best, Perseverance, Self-esteem
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent
Start: Chapter 13, after last section break ‘It took half the night ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 13
Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔ ✔
1 How did the snake explain Limpy’s quest in Chapter 4? 2 Explain why cane toads were brought to Australia and why it was such an ineffective and destructive remedy? 3 Even though Limpy was unable to achieve what he set out to do, he did come home with something useful from his experiences. What was it? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
130
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
There are many reputable sites with information about cane roads (Bufo marinus). Type in ‘cane toads’ as your search term and use the information to prepare your own Microsoft PowerPoint presentation with graphics to explain their habitat, characteristics, control, the history of their introduction to Australia and the consequences for native species. On the last slide, list the URLs of your sources. Make puppets of the animals in Toad Rage and write a script based on the story to present at lunchtime. Make your own theatre if one is not available. (A voluntary coin admission could help raise money for any child sponsorship your school may be involved in.)
Title
The Tuckshop Kid
Author
Pat Flynn
Publisher
University of Queensland Press 2006
Synopsis
Matthew is being raised on fast food and it shows. With ‘Tuckshop’ his best subject at school, kids come to him for advice on how to get the most food for the least amount of money. One day, during PE he collapses on the oval, so his concerned mother starts to prepare healthy food (not always successfully) and encourages him to get off the couch. His best pal has always been Kayla, but a misunderstanding makes Matthew suspicious of her friendliness and he still has to deal with the jibes of his ex-best friend and a new kid, so the temptation to binge out is strong.
Related topics and subjects
Nutrition Diabetes School life Humour Friendship Values: Self-esteem, Perseverance, Resilience
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested post-reading/
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
A change in timetable at school means Matthew has to run around the oval after a big lunch. Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 3, p. 14 ‘Mr Simpson stands at the front of the class ...’ Finish: To section break ‘... Nothing except blackness.’
1 How does the saying about ‘looking at the splinter in someone else’s eye instead of the beam in your own’ relate to Craig Withers? 2 Why did Matthew stop reporting bullying to the teachers? What is the solution? 3 Do you think Pat was giving ‘lucky’ chocolate milk to Matthew? What would be her motive? 4 What events triggered Matthew’s lapse when he binged out on pizza, fries, ice cream and coke? 5 Do you think eating is more than just satisfying hunger? 6 Is it important to be able to see life from someone else’s point of view? Why? • •
presentation activities
•
•
•
Prepare and design a pamphlet/facts sheet on diabetes. Write down everything you’ve eaten in the last two days. Do you have a balanced and healthy diet? Compare your diet to the recommendations in a food pyramid. Collect contents labels from a variety of food packages and grade them according to their sodium (salt) and fat content and make graphs. Find out what trans fats are and how they affect the human body. Organise a Natural Food Week campaign at school using posters, and try to get sponsorship for special events, such as an Apple Day or a lunchtime jogging club. Food additives can be toxic and may possibly cause mood swings, crying, screaming, rashes and insomnia. Find out what you can about these food additives: tartrazine (lemon yellow) 102, quinoline yellow 104, sunset yellow FCF 110, carmoisine (red) (122), ponceau 4R (red) (124) allura red AC (129).
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131
Edward is keeping up well with the fastest swimmers in the race when he feels something strange slowing him down.
Title
The Twenty-seventh Annual African Hippopotamus Race
Author
Morris Lurie
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group Australia 1969, 1989
Synopsis
The hippopotamus family of Edward Day believes he has the makings of a champion swimmer so his grandfather decides to train him for the 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race in which 84 competitors will swim 22 kilometres of the Zamboola River. His father buys a bus, paints it yellow, and takes them all to the race where excitement mounts as Edward is weighed in, measured, gets his number and singlet, and lines up at the starting line. But some competitors plan to use cunning tricks to outwit the judges!
Related topics
Animal stories Sport: swimming Humour Values: Persistence, Honesty, Doing Your Best
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY
Excerpt to read READING LEVEL
Start: Chapter 8, p. 90, ‘Edward picked ...’ Finish: Chapter 9, p. 92, ‘... to Edward?’
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Developing Competent
✔
✔
Advanced
✔
✔
Note: This is a good story to read aloud to younger children who might have difficulty with the language independently.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Who was training Edward and why? 2 How do you think you would feel if you had succeeded at something by cheating? 3 What is a barge? 4 What did Edward have to sacrifice in order to reach his goal? 5 What do you think about the decision Barney made as he raced towards the finishing line? What does it tell you about him? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
132
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Prunella thought the river was only 35 centimetres long because she didn’t understand about scale. Edward was 1½ metres high by 3½ metres long. Use your ruler to draw him to scale using the ratio 6 cm = 1 metre. Try to work out how many of your classmates would weigh the same as Edward and draw them in the hippo outline. Design a poster advertising the race – venue, date, time, rules, etc. Include a picture of a hippopotamus and a border. (You can do this on the computer using Microsoft Publisher and Clip Art, if you prefer.) Draw and colour a comic family portrait of Edward after the race (in his 65 singlet) with Milly, Prunella, Theodore and Sam in their best clothes. Make an impressive, old-fashioned, cardboard frame (preferably gold!) in which to display your portrait.
Title
Two Hands Together
Author
Diana Kidd
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 2000
Synopsis
When an Aboriginal family moves in next door to Lily and Jake, the two children are pleased there are other kids to play with and soon Lily and Ella Riley become the best of friends. But Lily’s father, a trophy-winning football player, is set against his children having anything to do with the Rileys, until one day his neighbours save one of his children from catastrophe. Lily’s dad reluctantly comes to realise that both the families have similar values after all: ‘kids and family’ are what matter to them both.
Related topics
Indigenous Australia Racism Friendship Family relationships Values: Respect
and subjects Reading level /
Prejudice
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
✔
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
1 Lily’s dad complains that the Rileys are ‘different to us’. What does he give as his reasons for thinking this way? 2 How do Lily and Ella pledge their friendship? 3 Lily’s dad’s collection of football trophies is the family’s treasured possession. What is the Riley family’s treasure? Why? 4 Lily thinks the Rileys moved from next door because her dad was rude and prejudiced against them. What was the real reason they went away? 5 Auntie Maisie said people should be more like snakes. In what way? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Lily and Jake have been playing with the Aboriginal children next door while their father was away. But now he’s back home ... Excerpt to read
Start: Beginning of p. 98 ‘We haven’t been to ...’ Finish: End of two sections, p. 102 ‘... proud of Dad at all.’
In the story, Auntie Maisie was six years old when she had to hide under the possum rug from the Welfare mob. The Stolen Generation resulted from an official government policy that removed Aboriginal children from their families and raised them in non-Indigenous culture. Why was it done? Why was it harmful? Prepare a brief Microsoft PowerPoint outlining the main facts. You can begin your research at . To find out about prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination, prepare an awareness display about stereotypes that (often unconsciously) influence our attitudes to people. Find examples of the ways groups are frequently portrayed on the basis of age, gender, race, culture, and religion in books, magazines, films, advertisements and TV programs. Find something at home that your family treasures a great deal (it may have little monetary value). Why is the object so important to your family? What is the object’s history? Take a photo or draw a sketch to illustrate the story of your family treasure.
