'Real Time' by Pnina Moed Kass

You probably hear about the complexities of the Israel-Palestinian situation almost every week on the news. Real Time by Pnina Moed Kass is a frighteningly real minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day depiction of how quickly lives can change by acts of terrorism.

The story is set in contemporary Israel. The book is strung together through narrations by Thomas, a German boy on a mission to find out more about his grandfather, Vera, a Jewish girl trying to escape her distressing past, Baruch, a Holocaust survivor working on a kibbutz, Sameh, a Palestinian boy on an assignment and his friend Omar, Dr Ibrahim Stitti, a Palestinian doctor working in a hospital in Israel and Clive Burleigh, a Middle East news correspondent.

The format of the book is brilliant as it sets the pace for the events that unfold. The author Pnina Moed Kass says in her interview that writing this book seemed to be her only act of release from feelings of overwhelming sadness, bitterness and incomprehension.

This book was the winner of the 2004 Sydney Taylor Award. Read this book and get a feel for the effects of terrorism from different points of view.

reviewed by Janice Rodrigues

'Smashed' by Mandy Hager

A stunning novel of not just teenage issues but issues of the human condition. Are we guided by our genes or does free will have a stronger part to play?

Toby is a super bright Asian boy with a Chinese father and an red haired Irish mother. His sister Rita takes after the mother and Toby after his father, in physical characteristics at least. Toby has two wayward friends, Carl and Don, who he trusts, even though their interests and wild ways, are not his. A party in which alcohol and drugs cause mayhem, is attended by Toby, Rita, Don and Carl, that blows the roof off all of their lives.

The story is told with such passion and humour that it is difficult to put down. The action and dialogue between characters is realistic and the philosophical slant on all the action is told in first person by Toby. There is much to discuss in this novel about teenage issues of drugs, friendship, family relations, the law and sex. Don't miss this one it will blow your mind. Suitable for secondary school students.

Published by Random House

Reviewed by Bob

What you're reading ....

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the Learning@School 08 post! Here we've collected a list of books and series that people mentioned in their comments.

We're keen for more, so go to the original post & share your recommendation: What is your favourite book to share with students? What are your students' favourites at the moment? What book do your own kids just love?

'Lemony Snicket' series
Official Lemony Snicket website

Janet Evanovich's 'Stephanie Plum' series
Janet Evanovich's website

'The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race', by Morris Lurie
Latham Primary School's (Australia) teaching activities for this book

'The Giver', by Lois Lowry
Teacher guide to 'the Giver' on the Random House website

'Nicketty-Nacketty, Noo-Noo-Noo', by Joy Cowley
Joy Cowley website

'Frozen Fire', by Tim Bowler
More about the book on Tim Bowler's website

Anything by Anthony Browne or Robert Munsch
Interview with Anthony Browne
Robert Munsch website

Roald Dahl - especially 'The Twits' for younger readers
Roald Dahl website

Judy Blume's books
Judy Blume website

Jody Hayes & her Navigators are reading NZ authors including Jack Lasenby, Margaret Mahy, Patricia Grace, Joy Cowley & Gavin Bishop. Check out the Navigators' blog

Lynley Dodd's 'Hairy Maclary' books
Hairy Maclary series

'Don't let the pigeon drive the bus', by Mo Willems
Mo Willems' website

Robin Kerr's 'World Secret Service' series
Reviewed on the Korero Pt England blog

'The Emperor of Absurdia' by Chris Riddell
Chris Riddell website

'Mr Muggs the library cat', by Dave Gunson
Read about this book on Beattie's Book Blog

'Big Chicken' by Leslie Helakoski
Leslie Helakoski wesbite

21-month-old Rory is loving 'Rumble in the jungle' by Giles Andrae, 'Time for bed' by Mem Fox and 'Green hat, blue hat' by Sandra Boynton.
Sandra Boynton website
Mem Fox website
Giles Andrae - Bloomsbury website

What book got you hooked?

