Big Month for Readers

Hi everyone
Every month here at Riverbend we nominate Books of the Month. The adult selection is usually highlighted on the home page of the website but we also have selections for picture book, children's book, teen book, non fiction, DVD and CD of the month.
For August our children's selection is the Australian edition of The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden. Much of the information from the original edition is included: how to make the perfect water bomb, how to read codes and how to play cricket but in this edition you can also read about local heroes like General John Monash at Gallipoli and the battles of Somme, find how to skin a kangaroo, get the lowdown on creatures that crawl, bite, sting and sometimes kill (and learn the first aid which can save you from them), have a quick reference guide to the Prime Ministers, learn how Australian football is played and lots more. In all probability girls will find the information just as interesting as the boys.

The Picture Book of the Month is The Cow on the Roof by Eric Maddern. I included this book in the June/July email for schools. It's a whismical fable in which farmer Shon, who believes that a woman's work is fair easier than his own, gets his comeuppance. Illustrations are by expat Australian Paul Hesse and add much to the humour of the story.

Teen book of the month, The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson is a fairy -tale like romance set in the early years following WW1. Anna is a Russian countess who has fled her homeland to escape the revolution and has taken up employment "below stairs" with an aristocratic English family. This is a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read from a writer skilled in creating memorable characters.

A couple of new picture books which have caught my eye are Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books by Frances Watts and David Legge for younger readers and Armin Greder's powerful new work The Island.

Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books is exactly as the title suggest, a book about books. Parsley Rabbit introduces his readers to the endpapers, blurb, imprint page, title page, to books that make you laugh or cry (or indeed change the world). This is an entertaining introduction not only to a book's layout but also to the delights of engaging with books.

The Island on the other hand is a book for more mature readers. Winner of several international awards it has been described as a story of our time. In the morning the people of the island found a man sitting on the shore, there where fate and the ocean currents had set him and his frail raft in the night. When he saw them coming towards him, he rose to his feet.
He was not like them.
The people's reaction to the stranger provides much to ponder and discuss. Only one voice of dissent is raised and proves ineffective against the wishes of the majority. This book packs a powerful punch.

You are all no doubt readying yourselves for the celebration of Book Week later in the month when the Children's Book Council awards are announced.
Hopefully you are also giving some thought to ways of supporting Indigenous Literacy Day on Sept 5th when publishers, booksellers and schools around the country will unite to focus on the plight of too many indigenous Australians who struggle with illiteracy. There are many ideas for schools' involvement in this very important initiative on the worldwithoutbooks website.

Have a good week
Jane

2007 Books Alive Campaign

Hi Riverbenders
No sooner has one big event passed but another presents itself! The Harry Potter party was a great hit.
Over a hundred Harry fans gathered in the carpark to be entertained by storytellers, live owls and snakes and to join in the countdown to 9.01 led by Kevin Rudd.
Lots of people dressed up, with Riverbend's Chris presenting as a very convincing Dobby.
With this final book in the HP series, J.K. Rowling has given us a thrilling finale. Like many, I had a fairly sleepless weekend of reading.

This week marks the beginning of the month long Books Alive campaign. As you are no doubt aware, Books Alive is an Australian Government initiative to encourage and celebrate reading. You can learn more about this initiative by visiting the website www.booksalive.com
The Great Read Guide, produced as part of the initiative, lists fifty "great reads" across many genres including books for children and teens. Until August 31st, with the purchase of any of the books listed in the guide, you are entitled to a free copy of Peter FitzSimons new book The Ballad of Les Darcy. Peter FitzSimons will launch Books Alive on the Riverbend deck on Monday evening.

Children's books featured in the Great Read Guide include picture books, non fiction, early readers, novels for younger readers and teenagers. Included are some old favourites as well as some more recent releases.

A month or so ago I read an advance copy of Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Published by David Fickling books (a publisher who has never disappointed) this is the powerful story of a young girl dying of leukaemia. I know that I have included this title in my August school's email but I mention it here too because I can't recommend it highly enough. Like a number of books from this publisher, this is a real "cross over" novel which I believe will equally engage adults . It's new to the shelves this week.

We're very excited at Riverbend today with last night's announcement that Riverbend Books has been honoured for the second year in a row with the Australian Independent Bookseller of the Year award.

Time to celebrate.

