Taken from a painting of Kapiti Island at Sunset.
by Sonia Savage.

Monday, March 12, 2012

It's Monday. What are you Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I was able to read the books I had set myself, with a little self - discipline thrown in. Why? Because my first read was not an easy one!  It is an entry in the non fiction section of the NZ Post Book Awards.


This was a non-fiction book and told like a graphic novel. Except it was non fiction! It recounts the life of Kimble Bent who was born in Maine USA, and grew up there. As a teenager he travelled to Britain and joined the British Army.


Eventually he found himself in New Zealand fighting with the British in what has become known as the Taranaki Wars in the 1860's.  It gives a lot of insight into this period and into this remarkable man. Deserting the British army he was taken into a maori tribe and lived and fought alongside them, although he was treated as a slave.  He learned many of their customs.  He eventually died in 1916, he would have liked to travel home to Maine towards the end of his life but that was not to be. 


It was stark black and white and at times I found it difficult to follow, also the list of maori names and place names also had me struggling a little.  One of the boys in my class has just finished reading it too, he relished the fighting and history!  One of the girls gave up on it.


My next book Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon was light relief after my previous book!


Some of my girls are now wanting to know when I am going to have more Babymouse books!












I was also able to speed through my next book The Stonekeeper which was a very good graphic novel. I have the next one waiting to be read as well.















The last book I have read is The Flytrap Snaps - #1 in The Flytrap Papers.
This book is by NZ author Johanna Knox and is a contender in the junior fiction section of NZ Post Book Awards.  This one had not been entered into Goodreads  so I got that privilege.




This book is set in Filmington! A place that used to be farmland but has been taken over by the movie industry because it has volcanoes, snow capped mountains and rolling farm land within easy access.


This book is a good example of an author writing using What if.....  What if a place that is great for movie making ( and in NZ who doesn't think of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit locations) is taken over in a fanatical way by movie makers. And so the story goes on.  An easy read, but entertaining, humourous and well paced.


The coming few weeks are going to be busy - school wise. However this week I hope to read
The Life Cycle of the Tuatara by Betty Brownlie  Non fiction - NZ Post Book Awards.
Shaolin Burning by Ant Slang   Picture section - Graphic novel - NZ Post Book Awards.
The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm.
Zita - The Space Girl  by Ben Hatke



5 comments:

  1. You first NZ graphic novel sounds like one that would have had my heart hurting. Babymouse is much more my style when it comes to graphic novels! Zita the Spacegirl has me thinking a lot but didn't make my head hurt. I think you'll enjoy it!

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  2. I LOVE BABYMOUSE! My kiddos are going gaga over Amulet, so I think I'll have to pick that one up!

    Enjoy your reads,
    Amanda

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  3. Wow- thank you for introducing me to a couple of new books. The NF graphic novel sounds like it would be a great NF book for my boys. I also had never heard of the NZ NF book- more to add to my TBR!

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  4. If you're ever in Hawera, visit the Tarawhiti Museum. it has a series of wonderful dioramas telling the fascinating story of Kimball Bent, who was a fascinating real-life character.

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    1. Roly
      Thanks I will remember that, I had never heard of him before. He was amazing. Pity the museum isn't nearer. Some of the students would want to see it too.

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