Poeple are still sharing their stories on this earlier post. Check out the recent replies and share your own story if you haven't already!

Image: Pile of books, Prague Library. Photo by callumscott2 on Flickr

Duet by David Hill - Music, Love and Consequences...

Kallum has given away classical guitar to concentrate on playing blues, but the band he and his friends had set up, Septic Tank, had not been a spectacular success.

His decides to accept his friend Saul’s invitation to join the Youth Orchestra to play guitar in a guitar/flute duet. This is a whole new experience for Kallum, who had always regarded classical music as nerd territory.

There he meets Paige, his duet partner. Told with humour and insight, we follow their growing relationship, set against the background of the youth orchestra and the players striving for the perfect performance.

David Hill is able to capture the essence of 15-year-old Kallum’s feelings – the intensity of his triumphs, his self-doubt, confusion and anguish – and his ear for dialogue is superb. The reader is drawn into the intensity of the orchestra’s rehearsals and final performance while also following the parallel story in which Paige and Kallum have to face some tough decisions. The story builds to its climax, with consequences that must change the lives of Paige and Kallum forever.

Published by Mallinson Rendel, in 2007. This is one of David Hill’s best.

Janet

New Zealand Post Book Award’s For Children and Young Adults

Snakes and spiders, summits and survivors, not to mention aliens, reality TV, a bionic Kiwi and blowing bubbles; they’re just a few of the diverse themes featured among the finalists of the 2008 New Zealand Post Book Award’s For Children and Young Adults. With such a topic range it's no surprise there’s also a compelling and wide range of writing styles and stories that cover the globe - from the American Mid West to Everest, to our own wild West Coast.

Double nominees also feature this year. Three of this year’s finalists – Andrew Crowe, Gavin Bishop and Melanie Drewery - have more than one book shortlisted.

The finalists have been selected from more than 130 children’s books published in New Zealand in 2007. They are:

Picture Book

The King’s Bubbles, by Ruth Paul (Scholastic New Zealand)
Out of the Egg, written and illustrated by Tina Matthews (Walker Books)
Rats!, written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Random House New Zealand)
Tahi – One Lucky Kiwi, by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly (Random House New Zealand)
To the Harbour, written and illustrated by Stanley Palmer (Lopdell House Gallery)

Non fiction

A Mini Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Land Birds by Andrew Crowe, illustrated by Dave Gunson (Penguin New Zealand)
Reaching the Summit by Alexa Johnston with David Larsen (Penguin New Zealand)
Weather Watch New Zealand by Sandra Carrod, illustrated by Karsten Schneider and Richard Gunther (Reed New Zealand)
What is a Fish? by Feana Tu’akoi, designed by Vasanti Unka (Scholastic New Zealand)
Which New Zealand Spider? by Andrew Crowe (Penguin New Zealand)

Junior Fiction

Dead Dan’s Dee by Phyllis Johnston (Longacre Press)
The Dumpster Saga by Craig Harrison (Scholastic New Zealand)
The Mad Tadpole Adventure by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Scholastic New Zealand)
My Story Sitting on the Fence: The Diary of Martin Daly, Christchurch 1981 by Bill Nagelkerke (Scholastic New Zealand)
Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press)

Young Adult Fiction

Salt by Maurice Gee (Penguin New Zealand)
The Sea-wreck Stranger by Anna Mackenzie (Longacre Press)
Tomorrow All Will Be Beautiful by Brigid Lowry (Allen & Unwin)
The Transformation of Minna Hargreaves by Fleur Beale (Random House New Zealand)
Zillah by Penelope Todd (Longacre Press)

Finalists will be participating in children’s book events as part of a nationwide celebration of the New Zealand Post Book Awards. The festivities begin on Monday 12 May and continue through to the awards on Wednesday 21 May when the winners will be announced.

A full list of touring writers and dates will be available mid-March.

