Welcome to the Forest of Arden

Book Preview: Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

2011-11-15T17:19:00.004+08:00

What's with these pants books?

Amazon preview:

With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.

Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.

Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.

Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.

Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.

Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.

Thanks to Lisa and our wonderful friends at Library Thing, we have a beautiful new hardcover copy of this Ann Brashares book. Now we have all four books in the SRR for you to enjoy.

In addition to this book, Lisa has sent along three scanners and a stamp to help us with our inventory as well as eight other incredible titles for teenage readers. Thanks so much Lisa! Here is the complete list of books she sent us:

Small Steps by Louis Sachar (a nice new hardcover and a sequel to Holes)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (fantastic to have another copy of a favourite book!)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (this book is sooo popular)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (great! we needed another copy)
Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (awesome, soon we'll have a class set)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (an American classic)
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (a National Book Award Winner)
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (another very popular book)

We are moving...

2011-01-24T20:19:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone and thanks for your support. I'm moving the blog to a new address and it will have a new design. Please follow the link below:

The Reading Room

Incredible New Books from Mary!

2010-11-24T11:42:00.005+08:00

We received another incredible box of books from Mary in the USA this week! She has sent us some really amazing books that you are just going to love.

First of all, she sent us a hardcover boxed set of the Twilight series. Can you believe it? I tried so hard to get a hardcover copy of Twilight and couldn't manage it because it never caught on here when the book first came out, but Mary was able to get us a whole set of the series. Fantastic, right? Thanks Mary! Our Twilight books have been out all year as there are still many girls who haven't had a chance to read them so these books will be an added incentive for them to start! :-)

On top of that, one of the most popular books around is Fallen by Lauren Kate. You've probably noticed the cover on the bulletin board this year. A lot of girls enjoyed this novel and we have had a wait list most of the year. Well, you will be excited to know that Mary sent us a hardcover version of Fallen in her box this month! As well, she included the much anticipated second book, Torment in hardcover. BTW, I recently bought my own softcover copy of Fallen which I will donate in January so it looks like you will have a good chance of reading it in 2011. Feel free to add your name to the waitlist next year.

Mary also sent us some Teens' Top Ten books in Wintergirls by popular author Laurie Halse Anderson and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I've been wanting to read shiver for a while now. It comes highly recommended and took #4 in the 2010 Teens' Top Ten. As well, Mary has added Patterson's Max which goes along with the Top Ten Maximum Ride novels. Now that we have numerous hardcovers in the series I'm expecting that they will really take off!

In addition, the box included a series by Frewin Jones that will likely be very popular. The books are The Faerie Path and The Lost Queen. The cover art is nice on these two and they are the kinds of books that tend to get picked up. I hope to hear a review of these from one of the girls next year.

I'd like to take this chance to thank Mary for her generosity. These books will be well-loved for years to come!

How Can I Buy Some Great New Books?

2010-10-24T23:15:00.008+08:00

There are two ways that I get most of my personal books (which I usually end up donating to the SRR). First of all, I'm a big supporter of Booker in Gadong. For those of you who haven't read my previous posts, Booker is the cheapest shop in the country and it has really started to develop a good collection of young adult fiction.

They actually have a wide selection of different books and authors and have stocked a lot of the books that I've been raving about and promoting at the SRR including many of the books from the Teens' Top Ten list.

When I took a group of the girls on a book-buying trip earlier in the year, we were absolutely shocked by the difference in prices. On a few books we looked at, Booker was actually 30 - 40% cheaper.

No, I don't work for Booker, but I'm just so pleased that at least one bookstore is trying its best to stock a variety of books for young adults and teens. The more people who buy those books from them, the more they will be able to stock. You get the picture.

I had visited a number of other shops in the past month and I had been wanting to buy a copy of hush, hush (recently voted #5 on the 2010 Teens' Top Ten list) but I didn't want to pay the crazy prices at the other shops. Anyway, I went to Booker last week and told myself, "If they have hush, hush I'm going to buy it." Sure enough, they had it and it was very reasonably priced. Watch this space for a book preview and review in the next couple of weeks!

The other way that I buy a lot of my books now is through a website called bookdepository. They have almost all of the books that you would expect to buy at Amazon, but there is a huge difference - at bookdepository shipping is free. For me that's huge! I used to spend as much on shipping as I did on the books whenever I ordered from Amazon. Also, I used to save up my money for three or four months and then order books to try to cut down on shipping. At bookdepository there is no shipping so I can order even just one book at a time whenever I want to. It's great.

Some people probably guess that bookdepository has more expensive prices than Amazon. That may be true sometimes, but not always. And, from my experience, when you factor in shipping, bookdepository has always been much cheaper. You might guess that shipping is slower with bookdepository, but I certainly haven't noticed any difference in shipping times so far - they seem to be pretty much the same. I recently ordered Maria V. Snyder's Storm Glass and it got here in only about two and a half weeks.

By the way, I've registered the SRR as an affiliate with bookdepository so if you click on our link below, we'll get a small commission on the order. It doesn't cost you anything to order through our link, but it can help us out a little bit. So far after 15 months as an affiliate we have about $20 in commissions saved up which will be enough to order a book or two.

Anyway, please help to support the SRR by clicking on the banner ad below if you are going to order any books from bookdepository. Thanks and happy shopping! :-)

PS. For the girls in Form 5 who are broken-hearted because they must say good-bye to the SRR, there is still hope for you out there! Pick up books from Booker and Bookdepository and swap them with each other! :-)

Best of Luck on EOY Exams!

2010-10-18T14:15:00.004+08:00

Hi girls,

I hope you all do well on your end of year exams. Good luck! And if you need to de-stress you can always drop by the English office to pick up a book! :-)

Mr Jason

BTW, here are a few pics of our recent Raya Celebration!

Daughters of the Sea - Book Preview

2010-10-18T10:28:00.003+08:00

Blurb:

Hannah wants to be normal, but she’s not. The sea calls to her, and she can see a delicate tracing of scales on her legs. Billowing waves soothe her, but flat land makes her sick. She knows there’s something wild in her that’s different, wrong–and deeply thrilling.

Only one person seems to know who–or what–Hannah is. He’s a guest in the house where she works as a scullery girl, and his fascinated gaze follows her. She doesn’t understand his terrifying allure, or her longing. But even as the mystery deepens, Hannah is sure of one thing. A sea change is coming.
Amazon Review:
Orphan Hannah Albury, 15, the engagingly demure yet plucky heroine, has always been drawn to the ocean. Hired as scullery maid by the Hawleys, a wealthy Boston family, she embarks on a journey to understand and fulfill her destiny. Hannah is attracted to the family’s mysterious porcelain vases depicting sea creatures and even more so to Mr. Wheeler, an artist hired to paint the three Hawley daughters. He in turn hungers for and recognizes in Hannah what she doesn’t yet grasp. Meanwhile, the Hawleys’ psychotic eldest daughter, Lila, and her demonic cat, Jade, see Hannah as a threat; as she deciphers the secret of her identity, Hannah must ward off their perhaps supernatural attacks. The novel, first in a projected series, at first offers its early-20th-century history lesson in overly painstaking detail, especially the domestic staff hierarchy. Once Lila, Jade and Mr. Wheeler show up, the plot becomes gripping. A good bet for upper middle-grade and early YA readers. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

Stricken by a mysterious malady when she is sent westward on an orphan train, 15-year-old Hannah instinctively knows that she can be cured by proximity to the ocean. She returns to Boston and takes a position as a scullery maid in a wealthy household, where a young artist comes to paint a portrait of her employers’ three daughters. A mysterious, rather romantic figure, he seems to see into Hannah’s soul. Slowly, she becomes aware that she is transforming into a daughter of the sea. The first book in a series about sisters separated at birth, this novel has menacing, almost gothic overtones as well as a strong sense of time, place, and class distinctions. Elements within the painting, which sounds similar to John Singer Sargent’s Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, become pivotal points in the setting and the story. Nicely designed, this compelling novel has an attractive jacket illustration showing a rather modern-looking Hannah in her element, the sea.

— Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

Life As We Knew It - Book Preview

2010-10-18T10:16:00.002+08:00

Teens' Top Ten #6 in 2007

Blurb:

When a meteor hits the moon and knocks it closer in orbit to the earth, nothing will ever be the same. Worldwide tidal waves. Earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions. And that's just the beginning.

Amazon Review:
It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license.

When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options.

Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

Veteran author Susan Beth Pfeffer, who penned the young adult classic The Year Without Michael over twenty years ago, makes a stunning comeback with this haunting book that documents one adolescent's journey from self-absorbed child to selfless young woman. Teen readers won't soon forget this intimate story of survival and its subtle message about the treasuring the things that matter most—-family, friendship, and hope.--Jennifer Hubert

Notes: Thanks again to Mary for donating this book.

What Happened to Lani Garver - Book Preview

2010-10-18T10:07:00.003+08:00

Teens' Top Ten #2 in 2003

Blurb:
Hackett Island has never seen anyone quite like Lani Garver. Everything about this new kid is a mystery: Where does Lani come from? How old is Lani? And-most disturbing of all-is Lani a boy or a girl? Claire McKenzie isn't up to tormenting Lani like the rest of the high school elite. Instead, she befriends the intriguing outcast. But within days of Lani's arrival, tragedy strikes and Claire must deal with shattered friendships and personal demons-and the possibility that angels walk the earth.

Amazon Review:

Amazon.com Review

The folks on Hackett Island, near Philadelphia, are not too friendly to newcomers. Anyone the slightest bit different is eyed with suspicion, as Claire found out when she missed a year of junior high due to leukemia. Now she works hard at fitting in, following treacherous but popular Macy's lead, hiding her passion for the guitar, and never talking about her fear that her illness will return. Or her nightmares. Or her eating disorder. The boys of Hackett Island's "in" crowd are members of the "fish frat"--hunky sons of the local fishermen--and their horseplay even among themselves is brutal and edge-of-danger.

And then Lani Garver shows up at school, a tall, thin, strangely androgynous person. "No. Not a girl. Sorry," he says pleasantly when Macy questions him about his gender with vicious curiosity. But Claire, much to Macy's disgust, is drawn to Lani, and his wisdom and kindness begins to heal her. He takes her to Philadelphia to meet his artistic friends, talks sense to her about her eating disorder and her blind devotion to Macy, finds her a therapist. Who is this Lani Garver? He resists "boxes" like "gay." Even his age is a mystery to Claire. Strangest of all, could he be a "floating angel," as his friends at the hospital seem to believe? Meanwhile, the fish frat are closing in for the kill, and when their harassment turns lethal, Lani shows a terrible side of himself Claire has never seen.

Carol Plum-Ucci raises tantalizing questions around a fascinating character in this gut-clenching story that transcends the clichés of the gay-bashing novel. (Ages 14 and older) --Patty Campbell --

Notes: Thanks to Mary for getting this one for us. This book is now available in the SRR.

New Books from Mary

2010-10-18T07:39:00.005+08:00

Our generous book donor Mary from the United States has sent us another incredible box of books. For those of you who need some distraction from exam stress, you may want to stop by the English Dept office and have a look.

There is a lot to get excited about in this box. Our Cassandra Clare fans will be relieved that we got two more books from the Mortal Instruments trilogy. It is nice to have the big books with the beautiful covers now. Plus, this series has been so popular it has been difficult to get them out. Thanks Mary!

We also got two of the Maria V. Snyder books from her second trilogy. I'm reading the first book and when I'm done the trilogy will be ready to add to the collection. Mary's books are Spy Glass and Sea Glass (I bought Storm Glass from bookdepository last month).

Mary also sent us a copy of the American version of Snyder's Magic Study. Now that I see it up close, I have to say I really like the cover art. It's so nice to have an extra copy of this book. It is one of the most popular books in our collection and we will be promoting the series in January. Be forewarned, this book is only available at the SRR. You can not buy it here in Brunei! Of course, you could get it from BD.

We've also added three Teens' Top Ten winners: Life as We Knew It, Whatever Happened to Lani Carver, Looking for Alaska, and After. This is excellent news for students who are reading books off this list and I don't think I've read a book on the list that didn't totally impress me. Thanks to Mary for continuing our efforts to complete the Top Ten Collection which you can see by clicking here: TOP TEN BOOKS IN THE SRR.

If that wasn't enough, Mary also picked up copies of two requested books. Elsie in 9A requested Beastly and Amanda in 9F suggested we get a copy of The Giver.

We also got another copy of the very popular Evermore by Alyson Noel as well as another big copy of Stephenie Meyer's New Moon. Stephenie's books are still very hard to get a hold of. We have multiple copies, but they are always signed out. They will be even harder to come by as we get closer to the release of the final movie!

Once again, I'd like to thank Mary for her incredible generosity. She has really helped keep the excitement going this year. I hope I have this right - Mary has donated a total of 51 books this year! That's HUGE. Especially considering a lot of them have been large hard cover copies of popular books. You can see Mary's list HERE.

1	Clare, Cassandra	City of Bones
2	Clare, Cassandra	City of Ashes
3	Flinn, Alex	Beastly
4	Forman, Gayle	If I Stay
5	Green, John	Looking For Alaska
6	Lasky, Kathryn	Daughters of the Sea: Hannah
7	Lowry, Lois	The Giver
8	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
9	Nix, Garth	Sabriel
10	Noel, Alyson	Evermore
11	Pfeffer, Susan	Life as We Knew it
12	Plum, Carol	Whatever Happened to Lani Garver
13	Prose, Francine	After
14	Snyder, Maria V.	Sea Glass
15	Snyder, Maria V.	Spy Glass
16	Snyder, Maria V.	Magic Study

Book News

2010-09-08T20:58:00.004+08:00

First of all, the third book of Hunger Games is on its way. Peta sent us copies from bookdepository on pre-order so they should be here soon. If you haven't read Hunger Games then you are in for a real treat. It is a really great book and you will enjoy it for sure (you should read my review NOW!).

We have copies of books one and two in the SRR already and they have been enjoyed by many students this year. Sorry, but they tend to get passed around to different friends within a class. If you can't wait to get them from SRR, there are limited copies at Booker, Gadong. They even put two copies of Mockingjay on the shelf a couple of days ago (I'm not sure how they got it before us!). Grab them before they are gone!

The cool orange covered version of Catching Fire at Booker sold in a matter of days - I wonder if it was bought by one of my blog readers. :-) I knew I should have grabbed it! LOL

In other exciting news, as you may have noticed in my earlier post, one of our school's most popular writers - Maria V Snyder - has told me that she is sending us six autographed books! What an incredibly generous writer! Meanwhile, her Magic Study, Poison Study, Fire Study books continue to be requested on a daily basis at the school. For those of you who were hooked on her books, Mary and I have teamed up to get you a set of Maria's newest series - the Glass Series.

This is amazing: I ordered the first book called Storm Glass on August 28th and I picked it up from the post office today - 10 days! Wow, bookdepository can be super fast sometimes!

Although I'm presently reading Harry Potter II, Percy Jackson I, and a couple of books about Ancient Egypt, I think I'll have to read this one before I pass it on to the SRR. I feel another waitlist coming on. Anybody interested?

Thanks to Mary for sending out Sea Glass and Spy Glass today. They should arrive here soon and be ready for when we return to school following the Hari Raya holidays.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2010-09-08T20:20:00.007+08:00

Book Blurb:
You can't stop the future.
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret... is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker- his class mate and first love- who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening- and what he discovers changes his life...
Forever.

A lot of students have been eager to read this book so when Peta's shipment of two copies arrived this week I just had to read a chapter to see what it was like. Of course, I couldn't put it down. Thanks again Peta for your generous donation. The books arrived yesterday from bookdepository!

It is a compelling book with an interesting writing style. I liked how the writer, Jay Asher, weaved the story together by having the main character listen to the tapes. Clay's reactions to what Hannah says on the tapes, at times, makes it seem as if the two are conversing. At the very least, it gives Hannah's story perspective and drives the story forward. In one night, Clay listens to the story of the girl he loved and he travels around the town where they live to significant places in Hannah's experiences leading up to her dark decision.

The content of this book is a bit disturbing. After all, the other main character, Hannah, has killed herself. That certainly ups the maturity level of this book but also makes it worth reading.

It doesn't glorify suicide at all. It doesn't make us feel that the character's choice was good and we don't get a feeling of justice when the other characters listen to her story. At times, in fact, I found myself feeling a bit annoyed and frustrated by Hannah and I had to wonder if that was partly by design. I'm not sure. She makes a lot of mistakes too. She isn't perfect. And her decision to end her life is a mistake. Ultimately, she did have friends and family who loved her even if she didn't always see that. The reader, in the end, is left with a feeling of great pity.

The main message in the book is powerful. It reminds us that we must be kind and caring towards others and that even the little things we do that aren't very nice can have a drastic affect on the people around us. By the time you finish reading this book, I guess that's what you take away from it - and that's a good thing.

There is some mature content here but it isn't titillating at all - it is the exact opposite. This is a warning to teen readers though. This book deals with harsh issues of American teenage life and isn't a "fun" read. However, it is very interesting and will appeal to those students who enjoy dramatic narratives.

4/5 stars

We now have 3 copies in the SRR available, but if you just can't wait I think Booker still has a copy (last seen on the top of the fiction bookshelf).

Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

2010-08-29T19:06:00.005+08:00

Amazon review:

'If you liked GLADIATOR, you'll love EMPEROR.' THE TIMES 'Great fun !

The great events and breathtaking brutality of the times are brought lavishly to life. Russell Crowe and Sean Bean's agents are surely already jockeying for the wide-screen roles.' GUARDIAN 'A brilliant story -- I wish I'd written it.

A novel of vivid characters, stunning action and unrelenting pace. It really is a terrific read.' BERNARD CORNWELL 'Stunning. It begins with hints of a mystery and continues as a galvanizing historical thriller. Words like "brilliant", "sumptuous" and "enchanting" jostle to be used but scarcely convey the way Iggulden brings the tale to life, or the compelling depictions of battle, treachery and everyday detail in a precarious world vividly re-created ! exhilarating.' Los Angeles Times

'The descriptions of combat in the circus, slaves in revolt, skirmishes in Greece, amputations and street fighting are all convincing.' TLS 'A rich and compelling novel that draws the reader into an extraordinary time and the life of an extraordinary man.' DAVID GEMMELL

You might be wondering why I haven't written many blog reviews lately. You may think I stopped reading. Actually, no. It's just I haven't been reading much YA lit lately.

I just went through an Ancient Rome phase. I started reading this really cool series of books by Conn Iggulden about the life of Julius Caesar and I just couldn't stop until I finished all four of them. They were really, really good.

There are a number of reasons why I loved this series. First of all, I'm fascinated by the man. I mean, it is so interesting to be able to learn about how Caesar came to be so famous. I liked reading a book that put me back in time. I could almost imagine what it would have been like to have lived in Caesar's time. As well, Iggulden managed to build a fascinating story without giving in to all the details.

I tried reading McCullough's books about Caesar, but she just made things way too complicated for me with all the characters. McCullough's books read like an encyclopedia entries. Iggulden's were written like an adventure story.

As well, Iggulden really brought the action to life. I've never written a book about ancient war before, but the way Iggulden described the fight scenes was so incredibly descriptive - it made brutal hand to hand combat sound beautiful.

Anyway, I thought it was worth writing a review just in case there were other readers who enjoy these types of books.

4.5/5 Stars

For readers who enjoy reading about Ancient Rome, I also highly recommend Philip Matyszak's Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Manual. I really enjoyed it. After reading Iggulden's book I was so curious about what life was like for the typical soldier and I found Matyszak's book to be of great interest - easy to read and full of fun facts!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

2010-08-29T18:54:00.003+08:00

I've just re-read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with my eight-year-old son, Nicholas and I'm so glad I got to share it with him!

I've probably told you this before, but I resisted reading HP for a very long time. I was certain I would not like it. "It's for kids," I thought. Wrong. About five years ago, I picked up the first book just to see what all the fuss was about. I was amazed from the first page.

Rowling's book is really for everyone. It is truly amazing. The writing is pure genius and the story keeps pulling you forward so you never want to put the book down.

I rarely read books a second time, but I'm wondering if maybe it's time to do that. I think I appreciated every little bit of this book more with my second reading. Besides, it was so much fun seeing my son react to it - laughing and cheering throughout!

Forget about the movie. So many students say, "I've already seen the movie. Why should I read the book?" There's no contest here. The book is so much better than the movie. The movies are good. There's no doubt about that. But it just can't compare to the joy of reading the book.

If you've never read the series, you should get started now! You could read them all before the final two movies come out (the first one in December?). We have the complete collection in the SRR and we have about 20 copies of book #1.

YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!

5/5 Stars

Gone by Michael Grant

2010-08-29T18:38:00.002+08:00

Book Blurb:

In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

I blogged about this book a while ago. Incredible book. Seriously. From the first chapter I was hooked on Grant's premise. Imagine: A bunch of teenagers are sitting in a classroom when, suddenly, their teacher disappears. Soon they figure out that all the people above the age of 15 are completely gone.

For some kids this would be a kind of heaven, well, until reality sets in.

That's so cool. What would happen if something like that happened? What would the kids do? Will they be good little boys and girls? Will they organize themselves somehow? Will somebody step up to be the leader? How will they survive? Grant explores this and much more, taking the reader on a wild ride. There is more to this story than I can tell you. You'll just have to read it; I'd hate to spoil the fun for you!

Although I felt a bit ripped off by the ending of this one, I really enjoyed it a lot. I've donated my copy to the SRR already so you should grab it if you get a chance. I highly recommend it. If you liked Hunger Games, you'll enjoy this one.

One of the best books I've read in a long time!

4.5/5 stars

Hunger by Michael Grant

2010-08-29T18:30:00.003+08:00

Book Blurb:
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared.

Gone.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.

Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

The sequel to Gone was really great. I plowed through all 560 pages this weekend and loved it. I'm totally fascinated by the whole situation and I'm enjoying Grant's characters.

I liked that we had a chance to see how this world develops. I've always been fascinated by this sort of Lord of the Flies idea. I mean, if there were no adults around, what would happen? Are children basically good? Would they help each other? Things really heat up in this second book of the trilogy.

In particular, I like the way certain ideas start to gain momentum in this book. For example, the kid who ran the McDonald's is now dreaming of starting up some sort of currency. However, rightly so, the other kids are suspicious of his intentions. What will Albert do once he becomes a business tycoon. As well, friction is developing and two separate groups are going to battle it out, and I don't mean the rich kids from the private school (although they are back and badder than ever in the second book as well).

BTW, our copy is an uncorrected proof of the book which was sent to us by our generous book angel Mary from the United States. Thanks Mary! This is a special book and many of our girls will enjoy it.

Great book. Highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Poison Study number one!!!

2010-08-26T14:49:00.008+08:00

Hi girls,

We have a lot of new and exciting books, but I'm pretty sure that the number one series of books in the school is still the study series by Maria V. Snyder!

This series of books took off when Peta donated them to us last year. The girls in 5C and 5D picked this one up and passed it around. It became so popular that Peta even sent us a second set.

We still rarely see them being returned so we know they are being shared within the classrooms. Fire Study was returned this morning and it was on the SRR shelf for about two minutes, then three girls from 9A yelled, "It's here!" and then it was gone.

Did you know that Maria V Snyder wrote another trilogy after the Study Series? All three books are out already and I will try my best to order them once we have some book funds available to order them. The books are Storm Glass, Sea Glass, and Spy Glass.

UPDATE: DUE TO YOUR E-MAILS TO HER, MARIA V. SNYDER HAS SAID THAT SHE WILL SEND US AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF THE STUDY SERIES BOOKS AS WELL AS HER GLASS SERIES!!! HOW GENEROUS IS THAT?!

Mockingjay Out Aug 24th

2010-08-22T09:13:00.003+08:00

Wow, it's finally coming out!

Those of you who have read the Hunger Games series (and loved it) will be happy to know that the wait is over. Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, will be out August 24th.

We are very lucky because Peta has already ordered us two copies from bookdepository so we should get them in just a couple of weeks! Yay! Thanks so much Peta.

In the lead up to the release, the book blogging community is starting to get really excited. If you are a fan of the series, have a look at Steph Su's (always interesting and informative) blog:

http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/

New Cassandra Clare Book - Enter and Win

2010-08-04T20:15:00.002+08:00

Steph Su is putting up a copy of the new Cassandra Clare book in a contest. I hope you will all enter to win it!!! Go to her blog and fill out the entry form today:

http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-giveaway-12-clockwork-angel-by.html

National Debate Competition

2010-08-04T19:08:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to the STPRI Debate Team for their win over the SMSAB team today! Well done girls! Lindy, Ruth, and Najeeha did a great job for us today and we look forward to seeing them go into the next round. Also, thanks to the rest of the team members who came out to show their support. We have such a great team and I keep telling everyone how lucky we are to have so many girls interested in competing. Our school is very unique that way.

I was surprised to see some of my former students today (yes, I moved from SMSAB just three years ago). I was really proud to see the boys I taught were on the school's debate team. Congratulations to them for joining the competition. I thought they did very well. It was really nice to see Muiz and Azlan (my former students) and Fahkri (a student I knew and brother of another former student - Nabilah). I still have fond memories of my time at SMSAB and I continue to wonder how my former students are doing. I hope one of them will read this and add me to Facebook!!!

Great New Books from Mary!!!

2010-07-28T07:55:00.006+08:00

Our American book angel, Mary, has done it again. In July, she sent us two big boxes of 24 incredible books. She has managed to get her hands on a lot of the books that are very popular in the SRR and has been able to get many coveted hardcover books for the collection. Thanks so much Mary! We really appreciate all the amazing books you've been sending us! This should really cause stir in the SRR.

After watching The Lightning Thief movie I was hoping to read the series. I'm happy to say that Mary has sent us a whole collection of the books. If you enjoyed the movie as much as I do, you are sure to enjoy this set.

Looking for Alaska placed #4 on the 2005 Teens' Top Ten list so it will likely be a very good read. Of course Green has really established himself because he took #1 in 2009's list with Paper Towns. This is one author you may want to check out.

Shannon Hale has also established herself with The Goose Girl (#7 in 2004) and River Secrets (#7 in 2007). Perhaps she is another popular author worth looking at. I can't wait to hear a few reviews on these books.

Picoult, Dessen, Westerfeld, and Kinsella need no introduction. Their books already have a following at the school so these will all be snapped up the minute they hit the shelves. Enjoy!

Here is a list of the books that Mary sent in July:

This Lullaby - Dessen
Looking for Alaska - John Green
Twenties Girl - Kinsella
The Undomestic Goddess - Kinsella
New Moon - Meyer
Brisingr - Paolini
My Sister's Keeper - Picoult
The Pact - Picoult
Plain Truth - Picoult
The Last Olympian - Riordan
Specials - Westerfeld
Firegirl - Abbott
City of Glass - Clare
The Handbook of Pirates - Deary
River Secrets - Hale
Emma Burning - Hale
The Goose Girl - Hale
Eldest - Paolini
Maximum Ride: Saving the World - Patterson
The Final Warning - Patterson
The Lightning Thief - Riordan
The Sea of Monsters - Riordan
The Titan's Curse - Riordan
The Battle of Labyrinth - Riordan

Great New Books from Peta!!!

2010-07-28T07:44:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone,

I've been meaning to update the blog for weeks. I wanted to announce some great new additions to the collection this week. In July, Peta sent us another 10 amazing books for you to enjoy. In particular, I think you will be interested to know that she has sent two hardcover copies of Stephanie Meyer's new book The Second Life of Bree Tanner. I just know that these books will be very, very popular.

As well, the girls who loved Cashore's Graceling will be happy to know that Peta also sent us book #2 called Fire.

Another great book worth noting is the #1 book from the 2009 Teens' Top Ten list by John Green called Paper Towns. It actually won against competition from Breaking Dawn and The Hunger Games. I was so eager to find out what all the fuss was about so I read it yesterday. Great book!

As well, Peta has managed to close up the final book on our 2004 Teens Top Ten list of books with the addition of the pirate adventure called Curse of the Blue Tattoo by LA Meyer. Have a look at our complete collection HERE.

Also, here is the complete list of Peta's July donations:

The Second Life of Bree Tanner (two copies)
Fire
Paper Towns
Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Endymion Spring (hc)
Ghost Stories
Speak
Usborne Big Book of Puzzle Adventures
Ryland's Footsteps

These are wonderful books that have been added to the collection. Thanks so much Peta!!!

Great New Books!!!

2010-07-02T09:12:00.002+08:00

You will all be happy to know that we just got to big book shipments from our incredible supporters Peta from the UK and Mary from the USA.

Stay tuned for the book announcements and previews in the coming week - we have some amazing new titles for you!

Thanks to Peta and Mary! You continue to amaze us with your incredible generosity!!!

Also, if you have seen Eclipse, please let us know what you thought of it. I'm curious to know if it is good.

Faerie Wars Part 2 and 3

2010-06-28T19:48:00.002+08:00

Hi girls,

Every year we ask the students to help us expand our collection and you donate $1 for the SRR. Well, we had a bit of fun spending a tiny bit of that money before the holiday. A few eager readers and I borrowed the school van and went off on a shopping tour to a few bookstores.

First of all, let me just say a big thank you to the staff at Booker in Gadong for all their support and for developing their stock of young adult books. Booker now has the best selection in the country. It's because of people like our students who love books that I think they have started to stock the books we like. Also, I'm pleased to say their prices seem to have come down a bit.

Books at Booker are certainly much more reasonable than any other store in the country. We were absolutely shocked to discover that many of the books were 30% more expensive at that other chain shop that we all shop at! We still pay more for books here than in any other country in the world, but things are beginning to look up. Keep buying books and then, hopefully, the businessmen in the country will be able to cut their prices!

Anyway, we managed to get some more of the Mr Midnight books (they are still the best value for money) and we were able to fill a few holes in our collections. We picked up book 2 and 3 of the Faerie Wars books. So many girls read the first book and enjoyed it. They kept asking me about them so I just had to get them.

Also, in the next few weeks, try visiting the school library! We managed to get some new books for the library and they should be on the shelves soon. We got some of the best books you can imagine. We even got a copy of Hunger Games and Graceling. Can you believe that? I'll try to post a list soon.

More New Books

2010-06-28T19:39:00.003+08:00

Yay, we have lots of new books coming to the SRR in the next few weeks.

First of all, Peta ordered a nice new copy of what looks like an amazing book that one a prize at The Times. It's Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Here is the blurb:

Imagine a living prison so vast that it contains corridors and forests, cities and seas. Imagine a prisoner with no memory, who is sure he came from Outside, even though the prison has been sealed for centuries and only one man, half real, half legend, has ever escaped.
Imagine a girl in a manor house in a society where time has been forbidden, where everyone is held in a seventeenth century world run by computers, doomed to an arranged marriage that appals her, tangled in an assassination plot she both dreads and desires.
One inside, one outside
But both imprisoned.
Imagine a war that has hollowed the moon, seven skullrings that contain souls, a flying ship and a wall at the world's end.
Imagine the unimaginable.
Imagine Incarceron.

That sounds interesting, doesn't it?

Peta has also sent us a couple of other books. One is a very cool picture book called A Shakespearean Theater which I think all the lit students are going to enjoy. I know I like it a lot. She also sent a book by Robin Sharma called "Discover Your Destiny" which was a request from a girl in one of the other classes ( I think Miss Karen is her teacher) and I hope I'm able to find her so she can take the book out.

Thanks again Peta for your generosity! It's always amazing to get your lovely packages with all the Spongebob stickers on them. BTW, you are still famous! The bulletin board at our school continues to get a lot of attention!

Trapped in an Elevator

2010-05-30T09:41:00.004+08:00

On Thursday I talked to the the 9A class about the idea of writing a narrative with an "elevator" setting. We discussed the idea that the main complication could be that it gets stuck between floors. Then we thought about a variety of characters that could be stuck in the elevator.

1. What if a murderer were one of the characters? Better yet, what if a man and girl were trapped together and she notices he has blood on his hands. The girl gets very nervous and her imagination takes over. Later, the man gets off the elevator and picks up two big cans of red paint - he's a painter! Great twist don't you think?

2. We also thought about the possibility of a boyfriend and girlfriend getting trapped and what could happen with them or the idea that a girl and boy who don't know each other end up on the elevator. The girl has had a secret crush on the boy for some time, but in the end she discovers he isn't that nice and she is no longer interested in him.

3. We also imagined the possibility of a famous person being on the elevator. The other person could be a crazed fan, somebody who doesn't know the famous person, or somebody who doesn't like the famous person. This was similar to the roleplay we did with the characters on an airplane earlier this year.

I mentioned that one of my favourite tv shows of all time is Friends and that there is an episode where Chandler (my favourite character) gets stuck in a bank with a famous model. Chandler is so funny! He feels so awkward and nervous. You have to see this! Click here to go to YouTube and watch the video: Chandler and the Famous Model on YouTube

Can anybody think of other good examples of unusual characters who were forced to spend time together by circumstances?

Even More Books - this time from me!

2010-05-25T17:12:00.007+08:00

Well, everyone is in the spirit of giving today so I'm donating three of my favourite hardcovers!

Collins' Hunger Games is incredible and a lot of students are begging for book two. It's here! I bought this one in the Chicago airport in December and it is absolutely stunning. I hope you enjoy it. Hunger Games took #3 in the 2009 Teens' Top Ten List and you can bet Catching Fire will be in the top ten for 2010.

Wake is another amazing book. I reviewed it last year and I still feel some of the content is a bit mature, but it is just too good to keep from the shelves of the SRR. Enjoy everyone! You can read my review HERE. By the way, it's #7 on the Teen's Top Ten for 2009.

With the popularity of Harry Potter and the fact that the new movie will be out in the near future - there will be a demand for HP books again I'm sure. I have fond memories of pre-ordering this book and rushing off to the bookstore to get it and then reading it as I walked out of the shop. Deathly Hollows is beyond awesome. It took #2 on the 2008 Teen's Top Ten list. Yeah, I know, that's stupid. You shouldn't even utter the names Rowling and Meyer in the same breath.

Enjoy girls.

