RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
James Roy is a popular Australian writer who has won many awards for his fiction. We are lucky to have him share what he’s reading with us. His recent book, Town, has been very popular in our library.
What are you reading?
The Machine Gunners, by Robert Westall
Why this book?
It’s one of my all-time favourites, and I re-read it every couple of years or so, just because I love it.
What’s it about?
It’s about a boy living in England during the Blitz in World War 2, who discovers a crashed German bomber, complete with the machine gun still attached. He decides to do his bit for the war effort by setting up his own gun placement at the mouth of the river… In other words, it starts out all fun and high-jinks, but gets real serious real quick.
Has it lived up to your expectations?
It doesn’t matter how many times I read this book, it never disappoints. I love reading new books, but sometimes it’s nice to sit down with something familiar, that you know you’ll love. This is one of those.
Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Thankyou, James, for taking the time to write this review for us!
You can have a look at the books James Roy has written here.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
The lovely bones is a surprisingly powerful story. I wonder if the film is as good as the book.
Bookalicious gives just enough of an overview:
The story follows fourteen year old Susie Salmon from her after life as she deals with her rape and brutal murder. She resents being killed and wishes her murder to be brought to justice. She also wishes to relive her first kiss and have many more, she wishes of course to have grown up. We watch her family crumble under the pressure of having a child murdered, her school friends grow up without her. How everything evolves except for Susie who is stuck just watching waiting for her murderer to be captured.
How big do you think the biggest book in the world is? What kind of book is this, and why would anyone want to make a very, very big book?
Well, the biggest book in the world is a 6 foot tall atlas which takes 6 men to lift. According to The Telegraph (UK) it was made by a Dutch merchant called Yohannes Klencke for the returning monarch in a bid to win favour with him in 1660.
This very, very big book (atlas) will be part of an exhibition in a British Library exhibition, called Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art.
And, according to The Telegraph article, if you think that a map is just to help you get from A to B, you’d be wrong. As Tom Harper, a library map curator, says, maps were a form of bling.
For example, one of the maps on display is a Portuguese map of the world from 1623 which was made when the Portuguese empire was dwindling. The map shows the Portuguese crest reaching as far as Siberia to prove Portugal’s power. The map as propaganda.
Have a look at details of the maps here.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
Occasionally I post poetry here. Poetry isn’t the most popular form of literature these days, but I’m hoping it will make a much-needed comeback.
Ok, so I think you’ll enjoy this. What I want you to do first, is read this poem. I’m not going to say any more yet.
Sum thyme’s I’m ache Thai pose
Sum thyme’s I’m ache Thai pose
Butt eyes up hose
Hats apart off fusing
Come pewter’s. Whirl oozing
Are ebb ill it he two ought toe
Core hector weed rat her
Ma sheens um owe no
how herds chews too gat her
let hers inn us pacific hoarder,
Witch his beater. En dime,
air head squid gills a porter
whose know shaving thyme
Whiff hit snot hunter limed inn read
They’re snow since inn re reed ding
Too Czechs peeling four miss leading
Thinks eye mite half’s ed.
Now I’ll add a clue, and say that this poem was composed entirely of homonyms . Look it up if you have to. Now read it aloud and maybe it will make more sense to you.
And finally, to put you out of your misery, here’s what it sounds like when it’s read.
I found this on Stephen Burt’s poetry blog and he linked to the video from Silliman’s blog.
Photo courtesy of Maastricht on Flickr
Here’s a powerful message about how reading makes you smart.
There’s nothing better for you – not broccoli, not an apple a day, not aerobic exercise. In terms of the whole rest of your life, in terms of making you smart in all ways, there’s nothing better. Top-ranking scientists and mathematicians are people who read. Top-ranking historians and researchers are people who read. Reading is like money in the bank in terms of the rest of your life, but it also helps you escape from the rest of your life and live experiences you can only dream of. Most important, along with writing, reading is the best way I know to find out who you are, what you care about, and what kind of person you want to become.
- Nancie Atwell
Don’t worry, it’s never too late to start reading.
RECOMMENDATIONS (7-10)
Now that we’re starting a new year – coming back from loooong holidays, sleeping in, going to the beach, partying with friends – I thought I’d get us back in the groove by posting who’s reading what.
Read Plus has read and reviewed The Enemy by Charlie Higson. Read the review here, but first, watch the trailer (if you dare).
