Sally Murphy's Blog, page 3

Books to Include in Your Early Childhood Classroom in 2025

Welcome  to a new school year. With school set to start very soon across Australia, I thought it might be nice to share some insights into which of my in-print books  might be suitable for different classes across the school years, and resources available to support them. So, in this first post, I am going to focus on books suitable for Kindergarten and Pre-primary classrooms  (noting that because these classes have different names across Australia, I am referring to classes for ages 3-5).

Firstly, I have two picture books suitable for use in Early Childhood.

The Floatingest Frog (illustrated by Simon Bosch, published by New Frontier). This one is fun to read aloud and, if you have a couple of frog puppets, also fun to act out.  The story of two frogs who spot a cow and wonder if they can be bigger than it, it is based on an Aesop’s Fable, the Frog and the Ox, and also delas with competitiveness and sibling rivalry.

What can it be used for:  Reading for pleasure, which is key for this age group, but also, to help address outcomes including ASELA1433a  (Encounter books, print and digital texts and respond to images in the text) and ACELT 1783a  (Respond to texts listened to, viewed or read).   Because it is retold fable (you can see one version of the original fable here) there is the opportunity to explore fables and address ACELT1578 and ACELT1580) and also link to science and the topic of frogs. You’ll find a collection of frog related videos used in a unit which followed on from reading The Floatingest Frog  here .

Although it is a little hard to find in stores, The Floatingest Frog is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me,  posted anywhere in Australia for $20

2. Snowy’s Christmas (illustrated by David Murphy, published by Random House).  Although, in January, Christmas seems a very long way away, it will be here before you know it – and, besides, who says you have to wait until Christmas to read a Christmas story?  Featuring a white kangaroo, this is an Australian Christmas story, and effectively an Australian version of the famous Rudolph story.

What can it be used for: As above, reading for pleasure and, at the end of the year, particularly the pleasure and excitement of Christmas.  Addressing literacy outcomes also listed above, but also a wonderful tie-in for Christmas-themed units of work, or units focussing on Australian animals., as well as on self acceptance and families.  These teaching ideas, although linked to Year 2 learning outcomes, will provide lots of ideas which can be adapted for early childhood. Snowy’s Christmas also appears on the readings lists for the Premier’s reading Challenges in Victoria and in NSW.

As with The Floatingest Frog, Snowy’s Christmas is a little hard to find in stores, but  is still held in many school and public libraries and available for sale directly from me,  posted anywhere in Australia for $18.

If you are hoping to include more poetry in your early childhood classroom, I have two books suitable for educators, both including poems by myself and others suitable for classroom use.

Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose ( Published by PETAA)  is, as the title suggests, designed to help you in teaching poetry in pleasurable ways, but also with the purpose of supporting the demands of the curriculum. There is a chapter for each primary school year, including Foundation/Preprimary, unpacking key terminology, suggesting activities both in reading and writing, and including poems and suggestions for further resources.  Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose is available directly from PETAA in both hardcopy and digital formats. PETAA also offer an online professional learning module of the same name. where you can hear more from me on the teaching of poetry.Assembly (published by Ready Ed Publications) is a collection of printable poems for use for performing, recitation or just having fun with, including poems suitable for early childhood. Each poem is printable, and is supported with a page of teaching notes.  Available in hard copy or ebook format directly from the publisher .

This is just a taste of what I have written suitable for this age group. There are also other picture books, which unfortunately are no longer in print, but may be in your school library (including Fly in Fly Out Dad and Pemberthy Bear) as well as several reading series titles.

And, if you’d like to see me in person, I am available to visit your school for author visits or to run

professional learning. Feel free to contact me to find out more. You can also do the same  if you’d like some advice on using my books in your classroom.

2024 The Best Bits

Happy New Year!  I know I’m not the only one who is wondering just how could 2024 be over so quickly, but it happened, and so as I sit down to plan the year ahead, I want to look back at the year that was.

2024 was a bit of a packed year for me, professionally and personally, but, writing-wise, I want to highlight the best bits.  I tried to put them in some kind of order – could I rank them  from a bit wonderful to very wonderful (turns out no, because these are all  very wonderful things), could I stick to chronological order (almost possible, but some of the best bits occurred over several months), could I group  them in some other way (no – but I did manage to write a list on a sticky note so that I hopefully don’t miss something big I should mention). So, in no particular order, here’s my list of the best bits of my writing life in 2024.

