Artemis Fowl, The Seventh Dwarf

Artemis Fowl, The Seventh Dwarf (2004) Eoin Colfer, Puffin
ISBN 0-141-31800-7

This is a short book written for world book day and available to children for just a pound or free with a book token received from school. It is part of a set of books about the character of Artemis Fowl. Artemis is a boy whose father is missing. Nobody has been able to find him. Artemis cannot accept that his father is gone, and being highly intelligent, sets about finding his father by himself. He also wants to do something for his mother, who is devastated by the disappearance of his father, “I will find him,” he whispered once in his mother’s arms.

Finding out about the secret world of fairies, Artemis is convinced that this world can help him. There is just one problem, humans must not know about the fairy world. This world is different to our own, yet has a clear set of rules, and there are limits to the special abilities of those within it. This use of clear boundaries helps us to see it as more real, as if you could stumble across a secret world of fairies.

This is a stand-alone story that also fits with the other books. The characters are well drawn, and the plot clear, so it is fine if you have not read any of the previous novels. Even though the story can be read independently, there are references to other tales, making the reader curious. Extra details about characters background and past actions help to give them further depth.

There is also plenty of dialogue in the text, helping to keep the story fast paced. This is great for a children’s story as it keeps their attention throughout. The dialogue also helps to give further insight into the characters themselves, and to reveal details of the plot.

There are often little placement lines written in italics at the start of a section of text. These quickly allow the reader to know exactly when and where they are. For instance, “police plaza. Haven City. The Lower Elements.” This is useful to younger readers who may find it harder to work out where they are or keep track. More cleverly, it enables the writer to keep the text shorter by omitting such information from the main body of the text, which would have to be written in a longer style. It also helps to break the text into manageable chunks, easier to cope with for young readers.

I had not read any of the books about Artemis Fowl before, although I had certainly heard of them. They are clearly best selling children’s books for a reason. They are well written, have an original concept, and they are easy and entertaining to read. I hope to read more of these soon.

What I have learned so far;
· Fantasy worlds should have limits and rules just like our world.
· To use such rules and limits to inform/drive plot and characters.
· A characters history and background is important as it gives depth.

The Lost Throne

The Lost Throne (2008) Chris Kuzneski, Puffin Books
ISBN 978-0-141-03707-3

This is a crime thriller with an interesting historical twist. The book is fairly long, about 593 pages, and 76 chapters plus prologue and epilogue. Having said that, I wasn’t bored at any point, and the story is revealed through multiple narrative voices, necessitating that the book be split into key sections (chapters) to change voice. There are three main viewpoints in the book; the Interpol and Greek police investigation, the mercenaries and their associate characters, and finally, the Spartan warriors.

At this point I should probably explain that the book is set in modern times, but the crime is in a Greek Orthodox monastery, virtually untouched/closed off since medieval times. On top of this, there are continual links to historic relics and cultures, especially archaic Greece, and the ancient Spartan city-state. This is one of the reasons that the book appealed to me, as I spent three years studying ancient history and archaeology at university, a lot of it looking at Greece.

There is lots of research evident in this book, and it is the detail that makes it so successful. These details provide the clues to linking up what is happening, and solving the crime. The observance of these details is what enables some of the characters to survive the dramatic ending to the story. The text is quite graphic in places, and those details also form part of the clues. The graphic detail is necessary to explain links and conclusions, as well as reflecting the brutal nature of the Spartan warrior culture. This culture, and that of the orthodox monks are portrayed very well.

The pace of the story is also well thought out. There are plenty of ups and downs, as well as spurts of rapid action. These bursts of action get more and more frequent as you travel through the story. Events move on at a faster pace, and viewpoint or narrative voices switch more readily. This all works together to create a sense of urgency and tension for the dramatic conclusion of the novel.

I enjoyed this book because of the historical and cultural aspects to it. I thought that they were very well done. It is unusual for someone to write about the Spartan cultures in fiction. Most people stick to Athenian statesmen or artisans, or Macedonian leaders like Alexander the Great. I also found that the pace and the tension hooked me in, urging me on to complete the book. The questions it throws at readers made me very reluctant to put the book down, as I wanted to know what the answer was! I am one of those people who find it difficult to let go until I know WHY. In this book, that was of just as much importance as the who!

What I have learned so far;
· The importance of detail to a novel
· Effective use of details in a story
· An example of how to use pace to good advantage, and to create tension and questions with it.

A Test Of Truth, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

A Test Of Truth, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight (1988) Barrie Wade, Arnold-Wheaton ISBN: 0-560-09013-7

This is a very short book with many illustrations. It is a book that is aimed at enticing reluctant readers, and works very well. The story is not a new one, and there is even a version told by the notable J. R. Tolkein.

The story is based upon Sir Gawain, a knight in King Arthur’s kingdom. Gawain is the only night brave enough to challenge the Green Knight, knowing that it will probably cause his death. He does this to uphold the honour of Camelot. It is that honour, and his personal honour that has him not just agreeing to go to his death at the hands of the green knight a year later, but actively seek out his fate.

The book simplifies the story so that it is short in length without dummying it down. Challenging vocabulary is used such as “withered” and “gruesome”. This helps to extend readers vocabulary as well as making the story much more interesting. This effect is supported by the use of words related to the stories setting, such as “revelry”. Words and phrases are also repeated to aid readers in remembering them, although not so much as to turn the text into a story for a much younger child.

Almost every other page has a wonderfully detailed and colourful piece of artwork that is designed to illustrate what the text is describing. They successfully mix modern art and colours with those of the past, including some medieval motifs in the decoration. The images help the reader to understand and appreciate the story being told through the text. They add another layer of meaning to the words, and make the book so much more appealing to a reluctant reader. Teens who struggle to read will be attracted by the short length of the volume, and the amount of pictures in the book.

