Where have they been? On holidays, along with many of our students and staff! The first few days back are always busy as piles of mags and novels, mainly, come back home. It is a great time to talk to the kids and staff about what they read and what they enjoyed.
One staff member stands [...]
Filed under: reading | No Comments »
This linked site may be blocked at some locations but is worth checking out if you can. Shelfari has a series of features on authors and their bookshelves and this particular one is focussed on Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, The Sandman and many other titles. If you ever want to feel envy about books, [...]
Filed under: reading | No Comments »
Really? How interesting…
A few weeks ago I posted an entry regarding the various merits or otherwise of audio books. Were they the same as reading, per se? Was it the same experience? Is one better than another?
I came out of a discussion with some staff about the purposes of reading. Why do we make some [...]
Filed under: English, reading | 1 Comment »
In her touching young adult fantasy novel, ‘Finnikin of the Rock’, Melina Marchetta tells the story of a spirited young man as he strives to return home to a kingdom sealed by a curse.
Finnikin, son of Trevanion the Captain of the King’s Guard, is under the tutelage of Sir Topher the King’s First Man, a [...]
Filed under: Book Reviews, Fantasy, Student Reviews, YA | No Comments »
Why do we read? And does “reading” mean from a book?
Tricky questions. Let’s try one at a time.
I read for enjoyment (mainly) and when I am reading a good book, then I am literally somewhere else, be it a submarine, another planet, the dark streets of New York…wherever. I may have music playing (almost certainly) [...]
Filed under: reading | 7 Comments »
Obviously not all the time, and not with relation to everything, but when it comes to reading, things are a lot easier than I recall.
As a child, I remember reading Willard Price, Biggles, the Hardy Boys and the Three Investigators. There must have been other stuff, too, but I can’t recall what those books were. [...]
Filed under: YA, reading | 7 Comments »
I have just finished reading one of the saddest books I have had the dubious pleasure of reading (that I can remember, anyway). The Anatomy of Wings won Best First Book in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and probably deservedly so. It is an accomplished piece but like other first books, can sometimes be too “wordy”, [...]
Filed under: Book Reviews, YA, reading | No Comments »
