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Ardrossan Book Group Page
April 2006 - March 2007
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Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 25 October 2007
"Underworld" by Catherine MacPhail
A hit! This novel appealed to all of the youngsters. The
characters were interesting, the storyline strong, and the touch of mystery
kept everyone interested.
Two new members joined the group. Please see the details
below if you would like to join, too.
Next month’s book is "I Am a Cloud, I Can Blow Anywhere"
by Jonathan and Shirely Tulloch. This was chosen because the theme for the
Storytelling Festival this month is Africa, in which the story is set.
Read Ryan's review:
Adventure
Story
Main characters: Zesh, Liam, Angie and Axel
What happens in the story: Five kids are trapped in a
cave and there is a massive legend of a great worm in the cave.
Favourite part of story: The Chase
Was the ending what you expected?: No
Three Stars
From Amazon website:
"The only difference
between fear and courage is hope. This is a fresh and powerful story about
one girl's strength of character and her journey of hope. Mulumbe's village
is plagued by marauders, and then an elephant eats the last of her family's
crop. She determines to save her family, and embarks on an adventure fraught
with danger: travelling to the famed City of Gold to be reunited with her
brother, Tom, and save her family by earning some money. Grandmother tells
her many riddles and it is these life lessons that carry her through the
obstacles and dangers she encounters: 'Mulumbe, the river of our ancestors
flows most strongly through you. Girl, remember your riddle, real strength
is found in those who might be thought to be weak.' This story is in part
the Africa we know from TV: famine, unrest and refugee camps. But, it also
encapsulates the strength of family and hope, and wonderfully portrays the
landscape and animals: elephants, hyenas, hares, Mumbo snakes and honey
birds."
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294
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Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 23 August 2007
 "Vampirates:
Demons of the Ocean" by Justin Somper
A hit! This novel appealed to the youngsters as it was a
"great adventure story". With strong characters, great descriptions and a
good storyline, everyone had been keen to keep reading to the end. The only
criticism was that the book was set in the future, but there appeared to be
no technological progress by the 26th century – perhaps further titles
in the series will develop this aspect.
Next month’s book is "The Flight of the Silver Turtle" by
John Fardell. This is one of the books on the BRAW Awards shortlist:
http://www.braw.org.uk/RoyalMailAwards/2007/Shortlist/tabid/361/Default.aspx
From Amazon website:
 "Sam
and Marcia are back in Edinburgh with Zara, Ben and Professor Ampersand. The
friends are helping to build an amazing electric-powered flying boat when
they stumble across an old photograph - a clue that leads them on to the
trail of a long-lost secret invention that could change the world. But a
shadowy organisation is also after the invention. Soon the children are
caught up in a perilous struggle that will take them through dimly-lit
museum galleries, up into the skies above Europe, down to the murky depths
of Lake Geneva, and into the heart of a fortified Swiss castle. This is a
breathtaking adventure of encrypted messages, aerial chases and astonishing
secrets from the author of "The 7 Professors Of The Far North".
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206
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Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 14 June 2007
"The White Rider" by Chris Priestly
This was a hit with the youngsters as it is an exciting
adventure story with a Scottish connection. They liked they main character,
Tom, and admired his courage and the choices he made in his life.
A review of the novel was chosen by one member for their
English studies, and another was even inspired to research information on
the internet.
The members have chosen "Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean"
by Justin Somper which will discuss at our next meeting.
From Amazon website:
Conor and Grace are twins, recently orphaned after their
widowed father's death. Rather than being adopted by the town's busy-bodies,
they decide to set sail for new pastures in their father's last single
possession, his sailing boat. But a vicious storm sees their boat capsize
and the twins are separated. Two mysterious ships sail to their rescue -
each picking up one twin before disappearing into the mist. Conor wakes to
find himself on a pirate ship and is soon being trained up with a cutlass.
Meanwhile Grace finds herself locked in a darkened room, as the vampirates
wait for night to fall and their feasting to begin...Determined to find each
other, yet intrigued by their new shipmates, the twins are about to embark
on the biggest adventure of their life...