Cheers
Jane

Harry Potter Countdown

Hi everyone
We're gearing up here for the event of the year on Saturday when the final installment of Harry Potter is released at 9.01. We're celebrating (in fancy dress) with snakes and owls and storytellers in the car park and then heading home to read for the rest of the weekend.

I spent an interesting day yesterday with other members of the Leading Edge group of independent booksellers looking at publishers' lists for the remainder of the year. I now have an extensive Christmas list and have solved a few gift giving dilemmas! A couple of children's books (among many) which particularly caught my eye were The Peasant Prince by Li Cunxin with illustrations by Anne Spudvilas and Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo. The Peasant Prince is Li's story told in picture book form and Great Joy is a wonderfully affirming story for Christmas. More about these two closer to publication.

Have you seen Matt Ottley's stunning opus Requiem for a Beast? The sub title, a work for image, word and music gives a small clue to the richness of the work. Set in the north of Australia a number of narratives are presented. The first is that of an unnamed boy working as a stockman. His story is somehow linked to that of an elderly indigenous woman mourning the loss of her traditions and to his father's stories of his time in the bush.
The boy dreams of confronting a wild long horned bull and is filled with fear at the prospect of doing so. The seemingly unconnected narratives merge in a powerful climax. The words and images are further complemented by the CD of orchestral music, composed by Ottley. In many ways this is a story crying out to be performed. More than a graphic novel, this is wonderful example of a multimodal text, particularly for secondary readers.

The Growing Story by Ruth Krass and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is another new favourite. A small boy watches the world growing and changing and wonders if he too will grow bigger.
As the seasons change and the puppy becomes a dog and the chicks become chickens he continues to wonder. It is not until a full year has passed that he learns the truth and in trousers too short and a jacket too small he rejoices that he "is growing too".
The dust jacket, fittingly, doubles as a height chart.

Need to finish blogging now and dust off my wand and find my marauder's map. Will include some photos of the fun next week.
Cheers
Jane

A new term begins

Hi everyone and welcome to those who have just joined the blog. I hope that teachers and kids reading this enjoyed the holiday break.
The Wendy Orr event I wrote of last week went really well. About eighty people gathered on the deck to learn more about Wendy's new book, Nim at Sea and to hear about the filming of Nim's Island.
Nim at Sea is our book of the month for younger readers. It's an entertaining fantasy for middle primary readers featuring a quick thinking, loyal and appealing heroine.


The school holidays provided many opportunities to talk to the kids who frequented the shop (and also to eavesdrop) about books they were currently reading and enjoying. Not surprisingly, A Bridge to Terabithia was popular with many looking for it after seeing the film. A number of boys spoke in glowing terms of Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.
This book is great fun and tells the story of twelve year old Stephanie who has inherited her uncle's estate. Her uncle, she believed, was a writer of horror fiction but after the funeral, the reading of the will and taking possession of his house, Stephanie discovers there was little fiction in the stories he was writing. She is befriended and guided by the remarkable, wise cracking, sworn enemy of evil, Skulduggery Pleasant. This is a wonderful spoof and a great page turner.

A number of young girls who are tiring of fairy stories have discovered Chris Riddell's Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Ottoline is a clever only child who lives high above the city in apartment 243. Her companion is Mr Munroe who is small and hairy and comes from a bog in Norway. These two friends like nothing more than solving tricky problems and working out clever plans. When a series of daring pet burglaries occur, Ottoline and Mr Munroe put their minds to the task of discovering the offenders. Illustrations are a treat with the inclusion of a series of postcards a surprise at the end of the story.

Doreen Cronin, author of Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type has a new picture book on the shelves. Bounce is for an early childhood audience and is an energetic and joyful invitation to discover the delights of bouncing like a bunny, a frog, a ballerina or a ball. Bouncing in puddles and on the couch are also suggested with one being recommended and the other, not. Illustrations are by Scott Menchin and are bright and engaging. This is the second in a series which began with Wiggle.

We're readying ourselves here at Riverbend for next Saturday's launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Information about our celebrations can be found on the website.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Alexandra Adornetto's The Shadow Thief during the week and find it extraordinary that she was only thirteen when she wrote it! Still reading The Night of the Burning because I became distracted by Sonya Hartnett's lyrically beautiful The Ghost's Child.

Have a good week everyone
Cheers
Jane