This story is a moral tale or parable. It demonstrates the value of honesty, keeping promises, and personal honour. It accomplishes all of this without preaching to readers. Understanding of these lessons comes from following the struggles and thoughts of the characters. This is the sign of a great tale, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

What I have learned;

· Writing can contain messages for readers, ie, life lessons and moral values.
· Tales can be re-told or adapted to suit different needs.

Ring-rise, Ring-set

Ring Rise, Ring Set (1982) Monica Hughes, Heinemann New Windmills
ISBN: 0 435 12305

This is another book aimed at teenagers that has a message within it. It deals with the issue of science verses nature, of western cultures dismissing older native cultures, and the sacrifice of the few to benefit the many. All of these issues are seen and weighed by a teenage girl named Liza.

The book is set after a natural disaster, and the world is at imminent risk of the next ice age. Scientists have less than five years to prevent the ice sheet overrunning the last human outposts. This disaster happened when a comet skimmed earth’s atmosphere, leaving some of its debris behind. This debris has coalesced into a cloud of dust and tektites (glass particles) that has settled around the equator. This ring blocks out 80% of the sun’s rays in winter, creating severe freezing temperatures. This time is called ring set. When the earth has rotated enough for summer, the ring appears to rise, and more of the sun’s rays filter through.

Liza is part of the western science community, who have survived by building an underground complex inside a hill, where they completely shut themselves off during ring set. These people are called Tecks. Liza was born there, and has not known any other way of life, except from educational materials. Men and women live separately, on different floors, and children do not live with their parents. All women do household jobs such as cooking, cleaning, etc, on a massive scale, rotating each month. They work together as a floor group. Men work on machinery, and go out on expeditions for science research. This is meant to be the best way of advancing scientific knowledge and conserving resources etc. Liza barely sees her parents, and doesn’t really know them.

In contrast, those who were not included in the science bunker have found a way to survive by living like the native tribes of Alaska and Canada. These people are called Ekoes by the Tecks. They depend upon the caribou to survive. They live in extended family groups, and all sleep in one central shelter. They spend time with their families, and children grow up knowing their parents well. The Ekoes think that the Tecks are spirit people, and are afraid of them and anything associated with them.

Liza is unhappy with her life in the hill, and she wants to go on an adventure outside in ring set. She thinks it is unfair that only men get to go out during winter, and stows away on an expedition sled. Finding herself alone with spare supplies in the middle of the ice sheet, Liza begins to regret leaving. She is found by an Ekoe named Namoonie, and taken back to his family. They think that she is a long lost daughter, cousin to Namoonie, and take her in. she spends the whole winter with them, and learns about their culture. Liza feels loved, feels like she belongs in a way that the artificial hill settlement cannot provide. Ekoes believe in Paija, a goddess of the earth. They have created myths and stories that explain the ring, and believe that Paija has put it there after she was tricked by a wolf. This is strange to Liza as the Tecks only believe in science.

Things come to a head when the Ekoes discover “black snow” that smells bad, and is killing the caribou. Liza knows that this must have something to do with the Tecks, and asks Namoonie to take her back to “the spirit people”. Once there she tackles the director, and tries to persuade him not to endanger the Ekoes by killing off their supply of food for the winter months. She is disappointed when all the Tecks agree to do is allow the Ekoes to live inside the hill, something that the Ekoes would never do. The black snow is a mould produced by the Tecks to hold back the ice sheet from spreading. The idea is that it may buy them enough time to create a space net that will deflect all of the matter in the ring, putting the planet’s weather back to rights, and saving mankind from extinction. Tecks look down on Ekoes, and think that they are the true custodians of earth’s culture and knowledge. I lover her reply, that summed up my attitude nicely;

“I’m not that thrilled with a civilisation that won’t count people like Namoonie and his family because they don’t wash too often or clip their toenails”

Whilst Liza can be naive, impetuous, and even irresponsible at times, this is often because she is a fifteen-year-old teenager. Liza does show plenty of learning and growing throughout the novel. I like the way that her character is used as a focus for all of the differing viewpoints, and that she challenges established views, and wants everyone to come up with a solution for all. She is unable to accept that Ekoes are the lesser culture just because they don’t know about science, or read and write. She is also unable to reconcile herself to the idea that the Ekoes, the few, should be sacrificed for the many, the Tecks.

The solution is never found before the end of the novel, but it ends with Liza’s final challenge. She refuses to go back to the hill, choosing to live with the Ekoes and marry Namoonie. Liza reminds the Tecks that they can’t forget about Ekoes while she is with them, and that if they cause harm to the Ekoes they will also be arming her, one of their own as well. It is a neat solution even though it is temporary, and leaves the reader still wondering if the ring ever gets deflected.

I think that this novel touches on very worthwhile issues, which are eve more relevant today than when the book was first written. This is especially so for environmental and cultural issues. I really liked the way a book for teenagers looked at other cultures with a positive light, and that equally, it wasn’t afraid of showing weaknesses in modern western societies. The fact that this is all viewed through the lens of a teenager’s eyes helps other teenagers to understand and think about the issues involved. I liked this book a lot, and it was clearly well thought out and planned. I wonder if this author has written any other books? They might well be worth a read!

What I have learned;

· Not to be afraid of highlighting cultural differences.
· Keep the viewpoint of the book to the main character, and remember to adapt it as that character learns and grows.
· Use real life research as a base but alter it slightly to fit your fictional story.