Books Donated by Mary

2010-05-25T17:04:00.013+08:00

The following books have been donated by our generous book angel Mary from the USA:

1	Abbott, Firegirl	Firegirl
2	Ahern, Cecelia	Rosie Dunn
3	Anderson, Laurie Halse	Twisted
4	Anderson, Laurie Halse	Speak
5	Anderson, Laurie	Wintergirls
6	Anderson, Laurie	Prom
7	Asher, Jay	Thirteen Reasons Why
8	Beddor, Frank	The Looking Glass Wars
9	Brashares, Ann	Girls in Pants
10	Brashares, Ann	The Last Summer of You & Me
11	Bray, Libba	A Great and Terrible Beauty
12	Bray, LIbba	Beauty Queens
13	Brooks, Kevin	The Road of The Dead
14	Cabot, Meg	Princess Diaries
15	Cabot, Meg	Princess In The Spotlight
16	Cabot, Meg	Princess In The Spotlight
17	Cabot, Meg	Princess In Love
18	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Waiting
19	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Waiting
20	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Pink
21	Cabot, Meg	Queen of Babble Gets Hitched
22	Cabot, Meg	She Went all the way
23	Cabot, Meg	Nicola and the Viscount
24	Cabot, Meg	The Mediator: Shadowland
25	Cabot, Meg	The Mediator: Ninth Key
26	Cabot, Meg	Haunted (Mediator #5)
27	Cabot, Meg	Twilight (Mediator #6)
28	Canfield, Jack	Chicken soup for the Teenage Soul on Love and Friendship
29	Carter, Ally	Heist Society
30	Carter, Ally	Cross My Heart
31	Carter, Ally	Cross My Heart
32	Carter, Ally	Hope to Spy
33	Cast, P.C.	Marked
34	Cast, P.C.	Betrayed
35	Cast, P. C.	Betrayed
36	Cast, P.C.	Chosen
37	Cast, P.C.	Hunted (House of Night)
38	Cast, P.C.	Untamed
39	Cast, P. C.	Tempted
40	Cast, P.C.	Tempted
41	Clare, Cassandra	City of Bones
42	Clare, Cassandra	City of Bones
43	Clare, Cassandra	City of Ashes
44	Clare, Cassandra	City of Ashes
45	Clare, Cassandra	City of Glass
46	Clare, Cassandra	City of Fallen Angels
47	Clare, Cassandra	Clockwork Angel
48	Davis, Heather	Never Cry werewolf
49	Deary, Terry	The Handbook of Pirates
50	Dessen, Sarah	This Lullaby
51	Dessen, Sarah	The Truth About Forever
52	Dessen, Sarah	This Lullaby
53	Dessen, Sarah	Just Listen
54	Dessen, Sarah	Just LIsten
55	Dessen, Sarah	Someone Like You
56	Dessen, Sarah	Lock and Key
57	Dessen, Sarah	Dreamland
58	Dessen, Sarah	Along for the Ride
59	DiCamillo, Kate	The Magician's Elephant
60	Downham, Jenny	Before I die
61	DuPrau, Jeanne	The City of Ember
62	DuPrau, Jeanne	The People of Sparks
63	DuPrau, Jeanne	The Prophet of Yonwood
64	DuPrau, Jeanne	The Diamond of Darkhold
65	Fisher, Catherine	Incarceron
66	Fitzgerald, Becca	Crescendo
67	Flinn, Alex	Beastly
68	Forman, Gayle	If I Stay
69	Fredericks, Mariah	The true meaning of cleavage
70	Gaiman, Neil	The Graveyardbook
71	Garcia, Kami	Beautiful Darkness
72	Grant, Michael	Hunger (Uncorrected Proof)
73	Grant, Michael	Lies
74	Grant, Michael	Gone
75	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
76	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
77	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
78	Green, John	An Abundance of Katherine
79	Hale, Shannon	River Secrets
80	Hale, Shannon	Emma Burning
81	Hale, Shannon	The Goose Girl
82	Headley, Justina Chen	North of Beautiful
83	Jones, Frewin	The Faerie Path
84	Jones, Frewin	The Lost Queen
85	Kinsella, Sophie	Twenties Girl
86	Kinsella, Sophie	The Undomestic Goddess
87	Kenyon, Sherrilyn	Night Pleasures
88	Lasky, Kathryn	Daughters of the Sea: Hannah
89	Lasky, Kathryn	Blood Secret
90	Lauren, Kate	Fallen
91	Lauren, Kate	Fallen
92	Lauren, Kate	Torment
93	Lowry, Lois	The Giver
94	Lowry, Lois	Gathering Blue
95	Marr, Melissa	Wicked Lovely
96	Marr, Melissa	Ink Exchange
97	Marr, Melissa	Love is Hell
98	McMann, Lisa	Fade
99	McMann, Lisa	Fade
100	McMann, Lisa	Fade
101	Meyer, Stephanie	Twilight
102	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
103	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
104	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
105	Meyer, Stephanie	New Moon
106	Meyer, Stephanie	Eclipse
107	Meyer, Stephenie	Breaking Dawn
108	Meyer, Stephenie	Breaking Dawn
109	Meyer, Stephanie	Breaking Dawn
110	Meyer, Stephenie	Eclipse
111	Meyer, Stephenie	Eclipse
112	Nix, Garth	Sabriel
113	Noel, Alyson	Evermore
114	Paolini, Christopher	Eldest
115	Paolini, Christopher	Brisingr
116	Patterson, James	Saving the World & other Extreme Sports
117	Patterson, James	School's Out Forever
118	Patterson, James	Max
119	Patterson, James	The Final Warning
120	Patterson, James	Angel
121	Pfeffer, Susan	Life as We Knew it
122	Picoult, Jodi	My Sister's Keeper
123	Picoult, Jodi	My Sister's Keeper
124	Picoult, Jodi	The Pact
125	Picoult, Jodi	Plain Truth
126	Picoult, Jodi	Salem Falls
127	Plum, Carol	Whatever Happened to Lani Garver
128	Prose, Francine	After
129	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief
130	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief
131	Riordan, Rick	The Sea of Monsters
132	Riordan, Rick	The Sea of Monsters
133	Riordan, Rick	The Titan's Curse
134	Riordan, Rick	The Titan's Curse
135	Riordan, Rick	The Battle of the Labyrinth
136	Riordan, Rick	The Battle of the Labyrinth
137	Riordan, Rick	The Last Olympian
138	Riordan, Rick	The Last Olympian
139	Riordan, Rick	The Red Pyramid
140	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
141	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
142	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
143	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
144	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
145	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
146	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
147	Rowling, J.K.	The Chamber of Secrets
148	Rowling, J.K.	The Chamber of Secrets
149	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
150	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
151	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
152	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
153	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
154	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
155	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
156	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
157	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
158	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
159	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
160	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
161	Shreve, Susan	Blister
162	Shriver, Lionel	We Need to Talk about Kevin
163	Snicket, Lemony	The Eratz Elevator
164	Snicket, Lemony	The Grim Grotto
165	Snicket, Lemony	The Penultimate Peril
166	Snicket, Lemony	The End
167	Snyder, Maria	Storm Glass
168	Snyder, Maria	Sea Glass
169	Snyder, Maria V.	Sea Glass
170	Snyder, Maria V.	Spy Glass
171	Snyder, Maria	Spy Glass
172	Snyder, Maria	Poison Study
173	Snyder, Maria V.	Magic Study
174	Snyder, Maria	Magic Study
175	Snyder, Maria	Fire Study
176	Snyder, Maria	Inside Out
177	Sparks, Nicholas	The Lucky One
178	Sparks, Nicholas	The Lucky One
179	Sparks, Nicholas	A Bend in the Road
180	Sparks, Nicholas	The Guardian
181	Sparks, Nicholas	Message in the bottle
182	Sparks, Nicholas	At First Sight
183	Stiefvater, Mattie	Shiver
184	Stine, R. L.	Dangerous Girls
185	Wells, Rosemary	When No One Was Looking
186	Westerfield, Scott	Specials
187	Westerfield, Scott	Uglies
188	Westerfield, Scott	Pretties
189	Whitman, Emily	Radiant Darkness
190	Stine, R. L.	Monster Blood	Goosebumps
191	Stine, R. L.	A Shocker on Shock Street	Goosebumps
192	Stine, R. L.	Say Cheese and Die - Again	Goosebumps
193	Stine, R. L.	Ghost Camp	Goosebumps
194	Stine, R. L.	The Cuckoo Clock of Doom	Goosebumps
195	Stine, R. L.	Returne of the Mummy	Goosebumps
196	Stine, R.L.	Bad Hare Day	Goosebumps
197	Stine, R.L.	Calling All Creeps	Goosebumps
198	Stine, R.L.	Egg Monsters From Mars	Goosebumps
199	Stine, R.L.	The Curse of Camp Cold Lake	Goosebumps
200	Stine, R. L.	The Girl Who Cried Monster	Goosebumps
201	Stine, R. L.	The Haunted School	Goosebumps
202	Stine, R. L.	Monster Blood IV	Goosebumps
203	Stine, R. L.	Mostly Ghostly	Goosebumps
204	Clamp	Angelic Layer	Manga
205	Clamp	Angelic Layer	Manga
206	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
207	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
208	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
209	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
210	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
211	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
212	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Ninja Master	Manga
213	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: 1-555-Goddess	Manga
214	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Love Potion #9	Manga
215	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Miss Keiichi	Manga
216	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: The Queen of Vengeance	Manga
217	Hamazaki, Tatsuya	Hack: Legend of the Twilight	Manga
218	Hamazaki, Tatsuya	Hack: Legend of the Twilight	Manga
219	Hirano, Toshiki	Shaolin Sisters	Manga
220	Hirano, Toshiki	Shaolin Sisters	Manga
221	Katsura, Asuka	Petite Cossette	Manga
222	Katsura, Asuka	Petite Cossette	Manga
223	Patterson, James	Maximum Ride	Manga
224	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief	Manga
225	Ueda, Hajime	FLCL	Manga
226	Ueda, Hajime	FLCL	Manga
227	Manga Enroute:	Sent May 2011	Manga
228	Anzai, Nobuyuki	Flame of Recca	Manga
229	Be-PaPas	Revolutionary Girl: Utena	Manga
230	Clamp	Shirahime-Syo	Manga
231	DeFilippis & Weir	Luna: Amazing Agent	Manga
232	Hajime, Ueda	Q.Ko-Chan The Earth Invader Girl	Manga
233	Hatori, Bisco	Ouran High School: Host Club	Manga
234	Hidaka, Banri	Tears of A Lamb	Manga
235	Ice Kunion	2005 Ice Kunion Sampler	Manga
236	iida, Haruko	Crescent Moon	Manga
237	Koge-Donbo	Kamichama: Karin Chu	Manga
238	Mizushiro, Setona	X-Day	Manga
239	Nanase, Aoi	Angel Dust	Manga
240	Okamoto, Keiko	Corrector Yui: Corrector Initialize	Manga
241	Okuda, Hitchi	No Need for Tenchi (Mother Planet)	Manga
242	Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki	Neon Genesis Evangelion	Manga
243	Saiga, Reiji	Real Bout High School	Manga
244	Saito, Chiho	Utena: Revolutionary Girl	Manga
245	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
246	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
247	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
248	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
249	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
250	Tomino, Yoshiyuki	Brain Powered	Manga
251	Tomizawa, Hitoshi	Aliennine Emulators	Manga
252	Tokyopop	The rising Stars of Manga	Manga
253	Tokyopop	Power Rangers Ninja Storm	Manga
254	Ueyama, Michiro	Zoids (Chaotic Century)	Manga
255	Yeo-Jin, Jan	Saint Marie	Manga
256	Cooney, Caroline	Twins	Point Horror
257	Ellis, Carol	Camp Fear	Point Horror
258	Ellis, Carol	Silent Witness	Point Horror
259	Ellis, Carol	The Stepdaughter	Point Horror
260	Ellis, Carol	The Window	Point Horror
261	Hoh, Diane	The Train	Point Horror
262	Hoh, Diane	Nightmare Hall: Dark Moon	Point Horror
263	Hoh, Diane	Prom Date	Point Horror
264	Hoh, Diane	The Invitation	Point Horror
265	Hoh, Diane	The Train	Point Horror
266	Hoh, Diane	The Night Walker	Point Horror
267	Hoh, Diane	Last Breath	Point Horror
268	Kilworth, Garry	The Rain Ghost	Point Horror
269	Littke, Lael	Prom Dress	Point Horror
270	Littke, Lael	The Watcher	Point Horror
271	Lowry, Lois	The Giver	Point Horror
272	Nixon, Joan Lowery	A Deadly Game of Magic	Point Horror
273	Smith, Sinclair	The Boy Next Door	Point Horror
274	Smith, Sinclair	The Waitress	Point Horror
275	Stamper, J. B.	Tales for the Midnight Hour	Point Horror
276	Stine. R. L.	The Baby Sitter III	Point Horror
277	Stine, R. L.	The Babysitter IV	Point Horror
278	Stine. R. L.	Beach Party	Point Horror
279	Stine. R. L.	Beach House	Point Horror
280	Stine. R. L.	The Dead Girlfriend	Point Horror
281	Stine. R. L.	Hit and Run	Point Horror
282	Stine. R. L.	Twisted	Point Horror
283	Stine, R. L.	The Overnight	Point Horror
284	Stine, R. L.	The Girlfriend	Point Horror
285	Stine, R. L.	The Boyfriend	Point Horror
286	Stine, R. L.	Let's Party	Point Horror
287	Stine, R. L.	Phone Calls	Point Horror
288	Stine, R. L.	The Babysitter II	Point Horror
289	Stine, R. L.	The Perfect Date	Point Horror
290	Stine, R. L.	The Prom Queen	Point Horror
291	Stine, R. L.	The Snowman	Point Horror
292	Stine, R. L.	Night Terrors	Point Horror
293	Stine, R. L.	I saw you that night	Point Horror
294	Stine, R. L.	The Hitchhiker	Point Horror
295	Stamper, J. B.	More Tales for the Midnight Hour
296	Stamper, J. B.	Tales for the Midnight Hour
297	Stamper, J. B.	Still More Tales For The Midnight Hour
298	Stine, R. L.	All Night Party
299	Stine, R. L.	Cheerleaders: The Second Evil

Another Angel Delivery! Thanks Mary!

2010-05-25T16:15:00.006+08:00

We are so lucky to have generous people who send us books. Today, an American friend named Mary has sent us an amazing box of goodies.

Mary was so kind to find us books that are very popular at the SRR. With 800 girls hungry for great books, it is often quite difficult for them to get at the books they want so badly.

This incredible box of books she sent us has a lot of great titles.

First up, she sent us copies of Eclipse, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn. YES! Although we have a copy of these books in the SRR, this series is easily the most popular in the country and we really need another set. I am also happy to announce that Breaking Dawn is a hardcover! YES! You may have to wait for this one though because it is so beautiful I think I want to read it again, just to enjoy the hardcoverness of it all!

If that's not enough, Mary also managed to find us a copy of Betrayed and Marked - the first two books in the popular House of Night series. These books are always out of the SRR and it has been difficult answering all the requests for them. Thanks Mary!

A Great and Terrible Beauty has been another very popular title. It's nice to have a second copy so more girls can enjoy this one!

Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy has been a huge hit (well, it might have something to do with my constant promotion of it). Many of the 9A girls have read and loved the books and I'm so happy to tell you that Mary found copies of both Uglies and Pretties for us.

There is something here for everyone. We also got a couple of books by Jodi Picoult. We got Salem Falls and My Sister's Keeper (with the new, cool cover). Picoult's books continue to get a lot of attention this year so I'm sure these will be snapped up.

Mary also sent us a beautiful hardcover of Cecelia Ahern's Rose Dunne. Ahern's books jump off the shelves and I'm sure this hardcover will only last minutes before somebody grabs it. This one will probably have four or five readers a month.

Thanks so much Mary! All the books you sent us will be well-loved!

Book Preview: Ghost Hunters

2010-05-25T15:44:00.004+08:00

German author Cornelia Funke is very popular. The Thief Lord was such a hit that they made it into a movie. We have a few copies of that book in the SRR and it is often signed out. It also managed to place number 10 on the Teens' Top Ten list in 2003.

The next year, 2004, Funke had another hit with the popular Inkheart book which also managed to place number 5 on the Teens' Top Ten list. BTW, we have a copy of it in the SRR also!

If you enjoy Funke's books, we have a copy of Dragon Rider in the SRR as well.

Ghost Hunters is another series that she wrote in 2006/07. It will make a welcome addition to the SRR, especially for all the Funke fans in the school.

Thanks again to Peta for striking gold again with this little treasure!

Here's the blurb:

Ghoulhunting is a riot, but exams are not, and Tom is taking his Third Ghosthunting Diploma. When he is sent to Bogpool, a misty, muddy village, it seems it’s bog-standard ghostcatching and his diploma is in the bag. But he has entered a dirty trap, and as the village begins sinking into the mud, a beastly Ghost of Death arises, and the ghosthunters must face their gravest test yet! The fourth in a funny series of by bestselling author Cornelia Funke. Get scared silly!

Book Preview: Horror High

2010-05-25T15:21:00.004+08:00

Our book angel Peta strikes again! This time it is a couple of books from a Scholastic series called Horror High. Thanks again Peta! These look great!