To Dance: a memoir by Siena Cherson Siegel, illustrated by Mark Siegel

It seems to me that graphic novels are not usually written for the girls, but, without wishing to enforce a stereotype, I am guessing there would only be a little bit of interest in To Dance for the boys.

Siena Cherson Siegel was born in Puerto Rico, always loved to dance and was enrolled in dance classes in an effort to help her flat feet. The book chronicles her increasing love of ballet. She auditioned and was accepted for the School of American Ballet (one of the two big New York ballet companies – the other was (is?) American Ballet Theatre) when she was eleven, her professional involvement continuing for another 12 years.

I feel like I am peeking from backstage when names such as George Blanchine, Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland come up as part of Siena’s daily life.

While ballet is certainly young Siena’s main focus in life, there are also lovely little scenes from her life as just an ordinary girl – cycling with her walkman (the new “thing”), watching football. And I felt surprisingly moved by the story and pictures of Giselle and the tribute to George Balanchine by the ballet company.

Mark Siegel’s drawings are full of movement and very pink – understandable for a book about ballet.

When I was a girl doing ballet (and even when I had finished doing ballet!) I would have absolutely loved this book and I think it will be a winner (with girls especially) from age 7 or 8 and older.

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Welcome Learning@School 08 Participants!!

This week, National Library staff are attending the Learning@School Conference in Rotorua, with presentations on School Library 2.0; on Building Active Learners in the Evolving Knowledge Space; and on Creating Readers using the Web.

We welcome all conference delegates, some of whom who will be having a look at this blog. Your comments are welcomed!

Please comment on this page, to let us know you are reading. What is your favourite book to share with students? What are your students' favourites at the moment? What is a book your own kids just love? Or... what do you think of Create Readers?

If you're not at the conference, feel free to add your own comments too! What are your kids reading at the moment?

Be Counted: the diary of Amy Phelps, Dunedin 1893 by Janine McVeagh

13 year old Amy Phelps travels from Central Otago to Dunedin to attend secondary school courtesy of her wealthy aunt and uncle. Aunt Delia is very much involved in the campaign to get women the vote, and Amy herself wants to be an artist like her heroine Frances Hodgkins. There is plenty in this story to inform the young reader about social conditions of the time – from Amy’s own family situation, to the plight of the less privileged in wealthy Dunedin of the 1890’s.

Be Counted is one of the “My Story” series – novels by New Zealand authors in a diary format about events and places in New Zealand history. Other novels in the series cover such calamities as the eruption of Mt Tarawera and the 1931 Napier earthquake; and unique environments such as the Homer Tunnel construction camp, the Dalmatian community in Dargaville during the ‘20’s and the situation in New Zealand during the 1981 Springbok tour.

All the “My Story” novels are both interesting and useful. Having them in the classroom/home is a wonderful way for children to become interested in history, to enliven general knowledge about New Zealand and they are useful as examples of diary-writing.

I have seen children become immersed in the whole series from year 5 (10 years) and older.

Published by Scholastic

Reviewed by Beth

Karamu High School's Rewarding Reading programme

“Reading is a perfectly normal activity, lots of people do it, and they even get pleasure from doing it”

This is the message that Jan Clothier, Librarian and Teacher at Karamu High School, a Decile 4 secondary school in Hastings, wants to get across to all students in the school. And, thanks partly to the school's innovative and well supported Rewarding Reading programme, the message is getting through.

When each student starts school in Year 9, they are given their own Reading Record, to be kept in the library. Students record every book they read, and are eligible for an award after each 40 books read. The first, Pewter award is gained after reading any 40 books of the student's choice, but after that, things get more challenging, and link into the Wide Reading requirements of NCEA. For the Bronze award (80 books in total read), students have to include an auto/biography; a pre-1970 book; a NZ author; a book from a Maori perspective and one from another culture. Then comes Silver, at 120 books, and finally the Gold award, at 180 books, each with similar challenges.

