Book of the Month - JUNE!

FARMHOUSE

by SOPHIE BLACKHALL

You buy an old farmhouse, a house filled with old scraps and fragments of twelve children who were once raised there.

Come and explore with the author, Sophie Blackhall!

That's exactly what she did when she bought and honoured a grand, old farmhouse of her own and now she would love for you to read all about it.

The illustrations are amazing! All the illustrations in the book were created using Chinese ink, watercolour, gouche, coloured pencils, and layers of bits and things of fabrics and wallpapers from the nineteenth-century farmhouse.

This is a Children's Book of the Year Award, shortlisted book!

Do you think it is a winner?

Remember, the winners will be announced in August!

This is another new read in the BPS Library.

VPRC 2023

We are now a Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge School!

Have you joined the Challenge yet?

All students NOW have their username and passcodes to participate!

https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home

ALL students are registered!

Go to the above link!

Click on School Coordinator or Student.

Click sign in.

Top of page is student login.

Go to . . . VPRC login

Type in your username.

Type in your 6 digit passcode.

Click login

WELCOME TO VPRC 2023!

You are in!!!

For students in Prep to Grade 2, the Challenge provides an opportunity to experience 30 books to either read alone or to read with others. Students need to read 20 books from the Challenge and they can read 10 free choice books.For students in Grade 3 to Grade 6, they need to read 10 books from the Challenge and 5 free choice books, a total of 15 books to meet the Challenge.

http://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home

Everyone who completes the Challenge will receive a Certificate of Achievement from The Hon Premier Daniel Andrews.

The Challenge is on until the first week in September!

WHAT TO READ DURING THE BREAK?

Take a look from the SHORTLIST!

It's a great place to start!

CBCA Awards 2023 shortlists announced!

Congratulations to all CBCA Book of the Year - shortlisted titles!

The shortlists for this year’s Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards have been announced.

The shortlisted books were chosen from the NOTABLE BOOK LIST which was announced in March.

Let's take a closer look! Who made it to the shortlist?

The shortlisted titles for 2023 are:

Younger readers

August & Jones (Pip Harry, Hachette)
Evie and Rhino (Neridah McMullin, illus by Astred Hicks, Walker Books)
The Raven’s Song (Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble, A&U)
Runt (Craig Silvey, A&U)
The Way of Dog (Zana Fraillon, illus by Sean Buckingham, UQP)
Xavier in the Meantime (Kate Gordon, Riveted)

Early childhood

Bev and Kev (Katrina Germein, illus by Mandy Foot, Little Book)
Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post (Bob Graham, Walker Books)
Lionel and Me (Corinne Fenton, illus by Tracie Grimwood, New Frontier)
Market Day (Carrie Gallasch, illus by Hannah Sommerville, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
Snap! (Anna Walker, Scribble)
Where the Lyrebird Lives (Vikki Conley, illus by Max Hamilton, Windy Hollow)

Picture book of the year

Dirt by Sea (Tom Jellett, illus by Michael Wagner, PRH)
Farmhouse (Sophie Blackall, Hachette)
Frank’s Red Hat (Sean E Avery, Walker Books)
My Strange Shrinking Parents (Zeno Sworder, T&H)
Our Dreaming (Dub Leffler, illus by Kirli Saunders, Scholastic)
Paradise Sands: A story of enchantment (Levi Pinfold, Walker Books)

Eve Pownall award

A Is for Australian Reefs (Frané Lessac, Walker Books)
Amazing Animal Journeys (Jennifer Cossins, Hachette)
Come Together: Things every Aussie kid should know about the First Peoples (Isaiah Firebrace, illus by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, HG Explore)
DEEP: Delve into hidden worlds (Jess McGeachin, Welbeck)
Opal and Dart (Vianne Brain, illus by Clare Bradley, Forty South)
Wild Australian Life (Leonard Cronin, illus by Chris Nixon, A&U)

CBCA award for new illustrator

Australia: From dawn to dusk (Brentos, Affirm)
The Best Hiding Place (Jane Godwin, illus by Sylvia Morris, Affirm)
Naturopolis (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Ingrid Bartkowiak, Storytorch)
There’s No Such Book (Jessica Dettmann, illus by Jake A Minton, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
Tiny Wonders (Sally Soweol Han, UQP)
We Are Australians (Duncan Smith & Nicole Godwin, illus by Jandamarra Cadd, Wild Dog).

