‘Wouldn’t it be funny if they were real?’
‘Shiny red men?’
‘What if I were the sane one and everyone else was mad?’

One night, the shiny guys visit fifteen-year-old Colin Lapsley.  They don’t speak, but Colin can read their thoughts.  They want him to pay for the terrible thing that he has done.  When the shiny guys won’t go away, Colin is admitted to ward 44.  Ther he discovers an alien world, a powerful weapon, a gentle giant, and a girl who may be able to see what he can see. The Shiny Guys is a dark, sometimes funny novel about how fantasy and reality can merge, especially when electricity is involved.

Highly recommended as a class novel study consideration for Year’s 9 – 10. Teaching notes  for this novel are now available HERE.

We thought it might be a good idea to do our own round-up here on the Penguin Teachers’ Corner blog and provide you with all the information and resources you might need to utilise these titles in your classrooms and libraries.

One Small Island AUTHOR: ALISON LESTER AUTHOR: CORAL TULLOCH

In One Small Island, Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch bring us the story of this remote and precious World Heritage Site.  Together they explore the island’s unique geological beginnings, discovery and degradation at the hands of humans, and the battle to restore it today. 2012 Eve Pownall Notable Book, Picture Book of the Year Notable book and Shortlisted Book for the Eve Pownall Award.

Come Down, Cat! AUTHOR: SONYA HARTNETT ILLUSTRATOR: LUCIA MASCIULLO

From the combined talents of Sonya Hartnett and Lucia Masciullo comes this tale of friendship and bravery, and the things we are capable of doing for those we treasure most. 2012 Picture Book of the Year Notable book and Shortlisted Book for the 2012 Early Childhood Book of the Year.

The Jewel Fish of Karnak AUTHOR: GRAEME BASE

Complete with hieroglyphics, sparkling jewels and an ingenious mechanical device built into the back of the book, here is a cautionary tale set amongst the wonders of an ancient world. 2012 Picture Book of the Year Notable book

The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon AUTHOR: AARON BLABEY

No matter what hour, she lurked looking sour, be it midnight or mid-afternoon. Her dresses were shabby, her mood always crabby.  Her name was Miss Annabel Spoon. 2012 Picture Book of the Year and Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable book

Ready, Set, Boris Book 3 AUTHOR: ANDREW JOYNER

You’ll never be bored when Boris is around! With his big dream and super-sized imagination, anything is possible – and adventure is guaranteed. 2012 Early Childhood Notable Book.

Crusher Kevin: Aussie Nibbles AUTHOR: PENNY MATTHEWS ILLUSTRATOR: ANDREW MCLEAN 

Soon Charlie will have a dog of his own, but it won’t be a big, scary dog like Crusher. Who could ever love a dog like that? 2012 Early Childhood Notable Book.

Mr Moonlight: Aussie Bites AUTHOR: JANE CARROLL ILLUSTRATOR: ANNE SPUDVILAS

Something is making a weird noise under the house at night. It;s not a possum, or a rat. What is it? Tom can’t wait to find out. 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

Pizza Cake AUTHOR: MORRIS GLEITZMAN 

Save ten lives with a paperclip, discover how a big banana can ruin your sister’s holiday, make a new friend with a garbage bin, develop a taste for sheep’s spleen and chips, bounce on a vampire’s bed, rescue your dad from a dog and a spider, use a toilet roll to get justice, upset the neighbours with a pickaxe, eat a pizza that makes you fearless, and imagine a world where teachers earn more money than a rock star. 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

Birdie in the Sky: Aussie Chomps AUTHOR: PRUE MASON

Birdie and her dad love being up in the sky in their Tiger Moth, Peggybelle. That is, until a terrible accident makes it a matter of life and death, and Birdie finds herself flying the plane alone! 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

Crocodile Jack: Aussie Bites ILLUSTRATOR: TERRY DENTON AUTHOR: LEONIE NORRINGTON

Jack’s big brother tom has asked him to go fishing!
But Jack knows you should never go fishing when there are crocs about… 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

The Accidental Princess AUTHOR: JEN STORER ILLUSTRATOR: LUCIA MASCIULLO

When the pixies and fairies of the lilac hedge mistake Matilda for royalty, she is drawn into a wondrous world.  But evil forces threaten the hedge and its folk, and Matilda must fight to save her new friends.  She can’t do it alone, but could it mean losing her sister forever? 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

Norman Does Nothing: Aussie Bites AUTHOR: JEN STORER ILLUSTRATOR: ANDREW JOYNER

No one does Nothing quite as well as Norman the garden gnome.
But one day his peaceful world is turned upside-down… 2012 Younger Readers Book of the Year Notable Book.