The school felt that if students could be rewarded for sports achievements, they should also be rewarded for reading achievements. Each award is presented formally to the student at assembly with prizes, such as $5.00 canteen vouchers for Pewter, and book vouchers at the higher levels.

Rewarding Reading works because of school-wide support. The Principal discusses it at assembly, and provides a budget for rewards. The school report has a section to comment on personal reading habits. All English teachers promote the programme, and encourage reading, with a focus on silent reading by all, including the teacher, during library times. Some teachers also offer individual rewards for the class. There are even assembly spot prizes, eg all kids who have read more than 5 books go in a draw for a $5.00 canteen voucher. "Sports jocks" also talk about books at assembly, for example a top student surfer talking about "books I read when there are no waves." This all helps keeps the programme in students' minds.

As a result of this and other school initiatives, there is a thriving reading culture in the school. Reading is no longer seen as a "nerdy" thing to do. Students of all abilities read, and are proud to receive their awards. Library borrowing has increased substantially, creative writing is better and the level of students' vocabulary has improved. The school now has a Scholarship English class, after many years without one, and students have gained scholarships. Well done Karamu!

Karamu High School's Rewarding Reading programme was planned and developed at an in-service day, led by English teachers Helen Almey and Tracy Taylor, with the encouragement and support of HOD Jo Morris, and Librarian Jan Clothier. For more information about the school's initiatives to develop a positive reading culture see this paper. For some further ideas about reading challenges from Australia, see this blog posting.

Fairy Four-Eyes

by Penny Matthews

Wow! What a delight to read. In under 100 pages, this chapter book from the Aussie Bites series, will appeal to girls who love all things to do with ballet. The pink book cover draws the reader in, and hints at the storyline.
Lucy is the best in the all-girls ballet class - but the new arrival, Craig, becomes the favourite of the teacher.

Narrated from Lucy's point of view, we learn of her challenges in wearing and not wearing new glasses while she is dancing, how annoying Craig is and the world of ballet. This is a mouth-watering story. Start reading now.

Reviewed by Fiona

Wonders of the Natural World

a Dorling Kindersley book by David Burnie. (Pub. 2007)

A wonderful book to browse, this large format production introduces the reader to great wonders such as the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Antarctica and Great Barrier Reef. Each chapter opens with a spectacular photograph and follows this with explanations of how the landform was created and more facts and photographs of unique features. A colourful double page is also included on which wild creatures of that region are presented against a montage of their respective habitats.

Lots of informative reading for young people (Year 4 plus), who prefer books with illustrations.

Reviewed by Melva

LibraryThing

What should I read next? What are some great YA fantasy books? I've read all the Alex Rider books, what else is good?

Join LibraryThing, and you'll be connected with thousands of book lovers and all their ideas.
You start off by cataloguing your own books online. This is easy and fast, and much cleverer than it appears. Under its bonnet, LibraryThing uses the power of z39.50 searching to interrogate the world's major library catalogues and find professionally catalogued details of the book you are referring to.

Once you've catalogued a few books the fun begins. You can check out who else has catalogued similar books, browse their collections and see what you might like to read next. Say you had a very specific interest in vampire books that none of your friends understood. All of a sudden, on LibraryThing you can find a group of like-minded people, check out their collections, add your book review to theirs, and form or join a group on the topic.

One popular group is the "50 book challenge". Members aim to read 50 books in a year, and post information on what they have read so far and what they think of it. Other people comment on their choices and make suggestions about what they might like to read next. There are some great conversations going on on this group.

Other popular groups include Children's Fiction, and Read YA Lit, which choses one book a month to have a discussion about. March's book is The Giver by Lois Lowry. They also have great "group talk" discussions about a wide variety of other topics.

LibraryThing is very popular with librarians. In fact, the group Librarians who LibraryThing is the most popular, with 3655 members.

