There are a number of government funded programs around the world that give a free book to every child born in that region along with literacy information for the parents. Tennessee however have gone a step or two (or sixty) further:

Tennessee has an amazing program called Books From Birth or Imagination Library. The program provides every child in TN (if they sign up for the program) with a new book of their own, every month of the year, from birth through age 5. And it’s all FREE. Can you believe that? The books arrive in the mail, and it’s so much fun to find them waiting in our mailbox on each arrival day.

Brilliant.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

This morning I listed to episode 30 of The Daily Edition with Dan Benjamin, one of the 5by5 stable of podcasts.

Dan’s guest for this episode was Michel Kripalani, president of Oceanhouse Media who are the developers responsible for adapting Dr Seuss’s books for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Among other things, he talked about the process of adapting the books for these devices while maintaining the whole point of the original books – to help kids learn to read. Worth a listen.

I have dutifully downloaded The cat in the hat but am yet to test it on my kids.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

This has got to be my all time favourite book trailer and it’s done exactly what a good book trailer should do – it has made me desperately want to read the book.

[via we heart books]

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Pearl struggles to fit in at school. She is not part of the footy group, the ballet group, or the rough kid group. She is in her own group of one. She lives with her mum and her granny. Always has. Always will. Pearl loves to write poetry. But not poetry that rhymes. This is a problem as her teacher Mrs Bruff says all poetry needs to rhyme.

Granny’s health is deteriorating, the prettiest girl in school thinks Pearl has stolen her boyfriend, and all Pearl wants to do is write poetry that doesn’t rhyme.

I am certainly not an expert on the form and structure of poetry but I love how well verse novels use language. This verse novel (which of course does not rhyme) is no exception. No words are wasted. It is tight and evocative.

Pearl verses the world is a great introduction to verse novels for younger readers. It is a well written, sad and beautiful story that will tug at the heart strings of adults too. Oddly, just as I was getting to the end I got some dust in my eye. Yeah, that’s what it was. Dust in my eye.

[cross posted from aboutthebooks.blogspot.com]

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Originally posted over where I blog for work, here are my thoughts on James Roy’s latest:

Edsel Grizzler lives a bland life in a bland street with over protective parents he can’t stand. They won’t let him do anything fun, worried that everything is too dangerous. But when Edsel finds himself transported to Verdada, a strange world in another dimension, his life is changed. For a start, there are no adults telling the kids what to do. They do a small amount of work each day and can then do whatever they like. Surfing, skateboarding, computer games. You name it. Plus, an endless supply of every delicious food you could imagine.

It sounds perfect right? It would seem that way on the surface, but as Edsel spends more time there he begins to have his doubts about how perfect it really is. Along with his new friends Edsel starts to investigate and ask questions, but may just cause more trouble than he hoped for.

Voyage to Verdada is the first of the new Edsel Grizzler series by James Roy. Edsel is a likeable character and the book is a fun read. The world of Verdada is an intriguing place and it’s true nature will keep you guessing. The book also includes a sneak peek at book 2 which has me keen to see where the story goes next.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Here is my review of Nit boy: Lift off! as posted to my work blog aboutthebooks.

Eleven year old Lewis Snow has a wild blonde afro and his hair has never been cut. It is filled with nits of course, and he considers them his pets. He has even made some money by passing them to other kids so they could get a few days off school. However, adults typically want to get rid of Lewis’s nits. None more so that Mrs Herrick, the deputy principal. She is after Lewis, or more specifically after his nits, and will stop at nothing to get rid of them.

Interlaced with this story is the story of Ned, the world’s first jumping nit, who lives on Lewis’s head. Ned’s father is determined to see nits learn to jump and spread through humans like no nits have ever done. But Ned is a home body. He’s not interested in jumping and exploring the world.

Lift off is a wonderful and funny story about the tightly linked lives of Lewis and Ned as they face the expectations of those around them and the danger posed by Mrs Herrick, their mutual enemy.

There is also sequel called Bug out! which I have just started reading, I’ll post a review shortly unless someone beats me to it.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

In the first lesson, Sarah passed me a note, It read, I’m Bree’s best friend now in big blue texta on the front and on the back, in pencil, So you’ll have to sit next to Sharnie.
Nobody sat next to Sharnie. She was the meanest girl in the whole school and her chinese burns hurt for hours and hours. It wasn’t fair. Sarah and I had been best friends for years – I couldn’t even remember when we hadn’t been.

Life is not going well for Ruby. Her mother is having another baby, and there are complications with the pregnancy. Her father is too busy caring for her to worry too much about Ruby. Then she has a falling out with her best friend.

One day when Ruby gets home from school she finds Mrs Wiseman, the new lady living across the street, in the kitchen. Ruby’s Mum had to go to hospital and Ruby has to be looked after by an old lady she hardly knows.

Ruby gradually gets to know the somewhat eccentric Mrs Wiseman (Magda) although the more she gets to know her, the more mysterious she becomes. Ruby also befriends Bailey, a boy who with his two friends are known as The Three Geeketeers.

Magda turns out to be a wonderful support for both Ruby and Bailey and there may just be more to her than meets the eye. The same goes for the the little pony figurine she gave Ruby. Magda called it the Wish Pony.

A sweet little story for younger readers that acknowledges life can be difficult but opens the possibility that there is still room for a little magic in the world, even if that magic is subtle and unnoticed.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Feel like reading Neil Gaiman’s wonderful, Newbery Award winning The graveyard book but too lazy to do so for yourself and feel that listening to an audio book doesn’t quite cut the mustard? Perhaps you would rather watch a video of Neil himself reading the books. Well, now you can. Head over to mousecircus, his site for young readers and you’ll find videos of Neil reading The graveyard book, chapter by chapter.

While there, you can watch the Coraline movie trailer, download wallpapers, screensavers and printable posters. Watch more videos. Read about his books old and new, and more. Well worth a look for fans of the great man.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Tristan Bancks, author of the Mac Slater, Cool hunter books has a new series for kids coming out soon which I have been looking forward to for a while. The two books, called Lift off, and Bug out make up the Nitboy series, and are about a boy with the world’s worst case of nits. there’s even an animated trailer which you can see below.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Cake Wrecks blog has posted pictures of some beautiful book related cakes. Very hungry caterpillar, Where the wild things are, Dr Seuss, and others are all deliciously presented.

[via abby the librarian]

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net