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Martin has been trekking through the bush with Meg, the girl who saved him from drowning. They meet up with a young Aboriginal man, Wullamudulla, who helps them but then leaves to follow his own ancestral Dreaming. Afraid of losing their way, they follow him at a distance into an eerie swamp where a strange and ominous sound stops them in their tracks.
Title
Walking the Boundaries
Author
Jackie French
Publisher
HarperCollins 1993, 2006
Synopsis
Young Martin is issued with a strange challenge by his great-grandfather: if Martin can walk the boundaries of Old Ted’s property, he will be given all 5000 hectares of it to do with as he pleases. Excited by the thought of selling it and becoming rich, Martin sets off eagerly to walk the boundaries but when he encounters two strangers, Meg and Wullamudulla, he begins to wonder if the land is his great-grandfather’s to give away.
Related topics
Australia: prehistory Indigenous Australia Bush food Time slip Environment and sustainability Survival
and subjects Reading level /
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Competent Advanced
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
Note: This is an easy read and may appeal to the reluctant reader.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Martin lost his necessities for survival during the flood. What do you think would be the most valuable things you would take on a journey through the bush? 2 What were some of the clever bush skills Wullamudulla used to help Meg and Martin? 3 How had Martin’s attitudes changed by the end of his journey? 4 What can we do as individuals to ‘tread lightly’ on the earth? 5 Do you think there is more than one meaning for the title of the book? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
134
Lower
Developing
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter ‘A Diprotodont called Dracula’, p. 137, ‘It was far too hot ...’ Finish: first section break, p. 144, ‘... he had to open his mouth ...’
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Construct a time line then draw pictures of Dracula, Meg, Wullamudulla, Old Ted and Martin, and paste them above the time line in order. Put an approximate date under each character and lastly, paste a large question mark to represent the future ‘owners’ of the land. Do an Internet search by typing in the search terms ‘Australia prehistoric animals’ or find books in the library to help you make a mobile of the labelled giant prehistoric animals that once inhabited Australia. Do some research to find out about some of the bush foods gathered and eaten by Indigenous Australians. Make a large platter of papiermâché bush food, correctly painted and labelled, that is enjoyed by Indigenous Australians.
Title
When the Tripods Came See also: The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead, The Pool of Fire Series: The Tripods Trilogy
Author
John Christopher
Publisher
Simon & Schuster 1990, 2003
Synopsis
Laurie and his friend Andy decide to sleep in a barn when they lose their way orienteering. They are jerked awake by a loud explosion and, scrambling to the window, they see a huge capsule ringed with lights, moving on three gigantic legs, waving silver snake-like feelers in the air. They watch in awe as it obliterates a nearby farmhouse before the arrival of the military forces. But this Tripod is only the first of many. Laurie and his family escape to an abandoned mountain resort in Switzerland where they manage to destroy one of the Tripods. They soon realise that it is up to them alone to rescue the planet.
Related topics and subjects
Science fiction Aliens Friendship Family relationships Biomes: alpine Values: Freedom, Courage, Integrity, Loyalty
Reading level /
Excerpt to read
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Laurie and Andy decide to sleep in a barn overnight when they lose their way orienteering.
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Start: Beginning of Chapter 1 Finish: Chapter 1, fourth line from the end of the page, p. 3
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Adults in the story drink alcohol in response to anxiety. Describes a plane hijacking.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What ‘peaceful’ strategies did the army use to try and engage the alien? 2 How did Angela become mentally ‘infected’ and how was she cured? 3 On two occasions, Laurie’s integrity is tested. Use Appendix D to help you discuss Laurie’s actions when Andy and Rudi were threatened? (Chapters 8 and 9) 4 Mass mental manipulation has real-life precedents in history, not just in science fiction. Discuss what you know, or can find out, about religious cults, the persecution of witches in the Middle Ages, Nazi Germany, the Cultural Revolution in China, the Ku Klux Klan, etc. What happens to human relationships in these situations? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
Use Appendix E to prepare an oral book report and construct a model of the Tripod to put on display to promote the Tripods Trilogy. Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on either the causes and incidence of avalanches or the phenomenon of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and attempts that have been made to verify such sightings.
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Title
Wide Window Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events
The children believe their aunt Josephine is still alive somewhere near Lake Lachrymose. They have just found an atlas to help them look for her when they feel the house, which is built on stilts out over a cliff, seems to be moving.
Author
Lemony Snicket
Publisher
HarperCollins 2000, 2007
Synopsis
The Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, are being pursued by their evil uncle, Count Olaf, who is determined to steal their fortune. He assigns the children to the care of their phobia-ridden Aunt Josephine who lives in a cliff-top house overlooking Lake Lachrymose. Disguised as a boathire business owner called Captain Sham, Count Olaf gains their aunt’s confidence then forces her to leave a note faking her own death. But the children are suspicious and they set off across the lake to rescue her.
Related topics
Family relationships Humour Orphans Grammar Values: Persistence, Bravery, Co-operation
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent
Excerpt to read
Advanced
Last 6 paragraphs of Chapter 8
✔ ✔
Note: Difficult vocabulary and idiomatic sayings are all amusingly explained in simple language when they appear in the text.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 What particular talents or interests did each child have? 2 Aunt Josephine had an amazing number of fears. What were they? Discuss whether any of them were rational (see end of Chapter 2). 3 What grammatical error did Aunt Josephine consider the most serious? (Hint: it concerns an apostrophe.) Explain the correct usage. 4 Some of the names of things in the story are descriptive. Find out the meanings of Lake Lachrymose, Captain Sham, Damocles Dock and the Fickle Ferry. 5 What turned out to be the moral of the story? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
136
Lower Secondary Mature content
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Write and perform in costume the part of the story where leeches attack the boat, Violet makes an invention, Sham arrives to ‘rescue’ them and Sunny shatters his disguise. Finish the scene with Mr Poe and the children chasing the two villains off-stage. (For an example of a drama script, refer to Appendix J.)
Title
Wreck! A prequel to Saving Abbie
Author
Allan Baillie
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1997
Synopsis
Ian and Reene are left by themselves for a few hours at their holiday cottage while their parents drive to Mackay, but in that short time, the tiny settlement is flattened by a cyclone and they are forced to shelter in a cave. Believing the danger is over, they emerge to find a damaged freighter stranded on the rocks and can’t resist climbing onto it, but the eye of the storm passes and the cyclone’s fury returns, dragging the ship back out to sea. Unable to escape, their terror is heightened when they realise that something alive and menacing is lurking in the watery darkness of the sinking ship.
