Wednesday 28 February 2018

Booktuber of the month



Hi Everyone

I bring to you my choice of Booktuber for the month - Hailey in Bookland.  She is young and vibrant and brings to us the Fairy box subscription unboxing.  I love unboxings!  I wish it was me getting the box but unfortunately it isn't.  I have just taken a look at the subscription and it would seem that I can get it delivered to my country, so maybe one day.  I really need to look further into these boxes Hailey makes this one look fab.  

I want the cup!

And the book!

Thanks Hailey for bringing us channel.  We need more of these young vibrant book readers to bring books alive for all the other young adults out there.  

So take a look in on Hailey in Bookland she has a good variety of clips for you to enjoy.

Happy reading


Monday 19 February 2018

The Pearl Sister

The Pearl Sister
Author: Lucinda Riley
ISBN: 9781509840052


Hi Everyone,

This is the fourth book in this series and I am still loving it!

Every one of these books has had its own little mystery and intrigue.  Every book has shown me a new sister while connecting the dots of this family's dynamic history.  I have been taken to four corners of the world.  Been shown four different cultures.  Looked with suspicion at some of the suggestions.

I liked that this book took me to Australia, a country I have visited and enjoyed.  I was able to connect with the background in many ways.  I thought the characters were quite different from the previous books which I found interesting as many sequels can become repetitive, but not this one so far.  

Of all the four sisters so far, I found CeCe a little slow to adore.  CeCe had, kind of anyway, lost a little of my interest in the previous book as I found her just a bit domineering and clingy.  But by the end of The Pearl Sister I have a new respect for her.  I think I actually find her one of the most genuine sisters so far now.  I enjoy it when an  author manages to trick me and have me change my mind as I go deeper into a characters world.

Overall, even though this is the fourth book I am still hooked on this series!  I await now the next book now which apparently introduces me to Tiggy.  


Description:

CeCe D’Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. Following the death of her father, the elusive billionaire Pa Salt – so-called by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe and named after the Seven Sisters star cluster – she finds herself at breaking point. Dropping out of art college, CeCe watches as Star, her beloved sister, distances herself to follow her new love, leaving her completely alone.
In desperation, she decides to flee England and discover her past; the only clues she has are a black-and-white photograph and the name of a woman pioneer who lived in Australia over one hundred years ago. En-route to Sydney, CeCe heads to the one place she has ever felt close to being herself: the stunning beaches of Krabi, Thailand. There amongst the backpackers, she meets the mysterious Ace, a man as lonely as she is and whom she subsequently realises has a secret to hide . . .
A hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, daughter of an Edinburgh clergyman, is given the opportunity to travel to Australia as the companion of the wealthy Mrs McCrombie. In Adelaide, her fate becomes entwined with Mrs McCrombie’s family, including the identical, yet very different, twin brothers: impetuous Drummond, and ambitious Andrew, the heir to a pearling fortune.
When CeCe finally reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, she begins the search for her past. As something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, her creativity reawakens once more. With help from those she meets on her journey, CeCe begins to believe that this wild, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home . . .

This was available from: AmazonFishpondBook depository and Paperplus


Happy reading

Monday 12 February 2018

Sacajawea

Sacajawea
Author: Joseph Bruchac
ISBN: 9780152064556


Hi Everyone

We are back into our school year here now and my students are off to a great start.  The enthusiasm is great to see, and I am pleased to have them all back on board.  To start the year off I read Sacajawea before assigning it to one of my own kids.  Yes, I still assign books to my kids to read; especially when I have enjoyed one that I think they will enjoy.  This book comes from the Sonlight Curriculum which uses novels as text books.

Sacajawea, by Joseph Bruchac, is one of those books that happened to surprised me.  I was expecting a book all about Sacajawea.... in your face writing about Sacajawea.  Even the cover gives that impression.  I was wrong in such thinking!  Don't judge this book by the cover it gives it no justice.