Charlie Higson’s website is fantastic. Browse through the top tabs and read about Charlie, or read an extract from the book.
You can even Zombie yourself on the website, if you so desire. I did.
Read Plus has also reviewed Conspiracy 365: January by Gabrielle Lord.
Here’s an extract of Read Plus’ review:
Walking home one night, Callum is chased by a disheveled man who warns him that he must stay hidden for 365 days, or else he would be killed like his father. Dismissing him as stupid, he watches as the ambulance takes him away, but when over the next few days things happen which alert him to the possibility of his being targeted by persons unknown, he recalls all that the man told him, and strives to keep himself safe.
Again, the author’s website is fantastic, and you can also watch the trailer, read about the author, and read about the whole series which is totally new. There’s a counter that tells you how many days, hours and minutes until the second book in the series comes out.
That’s enough for this post. More or Who’s reading what later.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
The Education Resource Centre of The Age newspaper is worth checking out, or going back for another look.
Apart from material for VCE Success and features supporting different subjects within the curriculum, the reading and writing page is great for – well, reading and writing, of course! Watch this page because things will be updated throughout the year.
Currently, Andy Griffiths has contributed a hilarious short story, Just commenting, as part of a special series on the Summer Kids pages of The Sunday Age.
Here’s the first half of Andy’s story (you’ll love it):
WHEN I grow up I’m going to be a commentator. I’m getting really good at it, too, because I practise every chance I get. In fact, I’m practising right now.
I’m sitting at the dinner table using the pepper grinder as a microphone.
“It looks like we’re in for an exciting night’s eating,” I say in a hushed voice. “Anything can – and probably will – happen. The father is chewing on a chicken bone. The mother is pouring gravy over her potatoes. And the sister . . . well, the sister is looking directly at the commentator.”
“Can you pass the salt please, Andy?” says Jen.
“And the sister has opened play by making a direct request to the commentator to pass the salt,” I say. “The question is, will he give her the salt or is he too busy commentating?”
“Mum,” sighs Jen, “Andy’s commentating again.”
“Oh dear,” I exclaim. “The sister seems to have forgotten about the salt and has decided to tell on her little brother for commentating instead.”
“Just ignore him,” says Mum.
“I can’t,” says Jen. “I want him to pass the salt.”
“She’s getting impatient now,” I say. “She’s thrown away all pretence of politeness and good manners. Looks like she still really wants that salt. But her little brother is just shaking his head. Looks like we have a stand-off on our hands.”
Jen rolls her eyes. “Can you pass me the salt, please, Dad?”
“A brilliant change of tactics on the sister’s part,” I say. “Let’s see how it works out for her.”
Dad nods, picks up the salt and leans in front of me to pass it to Jen.
“What a pass!” I say into the pepper grinder.
“Straight from his hand to hers, no fumbling – and Jen is wasting no time in transferring the contents of the salt shaker to her dinner. Just look at her shaking that thing – she’s giving that shaker everything she’s got. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the salt-shakingest salt-shaker action we’ve seen around this dinner table in a long time.”
“Jen,” says Mum, “that’s quite enough salt.”
“Looks like the mother has stepped in to shut down the sister’s salt offensive.”
“Shut up, Andy,” says Jen.
“Jen!” says Mum. “Please don’t talk like that at the dinner table.”
“But, Mum . . .”
“I know your brother can be very annoying, but there’s no excuse for language like that.”
“Oh dear,” I say.
“Looks like Jen’s dinner has definitely taken a turn for the worse. Not only has she been cautioned for excessive salt use but now she’s getting into trouble for being rude at the dinner table.”
“All right, that will do now, Andy,” says Dad. “Just eat your dinner.”
“But who will do the commentating?”
“NOBODY will do the commentating!” says Mum. “We’ll all just eat our dinner in peace and quiet.”
“But that’s boring.
“And unfair.
“How can I be a professional commentator when I grow up if you don’t let me practise?”
“Just eat your dinner,” says Dad, “or else you’ll have to leave the table.”
It gets even better, so click here to read the rest and find out why the narrator is being held upside down by his dad. You can also read previous short stories, including I’m allergic to lava by David Callinan, Last night down by the Merri Creek by Sally Rippin, or others.
This page will also update the sections Reading, Creative Writing, Persuasive Writing, and link to The Centre for Youth Literature’s blog, Inside a dog.