Related topics and subjects
Natural disasters Cyclones Shipwrecks Values: Courage, Care and Compassion
Reading level /
Survival
Wildlife smuggling
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Developing
Excerpt to read
Competent Advanced Note: A good story to read aloud; full of suspense.
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Ian’s dad seems to think Ian is a pretty hopeless son. What incidents does Ian remember that make him feel ashamed about disappointing his father? 2 Ian finds that he possesses courage after all. How does he show it? 3 How does Ian show compassion? 4 How do Reene’s attitudes change? 5 What do you think about the end of the story? What do you think might happen to Abbie? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
Ian and Reene hear a strange sound above the wind and water sloshing around in the ship’s hold. Believing someone may still be alive on board, they venture down into the flooded darkness.
Start: Chapter 14, last paragraph of p. 91 ‘The castle of crates ...’ Finish: End of Chapter 14
In Australia, we call circular storms ‘cyclones’ (in America, ‘hurricanes’). They are classified by their severity. Search the Internet using the keywords ‘classifying hurricanes’ and click on the NASA Observatorium website to view the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale 1–5 modelling. After viewing the action of all five categories of storms, how would you classify the cyclone that hit Albatross Beach? Explain and demonstrate your findings using a digital projector or by creating a coloured diagram. Visit or use the website to help you make a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or illustrated talk about how cyclones occur. Include visual and factual material about Australia’s most destructive cyclone to date. Wildlife smuggling and trade present a big problem for biodiversity and conservation around the world. Using Microsoft Publisher, create an illustrated brochure warning travellers about prohibited products. Consult the worldwildlife.org website for a list of endangered species, but also find out about the Australian plants and animals that are taken illegally from the wild.
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Deet regrets half sawing through the goalposts at the football oval and is now afraid they will fall during a game and hurt someone, so he persuades his friends to come with him that night to cut right through them and push them over, making sure he takes some food to give Brutus, the guard dog.
Title
Young Bloods
Author
Kerry Wakefield
Publisher
Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) 1997
Synopsis
Deet is the leader of a gang of boys well on their way to becoming petty criminals. He lives with his grandfather, an Aussie Rules supporter of the local team, the Bloods, who has even painted his house in club colours, so he is disappointed Deet hates football. When Deet comes home from school to find a rival team supporter has vandalised his pet enclosure, he vows vengeance. But before he can see his plan come to fruition, his grandfather’s shady dealings with some unsavoury characters called Magic and Pauly get them both into a dangerous situation.
Related topics
Sport: football (Aussie Rules) Family relationships Crime and punishment Values: Friendship, Loyalty, Honesty and Trustworthiness
and subjects
Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL Developing Competent Advanced
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔ ✔
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔ ✔
Note: Describes shoplifting, theft, etc. Lengthy descriptions of football action.
Excerpt to read
Start: Chapter 15, p. 81, ‘Shhhh,’ said Deet ...’ Finish: Chapter 15, p. 81, ‘... they all hear what came next.’
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Discuss Mr Vitty’s action when he paid Pauly to destroy Deet’s pet shed. What else could he have done? 2 What were the possible consequences of Deet’s vandalism at the oval? 3 Should Deet’s grandfather have escaped punishment? 4 How did Marcus, Gunther, Jonah and Cokey display their loyalty? 5 Would you describe Deet’s money-making activities as enterprising, or just dishonest? Give examples. •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
138
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
To promote this book or to support a book review, make a display for the Young Bloods including coloured bunting, an anthem, motto, emblem and flag. Give an oral presentation in which you explain as clearly as possible how Aussie Rules football is played. Use diagrams if necessary. Prepare a poster about the green tree frog or blue-tongued lizard including information about the characteristics, habitat, life cycle and conservation status. Use Inspiration software for the life cycle, if available, or download a template from the Internet, for example . Make sure your poster has a balance between textual and graphic information.
Title
Young Murphy
Author
Gary Crew & Mark Wilson
Publisher
Lothian, Hachette Livre 2005
Synopsis
This story about a 12-year-old boy, John Murphy, who comes to Australia with his family in 1841, is based on historical material. On the voyage, he makes the acquaintance of a German called Ludwig Leichhardt. Two years later, John joins Leichhardt’s expedition to explore from SE Queensland across the top end of Australia to the northern coast near Darwin. In this dramatic account, poor leadership, ignorance about the difficult terrain, and lack of communication with the native inhabitants, marred this praiseworthy achievement.
Related topics and subjects
Explorers Leichhardt, Ludwig Values: Courage, Resilience
Australia: early exploration
Reading level /
Excerpt to read CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Questions for discussion
Suggested
Diary genre
Leichhardt’s expedition gets off to a bad start.
Lower Secondary Mature content
Start: Entry for 1st Oct 1844 Finish: End of entry
✔ ✔
1 Leichhardt’s reputation is criticised in this book. What were his failings? What are the most important qualities of a good leader? 2 Gary Crew quotes from Leichhardt’s own diary but is there any mention of the source of his information for writing the story from John Murphy’s point of view? 3 Who was John Gilbert? What special talent did he have? Describe the events of the night he died. 4 What do you think Charley Fisher thought about the white explorers? What incidents in the story support your opinion? 5 John Murphy didn’t volunteer for any more expeditions with Leichhardt. What did he do instead? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
• •
The version of events in this story gives a critical view of Leichhardt, but other sources praise his achievements. Use the graphic organiser in Appendix B to prepare a character web of Crew’s portrayal of the explorer. Next, find library books that describe his expedition in detail. Lastly, look at and compare opinions of him. There are many dramatic scenes in this story. Choose any medium (such as painting or acting) to portray some of the events that occurred. Leichhardt made other explorations in Australia. Find out the details and write an imaginary account of what might have eventually happened to him.
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Having faced every conceivable danger while crossing two vast oceans, the crew of the sailing ship, Endeavour, is relieved when Captain Cook turns the ship for home. He sails up the unmapped east coast of New Holland (Australia), unaware that the world’s largest coral reef lies directly in his path.
Title
Young Nick’s Head
Author
Karen Hesse
Publisher
Simon & Schuster 2001
Synopsis
When Captain James Cook sets sail in 1768 on the Endeavour, he is unaware that an 11-year-old stowaway, Nicholas Young, has paid three sailors to smuggle him aboard. When he is discovered, Nick is treated with hostility and mistrust, and during the two and a half-year voyage, he tries to prove his worth as an assistant to the one-handed cook, to the botanist, Joseph Banks, and to the surgeon, Dr Monkhouse. He does succeed in befriending a Polynesian lad called Tarheto, but Nick’s greatest challenges begin when the ship stops for repairs in the disease-ridden squalor of Batavia (Jakarta) in the East Indies.
Related topics
Explorers Cook, Captain James Australia: discovery Banks, Sir Joseph Botany Diary genre Journeys
and subjects Reading level /
CONCEPTS LEVEL
Concepts level
Grades 3–6 PRIMARY READING LEVEL
Lower
Middle
Upper
Lower Secondary Mature content
✔
✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
Developing Competent Advanced
Note: Includes glossary of 18th century nautical terms, map and factual Afterword.
