Monday, December 30, 2024

31st December Fireworks

Here in Sydney, Australia, New Year's Eve is all about fireworks on Sydney Harbour, and yes they are fantastic, but if you live here and can see them from your house, you get a bit blasé about them because they are no longer a novelty. However, last night we entertained friends from America who are visiting Sydney and they are very keen to see the fireworks. They will love them and it will give them plenty to talk about.


Children in Sydney can no longer interact personally with fireworks they need to go to an organised event, so when I read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark  by Jill Tomlinson to students they are fascinated by the fact that the child who is building a bonfire in his backyard is going to have his own fireworks fun. I had fireworks in my backyard with my family when I was a child on 'Cracker Night' so I am able to explain to the students what it was like and what each of the fireworks was like. I also pull out a very old book called Barnaby and the Rocket  by Lydia Pender which gives readers an insight into 'rockets' and what they were like.

At school 'firework books' are usually only requested when someone wants to know about the science of them or a teacher is doing art that features fireworks.




This year a new book  First Big Book of How  by Sally Symes et al.
was published and many of the boys love the explanations and questions answered by this book.





While fireworks feature in the plot of many stories, especially those about 4th July and Diwali where fireworks are part of celebrations, finding books just about fireworks is somewhat harder. Try:

Fireworks  by Lori Haskins Houran and Corinne Caro








The Explosive Story of Fireworks!  by Kama Einhorn and Daniel Guidera







How is a Firework Made? by Grace Hansen



 

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