Series: The True Trilogy (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Gary Meehan (UK)
PUBLISHED: Quercus ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 390 pages.
SERIES: True Trilogy.
BOOK 1: True Fire.

PLOT: (Book 1: True Fire)
When Megan's village is destroyed by witches, she goes searching for her twin sister, believing her to be kidnapped. Together with new friends, she discovers that what she was taught about the witches and the history of her land is laden with secrets and falsehood, created by priests who will do anything to protect their power. As she uncovers the truth, she realises that her sister hides an even darker secret. Her sister is actually leading the witches (who, incidentally, don't use magic - at least, not in the first book), believing that her child, together with Megan's child, will lead the witches to rule the world.

REVIEW:
This story didn't grab me. The plot is ok. The writing is ok (but could be better). It has its moments, but overall, the story drags and character development feels forced at times. Megan has basically never held a sword in her life but all of a sudden is killing people left right and centre. I wouldn't recommend it, but a 15 year old might find it exciting. It is part of a trilogy, so perhaps the story gets better as it goes. I'm not going to waste my time to find out.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Fantasy.
RATING: 2 1/2 stars. It's average. Nothing brilliant.

Favourite Roald Dahl Characters

For International Book Week, Roalddahl.com has a list of Top 5 Dahl heroes and heroines.

I really can't disagree with their choices, but there are a few I think give top 5 a run for their money and at least deserve an honourable mention. They include:

Grandma from The Witches. She's unflappable, knowledgeable, wise, experienced, and an all-round fun person it would be a pleasure to know.

Mr. Hoppy, the retired bachelor from Esio Trot. This sweet man is ingenious. I envy any woman who is lucky enough to find a man who will go to such lengths to gain her affection. (I should also let you know that this book will have a movie tie-in this year!)

And I absolutely must give accolades to Roald Dahl himself as the lead in his autobiography Boy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.

What character would you nominate?

(I would also add, that though they aren't characters, Dahl's books Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts. HILARIOUS and a must in every upper primary school class).

Children's Books of 2014

Brainpickings has put together a list of top children's books of 2014. I haven't seen some of them, but Oliver Jeffers' "Once Upon An Alphabet" is simply genius.

Best School Libraries From Around The World

Here are some of the most inspirational school libraries from around the world. *Sigh* So many ideas, not enough money, or time, or space....

What Kind Of Reader Are You?

The Literacy Site has put out a little chart:

I'm a mix of all these except 'neurotic' - I sometimes have three books on the go at once, but I'll also re-read favourites multiple times (I have a few titles I read about once a year). I vaguely stick to one genre (crime/detective/mystery/suspense), but I also read non-fiction, and across genres (especially when I'm reading to review children's/young adult fiction). I'm also constantly bugging friends and family with book recommendations and sourcing cheap and free books that I give away.

Best Quotes From Children's Books

The literacy site has compiled a list of quotes from children's books. I can see these being used in displays in primary/middle school libraries and could even form a game (match the quote to the book). I'm sure there are hundreds of others, like these and these and these.

RIP Terry Pratchett (author) 1948-2015

Rest in peace, Terry Pratchett (April 28, 1948 - March 12, 2015), one of the most incredible authors of the 20th/21st Century.

I've reviewed his Bromeliad series, but he is probably most well-known for the epic Discworld books.

Such a sad day!

Here are few news articles about him that have been shared on social media today. Neil Gaiman: ‘Terry Pratchett isn’t jolly. He’s angry’, Sept 2014.

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Might Be The Highest Form of Literature on the Planet, April 2013.

And I really like this from xkcd:

The Purpose of Literacy

This one minute sums up one of the most important reasons why our teachers need to have exceptional literacy skills and know how to impart that knowledge.

And here is another one on the same topic by James Patterson (along with an article from The Literacy Site)

Prince of Afghanistan (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Louis Nowra (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Allen & Unwin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 162 pages.

PLOT:
When a rescue mission goes horribly wrong, an Australian soldier and a dog must embark on a journey to safety. Working their way through rough terrain and enemy territory, they depend on each other to survive.

REVIEW:
Written in the first person, present tense, this is a story with strong themes of endurance and survival in war. The bond between man and dog grows stronger as their journey progresses, which touches the heart strings at times. It provides a small glimpse into one view of the war in Afghanistan. Themes include war, soldiers, dogs, survival and death as well as family relations (a mother's death) and drug use. It would be a book you could read aloud in a high school class with discussion of the themes.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Series: Little Bug Books (PB) (Jnr NF)

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Graeme Base (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Penguin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 14 unnumbered pages : col. ill.




REVIEW:
This is a new series by author/illustrator Graeme Base. It uses pictures of animals to teach young children language. It starts off with the singular, and the pages pull/fold out to reveal the group. The original picture splits (you can see the fold going through the picture).

• A Heard of Elephants teaches collective nouns (a caravan of camels, a swarm of bees, a pod of whales, etc).
• Starfish are pointy: adjectives.
• Birds fly: animal movement.
• Cows say moo: animal sounds.
• Monkeys live in trees: animal homes/habitats.
• Pigs have piglets: animal babies.

AGE: 2+.
GENRE: Non-fiction.
RATING: 5 stars.