This is the final week of our Read the World Book Club Series. This week we are journeying to Australia and the Arctic and the Antarctic… along with The Simple Homeschool Folk and #Giveyourchildtheworld.
Welcome to Australia, Oceania and the Polar Regions
A while ago we wrote a series on Traveling to Australia… Here is our Great Australian Adventure…
It wouldn’t be Australia without Pavlova…
And sometimes you just have to make Laminations…
It’s always a good time to create a didgeridoo…
Traveling in Antarctica
Se7en Travel Tips for Visiting the Antarctic…
Travels in the Southern Ocean…
A Visit to Marion Island in the Southern Ocean…
Our Favourite Books from Australia, Oceania and the Polar Regions
Actual Factual Books
Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill: This book is on the top of our wishlist, it has had rave reviews and I am dying to spot it. The story is illustrated with pencil crayon drawings and tells of Shackleton’s journey, I have a feeling that this is a book that will inspire adventure and wonder…
D is for Down Under by Devin Scillian: This is an Australian alphabet book… celebrating all things Australian in rhythm rhyme… a long poetical accolade. Lots of facts and great illustrations.
Not For Parents Australia: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know by Lonely Planet: What can I say, Lonely Planet books for kids are such fun… Pages and pages of engaging illustrations and fascinating factoids. I am sure there are many parents that really enjoy these just as much as their kids do!!!
This is Australia by Miroslav Sasek: Let’s be honest, you just can’t travel the world without Sasek books. Beautiful illustrations and heaps of stuff to learn all in a presentable story.
Se7en + 1 Picture Books
Summertime by Franz Berliner and illustrated by Ingrid Vang Nyman: This is one of my favourite childhood books the I have hung onto for years… it is the story of Nuka and Naja, they are eskimo children that live in a distant land cross the blue sea in the Land of the People. The children wonder if people around the world are like them or if they are completely different. The magic of this story is that it tells you of the life of the eskimo children in rich detail… you can see inside their igloo, you can see the toys they play with… they go on a journey the piece of ice they are on breaks off and they are adrift on the ocean, surrounded by all the wondrous animals of the Arctic circle. They survive and eat fish and birds eggs… one day some men in kayaks spot them and rescue them and take them home to their family. Just a beautiful story that I felt I could climb into as a child.
Diary of Wombat by Jackie French: If you haven’t discovered Jackie French and her delightful wombats then you are seriously missing out… Funny, funny, funny… even the youngest child will be amused by the antics of the mischief between these pages. The wombat that desperately wants just a little more love and attention, with the very special ability to dig holes…
Edward the Emu and Edwina the Emu by Sheena Knowls: More fun and hilarity from Australia… who knew Emus could be so funny. Stories written in rhythm and rhyme… Edward decides that his life as an Emu is terribly dull and so tries to be several different animals, all to no avail… he eventually decides that being an Emu is actually his favourite. Meanwhile Edwina lays ten eggs and leaves Ed to sit on them while she goes off on an job hunt. She is truly optimistic to start with, but slowly but surely discovers that perhaps she should be home and helping with raising their family. These books are pure fun.
Where’s Stripey by Wendy Binks: Another Emu story, Crikey is left to look after thirty eggs and then thirty chicks, while his exhausted wife heads off for a rest. Crikey does his best, but he loses one… and he heads off and asks a number of Australian animals where his chick is. It ends well… and there is a double page spread with a few amazing facts about Emus.
Possum Magic by Mem Fox: You cannot talk about Australian stories without mentioning the fantastic Mem Fox. This is a story for young foodies, when Grandma Poss makes Hush invisible, she can’t remember how to reverse the process so they travel Australia trying all sorts of flavours and delights, trying to find the one taste sensation that will make the difference. Lots of tasty fun.
Are we there yet? by Alison Lester: This is the story of Grace and her family as they do a road trip around Australia. This is a great story to use to learn about Australia as you take the trip with the family…
Chapter Books
Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo: This is a Michael Morpugo, so beautiful and you are sure to cry. After WWII a number of orphans were shipped, from Britain to Australia… to start a new life. They left everything behind and they had no chance of maintaining any ties with the past. This is the story of Arthur Hobhouse, one of the orphans, and his survival through unspeakable hardships. Miraculously he does survive, and grows up to be a master ship builder. He builds a solo yacht for his daughter Allie, who returns to England to look for Arthur’s long lost sister. A fictional story, based on facts… and there are a number of features in this book that make it an absolute winner… the maps, the boat designs, the email correspondence that reads like a diary between Allie and Arthur… nice little touches that add to the authenticity of the book.
Red Sand Blue Sky by Cathy Applegate: Amy, a city girl from Melbourne, went to stay with her aunt in the middle of the Outback. She and an Aboriginal girl, Lana, strike up a friendship. Together they discover that someone is stealing from an Aboriginal heritage site… they set out to discover who and why… this is quite an adventure for children who are confident with chapter book reading.
So many wonderful books to choose from! Amazing isn’t it, how we can travel the world by opening a book!
Hi Christi, we have had the best fun with this project, it has been really great covering the whole world. Honestly, I can’t believe how quickly it passed by… woosh!!! Luckily, we will have to slow it down and amble around the world quite a few more times before all my kids are done with school!!! Hope you have the best week!!!
I love this project ~ I think all the kids have learned so much . What a wonderful idea
Hay Cat… It has been so much fun, my goodness we have been flying around the world each week and it has been so much fun!!! Hope you have the best weekend!!!