June 20

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

“One day, you’ll show the world what you’re made of.”

-Ye Ye, Chinese Cinderella.

 Chinese CinderellaDo you like crying?

Do you like actual true stories?

Then this is the story for you!

 

Chinese Cinderella is a true story by Adeline Yen Mah. This story is set in China, where we follow our main character Adeline Yen Mah and her horrible life with her family as they do horrible, horrible things to her, especially her Niang. As she tries to impress her father, her brothers and sister get jealous, beat her and hurt her.

 

My favourite character has to be Adeline and how she lives this horrible life, trying to be happy along the way. Turning her story into a book shows that Adeline has a lot of courage in her.

 

This story is full of sad and suspenseful moments and isn’t afraid of making you surprised. This book is perfect for people who like true stories and sad stories, though it should be for ages at least over 13. It’s an amazing book that you’ll surely enjoy! So next time you’re in the library make sure you look for this book. I promise you it’s not a disappointment.

Review by Analiese S., Year 8

……

Chinese Cinderella is a story about the author Adeline Yen Mah’s terrible childhood and how her parents and siblings treated her like she was a slave; as though she didn’t exist. In the first chapter the characters Aunt BaBa and Adeline were introduced. We also learn that Adeline’s mother had died from child birth. The Aunt had a shoe box full of memories of her mother after Adeline’s father forced everyone to get rid of photos.

Adeline’s family moved a lot but in chapter 1 the first place she lived was her birth place in Tianjin, China. Soon she moved away and lived in Shanghai with her new step mother Niang and two step siblings. Niang was a horrible French woman but the step siblings were nice and kind but sadly weren’t allowed to see the father’s side of the family. Soon Adeline had to go to boarding school for around two years and soon was rescued by Niang’s sister.

Niang is one of the main characters of the story and she is a cruel and rude woman who married Adeline’s father who was kind but now he is forced around by Niang. Adeline’s big sister was the prankster but sadly went under Niang’s spell and acted cruelly to her real family. Adeline’s three brothers are also cruel to her but Big Brother No.2 is the heartful one to Adeline and is technically the kindest one there.

I liked the story because I can just imagine how hard it could have been and how cruel the family was to them, My family is kind and playful to me showing that I have a lot.

If I were to recommend this novel to someone I would recommend it to my friend Tamara because she is very good at reading and I know she would understand the story. I would also recommend this to 12 and 13-year-old students because 10 and under wouldn’t quite understand and 14 and over might get bored of it quite easily.

Madeline W., Year 8

November 26

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese Cinderella“If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck.”

Yen Jun-ling was born into the life of an unwanted, unloved child. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her siblings constantly blame her for this. Her father barely even knows her name, and her new stepmother Niang dislikes her stepchildren from the second she enters their lives. Yet, there is hope for Yen Jun-ling in the form of her academic prowess.

In a struggle to gain her father’s attention, and please the family members who still dearly love her, Yen strives for utmost perfection in her work and constantly works on her homework. Despite the cruel tricks of her brothers and sisters, and the harsh favouritism Niang gives to her own children, Yen pulls through the struggles and continues to excel in her work. Yet, her friends at school never know what she hides behind her cheerful smiles. They know nothing of the uncaring family she visits at home every day, who force her to walk home during typhoon-like weather without a second thought. Her hope in life, being strong in front of others and being untouched by the cruelties of life is soon displayed in her hobby – writing.

This true story tells of a girl who was once portrayed as a demonic witch of bad luck, who strives to her limits to prove that she is more than just a waste of space. Her willpower and hope is ever inspiring and astounding to read. The reader will smile when she smiles, cry when she cries, and feel the same emotions of pain, anger and discomfort when she does. Just when everything seems to be fine, another tormenting turmoil crashes into her life, yet she lives to tell the tale.

Chinese Cinderella is perhaps the best book I’ve read that retells a true story. The losses and victories of a small girl born with many burdens shows how anyone can pull through in the toughest of times. A motivating story like this is recommended for teenagers and adults alike, but females would perhaps relate to the story more than males.

Demetra P., Year 9

June 18

‘In the Sea There are Crocodiles’ by Fabio Geda

In the sea there are crocodilesThe thing is, I really wasn’t expecting her to go.

If that sounds like the start of a book you would enjoy, then In The Sea There Are Crocodiles is the book for you.

I don’t want to spoil too much about this book. It starts with an 11-year-old boy who has to leave his home village with his mother to go to a whole different place. When he arrives he is thinking that this new place is going to be his new home. Then one night he goes to sleep and when he wakes up his mother has gone, only leaving a message saying that they won’t see each other again. He is left in a alien place where, in order to survive, he has to find a place to stay and a job, but challenges keep coming at him as he tries to find a place that truly feels safe and at home.

