Children's Book Reviews

As part of my course I am expected to read as many children's books as possible. As luck would have it, I have always been a bit of a horder and have a few shelves of such at home (I told you I would need them mum!). I also have a helpful younger sister who is an avid reader and partial to a bribe or two, so can always 'borrow' from her. I have also purchased quite a few of my own. I am a slave to Marily Brocklehurst's Norfolk Children's Book Centre ,a member of my local library and an ebay fiend. If there are children's book distributors or specific children's books that you would recommend it would be greatly appeciated!!! As for my book reviews...I have tried to look at the book from the position of teacher, child and just genuine book lover. I cannot promise anything more than this. Plus, if you get bored I have included a pretty picture or two of some fantastic cover art. Yay!


TWIST OF GOLD - MICHAEL MORPURGO (Harper Collins, 1983)

Wow, Michael Morpurgo has written a lot of books! No, really. A whole lot. And he's been around for a long time too. Now I read 'The Butterfly Lion' in Year 7 and was pretty impressed. I went to see 'War Horse' at the National Theatre a few years ago and was blown away. But 'Twist of Gold' - superb. As a person who's ambition in life was to grow up and become an American, this was the perfect book for me. Morpurgo takes the reader across the Western Plains on horseback, to the bustling city in the icy winter, across perilous oceans and along winding rivers.'Twist of Gold' details the life of two Irish siblings on their quest across the US in search of their father. Armed with only a fiddle and some dancing legs, the children encounter a plethora of beautifully detailed characters (good and bad), a stunning but often frightening landscape and will take your heart with them wherever they go. Children will love everything about this book. The characters are both very likeable and one's heart often leaps up and down at the peril they are left in. The book is fast- paced but takes its time to engulf you completly in Annie and Sean's world. I would recommend this book to children in Year 5 and 6 and it would also make an excellent class read.

THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK - JILL TOMLINSON (Egmont, 1968)

This book is perfect. True it's probably more loved my parents and teachers than children but I guess that means Tomlinson will keep on selling more copies! The owl in question here, is Plop a fluffy, inquisitive baby bird intent on annoying his parents with his endless questions and mis-timed "Eeeeeks"! Plop isn't just a regular owl though, he's afraid of the dark. A bit of a problem if you're an owl. This charming little book (which can also be bought as a picture book here) follows Plop's journey into the wonders of the dark and why it can be even better than the day time. This book is great if you have children who have ever been scared of anything. Plop faces his fear by discovering first hand some of the fun that can be had in the dark: fireworks, campfires, bats, Christmas. It's also a great first read, with some repetitive dialogue in each chapter to help new readers gain confidence. The story is predictable but it is definitely worth reading to get to the very satisfiying end. A real winner!
Find other Jill Tomlinson titles here.


WHEN A MONSTER IS BORN - SEAN TAYLOR AND NICK SHARRATT (Orchard, 2006)

I LOVE this book. I found out about this classroom gem from a fellow teacher who wanted to show me how much her low ability English group loved it and in particular how well my current SEN child remembered it. I was not let down. The story is fantastic and the illustrations, by the ever-wonderful Nick Sharratt  are bright, bold and hilariously funny. The story, unsurprisingly, shows us what happens "when a monster is born". Kids will love the repetitive nature of the book: "there are two possibilities..." and will also love to guess what will happen next. To be used as a treat at the end of a productive lesson. And "that's that".

Go to Sean Taylor's website to find more of his books and lots of other fun stuff. If you fancy watching some pretty awesome animation you should also look here and scroll down to the Sean Taylor poem "Breathe". Enjoy!



WHAT'S FOR DINNER MR GUM? - ANDY STANTON (Egmont, 2009)

‘What’s for Dinner Mr Gum?’ is the sixth book in the Mr Gum series aimed at all children under twelve (and many adults over!) but will be most enjoyed by those in the 5-8 bracket. It is a “must-have” for children who have previously been discouraged from reading by text heavy pages. With Mr Gum, Andy Stanton has created an absurd, disgusting, rude and hilarious character that has proven time and again to be a hit with younger children. The sixth book in the series continues in the same vein as the previous stories, with Mr Gum and his weird and wonderful friends (and enemies) from Lamonic Bibber.

Stanton has steered clear from many conventional methods of story-telling. In fact the story itself seems neither here nor there; jokes are what the book is all about. His, grubby ink-stained pages are filled with various text formats, rap songs and (conventionally) very little text. David Tazzyman’s pencil sketches compliment the narrative excellently and help to reinforce the unsavoury character of Mr Gum and indeed the book itself. Children will love the look of the book as it feels like you are taking part in some wild, writing experiment rather than reading. In fact, Stanton often lets the reader in on his thought process, stepping wildly outside the usual lines of reader/author communication, inviting us to stop and observe the tools he is applying at a certain moment. The most pleasing thing to me is Stanton’s descriptive writing, which he uses in abundance to create a fast paced and frenzied world in which the reader is immersed.
Be prepared to hear lots more from Mr Gum in the future. Andy Stanton has created a successful formula which looks to just keep on going: further and further into absurdity!



