New Zealand Post Book Awards - Ihiraia reviews

Taketakerau - The Millennium Tree, by Marnie Anstis

This book begins with a child sitting with his Grandma, listening to the radio.  Grandma shares a history book with the boy.  World history of the past 2000 years is covered in the book.  There is a timeline along the bottom of each page.  New Zealand's natural history is told as well, through the growing of a Puriri tree, which actually exists in the North Island's Bay of Plenty.

I found this an interesting book, telling the history of Aotearoa, through the perspective of the tree, Taketakerau.  The illustrations are more suggestive than realistic but they match the words very well, and bring the story to life.

New Zealand Post Book Review - Bella

At the Beach, Ned Barraud and Gillian Candler

In this book you will find out all about New Zealand's beaches - what animals and plants live there.  
It looks at the Mudflats, Rocky Shores and the Sandy beach.  My favourite pages are the ones which show the crabs, with the Camouflage crabs being the most interesting to me.
(Did you know that their claws look like seaweed?)
The illustrations of the birds, seaweeds, sea stars, shellfish, shells, crabs and habitats are fantastic because of the colours and details.
A wide range of ages would enjoy this book, and you could read it yourself if you are 8 years old and older.

Literacy Week - The Jabberwock

Our group made dioramas to illustrate Lewis Carroll's poem, the Jabberwock.  Mrs Sutherland told us that the Jabberwock is a famous poem written over 150 years ago.  The Jabberwock is an evil monster, and the poem has nonsense words through it.  You can try to read the first five verses.

T'was brillig and the Slithy Toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe,
All mimsy were the borogroves and the momerathes outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my Son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch.
Beware the Jubjub Bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand, Longtime the manxome foe he sought,
So rested He by the Tumtum Tree, and stood a while in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead and with its head He went galumphing back.

Second World War Stories for Boys, by J. Eldridge

This book has 3 short stories in it.  The main character is John Smith, a 19 year old British soldier.  Even though the name of the main character is the same in each story, John Smith is a different person each time.
The first story is about John Smith, a pilot in Fighter Squadron, in the RAF.  It tells of his airbattle in France, against the Germans.
In the second story, John Smith is a driver in the Tank Regiment in the deserts of Egypt.  He is captured and put into a prison camp, but escapes.
The third story is set in the jungle of Burma.  John Smith is a lieutenant in the army, on a mission to blow up a bridge.  The enemy is the Japanese Army.
I think that this is a really great book.  It is full of exciting adventures and interesting, detailed information, all about the war.
This is a good book for 10 year olds (good readers) and over, who love to read about history and adventure.  I think girls would like this too.