 The release of Right Way Down, which I co-edited with my amazing friend Rebecca Newman . Illustrated by another amazing friend Briony Stewart, this book is one of my favourite projects ever – in part because it was the culmination of a dream Rebecca and I had had for ages about seeing an anthology of West Australian children’s poetry in print and in the hands of young readers, but also because of the sheer wonder of being able to include so many poets,  from first time poets to very established names. The launch was just sheer joy, and I still smile every time I think of it.The release of The Riding Gallery , and the knowledge that the story of Anton Weniger is finally out in the world.  This book was a little while coming, because it took me a while to figure out how to tell the story, but I am so grateful that  Walker Books published it, and have loved sharing the story in schools, at festivals and other events – including, magically, a trip to Canberra, the home of the merry go round at the centre of the story.Being awarded the Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature.  This still blows my mind – that the CBCA WA Branch saw me as worthy of this, just for doing what I love,  means soooooo much and makes me determined  to live up to it.  The photo was taken at the CBCA WA Bookweek dinner where it was an honour to be in the presence of Muriel Barwell herself, as well as several other ‘Muriels’ (past recipients).Being given six months Academic Study Leave from my day job,  to research and write. What an absolute privilege that time was – and very productive, with a new verse novel drafted, a stack of poems written, a book chapter submitted AND a trip to Europe and Singapore where I presented at two conferences, saw amazing sights and made new friends.Poems!  Lots of poems written and, pleasingly, lots accepted and published.  I had poems published in Right Way Down, The School Magazine, The Toy Magazine, Picture Perfect Poetry,  and The Birmingham Arts Journal. Also, I worked with PETAA to build on the success of Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose with a self-paced course of the same name. It makes me really happy to think that I am doing something to help teachers spread a love of poetry.And, speaking of spreading the love, I was really lucky to get to spread the love myself, with festival visits, school and library events. Hard to choose highlights, but Scribblers on the Road, which saw me visit the Pilbara with awesome fellow creatives, was pretty darned special.  And speaking of special, while the most special part of any book event is, without a doubt, the young readers and writers I get to meet, I was also really aware this year of the wonderful friendships I have with fellow creatives and with the many children’s literature advocates and enthusiasts  I get to hang out with.Last, but never least, I wrote – some of this has been mentioned already, including the  verse novel I drafted, and lots of poems, but I also wrote a new historical picture book, which is under contract (hooray!),   revised and polished and dabbled and wrote whenever I could.

I know I will think of something I’ve missed about five minutes after I post this, but suffice to say, 2024 was productive and fulfilling and if I have missed something, that’s because I am so lucky to have had so many wonderful writerly happenings in the past year.  How lucky am I?

And, as for 2025, what am I planning? More of the same – more writing, more speaking, more reading, more spreading a love of reading, writing and poetry wherever and whenever I can.  See you there!

What I Read in December 2024

Whew. Not just another month over, but another year. How did that happen? I only managed to get through seven books In December, which surprised me, since I was on leave from the day job for most of the month., but there were some fairly lengthy books in the mix, and lots of other good stuff away from reading, with family and friends and lots of swimming.

Anyway, here’s what I read in December:

Books for Children Bicycling to the Moon, by Timo Parvela, illustrated by Virpi Talvitie (Gecko Press, 2016). A cute and quirky collection of stories featuring an unlikely pair of housemates – Barker the dog and Purdy the cat.Water Boatman,by William Mayne (GazelleBooks,1964). Rescued from a discard pile a while back and sitting in my to read cupboard until now. A cute, though dated, early chapter book from 1964.Books for Young Adults Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan (Text Publishing, 2010).  Very late to the party reading this one – which, I suspect, may even have been in my to-read pile since it came out. I’ve heard a lot about it, so no reason not to read it. Anyway, I have now, and liked it.Books for Adults Father of the Lost Boys, by Yuot A. Alaak (Fremantle Press, 2024). This is a stunning memoir of the lives of South Sudanese boys during the Second Sudanese Civil War. The author was not only one of those boys, but his father, Mecak Ajang Alaak, was the man who took it on himself to lead and protect those boys. The Yield: Winner of the 2020 Miles Franklin Award, by Tara June Winch (Penguin, 2021). The Lost Bookshop, by Evie Woods (One More Chapter, 2024). Listened to this one on audio, thinking it would be lighter than it was – but really enjoyed it nonetheless. Magical realism about a bookshop that changes lives across generations. The Power, by Naomi Alderman (Penguin Books, 2017). This book found me – or I found it, perhaps – on a ferry, where it was sitting on the window ledge next to my seat when I boarded.  I had planned to leave it there, but by the time we’d reached the mainland, I’d decided I was meant to read it. An intriguing interpretation of what might happen if women suddenly had all the power.

This brings my total for 2024 to 115.  I didn’t set a target number for the year, because I wanted to slow down and enjoy the quality rather than the quantity, and I think I achieved that. My goal for 2025 is to do the same.

Here’s to another year of reading.

 

Christmas Lunch

Another Christmas poem from my file. Here’s to all the people who are hosting Christmas get togethers this year, and are a little stressed trying to get it right.

Lunch

It’s Christmas

and Granny and Granpa

and Nanna and Pop

and Aunty Sue

and Great Uncle Bob

and old cousin Mal

and the cousins

Timmy and Steph

Lexie, Louise and Leticia,

the twins,

Baby Belle (who sleeps all day in the pram)

and the  Smiths next door

and Mrs Harris (who has no family of her own)

and Cheryl from down the road

are all coming for dinner.

Mum’s stressed.

 

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

 

Too Many Sleeps: A Christmas Poem

Yet another Christmas poem from my archive – this one first appeared on the Poetry Tag blog.

