We’re about to embark on school holidays here in Sydney. I’ve made sure there is plenty of reading material scattered in baskets and on bedside tables in anticipation of the inevitable, “I’m bored….”. Below are the books we’re reading this week.
As always, I’d love to hear from readers if you have read any of these or if you have any recommendations for us.
Read Aloud
The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sophie Laguna
A meaningful story about a young boy called Michael and a crow, Lewis Carmichael, who set out in a hot air balloon on an adventure to the Artic. There is relatively little action in the story, but my children are surprisingly hooked by the narrative. There is a lot to draw from this book. A beautiful tale of self-discovery and acceptance of other’s differences, as well as our own.
6-year-old
Ballet Bunnies: The Lost Slipper by Swapna Reddy
Miss 6 loves a ballet book. This series is quite delightful and has lots of things for my youngest to enjoy: bunnies in a bag, mischief, ballet and fun. The books are quite short so they’re great for reading over a couple of nights at bedtime. They could also be good reads for a beginning independent reader.
8-year-old
The Wild Life by Laura and Philip Bunting
This is Miss 8’s junior bookclub book this month. Book One features Roo and Wombat who must leave the comfort and safety of home to seek berries for food. I love this series as it is full-colour and not too many words. However, it maintains the depth of story of a longer book. Miss 8 was keen to tell me all about the lessons that the animals learned along the way.
9-year-old
Skandar and the Phantom Rider by A. F. Steadman
I thought no series was going to tear Miss 9 away from Keeper of the Lost Cities, but Skandar has persuaded her away from Sophie, Keefe and co. for now. The first book in the series was one of Miss 9’s bookclub reads. I am such a fan of bookclubs for kids because I don’t know if Miss 9 would have picked this up otherwise. A deep dive into a fantasy world of unicorns and their riders, it is clear why this became a New York Times bestselling series.
A Reluctant Witches Guide to Magic by Shivaun Plozza
My eldest has always loved a witchy tale and this one has it all. A normal girl who discovers she has magic powers and must find her place or she will explode. Plenty at stake to keep the reader engaged with a fun and exciting plotline.
Mum
How Not to Age by Michael Gregor
The irony is not lost on me that I am reading a book about aging and a children’s book at the same time. Perhaps the key to staying young is reading children’s books and not all the scientific research set out in this 608-page doorstop. Realistically, there was no point borrowing this from the library. I was never going to skim the surface of all the information in my allowed borrowing timeframe. I do love Dr Gregor’s approach to prompting health and longevity so I might invest in this one to refer to as my hair starts turning greyer by the day.
Kip of the Mountain by Emma Gourlay
My daughter keeps asking me if I have finished this book yet. She read it in two days and can’t understand why it takes me so much longer to get through books (uuuuhhmmmm washing, cooking, cleaning, taxiing kids around?). I got so excited when I found this in our local bookshop last year. The page I opened to had references to South Africa and I am always looking for stories that educate my children about their heritage. I love how this book weaves issues such as Apartheid into the narrative in a way that children can grasp. A unique story about a girl who doesn’t quite fit in and her quest to rescue a tiny creature, the best friend she’s ever had, from kidnapping.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these or if you find the “books we’re reading this week” posts helpful!