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley (1964) Jeff Brown, Mamouth

ISBN: 0-7497-0137-4

Stanley is a boy who lives with his brother Arthur, and his parents, Mr. And Mrs Lambchop. The premise of the tale is as follows; a huge and heavy notice board falls on Stanley as he is lying in his bed. This squashes him flat, and he is about as deep as a piece of paper. He remains this way, and even the doctor says that all they can do is monitor him. He mother gets his clothes altered by a tailor.

Rather than let this get him down, Stanley has fun seeing what he can now he is flat. He can go through the gap at the bottom of doorways, and rescues his mother’s ring from down a drain. His brother becomes quite jealous of these new abilities. At one point, Arthur even tries to make himself flat by piling heavy books on top of his chest. He is stopped by his parents and sent to bed.  They explain to Stanley that his younger brother is jealous, and ask him to be nice to Arthur. Stanley does this by volunteering to let Arthur fly him like a kite, so that he will be more popular!

Stanley becomes a hero when he poses as a painting in the art gallery to foil the plans of a gang of sneak thieves. He ends up with his name and picture in the paper, and he is very happy. After a while people stop giving him positive attention, and they point, stare, and laugh at the ‘flat boy’. Stanley becomes very unhappy, and it is Arthur, desperate to make up for leaving Stanley trapped in the tree, who saves the day. He blows Stanley up with a bike pump, and all is well.

Stanley’ parents also post him via airmail to his pen friend’s house in the school holidays. The hundreds of Flat Stanley projects in schools take up this theme, as does the international Flat Stanley Project based online. Pupils read the story, and they all create their own Flat Stanley on paper. The children are all encouraged to post their Stanley to friends and relatives around the world. People take their photograph with Stanley and send a written account back to the child along with the photograph. The website has many of these stories and pictures from across the globe. I first heard of this book when a friend of mine received a Flat Stanley from her niece in America.

Throughout the book there is reference to good manners, tolerance and respect. “Mr. And Mrs Lambchop were both very much in favour of politeness and careful speech”. This is an important message for children, and I think that it was done in a very sensitive and clever way. Making good manners something that is important to characters that are so appealing to children can only help to get the message across.

The message on page 58 is obvious and even a little trite, but it is aimed at children;

“Shame on them,” Mrs Lambchop said. “It is wrong to dislike people for their shapes. Or their religion, for that matter, or the colour of their skin.”

This book was written in America during the sixties, and that was a vitally important message. People were fighting for equality, and against discrimination. It is a little sad to say that some sections of society are still in need of that very same message.

The book is only short, but very engaging. The story is completely improbable, but so charming that I really did not mind. The popularity of the book worldwide would indicate that many share my view. It is a useful little book that schools have used to promote reading, but also manners, tolerance, and world awareness. I wish I had read this book when my children were smaller, as I would have done our own Flat Stanley project. Keep your eyes pealed for Stanley as he goes on his travels. He’ll be easy to spot, he’s the flat boy!


Find the official project at http://flatterworld.com/?nav=home

Out of The Shadows

WALLACE, JASON OUT OF SHADOWSAndersen Press (Ages 14+)
ISBN: 9781849390484

This story is set in the 1980’s as Robert Mugabe came to power in Zimbabwe. The conflict between white settlers and native Africans are apparent, as is the fear and violence of the country at that time. The conflict between the Shona tribe and the Matabele tribe is another source of racial tension within the novel. Matabele are in the minority, and Mugabe is Shona. Therefore the Matabele are very badly treated. There is also conflict between the British settlers and the Afrikaners, as well as between the schoolboys themselves.

There is institutionalised violence at the school, and that spills over into the boy’s every day life.  One boy even voices the fact that is ‘normal’ to be beaten by your father or older brother. Mugabe’s soldiers are seen at various intervals patrolling the area and shooting people. The police are also violent. The boys grow up with this outlook, and they are not shocked by the most savage things, and expect that poor black people who are Matabele will be maimed, raped, and even killed. Only Robert Jacklin, from whose perspective the story is told, realises how indoctrinated it all is, and how wrong. This is because he spent his early childhood in Britain and was therefore not as susceptible as the other boys. All through the book we hear his conscience, but even he spends part of the time carried away with the violent and prejudicial status quo. This is mostly due to good old-fashioned peer pressure, and an increasing sense of isolation as his father becomes a workaholic and his mother dies of alcoholism.

The story is a fascinating glimpse into the politics and culture of the area in a time of real change and struggle. It is also an insight into traditional public schooling, those supposedly superior places. Every page contains violence or offensive remarks directed atone character or another. It is certainly not for the squeamish to read. However, some teenagers are able to cope with the subject matter, and it is important that these lessons are not lost and forgotten, and that we remember what actually happened. The book is very evocative and the characters are so well drawn that as a reader I feel some sympathy for even the worst offenders. The reasons for a character’s behaviour are explained, and whilst not an excuse, they are certainly food for thought. It gives teenagers a chance to understand that every situation is made up of shades of grey, that there is no black and white. That statement is all the more appropriate given the novel’s subject matter.

All in all it is a good book with good aspirations. It is fiercely honest and therefore not for everyone. 6/10

What I have learned;

·        To represent both sides of any issue so that it gives the reader food for thought.

·        Use real life events to inspire writing.

The Death Defying Pepper Roux

McCAUGHREAN GERALDINE THE DEATH DEFYING PEPPER ROUXOxford Children's Books (Ages 10+)
ISBN: 9780192756022

This is an adventure story as seen through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy. Although he has been brought up to believe in his impending death, Pepper does not want to die. He is very aware of danger, and ways in which to die, but apart from that, he is very innocent of how the world works. The reader sees the world through Peppers eyes, complete with his wonder and confusion as he muddles through a series of increasingly surreal situations.

