Runner by Robert Newton
Runner was chosen by another literature group circle. It is set in Richmond around 1919, and I would love the group to comment on the setting and how it shapes the novel and characters.
Archive for the ‘literature circles’
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
Mao’s Last Dancer was a popular choice for literature circles. Did this tale inspire you?
Ms Chrisfield
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
I know a number of students have read Across the Nightingale Floor and would love some feedback on whether this novel worked in your literature circle and whether you are keen to read the other novels in the series.
Ms Chrisfield
Alive by Piers Paul Read
Have you ever experienced a plane crash? No? Then dude, you have to read this book! No I’m serious; you really have to read it.
It is about a plane crash in the Andes and the survivors are faced with some tough choices. It’s a survival story of great courage and perseverance. The characters show great heroism while trying to find a way out of the treacherous Andes. They delight themselves on small pleasures, such as a cigarette. The characters have many disagreements but their amazing will to survive bands them together. When a lack of food becomes a reality, they have to eat the flesh of their dead companions. YUCK!!!! Many Leaders emerge throughout the story and you do have favourites. When a lifesaving treasure is found (the tail of the plane) it gives them new hope to get out of their ice prison. Leaders are chosen, and they are given more flesh to eat to give them energy. One thing that alarms me in the book is that one of them eats the genitals DOUBLE YUCK!!!!! All their hopes rest on the survival of their hikers. This is an amazing story that will have you captivated, so look forward to some quiet time and get reading!!
Review by Alexander
The Other Facts of Life by Morris Gleitzman
Nothing makes sense these days. Especially Morris Gleitzman’s The Other Facts of Life. At one point in the story I was so confused I didn’t know which way was up or down, and whether it rained donuts or frogs. This story contained chicken coops, nuclear destruction, pork chops, and a little boy with a bald head, and I can’t seem to find any sort of connection between these things, not even the slightest similarity. It was not enjoyable reading this book at all. Although it had a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, the plot was not enjoyable or in any way enticing. Another problem with the book is the inclusion of absolutely random ideas and sentences that were unnecessary and did not add to the book in any way except for making it even more confusing. I give this book a total score of 4 out of 10. I do not recommend it to anyone unless you like not knowing what’s happening and why it’s happening.
Review by Jake
The Runner by Robert Newton
The book The Runner is set in the early 1900’s in Melbourne, Victoria. Eastern Melbourne is the location; therefore it varies from modern day Richmond, Camberwell, Kew, Fitzroy and Hawthorn. It is told from the perspective of a teenage boy Charlie Feehan. When Charlie was a young Boy his father passed away. Now Charlie Feehan lives with his mother and his younger brother Jack. He lives in the poor area of Richmond and his mother is just managing to afford school fee’s to allow Charlie to attend school. The family is not receiving any money and life is getting hard until Charlie, without his mother’s consent, begins to work for Squizzy Taylor, a notorious and dangerous gangster.
Each morning Charlie would leave on his normal way to school, well that’s as much as his mother knew. Although what he was really doing each morning was heading down to Number Eighteen Darlington Parade, the residence of Squizzy Taylor and he would run errands for him until the end of normal school time. Charlie begins to get anxious and nervous that his Mum and teachers may begin to suspect something because of the numerous days of being absent from school and also because of the extensive money Charlie was bringing home. Squizzy assures Charlie that he will fix that for him. At first, the job’s a thrill – running with messages, illegal liquor, whatever Squizzy orders. It fills Charlie with power. But then comes the not-so-impressing parts of the job. Collecting Squizzy’s debts. Dodging Squizzy’s enemies. The very real dangers of the streets. And at some point Charlie has to ask himself– how long before running for a better life means cutting his life short? Read on to reveal the rest of the story.
Review by Jack
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a book different to any I have ever read. It is so unique because it is written in the eyes of a teenage boy, Christopher. But Christopher isn’t an ordinary boy – he suffers from a form of autism called Asperger Syndrome which makes his telling of the story exciting, funny and sometimes weird. Just like his habit of fasting and not talking to anyone if he sees 5 yellow cars in a row on the way to school. Christopher lives with his father who cares for him and attends to all his needs. As Christopher doesn’t really understand people (jokes, emotions) his best friend is a nice, caring teacher who gives him advice whenever needed.
The plot of this story begins when Christopher finds his neighbour’s dog dead on his neighbour’s lawn. He feels he needs to investigate, so he starts asking everyone in his street if they had seen anything suspicious. He finds some clues, which unexpectedly lead him to a much bigger mystery involving his broken family.
This book is in the teenage fiction/humour genre, but I think that it would be a great read for anyone over the age of 11. I would give this book a rating of 7.5 out of 10, because occasionally the story goes a bit off track.
Mark Haddon has created a classic and it is not to be missed.
Review by Tom
Once
‘Once’ by Morris Gleitzman touched my heart. It allowed me to empathise with the main character Felix. I really enjoyed it since it was interesting and suspenseful as Felix goes through lots of troubles trying to find his parents. Some themes included in this books are freedom and tolerance – that’s what I like about this book. I also like this book because it is set in World War II, where everyone is either at war or enslaved.
On his journey, Felix meets a person called Barney who is kind and thoughtful. Barney is my favourite character as he ensures Felix’s safety when he is in danger. He is the type of person I would like to make friends with as he has a fantastic and caring personality. My favourite part of the book is when Barney and Felix are helping a Nazi – Barney giving dental surgery and Felix telling stories, ‘soothing’ the Nazi’s pain. It makes the setting seem ‘homey’. It brings a sense of warmth and luminosity. The part afterwards where the Nazi thanks Felix is very emotional as it shows a connection between them even though they are of different religions and are enemies.
I really liked this book and I recommend it to anyone who is mature enough to understand what it means deep inside – where strong and emotional themes are displayed. Because this book is fabulous, I would also like to read the newly published ‘Then’ – a sequel to ‘Once’. It may further explain what happens to Felix and Zelda after they escape.
Review by LQ
Alive by Piers Paul Read
Have you ever experienced a plane crash? No? Then dude, you have to read this book! No I’m serious; you really have to read it.
Alive is about a plane crash in the Andes and the survivors are faced with tough choices. It’s a survival story of great courage and perseverance. The characters show great heroism while trying to find a way out of the treacherous Andes. They delight themselves in small pleasures, such as a cigarette. The characters have many disagreements but their amazing will to survive bands them together. When a lack of food becomes a reality, they have to eat the flesh of their dead companions. YUCK!!!! Many Leaders emerge throughout the story and you do have favourites. When a lifesaving treasure is found (the tail of the plane) it gives them new hope to get out of their ice prison. Leaders are chosen, and they are given more flesh to eat to give them energy. One thing that alarms me in the book is that one of them eats the genitals DOUBLE YUCK!!!!! All their hopes rest on the survival of their hikers. This is an amazing story that will have you captivated so look forward to some quiet time and get reading!!
Review by Alexander