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne Noble at the
Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206
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Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 17 May 2007
"Chill" by Alex Nye
"Atmospheric" was the word we chose to describe the
opening of Alex Nye’s novel. Young Samuel is alone in the old house on the
moor and the story soon promises to be steeped in history, adventure and the
possibility of a ghost…
The historical background is the Battle of Sherrifmuir,
and the youngsters looked at a map showing the location of the battle, then
some photographs of the area. Finally, we read some of the creative work
inspired by the event in 1715 – poems by Robert Burns, James Hogg and
William McGonagall.
Chill -
Book group questions from Braw website.
Robert Burns poem -
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1189649
James Hogg poem -
http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/sheriffmur.html
William McGonagall poem -
http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/poems/pgsheriff.htm
The Sherrifmuir Stones (just to get an idea of what the area looks like) -
http://www.brand-dd.com/stones/other/sherrifmuir.html Map linked at foot
of page
Next time...
From a collection of eight Reading Group books, the
members have chosen "The White Rider" by Chris Priestly which will discuss
at our next meeting.
From Amazon website:
It is London, 1716. The streets are full of spies and
buzzing with intrigue. Jacobite rebels are being rounded up and hanged at
Tower Hill, and on the outskirts of London the roads are haunted by a
mysterious Highwayman known only as The White Rider; a robber so fierce that
he kills his victims simply by pointing at them! Tom Marlowe, caught in the
fascinating heart of events, is resolved to get to the bottom of them. With
the help of his mentor, Dr Harker, Tom is determined to discover who is
behind the White Rider's gruesome mask. But Dr Harker seems to be keeping
secrets of his own. Who is the mysterious stranger with the Scottish accent
seen at Harker's house, and why does the Doctor lie when questioned about
him? Highly atmospheric, with a gripping plot this historical adventure will
fascinate and engage readers.
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206.
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Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 19 April 2007
"Beauty" by Robin McKinley
As
this was an occasion when the group consisted of male members only then the
unanimous verdict of "Definitely a girl’s book!" came as no surprise. Not
only was the main character a girl, but the story was seen to be obscured by
the amount of description and the ending too contrived, sweet and
unrealistic. It will be interesting to attend the next meeting and hear what
the girls thought of it.
We also discussed the Robert Muchamore series which was a great hit with the
youngsters (both boys and girls!) in February and they were eagerly
anticipating the next one in the series – "Man Versus Beast".
Group members were told about North Ayrshire Libraries’ decision to take
part in the Red House book awards this year, and were asked to tell us about
any books they particularly enjoy and would like to nominate for the award.
All nominated titles must be published in 2007.
Next month’s book is "Chill" by Alex Nye.
From Floris Books website:
"He stared up at the dark mass of the house.
Then he thought he saw movement in the library window to the right of the
drawing room. A shadow moving, backwards and forwards ... then it was gone."
Samuel is trapped by huge snow drifts in an old, remote house. And that’s
not the only thing causing a cold shiver to creep down his spine. He feels
like the ghostly figure in the locked library has a message . . . but who is
it for?
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206.
Ardrossan
Junior Reading Group 8
March 2007
“Lee and the Consul Mutants” by Keith
Charters
Five members of the Ardrossan Junior
Reading Group met to discuss Keith Charters’ novel “Lee and the Consul
Mutants”. One of the reasons for selecting this book was that the
Ardrossan and Saltcoats members will have the opportunity of meeting author
Keith Charters at Ardrossan Library in two weeks’ time. Although not
all of the members had managed to read the book, there was an interesting
discussion about some of the situations which Lee had found himself in, for
example, when he is rushed to hospital, which prompted the youngsters to
talk about such experiences of their own.
In preparation for Keith’s visit the
youngsters then wrote a brief description of their views of the book group
and of the types of novels they would write if they were authors.
Finally, there was an opportunity to
write reviews of various books for
Booksp@ce.
The next book is “Beauty” by Robin
McKinley.