Here's the blurb on book number one called Toxic Beauty:

It's the stuff of nightmares.
Starting a new school is hard enough, but Bethany has never felt more plain and ordinary. She’d give anything to be popular, beautiful and clever.When a mysterious man offers to make all of Bethany’s wildest dreams come true, she jumps at the chance. But she doesn’t realize that beauty comes with a price…

The fun continues with book number two called Killer Instinct. Here's the blurb:

There's talk around school about a mysterious house where no one ever lives for long. But when Holly and her friends decide to break in for a laugh, they don't expect to find it occupied - and by a vampire.
Suddenly they find themselves trapped in a deadly game. Either they all die or they choose one to stay and be the vampire's for ever. It's their choice...

Once again, thanks Peta for finding us such interesting new reading material. These books are bound to get picked up the minute they are put on the shelves of the SRR!

Book Preview: Burned

2010-05-25T15:03:00.002+08:00

Peta picked up another great book from the top of our shopping list and this time it comes in hardcover! Yay! We love hardcovers, don't we girls?

This is book seven of the House of Night series.

1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted
6. Tempted
7. Burned
8. Awakened (due in January)

Riding the wave of vampire fiction created by Stephanie Meyer, PC and Kristin Cast have created this popular series which keeps getting snapped up. We have extra copies of books 1 and 2 on the way as well!

Here is the Amazon product description for the first book called Marked:

When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends. Not suitable for younger readers.

And here is the product description for Burned, book seven:

Amazon Description:

Y'all need to get yourselves together. Here's a newsflash from the only High Priestess you have left at this dang school: Zoey isn't dead. And believe me, I know dead. I've been there, done that and got the fricken tee-shirt. Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in House of Night history and is the only person ? vamp or fledgling ? that can stop the evil Neferet from raising all kinds of immortal trouble. And she might just have a chance if she wasn't so busy being dead. Well, dead is too strong a word. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her BFF back from her unscheduled va-cay in the Otherworld. But it's going to take a lot more than hoping to bring Zoey back. Stevie Rae will have to give up a few secrets of her own ...

Thanks again to Peta for her amazing generosity in sending us this beautiful hardcover book!!!

Book Preview: Blood Promise

2010-05-25T14:54:00.002+08:00

Today we got a beautiful brand new copy of Blood Promise from Peta who ordered it from Book Depository for us. Thanks so much Peta!!!

Many of the girls are reading the Vampire Academy series and loving it. They will be so happy to know we have this one which is book number 4 out of 6 (#6 due in December). Check out the cover! Isn't it awesome?! I like the new design better than the older ones because of the purple lettering and the interesting use of "Vampire Academy" at the top of the cover. Nicely done!

If you haven't heard of the Vampire Academy series, here is a description of the first book -

Amazon Description:

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

Book preview: Pirates! by Celia Rees

2010-05-25T14:40:00.004+08:00

Today we got four books from Canada! Yay! First of all, we got a book called The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham. You may know Madeleine by her pen name "Sophie Kinsella"and you have probably at least heard of her Shopaholic books.

Next up, we have Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. If you've read The Nanny Diaries or enjoyed the movie, you may want to read this book as it was written by the same writers.

Next up we have Welcome to My Planet by Shannon Olson. This sounds like another book that you girls will enjoy.

We got Pirates! by Celia Rees which took third place in the Teens' Top Ten books of 2004. I've been trying to get this one for a year.

Amazon Description:

Pirates! is a classy and welcome addition to Celia Rees's successful oeuvre, that of novels with a historical background, such as the phenomenally bestselling Witch Child and Sorceress. Swashbuckling in the tradition of every pirate tale, from Treasure Island to Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates! is truly gripping from first page to last and never fails to be totally entertaining throughout.

Nancy Kington and Minerva Sharp are two young women from very different backgrounds who, in time, become united in a common, pirating cause. Nancy, the daughter of a successful Bristol ship owner, had her life all planned out. She lived in comfort and hoped to marry her childhood sweetheart William. But disaster strikes and she is aghast to experience her circumstances turning upside down when her father dies. Soon she finds herself shipped out to land they own in the West Indies to marry for the good of the remaining family.

Minerva is part of the staff at her new plantation home and they immediately become friends--despite the delicate nature of their differing positions as merchant's daughter and slave. But Minerva has complications of her own--particularly from an abusive overseer. Nancy is eventually driven to murder him, and together they become fugitives. Joining a pirate ship comes naturally to both of them and a wild, wild life of seafaring and adventure begins.

With detailed research that leaps from every page, Rees's narrative is atmospheric but never heavy. She moves the story along at a jaunty pace, making it impossible for the reader to get bogged down. Rich and exciting, Pirates! is another triumph and unlikely to be bested by another pirate novel for some years to come. -- John McLay

Thanks to our Canadian friends, Erinkate and Veronique for sending the books!

Book Preview: Gone by Michael Grant

2010-05-20T17:44:00.004+08:00

I picked this book up at Icklebooks today. I remember reading the review at Steph's blog and I knew I wanted to read it. I even had it on our shopping list.

And when I popped into Icklebooks and saw it just sitting there I thought, "It can't be..."

It was. I remember reading about the premise of this book and thinking, "That's awesome!" Then I read the first chapter and thought, "OMG, this is the best thing since Hunger Games." I can't wait to finish reading this book.

Okay, here's what I've read so far. There are a bunch of teens in their classroom and their teacher just disappears before their eyes. Soon they discover that all the adults have disappeared. In fact, anybody over the age of 15 has vanished. You can imagine the chaos that will follow. The three main characters run off to their houses to discover that their parents aren't anywhere to be found.

OMG. What's going on? What's going to happen next? I love this type of book. I can't wait to read more. I'm thinking: Lord of the Flies. Will the young people in this small town be good little people and take care of one another or are they going to get really evil? I wonder. Will they organize themselves? How will they eat? Imagine all these kids getting into cars and driving around. What would happen in a situation like this where kids have the run of the world and can do anything they want without adult supervision. Imagine the possibilities!

Here is the Amazon Description:
Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. This book offers a chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.

SRR Bulletin Board

2010-05-19T13:35:00.002+08:00

The answer to the question "Who is Peta?" has finally been answered. I put up pictures of some of the books she has donated to us as well as a list (at the bottom of the bulletin board).

Right after I finished putting it all up, the bell rang and students started filing down the stairs. A lot of them stopped to look at the stuff on the board. Some of them pointed at specific covers and seemed to be discussing the books.

Isn't that great?

Books Donated by Peta

2010-05-18T09:29:00.008+08:00

To date, Peta has donated a total of 317 books to the SRR!!!

For those of you who read my blog, it is no surprise to you that Peta has been a huge supporter of the SRR. I like to keep an updated list of books she has donated to us so I'm setting up this post (sorry, but it is very long, which is a good thing actually). Look at the list. Have you read any of the books she has sent us?

1. Catcher in the Rye

2. A Series of Unfortunate Events #2

3. Peter Pan in Scarlet Illustrated Edition

4. Tales of Beedle the Bard

5. Know Your Brain

6. The Rough Guide to Books for Teenagers

7. Introducing Shakespeare

8. Rebel Angels

9. The Truth About Forever

10. Twisted

11. Up Close and Personal Miley Cyrus

12. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

13. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

14. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

15. Fire Study

16. Magic Study

17. Poison Study

18. Eyes Like Stars

19. Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2)

20. Coraline

21. Guitar Girl

22. Skellig

23. The Fall of Fergal

24. Terry Deary's Terribly True Horror Stories

25. The Story of Tracy Beaker

26. Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror

27. Tales of the Greek Heroes

28. The Lottie Project

29. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

30. Bad Girls

31. Glubbslyme

32. Graceling

33. Much Ado About Nothing

34. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

35. Burning Up On Tour with the Jonas Brothers

36. Twilight Movie Companion

37. Crime Scene: The ultimate guide to forensic science

38. Tithe

39. Valiant

40 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

41. House of Secrets

42. Elsewhere

43. The Twilight Companion

44. Ironside

45. Clay

46. Where Rainbows End

47. A Place Called Here

48. If You Could See Me Now

49. 13 Little Blue Envelopes

50. Shadow Web

51. The Hunger Games

52. Parasite Positive

53. Stargirl

54. Vampirates of Demons of the Ocean

55. Before I Die

56. Charlie Eggleton's Talking Skull

57. Wings

58. The Garden
59. Marked
60. Betrayed
61. Untamed
62. Hunted
63. The Thief Lord
64. Wicked Lovely
65. A Company of Swans
66. On Writing
67. Everything Beautiful
68. Does My Head Look Big in This
69. Ink Exchange70. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
71. Chosen
72. Evermore
73. Poison by Chris Wooding
74. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
75. So You Think You Know Harry Potter
76. Mirror Mirror by Nancy Butcher
77. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter by David Colbert
78. Prom Nights from Hell by Various including Stephenie Meyer
79. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon
80. 1599 A Year in the Life of Shakespeare by James Shapiro
81. The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
82. Capt. Hook by Hart Helquist
83. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
84. Persopolis by Marjane Satrapi
85. Wendy by Karen Wallace
86. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Austen and Grahame-Smith
87. Secret Heart by David Almond
88. Jack Sparrow the Age of Bronze by Rob Kidd
89. Jack Sparrow the Sword of Cortes by Rob Kidd
90. Jack Sparrow Silver by Rob Kidd
91. Jack Sparrow City of Gold by Rob Kidd
92. Troll Trouble Goat Pie by Alan MacDonald
93. Troll Trouble Trolls United by Alan MacDonald
94. Troll Trouble Trolls Go Home by Alan MacDonald
95. Chelsea and Astra by Mary Hooper
96. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Andrew Matthews
97. Stage Struck by Stevie Silver
98. High School Musical 3
99. The Arctic Fox by Mary Ellis
100. Jeremy Strong The Hundred-Mile An-Hour Dog
101. The Pain and the Great One Soupy Saturdays by Judy Blume
102. The Midnight Library Blood and Sand by Nick Shadow
103. Sammy and the Starman by Anne Cassidy
104. The Magic Puppy Star of the Show by Sue Bentley
105. The Knowledge The Gobsmacking Galaxy by Kjartan Poskitt
106. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
107. Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
108. Juby's Rook by Michael Lawrence
109. Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer
110. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
111. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
112. Peter Pan in Scarlet Illustrated Edition by Geraldine McCaughrean
113. Oh My Goth
114. Best New Manga
115. Manga Shakespeare Hamlet
116. The Silver Sword
117. What a Week to Break Free
118. What a Week to Make it Big
119. Cub in the Cupboard
120. Guinea Pig in the Garage
121. Hamster in the Hamper
122. Vampire Academy (copy 2)
123. Charlotte's Web
124. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
125. Vampire Academy Shadow Kiss
126. Vampire Academy Frostbite
127. Poison Study (copy 2)
128. Fire Study (copy 2)
129. Fallen
130. Beautiful Creatures
131 - 138 Hannah Montana Set

139 The Tide Knot

140 Gangsta Rap

141 Peeps

142-143 Time Traveller's Wife (two copies)

144 Looking for Alaska

145 13 Reasons Why

146 Tantalize

147 My Sister's Keeper

148 Vegan, Virgin, Valentine

149-159 Roman Mysteries (series of ten)

160 That Summer
161 Blood Promise (Vampire Academy 4)
162 Burned (House of Night 7)
163 Horror High: Toxic Beauty
164 Horror High: Killer Instinct
165 Ghost Hunters and the Mud-Dripping Monster!
166 Dream Master Nightmare
167 Bug Muldoon and the Killer in the Rain
168 James and the Giant Peach
169 Kiss of Death
170 The Courageous Cats Compete
171 Love, Shelley

172 Curse of the Blue Tattoo

173 Endymion Spring

174 Ghost Stories (HC)

175 Speak

176 Usborne Big Book of Puzzle Adventures

177 Ryland's Footsteps

178 Paper Towns

179 The Short Life of Bree Tanner (two copies)

180 Fire

(And 136 other books)

New Bulletin Board Outside SRR

2010-05-12T12:43:00.002+08:00

Well this ought to get a few students' attention!

If you read Forest of Arden (like you are doing right now), you already know who Peta is.

Book Preview: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

2010-05-11T20:31:00.005+08:00

What if all your ex-girlfriends were vampires? Yikes!

Another one of the twenty amazing books that Peta sent us this week is Scott Westerfeld's Peeps. A lot of girls have enjoyed the Uglies trilogy so they will probably be interested in this one. Also, if you like vampire types of books, this sounds pretty good.

Westerfeld's book is another one on the Teen's Top Ten list, hitting #5 in 2006 - just after Harry Potter, Twilight, Eldest, and Libba Bray's Rebel Angels - all great and popular books! I've been looking forward to this one for a long time...

Here is the blurb:

Okay, let's clear up some myths about vampires. First of all, you won't see me using the V-word much, in the night watch, we prefer the term Parasite Positives, or Peeps for short.

The main thing to remember is that there's no magic involved. No flying. No transforming into bats or rats either. We're talking about a disease.

After a chance encounter with a mysterious woman one night, Cal Thompson's life is changed forever. He's been infected with an insidious parisite. The good news: he's only a carrier - still sane, without the worst of the symptoms. The bad news: he's infected all his former girlfriends - and now they've turned into what Cal calls peeps. The rest of us call them vampires. And it's Cal's job to hunt them down before they create even more of their kind...

Wow, doesn't that sound incredible? Hehe...you may need to wait for me to read this before it will hit the SRR.

Book Preview: Thirteen Reasons Why

2010-05-11T20:19:00.004+08:00

There are thirteen reasons why your friend died. You are one of them.

This is another book sent by Peta this week and it sounds amazing, doesn't it? It's another book with a serious and dramatic edge to it I think, but the premise is very interesting.

Here is what it says on the blurb:

Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life .... Forever.

Awesome. I feel a waitlist coming on. Yep, if you want to be the first girl to read this book you'll need to leave a comment in the comment section of this post!

Book Preview: Looking for Alaska

2010-05-11T19:08:00.005+08:00

This book is one of the ones Peta sent us this week. Doesn't this sound great? Here is the blurb:

In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweet and sunshine and vanilla, and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes – fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too.

When Miles Halter leaves for boarding school, he goes to seek what dying poet Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps”. Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, self-destructive and dead sexy. Alaska pulls Miles into her labyrinth, catapulting him into an unimaginable future…

Vivid, passionate, intensely moving and shocking, this is a stunning debut novel by young American author John Green.

This book was a top ten book on the Teens' Top Ten list of 2005, placing third just behind Dessen's The Truth About Forever.

If you haven't heard of the Teens' Top Ten list, you need to check them out HERE. Every year 8,000 teenagers vote for the best books of the year and we have a lot of them in our collection now. If you read a teens' top ten book, you will probably love it - they are usually really good. You can see which ones we have in the SRR by going HERE.

More great books are on the way!

2010-05-08T20:46:00.008+08:00

It has been a great day for the SRR!

Our book angel Peta has informed us that she pre-ordered two copies of Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) which is due out August 24th. Yay! Thanks so much for your generosity Peta. So many girls are eagerly awaiting the third book and I can see the waitlist developing right away.

As well, Mary (one of our good friends from the USA) sent a package of books that have already established a big fan base at the school. We'll need these titles to help out with all the requests we teachers get on a daily basis! With almost 800 students using the SRR (I think) we need multiple copies of popular titles. Thanks so much Mary. The girls will really enjoy these books!

Here is a list of the awesome books that should arrive in the next two weeks - thanks to the incredible US postal service!

Ahern's Rosie Dunn
Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty
Cast's Betrayed and Marked
Meyer's New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn
Picoult's My Sister's Keeper and Salem Falls
Westerfeld's Uglies and Pretties

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2010-05-08T20:15:00.004+08:00

Amazon review:
On her way home from school on a snowy December day, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is lured into a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold's haunting and heartbreaking debut novel, unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case.

As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie's resembles the athletic fields and landscape of a suburban high school: a heaven of her "simplest dreams", where "there were no teachers... We never had to go inside except for art class... The boys did not pinch our backsides or tell us we smelled; our textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue".

The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years. Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow".

Though sentimental at times, The Lovely Bones is a moving exploration of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living and that is made even more powerful by a cast of convincing characters. Sebold orchestrates a big finish and though things tend to wrap up a little too well for everyone in the end, one can only imagine (or hope) that heaven is indeed a place filled with such happy endings. --Brad Thomas Parsons, Amazon.com

This book is exquisitely disturbing. It isn't for most people and, in fact, it isn't the type of book that I would normally pick up except that one of the teachers in the staffroom highly recommended it.

I've never found mass murderers to be of much interest and the brutality at the beginning of the story was a bit too much for me. However, I liked the fresh point of view in the book. It was interesting to read the words of a dead narrator. You watch the story unfold from the narrator's perspective (often from heaven) and you get to see into the hearts and minds of all the people connected to her. It's also fascinating to see how the other characters relate to one another as well as the amazing description of Suzie's personal heaven. I'll say it again: it's interesting.

I liked Sebold's writing style and most of the time I felt drawn forward into the story, wanting more and wondering how it would all turn out. As I entered the last 100 pages I was eager to finish it and stayed up until 1 am to do so.

I'm not sure how other readers react to this book, but I found the end to be very sad and I had to fight back tears a few times. It is a rough ride for sure. From beginning to end, this book is a difficult read because of the heavy content. This is not young adult literature. I'm not even sure I can recommend it to you unless you've read other dramatic, tear-jerker type stories and enjoyed them. Can you handle the disturbing "horror movie" type of beginning? Can you handle reading a book about murder and death and mourning?

