Book reviews for Aussie teachers and their students.

About Tanya Grech Welden : Reviewer Senior Secondary & Middle School

January 19, 2015
SAMSUNG
Tanya Grech Welden is an English teacher born, raised and now living in Adelaide. She spent the early years of her teaching career living and working in Liverpool in the UK before returning to Australia to teach at a Catholic College in Port Augusta. After six years in the bush (and a couple of kids later), she returned to Adelaide where she spent time as a Assistant Principal in a Catholic primary school in the Eastern suburbs. More recently she commenced working at Gleeson College, a Catholic High School amid the hills and valleys of Golden Grove. This setting has provided her with a wealth of inspiration for writing and has encouraged her to work towards the promotion of literacy.
Tanya Grech Welden is also a a writer of contemporary fiction for Young Adults aged 14+. Through her uniquely Australian stories she explores challenges facing today’s youth.   She currently  divides her time between writing, wrangling with three children and her supportive husband.

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  14. Book Review: “The Truth About Peacock Blue” by Rosanne Hawke, Allen & Unwin (2015) | OZ BOOKS 4 TEACHERS (& their students) said:
    October 12, 2015 at 8:08 pm

    […] The Truth About Peacock Blue, is a timely novel highlighting with immense sensitivity the reality of the turbulent times we now live in. Rosanne Hawke engages with these issues honestly, in a manner that will incite open discussion, whilst communicating a hope-filled message that uplifts and will frequently inspires positive engagement in today’s youth. Tanya Grech Welden […]

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  15. Book Review: “Jo-Kin Battles the IT” by Karen Tyrrell, Karen Tyrrell (2015) | OZ BOOKS 4 TEACHERS (& their students) said:
    October 29, 2015 at 10:49 am

    […] As teachers and librarians we can be a judgemental lot. During the process of selecting books for use in the classroom, or to sit on shelves in our libraries, we are sifters. By that I mean we sift through stacks of books in an effort to identify those which serve our own personal agenda. This inevitably means eliminating books for one reason or another. For instance, it may be that the language is too simple, the themes and ideas too one dimensional, the structure too formulaic. During this process we sometimes neglect a certain truth that what appeals to us, as adults, does not always concur with the interests of children. My ten year old son reminded me of the importance of this a few weeks ago. As often occurs in my household, a novel arrived on my doorstep. Usually, my son pays little attention to this (it is such a common occurrence). However on this day he was drawn to the book like a moth to a flame (I apologise for the weak analogy). “What’s this Mum?” He asked holding up the copy of Karen Tyrrell’s Jo-Kin Battles the IT, “Can I read it?” I must confess, at the time I was bogged down with other books to read, so I told him he could have it now as long as he promised to tell me what he thought of it. Off he scurried to his room, book in hand, where he wasn’t heard from for a few hours. “This is awesome Mum!” he told me later that night. “It’s a page turner. I’m already up to chapter 8.” I nodded my head, told him not to read too late, and stood quietly in the hallway while he continued his reading. What I heard was the beautiful sound of literary engagement. His laughter told me that not only was he enjoying the story, but clearly it was one with characters he could strongly identify with. Sadly, my reading of the same book was not nearly as enlivened. I found the story a little trite, and at times inane. This middle grade chapter book tells the story of Josh Atkins and Sam Jones, who, after winning a computer contest, are selected for training as Super Space Kids. Following training, they are launched into space where they do battle with the deadly alien IT. While my adult brain did not really love the book, I could immediately see why the story resonated so strongly with my son. Michael, it seems could identify with Josh, who like himself, is obsessed with computer games, and quite frankly, all things best described as being ‘nerdy’. Having snared him with Josh (and let’s face it, corny gags), Tyrrell proceeds to tell a story that empowers children to overcome feelings of self-doubt, as they develop resilience, while understanding the value of team work. Jo-Kin Battles the IT is a cleanly edited story, typeset in a child-appealing manner, with a scattering of delightful illustrations by Trevor Salter. The story will be appreciated by younger primary students up to grade 4. The ease of language will deem it suitable for independent reading although the story would benefit from a shared class reading where the themes of resilience may be explored in greater depth. Tanya Grech Welden […]

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