Pepper runs away from home on his birthday, trying to outrun his death. He has been told that he will die before he is fourteen, and his family believe it utterly. The first line of the book reads,

“On the morning of his fourteenth birthday, Pepper had been awake for fully two minutes before realizing it was the day he must die”.

During his travels, Pepper assumes different roles, characters, and even names. He becomes everything from a newspaper journalist to a salami sausage slicer, and even joins the foreign legion. Each time he moves on as someone is following him, who later turns out to be his only friend, Duchess.

Characters in the book are cartoon like, and fit with the perceptions of a child. The unlikely becomes every day, and the story bounces along at a swift rate of knots. A fellow reader described the book to me by saying, “it’s a good story but its bonkers”. This I can agree with wholeheartedly. I enjoyed reading it as a one off, but found it more like reading Baron Munchausen than anything else. I can see how the speed, humour, and adventure would appeal to young readers, and especially boys who may wish they were on an adventure like that. I can also appreciate that more crafted or well-rounded characters would not suit the story, and would indicate a more adult viewpoint than Pepper. There is skill and thought in this novel, but it is not one that I would usually read.

Bonkers, a fast paced tale with cartoon like characters. 5/10

What I have learned;

·        To think about the characters perspective and how they see the world

·        Unusual and quirky things can add humour

The Prisoner of The Inquisition

BRESLIN, THERESA PRISONER OF THE INQUISITIONDoubleday (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9781406310276

This is a dual narrative book that tells the story from two completely different perspectives. Firstly there is Zarita, a young woman from a privileged background, and secondly Saulo, from a desperately poor family. The perspectives only really come together at the end, during the dramatic conclusion. I won’t spoil it by giving details, but suffice to say that the two are forced to view things from the other’s perspective, and come to a mutual understanding.

The whole story is set against the backdrop of the Spanish inquisition, and it does not shy away from the grisly reality of that, although it is not overly graphic. Breslin is successful in getting across the fear and paranoia the inquisition brought about as well as a sense of helplessness. Along with the despair felt be those affected by the officers of the inquisition, is the despair of all those forced to watch the sentences being carried out. Citizens are prepared to do anything to get attention away from themselves, often informing on others. This book coveys all of this emotion and the reader becomes invested in the characters and the outcome.

There is a side plot about Christopher Columbus and his mission to prove that the world is round and not flat. He wants to prove that you can sail all around the world. He is labelled a blasphemer, and those with the knowledge he his after, commune in secret. The inquisition is a threat to these men. Saulo becomes good friends with Columbus, and learns a great deal from him. As Saulo learns about navigation and charts with Columbus, he grows and matures as a person.

Zarita also grows and matures as a person under the tutelage of her aunt, who has founded an order of nuns. This order is progressive for the times, and tolerant of others faiths. Nuns study educational texts from the east, and have learnt many things. The inquisition is appalled, and only the letter from Queen Isabella herself saves the nuns. 

I view the whole book as a metaphor for progress in the form of knowledge and tolerance. Columbus represents knowledge that the priests of the inquisition were inadvertently suppressing. Focusing on the narrow prescriptive world that they dictated would mean that many things would not be discovered, and knowledge would not be advanced. The priests feared that they would loose their place of power and control, and thus tried to stop this type of progress. Similarly, the nuns used their knowledge to aid others, and when forced to stop, those in desperate need were left without that help. Zarita causes hardship to Saulo, and the death of his father out of ignorance, and the way she has been taught to behave. She is later appalled by her own actions. Saulo is angry and desperate, and not looking beyond himself. When the two of them begin to talk and look at things through each others eyes, their relationship becomes positive, bringing friendship and even love.

In short, the inquisition represents narrow intolerant thinking, and this gets in the way of knowledge, trust, respect, tolerance, and genuine understanding. When the inquisition is winning, all these values suffer, halt, or disappear completely. When the characters are free to act outside of the inquisition’s influence, all these values abound, and progress is made. Negative outcomes are seen to arise from inquisition thinking, and positive outcomes from independent thought and action. At no point does Breslin indicate that being Catholic is bad, in fact the opposite is true. It is only the inquisition that engenders that negativity.

This book is very clever, and the setting of the story in such a troubled period in history gives the characters plenty of scope. Breslin has produced well-rounded characters that have human fears and foibles, making them all the more appealing. I wanted to find out what happened to these two young people, and I was swept away on the tide of their journey. I was hooked right from the prologue, a  short one page entry that has a woman being burnt at the stake. It is a very dramatic opening, and hooks the reader in. There is no way that I could put the book down and not find out what happened in the end.

Very enjoyable read, very clever book. 9/10 The one I would have picked as the winner (although I still haven’t read monsters of men, which did win)

What I have learned;

·        The importance of a good opening to hook the reader

·        That the setting can be used to develop character through the necessary things they go through.

·        Setting and backdrop should be directly relevant to the story, and not just there for effect.