I was both disturbed and delighted by this one. I will recommend it to others like me who wouldn't normally read this type of story but are ready to try something a bit different and who can handle the heavy content.

4/5 Stars

Forest of Arden Contest

2010-05-06T17:23:00.003+08:00

Would you like to win $20 in book vouchers for a local bookshop?

The Forest of Arden blog has been very quiet in the last few months so I thought I'd try to revive it.

If you are a booklover and you'd like to make a visit to the bookshop at the Mall during the holiday, perhaps you could use some book vouchers to help you out. It's always nice to be able to borrow books from the SRR, but nothing beats buying your own book from a bookstore and keeping it all to yourself. And there's nothing like opening up a book that has never been read before - or is it just me that really enjoys that?

Anyway, let's have a contest that will get students interested in reading the books we have in the SRR.

The contest rules are very simple:

You must be a student at Mr Jason's school.
The deadline for entries is June 2nd.
The draw will be made in 9A at 7:30 on June 3rd.
One prize of $20 in book vouchers will be given.
You must reply in the "comments" section of this post and include the following:

full name
class
tell us about a book you've enjoyed recently

Good luck everyone!

Sophie Kinsella fans will love this...

2010-05-06T17:13:00.004+08:00

Deborah, a really generous lady who lives in Greece, just sent us a big package full of beautiful hardcover books! Yay!

We all love to read hardcovers, don't we? It feels so nice to hold them in our hands and to turn those crisp pages. It's almost as good as....well, chocolate.

Thanks so much for your generosity Deborah!

Here are the books she sent us:
Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess (hc)
Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic and Sister (hc)
Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? (hc)
Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic Ties the Knot (sc)
Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees (sc)
McLaughlin's The Nanny Diaries (large, sc)
Toews' The Flying Troutmans (hc)

Let me know if anybody is keen on being the first one to read any of the books. Just leave me a note on the shoutmix on this page.

Netball Champions for Zone 1

2010-05-05T10:31:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to our netball teams. Both teams took first place in the Zone 1 championships! Yay!

The senior team defeated the MD team and the junior team won over the Chung Hwa team in the finals.

A special congratulations to my students, Nina from 9A and Aimi 9F.

Well done girls!

Congratulations Girls!

2010-05-05T05:50:00.002+08:00

Talk about girl power! :-)

Three former students from our school have been elected to the student council of MD.

Dinnah, Syafiqah, and Sakina have a lot in common. All three of them attended the BGIC last year. All of them were involved in public speaking (Dinnah even competed in the National Speech Competition) while Syafiqah and Sakina were both on the debate team.

And, of course, all three girls LOVE reading.

Congratulations girls! This is only the beginning...

Eclipse opens July 1st

2010-05-03T14:43:00.006+08:00

Eclipse will open on June 30th in many theaters around the world and on July 1st it will open in Singapore. Let's hope that theaters here will start showing the movie around the same time.

I have a confession to make. I haven't seen New Moon yet. It was released at a busy time for me and, actually, I figured New Moon would be the most difficult to put on the big screen because the plot was fairly weak. I'll be sure to pick up a copy of New Moon shortly before Eclipse arrives.

However, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn will both be well worth watching.

Now would be a good time to re-read the saga, don't you think? You've got two months to read the first three books and be prepared for the movie release.

Let's see how things go, but wouldn't it be fun to plan a trip to see the movie?

Chocolate Heaven

2010-04-21T16:27:00.008+08:00

What a great day! Thanks so much to everyone for making my birthday so special.

9A really surprised me. As I walked into the classroom they had Happy Birthday written on the board and they sang the birthday song. Then, on my desk, I found this cute hand-made tie with all the signatures of the girls on it as well as the cool caricature pictured here - isn't it great that he/I am carrying a big box of books! What a truly unique gift! You girls are so thoughtful. Thanks so much!

I was hit with the birthday song again in Lit class which was fun (and they finished class with it too). I always feel a bit uncomfortable getting that sort of attention, but it was nice. Thanks girls. BTW, wasn't that a great poem by Byron? Funny that it talks about getting old on a day like today. BTW, don't forget to read your poems again tonight!

Then, 9F continued the celebrations with another rendition of the birthday song and then I got buried in an avalanche of chocolate. Thank you so much girls for your generosity. I love chocolate! Did I mention that? ;-) Also, thanks for the sweet card you gave me. It was very heart-warming of you.

As well, the teachers in the English Department had a buffet lunch to celebrate. That was great too! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm the luckiest teacher on earth! I work at the best school in the country and I have the most wonderful students ever. I really do feel so fortunate to be your teacher. I couldn't ask for a nicer group of students to work with!

I'd like to say a special thanks to Amal from Lit class who dropped off a delicious chocolate dessert from Le Apple (Yummy!) and to Aqilah for the chocolate cakes from Lof. I'm saving those for after I have my supper. Also, thanks to Hamidah in 9F for the incredible assortment of chocolate bars and to all the girls of 9F for the big bag of chocolates and candies.

I'm in CHOCOLATE HEAVEN!

If I Stay

2010-04-19T22:09:00.002+08:00

This one is a hidden gem in the SRR. It has been there for quite a while now, but I'm not sure if anybody noticed it. This is another book on the Amazon Top Books of 2009 and another book that Steph Su loved and you can read her review HERE. Steph says, "I was in tears for the last third of this book."

Amazon Description:
'Just listen,' Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. 'Stay,' he says.

For seventeen-year old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and a gorgeous boyfriend, decisions seem tough, even whey they're all about a future full of music and love, a future that's brimming with hope. But life can change in an instant.

A cold February morning...a snowy road....and suddenly all of Mia's choices are gone. Except one. As alone as she''ll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.

Haunting, heart-rending and ultmately life-affirming, If I Stay will make you appreciate all that you have, all that you've lost - and all that might be.

When you visit the SRR, you just don't know what you might find! This book sounds great.

Beautiful Creatures

2010-04-19T21:53:00.002+08:00

One of the most popular books to hit the SRR this month is a book called Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This is another amazing donation by our book angel Peta from the UK. Thanks Peta!

I've been wanting to get this book ever since I read the review by Steph Su which you can read HERE. Steph is one of the best book reviewers on the web and she loved Hunger Games and the Poison Study Series so if you enjoyed those books you'll probably enjoy Beautiful Creatures. Steph loved it and noted that it was one of the top books of 2009 in her November 3rd post.

Amazon Description:
In Ethan Wate’s hometown there lies the darkest of secrets . . . There is a girl. Slowly, she pulled the hood from her head. Green eyes, black hair. Lena Duchannes. There is a curse. On the Sixteenth Moon, the Sixteenth Year, the Book will take what it’s been promised. And no one can stop it. In the end, there is a grave. Lena and Ethan become bound together by a deep, powerful love. But Lena is cursed and on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided. Ethan never even saw it coming.

Actually, this book doesn't have a blurb on the back. That makes me a bit crazy. I rely on blurbs to give me an idea of whether or not I will like a book. However, I think the fact the book has been so well received (and highly rated by Steph) means this is likely a good book.

Keep an eye out for it (or beg the girls in 5C/D classes to put you on their internal waitlist as the girls seem to be passing it around right now). I'll post a review once I get a chance to read it. :-)

Academic Awards Presentation

2010-03-18T17:16:00.009+08:00

Congratulations to all the Form 5 Girls who were given awards today. I'm so proud of the girls of 5B who did so well on their O Levels last year. 5B was an awesome class!!! Great job girls! Good luck in Form 6. We'll miss you.

Also, congratulations to the PMB All Stars! I was amazed to discover that 8 of the award winners today were in my 9A form class. Aren't I lucky to have such clever students?

Girls, it was so nice to meet your parents. They must be so proud of you! I look forward to working with you over the next two years and I wish you all the success in the world for your O Levels! BTW, to the girls who are spending the holiday in Singapore, have a wonderful trip and see you when you get back!

Lack of Reading Culture

2010-02-24T16:44:00.005+11:00

Did anybody read the front page of the Borneo Bulletin on Monday? If so, you may have noticed this:

PARENTS TO BLAME FOR LACK OF READING CULTURE

Wow. That was a very bold statement by the Director of Social Services in the country.

Dr Mataim Bakar was quoted as saying, "The majority of parents these days come from a generation that were raised on having a low priority on the importance of developing a reading culture. Because of this their children are brought up to follow that similar mindset."

Things are changing, though. Aren't they girls? The next generation - you - are going to be different. Our school is filled with booklovers. Sure, some of the girls are only now discovering the enjoyment that a book can bring, but our school's reading culture is growing very rapidly.

Each yeargroup seems to get stronger. Yes, the form six girls who have just left the school were good readers, but the form fives and the year nines are amazing. The upper secondary girls can't wait to get into the SRR. Books are being passed from one girl to another within classes. Some girls are reading a book a day.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - there are more pages being read at our school than at any other school in the country. And we will see it in school results very, very soon. Mark my words, within the next few years our girls will surpass even Maktab Sains in English O Level results.

Keep on reading girls! It is fun to read and it will make a world of difference for your success in the future!

And when you get older and become a mother, please promise me you will read to your children. Perhaps ten years from now the Borneo Bulletin headline will read something like this:

PARENTS APPLAUDED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF READING CULTURE

The Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

2010-02-17T16:37:00.006+11:00

Who is this girl?

Is she smiling?

Where did she get that fancy earring?

Why is she surrounded by black?

Why is her body turned away?

Is she keeping a secret from us?

What is she waiting for?

What is she thinking?

Last week the literature students and I took some time off our usual lit study (Anita Desai's short stories to be exact) and we had a look at this Vermeer painting.

I was amazed with what the girls were able to come up with. They thought of a number of explanations for the questions above and they had a lot of interesting ideas regarding the expression on the girl's face.

From what I can gather, it seems this painting is a bit of a mystery. Nobody really knows who the girl is or what her story is. In fact, I found that when I looked at Vermeer's other paintings that this one is quite unique. It was highly unusual for him to paint only the head and shoulders in a portrait and this is his only painting with a black background (I think).

I asked my students to imagine if they were to write a novel about this girl's life. What would they write? Who would she be? What would be their explanation for the woman's unusual expression, her clothes, and her possession of a very valuable pearl.

Actually, it has already been done. Tracy Chevalier explored the painting with her book The Girl With A Pearl Earring.

Like the painting on its front cover, Chevalier's novel is a beautiful work of art. She captures the personality and language of a poor tradesman's daughter who has no choice but to take work as a maid for the wealthy family of a master painter. Chevalier's girl, Griet, is wonderfully sweet and innocent, but she also sees things with a cleverness and insight that often startles those around her. As a reader, it is great fun to experience the story through her eyes.

My favourite parts of the book involve the descriptions of the paintings and Griet's reactions to them. I liked that Chevalier gave her narrator an artistic sensibility so she could really "see" the paintings. Griet has an innate understanding of composition and is able, in her simple language, to explain the paintings to us. She even guesses at missing pieces before the painter himself can discover them. I also enjoyed the fact that Chevalier incorporated a number of other Vermeer paintings into the story and so a quick search on the Internet will provide you with a visual representation of elements in the story.

Of course the story culminates in the painting of the narrator. It builds and creates for us an explanation of the painting. You and I may have imagined a different story for the painting, but Chevalier's is a good one too.

For students who are interested in reading something a bit mature and are ready to make the leap from teen novels to something with a bit of substance, this would be a good book. The language is that of a "simple" maid so it isn't too difficult to read. At the same time, it is the type of book that would be classified as "literature" and therefore worthy of study and likely to bring you to a greater understanding of the world if you take your time with it and give it a bit of consideration.

I'd like to discuss this book at length, but I think it is probably best to leave it to the reader to enjoy. I should warn you, though. This book has some mature content. Chevalier handles it well, as good writers do, but you should be aware that this is a book that is perhaps more suitable for older readers.

To hear an interview with Chevalier about the book you can find it HERE.

5/5 Stars

You Should Visit Steph Su Reads

2010-02-15T20:29:00.006+11:00

The girls are always asking me, "What's next?" They want to know what the hot new books are going to be. It's hard to imagine that Twilight only caught on here late in 2008 - three years after it had been published and debuted on the New York Times Best Seller List. That still shocks me.

Anyway, how do you figure out which books are going to be hot? I usually point students in the direction of the teens' top ten list and you can find it HERE. If a book has been nominated for the list or it has won a place on the list, then it is a good bet that you will enjoy reading it. However, there is a lot of lag time between when a book is published and then nominated and then wins a place on the list.

To really figure out what is hot and new, you need to read the blogs of reviewers who are on the cutting edge. You want reviews from bloggers who are reading books before they even get published (ARC's or Advance Reading Copies).

I'd like to recommend you add Steph Su Reads to your weekly Internet surfing. Steph is a 20-year-old literature major, writer, and teen book reviewer from the United States. She is an award winning blogger who writes some of the best book reviews for teen fiction out there. Her writing is clever and fun to read. I also think she has good taste in books. I also enjoy her "coverlust" entries where she talks about interesting and beautiful book covers.

Last year Steph sent us some great new books for the Reading Room including the beautiful new hardcovers The Knife of Never Letting Go, If I Stay, and Fairest. She has also taken time to comment on my blog under "The Study Series" entry (which she highly recommended reading by the way). Even more reasons to be a fan I'd say!

As well, Steph is celebrating her one year "blogoversary" and in doing so she is offering up a bunch of prizes - including books that haven't even been published yet like the new Meg Cabot book which doesn't come out until April! Cool, right? To enter the contest you just need to go HERE.

Our Most Popular Books

2010-02-14T11:16:00.004+11:00

For those of you who are looking for a good book to read, you may want to have a look around to see what the other girls are reading. If they are enjoying one, maybe you will enjoy it too!

Here is a list of some of the most popular books in the SRR. This list is just based on my own observations of those that always seem to be out and the ones that are always being requested. If you see one, grab it. It won't last long.

Just a reminder that you must only borrow books for two weeks. Some of these popular ones have disappeared for months while disinterested readers kept them in their bags and didn't finish them.

1. Poison Study (the Form 5's have passed this around)
2. The Hunger Games (amazing book by Collins)
3. PS I love You (and any other Cecilia Ahern book)
4. The Princess Diaries (and any other Meg Cabot book)
5. Shopaholic (and any other Kinsella book)
6. The Notebook (as well as Sparks' A Walk to Remember)
7. House of Night Series (these books are very popular)
8. Just Listen (and any other Sarah Dessen book)
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (this is so funny!)
10. The Lovely Bones (often requested, coming soon)
11. Before I Die (Jenny Downham makes you cry)
12. Elsewhere (Zevin's book is also a tear jerker)
13. Twilight (of course, though most girls have read it by now)
14. Goosebumps (funny, interesting, quick book snack)
15. Chicken Soup (great real life stories - more coming soon)
16. Uglies (this Westerfeld series is making the rounds)
17. Inkheart (and any other Funke book)
18. My Sister's Keeper (another popular one)
19. If I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where is My Prince? (everyone likes it)
20. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (picking up steam)
21. 13 Little Blue Envelopes (always out)

There are a lot of books that take time to catch on. For example, Graceling is the type of book that could become popular quickly. City of Bones and Vampire Acedemy could also become more popular as more and more readers pick them up. As well, last year some books were circulated in certain classes so I didn't see them for months and months - these too could be on our list of popular books.

Is there another book I should add to this list? Have you and your friends enjoyed the same book? Let me know.

Book Requests

2010-01-29T14:39:00.015+11:00

IS THERE A BOOK YOU REALLY WANT TO READ?

I can get it for you! You just need to ask.

Last year the students asked for Cecilia Ahern, Nicholas Sparks, Mr Midnight, Meg Cabot, Goosebumps, Chicken Soup, and Sophie Kinsella. They got them. We now have an excellent collection of those books.

How do I do it? Well, I have a number of ways to get books. Sometimes I get lucky and our HOD gives me a bit of money (remember your $1 donation to the SRR fund) to buy books. Then I go to the bookstore and stare at the shelves trying to guess what a teenage girl would like to read! Sometimes I buy books from book depository (an incredible online bookstore) that I want to read and pass them on to the SRR. At other times, our generous benefactor Peta is able to get us books in the UK and she donates them to us. As well, we have a group of other mysterious donors who give us books that we request. Isn't that amazing?

How do I choose which books to get? That's the challenge. I need your help. You need to tell me which books to get. I'm older. I'm a guy. What do I know? Help me.

Don't be afraid to ask. Leave me a note on the shoutmix. Better yet, leave me a note in the comments section of this post. That way I have a permanent record of what you requested and who you are - making it easier for me to get the book to you.

Actually, I'm happy to report that a lot of girls are now getting the courage to ask me for books. Even girls from the other classes will now approach me in the office to ask about getting a book they like. It's great! I know it takes a lot of courage to do that so I try my best.

Notes on Books

A girl asked for the book Discover Your Destiny by Robin Sharma. I don't have that one yet, but I do have a woman in Australia (Cherelle) who has agreed to send The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari. I hope you will enjoy it. Can you remind me of your name by leaving a comment on this post and I'll let you know when it comes in?

