Anna-Marie B
Showcase Website
Children's Book
On this page I will document the books that I am reading as part of the PGCE course, which I then contribute towards the Wiki page. The wiki page allows all the students on the course to share the books they have read, allowing us to search easily for a particular book or topic and with a little description of the story too. The reading allows us to expand our awareness of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 books, in particular some old favourites as well as new!
Tyrannosaurus Drip
Julia Donaldson & David Roberts
Tyrannosaurus Drip is another brilliant book by Julia Donaldson along with David Roberts. In this story Drip is born to a family of Tyrannosauruses after his egg was stolen by a Compsognathus from the nest of Duckbill dinosaurs. Drip grows up his with Tyrannosaurus sisters who name him Drip due to the fact that doesn't eat meat and would rather eat plants. One day Drip decides to run away as he isn't allowed to go and hunt with the rest of the Tyrannosauruses as he isn't "fierce enough to come." Drip runs away to the river where he meets the other Duckbill dinosaurs and he realises eventually that he is a Duckbill dinosaur and not a Tyrannosaurus. However the Tyrannosauruses hunt Duckbill dinosaurs so Drip comes to the rescue to save the other Duckbill dinosaurs by using their love of water.
This book is a rhyming book making it easily accessible for children of EYFS and Key Stage 1. However it could be brought into Key Stage 2 under the theme of dinosaurs and the children could perhaps have a go at designing their own dinosaurs and creating poems about them.
The Guard Dog
Dick King-Smith
The Guard Dog by Dick King-Smith is a lovely little book about a little mongrel dog who wants to grow up to be the best guard dog in the world. He is picked out in the pet shop by a little girl who takes him home with her but it soon becomes apparent that the little guard dog doesn't have a little voice. His bark is described as "chalk scraping on a blackboard, a wet finger squeaking on a window-pane, a hack-saw cutting through metal" and as a result he finds himself at the dog shelter soon enough. Another dog tells him you only get to stay for 14 days before the man in the white coat comes to take you away. Can he keep his bark inside and find himself a loving home before his 14 days are up?
This book would be a lovely example to use in Key Stage 1 or 2 for a writing piece from another perspective. This book is written with the thoughts of the guard dog, his internal monologue, which would be a nice idea for a written piece of work from an animal's perspective on us as humans and their owners.
I'm another title
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
I'm another title
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
The Illustrated Mum
Jacqueline Wilson
The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson is another of her superb books that tackles social issues, which many children may be experiencing at home. In this story Dolphin is predominantly raised by her older sister Star as their mum has 'episodes.' However when Star finds her Dad and goes to live with him in Brighton, Marigold, the mother, becomes even more withdrawn and unpredictable until eventually Dolphin has to ring 999 and Marigold is admitted into a psychiatric ward. This book is brilliant as it deals with issues such as manic-depression, seen from a child's perspective, raising awareness of how difficult it can be to get people to admit to such problems and get help.
This would be an ideal book for a child to read who may be experiencing similar situations in their own home life as it would allow them to understand that they are not the only person to have experienced it. Alternatively if other members of the class read this book, it would allow them to understand the difficulties a child with a manic-depressive parent may face on a daily basis.
Boy - Tales of Childhood
Roald Dahl
This autobiography allows us to see into the world of Roald Dahl during his time at school as child but also in his favourite place in the world, Norway. The autobiography starts with an introduction to his father and the life he led, leading us to understand how Roald came to grow up in Wales with Norwegian parents. The autobiography contains little stories of events that occurred during his childhood, potentially all influencing the author he became when he was older. It is clear from the events that occurred that he was an imaginative and creative child from a young age, affecting his writing styles that we see in his much loved classics. One particular significant event that influenced his writing is the fact that at the school he attended Cadbury's sent chocolate to the children to test as they were classed as perfect testers being of the right age to give appropriate feedback to the inventions, perhaps this led to the creation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In addition he always refers to the teachers at school as being 'giants' perhaps this gave him inspiration for the B.F.G?
Although this book isn't a story it would be useful to work alongside, in class, another Roald Dahl classic to allow the children to understand the life Roald Dahl led and how he ended up to be the great writer that we all know and love. In addition, as the majority of the book focuses upon Dahl's school life it would be a perfect piece of text to allow for comparisons to be drawn from schooling in Dahl's era and schooling in the present day.
I'm another title
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
I'm another title
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.