The Bride's Farewell

ROSOFF, MEG THE BRIDE'S FAREWELL
Puffin (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9780141383934
The story starts on the morning of Pell Ridley’s wedding. Awake before the rest of her family, Pell creeps out of the house, collecting her horse as she flees. She has no real wish to marry and face a lifetime of hard work and constant child bearing. Before Pell gets away from the house she is stopped by her little brother who cannot speak, but makes it clear that he wants to go with her. Very reluctantly Pell agrees and they set off.
Set at the start of the industrial revolution, girls of that time were all expected to marry, look after a home, and raise a large number of children. Pell’s father is a farmer, but as he is also a gambler and a drunk, they never have enough money. Every thing from food to clothing is rationed, recycled, and kept to a minimum. Pell grows up seeing the poverty, but hearing even worse horror stories about conditions in the overcrowded cities of the industrial north. Desperate workers flock there in the hope of work, and many die from the conditions. Pell also sees her mother be constantly pregnant as father is fond of his marital rites. The frequent pregnancies, births, and hard physical work have taken a toll on her once beautiful and educated mother, who now has ill health and looks old beyond her time.
To Pell, this means that marriage is on a level with slavery, and to a wild spirited tomboy like her, it fill her with dread. Pell also has a gift for working with horses and is employed by a local horse breeder. Marriage would mean that she would have to relinquish the job, and the only joy and freedom that she has in her life. Pell is most concerned that she does not follow in her mother’s footsteps. It is the thought of this wedded drudgery that has Pell running away on the morning of her wedding, in search of a new and different future.
With no money, and nowhere to go, the twosome look for work, and find themselves at a horse fair. Finding temporary work, things start to look better for them, but then the trader leaves without giving them payment. Pell takes off after him, and the two become separated. Misfortune happens to both of them. During the rest of the book, Pell has to keep earning enough not to starve, and have somewhere to stay. She is looking for her brother, and never gives up on him. She even returns home to see if he was there, only to find out the house burned down, her parents are dead, and her siblings in the workhouse. Pell must find them and rescue them before they all die from the overwork and lack of food.
Between the cover and the title, I thought this book was a girlie tale of romance. Indeed, Pell does meet some during her exploits, and they end up together, but it is not a gushing romance. The story simply says “they lived as man and wife from then on”. The tale is much more about Pell’s struggles and her indomitable spirit throughout the novel. There is lots of good historical detail that adds colour to the story, allowing the reader to accurately pictures Pell’s surroundings as travels, and the people she meets. The novel could also be seen as a social comment on the role of women, and on how it is often children who pay the price when things go wrong. They often bear the brunt of the suffering. It is also important to remember that Pell is only fifteen or sixteen when all of this happens. She becomes sole caretaker of the family unit, and is responsible for feeding and clothing her sisters.
Pell’s small brother Bean chooses to live with the gypsy family that Pell meets on her travels. Neither Pell nor Bean find out that the gypsy mother is Bean’s real mother. Apart from adding colour and interest, the gypsy family are there to give us an important message; how you treat others will come back to haunt you. Pell’s father raped the gypsy woman, and left her pregnant. Her partner, and father of all her other children left her, thinking she had had an affair. The woman then handed over baby Bean to her attacker, and had to leave to try to eek out a living on her own, with her children in tow. All this comes back to bite Pell’s father on the bum so to speak, as he looses everything. Again the children suffer, being sent to the workhouse. They gypsy woman helps Pell and Bean. In short, what you dish out comes back two fold, so make sure you dish out good deeds.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and did not want to put it down. It is a mid to high ability read, but very easy to digest. I read it practically in one sitting. A character driven tale, 7/10
What I have learned;

· How threads of a story can keep intertwining and enhancing each other.

Good characterisation can drive a book

White Crow

WHITE CROW, Marcus Sedgwick, Orion (Ages 12+) ISBN: 9781842551875
White Crow is a modern gothic novel. It follows three narrative voices that each give a perspective to the story. The first is Rebecca, a teenage girl who has moved to Winterfold with her father after a tragic event. She is isolated and unable to effectively communicate with her father. She explores the village out of boredom, but what she is really looking for is a companion that she can bond with.
Rebecca then finds the strange and intriguing Ferelith, and a partnership starts to build, although Ferelith holds more of the cards than Rebecca does. Readers are left to wonder if this is a real friendship or a manipulation, a trap, or desperation. We learn most of the history of the village from interaction between the two girls, and from the third narrative, the parish rector, through his journal dated 1798. What happened at that time seems to have an impact on the modern age, and on Rebecca and Ferelith. As more of the book is read, we learn that the rector, along with a doctor who moved there from France, had been conducting experiments to find proof that there was life after death.
The idea of the book is that the reader is asked to think about life and death, and the possibility of an afterlife. The white crow of the title is a summation of this argument. There are no proven communications from an afterlife, and people require proof. All crows are black, because no-one has ever seen any that are not black. Until they see a crow that is not black, for instance, a white crow, everyone will continue to believe that all crows are black. In the same way, until there is proof of life after death, there will always be many who do not believe in it. This example is explained to the reader in the book.
The village of Winterfold is isolated and decaying. The sea is slowly swallowing it, with frequent landslides along the coast that will eventually lead to total destruction of the village. As part of this process, churches and graveyards are lost over the cliff edge bit by bit, revealing bodies, coffins, and artefacts as they go along. This provides suitably gothic detail, especially when we learn that Ferelith collects things from the exposed graves as souvenirs, including someone’s skull. The characters lives are slowly unravelling, producing secrets just like the ground is producing grave goods. All live are slowly rotting and decaying, piece by piece, heading towards our own personal destruction, death. This brings the quest for proof of the after life into focus again.
When I read this novel, I found switching the narrative voices irritating. It made the book appear choppy, a little too choppy for my personal taste. I later went back and re-read some of the text, and it was much easier the second time around, and I picked up on things that I had missed. My concern is that this would confuse children much more than it did me, and so make them unlikely to continue with the book, or re-visit it a second time. I talked to some colleagues who had also read the book, and they shared my concern. They also found the book choppy and stilted. One person I spoke to said that they did not get the book at all. Certainly, I have been putting off writing this review for at least two weeks, as I was unsure what to write. The question of proof of life after death is never fully dealt with, and of course, is never proven, even fictionally. There is a twist at the end of the story, but it failed to surprise me. I found the ending rushed, and I was unsatisfied at leaving the story there.
In conclusion, White Crow is a clever book that causes readers to think about important concepts such as life after death. It weaves narratives from different perspectives and timelines to piece together the story. However, in doing so it looses its flow, and becomes difficult to read. I found the initial reading of the book somewhat of a chore, but it is better a second time around. It is one of those books that grow with you, and that you take more from each time you read it. I can see that there has been careful thought given to how the book has been structured, but it just didn’t float my boat so to speak. The image, or indeed idea, of the white crow, is only dealt with briefly at the beginning and the end of the novel. In my opinion, more should have been made of it, especially given the title of the book.
Choppy, but carefully planned. Doesn’t deal with the question posed. 4/10
What I have learned;

· Be careful when using different narrative voices so as to avoid confusion, and not loose cohesion of the whole work.

