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Aussie book heads top 10 list of most popular books for WA kids in Premier's Reading Challenge
Aussie book heads top 10 list of most popular books for WA kids in Premier's Reading Challenge

West Australian

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • West Australian

Aussie book heads top 10 list of most popular books for WA kids in Premier's Reading Challenge

A picture book by an Australian author is the most popular with WA school kids taking part in this year's Premier's Reading Challenge — even though American and British writers dominate their top 10 favourites. The Truck Cat, by Deborah Frenkel — about a cat named Tinka and his friendship with a lonely migrant truck driver — was the book most frequently logged by children taking part in the annual event. The reading challenge encourages kids from kindergarten to Year 10 in public and private schools to read at least 12 books in 12 weeks. Just one other Aussie book — Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabey — featured in the top 10. Education Department data shows that Dog Man books by American David Pilkey took out four spots on the list, while Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by fellow US author Jeff Kinney, was second. The first two books in British author JK Rowling's series about boy wizard Harry Potter are still proving popular with youngsters more than 20 years after they were published, as is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. Speaking from Queensland, where she was on holiday, Melbourne-based writer Frenkel was excited to learn her book was number one with WA school kids. 'That's so wonderful to hear,' she said. 'In my mind, if kids are reading anything, that's a win. 'But if kids are also reading Australian stories that reflect the experiences of people around us right here, then that's I think even better — so a double win really.' Avid readers at Riva Primary School in Piara Waters have dived enthusiastically into the challenge, with 166 students so far notching up more than 4200 books. Principal Aaron Chaplin believed the initiative was inspiring children to read more books. 'It builds that habit and love for reading,' he said. 'We embrace it and we have a fantastic library and librarian.' Mr Chaplin said it was encouraging to see talented Australian authors on the list, adding the longevity of Harry Potter could be attributed to parents who had grown up with the series now reading it to their own children. He suggested kids were drawn to Dog Man graphic novels because they had such accessible characters. Premier Roger Cook said reading sparked imagination, brought enjoyment and even led to job opportunities. 'With so many other distractions for kids these days, instilling a love of reading has never been more challenging,' he said. 'I love to read stories by Aussie authors, and I would encourage children to read work by local authors too. But reading widely is important — different authors, different genres, different styles — all of it helps us better understand the world we live in, and that can only be a good thing.' Education Minister Sabine Winton — a former primary school teacher and mum of three — said reading was crucial for children's development. 'Reading helps children think critically and creatively, and plays an important role in shaping young minds,' she said. 'Australia has a rich history of literary talent. I want to encourage all WA students to read books by Australian authors, and authors from different backgrounds, to explore new ideas and improve their vocabulary.' The annual challenge, which aims to improve students' literacy skills by giving them a goal, began on April 7 and finishes on June 27. Children who log their reading achievements each week are also in the running for weekly prizes. Students in Years 11 and 12 were included in the challenge for the first time this year, with a goal of six or more books. An Education Department spokesperson said it was still not too late to join in the challenge, which included events featuring WA-based authors.

These robot cats have glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats – and could help reduce stress in children
These robot cats have glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats – and could help reduce stress in children

The Guardian

time27-05-2025

  • Health
  • The Guardian

These robot cats have glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats – and could help reduce stress in children

At Springwood library in the Blue Mountains, a librarian appears with a cat carrier in each hand. About 30 children gather around in a semicircle. Inside each carrier, a pair of beaming, sci-fi-like eyes peer out at the expectant crowd. 'That is the funniest thing ever,' one child says. The preschoolers have just finished reading The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell for the annual National Simultaneous Storytime. The MetaCats, two therapeutic robotic pets, are special guests at the reading, on a maiden tour of libraries across the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. The Blue Mountains city council says the lifesize and weighted feline replicas can provide comfort and reduce stress – especially for children or people living with anxiety or dementia. The MetaCats can miaow and purr. They have animated LED eyes, soft non-allergenic fur and silicone paws. Yes, an artificial heartbeat thumps away inside. With inbuilt head, chin and back sensors, the cats respond to human touch, and they interact with realistic movements to certain voice commands. When someone says 'I love you MetaCat', their eyes light up with glowing heart symbols. Ewan, three, can't get enough of the black cat. He giggles and squeals with glee each time its head swivels towards him. 'He's obsessed,' laughs Amy Cameron, Ewan's mother. She thinks it's because it resembles their own family cat, Diego. Meanwhile, Stella, 10, is smitten with the white cat's fur, declaring it 'feels real'. Her six-year-old brother, Charlie, reminisces about Snufflepuss, their elderly orange cat who recently died. Dr Rosemary Dillon, CEO of the Blue Mountains city council, says the council decided to buy the MetaCats for the community after spotting them at the 2024 NSW Public Libraries Association conference. Dillon says one library manager told her visitors had started speaking to their library MetaCat, perched above the circulation desk, more than they did with the human staff. The MetaCats have proven unexpectedly popular with older residents, Dillon says. 'A high percentage of older people … live alone in the Blue Mountains and they come to the library for company,' she says. 'This will be another layer of interaction for them.' Loneliness is a pressing national public health concern: one in four Australians report feeling persistently lonely, according to a recent study. Associate professor Alyssa Milton, a children's mental health expert from the University of Sydney, says MetaCats may offer relaxed and predictable connections for people. 'Robot pets, or real-life pets, can help children feel safe and seen,' she says. 'Robotic animals do show some early promise in the research literature on supporting children experiencing differences in neurological development.' Milton says libraries and community spaces can help alleviate feelings of social disconnection, and the MetaCats offer an alternative for families who face housing or allergy barriers to owning a real cat or dog. Judging by the reactions in Springwood, MetaCats are a hit. The children line up eagerly to meet the furry animatrons. Stella and Charlie's mother, Stephanie Lambiris, says the family made a special trip to Springwood to meet the cats. 'It's gentle, it's sweet,' she says. Name suggestions for the pair are welcome via 'cat-flap' nomination boxes at library branches until 7 June. Stella submitted Snufflepuss, of course. Prof Adam Guastella, an expert in child neurodevelopment at the University of Sydney, says robotic animals can support learning and social skills. 'Early studies have shown … robotic dogs can improve social communication in autistic children,' Guastella says. Dr Nathan Caruana, a cognitive psychology lecturer at Flinders University, agrees the idea holds promise. He has led research on social robots supporting children with reading difficulties and emotional challenges. 'Children crave attention – and feeling like there's a bit of a spotlight on them that isn't judgmental can be really motivating' he says. However, Caruana says his research is ongoing and evidence for using robots as a mental health tool is still evolving. After this tour, the mechanical duo will move to what the council describes as their 'fur-ever' homes, the Springwood and Katoomba libraries, though they will travel to other libraries for special events.