Excerpt to read
Start: Saturday 9th June 1770, p. 179 Finish: Saturday 9th June 1770, paragraph 2, p. 182
Questions for discussion
Suggested
1 Why did Nick stow away and where did he get the money to bribe the sailors? 2 Explain the title ‘Young Nick’s Head’. 3 What was the main purpose of Cook’s journey and what were the secret instructions Cook had to follow when he left Tahiti? 4 We learn in the Afterword that Nick makes another voyage (with Banks) to Iceland in 1772. How old would he have been? What do you think he did between the two voyages when he returned to England? •
post-reading/ presentation activities
•
•
140
TH E F ICTIO N G ATEWAY
Create a large map showing the world’s major ocean currents. Use red and blue arrows to show warm or cold currents and in which direction they flow. Label any that have names (e.g. Gulf Stream, Humboldt, etc.). Over this map, superimpose the world’s wind systems in black. Clearly show the route the Endeavour took and explain why it was difficult for the sailing ship to make progress in some parts of the voyage. Show where the manoeuvre known as ‘tacking’ was used and explain what it involves. Refer to <www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EnvirGeolNotes/HowEarthWorks. HTM>. What is the Transit of Venus? When will the next transit occur? How often does it occur? Reproduce the diagram Cook made of it and present an illustrated fact file on the planet Venus. A useful website is <www.transitofvenus.org>. In the style of Sydney Parkinson, make a collection of painted sketches of the fauna and flora of Australia that so amazed the botanists Banks and Solander.
APPENDIX A
Research on the Internet
When researching on the Internet, there are clues in the web addresses (sometimes called URLs or Uniform Resource Locators) that can guide you to the most reliable information: .au
means Australian source.
.com means commercial (someone is trying to sell something). .edu
means the information comes from an educational institution.
.gov
means a government website.
.org
means an organisation of people interested in a particular subject.
Avoid opening pop-ups or advertisements and NEVER type in information about yourself unsupervised. If you think something is not right or not appropriate, tell your teacher immediately. Remember to list all sources and credits for any images or information you use in your presentation.
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APPENDIX B
Character web Example from the text
Example from the text
Trait
Trait
Character
Trait
Trait
Example from the text
Example from the text
Book title and author Student’s name
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APPENDIX C
SWOT analysis Book Character
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
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APPENDIX C (continued)
Example of a SWOT analysis Book
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Character
Karana
Strengths
Weaknesses
• loyalty (to brother)
• fear (Aleut hunters, dogs, etc.)
• bravery about illness
• loneliness
• resourcefulness
• vulnerability to injury
• mental strength
• fear instilled by cultural taboos
• physical strength
(e.g. women making weapons,
• ability to plan ahead
effigies in cave)
• hunting and gathering skills • generosity and friendship
• lack of knowledge about the outside world
Opportunities
Threats
• taming animals for companionship
• pack of wild dogs
• attempt to row canoe to mainland
• prolonged solitary state
• using available resources to make
• earthquake
beautiful crafts to keep occupied
• tidal waves
• learning more about animal behaviour then changing attitude
• giant octopus • Aleut hunters
• making friends with Aleut girl
• starvation
• using dead whale ribs to make
• loss at sea in leaking canoe
security fence around her shelter • three possible chances to leave the
• effects of profound loneliness and fear
island
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APPENDIX D
Deciding on a course of action The question
Possible action
Possible action
Possible action
Possible consequences
Possible consequences
Possible consequences
Character Title and author
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APPENDIX E
Book review Title Author
Paragraph 1 ~ (include title, author, main character, theme)
Paragraph 2 ~ (explain plot (briefly), setting, time, problem or issues)
Paragraph 3 ~ (include interesting information about story, author, style, illustrations, etc.)
Paragraph 4 ~ (What did you like/dislike? Do you recommend the book?)
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APPENDIX F
Similarities and differences Venn diagram
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APPENDIX G
Forming an opinion (PMI) Plus Affirmative/positive arguments:
Minus Negative/contradictory arguments:
Interesting Neutral considerations:
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APPENDIX H
Coat of arms
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APPENDIX I
Information organiser
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APPENDIX J
Example of a drama script THE RED KING dramatisation by Suzanne Eberlé from The Red King by Victor Kelleher © 1989 Puffin Books Ringwood, Vic. Adapted and reproduced with permission by Penguin Group Australia. Dramatisation of Chapter 2
NARRATOR: Our group chose to read a novel by Victor Kelleher called THE RED KING. (Hold up the
book.) We found it a very exciting story and have prepared a dramatisation of Chapter 2 of the novel. In the first chapter of the story, a young acrobat named Timkin has just survived an attack by the Red King of the Forest Lands who kills his disobedient subjects by releasing a poisonous red mist. The young acrobat’s Master and the rest of the troupe of travelling performers have not survived and Timkin, injured and covered in sores caused by the deadly red fever, wakes to find herself lying in the forest having been saved by a magician called Petie. The story continues ... TIMKIN:
(Whimpering) Master? (When there is no answer, she begins to cry, covering her face with her hands. Then she pulls her hands away from her face and turns them over, horrified by the red sores and blotches covering the backs of them.)
TIMKIN:
Master? (louder this time)
PETIE:
(Enter Petie and animals) So, she’s awake! (The bells on his cap jingle as he dances around singing a rhyme) Didn’t I tell you she was the one? Well, now you see it, Now it’s done, She is, she is, she is the one. (bursts into noisy laughter)
TIMKIN:
Who ... are you? What do you want?
PETIE:
Want? Why, I want for nothing. As to who I am ... Before you (spreads his arms widely with a flourish) stands the greatest magician in the land. My magic is even the envy of the Red King! (lowers his voice to a stage whisper) The truth is, it’s just a bag of tricks. Though that’s between ourselves. Don’t tell a soul. But where was I? Ah, yes, the greatest magician in the land ... no, wait a minute, I’ve done that part. (bursts out laughing again)
TIMKIN:
(In some confusion) I see ...
PETIE:
(Sharply) See? What do you see?
TIMKIN:
A ... a man ...a bear ... and a monkey.
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APPENDIX J (continued)
PETIE:
Then you see very little. Which is not so surprising in one so young. For as the wise will tell you, we see not with our eyes but with our minds; not by looking, but by naming. To the business of names then. (With a flourish he points to the two animals.) My large friend here answers to the name of Bruno. Not very original, I admit. My smaller friend here is Crystal. While I ... I am known as Petie.
TIMKIN:
Pleased to meet you. I’m Timkin.
PETIE:
(Slowly rolling the name in his mouth) T I M–K I N. A light, quick, airy kind of name if I’m not mistaken. And I never am. So tell me, young Timkin (his eyes narrow, his face looks sly), what exactly do you do in this troupe of yours?
