Christmas past

I've been reading some of the 'Little House' books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I think I've read most of them before, but not for many years, and they're quite a good choice for this time of year. There seems to be a lot in them about how the family fared in winter time, and each book that I've read so far has an account of a Christmas. I was really struck by the contrast between their Christmases and today.

I listened to a bunch of kids I work with discussing what sort of laptop they were getting and whether they would get a computer and a new mobile phone. Maybe I should get them all to read a passage from one of these books. Certainly in one of the earlier ones, Laura and Mary each get a pair of red mittens and a candy cane. Couldn't be more different.

I've also been really interested to read all the details about their food, and where it came from. There were certainly no ready meals, but lots of emphasis on preserving what food they had and making the most of every last scrap. I'm missing a few books in the series so think I might try to get hold of them in the New Year. I feel a bit of Ebay-ing coming on!

Books about Boys:

I don't think I read enough books for boys, or about boys, so I'm trying to rectify that. Here are a couple that I've just had a look at.

Keith Gray's newest title is already a strong contender for various book awards. Ostrich Boys is the story of four friends, Blake, Sim, Kenny and Ross. They're best friends. Or at least, only three of them are still best friends because Ross is dead. After Ross's accident, the others decide to kidnap him (well, the urn with his ashes in) and set off for the village of Ross in Scotland. The story is both road-trip adventure, and humourously emotional as the boys gradually realise that what happened to Ross may not have been an accident, and that they may have been at least partly responsible for his death. It's an entertaining book, but thought provoking at the same time, which I think can be lacking in books with all male characters. Definitely suitable for teenagers, but nothing that would offend / disturb younger readers either.

I'm now reading Hurricane Wills by Sally Grindley, which is another 'all-boy' story, this time about brothers rather than friends. Chris's big brother Wills has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and as Chris tries to cope the mayhem Will creates, their relationship becomes more and more difficult. I haven't finished it yet, but so far I would say it's a read suitable for age 11+ (or even a couple of years younger). If the subject matter is of interest there is also a fabulously funny series of books published a few years ago, also about a boy with ADHD. Take a look at the Joey Pigza books by Jack Gantos.

The Casson Family

Sadly they're not real, but I wish I knew them. I'm re-reading Hilary McKay's fabulous series and loving it all over again. There are five books, chronicling the everyday lives of a very eccentric family. Saffy's Angel starts the series off, and we meet Saffron Casson, her parents and siblings. Eldest sister Caddy has failed all her exams, is in love with her driving instructor and keeps far too many pet guinea pigs. Saffy is next in line, and is setting out to solve a family mystery. Then comes Indigo, the only boy, who spends lots of his time on the roof, trying to cure himself of his fear of heights. And lastly Rose, the baby of the family, whose artistic talents are satisfied by drawing on walls.

Hilary McKay's writing is distinctive in style - lots of dialogue telling the story rather than description. I also love the fact that even the minor characters are well drawn and rounded. As the series progresses we meet Sarah, who crashed into Saffy with her wheelchair and becomes her best friend, American Tom the talented guitarist with a family secret, dippy David who starts off as a bully and becomes a friend, and Caddy's series of boyfriends.

The books are funny without being slapstick, but the humour is always off-set by poignant moments - the reader can see that Rose misses her dad who lives a lot of the time in London, we know that Caddy is about to marry the wrong mad and we hope for a Happy Ending for everyone in the last book of the series. It would be great to have more in the series, but I have just discovered Rose's blog on the author's website!

Catching Up!

I haven't updated this for far too long, so here's a very rapid update of what I've been reading and a few other bits and bobs. Since the end of the summer I've read and enjoyed the Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom. Apparently there's going to be a TV adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh.

Kids' book I've read include The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. I'd read it a long time ago and enjoyed it, but wanted to read the two sequels. I'm not enjoying them quite as much but if you like fairy-tale style fantasy stories they're certainly worth a read.

Chicken Dance was a good read, though I'd never come across the author Jacques Couvillon before. It's funny story, but quite sad at the same time, as the reader knows from the start that there's something strange about Don's family. It's set in 1960s America so some of the turns of phrase that are used are a bit unusual to a UK reader.

I'm currently reading Gervase Phinn's books about his life as a school inspector in Yokshire, having picked up the first three as a boxed set in Oxfam the other day. I love charity shop books. I get my book fix and do a bit of good into the bargain.

The only one I've read and not really enjoyed was The Luxe by Anna Godberson. It's a historical book set at the end of the 1800s in upper-class New York. It could have been a really fun book with romance and intrigue, and that was the intention I'm sure, but I thought all the characters were rather one-dimensional and generally not nice people, so I didn't really care whether any of them lived happily ever after or not. The Book Book Bloggers agree with me.