· If imagery and concepts are central to the work, make sure that is reflected in the finished text, and not just in the title

Carnegie Challenge

Hi All,

As previously mentioned, I took up the challenge of reading and reviewing all of the six books on the Carnegie Medal shortlist. The Carnegie Medal is a literary prize given annually to an outstanding children’s book. Books are nominated, and then they are reduced to a shortlist of the six best by a panel of judges. This shortlist is then circulated to schools and libraries across the country, who then form shadowing groups. Shadowing groups consist of young people who read all the books on the shortlist, and participate in activities that link to the books, such as art and drama. They try and decide which book they think should win the prize, and sometimes groups will get together for a day of challenges, for example, an inter-school event.

The six shortlisted books are;
SEDGWICK, MARCUS WHITE CROW
Orion (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9781842551875
ROSOFF, MEG THE BRIDE'S FAREWELL
Puffin (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9780141383934
BRESLIN, THERESA PRISONER OF THE INQUISITION
Doubleday (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9781406310276
McCAUGHREAN GERALDINE THE DEATH DEFYING PEPPER ROUX
Oxford Children's Books (Ages 10+)
ISBN: 9780192756022
WALLACE, JASON OUT OF SHADOWS
Andersen Press (Ages 14+)
ISBN: 9781849390484
NESS, PATRICK MONSTERS OF MEN
Walker (Ages 14+)
ISBN: 9780385617031
I have now read five of the six, and I will start adding the reviews. I had hoped to have finished reading them all by now, but my university course and two sick children have meant that I have admitted defeat on that score. The official winner of the prize is now announced as MONSTERS OF MEN, Patrick Ness, Walker (Ages 14+) ISBN: 9780385617031. Ironically, this is the one book I have not yet read, although I have started it. I will continue to read and then review whilst I am in the process of adding the reviews of the other five. I’m going to blog them in the order that I read them.
If you want to find out more about the Carnegie Medal, you can visit http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/current_shortlist.php
Gail

a focus group reading of the first two chapters of Vandar

Vandar

A focus group reading of the first two chapters

I was fortunate enough to have a chance to trial one of my novels with a group of 26 teenagers, aged 12-13, in a school. I read them the first two chapters of Vandar, and gave then a table to record their views on. They did not know that I wrote the story.That was especially usefull as teenagers are very honest in their opinions of things. Here is a summary of what they thought.

Would you read more of this story? Thankfully most said they would like to read/hear more. Those who were maybe answers wanted to read the blurb before deciding. Those who did not want to read more indicated on their form that they did not like stories from that genre. The two maybe votes were from people who don’t normally read much.

If this was a book in the library, would you take it out? The yes vote was lower here, although I am told that has more to do with never taking out a library book. At least three people asked me if the book was in print, and where they could get it. A few more said they would decide after seeing the cover, and reading the blurb. That was how they chose books.

Did they correctly identify the target audience of 12/13 yrs to adult? Anyone selecting that age group was a yes vote. Lots of those who did not give correct answers, were actually within two years of the target age group. This means that I am mostly getting it right. As this was a set two, they read very well, and that may account for the results. The majority of those who missed the target bracket, chose 1-2 years earlier.

The teenagers were then asked to suggest genres for the story. At this point, they have not met any classic fantasy creatures or characters, and no magic has been used, so it was difficult to get the fantasy angle. However, some of them did! They had heard about a battle with some gory detail, and there had been a reasonably fast pace with action. They did not have an overview of the story, no ‘blurb’. They seem to have all realised I is set in a pre-industrial world.

The next question asked them to identify their favourite charter. The fact that they are fairly evenly split tells me that I have created my characters well, and that there is one for everyone.

All participants were also asked to give the book (well the first two chapters), a score out of ten. The lowest mark was six, but most people gave an eight. I was very flattered to receive three ten out of ten marks.

Below are some comments from the teens, and some observations gathered from the feedback forms.

· There was good characterisation. Most readers grasped the way the character thought, felt, and how they would act. A few noticed that they spoke in a particular way. Many said they would keep reading because they liked the character and wanted to know what happened to them next.

· Some commented on the use of foreshadowing, and they liked how they got Clues as to what may happen next.

· Most thought that the description was good, with lots of detail. One person said it helped them to create good mental images. However another said that it slowed the book down and could make it boring.

· Most of the participants liked the detail in the story when the village was sacked, but some said they found it gory.

· Almost all participants like the action. It was consistently brought up as the part of the story they liked best.

· Several people commented on how the language was old fashioned, and it suited the setting and story. As this was deliberate, I was very pleased!

· People said that they liked the way that the characters spoke to each other, and that having lots of dialogue made the story more interesting.

· They all agreed that the book could have the most marvellously written, prize winning story inside, but they would not choose it to read unless it had a good cover, and a blurb that hooked them in.