TIMKIN:
I was lots of things. A juggler, an acrobat, a clown. But most of all, I worked on the high wire and the trapeze.
PETIE:
Better and better! (rubs his hands together greedily and turns to the animals) Do you hear? A trapeze artist. A highwire expert. Didn’t I tell you she was the one? Didn’t I? Didn’t I? (The animals jump up and down excitedly.) There you are. Both my friends agree. Indeed, you are the one!
TIMKIN:
The one for what?
PETIE:
(Instead of answering, he jerks his thumb over his shoulder.) The man out there, the one I buried. Was he your master? (Quickly he pulls the gold collar out of his pocket.) And this? Was it your mark of bondage? Timkin covers her face with both her hands and weeps.
PETIE:
(Incredulously) You loved this master?
TIMKIN:
He gave ... he gave me ... my freedom! (between sobs)
PETIE:
And you would avenge him? You would make a certain person answer for his death? Well? What do you say?
TIMKIN:
How can I avenge him? No-one can challenge the Red King. He ... (Bruno gives a deafening roar and claws the air, then prowls around before settling down on the ground, patting the monkey and dozing off.)
PETIE:
You see? It’s as well not to mention a certain name in this company. He has no friends here. Unless, of course, you are perhaps ...
TIMKIN:
How can I call him a friend? He has destroyed all who are dear to me.
PETIE:
Then let me ask you again. If you could make this person answer for what he has done, if you could hurt him as he has hurt those you love, would you act against him? (Timkin shakes her head.)
TIMKIN:
152
The Red King you speak of is Lord of the Forest Lands. Our lives are his to command.
T H E F I CTI O N GAT EWAY CO PY RIGH T © EB ERLÉ AND WILLIAMSON, 2009
APPENDIX J (continued)
PETIE:
And that is a reason for letting him destroy as he pleases?
TIMKIN:
If I used my freedom to challenge him, I’d be wasting it. Giving up my life for nothing. It would be like spurning my Master’s gift.
PETIE:
(Angrily, with scorn) Only a slave would speak ... (stops abruptly, then goes on thoughtfully) So, it’s a question of freedom (swinging the gold collar) Yes, just that ... just that ... (He reaches out and touches Timkin on the head as though hypnotising her.) Sleep, my little one, sleep. (Timkin drifts off to sleep with Petie watching and waiting until he is quite sure the child is asleep and then he creeps across and carefully locks the gold collar around the sleeping Timkin’s neck before creeping a little distance away, taking Bruno and Crystal with him. Moments later, Timkin wakes up from the disturbed murmuring of sleep, clasps the wounded arm and then reaches up and feels the imprisoning collar.)
TIMKIN:
(Screaming out) No! (She gets up and staggers towards Petie who is playing with some gold coins and a small leather pouch) So! (hissing) You’re nothing but a common thief!
PETIE:
Do I not deserve payment for saving you from the Red King’s fever? Not even a few coins?
TIMKIN:
It’s not just the coins you stole from my master! (points to the gold collar) This didn’t belong to you! It wasn’t yours to use like this!
PETIE:
Ah, but the coins and the collar go together. Why should I keep one and give up the other?
TIMKIN:
I’ve already told you. He made me free! You had no right ... no right!
PETIE:
No right? Without me, you would be dead! And there’s little freedom in the grave, Timkin, I assure you of that!
TIMKIN:
I’d rather be in the grave than wearing this again!
PETIE:
(slowly, with menace) That, too, can be arranged. (Timkin tries to leap across and attack Petie, but her legs are too weak and injured and she falls down. Petie throws back his head and laughs loudly.) So this is the great acrobat! The high-wire expert who can ... (suddenly he stops speaking, his head cocked to one side listening to the faint sound of approaching horses)
TIMKIN:
Soldiers! (She tries to scramble to her feet and find somewhere to hide while Petie gathers up the pouch and coins he has dropped.) Can’t you help me? Is the gold all you care for?
PETIE:
People have to care for something. Gold is better than most things I can think of.
TIMKIN:
So you’re running off, leaving me to face the Red King’s soldiers alone?
PETIE:
(gruffly) You’d never keep up. They’d soon overtake us. Then where would we be?
TIMKIN:
We don’t have to run.
T H E FICT ION GAT EWAY COP Y RIGH T © EBERLÉ AND WILLIAMSON, 2009
153
APPENDIX J (continued)
PETIE:
Would you have this thief stay with you? The two of us bravely facing the Red King’s soldiers together? You, with your fever scars; and me, the magician who saved you? No, Timkin, I think not. The Red King is less forgiving than you imagine.
TIMKIN:
But if they find me here alone, wearing this collar, they’ll take me for a slave!
PETIE:
As indeed you are. Until ... until ...
TIMKIN:
Until what? (The sound of hoof beats draws nearer.) UNTIL WHAT? (more urgently)
PETIE:
(Starting to sidle away and escape by himself) Ah, that would be telling. But never fear, you haven’t seen the last of me yet. For you ARE the one, I’m sure of that. I’m not about to let you slip through my fingers.
TIMKIN:
(In a fierce whisper) You’re just telling me that so I won’t send them after you.
PETIE:
(He makes a dramatic bow and pulls from his vest a paper flower with bright yellow petals.) Now, what have we here? A paper flower that will never fade. A poor trickster like me, but dependable. Ah, yes, dependable. Here, take it. (Flings the flower across at Timkin who bends down to pick it up and looks up to find that Petie has deserted her.) Voices sound from off stage. Over here! Looks like a survivor! Timkin begins to back away in fear from the sound of their approach. The Red King appears and stands looking at Timkin for a moment before beginning to walk slowly towards Timkin who stumbles backwards onto the ground. Trembling violently, she covers her face with her hands. LIGHTS GO OUT.
THE END
All members of the group form a straight line at the front of the stage and bow once to receive applause before leaving the stage.
