Peter Garrett, Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth takes part in a discussion about favourite books with students from the following schools via video conference link on Tuesday 23 August 2011, as part of National Literacy and Numeracy Week:
- Sacred Heart Catholic School, Ulverstone, Tasmania,
- Port Elliot Primary School, Port Elliot, South Australia,
- Wyong Public School, Wyong, New South Wales,
- Hannans Primary School, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
- and with a live audience from St Gregory’s Public School, Queanbeyan, NSW.
Transcript
Catherine Wall, Deputy Secretary, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Hello everyone and welcome to our National Literacy and Numeracy favourite books chat. I’m Catherine Wall and I’d like to introduce everyone who is participating here. We have five (5) schools joining our chat and they are St Gregory’s school here in Canberra, Wyong Public School in New South Wales, Hannans Primary School in Western Australia, Sacred Heart Catholic School in Tasmania, Port Elliot Primary School in South Australia and of course the minister for school education Peter Garrett. Thank you minister for joining us today.
Peter Garrett, Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth
Thank you very much Cathy, and it is much fun to be able to speak to all of these school here in Canberra where I’m sitting on the couch with Emily and Xavier and we have some kids from a Canberra school in front of us.
You know I think reading was one of the most important things I ever did when I was a child and when I was at school. And I loved reading books and at night I used to sneak into my bedroom and stick my head under the covers and get my torch out and read books even though my lights were meant to be off. It’s true! And I got in big trouble – but not really.
What was my favourite book? A Magic Pudding. I just loved the illustrations and it’s pretty Australian as well, but I read everything. I read all of the famous five, and Enid Blighton stories I read boys adventures stories, I read Mark Twain. I read sports books, I read atlases, ah I read just about anything I could lay my hands on. When I got older I started to read newspapers and magazines and I’ve kept reading to this very day, although now-a-days I have to read lots of pretty complicated stuff about Governments.
Anyway, next week as you probably know is National Literacy and Numeracy Week. What a fantastic opportunity for us to really say how beaut it is to be able to read what fun it is and how good it is for you too because it improves your language skills and your communication skills. And of course we are going to have a huge ‘Read for Australia’ day next week as well, and I think it’s on Wednesday if my memory serves me well.
So, it’s fantastic to be hooking up with all of you and all of those schools. And I now want to go to Hannans Primary School in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and I think we’re going to hear from Alannah Paton and from James Collin.
I’m going to ask you about your favourite book so I think I know one of these book so Alannah can I ask you about your favourite book because it is very well known and it is a fantastic book.
Alannah Paton, School Student, Hannans Primary School, WA
Yep, um well my favourite book is ‘Alice in Wonderland’. And I like it because I like fantasy and wonderland is like a world of imagination and fantasy. So.
Minister Garrett
Well you know I read ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and I think lots of people know that story. It’s also been turned into kinda of films along the way as well.
Now James I can see you standing there and your book is a book I don’t think I’ve ever heard,
‘The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’. I’m sure that’s not about you, why do you like this book?
James Collin, School Student, Hannans Primary School, WA
Um I like this book because you can tell a normal child’s life and when you read it you can think that it can happen to you.
Minister Garrett
Is it your favourite book of all time James, so far?
James Collin
Um...yes.
Children and Minister Garrett laugh
Minister Garrett
And I guess I have to ask Alannah a question about ‘Alice in Wonderland’. What did you think, do you think person who wrote that book Lewis Carol, I mean, what a fantastic imagination he had! What are your favourite characters in ‘Alice in Wonderland’?
Alannah Paton
Well I like the Cheshire cat because he’s like cheeky and he’s like mischievous.
Minister Garrett
Any others?
Alannah Paton
I also like the Queen of Hearts because like she has no patience and everything has to be perfect for her.
Minister Garrett
Well I think it’s an incredible book because I’m not quite sure how old it is but I’ve got a feeling that it was written before you were all born, before your teachers were born and maybe even before I was born! So that book goes back a very long way, and lots and lots of children have really enjoyed it. And it’s a good opportunity for us, if you haven’t read it, to have a look at it.
Let us now go to the second school which is Port Elliot Primary School in South Australia. And we have Ruby Byrne and Craig Perry. Ruby Byrne girls’ favourites. Let’s see what you have to say about girls’ favourites.
Ruby Byrne, School Student, Port Elliot Primary School, South Australia
Ok well um the girls chose the top five books and number one is ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ by Louise Rennison. We really liked it because it is very funny and it was just really well written.
Minister Garrett
And what were- tell me some of the other ones that the girls liked and then we’ll have a chat about which ones you thought were the best.