Synopsis from Amazon:
When the family business collapses, Beauty and her
two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the
countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive
and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one
daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen
again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story
of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries. This is another
spellbinding and emotional tale embroidered around a fairytale from Robin
McKinley, an award-winning American author.
If you would like to join the group,
please contact Anne Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294
219206.
Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 8 February 2007
"The Killing" by Robert Muchamore
A hit! This month’s novel was enjoyed by
the Ardrossan members. "It goes straight into the action" commented Rebecca.
"I like books which don’t start with pages and pages of description" said
Ryan. Everyone thought that it was an exciting adventure story with
colourful characters. Two members were so keen that they each borrowed
The youngsters wrote reviews of various
books for
Booksp@ce and then explored
the Cherub website. (If youngsters want to join the Cherub club they must
have permission from their parents/guardians).
The next book is "Lee and the Consul
Mutants" by Keith Charters. We will meet on 8 March to discuss the book. A
couple of weeks after this, the Ardrossan and Saltcoats members are
fortunate to have the opportunity of meeting author Keith Charters at
Ardrossan Library. Letters will be sent to members by the Children’s
Librarian.
Review from Amazon:
Packed with jokes, of both the sly and custard pie
varieties, this book introduces us to a typical yet extraordinary
ten-year-old boy, with beautifully paced narration and crackling, genuine
dialogue. The book is bang up-to-date with its cultural and technological
references, but at the same time there is something wonderfully traditional
about the story: a young boy and his friends fighting against the mysteries
of the adult world.
And hey, at the end of it all, it's just very, very funny.
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 21920
Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 7 December 2006
"Operation Red Jericho" by Joshua Mowll
Four members of the
Ardrossan Group attended the December meeting. Unfortunately not everyone
had been able to finish this month’s novel, but there was a discussion about
the fact that this is an adventure story with a difference as there is so
much to be learned without the reader realising. For example, the details of
nautical life and about pirates in the east.
The youngsters wrote reviews of various
books for Booksp@ce and
then had fun looking at the Christmas web links on the ERS website.
The next book is "The Killing" by Robert
Muchamore.
Details from Amazon:
"This was a great book, I couldn't put it
down. Good read for any teenager. Can't wait for the next book to come out."
If you would like to join the group, please
contact Anne Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294
219206.
Ardrossan Junior Reading Group 9 November 2006
"The Whispering Road" by Livi Michael
Due to the holiday,
there were only four young people at the Ardrossan Book Group this month.
Those who attended the meeting did not like "The Whispering Road" at all.
"Boring" was the word which summed it up for them.
Certainly, it was quite a challenging book
which included various complex issues such as poverty and responsibility,
and the historical context may not have helped.
However, we did move on to discuss other
books which the youngsters are reading including "Jane Eyre", "Mrs. Frisby
and the Rats of NIMH", "Room 13" and "At the Sign of the Sugared Plum".
At the end of the discussion members
accessed the library’s computers to send their book reviews to
BookSp@ce.
Next month’s book is "Operation Red Jericho" by Joshua
Mowll.
Review from Amazon:
"First
in a groundbreaking trilogy, this is no ordinary tale, no ordinary book.
Shanghai, 1920. While on board the "Expedient", Doug and Becca MacKenzie
stumble across an amazing secret. What unfolds is a story of two young
people caught up in an astonishing adventure and a story of an ancient order
created to protect the world from evil...Using a remarkable archive of
documents, the extraordinary events that took place over 85 years ago have
been painstakingly reconstructed for the very first time… this fiction
adventure comes from a startling new talent."
5 October 2006
"Framed"
by
Frank Cottrell Boyce
A hit! All five group
members who attended the meeting thought that "Framed" was a great book. "It
was funny" and "I liked reading a book about cars" were two of the comments.
The inclusion of the diary section at the beginning of each chapter really
appealed to them all. Rebecca wrote a review of the book for her school’s
Reading for Gold scheme.
