The Little Lie by Sally Rippin
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781921848001.
Billie B. Brown has two colourful slings, three pink bandaids and a
bandage
around her head, a consequence of being trampled by a dinosaur while
out hunting
with her friend Jack. Unfortunately, Billie suffers a real injury and
before
long her arms is encased in a real plaster cast and a real sling. Like
most
kids, Billie sees this more as about getting attention at school than a
lesson
about climbing on the fence, but it is what happens when she tells a
little lie
that kind of grows about her accident that the story centres on.
Sometimes the
attention we seek is not the kind we want, and sometimes the harder we
try the
less we get.
This book is part of a new series about Billie B. Brown, and is
probably best
described by teachers as a 'beginning chapter book'. With its short
chapters,
large font and monochrome illustrations, it is a perfect bridge between
the
structure of the instructional reader and a novel, enabling independent
reading. The storylines are engaging and at the right level for the 6-8
year-old girl. They could imagine being in Billie's circle of friends
and empathise with her. In each book, the B. stands for something
different
and the story is built around this.
Aki Fukuoka has hit just the right note with her illustrations, with
that
big-eyed look that is so popular right now with this age group, and
clothing
that is of this time. There are many similarities between Billie and
Miss
Nearly 7.
Reading Matters (Ross, McKechnie and Rothbauer) demonstrates that
there are very
sound reasons why emerging readers need to read series and this one is
on the
money. It's almost an Australian answer to the very American Junie B.
Jones
widely regarded as the stepping stone to independence in the US.
There's a
website with
lots of activities and the
first chapters of the other titles in the series online to taste, tempt
and
tease.
A must-have series on your library shelves to cater appropriately for
those 6-8
year-old girls who are still little girls.
Barbara Braxton