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Advantages: Genltly rhyming text, great illustrations
Disadvantages: none

The Snail and the Whale - Julia Donaldson This is another classic Julia Donaldson book that is illustrated by Axel Sheffler. It is 32 pages long and costs £5.99, published by Macmillan. It is a story of a snail who has an "itchy foot" and dreams of far away places. He finds a whale that will take him to places he's never seen or dreamed of and everything is going well until disaster happens… will the snail be able to save the whale? It is written ...
...and on. The illustrations are beautiful showing a wide range of places that the snail is visiting. There are plenty of things to see which complements the text. The snail and the Whale is also available on audio book read by Imelda Staunton who just brings the story alive. As I type I can hear the gentle lilt of the text and the subtle jokes which make it a joy to read, not just for the children but also for the adults. How does she write such ... Read review

Advantages: A truely imaginative fantasy with something for everyone
Disadvantages: As a childrens book it lacks the depth of language adults may prefer.

The third installment in Pullmans His Dark Materials triolgy cannot fail to delight. Following the final leg of the adventure of Lyra and Will as they discover amazing new worlds and incredible new characters like the tiny Gallivespians, reminiscent of the inhabitants of Jonathan Swifts Lilliput in Gullivers Travels, and the wonderfully peaceful Mulefa who seem to be uncomparible in literature. A magnificent read for adults and children alike as ...
...the reader on a journey through multitudes of worlds including the World of the Dead and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Amber Spyglass is an unmissable joy to read which is truely impossible to put down until the very end and even then promises to be read over and over again. ... Read review

Advantages: Encourages listening and thinking skills
Disadvantages: Might make your brain hurt!

...after reading an article in the Times about keeping children’s brains active throughout the long summer holidays. We often play games and quizzes at family meal times (when I went on holiday I packed in my suitcase… type of game) so I though this book may give us some food for thought, so to speak. A thunk, explains the author Ian Gilbert, is a simple looking question about an everyday thing which makes you stop and reflect and then look at things ...
...question harder, everyday situations. The concept of thunks came from America where Matthew Lipman, a professor of philosophy, realised his students could tell him in detail what the great philosophers thought, but were unable to formulate ideas for themselves. About 10 years ago he developed a course of what became known as Philosophy for Children which was abbreviated to P4C. By questioning why they feel something to be true, or not, students ... Read review