The Unforgettable What’s His Name, by Paul Jennings

At lunchtime I sat on my own, trying not to be seen. I didn’t talk to anyone. If I climbed a tree the kids would look up and not spot me. If I was hiding among the bins no one could find me. It was almost as if I was a bin and not a boy.
horrible Gertag would say. ‘Where’s What’s His Name?’ And I would blush.

What’s His Name is shy and sad. He wants to belong, but he doesn’t, so he tries to avoid being noticed. Then, one weekend, he discovers that he can really blend in – like a chameleon. First he starts to blend in with his surroundings, then he actually starts to change into other things.

The Unforgettable What’s His Name is a hilarious tale of a boy with an unusual problem, though his worries about fitting in an belonging are universal. His funny escapades, the consequence of being able to change into other things, will delight young readers, and the comic illustrations – included several double page coloured spreads – by Craig Smith add to the fun, and will encourage readers to spot the main character.

Good stuff.

The Unforgettable What’s His Name, by Paul Jennings, illustrated by Craig Smith
Allen & Unwin, 2016
ISBN 9781760290856

Stories for Eight Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight

‘Stories for Eight Year Olds’ a collection of short stories from eleven well known Australian authors. There’s something for everyone. Paul Jennings starts off with a tale about UFD – Unidentified Flying Dogs. Jacqueline Harvey’s narrative poem warns about the dangers of Grandparents’ Day at school. There are giants and magic carpets, photo-hogs, visitors from other worlds and a wealthy cat. There are stories about the perils of having a sister, the healing powers of cake and of jokes taken too far. Each story is about fifteen pages long, with a contents page at the front and a bio section at the end. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.

You can be the judge. Am I the biggest liar in the world or do I tell the truth? There is one thing for sure – Dad believes me.

Anyway, I will leave it up to you. I will tell you what happened and you can make up your own mind.

It all starts one evening about teatime. Dad is cooking the tea and Mum is watching Sixty Minutes on television. Suddenly there is a knock on the door. ‘I’ll get it, yells my little brother Matthew. He always runs to be the first to the door and the first to the telephone. It really gets on my nerves the way he does that.

Stories for Eight Year Olds is a collection of short stories from eleven well known Australian authors. There’s something for everyone. Paul Jennings starts off with a tale about UFD – Unidentified Flying Dogs. Jacqueline Harvey’s narrative poem warns about the dangers of Grandparents’ Day at school. There are giants and magic carpets, photo-hogs, visitors from other worlds and a wealthy cat. There are stories about the perils of having a sister, the healing powers of cake and of jokes taken too far. Each story is about fifteen pages long, with a contents page at the front and a bio section at the end. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.

Stories for Eight Year Olds is a delightful and wacky collection of short stories, perfect for the independent reader who wants to try a few authors without committing to a full length novel. A sampler of light-hearted and cautionary tales to dip into. A perfect way to introduce some of Australia’s foremost authors for the age group. Recommended for … eight year olds!

Stories for Eight Year Olds

Stories for Eight Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight
Random House 2012
ISBN: 9781742756608

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Stories for 7 Year Olds, edited by Linsay Knight

What do seven year olds like to read about? Lots of things! And this book aimed at seven year old readers, covers lots of different subjects, in different forms. There is a story about a mother on a diet, one about surfing in an outback pool, another about a young emperor with a headache, and yet another about an author visiting a school. Whilst all are prose, one is interspersed with poetry and others use fairytale, mythology, first person narration and even the format of a school report, meaning there is plenty of variety.

The 11 stories are illustrated by Tom Jellett, giving a uniformity to the volume, and back of book biographies introduce each author who include some of the biggest names of Australian children’s literature, including Morris Gleitzman, Paul Jennings and Margaret Clark.

Suitable for newly independent readers to read on their own, the stories are also suitable for reading aloud.

Stories for Seven Year Olds

Stories for Seven Year Olds, edited by Linsay Knight, illustrated by Tom Jellett
Random House, 2012
ISBN 9781742756622

Available from good bookstores or online.