Arthur Quinn And The World Serpent by Aidan Early

In preparation for World Book Day tomorrow, we had a visit today from Irish author, Alan Early, whose novel Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent' was published last year by Mercier Press.  Students were thrilled an delighted by Early's tales of Viking myths and legends.  He was kind enough to read from sections of his book and answered many questions from eager students about his inspiration and writing technique.  It was a lively discussion and many students were already planning to get their copy of the novel in time for their next book assignment as the made their way back to class. And here is a synopsis of what is in store for them:  

'Something wicked has awoken under the streets of Dublin ...

When his dad is offered a job working on the new Metro tunnel, Arthur has to move to Dublin with him. While exploring the dangerous tunnel and a hidden underground river, Arthur and his new friends Will and Ash find a mysterious glowing pendant. The pendant depicts a giant snake strangling the trunk of a tree. The friends soon figure out that the pendant is a warning, a sign that something evil is waiting underneath the city. Something that's been imprisoned for a thousand years, something left by the Vikings, something that can - and will - destroy first the city, then the world.

What did the Vikings bury under the city of Dublin and why did they leave it there? Who is the dark man that spies on Arthur and what is his evil plan? In the end, only Arthur and his friends can save the world from the dreaded World Serpent.....'

The Hunger Games - Our View

Junior Book Club:

This month the book club's choice was 'The Hunger Games'. The overall opinion of the book is a 10 out of 10! Apart from one pupil disliking the book, the rest of the club loved. 'A page-turner' said one pupil.
Though slow to start, it really heats up especially when the Games begin.  :)
We like the complex relationships of the characters with each other and how they evolve within the Games when Katniss has to decide who her enemies/frenemies are.
It had a sort-of three-part ending, which we liked.
The author was inspired by her real life father, which is why the father is so important to Katniss.
Our favourit character was Rue who appears later in the book and Peeta who knows Katniss all along.

Our book club choice for February is... Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Hunger Games

A fantastic book all round. Suzanne Collins completely immerses herself in a new world, leaving no prisoners. This creates a whole new reality that the reader simply must believe, a remarkable feat in an age of authors who either only write about what they know or make a shoddy attempt at crafting an alternate reality. In this regard it reminded of us 'Epic'.

Collins manufactures a fast-paced, tense atmostphere in the future that we all fear. With Katniss's enemy constantly changing and everyone with an alternate agenda, the reader is left standing on uncertain ground and wanting more. Yet she does so without at all preaching to the reader that 'the end is nigh'. Collins draws on inspiration from 1984 and the Harry Potter series to create an oppressive government that control the even smallest aspects of the lives of their citizens. What fear could be better to draw on in the time of SOPA and new levels of government power?

Books we want to EAT for Christmas

Young Adult
Across The Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
The Fault In Our Stars - John Green
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
Psycho - Robert Bloch
Young Avengers: Children's Crusade - Marvel Comics
A Song of Ice and Fire- George R R Martin
Nothern Lights - Phillip Pullman
Alex's Adventures in Numberland - Alex Bellos
The Boy Who Eats Books - Oliver Jeffers

A Corner Stone for Poet Ted Hughes

The late poet, Ted Hughes, has been honoured today with a memorial stone in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.  The memorial sits at the foot of the stone commemorating his publisher and fellow writer, TS Eliot and amongst the likes of famed bards such as Chaucer and Blake. 

Hughes's friend and poet Seamus Heaney told the BBC's Will Gompertz that Hughes deserved to be remembered in Poets' Corner.  Click on the image to watch the clip from the BBC. 

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

So would your favourite book make it onto a 'Books to Read Before You Grow Up' list? 'Alice in Wonderland'? 'The Philosopher's Stone'? 'The Diary of Anne Frank'?
Take a look at the extensive Goodreads poll that lists some 1001 best all time children's books.
Now that should keep you busy for a while!


              [Click image to browse the list!]

A Little' Ning Nang Nong' goes a "Ling Lang Long" Way!

Perhaps poetry is not your first choice when it comes to choosing a new book, but this wonderful collection of poems and short stories by legendary Goon, Spike Milligan, is one that will surely delight all readers, both young and old.
Who can resist a funny poem, soaked in silliness and dished up with delightful illustrations that would not be out of place in the back of any respectable school copybook.
No collection from this comedic genius would be complete without the splendidly silly, award winning, 'Ning, Nang, Nong', or indeed 'The Bongaloo', and all such Milligan musts are present in this anthology.   So, for all those who dearly love to laugh, 'A Children's Treasury of Milligan' will not disappoint.