Over the next 5 weeks, during RBL/ICT lessons the Year 4 to 7 students will be exploring the non-fiction texts that have been shortlisted by the Childrens Book Council of Australia. Which one of these do you think deserves to win? Why?

We will be exploring the topics presented by these books, and thinking about how the authors have used the topic and language structures and features to good effect. What makes these worthy of making the shortlist?
To begin, what do we already know:

Phasmid: Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect – Room 9

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
I think they will save the stick insect
They will probably try to find some more because they thought they were extinct
The text will be about the recovery of the stick insect
Might all be extinct then they find another egg and it breeds
We think that maybe there is more of them. Where do they come from? Travel to look for them, find more
Maybe they were endangered, being taken care of in an enclosure, got away, had to try to look for them
They started to be extinct and they found one
Some people think they are all extinct then someone finds some
They are all extinct but some people don’t agree and then go and search and they find them. Find them on the edge of extinction, but manage to save them
We think that they are on the verge of extinction, try to find some more of the species
Someone finds a whole group of them somewhere but no one believes them
Science non-fiction book about the stick insect. They finds one, copy the DNA and then breed more

 

Phasmid: Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect – Room 11

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
We think it would be sad if this species of insect becomes extinct
Cool that a guy discovered a new species on the island
The phasmids were extinct and then found and bred more
A man will discover a new bug
Everyone who tried to save the bug would have been really happy
Story about saving a stick insect. Happy to find species
Extinct but then a man found on a crevasse in a rock
Grateful that they found it, now we can learn more. Never give up
Interesting that everyone thought it was extinct. Need to learn more to keep it alive
Book about how to save insects

Phasmid: Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect – Room 12

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
Phasmid was extinct but not extinct
A lot of research before they could breed more. How they kept them alive
People that saved them must have really cared about them
How it got extinct and how they found it
Publishers are scientists
Persistence and hope
Colours which identify it – from other animals
Send someone to go find the phasmids, research lab to learn more about them
Care a lot about them, heard about extinction, searched island. Starts a breeding program
Might try and get other people involved
Book to create awareness of extinction and other animals that might have same problem
Work together as a team
May have been preyed on by predators – birds, animals –maybe snakes	√ birds
Some people wouldn’t care just to become famous

Lennie the Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony – Room 13

Lennie goes to Sydney from Melbourne
What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
He didn’t flee Melbourne
Lennie is really brave because he was on a pony
Probably had to go through a tough time – robber
Crazy to travel all that way. Was the pony Ok – was it fed?
Lennie meets the Prime Minister. Who was the Prime Minister at the time? Gough Whitlam?
31 years after Federation. Lennie was optimistic. During the Great Depression. Pony – Ginger Mick
Not very well thought out blurb, it shouldn’t tell the outcome
Maybe the family was struggling
I wonder how old the pony is and what happens to it afterwards

 

We Are the Rebels: The Women and Men who made Eureka – Room 14

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
Maybe some people invaded their town, and there was a big fight
Maybe they were having a war and people were told not to be involved – tried to fight back and that’s why they were called the rebels
There is the gold rush, Eureka Flag – looks very old – white cross and dark blue background with stars at the end and the middle
Gold rush – people across the world went to the gold rush, so they could mine gold and get rich
Maybe the background of the cover is the flag
Eureka Stockade – mining area – attracted lots of people, Cornish people
Eureka – I found it!
Seen a mining film – gigantic field – Burra
Eureka – Sky Deck building – tallest building in Southern hemisphere – named after Eureka Stockade
Mining place
Eureka Stockade in Australia somewhere
Lots of money involved
Front cover – flag – burn – culture or belief
Eureka flag – stars, red, blue
Up and down story – good parts and not so good parts

 

The White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake – Room 15

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
She is in the French Resistance – WW2 (against the force – Hitler)
Australian
She is very secretive and brave – The White Mouse
She’s wanted – Dead or Alive
Most decorated Australian woman
She is rebellious for a good cause – helping refugees
– works for the army – Australian army
10 medals
– parachuted behind enemy lines – sneaky, using a tactic to get around the opposition
Had to sacrifice and cause destruction

The White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake – Room 16

What do I think I know	Confirmed  √	Misconception	New Information	Wonderings
A war, a woman’s experiences during WW11 and how she achieved the medals
She was a spy and her code name was The White Mouse  because she could get passed the enemy’s defences
Women have equal abilities as men, as she can do things that men can’t
Must have had a lot of courage
Wonder why it’s called The White Mouse
Think she’s a spy and the other enemies call her The White Mouse
Called The White Mouse because of how she dresses
Nurse, Reporter, Rebel

Phasmids – Year 4/5

Lennie the Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony – Year 6

We are the Rebels: Women and Men of Eureka – Year 6

 

 

The White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake – Year 7