So bookmark this link to keep up with Reading and Writing, or this link for all education resources online within The Age.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
Catherine Wells
What are you reading? I am currently reading What Lies Beneath – Book One of Caliban’s End by Paul Francis Stewart (former Whitefriars Staff member).
Why this book?
I had the privilege of reading parts of this book when it was in draft form, and have been waiting with much excitement for it to be published so I could read the finished product! Now that my marking is over for the year I am thoroughly enjoying reading it. I am a huge fan of fantasy writing. As I have been able to have a number of conversations with Paul about my favourite TV show ‘Buffy’, and some of my favourite novels including Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, I knew that whatever he wrote, I would end up being a huge fan.
What’s it about?
Many things….a strange and wonderful world…an array of interesting and unique characters…a mystery…
Has it lived up to your expectations?
Yes! In that I am constantly being surprised and delighted by the story – I knew I was going to be impressed with the writing – and I have been!
Would you recommend it to others?
Yes! Definitely! If you love reading fantasy you will love this novel. AND the author is from Melbourne!
Thankyou, Catherine, for sharing your reading with us.
You can read it here:
Or you might like to read it here along with Book 2. Paul’s site is a comprehensive and fascinating support for the stories.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff)
Now that we’re finally starting to breathe and look ahead to leisure time, some of you may be itching for reading recommendations.
Me and My Big Mouth is creating a special type of Advent Calendar which suggests a book every day from December 1st until Christmas day.
Every day between December 1st and Christmas Day itself I will be posting short suggestions for books to brighten up your festive season.
Some will be old, some will be new. Some would make for ideal gifts, others are entirely for personal use.
The intention is to recommend 24 books that you might otherwise have overlooked.
If you need ideas for reading or book gifts, and you want variety, and can only read one short recommendation at a time, then read this blog. It’s written by staff of a UK bookshop but don’t let that put you off. And don’t forget to check out all the reviews and interviews on the blog, including ‘currently reading’ and ‘new arrivals’. Plenty of book gift and wishlist ideas here.
On Fan Fiction by Joshua Bell
Fan fiction is, on a whole, regarded as one of the lower forms of writing. This may be for any number of reasons. First and foremost, simply because the idea behind it is to blatantly and without any form of pretence on the contrary use someone else’s idea. The second reason is that fan fiction is often viewed as a medium for amateur writers.
There are many people, readers and authors alike, who view fan fiction as a means for amateur writers to change someone else’s ideas ever so slightly and gain respect, renown and on rare occasions, money, from it.
I personally have to argue against this since I myself am a fan fiction writer, and I believe that fan fiction is a very useful tool for developing young writers and for expressing one’s self. I discovered it in February 2009 and have been writing fan fiction avidly since then, and have gained great rewards from doing so. What started out as a bit of fun and an idea, grew into something larger, and now, thanks to fan fiction, I know what I want to do with my life.
The majority of fan fiction is posted online, which means that feedback can be provided almost instantaneously as each chapter is uploaded. This feedback can’t be gained anywhere else, since posting your own work on the internet can be dangerous if you wish to get it published. With fan fiction there is no chance that you’ll get it published, so there is no fear of plagiarism. This provides the perfect ‘training ground’ for amateur writers. While there may be no financial profit gained from it, there is most definitely invaluable experience gained from it, and in some cases that is better than money.
Some may argue that fan fiction requires little skill since the idea is already there for you. The fact is that fan fiction requires the same skill as any other type of writing, because there is always a new idea in each and every fan fiction. Fan fiction does not mean that a storyline is copied. What it means is that certain elements of a story, whether it be characters, setting or timeline, are taken and used for something different. For example, in my fan fiction I have taken the world which my fan fiction is based on, set the story fifty years into the future, then developed my own characters and started it from there. In this way the same amount of effort is needed when thinking up an idea for a fan fiction as writing a professional novel, and anyone who says otherwise clearly hasn’t been educated very well on the subject.
There are, of course, people who do not like fan fiction for other reasons. Some authors feel that fan fiction simply spoils a perfect story, and that it represents an opinion from the readers that the story would be better off if written by others. Now this I can understand, however I do think that these authors need to remember just how valuable a tool fan fiction can be. Because of fan fiction I want to be an author professionally, and I think I owe it to fan fiction to defend it.
I constantly find myself embarrassed when I am discussing my writing with someone and I have to explain to them about fan fiction. When I do I find that people are often less than impressed, and it brings me down, because I spend literally months working on these pieces, and I personally think they’re an achievement worth recognizing.
