1000 Books before PREP - Progress report

I wrote a few weeks ago about the introduction of the reading initiative 1000 Books before Prep. I have done a very soft launch of this program; initially just to the staff of our College.
The parents who have commenced the reading have been doing a wonderful job with some having already completed over 400+ books.
Here is an example of three of the recording journals that one parent has brought in and received their child's certificates for each 100 books read.

The Impossible Quest

kateforsyth.com.au

When one of our library assistants finished reading The Impossible Quest and discovered that the second book wasn't due out until February 2015 she went into a decline. She loved this book and so I decided that I had  better get reading.

I have read other books by the Australian author, Kate Forsyth, and I knew she wrote very well, so I was looking forward to reading her latest, and Forsyth didn't disappoint. The book is easy to read and, as the name suggests, the four main characters must quest after four magical beasts to help them repel the invaders out of Wolfhaven Castle.
The four children who escape are Lady Elanor, the daughter of Lord Wolfgang, the Lord of Wolfhaven; Sebastian, a squire in training for a knighthood; Quinn, an abandoned child and a witch's apprentice and Tom, the son of the castle cook.
Each of the children are given a magical object which will help them in their quest to raise the legendary magical beasts of yesteryear and thus overcome the invaders.
The book is suitable for ages 10+
On a brighter note, my library assistant has just discovered that she can get the book in next month's Scholastic Book Club. Crisis averted!

The Wishbird

gabriellewang.com

"The girl's hands came up to the bars and she gripped them tightly.  Her mouth was bound with a cloth, but her eyes pleaded for help. Boy wanted to help her but there was nothing he could do. Then a beautiful sound came from the girl's throat. It was strange , and yet familiar too." The Wishbird p.36

The Wishbird is written by Australian author, Gabrielle Wang. Here she tells the tale of  two children, Boy and Oriole, who come from very  different parts of the country and who will need one another to survive.
Oriole must leave The Forest of the Birds to save her beloved wishbird, Mellow.
She must go to the city of Soulless to seek the king's help, but her way is fraught with danger.
Her greatest hope is the young, light-fingered orphan, Boy.
Boy is from the city of Soulless (formerly Solace) and, as the name suggests, this city is bereft of song, light and joy.  Boy has been raised by a Fagin-like character called Panther who has skilled this orphan to be the best 'light finger' in the city.
Oriole comes from the Forest of the Birds and has been raised by Mellow, a wishbird. Oriole, too, is an orphan and does not know her parents.
Boy and Oriole's paths cross when she comes to the city to find the king because she knows only the king can save her beloved wishbird, Mellow who is dying.  Unfortunately, Oriole is captured by the King's wicked  chancellor and Boy will be her saviour.
I loved Gabrielle Wang's writing. She has crafted a beautiful fable suitable for middle and upper primary school students and, of course, for any adult who enjoys books that require one to suspend belief and wrap themselves in the imagery of Wang's writing.
Gabrielle Wang's illustrations are delicious and certainly add to the feeling and understanding of the story.

1000 Books Before PREP

Last week, at our school staff meeting, I launched our reading initiative called 1000 Books before Prep.  This idea is not new; I read about it from the Licking County Library, Ohio who said it originally came from an idea by the Australian author, Mem Fox. I am keen to see the influence of our school library in our community. I also believe in the power of reading in developing students who are ready for school; children who will arrive at school confident and with a wide vocabulary. I enlisted my daughters to develop the paper work - Kate to produce the art work and Miriam to create the recording sheet.
The idea was to start small, so I have initially offered our little pack of 1000 Books before Prep to our staff. I thought the teachers with pre-schoolers would be the keen ones, but to my surprise not only the parents of young ones signed up for a pack, but also the teachers with nieces, nephews and grandchildren also took packs.
The rules are simple: 1. Read 1000 books before the child begins Prep (Kindergarten)
                                   2. Enter titles onto recording sheet
                                   3. You do NOT have to read 1000 different titles; books can be repeated
                                   4. When 100 books are completed, then bring the  booklet in to the library,                                                receive your certificate  and collect your next 1-100 booklet.
If you read 10 books a week, then it will take two years to complete the challenge.
Just today, only four days after the challenge was launched, I had one teacher text me to report that he  and his girls have already conquered twenty books. Yes, a challenge is useful.
I hope to officially  introduce 1000 Books before Prep  to our parents at the beginning of the  school year and continue advertising it and spreading the word in our school library.

School Holidays

We are about to enjoy two week's school holiday here in Australia. It is time to refresh and read, read, read. Hopefully there will be some good books on which to report.

Figgy in the world

This book is written by the Australian author, Tamsin Janu.  She lived for three months in Ghana, West Africa, and this is where Figgy in the World  is set.  Figgy, an eight year old, sets out to go to the United States to get medical help for her grandma. She travels alone, except for her goat, Kwame. On the way through Ghana she meets up with a nine year old orphan boy, Nana, who becomes her travelling companion. The pair meets both kind and menacing people, but this does not halt their quest.
This book is well-written and takes the reader through the Ghanian countryside.  It is a story of innocence, hope and adventure.
As an adult, I felt it difficult to believe that two children aged only eight and nine years old could traverse the countryside by themselves with seemingly no one looking for them; no search party.  Figgy was missing from her village and her grandma. Why could she travel for so many weeks and no one came looking for her? I could understand with Nana because he was an orphan who had deliberately run away, but Figgy?
 This did not spoil the story; it just made me feel a little uneasy.
I think the book would be enjoyed by children aged 9-12.

Kelsey and the quest for the Porcelain Doll

What a delightful little tale written by Rosanne Hawke. Here is a story within a story. Kelsey is not happy about travelling to flood-ruined Pakistan with her parents. Her grandmother in Australia talks to her on Skype and tells her the story of the porcelain doll, Amy Jo. Both Kelsey and the doll are on adventures which will change their lives. This book is suitable as a read aloud by the classroom teacher or a great snuggle-up and read by students from aged 7 to 11. The themes covered in the book are: courage, friendship, relationships, empathy.
Schools who subscribe to Australian Standing Orders (ASO) will find this on their shelves.
Magpies magazine states: "There are PDF teachers’ notes ‘aligned with the Australian Curriculum’ from the publisher’s website, www.uqp.com.au