More Holiday Reads

We're more than half way through our six weeks summer holidays, and I've had the last two weeks off on leave. So what have I been reading?

I've enjoyed Crusade by Elizabeth Laird, which is a historical novel set in the time of the Second Crusade. It's a timely read in many ways as the blurb explains. "Two boys" (Adam and Salim), "Two Faiths" (Christian and Muslim), "One Unholy War" (the second crusade for Jerusalem). At it's most basic, it's an exciting war story, but at a more complex level, there are no clear cut answers about the rights and wrongs of the war, and both boys come to realise that many of their assumptions about their 'enemies' are wrong. I especially enjoyed the fact that even the minor characters are really well rounded and interesting. Dr Musa, Salim's Jewish mentor is a great character, as is Jenny, Adam's friend who find's herself in a man's world on the battlefield.

And an even better read was The Book Thief. So many people told me I should read this book by Markus Zusak and I'm glad I finally did. It's been published, in the UK at least, as a cross-over novel for both adults and teens, and I can see why. Set in Nazi Germany, our heroine is Liesel, but our narrator is Death himself. It's a straightforward story in many ways (because we all know what is going to happen historically), but the writing style is totally original. The reader gets little asides from Death about what is going to happen, there are parts of the story that are told in pictures, and the language is complex. It was one of those books that I desperately wanted to finish so I knew what was going to happen to Liesel, but didn't want to finish because I was enjoying the process of reading it so much. Highly, highly recommended.

I've read other stuff as well, but those are my highlights so far.

Holiday Reading - week 1

School's out for summer... at least the kids are and most of the staff are. I'm not on holiday yet, though I had a couple of days off last week. I have started getting some reading done though.
Week 1 reads:
Half of a Yellow Sun (as mentioned below) - I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed this as the subject matter is quite traumatic, but I'm glad I read it. I didn't know anything about the war in question before I started it so my horizons are feeling broader!
The Garden by Elsie V. Aidinoff - the story of Adam and Eve, with a difference. I imagine this will have created a huge amount of trouble in some Christian circles, and although I don't agree with some of it (the idea of God as a spoilt, self-centred creator who wants his own way) I loved it as a novel.
Waves by Sharon Dogar - I'd read good reviews of this but it didn't do it for me. A good enough concept, (Hal and his family return to their holiday home where his sister had a near fatal accident the previous year. She's still in a coma and Hal tries to find out what happened), but I found it rather repetitive and a bit dull. Disppointing after I'd looked forward to reading it.
Now to choose what to read this week...

Back, back, back

Well, I haven't been on here for a while, so I'd better cast my mind back to what I've been reading. I re-read I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. It's a book I loved when I first read it a few years ago, because it came as such a surprise. Dodie Smith is best known for writing 101 Dalmatians, but this is totally different. It's a beautiful coming of age story, and from Cassandra's opening line, "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink", we wait to see if the marvellously eccentric Mortmain family can extricate themselves from their poverty-stricken situation. If you're a fan of period drama, this is definitely a read for you, and it has been filmed - so here's a review.

As a complete contrast I'm currently reading Half of a Yellow Sun in which Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche writes with the backdrop of the Biafran seccession from Nigeria in the 1960s. It's a topic I know nothing about, and it's already a harrowing read.

North East Teenage Book Award

There are a whole host of book awards that are awarded across the country to various types of books and authors. In the last year I've had a couple of small groups of students from school involved reading and voting in the North East Book Award and the North East Teenage Book Award. I'm hoping to attend a meeting next week with a bunch of other school librarians where we'll put together the shortlist for this year's NETBA which will start in September. As a result I'm reading as fast as I can through at least some of the books on the longlist.

Last night I skipped through Kat Got Your Tongue by Lee Weatherly. I've enjoyed it and rather wish I'd had time to do it a bit more justice. Kat wakes up after a car accident with memory loss. She doesn't know who she is, doesn't recognise her mum, and has no recollcetion of a major falling out with her friends immediately before the accident. It's a cleverly told story with chapters alternating between Kat's narration as she readapts to life, and her diary from before her amnesia. The reader is left to piece together what dreadful thing Kat did to her friends just as Kat herself has to.

On a very similar theme there's also a book called Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin. It's a while since I read this one (and it's nothing to do with the Book Awards) but I'd would highly recommend it. Interestingly neither Naomi, the protagonist of this book, nor Kat are necessarily the most likeable characters before their memory loss, but seem considerably nicer people afterwards.

A dilemma

One of my latest reads from the school LRC has been The Summoning by E.E. Richardson. Justin and Joy have always been fascinated by their grandfather's collection of curios and books, but when Justin sneaks into his grandfathers house and 'borrows' a book he and his friends find themselves caught up with more than they had bargained for. The items in the house are all connected with the occult, they accidentally unleash a demon, ending up with one of the friends being possessed.

