Reading Matters

If you have heard of Anne Frank’s Diary then you must read this recollection from one of her childhood friends. Hannah Goslar recalls her early friendship with Anne and the last time she spoke with her. Her experiences as a young Jewish girl during the Nazi occupation were devastating and time hasn’t taken away the fear and hurt she had.  That Hannah survived and can tell the readers what it was like in Amsterdam during World War Two and then later on in the concentration camps is a miracle. This story relates well with The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne and Hana’s Suitcase: A true story by Karen Levine.

There seems to be a theme in my reading at the moment, (coming of age type stories) and this story was another one that I found hard to put down. It is a road trip story about Hugh (Brockie)getting to know his grandfather (Poppy). Poppy wants to go to Uluru and he plans to do this with Hugh and a Monaro. Hugh the cello student is drawn into the web of his Poppy’s goal and despite his obvious discomfort with some of the choices (going against the grain of his upbringing) he continues on. There is considerable action and adventure and rules are broken in order for Poppy to achieve this. It is a powerful read and you can’t help but be drawn in by the characters despite their obvious flaws.

I couldn’t put this book down as I wanted to see what happened to Callum (CJ). I read it from start to finish in one sitting. The story takes place in two time frames, the present and the past and there are links between the two not just between characters but of incidents and outcomes. This book really engages the reader in the life of CJ (a young teenager who has moved to his grandparent’s farm) and the changes and challenges he faces as a result of an uncertain but obviously serious incident. It is not until very late in the book that the reader finds out what has taken place. Callum’s strength of character is really fabulous and it reminds the reader that young people sometimes really do face extreme difficulties and have to rely on their personal resilience to overcome them. Callum has a new place to live, he has lost connections with friends and is going to a new school, he has to deal with bullies, and with confronting information about his own parents. This book was a great read.

Having only recently finished Daniel Tammet’s story “Born On A Blue Day” it was interesting to read Mark Haddon’s novel. Christopher Boone is 15 and this book follows his story in great detail after he finds a dog killed in his neighbours yard. His desire to find the culprit leads to a range of experiences that are well beyond his comfort zone. The descriptions of his “adventures” after he learns the truth about his mother and father are truly intricate and precise. This book really shows us how it might be to live in a world with Asperger’s syndrome. A great read!

Despite their lives being being separated by almost a century Henry Lyon and Andy Lansell have things in common. Henry is on a road trip of discovery and decision making. He is a modern age youth with university coming up. He stops in a small town after having car troubles and forms frienships with some people who help him out of a jam. He is introduced to the diary of Andy Lansell, a Digger from World War One. His story entwines with Henry’s in a range of ways and the entries from the diary are not just insightful as to his feelings going off to War, but reflect issues that continue to be part of young peoples lives today. Relationships, responsibilities and fear of the unknown. Each of these is an important factor for both Henry and Andy. This book demonstrates that whilst society and the world in which we live may be more complicated than the past, in some respects, there are still many similarities that can be drawn. Recommended for mature readers.

The blurb on the back of the book is intriguing and so with a few hours spare I made a start. It was hard to put the book down and I looked forward to reading it at every opportunity over the next few days. It was breathtaking in its entirety. I could not possibly begin to imagine the place and time that Liesel, the main character, inhabited. I had not long ago watched The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, so it was with trepidation that I turned each page wondering just what was going to happen to Liesel and the others in the story. Zusak has told Liesel’s story with great compassion and simplicity through a narrator. Liesel has a loving carer in her foster father Hans Huberman, and a warm friendship with Rudy, a neighbour. Her daily life is harsh as was probably the experience of most in Germany during World War Two. Liesel is taught to read by Hans and books are precious belongings to her. She is the book thief of the story. Liesel’s story involves the wife of the Mayor, and Max, a Jewish man who hides from the Nazi’s in the Huberman’s basement. I was drawn totally into the story and would recommend it to mature readers.

This cartoon format memoir about growing up in Malaysia in the 1950s-60s is humorous and interesting. Lat is a very well known Malaysian cartoonist and he uses his drawings to portray aspects of his early life. He describes school experiences, cultural celebrations, family life, village members, and friendship in great depth with his illustrations. If you love reading comics and enjoy reading about other cultures then Kampung Boy combines the best of both worlds.

Joyce Carol Oates writes about the hard questions. In this novel about Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs, teeenagers at the same school, she explores the results of friends horsing around and mouthing off in the school canteen. Little does Matt realise that his off-hand comments will land him in police custody, his family will be put under enormous pressure, and his friends will steer well clear of him. Ursula is able to speak up for Matt when eveyone else has left him out in the cold. This story really addresses for young people the role they can have in determining their own experiences. It also addresses the need for people to recognise that silly comments can have long lasting effects, and that things need to be put into perspective rather than over reacting. The scenario played out in this story recognises the best and worst in people and encourages us to speak up for what is right. Ursula has her own issues in this story too and she is able to come to grips with them and find out who she really is under pressure. Joyce Carol Oates has written a great story and it gets to the very core of who her characters are. Fantastic!

gossip girl is a good book for teenage girls that like reading about girl problems and drama. this book is a about a person that is unknown to people writing gossip about the upper east siders, the rich kids of town. you never find out who gossip girl is though which is a pain!

This is a fantastic book! I urge you to read it!! It’s abou a 13 year old girl living in the 70s coping with being on the verge of teenage hood and being excluded from her friendship group.  The girl’s name is Plum. She makes friends with her adult Neighbour who helps her find herself and feel as though she’s worth something. Although Plum sometimes struggles to follow her directions and detects something shifty is going on. Plum also goes through issues with her family, which was previously the best thing Plum had, including her two much older brothers, one more likable than the other.

Throughout the book, scandelous secrets are revealed and some things just fall apart as Plum tries to keep her life together.

It is interesting how things have changed for teenagers since the 70s and what has stayed the same. I liked the book because it seemes that on every page you read there were more and more secrets. Fantastically written by Sonya Hartnett, it combines very varied issues into one family. Everybody should read this book.