A very special book, a tale of love, loneliness, longing and dreaming. Adelaide’s Secret World is inspirational. It is a beautifully illustrated book about how the world changes around you and how sometimes it’s hard to change yourself.
Each page has a wonderful illustration of a world beyond Adelaide’s little shop, and into finding herself back in the city. The hustle and bustle which she was used to may have gone but there is still life out there.
From her favourite place on the roof of the little old shop with the red curtains she watches the sun rise and fall, she tries to write stories, but there is always something missing.
One day she finds a book left near a puddle, and in the rain and growing storm she finds its owner and a surprising companion, well surprising for a rabbit!
Elise Hurst is an illustrator and author of childrens’ books as well as a traditional artist. She lives in Melbourne, Australia and has illustrated over 50 books.
Allen and Unwin are publishers based in Australia with some brilliant titles and an ethos and committment to their authors and readers, which is inspirational.
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‘Highly recommended book’
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
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A brand new series of books from The British Library, which bring collections of materials to children. Moments in History is the first book in the series and is newly published on 9th March 2017.
It is a brilliant book to pick up and read from cover to cover or to just delve into and have an adventure of learning. I spent ages on The Battle of Little Bighorn and became totally engrossed! The nuggets of information and beautiful images make it a very compelling read as well as a starting point for further exploration and research. It will be a ‘must have’ book for teachers to embark on a history project.
Moments in History spans the dawn of civilisation to the Second World War,and is aimed at children from 8-11 years who are interested in the past, and want to find out more about people who made history – artists and architect, soldiers and explorers, politicians and religious leaders.
The author is Clare Hibbet who has written and edited over 200 books. She specialises in natural history, art and culture and is published with DK, QED Heinemann and others.
The British Library is one of the worlds greatest research libraries. It publishes a large number of books and publications and children’s books are a recent addition to the list of publications.
Their collections of materials is huge, 150 million items with 10 million people accessing online material each year.
Gathering evidence for research will be enhanced enormously by this book and future books in the series; using secondary evidence sources such as images and materials from The British Library will help young learners become historians of the future.
Revolutions, A Moment in History, very much enjoyed and recommended.
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Sue Martin Books Go Walkabout
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Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
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The books tell the lives of outstanding people who went on to achieve incredible things,yet all of their ideas began life as a dream.
The two newest books in the series follow Marie Curie and Agatha Christie. Marie Curie who loved learning in science, when women were not usually scientists, and Agatha Christie, who taught herself to read at the age of 5, and went on to be one of the most well known crime writers
The books are written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara, from Barcelona, Spain and she brings a fresh approach to learning for life.
The books are superbly illustrated in syles which fit the era of the characters. Frau Isa is from Vienna and has a dreamy nostalgic style which fits well with the Marie Curie book.
Purchase this book from BgW here…
Elisa Munso is from the University of Barcelona and illustrated the Agatha Christie book in amazing black, white and red sketches.
Each of these inspiring and informative little biographies comes with extra facts about Marie and Agatha’s lives as an addition to the story and creates a timeline of the period to base the story.
It would be ideal for linking to International Women’s Day on March 8th and also 2017 is the 150th anniversary of Marie Curie’s birth, so some brilliant timing.
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Recommended for ages 7 plus.
Sue Martin
Books Go Walkabout
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Review or purchase this title from Amazon.co.uk here…
Adventivity House is an Advent Calendar and activity book rolled into one.
QED Publishing produced a very successful Adventivity title in 2014 . Instead of just opening a window on the Advent Calendar this book has a really good activity for each day of the Advent season.
There are some beautiful ideas including a sleigh from a match box with an elf on top, a Christmas wreath, and many others finishing with a spectacular day 25 Christmas carousel with reindeers, snowmen and angels.
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Everything you need for making the activities is included in the book with push out designs, stencils and card, or you could use your own materials and ideas based on the activity, depends how creative you are feeling! Each door reveals a a surprise and it will make a beautiful calendar and chance to get ready for Christmas.
