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Gone To The Woods by Gary Paulsen

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Jan 2021
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“A rich, compelling read that is emotive and expressive without forcing empathy from the reader. Both brightly funny and darkly tragic, it is fresh in its honest portrayal of difficult themes.Readers will fall into this narrative of succeeding against overwhelming odds amid deep trauma.” KIRKUS
“Beautifully written, Paulsen’s memoir demonstrates that good can triumph over bad beginnings.” BOOKLIST
“Read like a wolf eats. Read when they tell you not to read, and read what they tell you not to read.” Gary Paulsen

If not for his six-hundred-mile journey from the busy Chicago city to a captivating Minnesotan farm aged five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book aged thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his daring teenage enlistment in the army, he might not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller.

Gone to the Woods: A True Story of Growing Up in the Wild is the  true story of Gary Paulsen’s childhood, of grit and growing up, and is Paulsen at his rawest and most real.


 

 

How To Change The World by Rashmi Sirdeshpande ill. Annabel Tempest

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Could you and your friends change the world? This book will inspire you with 15 true stories of groups of amazing humans who’ve changed the world.

Discover the astonishing things humans can achieve: from the campaign for women’s votes, to the efforts to heal the ozone layer. Or travel back to the start of democracy in Ancient Greece, and into space to see the incredible teamwork on the international space station. Above all, uncover just some of the MANY ways we can work together to change our world – all brought to life with astonishing story-telling and illustration.

Follow Rashmi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashmiwriting/
Follow Annabel Tempest, the illustrator, on Instagram:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez ill. Lauren Semmer

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 5 Jan 2021

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“Endnotes clarify terms and figures, and a resource list includes child-friendly books, websites, museums, and poems. A substantive and affirming addition to any collection.” KIRKUS

Brimming with passion, beauty, flow, and style, here is an ABC book like no other – a celebration of Black history and culture in lively verse, matched with illustrations that are each like a folk painting. Written by poet Rio Cortez and illustrated by Lauren Semmer, the book teaches the alphabet in a far more interesting and meaningful way than the usual “A is for apple, B is for ball.” Letters represent history – G is for the Great Migration. Culture – K for Kwanzaa. People and places – H is for Harlem and Zora Neale Hurston. And big ideas – like B for beautiful, bold, brave, brotherhood.

R is for rise, to reach for the top.
Relentlessly striving, refusing to stop.
Like ballplayers, boxers, and gymnasts who fly.
Like presidents and justices who dared to ask why?

Follow poet Rio Cortez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohreallyrio/
Follow Lauren Semmer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bylaurensemmer/

Art Is Life: The Life of Artist Keith Haring by Tami Lewis Brown ill. Keith Negley

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Keith Haring believed that art should be enjoyed by everyone, not just those with the money or inclination to visit museums. When Keith moved to New York City in 1978, he rode the subway and noticed that the crowds were bored and brusque, and the subways were decayed and dreary. He thought the people of New York needed liberating, illuminating, and radiating art. So he bought a stick of white chalk and started drawing. This picture book biography explores Keith Haring’s life and shows why his art continues to resonate with people. You can still see his ubiquitous designs gracing billboards, posters, clothing, and more. Keith Negley’s bold, energetic illustrations evoke Keith Haring while maintaining a style all their own.

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There are Fish Everywhere ill. Britta Teckentrup text Katie Haworth

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Dec 2020
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The first in a series of non-fiction books from Britta Teckentrup, published by Templar and Big Picture Books.

There are fish everywhere! Some of them live in freshwater, some of them live under ice, and some even live in the desert. This is non-fiction with spark and personality.

We love this artist’s work. See her illustrations for The House By The Lake, a previous Book of the Day and for the recent poetry anthology Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, also a Book of the Day. 

Britta Beckentrup was born in Hamburg. She settled for a while in the UK, including to study illustration at  St Martn’s and the Royakl College of Art. She now lives in Berlin.

