fairywhispers's "Books I Recommend for Tweens and Teens" on Lists of Bests

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Added 'A Fortunate Life' by A.B. Facey — 5 weeks ago

A Fortunate Life is a first hand account of events that most of us have only read about in history books. Albert Facey has lived the kind of life that would have broken a lesser man. From the time he lost his father to Typhoid on the goldfields, through his time as an illiterate child working for horse thieves, the Depression and both World Wars, Albert has had more than his fair share of tragedy. Yet all through this book he downplays his negative experiences, focusing on the positive and relaying his life in a fresh, humorous style that is both pleasant to read and hard to put down.. This is a uniquely Australian piece of literature and I found myself disappointed when I came to the end. A Fortunate Life is a must-read for all Australians.

May 27, 08:24PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley — 6 weeks ago

Aldous Huxley first published his novel Brave New World in the 1930’s but the major themes of giving up freedoms through fear, the ethics of test-tube babies and other scientific advances, government control, and thought programming are just as relevant today.

At first glance Huxley’s London seems a Utopia. A world without war. A world without violence. No rape, no jealousy, no street crime, murder, domestic violence, abuse. No conflict. The virtual elimination of disease. No unemployment or poverty. No aging. Universal happiness, peace, contentment. Is this not what we all strive for?

Yet the introduction of our ‘noble savage’ to civilised London shows us just how high a price is paid for this ‘perfect’ society. For, while all the negative aspects of modern society are absent, so, too, are the positives. There is no love – neither the passion between lovers, nor the intense bond between a parent and child, nor the quiet contentment of the aging couple. There is none of that intense satisfaction of obstacles overcome, and no sense of achievement at having striven towards a goal. There is no true fellowship amongst men. The beauty of art and literature are lost. Even the beauty offered by nature can no longer be appreciated. And one wonders just how content the lower classes really are if the loss of a single days soma ration can cause a riot.

This is a question each of us must answer for ourselves – just how much are we willing to give up in exchange for peace and stability?

May 21, 09:04PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Mummies: Unwrapping the Past' by Rosalie David — 12 weeks ago

Mummies: Unwrapping the Past is short, but it manages to cover a lot of ground. Punctuated throughout with pictures and photographs, this book explains what mummies are, various mummification processes (and the reasons behind it) and the scientific techniques used to study mummies. Written in language simple enough for the layman to understand, this is the perfect introduction for teaching children about the world of mummies.

Apr 11, 09:32PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway — 13 weeks ago

Wow. That’s all I could think when I finished this story. Wow. The language was just beautiful. The themes that played out in the old man’s mind, and in his struggle with the sea, are ones that resonate with all of us. Courage in the face f adversity, the struggle to tame nature or to simply to survive and the determination to succeed are all themes we can relate to. As is the spectre of our aging bodies being unequal to the tasks at hand. The Old Man and the Sea is a sad story that will easily withstand the ravages of time.

Mar 30, 05:34PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Seven Little Australians' by Ethel Turner — 13 weeks ago

Seven Little Australians is a charming Australian children’s classic that is just as appealing to adults as it is to children. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn’t moralise the way many children’s books of the era did. This is an entertaining and uniquely Australian story, with a highly unexpected ending, and it deserves a place in everyone’s reading list.

Mar 30, 04:41PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'The Complete Maus' by Art Spiegelman — 22 weeks ago

Originally two separate books (Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale My Father Bleeds History, Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began), The Complete Maus contains both books in one volume. I don’t normally read graphic novels, and I probably wouldn’t have had hubby borrow this if I’d known that’s what it was. Since it was in the house, however, I decided to give it a go – and I wasn’t disappointed. Having grown up on stories of the Holocaust, I am somewhat jaded and de-sensitised, but even I found this account of a father relaying his experiences to his son moving. In fact, I was unable to put it down, and wound up reading the entire book in one sitting. Easier to read than most comics (there is no trouble knowing which bit to read next) and with a subject matter that holds your attention, I highly recommend this book.

Jan 30, 02:52PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Hamlet: a novel' by John Marsden — 24 weeks ago

I began this novel with great trepidation, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved how Marsden added a bit of background to some of characters (Horatio is a good example of this). I also liked how he left the time ambiguous. Hamlet could be any teenager in any time going through a very trying experience.

The beautiful language of Shakespeare is absent, of course, though Marsden has made an effort to use some of the original lines. At least part of Ophelia’s mad soliloquy is intact (I haven’t compared it to my copy of Hamlet yet, but I recognised some of the lines) and the more famous lines (‘To be or not to be’ & ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ for example) are included. Hamlet: a novel is definitely worth reading, and is a great way to introduce tweens to wonderful world of Shakespeare.

Jan 15, 11:33PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'The Three Musketeers (Classic Adventures)' by Alexandre Dumas — 32 weeks ago

Wow. This book was way better than the movie. I can definitely see why it has gone down as a classic. Written in a quaint language and style, which serves to add to the adventure feel of the story, The Three Musketeers is an enthralling and entertaining read. The general feel of this novel is that of the fairy tales and adventure stories of childhood, yet it is interesting enough to hold the attention of an adult. Despite already knowing the general storyline, I found I was unable to tear my eyes from the pages of this book. I didn’t even put it down for meals! I would love to obtain a copy of this story for my permanent collection, and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Nov 17, 02:37PM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult — 34 weeks ago

This is the third Jodi Picoult book I have read and I was not disappointed. I love the way Jodi writes in first person, jumping from character to character and from past to present. This can be confusing for those unused to her style, but life is rarely linear and the different perspectives enhance our understanding of the story, allowing us to empathise with different characters and preventing us from pre-judging behaviour.

Nineteen Minutes is an emotional look at the lead up and aftermath of a columbine-style school shooting. Picoult, however, has her shooter survive, allowing us to explore the effect of this event on the lives of the shooter and his family as well as those of the victims. It is often easy to lay blame when such a tragedy occurs, so easy to forget that the shooters family are as much victims as anyone else.

I found this book very scary. We cannot protect our children from being bullied, and we cannot always know what they are thinking or feeling. It is frightening to think that our children could have been any one of the characters in this book – the bullies, picking on those more sensitive than themselves; the girl pretending to be someone she is not, in order to fit in; the shooter himself – and we would be none the wiser.

I definitely recommend this book to parents, teens and anyone who finds themselves quick to judge on the basis of a news story alone…

Nov 09, 02:46AM | 0 comments | Reply to this

fairywhispers
Rockhampton

Added 'Pigs Might Fly' by Emily Rodda — 38 weeks ago

This was one of my favourite books as a child and I loved it just as much as an adult. I highly recommend it – you will not be bored for a second. If you read it to your kids, I guarantee Pigs Might Fly will have everyone in fits of laughter!

Oct 13, 12:04AM | 0 comments | Reply to this

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fairywhispers's "Books I Recommend for Tweens and Teens"

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Added 'A Fortunate Life' by A.B. Facey — 5 weeks ago

Added 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley — 6 weeks ago

Added 'Mummies: Unwrapping the Past' by Rosalie David — 12 weeks ago

Added 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway — 13 weeks ago

Added 'Seven Little Australians' by Ethel Turner — 13 weeks ago

Added 'The Complete Maus' by Art Spiegelman — 22 weeks ago

Added 'Hamlet: a novel' by John Marsden — 24 weeks ago

Added 'The Three Musketeers (Classic Adventures)' by Alexandre Dumas — 32 weeks ago

Added 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult — 34 weeks ago

Added 'Pigs Might Fly' by Emily Rodda — 38 weeks ago

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