Speak by Lauri Halse Anderson- Review by Ms Emery

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

SPEAK is about a 13 year old girl who loses the ability to talk to others after she experiences a traumatic event. Her friends abandon her, she is shunned by the rest of the school, and her parents don't seem to notice her at all. So she seeks solace in her Art class and finds ways to hide from everybody, including herself. The story is told from Melinda's point of view, so as a reader, we can hear the thoughts that she cannot say out loud. 

It is easy to feel sympathetic towards Melinda because she is a typical girl, struggling to do well at school. It's a quirky, funny, sometimes sad novel about what it's like to be judged and feel like the outcast, while dealing with identity, acceptance and finding inner strength. This is a 'can't put down until it's finished' book. You'll recognise characters in this novel, from your own school experiences, and one of them might even be you.

- Ms Christine Emery

Dust Girl- review by Ms Metcalfe

Dust Girl is an urban fantasy novel, set in the 1930s American Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was a huge human-made ecological disaster, caused by poor crop management and lack of soil conservation. Basically, the once productive fields of Kansas, Oklahoma and other states turned to dust and the topsoil blew away.

In this setting we have Callie, living in a hotel with her (crazy) mother, waiting for the father she has never met to return. The dust storms are killing her and her mother won't leave...until she unleashes her magic.

Would recomend this, I read it in one day. I look forward to reading the next two in the series.

Check out the author's site here.

Wednesday Book Party

So there's the roll call of what we're all reading....

Ms Metcalfe- reading Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham- memoir. Suitable for senior students.

Kim- true beleiver by Nicholas Sparks. This "Sparked" a discussion about romance stories and his novels in general. (see what I did there?)

Lana- The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass. Such a popular series.

Aki- Parallel- "What if you woke up to a new life everyday?"

Irene- The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. This has been recommended so many times, and apparently the movie is also very good.

We had a highly successful bakesale last week, raising more than enough to pay for our trip to the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival next Thursday. Thanks to everyone at school who supported us and to everyone (especially parents and grandparents) who provided the superlative baking to sell.

We'll be reporting back after our trip! We're booked in to see...

Grace Taylor, amazing spoken word poet- check out this interview

Anthony Horowitz- writer of the well-known Alex Rider series and now Sherlock Holmes novel Moriarty. Check out his site here.

Laurie Halse Anderson, writer of The Impossible Knife of Memory. Check out her site here.

Morris Gleitzman- written soooooo many books for children and young adults. His site is here.

Auckland Writers and Readers Festival

We had a great time at the festival, hearing from Morris Gleitzman, Anthony Horowitz, Grace Talyor and Laurie Halse Anderson. We purchased a bunch of books, so reviews will be coming soon. I read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson the day I bought it- what an amazing book.

Check out our photos below...

Racheal and Bobbiegrace enjoying the show

Dakota, Chelsea, Issak and Lana

Lana, Cherub, Raheal, Grace Tayloe, Bobbigrace, Isaak, Chelsea and Dakota throwing shapes.

Guest post from Kyla Hansell at Tamaki Primary

Check out Ms Hansell's blog of books! Lovely to see a community of readers all around us.

Shortbread Wednesday

We had two staff come today- nice to see you Mr Sharma and Staff Cairns!

Staff Cairns- Usally reads a lot about property investing and consumer rights as well as autobiography- Richie McCaw, Willia Apaiata. The Bryce Courtney series- The Power of One, The Potato factory etc. He might look at getting some non-fiction.

Kim- is reading a Sailor Moon manga series- she missed one and is now confused. She recommends the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz.

Bobbigrace is no longer reading The Colour Purple.  She was finding the language a bit off putting, so will get Everlasting instead.

Lana is reading City of Glass.

Cherub is going to get Telesa out as well as reading The Lovely Bones for English (as is Lana)

Mr Sharma has some light reading-text books. He might read 1984 by Orwell as he likes some dystopian fiction.

Ms Metcalfe is hoping to read Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham, but needs to fight clear of her school work.

We had a discussion around the difference between fiction and literary fiction.

Where She Went- Review by Clearissa Thompson

This book ‘Where she went” is about two young people, Adam and Mia, finally seeing each other again after three years of separation. Adam has a band named ‘Shooting Stars’ and his new album ‘Collateral Damage’ has hit the top charts. Adam started playing and writing songs when Mia left him alone. Mia on the other hand is a cellist whose been playing very well ever since she lost her family in a car crash.

Adam spent those three years wondering where she went and why she left? When they spend one whole night together Adam is tempted to ask her by many things Mia says and does. After Adam has popped the question Mia tells him her point of view. Adam then breaks up with his current girlfriend Bryn. Bryn has always been mad at Mia (or ghost girl, Bryn calls her) ever since her and Adam first started dating  because Bryn has never got the best of Adam. In the end, Adam and Mia end up being together again but they don’t tell anyone besides the band.

I think this book speaks a lot of a broken heart.I liked some parts, like the funny ones. I think Adam should’ve just gotten over her because it’s been 3 years straight with no signs. Adam really has a bad temper and always negative but then it is partly Mia’s fault why he’s like that. He did love her a lot and I think he still does, he always has. Mia is not so good herself. Leaving him just like that wasn’t the right thing. She should’ve told him or said something instead of silence, leaving him to wonder. After 3 years is way too long. Somehow I thought that Bryn was only in it for the money and fame.

Overall, ‘Where she went’ wasn’t the worst book I’ve read, neither the worst. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good too. It’s just OK. Rate: 5

-Clearissa Thompson