For all the girls who are waiting for Poison Study. Our book hero Peta is sending us a new set from Book Depository. Yay! Actually, she was the person who "discovered" the study series and sent us the first set. It has been a huge hit at the school. Too bad the bookstores here haven't caught on yet.

For the Form 5 girls who asked me about Lord of the Rings, I have contacted a number of book donors and I hope to hear from them soon. I read this series five years ago and it is absolutely incredible.

As for My Sister's Keeper, we have one copy in SRR that is being read but I'll try to get another copy from Best Eastern as soon as possible. This book is very popular and a lot of girls want it so we had better get another copy.

Also, Eqah in 5D really enjoyed the first book of Vampire Academy. Good news, Egah! Peta is sending us copies of #2 and #3 from Book Depository. You're first in line to read them!

Another booklover in the UK named Sal (froglady) has donated 50 books to us! Isn't that amazing? We are so lucky to have the support of wonderful people like Peta and Sal. Thanks ladies!

Atul in 9A has requested Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals series. Atul, we have Beware Princess Elizabeth and Mary Bloody Mary already but I'll try to get a few more for you. Arnden in the USA has agreed to send us Isabel Jewel of Castilla.

Book Lovers

2010-01-29T14:27:00.003+11:00

Some of you may have noticed the bulletin board near the SRR stairs has some book reviews on it. A few of the girls from Lit class wrote them and I typed them up to make posters. I'd love for the other book lovers out there to make similar posters for display in February.

It's really easy and fun. Here is what you do:

Write your name and class
Write the title of your favourite book and the author's name
Write a quotation to go in the speech bubble by your picture. It would be great if you were saying something about how much you love reading.
Next, write a paragraph about the favourite book. Why did you like it so much?
Drop it off at my office or send it to me by e-mail.

It is amazing. Every time I walk by I notice people reading the reviews and girls have started requesting the books that were mentioned on the noticeboard. Isn't that great? You should promote the book/author you love too!

BTW, this was our principal's idea and she is really happy with what we have so far. She really is an amazing supporter of our reading program and SRR! We are so lucky to have her on our side.

The Lovely Bones - Coming to the SRR

2010-01-27T16:43:00.005+11:00

Hi girls,

Every day a girl asks me if we have The Lovely Bones. I'm not sure what has happened but this is the most requested book since Twilight. Well, Poison Study is also highly requested, but I think Lovely Bones is number one.

We have one (or two?) copies of The Lovely Bones in the SRR but it is being read by one of my students right now. Keep your eyes open for it.

Anyway, due to popular demand, I have just ordered three new copies fresh from book depository. The books should arrive in two to three weeks.

If you would like to be one of the first girls to read "The Lovely Bones" all you need to do is add a comment to this post. Put your name and your class. The first three girls to put their names on the list get to read the books when they arrive and then the other girls will be waitlisted and can read them as they get returned to me.

Alice Sebold would be so proud!

If you have seen the movie, could you write a short review in the comments section? I'd like to know if it is good - you know I'm a big Peter Jackson fan! I still want to read the book first, but I was so close to getting the DVD last week.

BGIC 2010

2010-01-25T17:10:00.004+11:00

I've invited 12 Year 9 students for an introduction to the Model United Nations Club tomorrow at 10:00 in the Senior Reading Room. Students were chosen by teachers in the English Department and they will have a chance to join the new ECA this year.

Let me just say that BGIC is the best thing you will do all year. You will meet some of the cleverest and most amazing young people around. Students come from many schools from Brunei as well as from other countries for this big event.

Year 9 students who participate in the Model United Nations Club will have the chance to observe the BGIC this year and may also be selected to participate as delegates in 2011.

Also, congratulations to the three girls from Form 5 who will represent the school as delegates this year!

We are in Forum 1 and we will be working in the Human Rights Committee

Humairah will be representing new Zealand

Ruth will be representing Cambodia

Lim will be representing Malaysia

Congratulations girls!!!

To see pictures from 2009 you can look here.

Zee Avi Loves Books

2010-01-19T01:17:00.005+11:00

If you listen to Krystal FM in the morning on the way to school you have probably heard the young Miri singer's "Kantoi" song in which she plays a ukulele (a kind of small guitar) and mixes both Malay and English. If you haven't, you can by pressing HERE. The first time I heard it while driving to school I was really shocked. First of all, it has a style that sounds kind of old, but at the same time it sounds very fresh and fun. Plus I kept wondering what language it was she was singing and then it hit me - it's Malay!

Her voice is incredible, isn't it? I'm really impressed by her work. I just love to hear songs that are different, new, and catchy. This girl is an original. I just think it is great that young artists have the freedom to explore new things - singers like Agnes Monica and even Lady Gaga just go out and find their own style. Fantastic! I mean, nobody sings with Zee Avi's style anymore and nobody plays the ukulele. Very cool.

I just sent her a message on her youtube page to congratulate her and wish her all the best. You can find her youtube page HERE at KokoKaina's channel.

I guess she has recorded an album in Los Angeles and has had her song used in a WalMart commercial. It also seems like she has played live on American television and managed to sneak onto the Billboard countdown list. She is on her way up! And all of this because she posted a video on YouTube. Cool.

I've always said that it is only a matter of time before somebody in Brunei becomes a worldwide sensation. If a girl from Miri can do it, a girl from Brunei certainly can!

Anyway, it turns out that Zee is also a book lover and we have proof in this short youtube video where she talks about how she started promoting her music just last year and her love of books. She seems like a very talented and clever girl (and I'll bet reading had a lot to do with that). :-)

New Reading Room Books

2010-01-16T20:57:00.009+11:00

We have some amazing new books for the SRR thanks to former STPRI girl Hudiya from 5B. She was in my class last year and is a great book lover just like the rest of us and on her vacation to Australia in December she was kind enough to get us some incredible books - especially if you are a Twilight fan! I think it is absolutely wonderful that she would think of us.

First of all, she got us a copy of the New Moon Movie Companion. Last year the Twilight Movie Companion was probably the most popular book in the SRR so I'm sure this year the New Moon book will get a lot of attention.

I guess Hudiya knows that the students like the guys in the movie because she got us a Scholastic book with lots of pictures in it called The Guys of Twilight. I wonder when they will publish a book of The Girls of Twilight. It's not really fair is it (btw, my favourite character is Alice)?

Once again on the Twilight theme, Hudiya got us a a parody of Twilight called "nightlight". How cool is that? I didn't even know there was a parody made of it. What's a parody? Well, it is a joke version of a story and it makes fun of the original. If you love Twilight (or even if you didn't like Twlight), you'll probably get a few laughs from this one.

As well, Hudiya bought us a copy of a book called Surf School which looks really good. I'm certain that it will be another popular book to read this year.

Thanks again for your generosity Hudiya. That was so nice of you!

Peter Pan

2010-01-14T15:57:00.006+11:00

Hi everyone,

Today I read a little from Peter Pan in Scarlet with the 9A and 9D girls. Isn't it just the most beautiful book you've ever seen? I'm still amazed at what a great job the publisher did.

You can read my review of the book: HERE.

Anyway, we talked about the mysterious change in dates on page 11 (one book said Saturday and another said Sunday) and we also talked about the mysterious writing on the inside cover page. As I told you, I e-mailed the publisher and was pleasantly surprised when the auther, Geraldine McCaughrean sent back a reply.

I thought some of you might like to read the e-mail she sent us. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it. Here it is:

Dear Jason,

I'm so glad you and your class have been enjoying Peter Pan in Scarlet. It sounds as if you explored it pretty extensively!! I agree about the cover and silhouettes - gorgeous, aren't they? A new younger edition was published at the end of last year with fewer words but many more full colour pictures. The illustrator really excelled himself working on the book. I think he, like me, knew it was a very special assignment to be given.

As to the mystery, I think I can probably solve it. Sometimes bookshops buy too many copies of a book and return some to the publishers. I expect I signed that book in some big London store, the store then sent back some copies to the warehouse and the warehouse sent them out again to different customers. I have found myself signing in a shop, opening a book and finding I have already signed it!

Also, I did sign about 800 copies of the book at the warehouse, so it may be one of those.
I can tell you for certain that the signed book comes from a different print-run. At the beginning of the book, on the copyright page, you will see a string of numbers. The last number tells you how many printings there have been of the book. I believe that after the first or second edition, a few little changes were made, including that date in chapter 2. There is a story behind that which I can tell you and which nobody else knows. When I wrote the book, I sent the characters to Neverland on Saturday 6th June, because 6th June is my birthday and I thought that made it auspicious. My clever editor did not know this. She worked out that 6th June in l926 was not a Saturday but a Sunday, so she changed it to June 5th before publication. Then someone pointed out to her that it was my birthday ...And she changed it back in the next print-run! I didn't expect her to, but it was very sweet of her. A sort of birthday present, I suppose!

Anyway, I am delighted if a mere signature added to your enjoyment. I can't imagine why it should! (Now when the illustrator invents and draws a fairy on the title page - then and there, in front of you - that's special.) I'm afraid I can't arrange that, but if any of your students would like signed bookplates to go in their copies of the book, I will willingly send them. (I would need your postal address, though.)

Wishing you everything you wish yourselves and a little more besides,
Love
Geraldine

After reading her e-mail I guess it is easy to tell that she is a talented writer. Even when she sends out a quick e-mail it ends up sounding a lot like poetry. I think that you can also get a sense that she is a really nice person, can't you?

Anyway, in the coming weeks you will have a chance to read some of the story if you like. Also, we have added two books to the regular collection so you will have a chance to read them at any time in the next two years. As well, you could order the book online at bookdepository for 11 british pounds and the delivery is free: HERE: The last time I went to Icklebooks in Kiarong they had a few copies that didn't get sold last year. You can find a map for Icklebooks: HERE. You may want to call them and check first, though.

If you do decide to buy your own personal copy, I have a few autographs left and I will be happy to put one in your book!

By the way, the younger version that Geraldine mentions in the letter will also be available soon in the SRR. Our marvelous book angel Peta in the UK sent us a copy in December. It is absolutely beautiful. The artwork by David Wyatt is simply stunning. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Finally, I'd like to put together a thank you package for Geraldine. If you'd like to send her a note or ask her a question, please let me know and we can add it along with some postcards and stuff from school.

I'd also like to get a picture or two of you reading the book. I'm sure she would love to get pictures like that from us.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2010-01-12T23:33:00.004+11:00

Amazon description from Publisher's Weekly:

Violence, in McCarthy's postapocalyptic tour de force, has been visited worldwide in the form of a "long shear of light and then a series of low concussions" that leaves cities and forests burned, birds and fish dead and the earth shrouded in gray clouds of ash. In this landscape, an unnamed man and his young son journey down a road to get to the sea. (The man's wife, who gave birth to the boy after calamity struck, has killed herself.)

They carry blankets and scavenged food in a shopping cart, and the man is armed with a revolver loaded with his last two bullets. Beyond the ever-present possibility of starvation lies the threat of roving bands of cannibalistic thugs. The man assures the boy that the two of them are "good guys," but from the way his father treats other stray survivors the boy sees that his father has turned into an amoral survivalist, tenuously attached to the morality of the past by his fierce love for his son. McCarthy establishes himself here as the closest thing in American literature to an Old Testament prophet, trolling the blackest registers of human emotion to create a haunting and grim novel about civilization's slow death after the power goes out.

On a layover in Chicago I found a nice little book kiosk and loaded up on books for the 14-hour flight ahead of me. This book grabbed my attention immediately. I had heard something about the movie which is now being shown world-wide except here in Brunei and I always love a good end-0f-the-world movie so I was keen to see this one. Also Viggo Mortensen is awesome, right? Anyway, I figured if they made it into a movie it must be good and if I'm going to watch the movie I'd rather read the book first. This book before movie thing has worked out so far. I enjoyed Harry Potter more for reading the books first and can you imagine seeing New Moon if you hadn't read the book - disaster!

On my plane, the in-flight entertainment was awful, I was squished against the emergency door exit that jutted out about a foot and a half inside the plane and into the space where I wanted to put my rather long legs, and I kept catching a whiff of noxious toilet fumes from the area next to me....but none of that mattered because I was totally engrossed in this book. I started it as the flight took off and didn't stop reading until every last page had passed before my jet-lagged eyes. And, sure enough, while I was reading the end of the book, tears started flowing down my cheeks so badly I had to turn off my overhead light before the people waiting to use the can noticed the blubbering baby in the window seat.

Let me just say, this book is pretty intense. It isn't so much about the end of the world as it is about what it means to be a father and what it feels like to take care of a son. Of course this is child-care pushed to the extreme. If the father fails to take care of his son here, he will either freeze to death, starve to death, or get eaten by wandering bands of nasty degenerates. It's fascinating to watch as these two characters try to take care of each other. It's tense, it's dark, it's sad, and it is utterly gripping.

I'd also like to mention that I loved the way McCarthy wrote all the dialogue in this book without quotation marks. It is an extra touch that makes this book even more fascinating to read.

The Road won the 2007 Pullitzer Prize and it was chosen to be an Oprah Winfrey's Book Club selection. If you think you might like this book, I think you will.

I'll be adding my copy of this fabulous book to the SRR next week. Let me know if you are interested in being the first one to read it.

5/5 Stars

Welcome back...

2010-01-08T10:29:00.005+11:00

Hello everyone and welcome back! It has been a busy first week at school and I'm still recovering from jet lag so I haven't had a chance to post on my blog until today.

First of all, I'd like to say hello to all my wonderful new students. So far I've met my sweet 9A form class of 21 students and my big, friendly 9D class with 37 students. On Saturday I'll finally get the chance to meet 9F and I'm sure they will be equally lovely. In our first English period together I'm afraid I did most of the talking but I look forward to next week when you will have a chance to participate more in the lessons.

I also met with my mega outgoing 5ACD Lit class. It's so good to see you all again! Really, I love teaching you girls so much that the time just flies by, doesn't it? This year is going to be another great year for us! Anyway, welcome back and I can't wait to dive back into our short story collection. Isn't Desai's Sale a powerful story? I'll be looking over your Reader Reaction assignment later today. See you Saturday.

BTW, the principal has made a special request. She would like us to decorate the noticeboard near the SRR again. This time she'd like us to put posters with pics of students and quotations about reading. I think it would be great to put a book recommendation as well. I would like the girls in 5ACD Lit class who absolutely love reading to make posters. I've made a template so you can just delete stuff and add your own ideas. Also, I have your pics so I can always put your pic if you don't have one.

Please click here for the template:

I would also like to send out a big thank you to my wonderful 9A form class for processing 120 new books for the SRR while we were waiting for our textbooks on Wednesday. I put the books on the shelves yesterday so that when students go in for their first reading period there will be a lot of added excitement. I hope you love the Reading Room as much as I do!!!

As usual, I'd also like to send out a big THANK YOU to our book angel Peta. For those of you who don't know, Peta is our mysterious donor from the UK who has been sending us big packages of incredible books for the last year. In December she sent us an amazing 39 books, most of them brand new. Wow!!! There are so many beautiful new books that she has sent us that I can't single out one for special recognition. All I can say is that Peta has a great eye for Teen lit and she has sent us so many books that have become a huge hit with the girls at the school. Thanks again Peta! You're amazing! To see all the great books she has sent us you can look at the bottom of the entry here.

Peter Jackson: A film-maker's journey by Brian Sibley

2009-11-09T22:23:00.005+11:00

Amazon Description:

This work presents an authorised and fully illustrated insight into the life and career of the award-winning director, from his childhood film projects up to "King Kong", together with Jackson's revealing personal account of his six-year quest to film "The Lord of the Rings". Once, Peter Jackson was a name unknown to all but a small band of loyal fans and fellow film-makers.

Now, he is the newest member of Hollywood's elite fellowship, with his name on the most successful movie trilogy of all time. Written with Jackson's full participation, this extensive biography, illustrated with never-before-seen photos from Jackson's personal collection, tells the inside story of how a New Zealander became Hollywood's hottest property - from the early cult classics, through Academy Award -winning success with Kate Winslet's "Heavenly Creatures", the abandoned "King Kong" remake, and the filming of "The Lord of the Rings", a project which was abandoned two years into pre-production, rejected by most of the other studios and then picked up by New Line Cinema in the biggest gamble in film history.

Drawing upon interviews with fifty of Peter Jackson's colleagues and contemporaries, author Brian Sibley paints a portrait of a true auteur, a man gifted with single-minded determination and an artist's vision. Jackson himself is both revealing and insightful about his entire film-making life, from his first childhood steps filming in Super 8 to the grand realisation of his life's dream: "King Kong". Together, these joint narratives provide a truly unique and compelling insight into one of the finest cinematic minds at work today.

I am a big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies. I read the trilogy during a vacation five years ago and I loved the movies directed by Peter Jackson. When I came across this beautiful hardcover biography of Peter, I couldn't resist it. I picked it up and started reading it and before I knew it I had read the entire book from cover to cover.

I guess to begin with I was fascinated that this little-known guy from New Zealand somehow came along and got to do one of the biggest film projects in history. That amazes me. I wanted to know how he did it. The book does a really good job of explaining the whole thing. It describes his humble beginnings and all the challenges he faced making his first movies. Then it gave all the details related to how he managed to get the LOTR movies. Simply fascinating.