He isn’t the only young child looking for a home. Throughout his whole journey he encounters young boys just like him. He travels all over the Middle East and in the different places he goes his story shows how different races are rivals and how others believe that they are better off than the other just because of where they came from.

Once I started to read this book I just wanted to read more and know more about the story. Sometimes I would forget what time it was and found I had been reading for hours. It is a well-written book with descriptive language that gives you a clear picture of what is going on. It was translated well throughout most of the book but sometimes with words that couldn’t be translated I had a bit of trouble. The story was gripping and I found myself thinking that there is no way I would have been able to achieve what he did.

If you hold a wish up high, any wish, just in front of your forehead, than life will be worth living.”

His bravery and his optimism really inspired me.

I would recommend this book to the ages 13-40 as this book is very interesting and the story would capture teen and adults. I would also recommend this to anyone looking for an autobiography with suspense, action, adventure and some parts that reach your heart. I rate this book 9 out of 10.

Xavier Year 8

————————-

One night before putting Enaiatollah to bed, his mother tells him three things: don’t use drugs, don’t use weapons, and don’t steal. The next morning he wakes up to discover his mother has fled, which puts a bit of a twist on the book. When his mother leaves he really doesn’t know what to say. He is a little bit angry at first but does not know what to do. As he decides to go and skip countries and finds a place to live, Enaiatollah dangerously crosses the borders of Iran, Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen and tries to find a place to live.

In Enaiatollah’s story there is Emaiatollah and his mother. His journey starts in Afghanistan and ends in Italy. Enaiatollah’s mother was in fear of the Taliban, so she leads him across borders and countries to start a new life. It took him five years to cross all the way to get to Italy.

Here is a quote from the book: “If you hold a wish up high, any wish, just in front of your forehead, then life will always be worth living.”

I would rate this book 7 out of 10. It was a good book and I would recommend it to people between the ages of 10-13. If you love adventures and good novels I would suggest this book to you. It has lots of surprises, whether he gets found out or not, but there are also has a lot of adventures in this story. I think it was a great book.

Jack H., Year:8

 

May 19

‘The Vow’, by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson

the vow“I love you, Krickitt.”

“I love you too”.

One autumn morning in 1992, Kim Carpenter called Jammin Sports-wear and heard a chirpy and upbeat voice, like Krickitt’s. The first conversation Kim had with Krickitt wasn’t their last. They both wouldn’t only talk about purchases. Kim couldn’t stop thinking about this girl named Krickitt. He wanted to know more.

Kim lived in New Mexico, coaching The Highland’s University baseball team and Krickitt lived in California and practiced Gymnastics from kindergarten each afternoon in her mother’s gym.

A few months had passed since their first conversation and now they were spending more time talking to each other. The conversations with Krickitt were getting longer. They began to write letters back and forth to each other. In February 1993, Krickitt and Kim decided they would meet and spend time together and two months later Krickitt made the decision to go to New Mexico. Eventually Kim decided he would propose to Krickitt, two weeks after she returned home.

Kim and Krickitt’s life together was broken, as a car wreck left Krickitt with a head injury, keeping her in a coma for weeks, but when she finally awoke she had no idea who Kim was.

I really enjoyed the book ‘The Vow’ because this true tragic story of romance, kept my eyes glued to the book as each chapter had something of interest to keep you reading. I recommend this story to all people aged 13 and over who are interested in romance and enjoy reading, true story novels. This book has really caught my attention. I’d rate ‘The Vow’ 5 out of 5 stars.

Isabella, Year 9.

November 7

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese CinderellaImagine being abused by your parents and feeling unloved. Imagine if your own father couldn’t remember your name. Imagine feeling as if you didn’t belong in your own family. The book Chinese Cinderella tells the true and moving story of a young Chinese girl who experiences all of these things throughout her ‘difficult and painful’ childhood.

  Set in China and Hong Kong, this book perfectly depicts a story of courage and victory over the abuse. Adeline Yen Mah is the fifth child born into a powerful and wealthy family but from the moment she is born, she is mistreated and seen as a nuisance. After her mother dies giving birth to her due to complications after the delivery, her family gives her the label, ‘bad luck’. Adeline grows up feeling responsible for her mother’s death. This is intensified when her father marries a lady who is not so fond of her new husband’s five children. She openly shows her hostility towards the children, in particularly Adeline, whilst greatly favoring her own two children born soon after the marriage. Throughout the book the reader feels Adeline’s pain as she is horrifically abused, the reader feels her determination to make her father proud and joins her on her search to find a place where she belongs. Adeline finds some comfort with her Aunt Baba and Grandfather Ye Ye, but even these comforts are taken away from her. Faced with all of these problems, Adeline engrosses herself in her schoolwork, which she enjoys immensely and strives for academic achievement in the hope of finally making her father proud. 

