Yesterday I shared some book suggestions for Early Childhood classrooms. Today I have some offerings for junior primary – years 1 and 2. If you are a teacher planning for the year ahead, these are books which I’ve written which you may find useful in your classroom, either for reading aloud, private reading for pleasure, or for English and other lessons.
Firstly, I have four picture books suitable for junior primary.
Do Not Forget Australia (illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar and published by Walker Books). Telling a story of friendship between two boys and between two countries, through the events at the French village of Villers-Bretonneux in and after World War 1.
What it Can Be Used For: Because the battle of Villers-Bretonneux happened on ANZAC Day, this is an excellent resource leading up to ANZAC Day, but also Remembrance Day.
With an emphasis on similarites and differences between the two main characters, and links with Victoria, it can be used to address ACELT 1582 (Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts, making connections with students’ own experiences) or, because of the amazing artwork, ACELA1469 (Identify visual representations of characters’ actions, reactions, speech and thought processes in narratives, and consider how these images add to or contradict or multiply the meaning of accompanying words).Do Not Forget Australia is included on the WA Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist.You will find publisher teaching notes here and some suggestions for using the book in junior primary here. Although aimed at the Year Five classroom, these suggestions, will also be helpful.
Do Not Forget Australia is still in print, and available in good bookstores or online.
Meet Mary Mackillop (illustrated by Sonia Martinez, published by Random House). Part of the fabulous ‘Meet…’ series from random House, this is a fictionalised story of the life of Mary Mackillop, with a back of book timeline of her life.What it Can Be Used For: Because it features a famous Australian, there are obvious HASS uses, as well as use in Catholic schools, with Mary Mackillop being Australia’s first saint. But this is also the story of a strong woman, and highlights social justice and history, so is suitable for all classrooms. You will find publisher teacher notes here and suggestions for the year 4 classroom, which could be adapted for younger students here. Meet Mary MacKillop appears on the booklist for the South Australian Premier’s Reading Challenge and is still available in good bookstores or online.
The Floatingest Frog (illustrated by Simon Bosch, published by New Frontier). The story of two frogs who spot a cow and wonder if they can be bigger than it, it is based on an Aesop’s Fable, the Frog and the Ox, and also delas with competitiveness and sibling rivalry.What can it be used for: Because it is retold fable (you can see one version of the original fable here) there is the opportunity to explore fables and address ACELY1665 (Discuss different texts on a similar topic, identifying similarities and differences between the texts) and also link to science and the topic of frogs. You’ll find a collection of frog related videos used in a unit which followed on from reading The Floatingest Frog here .Although it is a little hard to find in stores, The Floatingest Frog is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me, posted anywhere in Australia for $20
Snowy’s Christmas (illustrated by David Murphy, published by Random House). Although, in January, Christmas seems a very long way away, it will be here before you know it – and, besides, who says you have to wait until Christmas to read a Christmas story? Featuring a white kangaroo, this is an Australian Christmas story, and effectively an Australian version of the famous Rudolph story.What can it be used for: As always, reading for pleasure and, at the end of the year, particularly the pleasure and excitement of Christmas. Addressing literacy outcomes also listed above, but also a wonderful tie-in for Christmas-themed units of work, or units focussing on Australian animals., as well as on self acceptance and families. These teaching ideas, are linked to Year 2 learning outcomes.As with The Floatingest Frog, Snowy’s Christmas is a little hard to find in stores, but is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me, posted anywhere in Australia for $18.
Secondly, some longer books for junior primary.
Queen Narelle (illustrated by Simon O-Carrigan and published by Walker Books) is a verse novel told from the alternating viewpoints of Maddie and her cat, Narelle. The use of the cat’s voice makes it fun, but the issue Maddie is facing – about friendship challenges – is very real, and very important. What it Can be Used For: Verse novels are excellent as teacher read alouds, and, because of the combination of narrative and poetry can be used to address many parts of the curriculum including, in the case of Queen Narelle, ACELT1562 (Discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts, making connections with students’ own experiences). The exploration of friendship and bullying, as well as of family, makes it also an excellent text for HPE classes. You’ll find a simple teaching suggestion, pairing Queen Narelle with a stand alone poem, here.Queen Narelle is available in good bookstores or online, as well as in many school and local libraries.