When We Were Two AUTHOR: ROBERT NEWTON

Dan and his brother Eddie take off for the coast, in search of their lost mother, in search of a better life . . . but it’s a long road they face and Dan must use all his wits to get them there in one piece. 2012 Older Readers Book of the Year Shortlist and 2012 Older Readers Notable Book.

Alaska AUTHOR: SUE SALIBA 

Award-winning author Sue Saliba’s lyrical young adult novel about following your heart to the most unexpected and beautiful of places. 2012 Older Readers Notable Book.

Goliath: Leviathan Book 3 AUTHOR: SCOTT WESTERFELD ILLUSTRATOR: KEITH THOMPSON

Alek and Deryn are aboard the Leviathan when the ship is ordered to pick up an unusual passenger. This brilliant, maniacal inventor claims to have a weapon called Goliath. It can end the war. But whose side is the inventor really on? 2012 Older Readers Notable Book.

To avoid Losing It in the bushes with some random guy in a heavy-metal T-shirt after too many tequila shots, four best friends make a bet: to lose it before schoolies week – and preferably in a romantic, sober way that they won’t regret.

What follows is a sometimes funny, sometimes awkward, but always compelling comedy of errors as Abby, Mala, Bree and Zoe each try to find their Mr Right . . . or at least get laid.

A hilarious and thought-provoking novel by the award-winning author of Bye, Beautiful and The Push.

Immortal City: Book1 - Scott Speer 

We pay them to protect us.  And we’re their biggest fans. They are our celebrities, and we worship them with paparazzi and endless gossip and speculation.  To us, they are glamour.  To them, we’re an assignment.  Their job is to guard us-that is, those of us who can afford them . . . Because the only thing stronger than a Guardian Angel is the rule they must obey. So what happens when one of them falls for one of us?

Punchlines- Oliver Phommavanh

As long as you can make a girl laugh, she’ll go for you, right?

Well, unless you’re a seriously weird teenager like Johnny Khamka.  Surviving high school is hard enough, but how on earth can he get his childhood bestie, Josie, now a seriously hot teenager, to take him seriously?  The answer is to keep her laughing.  But when Johnny decides to take comedy seriously, he’s suddenly at risk for not being funny at all.

From the talented and funny author of Thai-riffic! And Con-nerd comes another LOL story about surviving your teens.

Andy Roid and the Superhuman Secret Book 1 – Felice Arena

When you’re half boy, half machine, it’s hard not to be a hero.

Andy’s just a regular kid with a normal, everyday life. Or is he? Why is a sinister scientist out to kidnap him? And who are his parents really? He’s about to find out, but this superhuman secret will change everything!

Andy Roid and the Field Trip Terror Book 2 – Felice Arena 

Andy’s trying to live an ordinary life, despite his extraordinary powers . . . But when a field trip goes terribly wrong, should he save the day and risk blowing his cover? With the evil Dr Baffi on his trail, it could be the last decision he’ll ever make!

Andy Roid is a dynamic and fast paced new series from the co author of Specky Magee. Sure to delight even the most reluctant of readers aged 8 – 80!

The Children of the King – Sonya Hartnett

Three children have been sent to live in the countryside, safe from the war in London. When they find two boys hiding in a castle, the past and future come together to make an extraordinary adventure.

A hauntingly beautiful story from one of Australia’s most acclaimed writers for adults and children.

The Candymakers – Wendy Mass 

In the town of Spring Haven, four children have been selected to compete in the national candymaking contest of a lifetime. Who will make a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Yellow Lightning Chew?

Logan? The candymaker’s son, who can detect the colour of chocolate by feel alone?