For more information
check out these websites below:
Guardian Unlimited Books | By genre | Review: Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Telegraph | Arts | A writer's life: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Children's book of the week - Sunday Times - Times Online
PBC Extracts - Framed
Author Profile
BBC - North West Wales Blaenau Ffestiniog - Manod Quarry
NG
London/The Gallery During the Second World War/Storage of Paintings at Manod
Saving Britain's Art Treasures
The author Frank Cottrell Boyce is best
known for the highly acclaimed story "Millions", which has been adapted for
film.
At the end of the discussion members
accessed the library’s computers to send their book reviews to
BookSp@ce.
Next month’s book is "The Whispering Road" by Livi
Michael.
Review from Amazon: "A
moving and powerful story about brother and sister, Joe and Annie, who flee
from a pitiful existence as servants. They embark on a tough and perilous
journey to Manchester in search of their mother who was forced to leave them
at the workhouse when they were very young. Their future is tainted by the
horrors of their past and as Annie is increasingly troubled by spirits, Joe
is forced to make a tough decision."
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206
17 August 2006
"Inkheart"
by
Cornelia Funke
Send in your review
The novel
"Inkheart" was not enjoyed by any of the members of the Ardrossan Group.
This book, by German author Cornelia Funke,
has attracted a great deal of attention, particularly as there are many
references to characters from well-known books, alongside quotations, but
this was not enough to encourage the members to finish the novel.
The youngsters did not like the style, and
thought that it could have been written in a clearer, less "heavy" way.
There was little interest in the second
part of the trilogy ("Inkspell") but some of them said that they would be
keen to see the film version which is due for release in 2007.
At the end of the discussion members
accessed the library’s computers to send their book reviews to
BookSp@ce.
Check out more books by the same author on North
Ayrshire's Library Catalogue
Next month’s book is "Shadowmancer" by G.P. Taylor, which
has received various reviews, such as this one on Amazon: "Written to
include such elements as magic, witchcraft, superstition, sorcery, history,
folklore and smuggling, Shadowmancer has become a book that simply cannot be
ignored. Despite such fierce competition as JK Rowling's mighty bestseller
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Reverend Graham Taylor's
debut children's novel has nevertheless garnered impressive media coverage."
If you would like to join the group, please contact Anne
Noble at the Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206
22 June 2006
"Whispering to Witches"
by
Anna Dale
Send in your review
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"Whispering
to Witches" was a hit with Ardrossan Junior Reading Group. This first
novel by author Anna Dale had all the necessary ingredients for a novel
which pleased the members – both a girl and a boy as main characters,
adventure, magic, a plot which was easy to follow, great descriptions and
fresh ideas. The youngsters liked the fact that there was no "unnecessary"
details, i.e. not too much description to lessen the pace of the story.
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We discussed other books with the theme
of witches, including the classic "The Witches" by Roald Dahl and "The
Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy.
Check out more books by the same author on North
Ayrshire's Library Catalogue
If you would like to
join the group, please contact Anne Noble at the Education Resource Service,
Tel: 01294 219206
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Type of story:
Adventure, Fantasy |
Main Characters:
Joe, Twiggy, Ezme, Mum, Gordan, Joe Dad |
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What happens in the story |
Joe and Twiggy save the world of witches. |
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What was your favourite part of the story: |
Joe riding the broomstick. |
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Was the ending what you expected? Why? |
Yes, because they saved the
world |
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Loved Book |
Ardrossan
Library |
Reviewed by: Ryan, St
Peter's PS |
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18 May 2006
"Not the End of the World" by
Geraldine McCaughrean
Send in your review
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"Not the End of the
World" is a very challenging book for young people (and for adults!). The
Ardrossa n
youngsters showed great maturity by attempting to read it, and both Daniels
had succeeded in completing it.
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The novel is a retelling of the story of
The Flood, only it is from the perspective of Timna, Noah’s daughter. It
describes the noise and smells of the Ark; the suffering of those who
died; and the the difficulties of having to follow the rule of Noah and
his two eldest sons who are obsessed with the idea of being God’s chosen
family and therefore determined not to let anyone else on board the ship.
The concepts are challenging, and the author poses many questions to the
reader.
