This post was added by Rebecca Newman. Rebecca is a children's writer and poet, and the editor of the Australian children's literary blog, Alphabet Soup.
For more about Rebecca visit: rebeccanewman.net.au.
Pinkalicious and the Sick Day by Victoria Kann, HarperCollins, ISBN 9780062246011
Lila reviewed her own copy of this book.
Have you ever read the Pinkalicious series? If you have not, you should read Pinkalicious and the Sick Day because it is funny. In this story there is a girl named Pinkalicious who is sick and her daddy tries to cheer her up.
One reason I like this book is because there are a lot of jokes. One of them is “Why did the pink panda go to the doctor? Because it was pink!” (That is why it is funny.)
Another reason I like the book is because I may want to be friends with her because she’s fun, but she may be crazy!
A third reason I like this book is because I like the pictures in the story. There are great pictures!
Do you want to find out more about this book? Visit your local library.
I recommend this book for kids ages 2-8. I give this book 9 and a half out of 10 stars!
Second grade students at Glenridge Elementary School (Missouri, USA) are guest reviewers at Alphabet Soup. Click here if you’d like to read more book reviews by Glenridge Elementary School. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Kathryn Apel lives among the gum trees, cattle and kangaroos on a Queensland grazing property, where she writes poetry, picture books and verse novels. Her previous books include Bully on the Bus, Too Many Friends, and The Bird in the Herd. Kathryn’s latest book is What Snail Knows, illustrated by Mandy Foot, and we’re thrilled to chat to her about the book today.
Lucy’s glad she has Snail, the perfect pet for a lonely girl. If only she had her own shell to hide in every time she started at a new school. But this place is different. She likes her teacher, Miss Darling. She likes her classmates, especially Tahnee. She even likes Mei-hui’s van park, where she lives with Dad and Snail. This place feels like home. Can she convince her dad to stay?
You’re well-known for your verse novels, did you know you’d write this as a verse novel when the story idea first came to you?
I did not! I was talking with a friend about the ‘How Can I Help?’ unit I’d team-taught a number of years earlier, and my friend commented that it would make a great book. I was in the middle of prepping two picture books for print at the time (Up and Down on a Rainy Day and The Bird in the Herd) and I couldn’t imagine how to squeeze ‘How Can I Help?’ into a picture book. But 6 weeks later I realised it could be a verse novel. And I was very quickly excited about that idea!
How did you go about writing What Snail Knows? Did you write a plan before you begin working on the story?
My story plan unfolds as I’m writing. When I get some words on the page, I stop and think about the character more. Is the voice distinctive? What does s/he want? What could cause the problem?
And that’s how this started … ‘It’s just you and me. We don’t need nobody else.’ I was thinking about my character and wondering how s/he could link in with ‘How Can I Help?’ when I realised I already knew her. And I didn’t need to create a whole class of characters for this story. I already had them! They were in my verse novel, Too Many Friends. The voice I had found was Lucy’s – the quiet girl who was always alone. I did wonder how I was going to fill a book when Lucy doesn’t say much … But she thinks. A lot. And she shares her thoughts with Snail.
I can tell you that there is alot of stress when you’re 3/4 of the way through your first draft and you still don’t know what happened to your main character’s mum … or why they have to move a lot. Usually I know how a story will end … just not how it will get there. But this time I didn’t even know the ending. Would Lucy and her Dad have to move again? Why? How did things change and resolve? I had no idea, and I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish this book! So – I wouldn’t say I recommend not planning …
Did you talk with Mandy Foot about the illustrations? Do you consider illustrations at all when you’re writing?
I didn’t know there were going to be illustrations – so I didn’t consider them when I wrote. And I didn’t talk to Mandy about them. But I loved them. That tangle of hair, the dirty smudges, and that sweet little face. Finding the right place for them in the story was a bit like a jigsaw – but when the puzzle was complete, those little line drawings surprised me with the emotions they squeezed from the poetry. They captured the aloneness … And the moments of connection between Lucy and Snail, Lucy and Dad and finally Lucy and Tahnee.
Do you have a tip for young writers who would like to write a verse novel or a verse short story?
Say less, best. There are lots of small words we need in sentences that we don’t need in poetry. Cut them out.
Play with your words and where they sit on the page.
Try line breaks instead of punctuation.
Read your writing aloud. Or better still – get someone to read it aloud to you.
Focus on individual poems. Write one poem. Then the next. Forget you’re writing a book and just write lots of small poems that fit together to tell a story.
Could you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m rather excited to have a picture book that has also just gone to print. Miss Understood, illustrated by Beau Wylie, will be released in May 2022 with Scholastic. It’s a romp of a rhyming picture book, as told by the wolf, Miss Understood. She is such a sweetie, and if you have never heard her side of things, you really must read this book, because truly, she has been … misunderstood.
I have a couple of other picture books and verse novels in various stages. And I’m a wee-bit excited about the possibility of another companion title to Too Many Friends and What Snail Knows. I’m still mulling it over in my head – and then I need to do some research. And that may involve me stepping waaaay out of my comfort zone.😬 So it may be a while, yet …
What Snail Knows is out now! Look for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Fox & Rabbit Celebrate by Beth Ferry and Gergely Dudás, Amulet Books ISBN 9781419751837
Lucca read the school’s copy of this book.
Do you like books with celebration? Then Fox & Rabbit Celebrate by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Gergely Dudás is the book for you because it’s fun.
In this graphic novel, Fox and Rabbit want to make the world’s biggest, yummiest pizza for Sparrow’s birthday. But they can’t cook it until Rabbit reveals a sizzling secret that there’s a dragon close by that can help.