I really liked the way the writer, Brian Sibley, managed to keep this biography moving along. I also was very happy with the way that he quoted a lot of what Peter told him. I loved being able to read full page excerpts from conversations he had with him. With authorized biographies like this, you get a lot more real information and it makes you feel good knowing you are getting to the heart of things and not just speculation from a book writer who may just be speculating a lot of the time (I recenly read parts of a Rowling biography that was a complete waste of time because it based a lot on stuff the writer got from newspaper articles and other secondhand sources).

I liked everything about this book and the stories it told. The only thing I felt I missed out on was more about the casting of Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures. Peter's film was Winslet's first film and, being a big Winslet fan, I really wanted to know more about her and how Peter felt about her work on his movie. Oh well, you can't have everything.

Having read this book, I'm very interested in seeing all of Jackson's movies. As well, it has made me even more curious about visiting New Zealand and it has further convinced me that Kiwis are amazing people.

Stay tuned for the new movie The Lovely Bones based on the popular novel by Alice Sebold which is being produced my Peter Jackson and should be released soon. The Lovely Bones is available in the SRR and I'm hoping to get a hardcover before January as it is going to be an even bigger hit once it makes it to the theater in December.

Note: I'm reading a lot of different stuff these days. I just thought I'd post this review to keep you all up to date. There are so many amazing books in the world. Just pick one up! Pick up something you wouldn't usually read. Read something totally "different" today! Take a chance on a different genre or a different writer. You never know.

4/5 Stars

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

2009-11-04T12:38:00.006+11:00

Amazon Description:

After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson, the acclaimed author of such bestsellers as "The Mother Tongue" and "Made in America", decided it was time to move back to the United States for a while. This was partly to let his wife and kids experience life in Bryson's homeland - and partly because he had read that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another. It was thus clear to him that his people needed him. But before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of modern-day Britain, and to analyze what he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, zebra crossings, and place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey, and Shellow Bowells. With wit and irreverence, Bill Bryson presents the ludicrous and the endearing in equal measure. The result is a social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain.

I think I'm done with my tour of Bill Bryson books. It was a good run, but I'm done.

Bryson's Notes from a Small Island is a book that covers a trip he took around Great Britain. I thought that I would really enjoy this book, but I found it a bit tiresome.

The first quarter of the book was very good as he described his experiences in London when he was younger. I lived in London for six months and really liked hearing Bryson's take. I especially liked his description of his first trip to Dover and how he reacted to staying in a number of bed and breakfasts. I also found his work experiences in London to be of great interest.

However, as Bryson moved out into the countryside and travelled from town to town, he started to lose me. He gets excited about details and half the time I feel his enthusiasm and I want to know more. The parts I enjoy the most are bits about people and crazy situations and his thoughts on how ridiculous the world is. The problem is that he spent a lot of time describing buildings I have never seen and never will see. If he only wrote about half of the places he did and spent more time talking about the people he met and the funny experiences he had, this book could have been amazing.

My reading style changed as I read this. At times, I read the first sentence of each paragraph and scanned the rest. I only stopped to read the parts that interested me. The only thing is that by the last half of the book I was reading smaller and smaller patches.

2.5 / 5 Stars

2009 Teens' Top Ten Winners

2009-10-20T10:34:00.004+11:00

Here they are, drumroll please:

1. Paper Towns by John Green
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
7. Wake by Lisa McMann
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Okay, first of all, I'm excited because I actually read some of the books on the list this year. It is nice to know something about the kinds of books that are up for nomination. Second, I can't believe that Breaking Dawn didn't win! Wow. I figured the Twilight fans out there would crash the ballot boxes. Also, I can't believe they actually had 11,000 teens vote this year - that's amazing. I'm also happy to say that we already have some of the winners in the SRR. We have Breaking Dawn along with the other Twilight books. We have two copies of Hunger Games along with Part 2. We have City of Ashes along with City of Bones already. I have a copy of Wake. Plus Peta just sent us Untamed and Graceling. So, all in all, we are off to a really good start.

House of Night Series

2009-10-19T17:15:00.003+11:00

Finishing school for Vampires

Yeah, I thought that would grab your attention. For all the Twilight fans out there, you'll be excited to hear that we now have the House of Night Series.

Here's how amazon describes the first book:

When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends.

Sounds good, doesn't it? I thought you'd like it. We now have four of the books in the series: Marked, Betrayed, Untamed, and Hunted. That ought to keep you girls busy for a while. In fact, I think I'll be adding this one to my to be read list (though it is getting very, very long at this point).

Once again, we have our book angel, Peta, to thank for sending us this series. All four books were ordered, brand new, from book depository and sent to us. Thank you so much Peta for sending us so many wonderful books. The girls are loving the Study Series and now we have another series that is bound to be just as popular. You're the best Peta!

Teens' Top Ten in the SRR

2009-10-13T16:46:00.028+08:00

Here is our update on our SRR books. Books in BOLD are the ones we have.

2010 Winners

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (P)
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (J/M)
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (?)
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (J)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (P)
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (M)
Fire by Kristin Cashore (P)
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2009 Winners

Paper Towns by John Green
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (J)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (P/J)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (J)
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (M)
Wake by Lisa McMann (J)
Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (P)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (P)

2009 Nominated Books in SRR

1. Truancy by Isamu Fukui (J)
2. Bloodlines by Katy Moran (J)
3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Su)

2008 Winners
1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (J)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (J)
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (J)
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (J)
5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by J. Patterson (coming -Mary)
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (J)
7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (J)
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld (J)
9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham (P)
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (P)

2007 Winners
1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (J)
2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (P)
3. Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson
4. Firegirl by Tony Abbott (coming - Mary)
5. All Hallows Eve (13 Stories)by Vivian Vande Velde
6. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (M)
7. River Secrets by Shannon Hale (coming - Peta)
8. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
9. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

2006 Winners
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. (J)
2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (J)
3. Eldest by Christopher Paolini (coming - Mary)
4. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (P)
5. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (P)
6. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (P)
7. Poison by Chris Wooding (P)
8. Captain Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart (P)
9. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? by Melissa Kantor (P)
10. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin (P)

2005 Winners
1. Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
2. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen (P)
3. Looking For Alaska by John Green (P)
4. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult (P)
5. Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
6. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (J)
7. The Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah (P)
8. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
9. The Garden by Elise Aidinoff (P)

2004 Winners
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
2. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

3. Pirates! by Celia Rees
4. Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
5 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
6. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
7. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (coming- Mary)
8. Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot
9. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler (P)
10. Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer

2003 Winners
YA Group
1. “Faerie Wars” by Herbie Brennan
2. “What Happened to Lani Garver?” (M)
3. “Abhorsen“ by Garth Nix ("Sabriel")
4. “The First Part Last” by Angela Johnson
5. “Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale” by Holly Black (P)
6. “The Second Summer of the Sisterhood” by Ann Brashares
7. “After” by Francine Prose (M)
8. “Storm Catchers” by Tim Bowler
9. “Once Upon a Marigold” by Jean Ferris
10. “The Thief Lord” by Cornelia Funke
Teen Public
1. "A Wizard Alone: Young Wizards Book 6” by Diane Duane ("So You Want to be a Wizard" Deep in USA)
2. “The Second Summer of the Sisterhood” by Ann Brashares
3. “Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale” by Holly Black (P)
4. “The Thief Lord” by Cornelia Funke
5. “Abhorsen” by Garth Nix ("Sabriel")
6. “The Book of Wizardry: The Apprentice’s Guide to the Secrets of the Wizards’ Guild” by Cornelius Rumstuckle
7. “Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters” by Gail Giles (B)
9. “True Confessions of a Heartless Girl” by Martha Brooks (B)
10. “America” by E. R. Frank (B)

Where are the books coming from?
(J) = I've donated it
(P) = Peta has donated it.
(B) = Bikki in the USA donated it.

(M) = Mary in the USA donated it

Thanks to all of the people for sending us their books! I've listed their names and countries beside the books they have donated to us.

Cut-throat Celts by Terry Deary

2009-10-11T10:23:00.003+08:00

Amazon.com:

The ghastly truth about the wild warrior race who weren't afraid to fight the Romans. The book includes stories about suffering saints, gruesome games for Celtic kids, and the dreadful Druids with their strange sacrifices and terrible trials.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: YOU ARE SO LUCKY. When I was a teenager we didn't have many great books to read and Horrible Histories is just another example of the type of book I would have eaten up if I'd had them around.

Terry Deary is amazing. He is funny and interesting. He really knows how to make history interesting for young readers. He goes after all the shocking stuff and all the disgusting stuff and he tells us his story in a most amusing way.

Martin Brown's illustrations are hilarious. My favourite was the comparison of the Celtic and Roman solidier ready for battle. The Roman is standing there in full armour, covered from head to toe. Next to him is the Celtic warrior, standing naked except for a little fig leaf over his private parts. My son and I laughed so hard when we saw that.

Deary's books get a lot of the facts on the table and he gives us maps and drawings to make things clear. He tells funny little stories about real people. He makes little question lists (followed by answers) and the result is usually shock and awe.

The Celts are an interesting group and well worth reading about. I think I know a little bit more about European history now. At the very least I know that reading about history is good fun!

Scholastic recently had the whole series in a box set. I'm still kicking myself because I didn't buy it. You see, I only recently discoverd Horrible Histories and their amazing creator Terry Deary. Even if you don't like history, I dare you to pick one up. I'm sure you'll find something in there that you'll love.

Terry Deary is a hero for making history exciting and fun for kids (well, and even for us older types). BTW, we now have a signed copy of the Second World War book for our collection! Yay! Stay tuned, I'll try to get more for the SRR as soon as I can.

4.5/5 Stars

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

2009-10-11T10:04:00.004+08:00

Amazon.com:
An SF novel about vampires . . . Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth . . . but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

This was kind of like a zombie book. These vampires are nothing like the Twilight vampires. They are mindless killers much more like the Dawn of the Dead zombies.

I saw the movie a while ago and it was okay. I like Will Smith and I found the story interesting enough. I figured I'd give the book a read and see if it was better than the movie.

Actually, it was much better than the movie. Hollywood made a lot of major changes to the script - almost so many that you wouldn't necessarily connect the movie with the book if they didn't have the same title!

As much as I really enjoyed the story, I found myself a bit disappointed because of the twist at the end. If you read it you will know what I mean. I really liked the beginning and Robert Neville's struggle being the only man left on earth. That was fascinating. I would have enjoyed 300+ pages devoted to Neville's struggle to keep sane in his bizarre situation. I really enjoyed the last half of the book and wanted to see how it was going to play out. The book has 317 pages so I was really geared up for a good, long read. However, when I hit page 170 I discovered that the story had finished. The rest of the book includes a variety of Matheson's short horror stories. In fact the horror stories are quiet good, but I had wanted more of I Am Legend. Oh well.

If you like horror or zombie stories, you'll enjoy this one. I Am Legend was published in 1954 so I think we can consider it as one of the first books of its kind. Even just for that, you can feel like you are biting into a bit of horror story history.

Enjoy.

3.5/5 Stars

Cell by Stephen King

2009-10-11T07:30:00.008+08:00

Amazon.com Review
Witness Stephen King's triumphant, blood-spattered return to the genre that made him famous. Cell, the king of horror's homage to zombie films (the book is dedicated in part to George A. Romero) is his goriest, most horrific novel in years, not to mention the most intensely paced. Casting aside his love of elaborate character and town histories and penchant for delayed gratification, King yanks readers off their feet within the first few pages; dragging them into the fray and offering no chance catch their breath until the very last page.

In Cell King taps into readers fears of technological warfare and terrorism. Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Those without cell phones, like illustrator Clayton Riddell and his small band of "normies," must fight for survival, and their journey to find Clayton's estranged wife and young son rockets the book toward resolution.

Fans that have followed King from the beginning will recognize and appreciate Cell as a departure--King's writing has not been so pure of heart and free of hang-ups in years (wrapping up his phenomenal Dark Tower series and receiving a medal from the National Book Foundation doesn't hurt either). "Retirement" clearly suits King, and lucky for us, having nothing left to prove frees him up to write frenzied, juiced-up horror-thrillers like Cell. --Daphne Durham

I have a confession to make. I love zombie movies. I don't know why, but I do. Zombies are really awesome. Dawn of the Dead is the best, of course. The idea that human survivors would hide in a shopping mall and fight off zombies is beyond cool.

I guess I'm fascinated by the human response to tragedy or extreme circumstances. It's the same reason I'm crazy about Titanic and why I enjoyed books like The Lord of the Flies. I always wonder what people would do if we stripped away all the technology and all the comforts of home that we enjoy. How would people react? How would I react? Would I have been one of the fine gentlemen on the Titanic sipping on a drink and vowing to go down with the ship or would I have snuck onto a lifeboat?

Anyway, I was pretty excited when I got a book shipment and inside there was a big, beautiful hardcover copy of this book. Thanks to Ann in the USA for sending it to us! I've never actually read a Stephen King book and after reading On Writing I really wanted to see him in action.

The first chapter will blow your mind. It is disgusting, frightening, and disturbing. If you are into horror, it will knock your socks off. King's story grabs you by the throat and never let's go. I really enjoyed the three main characters and the story was very interesting.

I had never read a zombie book but now I'm convinced there is a lot of room for fun here. I'd like to read more books in this genre. I'm certain if you like horror stories or zombie movies, you will like this book as much as I did.

4/5 Stars

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

2009-10-11T07:09:00.003+08:00

Amazon.com:
*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. Steven Alper is a typical eighth-grader--smarter than some, a better drummer than most, but with the usual girl problems and family trials. Then, on October 7, his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey, falls, has a nosebleed that doesn't stop, and is diagnosed with leukemia. All hell breaks loose. Mrs. Alper's days and nights revolve around getting Jeffrey to his chemotherapy treatments, and Mr. Alper retreats into a shell, coming out only occasionally to weep over the mounting medical bills.

Steven becomes the forgotten son, who throws himself into drumming, even as he quits doing his homework and tries to keep his friends from finding out about Jeffrey's illness. A story that could have morphed into melodrama is saved by reality, rawness, and the wit Sonnenblick infuses into Steven's first-person voice.

The recriminations, cares, and nightmares that come with a cancer diagnosis are all here, underscored by vomiting, white blood cell counts, and chemotherapy ports. Yet, this is also about regrouping, solidarity, love, and hope. Most important for a middle-grade audience, Sonneblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself.

Now, you might wonder why anybody would want to read a book about a teenage boy who has a little brother with cancer. However, this book was #5 on the 2005 Teens' Top Ten list so obviously a lot of teenagers read and enjoyed it. I usually only read books that I think will be fun to read, so I was skeptical about this one but I wanted to give it a try.

Actually, I'm glad I did. Sonnenblick's writing is very interesting and easy to read. I felt for Steven, the main character and I found his experiences to be fascinating. I could empathize with him and all the things he was going through. I think it is quite authentic - Steven probably reacts like any teenager would in times of a family crisis.

Steven is just trying to get on with his life. He enjoys playing drums and he's worried about girls and school and all that stuff. At the same time, he has to struggle with the fact that his brother has cancer. He has to face his relationship with his parents and deal with his own selfish feelings.

This book was different and because of that I really enjoyed it. It made me laugh and cry. I highly recommend it to students who want to read something more serious then the usual YA fair. The writer wrote this for one of his students who was going through a similar situation. If you've ever gone through a family crisis like a sick sibling, you might find this book a comfort as well.

4/5 Stars

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

2009-09-19T18:33:00.007+08:00

Book Blurb:

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.

She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.

She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.

That is, until now.

Enter Stage Right

NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.

COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.

ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.

BERTIE. Our heroine.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Great cover artwork? Check. Interesting premise? Check. Support of a major new writer of a similar book? Check. Mantchey's novel is set for take-off. Seriously. Even Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games) has been quoted as supporting it.

Thanks to Peta for sending us a brand new hardcover version of this book. It's obvious that she is getting really good at identifying great new books for young adult readers. The girls are going to love this. Well, as soon as I pass it on to them. LOL

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

2009-09-19T18:22:00.002+08:00

Amazon Book Description:

In the sensational sequel to "Poison Study" and "Magic Study", Yelena's apprenticeship is over - now her real test has begun. When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder - able to capture and release souls - spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before. Honour sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself - and save the land she holds dear.

Sounds great, doesn't it? This will be a big hit with the students are into myth/science fiction like LOTR and the Narnia books. Thanks again to Peta for buying this book for us and sending it all the way from the UK. With so many incredible books, I'm not sure what to read first.

The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder

2009-09-19T18:08:00.005+08:00

First of all, let me just say, check out the artwork on these novels! Wow! All three books have such beautiful covers that they suck you right in. As soon as I saw these three books I said, "I've got to read these!" Then I checked the blurbs and they make the books sound very interesting too. I can't wait to put these on display in SRR. Anybody interested? Waitlist in the comment section!

Thanks again to Peta for buying us this great set of books!!!

Amazon Description of Magic Study:
Completing her apprenticeship could prove deadly...With an execution order on her head, Yelena has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth. With only a year to master her magic - or face death - Yelena must begin her apprenticeship and travels to the Four Towers of the Magician's Keep.But nothing in Sitia is familiar. Not the family to whom she is a stranger. Not the unsettling new facets of her magic. Nor the brother who resents her return. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her rare powers, a rogue magician emerges - and Yelena catches his eye.Suddenly she is embroiled in battle of good against evil. And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her life...or be her downfall.