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Comments included "Difficult words and
phrases", "It jumped about" and "The descriptions were good". Both Daniels
and Ryan "quite" liked it. Daniel H. said that he liked a challenge. It
had been chosen with Rebecca in mind as she has not enjoyed many of the
books and wanted a story with a strong female character. Unfortunately,
Rebecca did not enjoy it.
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Some of the group members described
situations in which they had had the courage to think and act for
themselves and not follow everyone else’s actions.
Check out more books by the same author on North
Ayrshire's Library Catalogue
"A short holiday
with his mother turns out very differently for Joe than he could have
imagined when he left home. Soon he is embroiled in a world of witchcraft, a
world where the kind and innocent witches of Britain are facing a wicked
foe. Can Joe and his young friend Twiggy put an end to the cunning plot, or
will they, like their witchy friends, find the baffling mystery too hard to
solve?"
If
you would like to join the group, please contact Anne Noble at the
Education Resource Service, Tel: 01294 219206 |
| 20 April 2006
"The
Invisible Friend" by
Louise Arnold
Send in your review
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“The Invisible Friend” received a mixed
reception form Ardrossan Junior Book Group. Daniel G. had enjoyed
reading it, Ryan thought it was “not my kind of book”, Daniel H. said it
was “very good”, and Susannah had not finished reading it. The
Invisible Friend of the title is Grey Arthur, a ghost who befriends Tom, a
lonely boy attending a new school, with both amusing and worrying results.
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This first novel by
author Louise Arnold encouraged a great deal of debate, and we concluded
that the descriptions of school life were very accurate – some of the
youngsters had experienced bullying, and others related experiences where
new pupils had joined their school only to leave again because they were
bullied. Daniel G. described how he had acted as an appointed buddy
to new pupils and we all agreed this was a good idea.
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The novel also started a
discussion on the dangers of meeting people via the Internet and we talked
about the search engines listed in North Ayrshire’s “Book
Sp@ce”, which help with safe surfing.
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Staff supplied lists of
books with a ghostly theme, and the youngsters were able to select titles
from the library, which led to an impromptu poetry recital!
Read excerpts here from
CBBC Newsround
Check out more books by the same author on North
Ayrshire's Library Catalogue
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Next month’s book is
“Not the End of the World” by Geraldine McCaughrean, which has prompted
various remarks, e.g. “This is a book that stays with you forever… a
gripping, cliffhanging story…thought provoking, heartbreaking, brilliant…”
If you would like to
join the group, please contact Anne Noble at the Education Resource Service,
Tel: 01294 219206 |
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Robert Swindells |
Room 13 |
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Type of story:
Fantasy, Friends, Ghost, Mystery |
Main Characters: Fliss, Lisa, Ellie-May, Gary and David |
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What happens in the story |
|
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What was your favourite part of the story: |
When they are on the coach going to Whitby and Lisa got into
trouble for going shopping at a toilet when she was told not to and she is late
getting back on the coach and Mr Hepworth took the torch from her. |
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Was the ending what you expected? Why? |
No not really |
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Loved Book |
Ardrossan
Library |
Reviewed
by Jade |
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Langrish, Katherine |
Troll Fell |
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Type of story:
Adventure, Fantasy,
Friends |
Main Characters:
Peer, Hilde, Uncle Balder, Uncle Grim, Nis, Loki, Gudrun,
Eric, Sidrid |
|
What happens in the story |
At
the funeral of Peer's father his uncle Balder who he has never met before turns
up and tells Peer that he has to come and live with him and hios twin brother
Grim in Troll Mill. Hilde who lives in Troll village becomes friends with Peer
but their friendship is tested to the limit when uncle Blader and uncle Grim
make bery cruel and nasty arangements with the troll king aka the gaffer. They
need to come up with a plan before it's too late. |
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What was your favourite part of the story: |
All of it. |
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Was the ending what you expected? Why? |
No completely different |
|
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Loved Book |
Ardrossan
Library |
Reviewed by: Jade & Rebecca,
St Andrew's Academy |
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