The winners will be announced on Friday, 18 August.

Children’s Book Week will run from 19-25 August.

I will remind you closer to the date!

At BPS we love to celebrate BOOK WEEK!

2023 The Children's Book Council of Australia, CBCA NOTABLE BOOKS!

Congratulations to all CBCA Book of the Year - NOTABLES 2023!

Eventhough, many of these books did not make it onto the SHORTLIST, they are still top reads!

Here is the list of 2023 CBCA NOTABLES!

Younger readers

Please note some of the titles in this category may only be suitable for readers from middle to upper primary years. 7-12 years.

All Four Quarters of the Moon (Shirley Marr, PRH)
August & Jones (Pip Harry, Hachette)
Big Magic (Sarah Armstrong, HGCP)
The Book of Wondrous Possibilities (Deborah Abela, PRH)
The Bravest Word (Kate Foster, Walker Books)
Dusty in the Outwilds (Rhiannon Williams, HGCP)
Evie and Rhino (Neridah McMullin, illus by Astred Hicks, Walker Books)
Hedgewitch (Skye McKenna, Welbeck)
The Jammer (Nova Weetman, UQP)
The Last Light Horse (Dianne Wolfer, illus by Brian Simmonds, Fremantle Press)
Mikki and Me and the Out-of-Tune Tree (Marion Roberts, A&U)
Ming and Flo Fight for the Future (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
No Words (Maryam Master, Pan Macmillan)
The Raven’s Song (Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble, A&U)
Runt (Craig Silvey, A&U)
The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-bottomed Boat (Charlie Archbold, Text)
The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Woeful Wedding (Katrina Nannestad, illus by Cheryl Orsini, HarperCollins)
Waiting for the Storks (Katrina Nannestad, HarperCollins)
The Way of Dog (Zana Fraillon, illus by Sean Buckingham, UQP)
We Run Tomorrow (Nat Amoore, illus by Mike Barry, PRH)
What About Thao? (Oliver Phommavanh, PRH)
What Snail Knows (Kathryn Apel, UQP)
The Wintrish Girl (Melanie La’Brooy, UQP)
Xavier in the Meantime (Kate Gordon, Riveted Press)
Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon (Gabrielle Wang, PRH).

Early childhood

Australian Animals Indigenous Discovery Big Book (Emily Bruce, illus by Leanne Mulgo Watson, Learning Media)
Backyard Beasties (Helen Milroy, Fremantle Press)
Beside the Sea (Kerri Day, illus by Jess Racklyeft, Windy Hollow)
Bev and Kev (Katrina Germein, illus by Mandy Foot, Little Book Press)
Clementine’s Treasure (Annie White, New Frontier Publishing)
Come Over to My House (Eliza Hull, illus by Daniel Gray-Barnett, HGCP)
The Echidna Near My Place (Sue Whiting, illus by Cate James, Walker Books)
Ella and the Useless Day (Meg McKinlay, illus by Karen Blair, Walker Books)
Emergency! Emergency! Vehicles to the Rescue (Rhiân Williams, illus by Tom Jellet, Wild Dog)
Garden on Red Gum Road, The (Phil Cummings, illus by Danny Snell, Little Book Press)
How Do You Say I Love You? (Ashleigh Barton, illus by Martina Heiduczek, HarperCollins)
Jack’s Jumper (Sara Acton, Walker Books)
Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post (Bob Graham, Walker Books)
Lionel and Me (Corinne Fenton, illus by Tracie Grimwood, New Frontier)
Market Day (Carrie Gallasch, illus by Hannah Sommerville, HGCP)
My Shadow is Purple (Scott Stuart, Larrikin House)
Please Handle With Care (Coral Vass, illus by Tull Suwannakit, New Frontier)
Polly’s Grand Party Plan (Jane Godwin, illus by Evie Barrow, Affirm)
Rainbow Days (Margaret Hamilton, illus by Anna Pignataro, HGCP)
Ship Ahoy! Box Boy (Mal Webster, Windy Hollow)
Snap! (Anna Walker, Scribble)
Thank you rain! (Sally Morgan, illus by Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr, Magabala)
This Little Joey (Renee Treml, PRH)
Where the Lyrebird Lives (Vikki Conley, illus by Max Hamilton, Windy Hollow).

