There has been much comment about this series. Some people, usually adults, have said that the series should not be in a high school library, but the books are on the Victorian Premiers Reading List. What do you think? Are they a good read? What age should be reading it?
While I was in the States, last week, many of the people at the conference were excited about finally being able to read the last book. I haven’t read any of the books. Should I?
Mrs H
This book is book 1 in the ‘Cherub’ series written by Robert Muchamore.
This book introduces us to a boy called James and how he ends up at Cherub, a secret branch of British Intelligence with agents aged between ten to seventeen. James is a bit like a mini James Bond! I found these books easy to read and there is always something happening.
I would recomend giving this series a go.
This is the second book in the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore. The back of the book says that this series is Not Suitable for Younger Readers and I can understand why. Some of the topics are for teenagers only!!!!! Great adventures though. This book has the characters go on their first assignment of a drug bust.
Although, I wanted to start from the beginning and read all of the books again, I wasn’t looking forward to reading the first book. For some reason, I had in my mind that I didn’t really enjoy it the second time I read it. How wrong could I be!!! I am really into it, and find it difficult to get out of the car when I reach my destination.
What has really amazed me is how well the people that wrote and produced the film looked closely to the descriptions that J.K. Rowling wrote. I usually don’t like seeing a film before I read the book as I find myself “seeing” the characters as portrayed in the film and not in the book. With the Harry Potter films, I wouldn’t have to worry. How J.K. described the characters is how the characters look in the film, even to the fact that they were able to find a boy to play Ron, that when he grew up, would be taller than Harry!
It also amazed me that when she described Dumbledore with a broken nose, not just crooked, she must have realized that
Gee, it has been a LONG time since I wrote anything on my blog!!!! Now I need to catch up on all of the books I have read or are reading.
I am currently reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This is a VERY old book, written in the 1850’s in the United States. It was written to get people to fight against slavery. I have wanted to read it for a long time, as it is a classic, but never seemed to pick it up. Last year I found a VERY OLD edition of it at a second hand book sale. It was printed in the early 1900’s.
Although that book is on my bookshelf at home, it is not the copy I am reading. I am listen to it instead. Sometimes it takes a bit to get into it, as the recording isn’t the greatest, but the story itself is quite good, even if the language can be a bit “flowery” at times. NOT THE WAY WE SPEAK NOWADAYS!!. Another thing that can be quite confronting at times is the way the slaves are treated and the words they use to talk about and to them. It makes me cringe, everytime I hear a certain word!!!!!
I have just about finished 1/2 of the book (10 hours worth of audio so far). Uncle Tom, an old slave has been sold down South, the worst thing that can be done to a slave as the further south a slave goes, the worse his/her condition. Three other slaves (husband, wife and child) have escaped. They have fled because the husband and wife were on separate properties, with the husband and son being sold down South. Uncle Tom has also been separated from his wife and children. You see, slaves were the property of their masters and were thought not to have the same feelings towards their family as “white folk”.
When I decided to start reading the Harry Potter books again, I really wasn’t excited about starting the first one again. For some reason, I had the feeling that I didn’t like reading it the second time. But I was WRONG! I am thoroughly enjoying it and finding it hard to get out of the car when I reach my destination.
All of the CD’s are read by Jim Dale. I am sure he is the same person that speaks on the Harry Potter DVD extra bits. A very good reader. He won an Emmy for reading this book
Usually I don’t like watching a movie of a book before I read it. I like to imagine what the characters are like from the author’s description. No need to worry about that with this book and movie! The writers, producers, etc did an excellent job of READING Rowling’s descriptions and making their characters conform to them.
I was also in awe of Rowling when she gave her description of Dumbledore, saying that he had a broken (not just crooked) nose. This thread of the broken nose was kept throughout the entire series, knowing that it would be an important part of the final book!
Finally, it is interesting that my copy of the book is not called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I had been told that the name was changed from the British “sorcerer” to the American “philosopher” because the religious right felt that “sorcerer” was evil, while “philosopher” showed an educated person. Again, how wrong I could be! The titles are the other way around, so I have no idea why the American publishers would think that the American public wouldn’t understand the British title.
I really enjoyed reading the last of the Harry Potter series, but I read it so fast I need to read it again! But…..as many of you know, I am in the car 3 hours a day and find it hard to find time to read sometimes, so…..I have purchased ALL of the books on CD and am going to “read” them while I travel to and from work.
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Mrs H
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE BOOKS!!!
These are three books written by James Moloney. The first, Dougy, is about an aboriginal boy living in a small outback community. Gracey, is Dougy’s sister and is about her time at a private school in Brisbane, where she received an athletic scholarship. Angela is Gracey’s best friend at Hamilton College.
I enjoyed all three of the books but found Angela the best and the most confronting. My best friend, when I was in a high school, was black and I always thought of her just as a person, my friend, not as a black person. But, after reading Angela, I wonder if I did the right thing. Being from a minority group, (this was during the American Civil Rights Movement), I wonder if I overlooked the identity that she needed. I need to write to her and ask her some questions about this.
Lost Property is an interesting book by James Moloney. Josh is a teenager with his own band, who is working in the lost property department of a train station. I enjoyed the book and was able to get through it quite quickly, but it left me wanting more. As a Christian, I would like to know if Josh resolved his conflict of not believing in God. Although Josh has said he doesn’t believe any more, his friendship with Gemma, who does believe, might chance this stance. I wonder if Moloney has written another book about Josh, just as he did with Dougy, Gracey and Angela.