· Finally, some people wrote that they liked the challenging vocabulary that was used.

Writing sample

Hi all,

I have been showing some of my writing to people so that I can get feedback. I am interested in what people think, good, bad, or indifferent. I don't want my blog readers to be left out, so here is a sample paragraph or so. This text is from the Vandar book. Please feel free to leave comments for me. All comments welcome, as they will help to continue editing and refining the text, and to narrow down my precise market.

Here goes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The eight riders and their mounts headed east to the village of Casmet. It was about an hours ride by fast gallop, but once out of sight of the royal palace, Bellnar, the group slowed to a brisk trot while Pessan briefed Zeb on events so far. Zeb was having trouble with his ears. He must be hearing it wrong.

“Let me get this straight Pessan. I’m not sure I heard you right. We are to kill all the villagers, as well as burning the village?”

“Yes Zeb, that’s exactly right”

“It seams a tad excessive Sir. I’ve been ordered to do some unpleasant things before, but an unarmed village?”

“Ours is not to reason why. Kinkaid has given his orders. Do you want to tell him its excessive?”

“Of course not Sir. Wouldn’t dream of it. Nobody crosses Kinkaid’s orders”.

“Glad to hear you’ve found your brains again! Leave one villager alive to tell others of the consequences of refusing to pay Kinkaid’s taxes”.

“Yes Sir, it will be done”

They rode on in silence, quickening the pace to a canter when they reached the neatly ploughed farmers fields on the outskirts of Casmet. Children playing in the vacant field to the north of the village spotted the riders first. They looked excitedly as they drew closer, coming over the hill near the children’s favourite swing.

Comments please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gail

Killer Planet

Killer Planet (1989) Bob Shaw, Pan Macmillan’s Children’s Books

ISBN 0 330 31696 6

This is quite a short book, about an hours read. Again this book is set in the future, and it has a male teenage protagonist, although he has a female sidekick that is more than a match for him. Jan steals his father’s specially designed space rocket in order to reach the planet Verdia. He has to outrun the authorities, as Verdia is forbidden to all, and is nicknamed “the Killer Planet” as no one has made it off there alive. All technology fails on the planet, which has strange magnetic properties.

However, Jan is determined to reach the planet as his older brother was part of an expedition there, and all of those expeditionaries have been declared dead. Jan does not want to believe that his brother is dead, and neither does his father, who has specifically designed the space rocket for Verdia, to compensate for the magnetic anomalies. Petra, best friend of Jan decides that he will not succeed without her, and manages to get on the rocket with him.

They reach the planet, only to find out that they are the planet’s next intended victims. Using all their wits, strength and luck, they explore the planet, narrowly missing death several times, until they find the centre of the disturbance in the electrical field. An evil alien causes this disturbance, along with the death and destruction of the expeditionary force, and Jan and Petra have to thwart him to survive.

This is an old-fashioned adventure story, just set in the future with a space rocket and an evil alien. The story is fast paced, and there is plenty of interaction between characters to keep things lively. This helps to keep children interested in the story. Children tend to like the good verses evil, and the kids triumph over all type stories, and two teenage friends being “trapped by the malign forces of a monstrous alien” qualifies this novel as one of those stories. There is plenty of imagination, and detailed descriptions that bring the setting to life;

“Nothing could have prepared them for the actuality of the Verdian jungle. Trees, vines, giant flowers, thorny shrubs, mosses and waist-high grasses fought for every inch of space. So virulent was their growth that in some places the movement was discernable – the tendrils of climbing plants could be seen blindly probing for their grip on trees; carnivorous flowers closed with audible snaps as they engulfed their prey”.

Language is also used creatively in generating atmosphere, and clearly defining the mood of the story. Emotive language is placed within the description, and the effect is very clever indeed. In just a short few lines, the mood of the chapter is set, and readers are in no doubt as to the character of the mysterious alien;

“Several hundred meters away was a squat, windowless black tower – the stronghold of the inhuman fiend which had descended on Verdia centuries earlier. The force of evil and of hatred emanating from it was almost tangible, a silent assault on the mind which made all who encountered it want to cower away”.

I am a huge fan of the way Shaw writes. There are no waffly bits, no story lulls, and nothing is there just for the sake of a plot inconvenience. There are no spare parts in this story. Every line is carefully thought out, and the characters well rounded. There is plenty of dialogue between characters, and the show me don’t tell me adage has been well and truly applied here. I would love to read more stories from this author.

What I have learned;

• How to use emotive language in description to create vivid images

To be selective about content, and not to waffle

The Prince in waiting

Prince in Waiting (1970) John Christopher, Collins Educational

ISBN 0-00-330010-2

The story is told from the point of view of the central character, the protagonist, teenage Luke. As the story opens, he is about to turn thirteen, and he is concerned with typical teenage boy things, such as friends, fighting, and competition. Luke has been practicing with his sword ready for the big contest, and battle game where armies of boys are led by four captains against each other.

This book is set in feudal England, with a medieval level of technology. Each of the cities across England has their own Prince, who rules as an absolute monarch. There are no parliaments. However, The cities all have modern names. Each of these cities is competition with one another, and there is constant conflict and war between them all. It is expected of each Prince to lead his army out against a neighbouring city. Any perception of weakness will bring another city’s army to your door. All cities are therefore walled and fortified.

Machinery is outlawed, and perceived as evil. To mess with machines is thought to bring about ruin. The mythology of the society says that the machines brought about the great destruction. All buildings are made of wood, and characters express the idea that constructing large buildings out of stone or concrete is asking for trouble. They think that using machines, and building in anything other than wood, is arrogance leading to an individual’s, or a society’s downfall.

