Grace-Reading+Log

= Thank you for a comprehensive reading log, Grace. I think your responses are perceptive and knowledgeable. I appreciate the effort you have put into this log. LS =

Genre: Non-Fiction/Comedy
=== Plot: John and his wife of fifteen months, Jenny, see an advertisement in the newspaper about golden retriever puppies. A young couple in South Florida, John a news reporter for the local paper and Jenny a feature writer, they decided that they would like a dog. So they adopted Marley. Over the next fourteen years Marley grew into an energetic, playful and friendly but sensitive dog. He caused a lot of mayhem. But he also shared some of the best moments of their lives. ===

Response: This book had some good language content like:
=== 'He was the goofiest of the group and charged into us, somersaulting into our laps and clawing his way up our shirts to lick our faces. He gnawed on our fingers with surprisingly sharp baby teeth and stomped clumsy circles around us on giant tawny paws that were way out of proportion to the rest of his body.' ===

If I were... Marley I wouldn't have eaten everything that I saw because he did not feel well at all after eating all those things!
=== I felt empathy with... John and Jenny because I have a black lab crossed with a huntaway who is nine months old and he is exactly like Marley. He chews everything, and barks at everything yet he is quite sensitive if you just use a stern voice with him. === === I think this book is probably suitable for 11 yrs + as well as adults. It is a book that will make you laugh out loud when you read about Marley's wild antics and naughty habits and cry when John, Jenny and their three children have to say good-bye to him forever. ===

Plot:
=== In the seventh and final book of the //Harry Potter// series, Professor Dumbledore, the late Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaves Harry one immense task before he leaves- to kill Voldemort. To do this, he must find and destroy seven hidden objects that contain parts of Voldemort's soul. With the help of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he embarks on a quest to save the Wizarding World. ===

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
=== Plot: Meg needs to find her father. His disappearance is mysterious, nasty teachers and school friends hint at him just taking off and leaving his family, but Meg knows better and she's determined that he'll come home - even if it means that she'll have to travel through time and space with her new friend Calvin, her little brother Charles, and her three strange neighbors, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit. It's a dangerous journey, but they know they can bring her father back home. ===

I liked the language content this book had. For example:
=== 'It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind. Behind the trees, clouds scudded frantically across the sky. Every few moments the moon ripped through them, creating wraith-like shadows that raced along the ground.' Or, 'The cocoa steamed fragrantly in the saucepan; geraniums bloomed on the window sills and there was a bouquet of tiny yellow chrysanthemums in the center of the table. The curtains, red with a blue and green geometrical pattern, were drawn, and seemed to reflect their cheerfulness through the room. The furnace purred like a great, sleepy, animal; the lights glowed with steady radiance.' ===

I think this book is probably suitable for 10 yrs+



 * Thursday 29th March **
 * Title: ** **Yo, Shark Bait!**
 * Author: ** **Vicki Simpson**
 * Genre: ** ** Fiction **
 * Plot: ** **Rory loves fishing more than anything. But one day, a fishing trip goes terribly wrong, and Rory ends up in the water with the biggest mako shark he has ever seen.** **When he is pulled out of the water unscathed, he develops a deep fear of fishing and he never wants to go near the water again. So when his principal asks him to organize a fishing tournament, Rory is torn between to fears - fear of the water, and fear of appearing foolish. Meanwhile, some black market snapper trading is going on and Rory's Dad is a suspect. But does Rory know some very important information that could save his Dad?**
 * Response: The language content in this book was very descriptive. 'The leaden blue-grey shadow rose up from the depths and shimmered under the waterline near the boat. A dark dorsal fin cut the water surface, rising up like a periscope, silently.' **
 * If I were... Rory, I would have told the police or a trusted adult the information that I knew, because then the police could have stopped the criminals and Rory wouldn't be in danger. **
 * I felt empathy with... Rory when he was being teased by Bart Brimstone, because Rory must have felt very embarrassed. **
 * I think this book is probably suitable for ages 10+ **


