Reading sparks a child’s imagination and stimulates curiosity. Image: Adobe Stock
Baby bookworms: Five adventure stories to enchant young readers
Immersing themselves in thrilling adventure stories will keep inquisitive young readers occupied and engaged for hours on end.
Reading sparks a child’s imagination and stimulates curiosity. Image: Adobe Stock
The lockdown has been an opportunity to get young readers excited about stories that have the power to transport them to magical lands and take them on thrilling adventures.
Our almost year-long lockdown has been challenging for all South Africans. Children, too, have had to do a lot of adapting. Whether being home-schooled, missing out on a “normal” school year or not seeing their friends for months, the smallest ones among us have faced big changes.
It is important that we keep their tiny chins up and help them remain hopeful as we slowly come out of lockdown. We must also try to keep the reading bug alive. Here’s a list of some wonderful new children’s book releases that will help achieve that.
1. ‘The Shark Caller’ by Zillah Bethell (ages 8-13)
Young readers will dive beneath the sparkling blue waves in this spell-binding adventure of friendship, forgiveness and bravery, set on the shores of Papua New Guinea.
“I want to be able to call the sharks. Teach me the magic and show me the ways.”
Blue Wing is desperate to become a shark caller, but instead she must befriend a very annoying newcomer, Maple, who arrives unexpectedly on Blue Wing’s island.
At first, the girls are too angry and bitter to share secrets and become friends. But when the tide brings with it the promise of treasure, they must band together and travel to the bottom of the ocean to brave the deadliest shark of all.
2. ‘Middle School 13: Field Trip Fiasco’, by James Patterson (ages 9-12)
From the pen of famous American author James Patterson comes this fun, hilarious and heart-warming story for young readers. Rafe Khatchadorian is a boy with a talent for getting into trouble.
Rafe says: “Guess where I am going! On an all-expenses-paid art trip to California!”
“I can’t wait to see the big Hollywood sign, walk right past celebrities on the streets, and go to a red-carpet movie premiere; this time, nothing could possibly go wrong! Famous last words, right?
“Well, let’s just say there’s actually no Hollywood on my trip, but there is camping, diamond thieves and a big, hungry crocodile…This field trip is going to be a catastrophe.”
3. ‘My First 100 Space Words’, by Chris Ferrie (ages 6-9)
Best-selling science and children’s author Chris Ferrie, a physicist, once again brings complex ideas to small, growing minds with My First 100 Space Words.
Now your little genius can learn the essential first words of space!
This is a simple and colourful introduction to the first 100 space words every little space ranger should know. With 100 illustrations to look at and talk about, this is the ideal tool for your budding astronaut.
Ferrie’s latest book offers a good way to introduce basic science concepts to young readers — after all, it’s never too early to become a space enthusiast.
4. ‘The Unadoptables’, by Hana Tooke (ages 10-13)
In the autumn of 1880, five babies are discovered at the Little Tulip Orphanage in most unusual circumstances. These mysterious babies are called Lotta, Egbert, Fenna, Sem and Milou.
The vile matron calls the children “The Unadoptables”, but this talented gang of best friends know their friendship is what keeps them together and gives them hope that, one day, they will have a family of their own.
When a sinister man tries to get them in his clutches, the children make a daring escape across the dangerous frozen canals of Amsterdam. They embark on an adventure packed with pirate ships, puppets and endless thrilling moments.
But is their real home — and their real family — already closer than they realise?
5. ‘Don’t Be Shy, Bushbaby’, by Avril van der Merwe (ages 0-5)
This beautiful story by a local author is ideal for very young readers to read on their own. Parents could also read it to their little ones, making for a joyful book-bonding experience.
Little adventurers will be swept away into the jungle, where they will meet all the jungle animals.
This book is easy enough for even the littlest bookworms beginning to find his or her feet in the wonderful world of books, and colourful enough to be enjoyed even by babies.
The other animals don’t understand why they never see Bushbaby and so they assume he is shy. They try to coax him out of his hole in the tree, but Bushbaby never appears. As night falls, the animals head off to sleep. All except for Owl, who has been silently observing the day’s events.
As Owl prepares for the night, he calls to Bushbaby, who bounds out of his hole, awake and alert. Throughout the hours of darkness, Owl, Bushbaby and the other nocturnal animals go about their activities before returning to their beds as daybreak dawns.
ALSO READ: How reading habits have changed during the COVID-19 lockdown