Follow Britta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britta_teckentrup/

Opening The Box of Delights: A stunning visual celebration of John Masefield’s Christmas classic by Dr Philip W. Errington

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Dec 2020

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John Masefield’s fantasy novel The Box of Delights is an enduring Christmas classic. It has a unique place in children’s literature and continues to inspire and engage modern readers with its timeless adventure of ancient magic, good vanquishing evil, and Christmas miracles. For many, watching the 1984 BBC TV adaptation is a Christmas tradition and ‘The Box of Delights Appreciation Society’ has over 2,000 members on Facebook! This visual celebration of The Box of Delights is written by a world expert on the text and showcases fascinating illustrations, photographs, letters, manuscripts and designs from Masefield’s life and across all of the story’s many manifestations – through the different editions of the book (whose illustrators included Quentin Blake), and adaptations on television, radio and stage. 

Daily Telegraph feature article on The Box of Delights >>>


 

How To Write It: Work With Words by Anthony Anaxagorou

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This is a masterclass in craft and a deep insight into one of Britain’s most celebrated poets, T.S. Eliot-Award-shortlisted and Guardian Book of the Year recipient, Anthony Anaxagorou.

Walking readers through his personal journey of falling into poetry at a young age, and his years spent honing his craft and building a community of poets, this book will arm readers with essential creative lessons to help make their own idea, be it a poem, short story, novel or memoir, a finished and published work.

Whether seeking to detangle yourself from writer’s block, or take your work to the next level, this book is essential reading. With a rousing foreword by Sunday Times bestselling author, Candice Carty-Williams.

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Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It by Rashmi Sirdeshpande ill. Adam Hayes

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The Times Best Children’s Books of the Year List, 2020

A fun and accessible financial handbook helping boys and girls build their confidence and develop a positive money mindset.

Having some dosh in your pocket can be really exciting. And when it’s used as a force for good, those pennies have the power to change the world. But managing money can seem daunting, especially in uncertain times. This book is here to build your confidence, transform you into a money expert and look toward the future. Whether you want to become an entrepreneur, be a savvy shopper, save all your pennies or splurge on something you really want, children’s author and former lawyer, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, is here to help you make the right decisions. Discover what money is, why it matters, how to spend it and ways to make more of it in this fun and brilliant guide.

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Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration by Mireia Trius ill. Joana Casals

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 4 Dec 2020

Me and the World is a colourful, eye-popping universe of infographics about global communities.  This content-rich book teaches about other  cultures around the world, all while stepping back and really seeing the big picture.
Me and the World is the perfect introduction for a generation entering an increasingly digitized, data-driven world. It pairs visual literacy with data literacy, using colourful illustrations and infographics to present information in a way young readers will not only understand but enjoy.
Equal parts educational and entertaining, this makes a great pick for parents and grandparents, as well as librarians, science teachers, and educators.

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanacasalspelegri/

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The Art of Ramona Quimby: Sixty-Five Years of Illustrations from Beverly Cleary’s Beloved Books by Anna Katz

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Dec 2020

“The true pleasure of this retrospective is that it highlights key moments from the books, in chronological order, and compares the various illustrators’ ways of depicting them. We see the same sequence drawn in different eras (with different fashions and hairstyles); we see varying unscripted reactions on the characters’ faces, and a wide range of demeanors. We see situations from different angles and perspectives, with positive versus negative spins…” Jennifer Krauss NEW YORK TIMES

The Art of Ramona Quimby celebrates the artists behind Beverly Cleary’s inimitable Ramona Quimby series. The adventures of her iconic heroine have been brought to life by five different artists: Louis Darling, Alan Tiegreen, Joanne Scribner, Tracy Dockray, and Jacqueline Rogers.
Readers can compare multiple interpretations of iconic scenes (remember the infamous egg-cracking incident?), read letters between illustrators and Cleary, and learn the stories behind the illustrations.

The Art of Ramona Quimby explores the evolution of an iconic character, and how each artist has ultimately made her timeless. For fans of illustration and design, and for those who grew up alongside Ramona, this richly nostalgic volume reminds us why we fell in love with these books.

The most recent illustrator, Jacqueline Rogers, describes her style, in an afterword, as “sometimes scratchy,” with a variety of thick and thin lines, “loose and full of energy,” just like the incorrigible, irresistible Ramona.
Read this interview with the book’s compiler, Anna Katz.

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