Fan fiction is a great tool for learning and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to write interesting tales and get great feedback from it.
Thankyou, Josh, for informing us about Fan Fiction.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Staff, 7-9, 10-12)
Michael Gerard Bauer, well-known and popular YA author, winner of many book awards, including CBCA 2005 Book of the Year for The running man, has graciously agreed to share with us what he is currently reading.
What are you reading?
’Leaving Barrumbi’ by Leonie Norrington.
Why this book?
I’ve read the other Barrumbi books and enjoyed them. Also it was shortlisted for the CBCA award last year and I know Leonie and she is published by Omnibus/Scholastic Australia like me.
What’s it about?
Set in the Northern Territory it tells of the trials and tribulations of a boy called Dale who heads off to boarding school for the first time. Dale has always lived with Aboriginal people and doesn’t really see himself as a ‘whitefella’. It’s about understanding different cultures and also about growing up.
Has it lived up to your expectations?
Yes absolutely. I haven’t finished it yet but I’m already caught up in Dale’s sometimes disastrous attempts to fit in with his new boarding school life. Leonie is a wonderful writer who brings alive characters, culture and the environment.
Would you recommend it to others?
Certainly. You could start with The Barrumbi Kids and The Spirit of Barrumbi or read this one as a stand alone. The series gives a great insight into Aboriginal people and culture.
If you like, you can read a synopsis of the story here.
This has been cross-posted from Brave New World.
Did you know that UNESCO bestowed on the city of Melbourne the title of City of Literature as part of its Creative Cities Network?
Maybe you did, but did you also know that the Arts Minister, Lynne Kosky, announced two days ago the creation of The Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing, Ideas. It has been named after the founders of the Melbourne-based Lonely Planet travel guides.
From 2010, Melbourne will have a new kind of cultural institution. The Wheeler Centre. A centre dedicated to the discussion and practice of writing and ideas. Through a year-round programme of talks and lectures, readings and debates, we invite you to join the conversation.
The city of Melbourne is home to an impressive collection of literary organisations, including the Victorian Writers’ Centre, Express Media, the Australian Poetry Centre, the Melbourne Writers Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival and the Centre for Youth Literature.
These organisations will reside at 176 Little Lonsdale Street, a newly renovating wing of the State Libray of Victoria. I still remember the Melbourne Public Library housing the National Art Gallery, the Museum of Melbourne and the Planetarium.
Now it is the home of the Wheeler Centre for Books Writing and Ideas.
Browsing the Wheeler Centre’s website, I discovered a remarkable short animated film for the New Zealand Book Council.
No doubt some wonderful initiatives will be coming from these literary organisations, like the Summer School Novel Writing workshop in January 2010 organised by the Victorian Writers’ Centre.
And if you ever doubted the connection between reading and writing (as if you would), you’d be advised to read what the Victorian Writers’ Centre writing tips state at the top of the list:
A few good tips to develop your writing.
Every experienced writer reads widely. Professional writers always recommend reading as a way for the writer to learn their craft. Reading widely can enhance your writing technique, broaden your scope, multiply your ideas and deepen your understanding of literary form in all its variety.
And if you’ve ever been confused by punctuation rules, think about following the great French author, Gustav Flaubert, in his ‘musical’ rules for punctuation:
Flaubert’s rule was that a pause of:
one beat equals a comma
two beats equals a semi-colon
three beats a colon
four beats a full stop
That’s what I call simple rules of punctuation.
Thanks to CMIS Fiction Focus for the alert.
This has been cross-posted from a post in Brave New World from last Christmas. Have a go – DON’T CHEAT!
I know that you would have seen these before – these strangely reworded Christmas carol titles or, as described on the site, obfuscated Christmas carol titles, but I thought I’d pull them out – as one pulls out of a dusty box that’s been sitting in the back of a dark cupboard – as a light challenge for the season.
The website calls them titles of Christmas Carols, rewritten in florid and multisyllabic language!
See how many you can guess.
- Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief
- Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds.
- Nocturnal time span of unbroken quietness.
- An emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good given to the terrestrial sphere.
- Embellish the interior passageways.
- Exalted heavenly beings to whom harkened.
- Twelve o’clock on a clement night witnessed its arrival.
- The Christmas preceding all others.
- Small municipality in Judea southeast of Jerusalem.
- Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussionistic cylinders.
- Omnipotent supreme being who elicits respite to ecstatic distinguished males.
