We want to help create motivated and engaged young readers. This blog is about children's and YA literature (especially New Zealand), literacy research, and ways to get, and keep, kids reading.
Part of the Let’s Read and Talk about series, this title focuses on what we need to do for our bodies to be fit and healthy. With bright and bold colour pages to divide different topics, action photography and a clear engaging text this title will appeal to primary age students. Sections are separated to provide information on a range of topics from what exercise does to your body, what does being fit actually mean, foods to give you energy, why warm up and down, to how to get involved in new sports.
Talk about and Take Action panes are incorporated in each section providing opportunities for student or class discussion and further activities. A glossary is also included.
Let’s Read and Talk about… Keeping Fit covers a range of information that is presented in an engaging and practical way that offers students ways to incorporate ideas into everyday life. Students will be pleased to know that washing the car counts as part of their keeping fit plan, be first in line to invent a new ball game and there is such thing as doing too much exercise in one go!
review by Natasha
Image by katiew
Alternative Medicine is part of the USA Today Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders series. This title provides a comprehensive overview of a variety of alternative medicines and therapies for secondary students. The text looks at natural therapy case studies, statistical information and research articles (both sourced from USA Today Magazine).
Treatments discussed include herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation and music therapy. Information is provided in a ‘pros and cons’ format enabling students to make informed decisions. Further resources are given with links to natural health associations and agencies in USA.
review by Natasha
Image by NYCTCM
Healthy Eating with My Plate: Protein by Nancy Dickman is part of the My Plate series that aims to inform younger readers on the types of foods we need to maintain good health. This title is concerned with protein; different forms and where it comes from. Protein is shown from all the major food groups with simple explanations on why our bodies need this important food product.
As with other titles in the series, Protein uses vivid photography alongside clear bold text to engage early readers. A quiz and picture glossary are also included and also suggested teacher/student discussions points for before and after reading.
review by Natasha
Image by fidothe
No Excuses! How What You Say Can Get In Your Way by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer follows the story of a young boy who dreams of being a marine biologist so he can help save the lives of endangered sea turtles. However, he soon begins to think that this goal is unobtainable to him coming from a family of farmers, and science is not his best subject. There are also other excuses that adults around him produce. But soon he discovers there are ways to identify and do away with excuses and learn that with a world free of excuses we can realize our potential.
Set in a picture book format with colourful illustrations and a ‘Excuse/Not an Excuse’ quiz, young readers will enjoy the story and become aware that excuses can become a barrier to realizing their own dreams and possibilities.
review by Natasha
Your Body by Brenda Stones and Thea Feldman is part of the Kingfisher Readers series. This title introduces beginner readers to how their bodies work and how to keep them healthy. Using a combination of clear, bold text to accommodate the beginner reader with vivid photography and clear diagrams, the title provides a clear informative approach to finding out about the human body. Reflection questions are used throughout the book to further reinforce the learning offered. Are you right or left handed? Have you ever had a cold or flu? Do you like to ride a bicycle? Clear glossary included.
review by Natasha
image by WiserIE
How Your Body Works is a series that discuses and offers information about the inner workings of the human body for mid to senor primary students.
The title, How Your Body Works: Fighting Diseases by Pip Morgan provides a full introduction to how the body responds to a variety of different diseases and illness. Using a combination of text, diagrams, microscopic images and photos the autor explores flu, colds, infections, animal invaders, allergies, how your body defends itself to ward of the intrusions and how medicine can help.
Bite size facts are spread throughout the book such as ‘when you sneeze, air leaves your nose at 160 kilometres per hour’!
review by Natasha
image by drbexl
Patricia Wooster’s look at space exploration begins with the early discoveries by Nicolaus Copernicus, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and the detection of planets Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto.
The book then reveals developments that took place during the space race leading to U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to walk on the moon. Advancements continued during the 1970s with the Columbia shuttle starting the first of its 28 missions in 1981.
The timeline extends through to the present day with space records, space tourists, private space flight, and a look to the future. This title is full of facts with added interest coming from the comic illustrations of Eldon Doty.
image by DUCKofD3ATH
What’s in your pizza? by Jaclyn Martineau is from a series called “What’s in your fast food?” that investigates popular convenience foods. From its origins in Naples, Italy pizza came to United States of America with Italian migrants and from there pizza is now consumed around the world.
Early chapters look at the main ingredients that go into pizzas, and how they are made. The next few chapters look at the production of frozen pizzas focusing on the artificial flavours and colourings needed to replace vitamins and other nutrients lost in the manufacturing process, and the preservatives that are required for an extended shelf life. Especially useful is the chapter on the nutritional value and how to read food labels.
Finally readers are encouraged to make their own tasty healthy pizzas using fresh ingredients with low fat cheese options.
reviews by Karen
image by The Eggplant
Cool Soccer Facts presents interesting information for young readers about soccer players, rules and equipment. In a bright and bold format, large clear photographs mix with easy to read text and present an engaging layout.
Quick facts cover a range of information from soccer legends and game rules, to international teams and events. For example did you know that players receive a yellow card if they remove their shirts?
review by Natasha
image by kahunapulej
Records is full of interesting information about Olympic records and how they are measured in the many different sporting disciplines. Part of ‘The Olympics’ series, this title focuses on Olympic breaking records and what ways officials measure them. A selection of summer, winter and Paralympic sports are covered alongside a mixture of historical in-action black and white and colour photos. Different measurement categories are discussed such as fastest, highest, strongest and closest. Each section offers an ‘Olympic Facts and Stats’ box relevant to the sport grouping. Recommended.
Sports Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Mason
As well as discussing the origins of the Olympic Games and the life and times of early Olympic sporting heroes, this title introduces readers to historical Greek gods, language, culture, art and way of life. A mixture of images are used including photos, diagrams, maps and sketches alongside Greek ‘stylised’ boxed facts and information.
Review by Natasha
image by momboleum
‘I Know Someone with a Hearing Impairment’ is part of the ‘Understanding Health Issues’ series. The book introduces readers to some of the issues surrounding hearing disabilities. Topics include anatomical description, hearing aids and implants, lip reading and sign language as well as living with hearing impairments at school and home. These areas are explored through clear explanations, examples, and bright anatomical diagrams and photos. Key vocabulary is printed in bold text and links to the glossary.
A recommended book for Year levels 2 to 4 to introduce them to issues surrounding hearing impairments; how they affect people and how they can be a friend to someone who has a hearing impairment.
Disgusting Body Facts: Mites and Bites by Angela Royston
More distasteful aspects of the human body! Disgusting Body Facts: Mites and Bites presents the subject of human parasites in a fun yet informative approach. Using a combination of vivid ‘under the microscope’ photographs, lively illustrations and ‘did you know’ fact bubbles, readers are introduced to some of the more sordid aspects of the human body.
Topics discussed include head lice, fleas, dust mites, ticks, bee stings, mosquitoes, pinworms and snake bites. Read “Mites and Bites” to learn about how parasites and the like, attack your body.
review by Natasha
image by Albus
0800 LIB LINE
0800 542 5463
Get help from our advisers using this free phone line
National Library of New Zealand
