Literature to support the Australian Curriculum: Annotated lists of fiction and poetry by Fran Knight

Pledger Consulting, 2011. ISBN: 978 1 876678258.
Highly recommended. This brilliant resource is a must for every school library. As stated in the title, it contains clearly set out lists of titles under the themes of Asia, Sustainability, Indigenous literature and Poetry as well as providing suggestions for class texts and titles to read aloud. With a focus on the various age groups, Knight sorts titles to fit entry level to Year 3, Years 4 to 7 and Years 7 to 10. A precis for each title is provided to enable one to get a feel for the book without having to search the shelves and databases. Particularly for teacher librarians who are regularly bombarded with requests for titles which may fit a theme or subject area, this will make life considerably easier. Alongside Pat Pledger and Fran Knight's other titles, Flash Fiction, Historical Fiction and Values Fiction, this title would be a support for any teacher or teacher librarian wishing to truly immerse students in quality literature. Their previous publications are still relevant and easy to add new titles to as they are released.
Having read many of Fran's reviews, it is obvious that she is a prodigious reader and I value her opinions on the many titles included in this publication. I now eagerly await a similar title to suggest texts for each subject within the National Curriculum, particularly for use alongside the specific history topics. Whilst I appreciate the networking of colleagues on such lists as OZTL, as we collaborate to find titles to suit a theme, it will be an asset to have good solid lists in place as a first resort. A highly recommended title!
Jo Schenkel
Editor's note: A sample of the book and order form is available at http://www.readplus.com.au/resources.php