Ruby Byrne
Well we had ‘Percy Jackson’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Shopaholic’ series, and ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’.
Minister Garrett
Well you know I know a couple of these authors because when my daughters were really young I used to read to them a bit, and I thought Lemony Snicketts was a pretty good writer. ‘Harry Potter’ I think we all know about, and people have probably seen one film if not many more. Was there a favourite for the girls in any of these books?
Ruby Byrne
Well our favourite was the first one ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ but um we also enjoyed ‘Percy Jackson’ because it just like the other books are fantasy and we really liked that one.
Minister Garrett
Yeah look I can understand that girls really do like books like that and that’s super interesting for all of us to hear. I’m going to go across to the boys now and Craig Perry is sitting next to you probably Ruby, I suspect. Tell us about the boys’ favourites Craig.
Craig Perry, School Student, Port Elliot Primary School, South Australia
Well um our favourite book was the ‘Just’ books by Andy Griffiths, and we really liked them books because they were really humourous and um we liked the adventure in them, and yeah, and the second book was ‘Percy Jackson’, the third was ‘Guinness Book of World Records’, and the fourth was ‘Flander’s Fields’ by Norman Jorgensen.
Minister Garrett
Well I can understand why you liked ‘Guinness World Record’ books that’s what I was trying to think of. I really loved reading them when I was a boy as well. I’m a bit interested in ‘Flander’s Fields’ by N Jorgensen or Jorgensen (pronounces as Y-orgensen), I don’t know this writer, what’s that book about?
Craig Perry
Well it’s about this soldier in World War I and he’s in Flander’s Fields and he looks through a periscope or something, and he sees this red robin trapped in barb wire and he gets a, um, white silk scarf for Christmas because it’s Christmas. And he ties it to the bayonet of his gun and walks out and frees the bird from the barbed wire.
Minister Garrett
Wow, you know what? I like the sound of this book and its story already. Hey, thank you so much for the Port Elliot kids giving us their favourite books girls and boys. Now we’re going across to St Gregory’s Public School and they’re sitting right in front of me here in Canberra. Emily Fascinelli is on my right and she’s going to tell me about ‘Grace’.
Emily Fascinelli, School Student, St Gregory’s Public School, ACT
I like ‘Grace’ because it’s about a girl in a cult and you can see how other people live and the pros and cons.
Minister Garrett
Well you know what, Morris Gleitzman has written a lot of books I think he’s one of Australia’s best known children’s authors and he can be pretty funny. Emily is this a funny book?
Emily Fascinelli
No, not really.
Minister Garrett
OK. Is it one of his serious ones?
Emily Fascinelli
Yep.
Minister Garrett
What were the things about it that made it a really good read?
Emily Fascinelli
Um I think because she loses her father, experiences abuse, and gets attacked by a lion.
Minister Garrett
(gasps) Oh, gee! That sounds like an incredible story. Let me find out from Xavier who’s sitting next to me about ‘Hunger Game’ which I notice is written by Susan Collins, but I don’t know this book Xavier, what’s it about?
Xavier Mills, School Student, St Gregory’s Public School, ACT
Well it’s about in the future of North America and each year one boy and one girl they’re sent to the Capital to fight and there’s 24 people, like 2 from each district. And then in the end only one lives and the rest are killed.
Minister Garrett
Oh, gee. Well that sounds pretty dramatic book. Is it really adventurous and fast moving?
Xavier Mills
Yes.
Minister Garrett
Yeah I thought it might be. They’re the part of books that you really like.
Let’s go up now, thanks very much to my ‘couch’ students who did that so well, I think we should go up to the Central Coast of New South Wales it’s probably warm and sunny up there today, Wyong Public School.
Now, we have Bronte de Silva and Samuel Taylor. They are going to be telling us about a book I think everybody knows by a very famous Australian author as well. I’ve read some of his books and I’ve actually read this book and I thought it was a really good book. The film...pretty good, the book...fantastic! So Bronte are you going to go first? Which book is it and who is the author?
Bronte de Silva, School Student, Wyong Public School, NSW
Um John Marsden is the author of ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’.
Minister Garrett
Ah that’s a very well known book. Now, do you want to tell me a bit more about why you picked this book?
Bronte de Silva
Well I really like it because it’s about just normal teenagers and then they have to change.
Minister Garrett
That’s why I like it as well, and Samuel I can see you’re standing there next to Bronte. What else do you think is really good about the way this book has been written and like do you reckon thta you really got into the story that John Marsden was telling?