Advent is a season for getting ready and being prepared. In all the preparations for presents and for eating and sharing together it is wonderful to have something that is creative and will give time to reflect on preparation for the true meaning of Christmas.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Review or purchase this book from Amazon.co.uk here…
If you too have ever wanted to have a pet dragon, then this is the book for you!
A spectacular and fun spoof pet-care guide to dragons with everything you would ever need; taking your dragon to the vets, how to groom your dragon, teaching it to fly.
There are pages of fun facts, such as what to give your dragon to eat and what is not so good, brussel sprouts for instance are a complete No!
See more…
When it comes to grooming the illustrations are really good and include a tiler fixing the scales, a chimney sweep for the fire and smoke places and much more.
Great team work on this book and makes an excellent book for children aged from 5 and above. It’s part of a series about dragons and includes The Egg and the Dragon Snatcher.
Sue Martin
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
In the vast outback of South Australia lived Yvonne, she was part of the Anangu people who had lived on that land for generation after generation.
‘They passed on this precious knowledge , sleeping under the stars through all cycles of the seasons.’
They knew this land and needed no maps, shops or anything other than that which the land would provide. And they were happy.
‘Then the walypala, (whitefellas) came, who did not know the land and they called it desert.
They brought sheep and other animals and started to build a railway.
They brought the need for other things that this land could not provide and they were greedy’.
In 1950, the United Aborigines Mission, had many women who now wore clothes and learnt the walypala’s ways. But one day they took one of their women away from the missions as she was to give birth to her new baby.
Yvonne was born, slightly paler skin than normal, but then her father was a walypala.
She went on to live through enormous change, tragedy and family sadness, with courage and, hope, giving strength to her people, leading them and giving grace.
In 1953, town atomic bombs were exploded at Emu Field, 320 kilometres from Maralinga. In 1956, when Yvonne was 6 years old, they exploded the first bomb of 15,000 tons, part of Operation Buffalo at Maralinga, followed by three further bombs.
And there was still more testing of atomic bombs.
But, strangely, life continued at the camps at Maralinga. The Anangu people were involved in working in the area, usually barefoot with no protective clothing for many years. The effect of this work directly on radio-active lands, and in the breathing of toxic air, meant that there were many deaths, many birth defects in babies and unbelievable suffering.
The book is a story of Yvonne, her life, her family and her ability to challenge and receive some support for her family and her peoples. It is a remarkable story and an insight into the life of an Australian indigenous people in the 1950’s.
The book is beautifully presented in a glossy finish. It is packed with wonderful photographs and artwork by Yvonne Edwards, of the families and the land of Maralinga.
It is a book to keep and treasure, and you can purchase on line too. We recommend for ages 10 and above, and it’s definitely a book for adults too.
Sue Martin
Books Go Walkabout
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Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
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A terrific book! A collection of nature’s most unmissable events, epic migrations and extraordinary behaviours.
It’s a large hardback book which feels and looks wonderful. Each page is packed with information in a beautiful style of illustration. Alongside a main section of text there are smaller bite size sentences amongst the images, great style and a great way to explore and find out.
Each continent has several pages with different countries. It is easy and very clear how to find the countries and their continents. In Europe, for instance, there are Polar Bears in Greenland, Puffins in Iceland, Honey bees in the British Isles and, my favourite Barn Owls in France. The owls are gorgeous and we have owlets with nightcaps on in the tree and a protective parent owl overseeing the lavender field at dusk, a beautiful image.
We recommend the Atlas of Animal Adventures for everyone really and I am about to buy this book for presents for the family!! And for children… well, we go for ages, 6 and above and all ages too!!
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
Dreamer by Brian Moses and Bee Willey, buy from Amazon.co.uk
A beautifully written and illustrated picture book about a world where we all care for each other, for animals, plants and places. It will be inspirational for young children and for adults as they see just how the world is changing.
Each page has a scene which has amazing colours and images, including the child dreamer, lots to see, and lots of ways into discussions and questions.
Brian Moses and Bee Willey are an excellent duo, they both have so much experience and good books to their names. Brian is one of Britain’s favourite children’s poets and he is featured on the National Poetry Archive with over 200 books published and 2000 schools visited.
