Friday 22 August 2014

The Extraordinary Mr Qwerty, Karla Strambini

This is the book that I read to the Years 4/5's this week.Mr Qwerty is an extraordinary character, with fantastical ideas. This book combines minimal text with mainly black and white illustrations, the text includes a few idioms and is well-paced. The illustrations are extraordinary they are made to be pored over, they add an extra layer of meaning to the story. The children really enjoyed the story, and got the idea that imagination and believing in yourself is vital as well as the point that no-one knows what is going on in anyone else's mind. A wonderful book.
Rating 8/10

Mrs Silver-Hessey

The Executioner's Daughter, Jane Hardstaff

This book is historical fiction with fantasy intertwined as superstition. The time and place is Tudor England, with Anne Boleyn making an appearance. Moss is the 12 year old daughter of the executioner in the Tower of London, she has the job of catching the heads in a basket, a job she detests. Moss wants out of the job and the Tower, but her father tells her she cannot leave. Then she learns that her father has lied to her. Her search for the truth and freedom begins when she finds a tunnel that leads to the banks of the river Thames. As she travels along the Thames she meets some very interesting characters and finds out about what is important about her past and makes decisions about her future. This is a great finding oneself/coming of age story with a great look into what it was like for people in the time of the tudors.
Rating 6.5/10

Mrs Silver-Hessey

Friday 15 August 2014

Bedtime is Cancelled, Cece Meng


'Bedtime is Cancelled' is the picture book that I read to the junior classes this week. It was very well received with lots of positive comments. The story follows the exploits of a brother and sister as they write a note to their parents to cancel bedtime, the wind carries off the note and the message is published and believed by people all over the world, the consequences of having no bedtime are funny as depicted by both the ideas in the text and the illustrations. The power of the press and of the impact social media can have are perhaps a little over the heads of the children but as an adult I appreciate the point made. Of course the new note penned on the last page gets all the children laughing. 
Excellent as a read-a-loud. Rating 7/10.

Mrs Silver-Hessey