My Shelfari Bookshelf

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Friday 30 November 2012

Fairy Tales - from Snow White to Shampoozel!

 

Primary Five have been reading and writing their own fairy tales this month. To begin with, everyone had to read lots of fairy tales to see what a traditional tale was like. Absolute silence descended on the library as everyone chose a picture book or short fiction version of a story and started reading.






After that, we all had a look at more picture books and non-traditional versions of the stories. Even more silence in the library as more fairy tales were read - punctuated by smothered giggles, and outright laughter! We all had a great time, and are looking forward to reading the finished stories.
If you would like to read more twisted tales as well as the original versions have a good look in the picture book section and the first readers section in the library, there are lots to choose from. Why not try the Seriously Silly Stories by Laurence and Catherine Anholt?

If you would like to read something rather more challenging, try books like the Tom Trueheart books by Ian Beck,the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, or titles by Robin McKinley and Shannon Hale.

Published by Red Fox and Orchard Books

Monday 12 November 2012

Scottish Children's Book Awards - There's More!

While everyone in Primary 1, 2 and 3 are reading the shortlist for the Bookbug Award, some of the Primary 7 pupils are starting to read their way through another shortlist. This list is for the books aimed at children between 7 and 12.

Soldier's Game by James Killgore starts out as a football story, Ross is fed up always being on the losing team. in an attempt to cheer him up, his Gran gives him a box full of old press cutting, boots and a Hearts Football jersey. Ross is now on a mission to find out more about the man who wore these boots, and what happened to him and his team mates when the Heart of Midlothian lads enlisted for the Great War. A fascinating read for boys and girls, with a strong historical background as well as the football.




Cathy MacPhail has come up with a spooky new book Out of the Depths. Tyler Lawless can see dead people - not something your average teenager can do.  Starting at a new school is hard enough, but when you start seeing ghosts life gets even harder. After all, Tyler had to leave her old school because of her stories, her overactive imagination. Even though it is bound to cause more trouble, she decides she has to solve the mystery so that the ghosts may rest in peace.




 
Norm is your average thirteen year old boy, with a family who just don't understand him. Nothing that Norm does ever goes right, and it's not his fault that things get broken, or people get angry, or just that life gets in the way. He never means to cause any trouble - it just happens. Jonathan Meres' World of Norm: May Contain Nuts will appeal to many children with the same sense of humour and the feeling that sometimes it's the world that is wrong, not you.
 
Further information about this year's Scottish Children's Book Awards can be found on the website of the Scottish Book Trust at http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/scottishchildrensbookawards