Rugby 1 2 3. Whutuporo Tahi Rua Toru by Thalia Kehoe Rowden, illus. Myles Lawford. Na Ngaere Roberts i Whakamaori.

Rugby 1 2 3. Whutuporo Tahi Rua Toru by Thalia Kehoe Rowden, illus. Myles Lawford. Na Ngaere Roberts i Whakamaori. Pub. Scholastic, 2019.

What better way to celebrate Maori Language week and on the eve of the Rugby World Cup, than a bi-lingual picture book on rugby and counting.

It celebrates the playing and supporting of the game of rugby at school level in New Zealand/Aotearoa and counting up to 10. The text rhymes and the illustrations are positive, racially and gender balanced, and it is fun.

One of the best.

The Invicibles Pt2. Short Circuit by Peter Millett, illus. Myles Lawford.

The Invicibles Pt2. Short Circuit by Peter Millett, illus. Myles Lawford. Pub. Scholastic, 2019.

Book 2 in this series about five super charged kids who play for the same rugby team. They where hit by lightning which gave them super powers but only when they connect together and only for 80 minutes the same time it takes to play a game of rugby.

This last part was questioned by a boy in a class I was talking to about this book. He rightly pointed out that there is 10 minutes for half time and did they lose their powers during this time? What do you think?

Well a short circuit has reduced all Invincibles to inch high and they are targets of wetas and magpies. Tricky Ricky has a plan to steel the gold medals of the All Greats World Cup medals and the Invincibles have to stop him

See if they can but you might have to go down the toilet to follow them.

Lots of laughs with ‘O for awesome” getting a good run and “winning ugly” getting in there too. Illustrations are a star again, check out the magpies.

For reluctant readers of intermediate and primary school level. A good laugh. Part 1 is also review elsewhere on this blog.

Grandma McGarvey Joins the Scrum by Jenny Hassell, illus. Trevor Pye

Grandma McGarvey Joins the Scrum by Jenny Hassell, illus. Trevor Pye. Pub. Scholastic, 2019.

You know you’re in New Zealand when you read a picture book like this classic.

Grandma McGarvey has her car break down and she goes looking for help. She muddles into a rugby game, is huddled into a scrum, breaks loose with the ball like Richie MaCaw, chip kicks over the top like Christian Cullen, then dives over for a try like Jonah Lomu in a slide. But will she get help to fix her car?

Unforced rhyming text from Jenny Hessell make this a great read-a-loud for juniors and a good laugh for everybody else. Trevor Pye’s illustrations are so good that grandma McGarvey may be in contention for this weeks test against the Aussies. The body positioning is perfect and the slide for the try outstanding.

Don’t miss this one.

The Invincibles. Power Up. by Peter Millett, illus.Myles Lawford.

The Invincibles. Power Up. by Peter Millett, illus.Myles Lawford. Pub.Scholastic, 2019.

Getting kids into reading these days is hard work. Peter Millett knows this, so do teachers librarians parents and care givers. So what do you do? well books have to be easy to read, have a lot of action and humour preferably the poo, bum wees variety, and they can be read very quickly.

This short novel has all of that and in New Zealand the other must have is rugby, sport and competition. These are there also.

Muzza, Andrea, Scotty, Tana and Zinnia turn up for rugby practice and are struck by lightning. They develop different super powers and turn themselves into the Invincibles. They want to turn their rugby skills into something unbeatable and the kidnapping of the All Greats gives them a chance to take on a nasty scoundrel called tricky Ricky and put things right in the world of rugby.

Stirring stuff with plenty of action and humour. Scotty becomes Windbreaker and I don’t need to tell you one of his talents.

Superbly illustrated by Myles Lawford, his characterisation of the Invincibles is right on the nail.

Great for reluctant boys. Go ahead try it out. Excellent cover.

My Old Man He played Rugby by Peter Millett, illus. Jenny Cooper, Sung by Jay Laga’aia.

My Old Man He played Rugby by Peter Millett, illus. Jenny Cooper, Sung by Jay Laga’aia. Pub. Scholastic, 2018.

This picture book come sing-a-long book celebrates New Zealand’s national game, Rugby.

Peter Millett’s clever witty text has been put to music by Jay Laga’aia in a rousing CD included with the picture book. My favourite line is “my old man was stretchered home”.

Jenny Coopers illustrations are the star of this show. She has portrayed a game with two teams in the colours of the All Blacks and the Wallabies. My old man is in both sides and the game has a woman referee who sends my old man off for a late tackle.

Jenny Copper has captured the culture and hairstyles of the modern player and even given one polka dot undies. It is heaps of fun with lots of nuances to savour.

The CD also has an all music track to which you can sing the lyrics of the song and book.

CHOICE eh!!

Rugby: The History, The Players, the Skills & the style by David Riley.

Rugby: The History, The Players, the Skills & the style by David Riley.Pub Reading Warrior, 2015.

Two books about rugby, short volumes, simple text with plenty of pictures, facts and anecdotes for the reluctant reader mainly boys.

The History of rugby is outlined for the World including the Islands of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga including the FORU nations. Is included is Women’s Rugby, Sevens, Wheelchair and Maori.

Great moments in the History of Rugby plus the whistle used by the referee in that controversial 1905 All Black loss against Wales.

Did you know that the same coin and whistle have been used in the first game of every World Cup tournament. Plenty of interesting stuff in this book.

The Players , The skills and the Style is an attempt to teach the skills of rugby sometimes light heartedly using cartoon characters. However players who have been or are famous for particular skills are used to demonstrate their talents in a certain area.

Running skills, catching, tackling, passing, scrummaging and lineout techniques and not to forget the Sonny Bill off load.

Intermediate school and high school students will benefit most from these books. They can be read in less than an hour.

Bootsie You’re 8 by Mike James

Bootsie You’re 8 by Mike James. Pub. Vivid Publishing, 2010.

I have just caught up with this Junior fiction series for reluctant readers especially boys in the age group 8yrs-12yrs.

This is book one and it is about an 10 year old boy who plays for the South Bulldogs under 11 rugby team. They have a former international as a coach and are threatening to win the Grand Final but do they have the skill, the attitude and the team work to do it?

This book looks at the game of rugby, all the positions and the rules and it uses Bootsie and his mates to tell a good sporting yarn. Mixed in is good old fashion boy’s farting humour and of course the horror of playing in a pink shirt.

Short, larger print and good fun. Many boys will find a reason to read these and it is World Cup year. Can the All Blacks do it this time? Please say yes.