 This is a book that I think is written exceptionally well. It is extremely gripping and I was immediately engaged; it is the kind of book I could not put down. Adeline Yen Mah’s uses of descriptive language made it extremely easy for me to not only imagine the scene clearly but also to put myself into the situation. The story develops perfectly and keeps the reader enthralled until the very last sentence. It is quite tragic to think that the events in this book actually occurred to a real person. It is one of the books that I didn’t want to end and, after reading the book, I went on to research more about Adeline Yen Mah.

  I would highly recommend this book to a broad target audience – anyone from child to adult could easily become enthralled in this moving autobiography. I would rate the book Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah a 5 out of 5 stars.

Olivia, Year 9

 

November 4

‘On Two Feet and Wings’ by Abbas Kazerooni

 On Two feet and wings“I was alone in a foreign country and I did not speak the language. I was, quite simply, terrified.”

If this draws your attention, then you will love the eye opening true story ‘On Two Feet and Wings.’

      The book was set in the bloodiest of times during the Iran-Iraq Wars in the 1950s in Tehran. Abbas was very close to turning ten when his whole world was turned upside down. He had to move to Instabul and live all by himself or he would be forced to join the armed force.

      The main character and also the author of this book is Abbas Kazerooni. He had to say goodbye to his friends, family and everything he loved. He soon learnt how to live by his wits, appreciate what he’s got and to watch his back.

      This book is about a young boy who was sent away to be safe from the bloodiest war yet, the Iran-Iraq War. The book was based on a true story about one courageous young boy, Abbas. He had to grow up fast and basically skip his whole childhood; he was living in a run down hotel all by himself at the age of nine. He managed to find a job, navigated his way through the city, found the best rates for exchanging money and even found himself a friend!

     I really liked this book because it was unbelievable how independent Abbas was at such a young age. It kept me wanting to read more. This book was in no way predictable, unlike other books that I have read in the past. I just couldn’t put it down!

      I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults from the ages of 13 and 20 or anyone at all that would enjoy an adventure packed, page turning story!

     Tanay, Year 9

 ———————————————–

     With his 10th birthday approaching, a young man by the name Abbas Kazerooni has to leave everyone and everything that he loves behind when the thought that he may be taken away to war kicks in.

     This story is set in three different countries that include Tehran, Istanbul and England. So it begins, the life of a nine year old boy who does what would seem impossible for any other ordinary child.        Abbas is living what seems to be a normal life until one day his father comes home and tells him he can’t go to school. With growing curiosity, Abbas began to eavesdrop on his parents’ conversations. Soon enough he was told he had to leave his home. He and his mother were to leave for Istanbul where they would be safe, but unfortunately that proposal didn’t go to plan…

     Abbas is a well-behaved kid who likes to have fun and play, but he is also very mature for his age, for example, the way he handled emotional moments and the way he used his age to his advantage. Not only is he the main character in this novel, but he is also a very interesting one. His father, ‘Baba’ to Abbas, was a well brought up man who was a very rich and important man until the government took away almost everything he owned. Further into the book, Abbas meets a man named Murat, a stubborn and very sarcastic man who turns out to Abbas’ closest companion.

     A great read, I would say, a book filled with emotions and adventures. I enjoyed this book a lot because it is based on a true story! It really opened up my mind to the fact that real children around the world would have to go through what Abbas went through. I highly recommend this book to anyone above the age of 12, only because the storyline would be hard to understand if you were younger. As it is such a good read, I would rate this book a 4 out of 5.

 Grace, Year 9

———————————————————–

‘On Two Feet And Wings’, the extraordinary true story experienced and written by Abbas Kazerooni. The story is set in multiple surroundings such as England, Afghanistan and Istanbul. Meet Abbas, a 9 year old smart and courageous boy with a future depending on his actions. He survives and travels on his own night and day, with the voice of a mature young boy. His thoughts will leave you crying after every page. If you love true stories that grip you with suspense, ‘On Two Feet And Wings’…is ‘The Book’!

     Laws vary in certain countries, so close to his tenth birthday, Abbas has to leave everything he loves to escape being recruited into the Iran-Iraq war. With his father not being able to leave the country and his mother’s passport declined, Abbas has to travel alone to Istanbul and apply for a visa to England, and from now on has to learn to live by his wits and watch his back. However, with the help of his hotel owner Murat, generous strangers, and the support of his parents, Abbas is helped through the challenging and gut wrenching times. But living in a rundown city at the age of 9, not understanding the language, he is defenseless to his weaknesses, leaving him an easy target for thieves and criminals.

