Series: Everest (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Gordon Korman (Canada)
PUBLISHED: Scholastic ; 2012, c2002.
PAGES/ILL: ~130 pages.
SERIES: Everest: 1. The Contest 2. The Climb 3. The Summit.

PLOT: (Book 1: The Contest)
Teenagers from across America have the chance to be on the youngest team ever to climb Everest. After winning a sports drink promotion, they must compete in boot camp to prove they have what it takes to survive on the mountain. Dominic is the smallest and the youngest and is in danger of being cut at every turn. The competition is fierce, and some contestants will go to any lengths to make the team.

REVIEW:
This adventure will appeal particularly to boys in upper primary school. I would also recommend it to reluctant readers and it could be used as a year 5 class read aloud. Themes include survival, friendship and interpersonal relationships, being highly skilled, competition, etc.

AGE: 10+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction, Adventure
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

The Joy of Books (and Bookstores)

This stop-motion video would have taken forever! It would also have been so much fun (at least, I think so. I wouldn't have liked putting the movie together as much as making it, but we all have our gifts :) ).

I first saw the above video posted on Facebook and it was posted with "related" links. The following little movie would be perfect to show to a class (upper primary/elementary age) as a prompt for creative writing, or even as something to play during some relaxation time. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore was written by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, and was inspired by Joyce's mentor, children's book publisher William Morris. It also draws inspiration from Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr. the tornado from The Wizard of Oz and the devastation left by the real-life Hurricane Katrina. This award-winning video is about the curative powers of a story, both in the writing and the reading. [information from Wikipedia]

A quick google search will give you quite a few reviews and analyses, and an article in the New Yorker had a more dire view of what can be read into this story. I'll leave it up to you (and your class - probably middle school if you are going to start analysing it this deeply) to get what you will out of it.

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)