Wish upon a starfish

Feedback on the Kroonsteen series

Best Books’s extensive publicising campaign for the Kroonsteen series is well underway. Numerous teachers and subject advisers have attended session in the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Free State. Many of them have also started acquiring the books for their schools. Here is some of the feedback received after the sessions:

• It is a good series and complies with the curriculum requirements. – Gamka-Oos Primary

Die kaart van lank gelede

Alet Swart and her parents move to the coastal town Kroongolf. She finds a secret map in their new house. But where will this map take her? And can she trust Vernon to help her?

Publisher: Best Books

Die geheim van die kroonsteen

Alet and Vernon dream about the money that may be hidden in the secret treasure chest. But a huge surprise awaits them when they open the chest . . .

Who is spying on the children? Who is the Brave Three?

What exactly is the crown stone and what secret lies hidden within it?

Die kroon van die aarde

The new Brave Three – Alet, Vernon and Nathi – must find out what caused the sudden earthquake that shook the town of Kroongolf. But it is not easy at all. One of the three has to start a friendship with the nasty Gideon en Mandla.

Danger, treason and tension filled moments eventually await the Brave Three.

Die kroon van die hemel

The Brave Three – Alet, Vernon and Nathi – comes across a secretive airship near the cliffs of Kroonheuwel. When they investigate, the doors of the airship closes and it starts to move off by itself. But where is it taking them?

The cruel Walg still wants to wipe out Kroongolf. Enormous storms erupt over the coastal town.

Die kroon van die water

The Brave Three’s scuba diving lessons are going very well. But then, one evening, they notice something very strange while putting away the diving gear ... The water of the swimming pool moves aside and an opening appears at the bottom of the pool. Two divers arise from the tunnel below the swimming pool.

The Brave Three have to investigate. But where will this tunnel lead them?

Die kroon van die mense

The Brave Three – Alet, Vernon and Nathi – are baffled by the strange happenings in Kroongolf. Miss Floors’ finger changes to a drill bit. Vernon’s neighbour finds a new way of mowing the lawn. And Anila disappears.

The cruel Walg’s final onslaught against Kroongolf has begun! He now intends using the Crown of the People to wipe Kroongolf off the face of the earth.

Stories vir lekker lees

All children like stories – especially if they are filled with tension and humour. These 6 books completely conform to the requirements.  The genres include adventure, science fiction, animal stories, historical and biographical texts, folk tales, myths, fairytales and legends.

A short drama or radio play is even included in the higher levels. All stories have appropriate illustrations and questions.

Verse vir lekker lees

The graded series of poems and rhymes fill a huge gap in the classroom. For the very first time Best Books publishes 6 poetry collections to address this need. Learners will be introduced to Philip de Vos’ jovial verses, or delve into poems like Ingrid Jonker’s “Kabouterliefde”, I.D. du Plessis’s “Kaapse Kossies”, A.B. Bruintjies’  “Tjoe-tjoe” and “Die mot en die kers” by C.J. Langenhoven.

There are even a few scary poems like A.G. Visser’s “Die ruiter van Skimmelperd-pan” and Antjie Krog’s “Spoke”.

Liplekker leesdinge

Best Books again delivers groundbreaking work with these 6 books filled with communicative and functional texts like short reports, emails, SMSs, notices, messages, pamphlets, postcards, letters and telephone conversations.

These lip smacking books also include transactional texts like news reports, articles, dialogues, conversations, interviews and reviews.

‘Liplekker leesdinge’ Level 1 - ISBN 9781770022034

‘Liplekker leesdinge’ Level 2 - ISBN 9781770022041

Lekker lees en leer

Another innovative set of 6 books will get learners reading and learning. These books concentrate on visual and graphical texts like cartoons, comics, illustrations, simple diagrams, tables, maps, simple charts (like scale and bar charts), timetables, narratives, explanations, time lines and word games.

‘Lekker lees en leer’ Level 1 - ISBN 9781770022096

‘Lekker lees en leer’ Level 2 - ISBN 9781770022102

Teacher’s Guide

The ‘Kroonsteen’ reading series comes with a comprehensive teacher’s guide. All answers to the reading and learning exercises of all 30 Kroonsteen books are included in the guide. Additional background information on the different genres also form part of the guide, for example: What are the characteristics of legends? The handy information contained in the teacher’s guide will lessen teacher’s work and improve standardisation of literacy education in schools.

Compiled by Marita van Aswegen

ISBN 9780-627-02605-8

Publisher: Nasou Via Afrika

(Also available in South Sotho as “Thukulatshe” ISBN 0–627-02604-4. Translated by DJN Mophethe and A Khonseka.)

“Mengelmoes” offers a wide range of short stories with diverse characters and situations. There is the story of “My nefie se donkie” [My nephew’s donkey] where Sekola loses his temper when a donkey becomes a nuisance.

Compiled by Izak de Vries and Karen Simpson

ISBN 978-1-86915-656-0

Publisher: Bateleur (and later Nasou Via Afrika)

Eighteen stories by top writers like Abraham H. De Vries, Elias P. Nel and Madlala Makhaza. The emphases lies in tales that tell a story, for that is primarily what short stories should be. Man has been telling stories since the earliest of times. Here in Africa these stories were told around camp and cooking fires.

Compiled by Marie Esterhuysen

ISBN 0-6240-4399-1

 Publisher: Tafelberg

This interactive teacher’s guide was written according to the National Curriculum Declaration for Grade 1—12. It is aimed at grade 10 learners studying Afrikaans as home language. The guide will help teachers prepare and handle the text, nurturing learners’ interest in the book itself and in literature in general.

Compiled by Francois Bloemhof and Johan van Lill

ISBN 978-1-77004-954-4 (Afrikaans: 978-1-77004-954-3)

Publisher: Nasou Via Afrika

This Grade 9 reader contains an exciting number of short stories, poems, comics and even a soapie! The texts fit in with the themes in the Impact 9 learner guide. The learner’s guide and teacher’s guide also contains specific activities that apply to the texts in the book.