- Tranquillity upon the terrestrial sphere.
- Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.
- Expectation of arrival to populated area by mythical, masculine perennial gift giver.
- Natal celebration devoid of color, rather albino, as a hallucinatory phenomenon for me.
- In awe of the nocturnal time span characterized by religiosity.
- Geographic state of fantasy during the season of mother nature’s dormancy.
- The first person nominative plural of triumvirate of far eastern heads of state.
- Tintinnabulation of vacillating pendulums in inverted, metallic, resonant cups.
- In a distant location the existence of an improvised unit of newborn children’s slumber furniture.
- Proceed forth declaring upon a specific geological alpine formation.
- Jovial Yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us.
If you reach saturation point guessing these, scroll down past the picture for the answers.
- Oh Come All Ye Faithful
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing
- Silent Night
- Joy to the World
- Deck the Halls
- Angels We Have Heard on High
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
- The First Noel
- Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
- Little Drummerboy
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Peace on Earth
- Frosty the Snowman
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- White Christmas
- Oh Holy Night
- Winter Wonderland
- We Three Kings
- Jingle Bells
- Away in a Manger
- Go Tell It on a Mountain
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Khai Tran – What are you reading?
I am reading The Alchemyst: The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott.
What’s it about?
It is about how two twins, Sophie and Josh, have regular lives until one day, their lives change with the appearance of Nicholas Flamel and Perenelle Flamel. A man called doctor John Dee is trying to steal the book of Abraham the Mage from Nicholas to summon the dark elders. The book has the recipe of the immortal elixir. Without the elixir, he and Perenelle could die in a month. Sophie and Josh see Dee and Flamel battle and they are now cast as a target for Dee. Flamel is willing to help Sophie and Josh by training their auras so they can use it for magic. But with every use of magic there is a price…….
Why this book?
I chose this book because I am into books with fantasy and magic. Another interesting point is that Nicholas Flamel was known to discover the elixir to immortal life and the philosopher’s stone. The philosopher’s stone is known to change common metals into gold and other gems while the immortal elixir grants life eternal which makes you stay the age when you took it. The interesting part is that his tomb was found empty at his recorded time of death: 1418.
Has it lived up to your expectations?
It has.
Would you recommend it to others?
If you like Harry Potter, then you’ll love the alchemyst.
You can read more about this book here. I also recommend the author’s website.
You can learn more about Nicholas Flamel here.
Thankyou, Khai, for such a fascinating review. I think many of us will want to read the book now.
This has been cross-posted from an old (24 June) post on Brave New World. Now that we’re winding down to the end of the year (winding up, perhaps?), I thought I would share my thoughts about poetry – old and new.
I’ve been meaning to scan some old photos and pictures for a long time, and today I finally did. This picture lives inside one of two autograph books which belonged to my maternal grandmother. I love these books because they’re full of hand-drawn pictures and poetry. Some of the poetry is the typical verse which would have been popular as choices for autographs, and other poetry has been written especially for my grandmother. My grandmother was German but born in Russia, and lived there until she and her family fled to Germany during WWII. And so the entries are in Russian, German or Ukrainian.
The pages of these books contain history – dates, names, warm wishes and sincere words from people who were once young and are now long gone – but they are precious to me also for their lost art of handiwork. There’s a thrill in being able to feel the paint on the page, to see the brushwork or ink, and think that somehow the traces of people long gone are kept alive within these pages.
Here’s a page from an illustrated poem written about a time when my grandmother’s father was separated from the family when he was working in Siberia. In this picture you can see my grandmother as a young girl, her mother holding her baby brother and her father rushing out to meet his family, happy to see them. And the whole story is written as poetry. How special is this!
Things have really changed since the times of these autograph books. Even the fact that I can scan, crop, save and upload these pictures demonstrates how technology has created possibilities. We may lament the fact that people don’t have the fine motor skills to draw as well as they used to, or the time or inclination to write poetry by hand, but we have different options for creativity. If students can’t draw, this doesn’t stop them from being able to create computer-generated art or animation. I love the fact that this generation is revisiting things from the past – art and music – they are remixing, reorganising, reinterpreting these in a new way.
Here’s a Second Life animation take on Yeats’ poem, The Stolen Child, by Lainy Voom. Andy Fisher found this for me; thanks!
The autograph book demonstrates a lovely collection of shared sentiments, but at the same time, this generation is collaborating in newly found ways to create.