Amazon Description of Poison Study:
Choose: A quick death...or a slow poison...About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace - and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust - and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonising death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

Catching Fire is HERE!

2009-09-19T17:53:00.002+08:00

This could be the best book of the year and now it is here in Brunei!

Those of you who are following my blog know that Stephenie Meyer, the writer of the Twilight Saga, wrote in her blog that she highly recommended that people read Suzanne Collins' book Hunger Games. I took her advice and loved the first book. Luckily for us, Scholastic offered it up earlier this year so a lot of girls were able to get copies. My copy has been floating around 5B for about three months now too!

I was just about to order my copy of the book as I knew it was supposed to come available in September. Imagine my shock when it arrived from bookdepository last week!!! I was shocked. How could that be?

You guessed it: Peta. Peta, our book angel, has been following the blog and knew we were anxiously awaiting the release of this book. She also is one of the few people on the planet, I think, who figured out that bookdepository changed their stock to "available" about ten days before Amazon was scheduled to start shipping. Anyway, the rest is history!

Thanks Peta! Your generosity is amazing!

I'll be reading this one in the next few days and then I'll post my review. For now, if anybody wants to waitlist for this book (and I know you do), please just add a comment to this post.

More Books

2009-09-19T17:13:00.006+08:00

Book lovers are the best!
I'm totally amazed at the generosity of people around the world who send us books and to those wonderful individuals who agree to send us their books in spite of the high costs of shipping. In many cases the cost of shipping is the same as the value of the book being sent! Incredible.

I'm getting so many books each week I can no longer salute each book with an entry here on the blog. Many thanks to our kind donors. Please feel free to continue sending notes and postcards along with your books! That is an extra special personal touch and will create even more interest in the books you send us. Besides, it's so fun to tell the girls where the books are coming from. They are like little visitors from countries all over the world!

My hat goes off to Peta again. Her generosity knows no bounds. Last week she sent us six brand new, never read, books. Unbelievable! In the coming week, assuming I have time, I will highlight some of them here on the blog as I believe they are wonderful selections and they deserve a bit of attention before being set loose on the SRR shelves.

As well, I'd like to just note a few of the incredible new books that have just arrived:

We have four new Nicholas Sparks hardcovers from Cosette in the USA: True Believer, A Bend in the Road, At First Sight, and The Wedding! These are beautiful books and will be well-loved by all the Sparks fans.

We also got a hardcover version of Cecelia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now from Chelsea in the USA. Ahern is one of the most popular authors for young women and the girls in my classes won't be able to keep their hands off this one!

Some of the special requests have come in: How to Deal by Sarah Dessen, She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, and The Freedom Writer's Diary by the Freedom Writers.

We have also received a hardcover of Meg Cabot's Ready or Not from Caitlin in the USA as well as two copies of Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? and one of the large paperback versions of Shopaholic and Sister!

There are so many other amazing books I've received as well. I just wish I had time to list them all! The Goosebumps collection is well on its way as is the collection of Madison Finn books and more Chicken Soup books.

Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

2009-08-28T19:30:00.006+08:00

Do you remember how it felt to be a young child? Do you remember your first day in Grade One?

When asked about good books that we should get for the SRR, one of the other teachers suggested the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary.

Now, Beverly Cleary was a popular writer of children's books when I was a boy. Of course that means her stuff is pretty old, so I was skeptical. I wasn't sure if anybody would read them.

Okay, confession time. When I was younger, I was a bit of a reluctant reader. I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true. I didn't read many books for fun.

As a child, I loved Dr Seuss books. I remember visiting a friend's house and leafing through her entire collection and I remember being hypnotized by them all. After that, I got into books about kids who had horses and went on adventures. Later, in high school, I read a number of books that qualified as "literature" and I was pretty keen on all the ideas that the books gave me.

However, I rarely read stories just for the pure fun. Looking back now, I think it is because I was never really introduced to all the great books that were out there so I didn't know what to read. And, as I've said before, I think the writers of books for young people are much better these days than they were when I was a kid.

Anyway, I DO remember one book that I read and enjoyed as a boy and it was "Henry and the Paper Route" by Beverly Cleary. I can't even remember why I enjoyed it. I just remember thinking that Beverly Cleary was awesome and that she was going to be my "favourite author" - not that anybody knew, or cared to ask.

Yesterday I thought I'd give Ramona the Brave a few pages and see what it was like. Well, I read it from cover to cover and then went on to read a second book. Ramona the Brave is pretty fascinating. I was so impressed by Cleary's ability to get into the heads and hearts of young children. Her story captures how it felt to be in first grade. All the feelings and thoughts and anxieties of childhood came rushing back to me yesterday. It was so amazing to remember what that was like.

The main character, Ramona, is interesting because she tries so hard to be good, but things happen and she just keeps getting into trouble. I like her older sister too. She gives her little sister a hard time and doesn't enjoy being around her that much, but just when Ramona is at the end of her rope, her big sister will say something that turns everything around and makes it okay again. I thought that was so cool and heartwarming. The mother, also, surprises Ramona with her kindness. She feels like her mother prefers her older sister and there are times when she gets shocked by her mother's reactions to things that are developing.

I can't wait to read "Ramona and Her Father". In the two books I've read, the father seems like a really nice guy (kinda cool) and everybody says Ramona is "her father's daughter" like she and her father have a magical connection or something. I'm eager to read more about their relationship and to see more of how the father and daughter interact.

Cleary was born in 1916 and just died a few years ago (in 2004). That means she lived through WWII and was writing during the 1950's and 60's in America a time that the modern notion of the "traditional family in America" comes from. Dads went to work and Moms stayed at home and baked apple pies. You get the idea. Anyway, Cleary's narrative captures that innocent time. Interestingly though, Ramona's mother starts working in Ramona the Brave and her father is out of work and has gone back to university in Ramona Forever. I guess Cleary's work was heralding a change in American society at the time.

Anyway, Cleary is a master storyteller. I love the way she uses language and I'm amazed at how well she captured the thoughts and feelings of her main character. I really enjoyed the trip she took me on - back to those first days of school when I was just a little blonde-haired, freckle-faced boy walking three blocks from my home to elementary school. Cleary's work is sweet, funny, and heart-warming. I'm going to order a few more and I hope some of you will read and enjoy them as much as I did.

BTW, two years ago HarperCollins published a new set of Cleary's books. They've modernized the cover art and even made a nice collection box for the set. I'm so glad to see publishers breathing new life into great books like these. Good job HarperCollins!

4/5 stars - well worth reading if you'd like to relive your childhood!

On Writing by Stephen King

2009-08-22T12:07:00.004+08:00

Have you ever thought of doing some writing of your own? If so, this book is for you!

I have a lot of students in my classes who are actively writing stories in their free time. In fact, I've been telling people for years that this is the perfect place for a young writer to break out.

Part of the reason I say that is because we have so little access to distractions here that a young writer should be able to find the time to sit down and focus on their work. The other thing is that there is so much food for writers here.

I've just finished reading Stephen King's On Writing from cover to cover. It is fun to read and would certainly catch the interest of anybody who has ever thought of becoming a writer.

The first half of the book is autobiographical. King tells us interesting stories about what happened to him as he was growing up. This allows us to understand him as a writer and how he became who he is today. I love that he gets to the point. He isn't overly self-indulgent even when he writes about his own life.

The second half of the book gives us practical information on how to improve our writing. He really stresses the importance of doing two things if you want to be a writer: read a lot and write a lot. Sound advice really. He also gives us some insider information on the life of a writer when he reveals the fact that he aims for ten pages a day and that he usually writes in the morning. He speaks of shutting the door and not letting anybody see the work until it has gone through a couple of drafts. He even suggests that you let your work sit for a long time before you go back and edit it.

His advice gives us a rare opportunity to see into the life of a writer. His tone is encouraging and at the same time it is direct, almost in-your-face. I like that. King is honest and open. He encourages that in writers.

I highly recommend this book for all my student writers. I suggest, at the very least, that you read the chapters titled "Toolbox" and "On Writing".

I like this book so much that I'm going to buy a copy of it myself. I'm going to read it again, only this time I will have a pencil in my hand and a notepad nearby.

5/5 Stars

Wake by Lisa McMann

2009-08-21T10:15:00.013+08:00

First of all, I'd like to say the premise of this book is very interesting.

Imagine what it would be like if, whenever you were near people who fell asleep, you entered their dreams. That's what happens to Janie. She'll be walking along and then suddenly her body gets paralyzed and she goes blind and the next thing she knows she is inside some weird world - the world of a nearby dreamer.

Most of the time it isn't something she enjoys. Nightmares are the worst of course. Anyway, I loved the idea and I have to say that McMann delivers. She explores the idea fully while creating a very engaging and mysterious story filled with teen angst.

I read this book over two nights. Even though I'm very busy and have other things to do, I just couldn't put this one down.

By the way, I've got the hardcover version and it is so perfect. It has 210 beautiful pages and a really interesting looking cover which looks like it is glowing in the dark. Well done Simon Pulse publishers on printing a delightful book. There's just something about holding a book that is the right size with pristine, white paper stock and just the right font and print.

Anyway, I have to tell you more. This book is unique as far as I know. The writer is doing something very special here. McMann writes in third person (he/she). That's not super strange, but so many YA books are first person (I) so it is a bit different. It is also written in present tense. I don't know why, but it often sounds strange to me. The story moves along and kind of unnerves you. It seems strangely unreal. To add to the weirdness of it all, McMann writes in very short, choppy sentences. There are more three-word sentences in this book than you will find in a book of poetry. It is strange. Like poetry sometimes.

I's like when you see one of those hand-held camera movies for the first time, you think, "What's this?" And at first you aren't sure if you like it. It doesn't feel right. You may wonder whether you like it or not. However, the hand-held camera creates an unusual feeling of realism that brings you into the story and changes your reaction to the movie. McMann's writing does something like that. It makes you feel strange - mirroring the feeling that the character gets from her experience of being in other people's dreams. By the end of the book, the style draws you in and hypnotizes you. It has a strange disjointed rhythm to it.

I highly recommend this book. At 210 pages, it is an amazing, quick read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. BTW, this book has become so popular that it has been worked into a trilogy now. Fade (book 2) is out and the last book Gone is due out in February.

Additional Comments Added 22/08/09
I'm not going to tread too far on a slippery slope here. I like this book and I am featuring it on my blog because I believe other readers should know about it. I will, however, reiterate that the intention of my blog is to promote great books that I think will be interesting for the young people in the country where I presently live. Suffice it to say, I'll be keeping this book in my own collection to read and enjoy again someday.

5/5 Stars

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

2009-08-19T21:28:00.004+08:00

Barnes and Noble:

Wicked stepmother? Check.
Evil stepsisters? Check.
Miserable life? Check.

Lucy Norton's life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad's always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She's burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn't she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?

Melissa Kantor's enchanting novel proves that sometimes the happy ending isn't quite the one you'd expect. Lucy's about to discover the truth about finding her real Prince Charming. and finding herself.

It's a modern day Cinderella story, right? Sounds like another interesting novel (well, for the girls I mean - I'll stick to the action stuff myself).

Once again, Peta has saved the day and sent this one from bookdepository in the UK. As one of the winners of the 2006 Teens' Top Ten list it is safe to say that this is a book worth reading. I'm sure that it is going to be loved by many, many of the girls at our school. Thanks again Peta!

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

2009-08-19T19:03:00.004+08:00

Imagine if you suddenly lost your memory. What would that be like? Imagine going off to school. You wouldn't know who your friends were. You wouldn't know who you were.

This book sounds amazing.

Thanks to Peta who sent this to us from bookdepository after Sakina in 5C requested it.

Have a look at the book description and see what you think. With so many great new books in the SRR now, I'm not sure which one to read first.

BTW, I'm curious how Sakina heard of this incredible book. It sounds too good to resist.

Once again, thanks Peta!

Amazon Review:
When Naomi tries to piece back the fragments of the last three and a half years of her life, she discovers a lot. She has a boyfriend but can't remember him, her mother and father are divorced, and she has forgotten that she is supposed to hate her mother. She also has a group of friends which simply doesn't seem that attractive any more and, despite having meticulously kept a diary, she only mentioned what she ate every day in it! But it's not all bad, because when a girl loses three and a half years she gets a chance to reinvent herself. After all, who is to say that everything has to be the same?

The Dark Knight Returns

2009-08-19T18:54:00.004+08:00

Our incredible book angel Peta in the UK has sent three new books for us to enjoy. Her generosity really is astounding! Thank you Peta.

The first book she sent us is one of the most famous graphic novels in the world. If you like graphic novels, this is a MUST for your collection.

I've wanted to get this one for years. It's not that I'm a big graphic novel / comic fan or anything, but the reputation that this one has can not be ignored.

The book is called "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" and it is a collector's book for sure. If you have a dark side, I think you'll enjoy this.

In order to make sure it is well cared for and so that many students can have a look at it, I think we will need to display it as a reference book (red dot - can't borrow). Look for it in the reading room next week! Enjoy, and once again, thanks to Peta for donating this amazing new book to our collection! I can't wait to read it myself.

Conversations With J.K. Rowling by Lindsey Fraser

2009-08-17T19:42:00.005+08:00

It is hard not to pick this book up. If you've read the Harry Potter series and enjoyed it (of course you did), then you'll probably want to know something about the amazing woman who wrote the series.

This book is great for a quick read. It is only 96 pages and you will rifle through them in no time. The font is quite large so the writer has cheated a little. As well, about 30 to 40 pages are filler stuff that you won't want to bother with - like summaries of the books (um, like you would read this book if you hadn't already read the series?). However, the first half of the book is broken into questions and answers and that is the best stuff and well worth reading.

I enjoy reading every word that Rowling has to say. She is an inspiration. This book is a fun, quick read and I think you will enjoy it. You should pick it up at the beginning of a reading room period and you will be able to get at the best parts before the period is over.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. By the way, don't you just love the cover? The artist did such a good job of the picture. It's cute, isn't it? And it is so appropriate to have her sitting down at the coffee shop with a pen and paper - just the way she wrote a lot of her books!

3/5 stars

The Truth About Forever

2009-08-15T23:08:00.006+08:00

Dessen is a smash hit. In 2005 she took 2nd place in the Teens' Top Ten list with this book. It seems like it is a very popular choice. Sakina in 5C seemed to think so. She had been waiting for this one for a long time!

Amazon.co.uk Review
With her sixth novel, award-winning author Sarah Dessen offers up another generous helping of finely crafted storytelling about real teens dealing with real life. In The Truth About Forever, when asked how she is coping with her father's death, invariably 17-year-old Macy Queen's answer is "fine", when nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, she is drowning in grief while maintaining a flawless façade of good grades and unblemished behaviour. Though she feels lost when her boyfriend heads to "Brain Camp" for the summer, she finds herself a job with the quirky Wish Catering crew, and meets "sa-woon"-worthy Wes, whose chaotic lifestyle is in direct opposition to her own. As the two share their stories over the summer, Macy realises she can no longer keep her feelings on ice. Though it feels like her future ended with her dad's death, Macy learns that forever is all about beginnings.

Thanks to Peta for sending this one to us! It is bound to be a popular book with the girls.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2009-08-14T11:47:00.005+08:00

Werewolves vs. Vampires in New York City. Cool.

Did you enjoy Twilight? Did you enjoy Hunger Games? You'll love this one too! I've just finished it and it will be in the reading room once you have finished your qualifying exams.

Amazon UK review:

Fifteen-year-old geek hipster Clary thought she was just a normal kid, but normal kids don't see invisible people, and normal kids' mothers don't suddenly disappear, seemingly captured by horrific monsters. But like many fantasy heroines, Clary isn't normal, and she's got all the secret parentage, dramatic revelations and amazing magic powers to prove it. Clary is a Shadowhunter, brought up as a mundane but born to fight demons. She and her mundane friend Simon fall in with a trio of Shadowhunter teens, and are soon embroiled in a quest to understand Clary's past - and incidentally save the world. Rich descriptions occasionally devolve into purple prose, but the story's sensual flavor comes from the wealth of detail: demons with facial piercings, diners serving locusts and honey, pretty gay warlocks and cameo appearances from other urban fantasies' characters. Complicated romantic triangles keep the excitement high even when the dramatic revelations tend toward the ridiculous. Lush and fun.

I really enjoyed this book. I like the world that Clare develops and I like the characters. The pace is perfect. She takes time to make her characters interesting, but she also moves the plot along so the story keeps you interested. If you took half of Meyer's brain (Twilight) and connected it to half of Collins' brain (Hunger Games), you'd get Cassandra Clare. She struck an excellent balance between story and plot.

Seriously, if you like the whole vampire/monsters-living-in-the-real-world type of book you will enjoy this. Right from the first chapter, Clare grabs you and doesn't let go.

The book is complete in itself, but you also get the feeling that Clare was really gearing up for the series and setting herself up well I'd say. It's only going to get better as we get to know the characters and what they can do.

I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book. Wait a minute, I've already bought it! Yay!!!

Flaws? I'm not sure. I had the ending figured out pretty early on, but I'm not sure if Clare intended it that way or not. Still, there are two more to go so surprises may be in store!

I highly recommend this one.

5/5 Stars