Miles? The boy allergic to rowboats and the colour pink?

Daisy? The cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy as if it were a feather?

Philip? the suit-and-tie-wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?

The contestants face off in a battle of wits and sugar, but soon they realise that things are not what they seem, and they find themselves in a candy-filled world of surprises, suspense, and mouth-watering creations.

In this charming and cleverly crafted story, award-winning author Wendy Mass cooks up a delectable concoction of mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

Lily and the Fairy House – Jane Tanner

Every little girl’s wish is to have fairy-friends of her own – friends who will show her secret, magical things. Lily and the Fairy House is a magical fairy book that has the potential to become a modern classic.

Strange Little Monster and the Swamp Goblin: Aussie Nibbles - Sue Whiting and Stephen Michael King

Sasha is different from other monsters.  All she wants is a quiet place to practise her flute.  Then along comes a swamp goblin . . .

Her muzzle wrinkled, and Andrej saw a glimpse of teeth and pale tongue. ‘They smell the same, ‘ the lioness murmured. ‘My cubs smelt as she does. Like pollen.’ She breathed deeply again, and Andrej saw the missing cubs returning to her on the wings of the baby’s perfume. ‘All young ones must come from the same place,’ she said: then sat down on her haunches, seemingly satisfied.

Under cover of darkness, two brothers cross a war-ravaged countryside carrying a secret bundle. One night they stumble across a deserted town reduced to smouldering ruins. But at the end of a blackened street they find a small green miracle: a zoo filled with animals in need of hope.

A moving and ageless fable about war, and freedom.

The children are Rom or gypsy, survivors of a massacre two months earlier that wiped out their entire extended family, and ever since their lives have been ‘gnawed at every edge by worry’… Hartnett’s descriptions of both the murders and a war-torn landscape across which flows a miserable tide of humanity comprises some of her finest writing. Ruth Starke ‘Winds of War’ Australian Book Review, September 2010, p71.

In a time characterised by a severing of old links between man and animal, when industrial agriculture has rendered them no more than raw material for manufacturing processes, Hartnett reminds us that they were once magical, oracular, even sacrificial creatures: a crucial means by which we explained the world and understood ourselves. Geordie Williamson ‘Strange Beasts’, The Monthly, August 2010, p62.

As these reviewers’ comments suggest, while The Midnight Zoo can be read as a gripping narrative by younger readers, its import will be better grasped by older readers who will appreciate its fable-like qualities and metaphoric ideas.

Teaching notes, written by Dr. Pam Macintyre can be downloaded here.

Their thirteen-year-old brother Pascal is invited to join in the secret, and he hatches a plan to return the soldier to England. During the few days that they hide the soldier, Lieutenant Shepard tells them four stories, each about a donkey. His good luck charm, given to him by his brother to keep him safe, is a charming silver donkey, and this object inspires the beautiful and poetic stories: the Bethlehem story, Simpson and his donkey, a parable set in India, and the story of the silver donkey’s origin in his life.

There is much to explore in this finely crafted novel and the language is so rich and evocative that it begs to be read aloud. Reading aloud to a group or a class would allow for the leisurely exploration of some large ideas, and predictions about how the story might proceed and be resolved.

The following ideas are suggestions for stimulating response, but are not intended to be prescriptive. Rather they provide shooting off points for exploration. Teaching notes for The Silver Donkey, written by Dr. Pam Macintyre, can be found here.

Come Down, Cat! has the trademark lyricism of Sonya’s previous work, and yet achieves a simplicity and sweetness that its target readership will delight in. Evocative, cinematic imagery is still present, but it takes a back seat to the pithy characterisation that brings Nicholas and the cat to life.

The brilliantly timed, mischievous ‘marls’ of the cat convey a sense of its cunning, its cheekiness and its feline wiles. And through his heartfelt pleadings and acts of bravery and tenderness, Nicholas’s sense of compassion Come Down, Cat! and devotion are skilfully conveyed. It is remarkable that even in a book for the very young, Sonya’s love affair with language and talents as an author are as present as ever.