“Although no one would now be so foolish as to build in stone it was used in foundations, and from time to time men took loads from the ruins for this purpose”.

Along with this medieval style thinking, women are only allowed household duties, and must not have any occupation other than running a home. There are such things as “Polymufs” who are humans that have deformities. They are not classed as human, have very little rights, and must work as a servant to a human. Humans do not do manual work. Polymufs are really humans of course, and there is a veiled reference to polymufs occurring after the great destruction. This gives the idea that these people are suffering deformity due to radiation or chemical exposure of some kind. If a human has a polymuf baby they must give it away to be a servant. Animals that are born polymuf are killed. The segregation of human polymufs, and the slaughter of animal polymuff is the character’s way of containing the abnormalities. There are also Dwarves, again human really, just suffering from dwarfism. These too are treated as a separate race, and all dwarves are trained as craftsmen. No human works a forge etc, he employs a dwarf to do it for him.

All of the characters in the novel believe in “spirits” that guide them. These spirits are the spirits of the ancestors. Seers who are secretive, and wear white robes similar to priests interpret these spirits. When someone wants to ask the spirits something, a seer will consult the spirits for them, and pass on the answer. Magic is a part of this process, and adds to the spectacle created by the seers. Christians are mocked, and live in poor conditions alongside polymufs, who they consider equal to humans. The rest of the society sees this as laughable.

“When one thought of the Christians in the city, a handful of wretches living mostly by the north gate, so warped and degraded that they accepted polymufs as members of their sect and as equals”

Clues are slowly revealed that this is actually the future, and not the past. The first clue was the name of the cities, and the second some writing on a piece of wood.

“The section of wood in which the bar was fixed was a piece salvaged from olden time. There had been letters painted on it once and though the paint had long worn away one could see, when the sun shone brightly, the outlines of the words that had been written there. I had traced them one day, with difficulty. RADIO & TV DEAL, the message ran. A wasted labour, to find something that meant nothing”.

I like the way this passage reveals something in a casual manor, using an unimportant object. This really made me want to work out what was happening, and helped to get me on the lookout for further clues as to what was going on. This is really useful for getting people to read your entire story, and it makes things more interesting if you find out little bits at a time.

There are many subtle layers within this book, and the fortunes of the characters flip and change throughout the novel. There are many twists and turns. Even the secret sect of the seers that publicly eschews all machines, and communes with spirits, is revealed to be the power behind all things, manipulating events. Behind close doors, they admit to being frauds, using tricks to make it look like there are spirits, and even using machines. Just when you think the Prince in waiting has lost his chance of becoming a Prince, he is offered the chance to become more than that, the prince of princes, a leader for united England.

That is where the story ends, and we never know if Luke will unite everyone, if he learns about all of the machines, etc. I feel as if there is another book in there somewhere. I seam to remember Scheherazade saying to the sultan in Arabian nights that all the best storytellers ended on cliffhanger. How else are you to keep people interested in your work? Well I was definitely interested in reading more.

What I have learned;

• That information can be eked out throughout the book
• This information can be revealed casually, and does not always need to be a big announcement
• Many changes in circumstances for main characters keep the reader interested

Ending on a cliff-hanger, or indicating that there may be more to the story will keep readers interested in further books written by that author

gmt write's blog: Progress

Hi all,

I have had several people from different backgrounds and differing ages review the first chapter of my Vandar novel. I am very encouraged so far by the response, and I have started to draft the second chapter. I am going to redraft the first chapter, and then I will look at the fist two chapters together, or maybe write a third, and then have the three reviewed?

Vandar is the book I began years ago, but had to place on one side due to circumstances beyond my control. As regular readers will know, I recently rediscovered this novel in progress, and developed new enthusiasm for it. I have expanded on the plan for the novel, fleshing out details, adding minor characters, and so on. I ave developed a map of Vandar, that is aiding in the creative process. I have also thought quite a bit about the way I want the novel to be written, the style of the prose. As with any novel, it is a constantly evolving entity, but I am sure that the bare bones are complete and I am busily adding the flesh.

The other book I am writing, the first one many of you heard about, is called The Gift. I am still working on this novel, and I have had some intriguing ideas that open up a world of possibility for connecting story lines and characters. It has been suggested to me that this novel would find it hard to encompass all of these ideas into one book, but that all the ideas are interesting, and people continue to ask for more details etc. therefore, it has been suggested that the book turns into a series, like the Harry Potter books, or the Percy Jackson books. I am thinking about this concept at the moment.

I have also embarked on the challenge of reading and reviewing all six of the shortlisted Carnegie books. The Carnegie Medal is an award for children's writers. It is very prestigious, and is open nation wide. Six books have made it onto the shortlist. The winner will be announced mid June. I am now on book four of the list, having read the first three. When I have read them all I will start to add my reviews, and I will score them all, indicating which novel I think should receive the prize. The challenge is getting it done before the real announcement!

Gail xxx

What I am up to at the moment

Hi all,

I have recently found a book that I was working on before I went to university. I have developed new enthusiasm for this book, and I might continue to work on it alongside my current project. As I have not done anything with it for such a long time, it will probably need a deal of work on it. I will be sharing chapter one with a few lucky people, who will then give me a range of opinions to help me move on with it.

I have at least ten books to blog about, and I am behind in that. I have got notes ready to type for three of them, and they will appear over the next week or so. I have placed a file on the website labeled "books read so far" for anyone who wants to see what I will be blogging about. The website is on Google sites, under gmt write.

I have not forgotten my current novel either. I have done some research into string theory, but now I am looking at crystals and semi precious stones. If anyone can recommend any sources of information, I would be grateful.

Hope to blog again soon,

Gail