Week 8- Annie with Attitude, Creative Fun with Cardboard Tubes & Where's God

Hi guys, Julia here,

This week I’ve done quite a bit of reading! Just worked out that this is due soon and I still need to read another 4 picture books and 2 novels.

I started by reading Annie with Attitude by Margaret Clark. The author has written this book for a teenage audience (those who are going through the blues of puberty). Basically it is about a mother and daughter who have broken away from their crazy father and husband. However instead of supporting her daughter, Annie’s mum seems to be more interested in finding a new boyfriend. Annie is left to face her struggled past memories and the struggles of living a teenage life by herself.

The text is written in first person and it really makes the story seem personal that way. The author allows the main character Annie to use lots of adjectives and really expresses her feelings well. The book is fast moving and it therefore keeps the readers interested. Overall it is a great book that expresses that all teens go through puberty and may have problems amongst friendships and family.

Next I decided to look at a craft book called Creative Fun with Cardboard Tubes by Nikki Connor. It was an interesting book that had procedures all the way through it. A good teacher resource when teaching procedures to students! Each craft task obviously included a cardboard tube. There were step-by-step instructions on how to do the tasks with pictures to support them. Even the materials needed were shown with pictures. Showing visuals makes the book appealing to young children. The methods were simple and if anything was difficult it was clearly stated that an adult would need to help. However, the children themselves could construct most of the activities and this for many is extremely satisfying. The final product was also clearly shown in a photograph format. This book is a picture book that is something different and I’m glad I got the opportunity to look at it.

Lastly I read the text Where’s God? by Victor Kelleher and Elise Hurst. This book is one of the best picture books I’ve read. It is so powerful and explains one of the biggest questions a child has in the most beautiful way. In fact, I love this book so much that I am reading it to my students in Par 2 class as part of their Religion Unit I am teaching them! It is also a great way to explain to teachers the big issue of where is God? Especially those who need to teach Religion but know not a lot about God and his practices. The book is simply written and supported with great images. It is absolutely fantastic and I highly recommended you get your hands on it and have a read!