You’re a 15 year old boy and have been sent to a small country town to live with your grandparents because of some terrible thing you did not long ago. The kids at your new school hate you,,except for the one called “retard”, and living on a farm is the pits. Life is hardly worth living, especially when you find out there are more skeletons in your family’s closet. Where is all this going to end? LEGS!
Going on an idyllic holiday with your friends? Sounds great, but what if you came back and everyone was gone? No parents, friends…the world is at war. This is the scenario for John Marsden’s best-selling ‘Tomorrow’ series, which has just been made into a film, soon to be released. It’s directed by Stuart Beattie (think ‘G.I. Joe’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’). Why not read the series before the film comes out. Here’s a trailer so you know the action/adventure you’re getting yourself into. Mrs O. http://www.yourmovies.com.au/news/?i=183173&action=news
Check out more about John Marsden and his books at: http://www.johnmarsden.com.au/home.html
What if your parents loved you so much that they couldn’t let you go…even when they should? Jenna wakes from a coma with no memory of her life or of who she is. When she does learn more, the truth is horrifying, leaving her with lots of questions: “When is a cell finally too small to hold our essence?” “What about a soul, Father?…where in all this groundbreaking technology did you insert my soul?” This novel had me glued from beginning to end! It raises lots of questions about what it means to be human, about our rights over our own bodies, and about loving someone enough to let them go. The movie rights to this book have been sold. Check out the book trailer here: http://www.whoisjennafox.com/ Mary Pearson also talks about the film deal in her blog: http://marypearson.livejournal.com/56971.html Mrs K
‘The Adoration of Jenna Fox’ by Mary E. Pearson is about a teenage girl named Jenna Fox. At least that’s what everyone says her name is. Jenna wakes up after spending one year in coma and can’t remember a thing from her old life. So she decides to start a new one. After a few weeks of watching videos of herself before the accident Jenna decides that she is different to the girl in the videos, although she looks exactly the same, except for a single scar on her chin that she sees the girl in the video has. Jenna doesn’t have a scar on her chin anymore, do scars heal over time? She sometimes doesn’t know what a word means, not complex words but simple words like ‘jump’, ‘hot’ or ‘apple’. Even the word ‘time’. Her father tells her that time heals; she doesn’t tell him that she doesn’t know what time is. And why can she remember the details of the French revolution, but can’t remember whether she had a best friend? Her parents are keeping a secret. Now all she has to do is find out what the secret is, let alone who she is.
The book pulled me in from the very beginning, and tested my imagination, how is Jenna still alive? And what’s this secret her parents are keeping? I would suggest this book to anyone who loves drama and a little mystery; it’s a truly compelling read for all. It pulls you in from the very first sentence ‘I used to be someone, someone named Jenna Fox’ and keeps you turning the pages well into the night up to the final page. Courtenay, Year 8.
‘The Adoration of Jenna Fox’ is the story of a seventeen year old girl who mysteriously wakes from a coma after she was already considered gone. The problem is she can’t remember a single detail of her life. This book caught my attention right when my eyes hit the cover and although that interest faded slightly as I started reading, when I turned that all important page and found out what really happened to Jenna Fox I couldn’t put it down. ‘The Adoration of Jenna Fox’ is gripping, interesting and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Laura, Year 8
I have read about half of The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I enjoyed the beginning of it. It was very slow for me for the first 10 or so chapters but then it started to kick into action. I am not much of a fan of the sci-fi style of book but I can handle a bit of it. I would most definitely recommend this book to a person with a feminine side, most-likely a female because it is a very touching book with a lot of emotion and feeling within it. I would also recommend it to someone who likes the use their imagination while reading, because you are going to need to use your imagination in this book. I rate this book a two out of ten but I am guessing a lot of people would disagree with me. Clay, Year 8
The adoration of Jenna Fox is a book that challenges the brain in many ways. The book delivers suspense, excitement and exhilaration all wrapped tightly in a package lined with mystery and emotional thread. Throughout the story, the package is slowly unwrapped and an explosion of emotion is released to the unsuspecting reader. I loved this book even though I am a boy and this book is aimed at older girls. 4.5 stars. Zane, Year 8
Mia seems to have it all – weird and whacky parents who love her to bits, things she loves doing, a boyfriend and friends who accept her for herself, even a cute little brother! But things can change in an instant. It’s such a shock when you get to that part of the book – a cold morning, snow falling on the road…and suddenly Mia has only one choice – the hardest choice of all. ‘”Just listen,” Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. “Stay,” he says.’ This is one of the most gripping real-life books that I have read. It made me appreciate life itself and the courage it takes to live it well. Maybe it will even be my favourite for 2009! I hear that there’s a Hollywood film on the way…move over ‘Twilight’! This may be the next big thing! http://www.ifistay.com/ Mrs K.
Here’s a book trailer to tempt you to read the book!
It seemed like such a normal outing – family visiting so they head off to the nearest tourist attraction. Ted and his sister watch their cousin Salim get on the London Eye, but when the ride finishes he doesn’t get off. Salim has disappeared! And so begins Ted’s investigation into the mystery – where is Salim? Why has he disappeared? Even the police can’t solve the mystery but Ted, whose brain works in strange ways, sees where things could have gone wrong. This book reminded me of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ by Mark Haddon, for younger readers. It’s fast-paced, easy to read and it helped me understand kids like Ted a bit more. http://www.siobhandowd.co.uk/ Mrs K
This was John Green’s first novel and, after reading it, I decided that I would try to read every other book that he wrote. ‘Looking for Alaska’ is divided into two sections: Before and After, although to start with we don’t know before and after what! The first half of the book is a bit slow as Green takes time to set up the characters and lay ground for the second half. Miles (the main character) is a 15-year-old boy who leaves home to go to boarding school, where he gets into all sorts of adventures with his friends. But their adventures end along with his friend Alaska’s life. How and why did her death happen in such a close-knit group? Could her friends have stopped her? What will happen now? Sadness, guilt, anger and starting again – all these issues are dealt with in this book. http://www.sparksflyup.com/ Check out John Green interviews on YouTube as well. He’s really funny! Mrs K
By far the hottest book in our library at the moment! If you haven’t read it, then you’re history, really! What do I think? It really annoyed me that Bella just wanted to be bitten. Doesn’t she have a mind of her own? Would she sacrifice everything just to be with Edward? Frankly, I think she should have chosen Jacob…run with the wolves, I reckon, not fly with the bats! http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ Mrs K.
Bella Swan moves to a small town called Forks and meets the mysterious Edward Cullen. She soon realizes that Edward isn’t like the other boys in the neighbourhood. He is a vampire who thirsts for her blood. Edward is irresistable to Bella and the closer she tries to get to him, the more danger she gets herself and others into.
I would recommend this novel to people who like romance, adventure and action books. It is a very interesting book that grips you from the first page. My favourite part of the novel is when the Cullen family and Bella were playing baseball during the storm. This part of the book was very intense and exciting. An alternative title for ‘Twilight’ could be ‘Vampire Love’. Year 9 Student
