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BOOK OF THE WEEK
Our final Book of the Week for this term comes from the Junior Librarian, Yannick, Owls class. Yannick enjoys a variety of literature but has a particular penchant for non-fiction.
Yannick recommends The Solar System written by Emily Bone and illustrated by Terry Pastor.
Yannick explains his choice: “I am really interested in Space, and I learned lots of new information from this book.
Mrs Harvey would also recommend this book – the Usborne non-fiction series provides a wide array of topics, written in a very accessible way for the age of our Grimsdell children. We have a considerable variety of Usborne non-fiction texts in our library, ranging from Volcanoes to Meerkats to The Greeks!
The Solar System by Emily Bone is an informative non-fiction book about our solar system and all that it encompasses. It is an introduction book written for children who are seven years old and older, therefore providing accessible information. I think the author easily achieves her goal of getting children interested in a world so far away with the use of vivid photographs and descriptions. The pictures and photographs are the best part of this book. They are so big, bright and colourful that any child would want to know more information about what they are seeing. The background of each page is like the universe itself and every picture is part of the universe. She goes through how it all started and describes all the planets, how they work, our sun and the moon. For a child who is more STEM inclined or a young reader who is just curious about outer space, this is a good book to have in a non-fiction collection.
Mrs Harvey encourages the borrowing of non-fiction books. Non-fiction books are a popular choice by many of our Grimsdell borrowers. I have written previously about the importance of non-fiction in the development a child’s literacy skills. Non-fiction underpins all other learning: comprehending non-fiction is a life skill. The reading and sharing of non-fiction literature develops reading comprehension, builds background knowledge and develops analytical skills.
How do you encourage your child to read non-fiction if they are a reluctant non-fiction reader? I often encourage children to pair their fiction book with a non-fiction text, as this can make their enjoyment and understanding of the fiction text much richer. Competent readers make meaning from a text not only by knowing what the words mean, but by bringing what they know of the world to the text. It’s worth noting that children are more likely to engage with a non-fiction text related to a story that they are emotionally invested in. Alternatively, go with your child’s interests. Whether it is dogs or princesses, find non-fiction books to match your child’s passions. Include ‘how to’ books such as Junk Modelling that teach them how create new and exciting items or try a science experiment book for all the budding scientists out there! We have a wide range of non-fiction books – I am sure there is something to tempt everyone!
Author of the Week
Our author of the week is Valentina from Hawk class who has designed an innovative front cover for her non-fiction book, exploring igloos, inspired by the knowledge she has gained from this term’s topic, Ice Worlds. Her book contains a wealth of information and is beautifully illustrated. It contains all the features of a non-fiction text, showing in-depth application of her recent learning. Grimsdell children are fast becoming experts in the area of icy lands!
Happy Reading!
