Kids into books: Blabber Mouth

Everyday the Herald carries an extract from a childrens' book as part of its commitment to children's literacy.

Author:Morris Gleitzman>

Publisher: Macmillian $12:95

Illustrator: Nigel Buchanen

Age group 8-10 years


Some kids smiled.

Some laughed, but in a nice way.

A few nudged each other and gave me smirky looks.

"OK', said Ms Dunning, 'let's all say g'day to Rowena.'

'G'day,' everyone chorused, which I thought was a bit humiliating for them, but Ms Dunning meant well.

I gave them the biggest grin I could, even though Tasmania was trying to crawl up my throat.

A couple of kids didn't say g'day, they just kept on with the smirky looks.

One of them was a boy with red lips and ginger hair and there was something about his extra-big smirk that made me think even then that I was probably going to have trouble with him.

'Right,' said Ms Dunning after she'd sat me down next to a girl with white hair who was still only halfway through my letter, 'who's on frogs today?'

She looked at a chart on the wall next to a tank with some small green frogs in it.

*Tomorrow: Darryn Peck and sign language?