154
T H E F I CTI O N GAT EWAY CO PY RIGH T © EB ERLÉ AND WILLIAMSON, 2009
A Access Asia Cambodia (Kampuchea) 75 China 33, 53, 82 India 72 Indonesia 110, 111 Japan 109 Thailand 115 Vietnam 88, 91 acrobatics 101 adolescence 118, 120 adopted children 121 adverbs 27 Afghanistan 20 Africa 26, 76, 93, 98, 132 ageing 21, 28, 127 aliens 119, 135 animal stories 10, 29, 32, 57, 72, 116, 132 beavers 74 birds 122, 123 camels 26 cane toads 130 cats 7, 29, 30, 65, 85, 123 crocodiles 16, 37, 93 dingoes 129 dogs 35, 39, 65, 68, 73, 113 elephants 72 foxes 46, 76 goats 80 guinea pigs 17 hippopotamuses 93, 132 horses 69, 100, 107, 117 lions 74 mice 50, 123 orang-utans 111 pelicans 122 pets 10, 65, 138 pigs 13, 32, 94 sheep 13 snakes 37, 72, 76, 93, 133, 134 swans 126 talking animals 13, 26, 32, 72, 94, 113, 116, 123 tigers 72 Antarctica 102, 128 Anzac Day 48, 117 apartheid 98 archaeology 26, 112
art Aboriginal 12 drawing 29, 53, 66, 126, 140 painting 70, 103, 115, 122 athletics see sport Australia 1930s 14, 77 1960s 64 19th century 15, 103, 104, 114 Chinese 53, 71 colonial 59, 71, 96, 108, 124 discovery 140 exploration 40, 85, 90, 139 Indigenous 12, 16, 23, 129, 133, 134, 139 modern history 48, 70, 77 pre-history 112, 134 authors and writing 38 automatons 51, 66, 67
B babies 25, 32 Balkans War 84 Banks, Sir Joseph 140 Bass, George see explorers Batavia, The 40 ‘big’ landmarks 37 biographies and memoirs 12, 48 biomes alpine 117, 135 coastal 31, 55, 68, 100, 118, 122, 137 coral reefs 31 deserts 76, 93, 112 jungles 72, 75, 111 mountains 86, 117 oceans 31, 55, 68, 72, 89, 97, 118, 122, 140 polar 51, 72, 102, 128 tropics 31, 83 wilderness 57, 61, 65, 68, 73, 86 biometrics 42 Bligh, Governor William 97, 108 Boadicea 8 brain tumour 41 bravery see Values Buddhism 115 built environments 30, 77, 117 bullying 17, 22, 24, 27, 28, 41, 43, 53, 70, 98, 107, 129
155
156
S UB J E CT I NDEX
Burma Railway 28 bush foods 134 bushfires 16, 69, 111 bushrangers 80, 103
C Cambodia see Access Asia Canada 87 cane toads see animal stories caricatures 36, 56 caves 57, 68, 86, 105, 129, 135, 137 ceremonies 16 cheating 79, 132 childhood 21, 63, 72, 114 China see Access Asia chivalry 8, 125 cinema 66, 127 civics and citizenship 15, 33, 61, 67, 79, 97, 98, 108 clocks 66 colour 106 coma 35 Commonwealth Games 87 compass 57, 63 compassion see Values convicts 59, 90, 108, 124 Cook, James see explorers co-operation see Values cricket see sport crime and punishment 11, 44, 51, 54, 61, 103, 138 crocodiles see animal stories Crusades 92 Cyclone Tracy 30 cyclones see natural disasters
D death 22, 34, 35, 39, 76, 91, 109, 114, 124, 129 debating 41 Depression, The Great 14, 48, 70, 77 developing readers 10, 29, 30, 37, 50, 78, 80, 83, 85, 95, 106, 110, 119, 120, 126, 132, 139 diabetes 131 diary see genres dinosaurs 112, 134 disabilities 19, 31, 64 disasters, man-made 57, 89, 99, 109 Discovering Democracy 33, 71 discrimination 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 31, 60, 88, 91, 98, 133 positive 16 diversity 19, 21, 88, 117 divorce 38 Down Syndrome 19 dragons 105, 126 drama 15, 58 drawing see art dreams 18, 79 drought see natural disasters
E Egypt, Ancient 26, 93 El Niño 78, 111 elements 99 elves 11, 45, 99 Endurance 128 England see United Kingdom entomology see minibeasts environment and sustainability 16, 67, 72, 78, 100, 104, 111, 118, 119, 128, 130, 134 Eora people 90, 124 espionage see spying ethics 41, 60, 63, 76, 111 Eureka Stockade 15, 71 exploration see Australia explorers Bass, George 85 Bligh, William 97 Cook, James 140 Flinders, Matthew 85 La Pérouse, Jean François 90 Leichhardt, Ludwig 139 Shackleton, Sir Ernest 128
F fairies 11, 25, 106 fairy tales 67 family relationships 9, 10, 12, 17, 20, 21, 25, 35, 70, 77, 83, 93, 96, 123 fantasy see genres farming 13, 32, 39, 48, 55, 78, 100, 114 First Fleet 90, 124 flight 7, 51, 57, 95 Flinders, Matthew see explorers floods see natural disasters flutes 14 folklore Australian 59 Irish 11 food 88, 124, 131 football see sport fossils 112 France 42, 66, 90 friendship see Values
G Gallipoli 48 games 45, 52 gemstones 47 genres classic 72, 73, 74, 76, 114, 125 crime 11, 44, 49, 51, 54, 61, 64, 66, 103 diary 15, 90, 103, 108, 117, 124, 139 fantasy 7, 8, 11, 18, 45, 46, 47, 52, 53, 74, 81, 99, 101, 107, 126 historical 7, 15, 34, 40, 68, 71, 79, 82, 85, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 103, 104, 108, 114, 117, 124, 125, 128, 134, 139, 140
SUBJECT INDEX
mystery 26, 36, 39, 80, 100, 102 quest 45, 47, 81, 82, 94, 101, 116 science fiction 7, 21, 45, 76, 119, 135 time slip 40, 60, 74, 79, 96, 102, 112, 119, 134 ghosts 59, 102 giants 18, 126 gods and goddesses 94 gold 15, 71 grammar 136 grandparents 9, 17 graphic novels and comics 66, 85 Great Barrier Reef 83, 140 Great Ocean Road 77 Greece, Ancient 94 greed 74 grief and loss 22, 23, 30, 33, 91, 114, 122, 129 growth and development 8, 9, 25, 120
H helium and hydrogen 7, 95 heroines 8, 60, 68, 69, 77, 90, 91, 109, 117, 124, 129 Hindenburg, the 7, 95 hippopotamuses see animal stories Hitler, Adolf 60 humour 18, 26, 29, 41, 42, 54, 83, 94, 95, 113, 130, 136
I imperialism 82 India see Access Asia Indigenous Americans 68 inventors and inventions 36, 54, 66, 94, 95, 118 irony 48
J Japan see Access Asia jealousy 19, 58, 70, 93, 112, 125, 128 Joan of Arc 8 journeys 63, 65, 73, 90, 93, 139, 140 justice see Values
K Kampuchea see Access Asia kidnapping 18, 37 kites 52, 95 knights and knighthood 8, 92, 107, 125
M Macarthur, John and Elizabeth 108 magic 8, 56, 72, 74, 99, 106 marine archaeology 40 mascots 130 mathematics 67, 85, 86, 94, 132 medals 28, 84, 132 medicine 34, 92 medieval society see Middle Ages menstruation 8, 9, 90 mental illness 17, 118 Mesopotamia 93 Middle Ages 34, 92 Middle East 20, 92, 93 migration 20, 71, 83 mineralogy 47 minibeasts butterflies 82 locusts 78 spiders 32, 105 multiculturalism 33, 53, 88, 117 murder 7, 33, 40 Murray-Darling Basin 104, 117, 122 music 14, 34, 118 musical instruments 14 mutiny see themes – mutiny mythical beasts 36, 47, 56, 134 mythical beings 7, 11, 45, 74, 94, 99, 107 myths and legends 94, 125