MY BEST FRIEND IS AS SHARP AS A PENCIL - HANOCH PIVEN (Shwartz and Wade, 2010)

‘My Best Friend is as Sharp is a Pencil’ is a picture book, conceived by the Israeli author/illustrator Hanoch Piven. The story is based around a little girl who wants to tell her grandma all about the children in her class, and does so in a very unique and imaginative way. The illustrations in Piven’s book are assembled from common objects and scraps of material. In theme with the contents of this book, all of the objects used can be found in a classroom. The author uses verbal similes to communicate character traits through objects, for example “she is as jumpy as a million rubber bands”. Children will love reading this book for the beautiful and imaginative illustrations and will love coming up with their own simile pictures and poems of their friends.

ALL THE COLOURS OF THE EARTH - WENDY COOLING (Frances Lincoln, 2004)

‘All Colours of the Earth’ is a diverse collection of poems from all over the world. The poems touch on issues such as poverty, the changing seasons, our environment and many more. Children will appreciate the upbeat mood in which they are presented while hopefully engaged with some of the more complex themes of global citizenship. Selected by Wendy Cooling, this anthology shows us how alike we are, even though we live thousands of miles apart; how we all need food and air, a healthy body, a home and happiness. This collection is beautifully presented, with bright and engaging illustrations of every page. Moxley has purposely produced some simple, child-like illustrations which helps draw the reader into the poet’s ‘colourful’ world. Children will love to explore the pages for the familiar, such as supermarket shelves in the United States, and the unknown market places of Jamaica. This is a great book to be used across the curriculum, particularly for children who are beginning to explore worlds outside their own. This collection is perfect for Key Stage 2 children, but also contains many poems that younger readers would enjoy.

BIG BLUE WHALE - NICOLA DAVIES (WALKER, 1997)

It is easy to see that zoologist Nicola Davies has a genuine love and interest in whales. In this book, she combines facts with a wondering narrative that invites the reader to explore the biggest creature that has ever lived on Earth. The double pages of the book detail a year in the life of a blue whale and include facts on diet, offspring, habitat, behaviour and appearance. It is revealed that blue whales are an endangered species at the beginning of the book, and the author asks the children to think of the ethical implications of this; a topic which could be expanded on in the classroom. Maland’s prints compliment the narrative beautifully. On many occasions we feel that we can reach out and touch, hear and smell the big blue whale that Davies has so carefully described. The book is presented in different fonts to contrast fact and opinion, a fantastic tool for children beginning to explore the features of non-fiction books. Available in Big Book format so as to better appreciate the enormous size of the blue whale, this is a great reference book for general use in the classroom. I recently used this book in conjunction with a Year 2/3 literacy topic on report-writing. The children found the information very easy to access and really enjoyed exploring all the different features of one of nature’s biggest wonders. By the end of the topic they, like Davies, had a real passion for the subject, something few books can boast.

HOW TO WRITE REALLY BADLY - ANNE FINE (EGMONT, 1996)

‘How to Write Really Badly’ is often forgotten in Fine’s catalogue of superb children’s books, falling in the shadow of bestsellers such as ‘The Chicken Gave it to Me’ or ‘Bill’s New Frock’. However, is a quiet, humorous book that will keep younger readers engaged and parents happy that their children are reading. 

Fine writes simply and colloquially, as in much of her work for children, but often injects challenging vocabulary to continue language development needed by early readers. The examples of Joe’s writing given in the book are very aesthetically pleasing and children will enjoy seeing for themselves how truly bad he is at writing. The theme itself seems simple enough. The book is about friendship, individuality and how we treat each other. Fine approaches this expertly through the character of Chester Howard, in which we find a cynical voice, hardened by a life on the road. In comparison to the Howard, we meet Joe, a boy who has trouble organising himself and his learning. Forced to sit beside Joe, Howard sees first hand his struggles in most subjects, particularly English in which he finds it difficult to write the simplest of words (although his understanding is sophisticated in comparison). Children will relate to this story because they might know, or indeed be themselves, the struggling artist or wayward pupil. Unlike with other morality stories for children, Fine approaches her subject subtly. Like Chester, we do not realise what is happening until he does: that he is not just helping Joe for a bit of peace and quiet but because they are becoming friends.

‘How to Write Really Badly’ is a short book of just over 100 pages. It is perfect for the 6-9 age range, to be read aloud in class or for individual study.

THE USBORNE FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SEAS AND OCEANS - BEN DUNNE (USBORNE, 2005)

This book is a great introduction to oceans and underwater life. Each double page details a different aspect of the sea including coral reefs, whales and dolphins, shipwrecks and threats to the ocean environment. The pages include fantastic photographs and illustrations and the information is easily accessible under sub-headings and captions. This book includes basic information on a huge number of subjects and the reader is likely to want a more comprehensive study to develop their understanding further. However, children will love flicking through the pages of this book and it is an ideal reference book for school projects. It is also a fantastic example of a non-fiction book which children might use to further understand the genre. This edition is complete with internet-links which are also very useful; full of images and worksheets to download and website links that will expand your particular interest much further, including sound and video clips. This book will fascinate children of all ages but will most likely be used in the KS2 classroom.