Picture book of the year

11 Words for Love (Randa Abdel-Fattah, illus by Maxine Beneba Clarke, Hachette)
Accidentally Kelly Street (Briony Stewart, Affirm)
A Job for Kingsley (Gabriel Evans, HGCP)
Amma’s Sari (Sandhya Parappukkaran, illus by Michelle Pereira, HGCP)
Be Careful, Xiao Xin! (Alice Pung, illus by Sher Rill Ng, HarperCollins)
Crumbs (Phil Cummings, illus by Shane DeVries, Scholastic)
Dirt by Sea (Michael Wagner, illus by Tom Jellett, PRH)
Egg (Clare Atkins, illus by Harrison Vial, UQP)
Farmhouse (Sophie Blackall, Hachette)
Frank’s Red Hat (Sean E Avery, Walker Books)
Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post (Bob Graham, Walker Books)
Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination (Coral Vass, illus by Nicky Johnston, EK Books)
Koala Ark (Stephen Michael King, Scholastic)
My Strange Shrinking Parents (Zeno Sworder, T&H)
Open Your Heart to Country (Jasmine Seymour, Magabala)
Our Dreaming (Kirli Saunders, illus by Dub Leffler, Scholastic)
Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment (Levi Pinfold, Walker Books)
Piano Fingers (Caroline Magerl, Walker Books)
Summer Blue (Trudie Trewin, illus by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, Scholastic)
Tiny Wonders (Sally Soweol Han, UQP)
The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness (Matt Ottley, WestWords)
What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say (Davina Bell, illus by Hilary Jean Tapper, Hachette)
When You’re Older (Sofie Laguna, illus by Judy Watson, A&U)
Where? (Jordan Collins, illus by Phil Lesnie, A&U)
Whisper on the Wind (Claire Saxby, illus by Jess Racklyeft, A&U).

Eve Pownall Award

A Is for Australian Reefs (Frané Lessac, Walker Books)
Amazing Animal Journeys (Jennifer Cossins, Hachette)
Charlie’s Swim (Edith Wright, illus by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Magabala)
Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples (Isaiah Firebrace, illus by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, Hardie Grant)
DEEP: Delve into Hidden Worlds (Jess McGeachin, Welbeck)
The Echidna Near My Place (Sue Whiting, illus by Cate James, Walker Books)
Grub (Sandra Severgnini, illus by Sandra Severgnini, EK Books)
The Happiest Boy on Earth (Eddie Jaku, illus by Nathaniel Eckstrom, Pan Macmillan)
Hello Every Body! (Samantha Curcio, HGCP)
In An Artist’s Garden (Claire Orrell, T&H)
Kind (Jess McGeachin, A&U)
The Marvellous Manner of Water (Philip Bunting, Scholastic)
Naturopolis (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Ingrid Bartkowiak, Storytorch)
Oceans of Plastic: Understanding and Solving a Pollution Problem (Tracey Gray, CSIRO)
Off to the Market (Alice Oehr, illus by Alice Oehr, Scribble Kids’ Books)
On the Trail of the Plains-wanderer: A Precious Australian Bird (Rohan Cleave, illus by Julian Teh, CSIRO)
Opal and Dart (Vianne Brain, illus by Clare Bradley, Fourty South)
Peregrines in the City (Andrew Kelly, illus by Dean A. Jones, Wild Dog)
A Shorebird Flying Adventure (Jackie Kerin, illus by Milly Formby, CSIRO)
Votes for Women! The story of Nellie, Rose and Mary (Mark Wilson, Hachette)
The Voyage of Whale and Calf (Vanessa Pirotta, illus by Samantha Metcalfe, CSIRO)
Where Do Babies Come From? (Heath McKenzie, Lake Press)
Wild Australian Life (Leonard Cronin, illus by Chris Nixon, A&U)
Wonders Under the Sun (Tai Snaith, T&H)
The World’s Most Ridiculous Animals (Philip Bunting, HGCP).

All these NOTABLE BOOKS are a good choice for your next new read!

Many of these books are here in the library at BPS!

Your local bookshop is a good place too, to find these new books and to stay connected and keep up to date on the latest releases.

READING QUOTE OF THE MONTH! JUNE!

READING can take you places you have never been before!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Diana Farfalla

Kelsey Shepherd-Smith

Important Notices