The Hunger Games - you can't ignore it!

If you haven't heard about The Hunger Games you must have had your head in a bucket for the past few months because not only is the brilliant film out now but it's been in the New York Times bestseller list for over 3 years and finally, finally it's taken off here. It should be required reading for anyone over 12 and we have plenty of copies in the library so get down there and borrow it NOW!

I'm not going to give anything away but it doesn't take much imagination to put yourself into Katniss' (the main character) shoes and imagine life a few years from now when most people live a hand-to-mouth existence and violence is so much a part of life that it is viewed as entertainment.

Want to read new books before anyone else gets them?

Fierce Fiction are looking for readers between 14 - 19 years old to read and review their exciting new titles before they're out in the shops. Head over to their blog to sign up if you're interested - remember to check with an adult first if you're under 18.
www.orionbooks.co.uk/indigo/

Spellbinding Cumbrian Schools' Book Award

So, it's that time of year again when we get together to read 10 of the best fiction paperbacks published in the last 12 months for the teen market. This year's selection is a really good one comprising something for everyone, I think. There's the serious stuff, the fantasy, the non-stop adventure, the makes-you-think and the what-if?... and more! I've read 6 out of the 10 and I'm hard pressed to decide which is my favourite so far.

So, here are the titles we're reading for 2012:

Too much trouble by Tom Avery

We can be heroes by Catherine Bruton

Night on Terror Island by Philip Caveney

Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Theodore Boone by John Grisham

Department 19 by Will Hill

Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis

My sister lives on the mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

Between shades of gray by Ruta Sepetys

and lastly, Blood red road by Moira Young

Films of books: some to look out for!

Books have always been a great source of inspiration for film makers but it can be a big let-down when the book you've loved reading is released as a really rubbish film. There have however been some great film versions of books, for example, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne), Holes (Louis Sachar), Goodnight Mister Tom (Michelle Magorian) and Millions (Frank Cottrell Boyce). If you haven't seen these, watch them. If you've seen the film but not read the book, you don't know what you're missing!

Reactions to film versions of books are as varied as people's opinions of the books themselves but personally I like to read the book first, then watch the film and try to judge the two as completely separate from each other. A good book doesn't always make a good film and I've seen some great film versions of books I wouldn't usually read!

Whichever way you look at it, I think that any film that makes people want to read the book on which it was based is worthwhile. What makes me sad is when I hear people say, "Oh, I've seen the film. I don't need to read the book!".

So, here are some books which are being filmed and are going to be worthwhile watching:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (filmed by Martin Scorsese as 'Hugo')

                                            


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (from the first of an excellent trilogy)

                        


Breaking Dawn parts 1 & 2 by Stepenie Meyer (the concluding parts of this internationally famous trilogy which began with Twilight - don't think we need to see this one again!).


The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien (filmed by Peter Jackson who made The Lord of the Rings trilogy).


Tintin by Herge (sorry Mr Herge, I can't do the accent on your surname!)

                       

There are links to YouTube trailers down the side of this blog but you won't be able to access them at school. Don't forget to have a look when you get home!

If you know of a book which is going to be made into a film, please let me know & I'll put it on the blog.

Another look at Anne Frank

'Annexed' by excellent author Sharon Dogar (who also wrote 'Waves' and 'Falling') is the story of Peter van Pels who, with his family, hid from the Nazis in the secret annexe in Amsterdam with the Frank family during WWII. If you have read 'Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank you'll really enjoy this other side of the story (if 'enjoy' is the right word to use about the subject matter!). However, where Anne's diary finished with the betrayal of the annexe this story carries on with Peter as they are taken away by the Dutch police and transported to the Nazi death camps.

This is not an easy story when you know what really happened to the characters - these were real people whose story has been told to the whole world as a result of Anne's diary writing - but it is of utmost importance that the knowledge of what happened to the Jews during WWII is passed on from generation to generation to hopefully prevent it ever happening again.

Surprising books

We're going to meet Curtis Jobling at our local Kids' Lit Quiz http://www.kidslitquiz.com/ heat so I decided I should read something of what he's written other than Bob the Builder. The only book I had in the library was 'Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf' so I took it home. Guess what? It was great! Much better that I expected (sorry, Mr Jobling, no offence intended) and it made me want to read the sequel 'Wereworld: Rage of Lions' (which I borrowed from the public library - support your local library while you still have one!).

If you enjoy fantasy - and you don't particularly have to be into werewolves - there's plenty of suspense and action here. Go read it!

You might be inspired to visit the website and discover much more about Wereworld, including finding out which Werecreature you are (I'm a Werebear, by the way)! http://wereworldbooks.com/site/home.php