N natural disasters bushfires 69 cyclones 30, 37, 83, 89, 137 drought 78 earthquakes 68 floods 37, 39 hurricanes 31, 57, 68 tsunamis 68 volcanoes 62, 76, 112 needs 57, 63 netball see sport New Zealand 49, 55, 140 Noah’s Ark 10 nutrition 131
O L La Pérouse see explorers language made-up words 18 rhyming words 29 Leichhardt, Ludwig see explorers letter writing 38 leukaemia 109 life cycles 25, 82 light 106 love 96
oceans see biomes Odyssey, the 94 Olympic Games 84, 130 origami 109 orphans 34, 56, 75, 90, 91, 103, 107, 127, 136 Outback, the 12, 48, 119
P painting see art paranormal phenomena 59 parody 11, 36
157
158
S UB J E CT I NDEX
Pemulwuy 124 pets see animal stories philosophy 52, 56, 63, 76 pigs see animal stories pioneer life 12, 48, 77, 108, 124 pirates and piracy 7, 51, 62 Plague, the 34 poetry 24, 29 prejudice 19, 60, 72, 82, 88, 133 press gang 97 puberty 9, 120
step-parents 17, 56 Stolen Generation 12, 23, 133 storytelling 60, 126 submarines 118 Sumer 93 survival 20, 30, 31, 37, 47, 57, 60, 63, 65, 68, 75, 86, 97, 100, 105, 134, 137 sustainability see environment and sustainability swagmen 14, 77, 104 Sydney early settlement 96, 108, 124
Q
T
Queen Elizabeth II 18 queens 74, 82 Quidditch 56
teamwork 13, 44, 45, 49, 84, 87, 88, 130 technology 36, 51, 66, 93, 95 Tet festival 91 themes fear 24 journeys 45, 47, 63, 65, 69, 73, 75, 77, 81, 82, 83, 85, 89, 90, 93, 94, 97, 103, 105, 134, 139, 140 mutiny 40, 97, 108 threatened species 49, 72, 111 Thunderbolt (Fred Ward) 103 Tiananmen Square 33 time slip see genres tolerance see Values transport aeroplanes 57, 95 dirigibles 7, 95 hot air balloons 50, 95 paddle steamers 104 sailing ships 40, 62, 90, 97, 128, 140 trains 50, 114 Trung sisters 91
R racism 12, 16, 23, 31, 60, 61, 98, 133 refugees 20, 84, 91 religion / beliefs 16, 33, 34, 68, 88, 92, 110, 134 reproduction 8, 9, 25 reptiles see animal stories respect see Values robotics see automatons Rum Rebellion 108
S school camps 58 school life 9, 14, 16, 22, 24, 27, 38, 41, 43, 56, 58, 69, 88, 120, 129, 131 science fiction see genres scientific technology 11, 94 Scotland see United Kingdom sea shanties 62, 97 sexuality 9, 93, 120 Shackleton, Sir Ernest see explorers Shakespeare, William 79 shipwrecks 28, 31, 40, 89, 97, 122, 137 Snowy Mountains Scheme 117 South Africa 98 space and planets 76, 140 sport athletics 84 boxing 98 cricket 70, 88 extreme 44 football 27, 121, 138 horse riding 69 horseracing 64 motor cycling 44 netball 24, 87 running 84 sailing 49, 123 skateboarding 44 soccer 20, 35 swimming 19, 132 spying 11, 51
U United Kingdom England 73, 74, 125 Scotland 73, 79, 118
V Values belonging 12, 21, 27, 66, 104, 107, 117, 121, 129 bravery 13, 28, 47, 57, 68, 89, 97, 137 care and compassion 14, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 52, 83, 94, 111, 137 conflict resolution 67 contributing 44 co-operation 7, 30, 44, 45, 47, 55, 62, 67, 87, 117 courage 7, 24, 28, 37, 41, 43, 45, 107, 109, 116 doing your best 56, 64, 78, 83, 87, 110, 115, 130, 132 endurance 73, 128 forgiveness 24, 103 freedom 62, 63, 75, 81, 91, 97, 101, 108, 135 friendship 8, 9, 15, 16, 18, 19, 27, 41, 56, 61, 64, 84, 123, 133, 135
SUBJECT INDEX
helping others 105, 106 honesty 8, 21, 24, 25, 34, 42, 54, 61, 70, 73, 127, 132, 138 inclusion 17, 24, 33 integrity 21, 34, 42, 63, 71, 73, 79 justice 13, 15, 24, 44, 61, 80, 97, 98, 108, 124 loyalty 24, 32, 54, 71, 92, 101, 103, 138 optimism 14, 38, 52, 78 overcoming fears 57, 69 perseverance 35, 46, 78, 85, 95, 105 resilience 8, 27, 34, 38, 43, 48, 66, 69, 84, 98, 114, 139 respect 9, 16, 19, 23, 133 responsibility 25, 37, 63, 108, 110, 111, 115 self-esteem 12, 22, 58, 88, 105, 118, 120, 130, 131 self-reliance 57, 86 sharing 17 tolerance 9, 16, 17, 33, 119 Venice 127
Venus 140 Vikings 79, 118 volcanoes see natural disasters
W war and conflict 31, 48, 63, 75, 79, 84, 91, 92, 97 water 93, 104, 117, 122, 127 Western Australia 12, 40, 48 whales and whaling 55, 128 wilderness see biomes wildlife conservation 55, 72 smuggling 49, 111, 137 wizards and witches 56 World War II (1939–1945) 28, 31, 60, 109
XYZ yachting 40, 49, 123 Yugoslavia 84
159
Alexander, Goldie 124 Arena, Felice / Lyon, Garry 121 Baillie, Allan 33, 75, 103, 111, 137 Baldry, Cherith 116 Ball, Duncan 113 Bateson, Catherine 17 Bauer, Michael Gerard 41 Bertagna, Julie 118 Blume, Judy 9 Brooks, Felicity 125 Burnford, Sheila 65 Byars, Betsy 43 Christopher, John 135 Cleary, Beverly 38 Clutterbuck, Jennifer 78 Coerr, Eleanor 109 Colfer, Eoin 11 Courtenay, Bryce 98 Crew, Gary 82, 139 D’Ath, Justin 37 Dahl, Roald 18, 46 Denton, Terry 95 Disher, Garry 14 Dixon, Franklin W. 44 Dowswell, Paul 97 Dubosarsky, Ursula 52 Edwards, Christine 90 Ellis, Deborah 34 Facey, A. B. 48 Fatchen, Max 104 Fienberg, Anna 62, 126 Fienberg, Barbara 126 Flanagan, John 107 Flynn, Pat 131 Ford, Vince 55 Forrestal, Elaine 39 Fraser, Janine 110 French, Jackie 60, 79, 93, 134 French, Simon 27 Funke, Cornelia 127 George, Jean Craighead 86 Gibbs, Lisa 87 Gleeson, Libby 108 Gleitzman, Morris 20, 42, 83, 130 Golds, Cassandra 85 Greenwood, Kerry 71, 77 Griffiths, Andy 29
160
