Tag: picture book

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: Hello from Nowhere

Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY BEN, 9, VIC

Hello from Nowhere (cover)

Hello from Nowhere by Raewyn Caisley, illustrated by Karen Blair, Penguin Books Australia, ISBN 9780670075003

Ben read a copy of this book in his school library.

The story is set in Nowhere in the Australian outback. Nowhere is no longer a real place. Eve thought that living in the middle of Nowhere was better than living anywhere else in the world. However, she misses one thing, her Nan. But Eve has an idea. Will it work or will she be stuck with Dad, Brian the seagull, Livestock the lazy cat and Bluey the blue tongue lizard forever?

It’s an amazing story. The watercolour and pencil drawings really match the desert theme. This book shows us that we don’t always want to be alone. This book made me feel tense wondering how Eve’s idea would be put together.

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Ben attends Oxley Christian College and this is his first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: The Soldier’s Gift

Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY ATLANTA, 9, VIC

The soldier's gift)

The Soldier’s Gift by Tony Palmer, illustrated by Jane Tanner, Penguin Books Australia, ISBN 9780670077571

Atlanta read a copy of this book in her school library.

The Soldier’s Gift is about a young girl, Emily, who is desperate to do anything to stop her brother, Tom, from going to World War I in Turkey.

She tries her hardest to stop Tom, but when the time comes for Tom to leave the farm, she knows he needs to.

Tom faces the Turks in battle!

What will he write in letters home to his family?

What are his family thinking about while they wait for news?

This book can increase our learning about the Anzacs and life on the home front during a tragic time of war.

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Atlanta attends Oxley Christian College and this is her first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: A House of Her Own

Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY JOSHUA, 8, VIC

A house of her own (cover)

A House of Her Own by Jenny Hughes, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley, Little Hare Books, ISBN 9781742974620

Joshua read this book in his school library.

Audrey tells Dad that she’s bigger than she was yesterday and that their house is too small. Dad gives her some ideas about relocating to a new house like the garage, the shed and even the chook shed.

Then Audrey finds the perfect place … up a tree. Dad helps to build a treehouse. When it’s finished, she loves it.

Will she ever want to come down? But Audrey has some scary thoughts and worries when her dad returns to their old house for the night.

I like this book because I always wanted to build my own tree house that only I could go into.

I recommend the story for children aged 7+.

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Joshua attends Oxley Christian College and this is his first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, you can click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

teachers' resources

Picture book review: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Alphabet Soup

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, by Sue Whiting, illustrated by Sarah Davis.

CD (included)* narrated by Antonia Kidman. Published by New Frontier Publishing.

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"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, book cover"

REVIEWED BY OLIVIA, 7, NSW

It’s a fairy tale book with a CD, about two adults that work as candy makers, their names were Marcus and  Mary.

The King comes and tastes the lollies, he loves them so much he says he’ll take fifty jars.

Marcus was worried how they would make them in time and a fairy overheard.

But will the fairy come to save the day?

I liked the book because I liked the happy ending and the colourful pictures.

[If you’d like to take a peek at a few pages of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, then visit the illustrator’s website. *CD includes the music of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, from The Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky. ]

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"Undercover Readers Club logo"Olivia is a member of our Undercover Readers Club, a book reviewers’ club for kids. (The book was provided by the publisher, New Frontier Publishing.) If you or your class would like to join the club, you can download an information pack (PDF) from the magazine’s website. Membership is free!