Or, you could just use LibraryThing’s powerful search system to find recommended books. Look up Eragon by Christopher Paolini, for example, and LibraryThing will show you the most popular books that people with Eragon also have in their library. Click on more recommendations for specifics. This type of search can pull up interesting results, as its not limited to any genre or type of book, just to popularity by lots of Eragon readers. People with Eregon also seem to buy Inkspell by Cornelia Funke, and Magyk by Angie Sage. The recommendations work best with popular books – have a look at the top of a book’s entry to see how many members have this book (5,332 for Eragon).

Here's a good link to an article about LibraryThing.

The Forbidden Bookshelf

What do, Noddy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Bridge to Terabithia, Where the Wild Things Are and Captain Underpants have in common? Well it’s not only adult books that get the bash – childrens' books too have a volatile pedigree of being challenged, censored, and banned, as the above illustrate. And it’s still happening. So far in this enlightened century Harry Potter rates as the most challenged (and burnt) children’s book series.

In recognition of the freedom to read, Wellington City Libraries in conjunction with the Wellington branch of the NZ Society of Authors are holding a week long event to highlight banned and challenged childrens' books.

The event features displays of banned books in Wellington public libraries as well as readings from these books by local childrens' writers, illustrators and librarians. There’s also a celebrity debate with the wonderfully provocative premise, "Not enough children's books are banned in New Zealand.”

So was Noddy ever banned in NZ? Not officially, but word is that one Noddy book was banned in Australia during the 1970s. Why dear reader? Because of the following on page 84, “…and Noddy walked down a country lane and felt a little queer." A true story, apparently - though all of Blyton’s 24 (She was nothing if not prolific) Noddy books are only 60 pages long.

Events kick off Monday 25th Feb. For more information grab a flyer from a Wellington Library or visit What's on at the Library

Flickr Photo by covs97's

Taking Off - Must read New Zealand fiction

By Janice Marriott
Published by Harper Collins 2007

If reading is all about making connections, then Janice Marriott’s latest title does it for me!

I was immediately hooked into the story, as my mind’s eye identified the setting as the Manawatu River estuary at Foxton Beach, a favourite bird-watching place for me. The connection was especially strong when the storyline had Alana and Tommy meeting along the Sunset Path and watching spoonbills, and godwits and knots preparing for their long migration to the northern hemisphere.

Alana is fearful about her failing eyesight and an upcoming appointment with the specialist at the nearest hospital, and trying to hide this fear from her blind father and family makes her a little short-fused. Her negative attitude is not helped by the impact on her life of two newcomers into the community - Tommy, a loner with a dysfunctional mother who becomes obsessed with birds and their ability to fly, and Amira, a new refugee with little English.

Alana's uncle, a pilot, arrives to fly her to her eye appointment, and with her father and her uncle she takes off on a journey that will change their lives.

This is a powerful and moving novel, with a dramatic climax.


Reviewed by Jan

Winging it! The adventures of Tim Wallis.

Written by Neville Peat
NZ 629.130 WAL
Longacre Press 2006

A great read by Neville Peat, about the life and adventures of the pilot, deer farmer, business man and New Zealander, Sir Tim Wallis. It covers his work in the deer industry and his plane crashes. He had several! The book is illustrated with many wonderful black and white photographs, including some taken by Tim's wife, Prue. Quotes from Tim and related facts are interspersed throughout the book and make interesting asides.
This book is an appealing read for senior primary and junior secondary students with an interest in the outdoors and flying.

Reviewed by Heather

Egypt - one of a stunning new series to look out for.

by Joyce Tyldesley
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, C2007.

Ancient Egypt is a topic with huge appeal for young readers, so this book already has a head start in the popularity stakes. That aside, its visual impact is truly remarkable. Even youngsters who are accustomed to state-of-the-art computer generated imagery should be impressed by the clever 3-D modelling that seems to make scenes and figures spring to life from the pages. This is one of the first titles in the new Insiders series from Simon & Schuster. If other Insiders are as good as this one, it should be a series to watch out for.

Reviewed by Pamela