Gwyther, Sheryl 112 Harlen, Jonathan 80 Hathorn, Libby 129 Heffernan, John 59, 84 Hellard, Bernadette / Gibbs, Lisa 87 Hesse, Karen 140 Hill, Anthony 23 Hill, David 89 Hirsch, Odo 50 Holm, Anne 63 Hughes, Ted 67 Jennings, Paul 25, 54 Jinks, Catherine 92 Kelleher, Victor 81, 101, 119 Kidd, Diana 91, 133 King-Smith, Dick 13 Kipling, Rudyard 72 Klein, Robin 19, 58 Knight, Eric M. 73 Larkin, John 120 Larry, H.I. 51 Lester, Alison 100 Lewis, C.S. 74 Lisson, Deborah 40 Lurie, Morris 132 Lyon, Garry 121 Mahy, Margaret 102 Marriott, Janice 128 Marsden, Carolyn 115 McHugh, Siobhan 117 McSkimming, Geoffrey 26 Meadows, Daisy 106 Moloney, James 24 Morgan, Sally 12 Morpurgo, Michael 35 Nix, Garth 45 Norrington, Leonie 16 O’Brien, Bill 49 O’Dell, Scott 68 Oppel, Kenneth 7 Orr, Wendy 10 Park, Ruth 96 Paterson, Katherine 22 Paulsen, Gary 57 Pierce, Tamora 8 Pryor, Michael 99 Riddell, Chris 36
INDEX OF AUTH ORS
Rodda, Emily 47, 105 Rowling, J. K. 56 Roy, James 28 Sachar, Louis 61 Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de 76 Selznick, Brian 66 Shipton, Paul 94 Simons, Moya 21 Small, Mary 30 Snicket, Lemony 136 Southall, Ivan 70
Starke, Ruth 88 Stewart, Paul 36 Taylor, Theodore 31 Thiele, Colin 69, 122 Turner, Ethel 114 Wakefield, Kerry 138 Wang. Gabrielle 53 Wheatley, Nadia 15 White, E.B. 32, 123 Wilson, Mark 139 Wrightson, Patricia 64
161
Snowy 117 Surviving Sydney Cove 124
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
Wide Window 136 ARTEMIS FOWL
PAGAN CHRONICLES
Artemis Fowl
11
Pagan’s Crusade
AUSSIE CHOMPS
The Boy Who Would Live Forever
21
Quentaris in Flames
CAIRO JIM
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Ruby the Red Fairy
106
RANGER’S APPRENTICE
Fragile Cargo 49
The Ruins of Gorlan 107
DELTORA QUEST
ROWAN OF RIN
The Forests of Silence
47
Rowan of Rin
THE EAGLESMOUNT TRILOGY
The Silver Horn 116
Menace 82 SELBY
Deep Water 39
Selby Speaks 113
EXTREME ADVENTURES
Crocodile Attack
THE SEVENTH TOWER
37
The Fall
FAR-FLUNG ADVENTURES
Corby Flood
105
SAM SILVERTHORNE
EDEN-GLASSIE MYSTERIES
45
SONG OF THE LIONESS QUARTET
36
Alanna: The First Adventure
THE GIZMO
SPECKY MAGEE
54
Specky Magee 121
THE HARDY BOYS
TAKEAWAYS
Extreme Danger 44
Jodie’s Journey Nips XI 88
HARRY POTTER
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
56
95
MY (AUSTRALIAN) STORY
A Banner Bold 15 On Board the Boussole 90 Riding with Thunderbolt 103 The Rum Rebellion 108
69
TASHI
Tashi
IT’S TRUE!
162
Mad Goat Mystery 80 Spaceman Bill 119 RAINBOW MAGIC
74
CRIME WAVES
Pigs Do Fly
99
QUICK READS
Cairo Jim and Doris in Search of Martenarten 26
The Gizmo
92
THE QUENTARIS CHRONICLES
126
THE TRIPODS TRILOGY
When the Tripods Came USBORNE CLASSICS
Tales of King Arthur 125 ZAC POWER
Frozen Fear 51
135
8
What Teachers Need to Know About
Reading and Writing Difficulites Peter Westwood ACER Press, 2008 Literacy skills are fundamental to all areas of learning in the school curriculum but also have a profound impact on an individual’s chances of finding satisfying work in the years beyond school. Reading and Writing Difficulties draws on the latest research from around the world to explain some of the causes of literacy problems and gives practical advice on methods to assist students with difficulties. Details of additional resources and online links are provided to support teachers who wish to pursue some of the issues in greater depth.
Spelling Peter Westwood ACER Press, 2008 Spelling bridges the gap between knowledge accumulated from research on spelling acquisition and the practicalities of teaching spelling more effectively in schools. Current trends are examined, alongside community views on spelling standards because this is the context in which change is beginning to occur. Spelling contains practical suggestions on methods and activities applicable to all students, supplemented by specific advice on assessment, and links to additional resources.
About the author Peter Westwood has been an Associate Professor of Education and has taught all age groups. He holds awards for excellence in teaching from Flinders University in South Australia and from the University of Hong Kong. Peter has published many books and articles on educational subjects and is currently an educational consultant based in Macau, China. To order Reading and Writing Difficulties and Spelling visit . To view other titles available in this series visit .
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The
Fiction Gateway
“What’s a good book for me to read next?” In this comprehensive guide, two experienced school librarians set out to answer this question by providing a selection of titles from which librarians, teachers and parents can choose the most appropriate book. The Fiction Gateway is an essential resource that supports individual, group and social reading programs and provides an instant guide to matching children’s interests with suitable reading material. Each entry contains: • a brief synopsis of the plot • publisher details • theme correlations • concepts and reading level • questions for discussion • a suggested excerpt to read • a range of post-reading activities.
About the authors Suzanne Eberlé (BA) (NSWTC) spent 13 years as a classroom teacher and then became a teacher librarian after gaining a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management. She has extensive experience in teaching literacy strategies such as Literature Circles and integrated Information Literacy programs, which she has presented at various professional development symposia. Noelle S Williamson (TPTC) (TTLC) established new libraries and reading programs in primary schools and delivered mobile library services to country schools in Victoria. She co-authored the Reading Adventure reading scheme and dedicates her spare time to tutoring reading.
“ I am pleased to see this helpful resource emerge. It provides teaching strategies and classroom activities that should assist teachers to bring children’s literature alive in the classroom.” Dr Gra ham P Corr
Former Associate Professor & Deputy Dean Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne
ISBN 978-0-86431-880-0
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