It's a well written and exciting story, dark enought to give you a bit of a scare but not to bring on nightmares - if you like that sort of thing. And that's where the dilemma comes in. I'm a Christian, and as such I don't like the idea of kids reading about the occult, even if it is fiction. But equally I'm a librarian by profession and as such I stand, where I can, against censorship. As a result I'm torn. I don't have a problem with stories of witches and wizards where the setting is clearly a fantasy world, so Harry Potter and other tales of magic. I'm not really bothered about ghost stories and other spooky things. Bring it on I say! But The Summoning seems like a different kettle of fish, and therein lies by dilemma. No easy answer.

What do the following things have in common?

Tarantulas, poison ivy, green martians, killer bees, germs and sharks? The answer... Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of them all!

Back in the days when I worked for a Schools Library Service, looking at picture books was one of the best parts of the job. I still enjoy them but am nowhere near as well informed about them as I used to be. Scaredy Squirrel by Michelle Watt is one of my recent favourites. Because his many fears and worries, Scaredy stays safe in his tree, with his emergency kit (a parachute, bug spray, mask, antibacterial soap and sardines) at the ready just in case. In the first book featuring Scaredy he finds out that the Unknown isn't quite as scary as he thought. Moral of the story: be willing to take a few risks!

It's a lovely book - funny but with a really great message. And Scaredy is rather cute! There's a good review of the book and interview with the author on the Calgary Herald website.

Blood and snow

Just finished Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick. It's a fictionalised biography of Arthur Ransome, author of Swallows and Amazons. I'd forgotten that Ransome had also written Old Peter's Russian Tales. Sedgwick's book starts with a information about Old Peter, and we learn about Ransome's fascination with all things Russian. As a newspaper journalist he is based in Russia at the start of the Russian Revolution, and soon finds himself embroiled in dangerous events.

He is in contact with British officials, and with the Bolsheviks, not to mention in love with a young Russian who is Trotksy's secretary. It is fascinating to think that a man known for wholesome and now rather old-fashioned children's books was at one point deciding which side to spy for in the midst of terrifying times

I must admit that I didn't find it an easy read, though like Marcus Sedgwick's other books, it is a book for young people. A review in the Sunday Times says that it "will reward readers of any age". I have my doubts. Interesting, and very well written it may be, but I can't see if gripping too many of my teenage readers at school.

A bit of holiday reading

Well, I have now read my way though my Oxenham collection, as explained in my previous post. I'm sure they're very much an aquired taste (a bit like Marmite perhaps... love 'em or loathe 'em) as they are definitely of their era. You have to be willing to suspend disbelief to put up with coincidental meetings, many life-threatening illnesses and accidents, not to mention ludicrously named children and far too many sets of twins, but I've thoroughly enjoyed my self indulgent read through!

I've just had a week off work and had brought a small pile of books home. My first one was My So-Called Life by Joanna Nadin, as recommended to me by a couple of girls at school. I made a start on it and to be honest haven't really got very far. That's not because the book is awful, but the subtitle is "the tragically normal diary of Rachel Riley" and it does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a diary, our heroine is 13 and the couple of sections that I've read are pretty funny. I can see why my Year 9s identify with it, but I do things that in comparison to other stuff I could be reading it's just a little derivative (think Adrian Mole, Georgia Nicholson etc).

On the other hand I've also been reading The Amethyst Child by Sarah Singleton and am loving it so far. I've always meant to read some books by this author and have somehow never quite got round to it. I'd recommend this already even on the strength of the first quarter of the book. Amber is lonely and bored during the summer holidays, feels out of things among her peers at school, and misunderstood by her parents. When she meets a mysterious girl with a lifestyle quite unlike her own she is quickly swept up into life with 'the Community'. I can foresee that this is some kind of cult, and that it is all going to go horribly wrong but quite how I'm not yet sure!

My Blog!

It's the National Year of Reading, and I've been trying to get various events and activities off the ground at school to at least make a bit of an effort. One thing I do need to do though is to read a bit more myself, and perhaps to do a bit more thinking about what I'm reading.

Most recently I've been indulging in one of my more bizarre reading habits. I have quite a large collection of what I would call 'old-fashioned' girls school stories. I own all 62 of the chalet school series, and I'm just finishing off reading my books by Elsie Jeanette Oxenham. I suppose I think of them as escapist reading, and although some of the plots seem ludicrous to modern readers I do enjoy a read through every so often! I don't own the whole series but am nearly done with reading the ones I have got. I've just had some new Young Adult books arrive at school so maybe one of those will be next on my list.