I felt like I was sitting around a camp fire with William Clark and a child, then in the alternating chapters in a tent watching Sacajawea about her tasks as she talks to the child.  It was an interesting voice to be reading and relating to.  It took me far beyond the story of Sacajawea and into the history of all the participants of the events.  There were highs and lows; freedom, capture, and return to freedom; a balance of good and bad.  The plot was well put together and the characters captured me amongst their stories.

Overall I give this little book a very high rating.  I really enjoyed it.  Maybe that is because it was beyond what I expected, or maybe it was a genuine good read.  I think it was a genuine good read but you read it as see what you think.  Leave me a comment if you have read it and recommend it to other young readers too.


Description:

Discover the expedition that put Lewis and Clark on the map, and the remarkable woman who made it possible.

At just seventeen years old, Sacajawea had already been kidnapped, gambled away to a french trader who wanted her for his wife, and was pregnant with her first child.  But her greatest challenge was about to begin.  As Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started their journey to forge a path from the Mississippi River tot he Pacific Ocean, Sacajawea served as their guide, translator, and peacemaker.  Join these intrepid explorers as they establish trade with Native Americans; navigate uncharted territory; battle wild animals, warrior tribes, and disease; and live to tell the tale.

In alternating chapters told in Captain William Clark's and Sacajawea's voices, with authentic excerpts from Clark's journals, this is the true story of the legendary young woman whose wisdom beyond her years, bold spirit, and bravery made the historic expedition a triumphant success.


This was available from: Sonlight CurriculumAmazonBook depository and Fishpond


Happy reading
Sacajawea

Friday 9 February 2018

Desiderata - Part 6


Hi Everyone,

We did it!  This is the last stanza of Desiderata.  What a beautiful, thought provoking poem. I am pleased I have taken the time to think about each stanza, day by day.  

Now, I leave you with this last work of art.  Be cheerful.  It isn't always easy, life brings it's ups and downs to the table every day.  But at least we can a least try to be a little cheerful each day, after all it is sometimes contagious.

Happy reading


Thursday 8 February 2018

Desiderata - Part 5


Hi Everyone

What are you being hard on yourself for?  Chill out and let the world unfold around you for just a minute or two.  It may just clear your mind enough to get you through.

We have one more day to go and we have completed Desiderarta!

Happy reading

Wednesday 7 February 2018

Desiderata - Part 4


Hi Everyone,

We are working our way through this terrific piece of literature now.  Part 4, only a couple more days to go.  What do you get from this stanza?  There is quite a bit to think about in this stanza.  One thing that I think we could all take on board from time to time is our imaginings.  How often do we worry about things which never end up happening?  Come on, we all worry far to much!

So relax today, maybe grab a book 😀

Happy reading


Tuesday 6 February 2018

Desiderata - Part 3


Hi Everyone,

Part 3 of Desiderata we are half way.  

Okay leave me a comment below about what you get from today's stanza.  The main thing that jumps out for me is being not blind to the virtue around you.  My mother always taught me there was something good to see in everyone and everything, sometimes you just had to look hard to find it.  She was a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart and this is one message I remember her always enforcing.  So, if you can't find anything special in today's stanza take away my mothers advice and find something good in someone or something today - even if you have to look hard to find it.

Happy reading


Monday 5 February 2018

Deiderata - Part 2


Hi Everyone

Today we have Stanza 2 of Desiderata.  How easy it is to compare oneself to another, even as children.  I often hear children comparing themselves with the achievements of others in their classes and activities.  What age do we start the comparison trap?  What age do we intend to end the comparison trap?

Happy reading

Sunday 4 February 2018

Desiderata - Part 1


Hi Everyone,

I thought it was about time to bring you another poem and while looking through one of my favourite poetry resources, Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorisation by Andrew Pedewa, I found the Desiderata.  I have heard of this before but never looked at it.  I am quite impressed by this piece of poetry but it is quite long. 

So, I thought we could have a stanza a day that way we can ponder the words as they still have as much meaning as they did back in 1927 when it was originally written by Max Ehrmann.

I have also noticed that I haven't told you about the resource, Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorisation, so I will give you a review of that after I have finished bringing you Desiderata 😀

I leave you now to ponder the words in stanza 1 and wish you all a brilliant day.

Happy reading