       I was certainly attached to this book by the way that Abbas has very well described each scene in detail, each country’s lifestyle and people’s emotions. The descriptive language made it very easy for me to visualize what characters and settings looked like. The story’s suspense always made me wonder what was going to happen next and by the end made me want to read the next sequence. I recommend this book to both adults and children within the ages of 13 & 25, who are attracted to factual, explanatory stories and enjoy reading secretive, thrilling and inspirational novels. ‘On Two Feet And Wings’ is the most motivating book I have ever read and that should have a movie made out of it. This book is a ‘must read’ and, I’d rate the book ‘On Two Feet And Wings’ 4 out of 5 stars.

Gaby, year 9

——————————————————————

     One boy alone and afraid. Can he survive or will he crack under pressure?

     Does this get your attention? If so, then I recommend that you read this book for yourself.

     Abbas is a happy 10-year-old boy living a normal life. Next thing he knows the government is trying to get all the boys his age to help fight in the war. His parents pay for their little boy to leave the country before he is taken to go in the war. He arrives in a foreign Istanbul with a language that he does not speak or understand. His goal is to get to England before running out of money or worse. He has only one person he can trust in this new country, that is the doorman of his hotel. His names is Murat. He helps Abbas by taking care of him and helping him get the essentials he needs to survive in this new country

     I enjoyed the story because of how hard Abbas had to suffer to survive and how he became a responsible and self efficient young boy, even though he was only 10 years old. The book’s language got me imagining how hard it would have been to find places in a foreign country let alone not speaking or understanding the language that it spoken in the country.

     I recommend this book for all ages and genders because it shows how hard this boy has to suffer to get the essentials like food and water the things we have in Australia for granted. This book has heart and mind and true story aspects in it because heart and mind is how hard he has to think and use his mind to get what is in his heart, which is safety and security from a loved one. Based on what I think of the book, On Two feet and wings I rate it 4/5 stars

     Jordan, Year 9.        

June 7

‘In the sea there are crocodiles’ by Fabio Geda

 In the sea there are crocodiles    This international bestseller is the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari.

     Enaiatollah is the main character of ‘In The Sea There Are Crocodiles’. He lives in a small village in Afghanistan, which he calls ‘Nava’ which means ‘gutter’. In early 2000, Afghanistan falls into Taliban rule. This makes great changes in his life.

     Enaiatollah escapes from his family and home with his mother to the border of Pakistan. Then one night, while his mother is putting him to bed, she tells him three things that he must never do in life: don’t use drugs, don’t use weapons and don’t steal.The next morning, the ten-year-old boy wakes up and finds out that his mother has disappeared. He knows that he is on the border of Pakistan and he is alone.

     Now, starts the remarkable adventure of the ten-year old boy from Afghanistan to Italy to gain political asylum. His five-year journey takes him through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece, border crossings, trekking across bitterly cold mountain pathways for days, and being stuffed into the bottom of a truck.  Going through all these unimaginable hardships and challenges, will he find a place that he will call home? Will he find happiness in the end? Will he find his family?

     His journey searching for a place called home has become the universal bestseller for teenagers. This story based on Enaiatollah Akbari’s actual life has been categorized fiction because in some parts of the story there are fictional details. But it is a really heart wrenching story that you will never forget. The best part of the book is the childlike perspective the author has written. It helps us teenagers to get more engaged with the book more easily. I truly recommend this book to anyone. You’ll never regret it.  

Ye Jin, Year 8

August 21

‘On Two Feet and Wings’ by Abbas Kazerooni

Abbas leaves his family when he is 9 years old to escape being drafted into the army. He’s alone on the streets of Istanbul, trying to survive. His journey is aided by the kindness of strangers and his innate uncanny sense of who is trustworthy and who is not.

On Two Feet and Wings is the author’s autobiography. It’s highly accessible, harrowing enough but not too graphic, making it highly suitable for upper primary – lower secondary students. In the most graphic scenes, Abbas is beaten up, has a knife held to his throat and fears for his life. But what shines through is not the danger or the destitution, but Abbas’ strength of character and his will to survive. The author’s tone is never condescending, never preaching, but the story holds many lessons for today’s young readers.

This story forms a wonderful adjunct to recent titles dealing with displacement, such as “In the Sea There are Crocodiles” by Fabio Geda, “No Safe Place” by Deborah Ellis and “Mountain Wolf” by Rosanne Hawke (in my view, the latter two books are suitable only for teens and above).

Mrs Osborne