(Jean Yates – Reading Notes pg. 2)

Reading notes, written by Jean Yates, for using this gorgeously illustrated picture book in your classroom or library can be found here.

One day a man invented the best toy in the world. He gave the toy to his son.  The boy thought the toy was marvellous.  It could do anything! But as time passed, the boy started to wonder about the toy.  Was it really the best toy in the world?

A boy lives with his father at the end of a pier, in a house-cum-lighthouse that resembles a static Howl’s Moving Castle. Before his father departs on a journey, he makes the boy the ‘best toy in the world’. The toy is to keep the boy company while his father is away. At first all proceeds happily, and the boy enjoys his clever toy, which does whatever he asks it. But then it becomes apparent that the toy is perhaps smarter than the boy and competition enters their relationship. The toy wants to play all the time, and when the boy ignores it, it becomes destructive in the manner of a thwarted, jealous child.

The boy devises a plan to deceive the toy, preserve his independence and seek help from his father. When the father returns he examines the toy and discovers something essential is missing. He presents his son with a true friend.

This simple tale is delightfully ambiguous and open for young readers to explore their own interpretations. Is the boy self-absorbed and only likes the toy when it does what he wants and in the way he wants? Or is the toy too demanding, selfish and naughty? Readers will decide with whom they most identify, and whether the boy is a true friend.

Dr Pam Macintyre has written comprehensive teaching notes for The Boy and the Toy, full of wonderful ideas for using this delightful picture book with your students. Teaching notes are available for download here.

Sonya Hartnett’s latest novel The Children Of The King will be released in April 2012.

To celebrate the upcoming release of this unique and beautiful novel, we will be revisiting Sonya’s previous novels and discussing ways in which her books can be used in your classrooms and libraries.

Sonya Hartnett is the internationally acclaimed author of several novels, including Thursday’s Child, winner of the 2002 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and Forest, winner of the 2002 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year: Older Readers. In 2003, her adult novel, Of a Boy, won The Age Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award.

In 2000 and again in 2003, Sonya Hartnett has been named one of The Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelists of the Year. Her work has been published internationally with editions available in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway and Denmark.

In 2004, The Silver Donkey was published to great critical acclaim. It has won the 2005 Brisbane Courier Mail award for young readers and was CBCA Book of the Year (Young readers) in 2005.

Surrender was published in 2005. It was shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year Award and the Aurealis Award – Fantasy Division in 2005.

In 2008 Sonya was the recipient of The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The prize is awarded to authors, illustrators, narrators and/or promoters of reading whose work reflects the spirit of Astrid Lindgren.  It is the first time this award has gone to an Australian.

In 2010 Sonya published her debut picture book, The Boy and the Toy, followed by Come Down Cat! in 2011.

Her novel for older readers, The Midnight Zoo won the CBCA 2011 Book of the Year for Older Readers.

Stay tuned for the following month as we share with you teaching notes and resources for Sonya’s work.

IT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR NERDS, ONE GIANT LEAP TO BEING COOL.

Mama tells me I’m gifted and talented. But I know the truth. I’m just a nerd.
Kids call me Con-nerd - half Connor and all nerd.
I’m supposed to become a doctor but I have this deep, dark secret:  I want to be a cartoonist.
And all of a sudden my mega-cool comics are getting noticed at school - I might even get into a special art class .That would sure impress this girl I’m keen on . . . and it might just be my chance to show the world my true destiny.
But I’m not sure Mama will see it quite that way . . .

Full of the signature laugh-out-loud humour seen in his fabulously funny Thai-riffic!, OLIVER PHOMMAVANH has produced yet another totally engaging and hilarious story about finding your own special talents and having the confidence to use them.

• Themes include multiculturalism, parental pressure to perform, wanting to belong, friendship, and searching for your identity – all brought home with irreverent humour that kids will love.
• Describes Chinese culture in an Australian context – religion, food, customs.
• As a teacher, the author understands how kids think – and how important humour can be in helping them read and learn.
• A perfect novel for literature circles, reciprocal reading groups or to read aloud to your class, Con-Nerd ties in beautifully with the Australian Curriculum cross curriculum priorities for Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Download Teaching notes for Con-Nerd HERE