Next week, millions of children across the globe will read this Australian book at the same time
Next week, millions of children across the globe will read this Australian book at the same time

The Guardian

time15-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Guardian

Next week, millions of children across the globe will read this Australian book at the same time

'They lose the cat, they find the cat again, they fall in love and then they get a baby.' This is how Clementine, four-and-a-half, summarises The Truck Cat, a picture book by children's author Deborah Frenkel and illustrator Danny Snell. On Wednesday 21 May at noon, more than one million children across Australia will read The Truck Cat in over 9,000 locations, including schools, libraries, homes and hospitals. It's the 25th instalment of the annual National Simultaneous Storytime, run by the Australian Library and Information Association (Alia). Last year's event saw 2.3 million people take part; this year, participants are registered from countries as far away as Albania, Lithuania and Italy. 'It's mind-blowing, really … it's hard to get your head around how big it actually is,' Snell says of having his book chosen for the event. The Truck Cat is the story of Tinka the cat, who travels with Yacoub, a truck driver and recent migrant who feels misunderstood in his new home. When Tinka chases after a butterfly, he and Yacoub are separated. Their journey back to each other brings them love and a newfound sense of belonging, in the form of a baker named Mari. With graphic novel-style panels in pastel tones, it's a gentle story about immigration, identity and kindness. 'Reading together builds community and literacy,' says the CEO of Alia, Cathie Warburton. 'We hope that children and their caregivers find that the book is a great way to start important conversations and grow together.' The popularity of National Simultaneous Storytime reflects an appetite for shared reading experiences in a turbulent time for literacy rates, with the most recent Naplan results revealing one in three Australian children are not proficient in literacy. The Truck Cat appeals to young readers for various reasons. Tinka the inquisitive little tabby cat and Yacoub's B-double tri-axle truck are popular with many, as are Snell's textural illustrations, which appear hand-painted. Feyza, nine, says, 'I like this book because it reminds me of how I have two homes. A mummy home and a daddy home … [And] I have two amazing cats.' Frenkel says every young reader wants to talk to her about their own pets: 'I'm hearing a lot [about] … the various exploits of everyone's cat and dog.' The inspiration for the book was a days-long road trip from Melbourne to Sydney that Frenkel made with her small children, stopping at 'what must have been every possible truck stop on the Hume Highway'. 'It gave me a good opportunity to notice the truck drivers … there's so many of them,' she says. A few months later, a neglected cat showed up at her back door, injured from a fight. Without a cat carrier, Frenkel planned to hold the cat tight while her husband drove to the vet, assuming the cat would be quite distressed in the car. 'But the cat suddenly became really relaxed and started purring on my lap. My husband said, 'He's like a cat that belongs to a truck driver' – at which point I was like yep, that's a picture book.' The Truck Cat is also informed by Frenkel's family history, as the granddaughter of Polish Jewish survivors of the Holocaust who arrived in Sydney in 1947. Their transition towards feeling at home in a new place is echoed in Yacoub's experience, and Frenkel was conscious that many young readers and their families might have similar stories. '[H]ow do you find your way home when you're in a strange new place?' she ponders in the book's endnote. 'I discovered one answer in Tinka, the truck cat – because cats are very wise.' The Truck Cat is broadly relatable in other ways, too. 'This book isn't just about cities, it's not just about a particular place, it's literally about the entire country,' says Frenkel. 'It's really nice that a book that is kind of about travelling around, is itself travelling around the country.' National Simultaneous Storytime takes place on Wednesday 21 May at noon; registration is free. The Truck Cat is out through Hardie Grant ($24.99)

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