Samuel Taylor, School Student, Wyong Public School, NSW
Um well I like it because it’s about these 7 teenagers who have to make these decisions that they probably weren’t going to make ever in their life. And it shows how people can change if something serious happens.
Minister Garrett
Yeah I think it does that very, very well and it also, I think, shows a fantastic confidence that John Marsden has in what young people can do no matter what age they are. Kids are capable of great things, especially when something really challenging is going on. Have you seen the film?
Samuel Taylor
I have, yes.
Minister Garrett
What did you think?
Samuel Taylor
Um it was good because it stuck to the story; it didn’t go off like some other movies did. But I think the book was better.
Minister Garrett
And Bronte do you enjoy it as well?
Bronte de Silva
Yep.
Minister Garrett
Yeah I did. I think it’s really interesting, it’s like ‘Harry Potter’. When you read the book you’ve got pictures in your head about what the author is trying to tell you, and sometimes they’re fantastic pictures. And then when you go and see the film and it’s not quite the same. I actually though the ‘Harry Potter’ series did that really well. The first time I saw Voldemort I thought “Yep, that’s Voldemort! No question about it!” Um with ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’ I wasn’t quite as sure, I still think it’s a good film and I’m glad that they made it. So thank you very much for the Wyong Public School students.
And we’re now going to go right down the south, to the bottom of Australia, across Bass Straight to the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Tasmania. Ben Williams and Zach Corbett. Ben, what are you going to tell us about?
Ben Williams, School Student, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Tasmania
I’m going to tell you about my book, um, ‘The Recruit’ by Robert Muchamore. It’s a book that involves action and it’s a thriller, and it’s very dramatic at times and I think a lot of people will like it.
Minister Garrett
I don’t know this writer do you know where he comes from?
Ben Williams
I think he’s from London, England.
Minister Garrett
Where are the stories---
Ben Williams
And um---
Minister Garrett
No you go.
Ben Williams
Alright, um well I think he’s born in London, England and I think he had imaginations like this when he was a child.
Minister Garrett
Have you read the ‘Cherub’ series that he’s written?
Ben Williams
Yes I have. I’ve got all of them at home. And I just loved every minute I was reading them.
Minister Garrett
Oh fantastic! Well I’m going to remember that name in case I’m talking to people when I go and visit a school, sounds like they are very good. Zach you’ve got a series called ‘The Ranger’s Apprentices’ by John Flannigan. What is it about these books that you really like?
Zach Corbett, School Student, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Tasmania
Well I like the story-line it’s very basic but it’s very intriguing as well. It’s about Horrace, Will, Holt, Evelyn, Alice and their horses. Um my favourite character would have to be Will because he’s very good with his humour and he likes to joke around with his mentor, Holt.
Minister Garrett
You know what we have heard about such a lot of different books here, I’m going to ask Ben and Zach have they read any of the other books that we’ve talked about that we’ve heard from other parts of Australia. And if so which of those did you like as well? Ben do you want to try answering that question first?
Ben Williams
Well I also love the ‘Hunger Games’. That was like one of the best books I’ve also read, series I’ve read. Yeah it’s probably equal to ‘Cherub’ as well.
Minister Garrett
OK well that’s pretty high praise. That was the one Xavier was telling us about earlier on. Now Zach did you have any other books that you heard about that you’ve read and that you really liked?
Zach Corbett
I like the ‘Harry Potter’ books from Port Elliot Primary. And I really like um, I know everyone likes ‘Harry Potter’ books, but um I really like the ‘Harry Potter’ books because it’s really intriguing, like you really stick to the book, like it’s not very boring.
Minister Garrett
Well I absolutely agree with you and I think it’s really interesting because sometimes when mums and dads, or grandparents or carers sit down to read a ‘Harry Potter’ book maybe with someone who’s like just started school or just starting to read, they find that they really love the book as well.
You know what I have been so excited to do this talking to people in schools all around Australia and I think we’ve heard just about everything that everybody’s said about books. And I know that there’s a lot of you there who love reading, and who get such a great deal of pleasure from it. And we can tell from the conversation we’ve just had that more people are reading books than we might have thought. So you’ve had a great opportunity to hear about what peoples’ favourite books are. I’m now going to hand back to Cathy wall who’s a very important person in this department and she’ll say a few important words as we say goodbye.
Catherine Wall
Thank you Minister. So we need to wrap up our ‘Favourite Books’ chat today. I’d like to thank all of the schools and all of the students for joining us today. It’s been terrific. Thank you Minister Garrett for your time. And thank you and goodbye to all.
Everyone says and waves goodbye.