Otter-Barry Books are new publishers this year and have included Dreamer in their new titles, a great edition and a clear direction for their books, which will make a difference.
Sue Martin
Books across the World!
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Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
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Part 2: This article was written by Sue Martin, FRSA. Sue is our Partnership Bookseller and literacy and Early Years education specialist. Sue leads on our literacy projects at home and overseas.
Discover Seven Stories on-line here…
Michael Morpurgo, A Lifetime in Stories; an exhibition curated by Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, Newcastle upon Tyne from the 2nd July 2016 to June 2017…
This is a unique opportunity to visit this remarkable collection of notebooks, manuscripts and correspondence that have been part of Michael Morpurgo’s story writing, life and dreams. The exhibition combines much of his life and ethos and is woven into an iconic display, on the fourth floor of Seven Stories.
Take your time…this exhibition requires that you stop and dream a while, reminisce or ponder on the way Michael can find stories in places, wherever he is; stories from the past, stories of animals, children and people, from war time and in present day. He is a great story-teller and story writer and the author of over 150 books for children, Children’s Laureate and a voice for reason and peace.
This blog will take you on our journey through the exhibition and point you in some directions, we hope it will mean you also will have chance to make this journey one day over the next year. It’s worth it!
Michael Morpurgo was born in 1943 and went to boarding school at seven, and eventually into military officer training at Sandhurst and then he became a teacher. He found the military life difficult and as a teacher he wanted to help children to be creative, give them opportunities, take them out into the world and fire their imaginations, tell stories. There was a clash between curriculum driven tasks and this approach. Later, with his wife Clare, they moved to Devon, where they developed Farms for City Children.
He became friends with Ted Hughes and learnt that, as he said, “I have a story of my own to tell and a voice of my own with which to tell it.”
Interesting quotes from the videos at the exhibition in the Dreamtime corner are; “Live an interesting life. Fill your head with this world, of which you are part, care about it deeply, make up your mind to write about events, memories, conversations and something will emerge.”
“Lose yourself in the story, get into it and go for it; know the people, the place, let the dreams in your head reach the pen on your page, tell it as if to your best friend, as a secret.”
There are many orange notebooks in the exhibition, school notebooks filled with Michael’s writing, thoughts, changes, crossings out and revision. He works and receives inspiration wherever he is, but his favourite place is his converted shepherds hut.
There are too many books to mention them all, but my favourites are; War Horse, which only sold a few thousand copies until it was made into a stage production and is now his most famous book. Farm Boy, the sequel to Joey the war horse, Why the Wales Came, set on Samson island in The Scillies. Along with The Wreck of the Zanzibar, Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea, The Dancing Bear and Waiting for Anya.
Seven Stories – nestling on the river bank…
There is a curiosity about the books, the man and his talents at finding the story and retelling in a wonderful style, which will mean further reading and an excuse to add more of his titles to our bookshelves.
A final quote… “I know it, lying under the sun on a summer’s night. I know it watching buzzards floating over the valley where I live. It is a learnt belonging from children who stop to gaze, to breath in the world about them, to feel part of it.”
Michael Morpurgo, A Lifetime in Stories at Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, Newcastle upon Tyne. A digitised archive is available on www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection
Books and authors taken around the world…
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Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
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The water colours on every page are a joy in themselves and you can spend so much time just looking as they portray the story in picture.
The story is about a fisherman who falls in love with a Selkie – half woman, half seal – she gives him her seal skin as a sign of her love, and bears him two children, Ffion and Morlo, before returning to her own people. When a stranger comes to the village, telling of a land far away, the children remember their mother’s stories of the cities of gold and pearls beneath the waves….
This is a wonderful book from Jackie Morris. Presented in a beautiful new gift edition, this is a haunting story of love and freedom, for all ages.
‘A lyrical story with beautifully painted watercolours’ – Books for Keeps
A book for everyone to have, in the home to share, and to read alone, in schools for all sorts of projects in education and in the libraries. It is a book that definitely will not be staying long on the shelves but will be on the table, by the rug or in the fireside chair ready to be read time and time again.
Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.
Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.
We use Stripe to handle your e-purchase. Buy with confidence from BgW. Customer FAQ's here.