The Sage Cookson series (Published by New Frontier) Each of the eight books in this series stand alone, though as a series they work well read chronologically. Sage Cookson travels the world with her parents, who are TV chefs, but along the way she gets into lots of scrapes.What They Can be Used For: Series fiction is great for independent reading, particularly as it encourages readers to engage with multiple books. However, this series is also suitable for classroom read aloud, and has been used in studies of narrative structure and to teach the recipe text type, with each book featuring a back of book recipe. The series is included on the reading lists for the WA and NSW Premier’s Reading Challenges. Although harder to find in bookstores, this series can still be found in many libraries, or bought direct from the publisher or ordered from me.If you know anything about my writing, there’s a pretty good chance you know that I love poetry, and love to see it taught and enjoyed in the classroom. I have two books suitable for educators, both including poems by myself and others suitable for classroom use.
Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose ( Published by PETAA) is, as the title suggests, designed to help you in teaching poetry in pleasurable ways, but also with the purpose of supporting the demands of the curriculum. There is a chapter for each primary school year, including Years 1 and 2, unpacking key terminology, suggesting activities both in reading and writing, and including poems and suggestions for further resources. Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose is available directly from PETAA in both hardcopy and digital formats. PETAA also offer an online professional learning module of the same name, where you can hear more from me on the teaching of poetry.
Assembly (published by Ready Ed Publications) is a collection of printable poems for use for performing, recitation or just having fun with, including poems suitable for junior primary. Each poem is printable, and is supported with a page of teaching notes. Available in hard copy or ebook format directly from the publisher .
Last, but by no means least, I am the co-editor of a wonderful poetry anthology.
Right Way Down (edited by Rebecca M. Newman and myself) and published by Fremantle Press) is aimed chiefly at middle and upper primary, but you will find poems in there that will also appeal to junior primary students. You will find teaching notes here and printable poetry activities here. Right Way Down is still available in good stores or online in hard copy or ebook format.
This is just a portion of what I have written suitable for this age group. There are also other picture books, which unfortunately are no longer in print, but may be in your school library (including Fly in Fly Out Dad and Pemberthy Bear) as well as several reading series titles and novels including Doggy Duo and Roses are Blue.
And, if you’d like to see me in person, I am available to visit your school for
author visits or to run professional learning. Feel free to contact me to find out more. You can also do the same if you’d like some advice on using my books in your classroom.
challenge which sees students across the state reading a wide range of books from a curated list. What I hadn’t realised was that I have books on each of the four lists – for ages from Kindergarten to Year 9.
Using Meet Mary MacKillop in a Year Four Classroom
elements of a letter, and draft and write a letter. the theme of letters is also part of my book 
hough, I’d like to thank the delightful 
wrote Do Not Forget Australia I got the idea from a photo I saw of the school at Villers Bretonneux. I did some research then let the idea brew for several months. When I finally wrote the first draft it came out in one sitting. However, I rewrote it and reworked it a heap of times before I submitted. The story has dual narratives – one boy in France and one in Australia. At one point I decided this was too complex, and took them out. When I submitted it to Walker Books they felt it was missing something and suggested I needed a parallel narrative – lol. So back in went Billy, my Aussie boy. Then there were other tweaks and edits and rewrites until the story was ready. About four years from idea to publication, but well worth the wait and I really believe that taking the time to get it right is important, even though along the way I get impatient and want it out in the world NOW.
Secondly I’m tagging the beautiful Emily Lim. I was lucky enough to meet Emily last year, and hear her speak. She is amazing. She’s also the award-winning author of several children’s picture books. She is the 1st outside North America to win 3 medals in children’s books at the IPPY awards, the world’s largest book awards and 1st in Southeast Asia to win the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. She also won the Honourable Mention Award at Writer’s Digest 20th Self Publishing Awards and was on the shortlist for two other awards. Emily’s books 
have been published in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Korea and also turned into animation, theatre and are also used in the schools. Emily was named Singapore Woman Award Honoree 2013 for inspiring readers through her children’s books and her memoir Finding My Voice, based on her journey of losing her voice to a disorder and finding it again through writing. You can read more about Emily’s books at 
Lastly, I’m tagging Alison Reynolds.