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NEWSLETTER
Reading up a storm!
1 September 2010
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It is Peter's birthday tomorrow but, as I'm all by myself at the moment with
Peter, Seb and Lila away, there won't be any birthday cake.
Lila and Seb are doing a tour of Namibia with family, having
quite an adventure and clocking up lots of new experiences.
Peter is in the Seychelles training parliamentary staff. My only
company is of the feline kind and they have been rather aloof
except around dinnertime.
My Latest Reads
The one benefit of being on one's own is that there is
so much more reading time. In the past month I've read several
young adult novels, most of them pretty sub-standard.
Mockingjay, the last in the Hunger Games trilogy
arrived this morning and I can't wait to get started on that!
This dystopian series with a strong anti-war message is an
excellent read for older teens (and adults) who enjoy
white-knuckle adventure stories. |
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Yes, it is quite violent, but that did not bother me as I
was just rushing through wanting to find out what would happen
next. If you're interested in these, or any other books not on
the website, we can get hold of it
for you.
I've also read a couple of newish adult
releases and some not so new: Tess Gerritsen's latest Ice
Cold, Jodi Picoult's House Rules and Lionel
Shriver's We need to talk about Kevin. At the moment
I'm immersed in Deon Meyer's latest, called Thirteen Hours.
Next on the list is Norman Doidge's The brain that changes
itself and in between I dip into Real-Life
Homeschooling by Rhonda Barfield. A rather eclectic mix, as
you can see!
When Peter gets back we'll continue our joint read,
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Very gentle and enjoyable! |
Extended into
September!
Discount on Colouring & Audio
Books in stock
See all
Colouring Books See all
Audio Books
After a
fantastic reaction to this special offer, we stocked up with a
vengeance
and now have plenty to choose from... again!
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New Additions to the Site |
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Fair Dinkum Histories # 7:
Rockin’, Rollin’, Hair and Hippies
We've been waiting for this latest serving in
the very popular and wonderfully readable Fair Dinkum Histories series. The title is quite descriptive but there is
more to say about the book.
Covering the period from the 1950s to 1960s,
it deals with the period after World War II and what life was
like in Australia at the time. Some exciting changes occur in
this period such as rock and roll, and a big one... television.
Australians were finding their own identity and becoming more
confident.
Rockin’, Rollin’, Hair and Hippies also
touches on the effects of the Cold War and of two much more
visibly damaging wars (Korea and Vietnam) that Australians were
involved in.
A very useful book for young people studying
the modern history of Australia. Recommended for ages 11-14.
Our price: $16.99.
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Usborne Internet-linked French for Beginners (Pack)
(pictured at top of newsletter). Our price: $35.95.
This
pack will be suitable for 10-12 year olds (give or take a year).
It covers the basics in a very compact format.
Each
double page lesson should be covered in a week or even two as
there is a lot to learn. In my view, and with my experience as a
secondary LOTE teacher (way back in the mists of time), this
would be suitable as a two year LOTE course at upper primary
level and would prepare a student very well for a smooth entry
into secondary level French.
It would, in fact, provide
a very respectable first year of secondary French by itself and
students would come out with a better knowledge of the subject
than most do after a Yr 8 LOTE course.
The internet
links lead the student to more detail and provide useful
consolidation of new concepts. The pack is constructed as a
sturdy, large hardcover, with the ring-bound book attached to
the left to allow for it lying flat. The other items in the pack
fit into the right hand side - these include a 60 minute audio
CD, a small CD-sized student workbook, illustrated flashcards
and a tiny sticker dictionary with 120 stickers.
Note
that we also sell the
textbook only as a separate item. Our
price for the textbook: $15.95. |
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Website
of the Month
You've picked a topic but have run out of
ideas on how to present content? At
Tools for
Educators you can make your own crosswords, word
searches, mazes, board games and more. Great for LOTE teaching
and for many other subjects. Definitely worth a look!
Although we check the sites we recommend,
content change and we cannot vouch for what your children might
see.
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Looking for a book?
We
can find almost any title, so just ask for an obligation-free
quote and we'll do our best to hunt down that elusive book. We're
also happy to give advice or to offer suggestions for homeschool
or other books.
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Contact
Us
Comments most welcome, as always! We would
love to hear from you.
Till next time, happy reading!
Elsa
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