Too Many Sleeps

Run, days, run!

Stop dragging leaden feet

And scurry, hurry, flurry

To Christmas Day.

Hop, days, hop!

From one to next to next

Quicker, slicker, ticker

To Christmas Day.

Skip, days, skip!

With speed Santa would envy

Racing, pacing, chasing

To Christmas Day.

Glide, days, glide

Like runners on a sleigh

Dash, slash, smash

To Christmas Day.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

 

 

A Christmas Swim

Another Australian Christmas poem from my files.

A Christmas Swim

Our backyard pool is loads of fun.

Most days it’s just me and Trent

and maybe a couple of friends

splashing around and keeping cool,

but once a year, on Christmas day,

our pool is the coolest place ever.

After Christmas lunch is over

and digested

and the adults are finished with their

post-lunch snoozes

me and Trent head outside

and bombie into the pool.

Soon we are joined

by Uncle Bob and cousin Phil

in their fluoro boardies.

Uncle Bob always takes a running dive

and half the water disappears.

Next come the aunties;

Aunty Daph saying ‘now don’t wet my hair, boys’

and Aunty Pru bobbing at the deep end

like a lost whale.

Mum and Dad come out

and, even though the pool’s getting crowded

they jump and splash like teenagers.

The funniest bit of all is when granny comes out

in her flowery cossie

and latches onto a pool pony.

She might look pretty helpless

but when she gets hold of a noodle

she whacks and bats

and gives as good as she gets.

Aunty Daph’s hair isn’t just wet –

it’s saturated

and so is everything else

as we splash

and dive

and noodle joust

and submarine

and bombie

and stay cool

until it’s time for Christmas dinner.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

Christmas Tree

Another  Christmas  poem – today it’s a shape poem.

 

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

An Australian Christmas Song

To add to yesterday’s end-of-school-year poem, here’s another from my files, which I’ve posted on my blog before.

 

We sing of jingle bells and snow

Of warm red suits and ho ho ho

But none of this is quite the way

When it is Christmas here below

 

Downunder in good old Aussieland

It’s time for sun and surf and sand

It’s hot, not cold, it’s summertime

And summer treats are in demand.

 

Hard work for reindeer in this heat

Hot roofs would burn their tender feet

And racing through the summer skies

Would soon see them feeling beat.

 

And as for Santa in fur and such

He’d soon feel overdressed a touch

Being snug and warm in blistering heat

Is not likely to impress him much.

 

Santa needs roos for the job

Of sleigh-pulling – an Aussie mob

To get him moving all around

From Sydney town to Iron Knob.

 

His suit, too, needs an overthrow

A new outfit, from head to toe

Some boardies, a singlet and some thongs

Would seem to be the way to go.

 

So let’s not sing of snow and ice

Instead I’ll give you this advice

Roos, utes and summer are the go

For Christmas songs that sound real nice.

 

So ripper, bonza, beudy strewth

Though you might think my song uncouth

It’s true blue and its ridgy didge

To sing a song that tells the truth.

 

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

 

An End-of-School-Year Christmas Poem

We all know Christmas is coming, but today I’m sparing a thought for all the kids across Australia (and their teachers!) who are plodding their way through the last week(s) of the school year. Having been there many times – as a child and as a teacher, I know it can be both exciting and exhausting in equal measure.

Anyway, here is a poem from my files to hopefully make you smile.

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming.

We’ve stopped learning stuff at school

except how to sing Jingle Bells

while standing straight and tall

so the folks can get good piccies

at speech night;

and how to get glitter to stick

to a polystyrene ball

to hang on the Chrissie tree.

And how to make a gazillion cards

one for Mum

one for Dad

and two for the grandmas.

And how to carry homeaAll those scrapbooks

And artworks

and dead textas.

And how to concentrate

on all this

even though it’s 40 degrees

and our classroom isn’t airconditioned

and all we really think about

is that Christmas is coming.

 

( Copyright Sally Murphy)

Books for Christmas

Looking for a Christmas themed book for a child in your life?

Snowy’s Christmas is the story of a joey who doesn’t like being different – until he meets Santa and realises that only he can help with the sleigh. I have a stack of copies which can be posted anywhere in Australia for $18 (postage included). You can email me directly for details, or buy through this ebay link.

Copies will be signed to the recipient.

And, while it isn’t Christmas themed, you might also find a chapter book just the thing for a reader aged 6-10.  Doggy Duo was my first ever published children’s book and the only place you can now buy it is direct from me.  Super discounted, at just $5 (including postage, again posted anywhere in Australia.  Again available through ebay  or  you can email me for payment details.

If you’re reading this page, you probably don’t need convincing that books make excellent Christmas gifts, but I’m telling you anyway: not only are they great gifts, they are easy to wrap and fit into smallish parcels. Also, buying one of these books helps me to clear much needed storage space on my office! I don’t usually sell my books directly, so now is your chance.

Not interested in either of these books? That’s okay – I urge you to consider heading to your local bookstore and supporting any author (especially Australian ones) by buying a book, or three, this holiday season.