 * Friday 11th May **
 * Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret **
 * Author: Brian Selznick **
 * Genre: Historical Fantasy **
 * Plot: Hugo Cabret is a young boy who lives in Paris with his father, who works part-time in the local museum and makes clocks. One day, his father brings home an amazing clockwork man that writes a message. His father is determined to fix it, but one day, a terrible disaster happens and Hugo is forced to go and live with his Uncle, who is a clock keeper who lives in the walls of a busy train station. When his Uncle disappears, Hugo has to live in secrecy. But when an eccentric girl finds his secret, she helps Hugo to discover that a stolen key, a notebook, a drawing and a hidden message from his dead father may link together to solve a mystery. **
 * Response: The language in this book was very descriptive. For example: "They soon arrived at a decrepit building across from the graveyard. The whole building seemed to lean slightly to the side. Ivy had once covered the walls, but it had been torn away, leaving inter-locking scars in the cracked paint. The old man opened the chipped green door with a large key." **
 * If I were... Hugo I wouldn't have stolen the toys from the old mans' shop, because he got in trouble. **
 * I felt empathy with... Hugo when his father died in the terrible fire, because he was left on his own. **
 * Wednesday 22nd August **
 * Title: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and the Mysterious Howling **
 * Author: Maryrose Wood **
 * Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction **
 * Plot: Miss Penelope Lumley, a fifteen-year-old graduate from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females is given a job as a governess at Ashton Place, the home of Lord Ashton. The description seems to fit her perfectly, energetic, experience with animals, knowledge of Latin, French, History, Etiquette, Drawing and Music... but why does her new mistress seem so reluctant to show Penelope the children? What is causing the mysterious howling coming from the barn? And why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk at every corner? Miss Lumley must solve all these mysteries in time for the Christmas Ball. **
 * Response: **
 * This book had some descriptive writing, for example: 'He saw how the rapidly receding Miss Lumley stood unmoving among the great puffs of steam, the blood-curdling scream of the wheels singing high over the melancholy tenor of the train whistle and the deep bass roar of the engine. **
 * If I were... Miss Lumley I would have investigated the scratching noises coming from the attic, instead of ignoring them. **
 * I felt empathy with... the three children when they found a wolfs' head in the study. **
 * This book had a clever plot with many mysteries to solve and a humerous view into the world of a governess in England. **
 * Thursday 22nd August **
 * Title: My Story: No Survivors **
 * Author: Sharon Holt **
 * Genre: Non-Fiction/Fiction (based on true events) **
 * Plot: Jackie Simms is your typical, 12 year old, Halmiton girl with a love for roller skating and ABBA, growing up in the 1970s. Unfortunately, her annoying teenage brother won't stop going on about his scenic flight over Antartica and ABBA doesn't seem to be visiting New Zealand anytime soon. But as she grapples with life on the brink of teenagehood, she is unaware of the fate that looms, silent, white and deadly, for someone close to her. This is a fictional diary with fictional characters, but based on true events. **
 * Response: **
 * I felt empathy with Jackie when she heard that Davey died in the plane crash, because the news was given to her suddenly and it must have been a huge shock for her. **
 * This story was a good way to see what life was like for the loved ones of the people that died in the Eribus plane crash. **
 * Thursday 22nd August **
 * Title: At the Lake **
 * Author: Jill Harris **
 * Genre: New Zealand Fiction **
 * Plot: **
 * Brothers, Simon and Jem, are staying with their grandfather for the summer holidays at his bach, which is next to a lake. They have been going there for years and know all the bays, bush, water and neighbouring baches. But the lake has changed. There are barbed wire fences, ferocious guard dogs and a threatening caretaker who has something to hide and will stop at nothing to keep it hidden. As Simon and Jem investigate, they discover some suspicious clues that piece together to form a shocking secret. But has Simon underestimated the caretakers threats? And will the brothers tell someone they trust before something horrible happens to them? **
 * Response: **
 * This story had some descriptive language, for example: 'Despite the cloudless deep blue of the sky, the lake was dark green from a distance. The hills beyond were in full sunlight, draped in golden afternoon apparel. All around them the bush, warmed by the sun, was alive with insects and birds and gave off a slightly sweet, spicy aroma.' **
 * If I were... Simon, I wouldn't have investigated the yard, because his grandfather told him not to and he had already been threatened by the caretaker. **
 * I felt empathy with... Jem, because when Simon when missing, a lot of responsibility was put on his shoulders and he was the only witness, so he needed to give information to the police. **
 * I liked this story, because it was set by a New Zealand lake and a lot of bush and beaches were involved, which gave the author a lot to describe about the scenes. **