One reason I like this book is because Fox and Rabbit are best friends even though they are different, like how Fox likes swimming and Rabbit doesn’t. Another reason I like this book is because it has extra side stories. For example “Wonder, Wish, and Wow” is about making a rock garden. A third reason I like this book is because I like the graphic novel’s way of telling a story. For example I like how they use dialogue.
I hope you get this book and read it right away. I recommend this book for kids ages three and over. I give this book 10 out of 10 stars.
Second grade students at Glenridge Elementary School (Missouri, USA) are guest reviewers at Alphabet Soup. Click here if you’d like to read more book reviews by Glenridge Elementary School. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Isadora Moon Goes to School by Harriet Muncaster, Random House Books for Young Readers, ISBN 9780399558238
Ariella reviewed her own copy of this book.
Have you ever read Isadora Moon Goes to School? I think you should read it because it is about a girl who is half fairy and half vampire. So when she goes to fairy school she can not wear black. But at vampire school she can’t whoosh when she is flying; she flaps. So she goes to another school …
Do you want a cool book? This is the best one for you. One reason I love this book is because being half fairy half vampire is awesome and having a living stuffed animal is great. Another reason I like this book is because Isadora can be a good friend. For example, because she is half fairy and half vampire she can be friends with both fairies and vampires. I also think you should read this book because it is funny because Isadora has 2 breakfasts and is so full.
I hope you can get this book right away. I hope you like it!
Second grade students at Glenridge Elementary School (Missouri, USA) are guest reviewers at Alphabet Soup. Click here if you’d like to read more book reviews by Glenridge Elementary School. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, ISBN 9781416980063
Alma reviewed the school’s copy of this book.
Do you like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series? Well then, I think you should read Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not So Fabulous Life because it is funny.
This story is about a girl named Nikki who gets bullied by MacKenzie and her friend. They tried to change who she is. One reason I like this book is because it’s cool. In the story I like the part where they do a zombie dance. Another reason I like this book is because it’s funny. For example the tooth fairy gets trapped in Nikki’s pillow and Nikki throws the pillow in the washing machine. A third reason I like this book is because the words are even interesting. It looks like a real diary.
I hope you go get this book and read it right away. I recommend this for kids ages 4 to 7. I give this book 10 out of 10 stars.
Second grade students at Glenridge Elementary School (Missouri, USA) are guest reviewers at Alphabet Soup. Click here if you’d like to read more book reviews by Glenridge Elementary School. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
This book has a nice story that follows a shark’s day and shows facts about Great Whites. I learnt more about this species of shark from this book. Did you know that female Great Whites grow about as long as a giraffe is tall and may weigh more than a large car?
Great White Shark has amazingly good illustrations. They are so detailed and beautiful. It looks realistic because Cindy Lane used seawater, watercolours, pencil, found natural pigments, digital drawing and digital collage to make different textures. She’s done wonderful blending and she has used lots of colours in her art. It shows underwater scenes with other sea creatures and beautiful coral.
Overall, Great White Shark is a spectacular book and is suitable for all ages over four.
Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston, Hachette Children’s Books, ISBN 9781510107786
Emily reviewed her own copy of this book.
Julia and the Shark is about a girl called Julia, whose mum is a marine biologist. Julia and her mum and dad move to Shetland, Scotland for 6 months. They all get along really well, but things are about to change.
True adventure begins when Julia’s mum gives her best shot to find an ancient shark. Julia finds Kin, they quickly become best friends. Can Julia help find the shark, bring back her best friend and find the mum and dad she knows? But this isn’t all …
“Did you know that turtles breath through their bottoms!” This was one of the many Marine facts that I enjoyed. While some parts were amusing other parts gave off waves of sorrow.
This book was like a journey through Julia’s heart, full of joy and anguish. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, friendship and a bit of ocean facts. Overall I rate this book a 10 out of 10.
Biscuits, Bands and Very Big Plans by Liz Pichon, Scholastic UK, ISBN 9781743832868
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
Like other Tom Gates books, cheeky little Tom Gates is the star of this book as well. Tom loves to doodle but it’s hard in school when he sits right at the front of his classroom. He can even see through his report through his teacher’s nostrils! Mr Fullerman is basically bald and is a very strict teacher.
Tom, Derek and Norman have a band called ‘dogzombies’. They have a big mission which is to get this band well known.
On the other side is Delia, Tom’s sister. Delia hates Tom and Tom hates Delia. One day when Tom goes snooping into Delia’s room he finds something unusual. What was it? Little did he know that there could be a purple curse coming.
I would rate this book 10/10 because it is funny, interesting and mysterious. It would be a great book for 7–9-year-old kids.
Neverseen by Shannon Messenger, Simon & Schuster Ltd, ISBN 9781471189449
Ayaan reviewed his own copy of this book.
Neverseen is the fourth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, written by Shannon Messenger. The three books that precede it are, in order, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Exile and Everblaze.
Sophie Foster and her friends must go into hiding. And who better to keep them safe, than the Black Swan. They all have mixed feelings about meeting Sophie’s creators. With stowaways, species-threatening plagues, bizarre disguises, after curfew meetings and traitors, can they make it through and finally defeat the Neverseen?
When they meet with the Black Swan’s ruling order, they see bizarre disguises. Who are these mysterious people? Who is Squall, Granite, Blur, Wraith and Mr Forkle? When will they find out?
I would rate this book ten out of ten. I especially love the plot twist at the end when the traitor is finally revealed.
When Gorgomoth steals an oh-so-important crown he unleashes power that only the crown holds. Then, wanting revenge, he turns Wednesday’s Grandpa into a frog. However, this was only the beginning …
I liked the fact that Adaline, who had been really helpful, got a good title as the summer princess and that everything went well in the end. I also liked how I had to keep on guessing what would happen and it certainly kept me on the edge of my bed.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and evil (stinky) sorcerers, regardless of your age.
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