Don't make me tell you again...

2012-02-03T09:52:00.001Z

Molly Gumnut Rescues a Bandicoot by Patricia Puddle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a story about cheeky 8 year old, Molly Gumnut as she sets out with her father's camera to take a wildlife photo for the school calendar. In her attempts to find something interesting to photograph, she comes across the neighbour's cat, Tiddles, playing with a ball, which actually turns out to be baby bandicoot, a protected native marsupial. So begins the rescue of the injured animal and the adventures and mischief Molly Gumnut gets up to on the way.

I am a mum and a primary school teacher, so I read quite a few children's books and I'm afraid this isn't among my favourites.

First of all, I felt that the overall structure of the story was weak. It would have been better if there were fewer events so there could be more build up to them, creating excitement and anticipation of the smaller events throughout the story. The calendar photograph was the underlying story thread which nicely linked the beginning with the end and coincided well with her finding and releasing the Bandicoot. I felt the other events dragged the story out too much and detracted too much from the plot. Children's books need to model good structure of stories as well as interesting language. This story was too repetitive and the plot was too 'untidy' with lots of extra events which could have been left out to create a clearer and more easily readable story.

I found it hard to warm to Molly. She was annoying in the way she acted quite selfishly and in the way she spoke to others. This behaviour seemed to contradict the fact that coming from a nice family, better behaviour would have been modelled and expected. It infuriated me at times that the adults around her, who were caring and seemed to have good values, were not consistent in managing Molly's increasingly challenging behaviour. She simply seemed to get away with being 'impudent' and doing as she pleased, although at other times they suddenly became strict and imposed sanctions. There were times that I thought Molly was an intelligent girl, especially when talking about how to care for animals, but her actions didn't generally reflect that. Children do act erratically at times and frequently do things without thinking of the consequences, but Molly repeatedly got into that kind of trouble, which didn't seem realistic.

Similarly, I found the other characters in the story inconsistent or unbelieveable. Grandma was sometimes strict and got cross and at other times she was easy going and gentle natured; dad sometimes laughed off Molly's antics and at other times got angry at her; mum often let her get her own way, yet also put her foot down and imposed strict consequences. The sisters could have been introduced at the beginning, but we are suddenly introduced to them when they have a role to play. Again, if the author had focussed on fewer acts of Molly's mischief, she could have made more of Gretchen, developing her character more and therefore making her more believeable and adding another layer to the story.

During the story, I was left with questions about things that just didn't make sense. Why did people keep trusting Molly to be left alone when she clearly couldn't be trusted? Why didn't anyone call Gran to tell her that Molly had been found? Why would Mrs Wilson blame herself for Molly going missing, especially after Molly was so rude to her.

I like the idea of using photographs to illustrate a story, but I think it has to be done very carefully and I'm not sure that's the case here. I'm afraid I didn't really like the pictures in this book; somehow they didn't quite fit the story. They either looked like the story had been conveniently changed to fit the picture or the photo was staged to fit the story.

I'm sorry to play the teacher here, but there were a large number of errors in this book, which I think could have been avoided. There were many spelling mistakes, even in Molly's name on one occasion, and some words missing here and there. It was quite repetitive, using the same language over and over again (eyes popped wide; tears clouded her eyes) and sometimes repeating the same phrase almost as though the author had forgotten she had already included that particular thought or idea.

Overall, I think the idea for the story is a good one, but it needs to be developed more carefully. I think it would make a lovely short story and could imagine children enjoying watching it as a series on TV.

As it is, I'm afraid I would not read it to a class of children or give it to my own children to read.

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What a week! (2?)

2012-01-28T11:32:00.000Z

Hmmm, not exactly the most explanatory title I've ever written, but nevertheless quite appropriate. Why the (2?)? Well, it's the sort of title I have probably used before and short of looking through everything to check, I have just called it '2' in the hope that no one will question it. In fact, I probably would have got away without anyone questioning it, had I not just drawn attention to it. Anyway, enough about the title...

One of my new year's resolutions this year was to get a job.That might sound pretty straight forward, after all, "There's plenty of work out there for people who really want it," [northern accent essential for this to be effective] I hear echoes from my dad's voice from when I was looking for a Summer job while I was at Uni. He's quite right of course, but that relies on the 'job seeker' being willing to do just about anything. We all have our excuses. Here's mine:

I spent 4 years at Uni and another two-years-crammed-in-to-one-year doing my PGCE having left a well paid job I was successful at. Why would I want to work hard to complete my training only to go on to do a job which pays even less than I was earning before? It would make no sense. I trained as a teacher and that's the job I want.

Many people who read my blog have followed my quest to find a permanent teaching post since completing my PGCE in 2006. By my own admission I have been neccessarily fussy when it comes to applying to schools. I need a school which will be understanding about the fact that I have a family; a school where the staff are supportive and help each other instead of talking about each other behind their backs; a school where I fit in and don't have to pretend to be someone or something I am not, and a school whose head has high expectations, yet also has respect for the staff and remembers what it was like to be on the frontline, appreciates how many extra hours teachers put in and frequently shows that appreciation. That's not unreasonable, I think, but it's astonishing how few and far between those kinds of schools seem to be.

Over the years I've had my fair share of interviews. Of course, interviews for teachers are not simply about turning up and answering questions. There is invariably a teaching observation and often other activities such as assessment of work. Some of the interviews have gone well and some not so well. It almost always comes down to who you are up against, so although a few of my interviews have resulted in me being offered a job, many have not. It's sometimes been because there was someone who performed better, less frequently because the other candidates and I were not what they were looking for and so they simply didn't appoint anyone, but most infuriating, it has often come down the the fact that I have been competing with hundreds of NQTs who are cheaper and usually younger with fewer home commitments.

The supply teaching work has been fantastic. It's flexible, pays well and I've met some great people and seen all sorts of things done in many different ways. It's been a different kind of experience to what I'd have had if I'd taken a permanent teaching job after qualifying. Unfortunately it has made me fussy about the type of school I wanted to work at, which I had begun to doubt I would ever get to work at, so recently I made a few decisions, fuelled by the lack of supply and therefore the lack of income. I began to look elsewhere.

It was not easy to decide to stop teaching. As I said above, why would I train so hard for so long simply to take a job outside of teaching, but having carefully considered the pros and cons and finally decided to give something else a try, within a short space of time I had 2 interviews lined up for this week. One paid considerably more than the other and I spent a lot of time deliberating about what to do if one offered a position before I had heard about the other etc. Finally thinking I had a firm plan of what to do, everything took an unusual turn.

Out of the blue, I had a phone call from a headteacher saying she had a position she thought I might be interested in and, having interviewed me last year, she would like me to go in for an informal chat. The following day after having another look around the school while chatting about the job, I sat in her officeand accepted the job. That was it. No further interview; no observation. Why can't everything be that easy?

Oh, did I say 'Easy'? I start after half term, which means I have two weeks to get up to speed and ready to go. Hmmm, 'Easy' was probably not the most appropriate word. It does seems to have happened quite suddenly, but also quite smoothly. So, what's the catch? Well, nothing. Oh, except the one thing I have come to expect now whenever I move schools (which has been quite a regular occurrence)... Ofsted are due any time. Oh well, it makes it interesting and 6 Ofsteds in 6 years is something not many teachers can say they've done.

2011-11-12T15:00:00.001Z

Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was not sure about this book when I first picked it up. It's different from the books I usually read and not knowing Nigel Slater (and apparently, after talking to friends, I realise I'm in a minority here) it was just another memoir. However, after a couple of short chapters, I really started to enjoy it. At first I thought it would be impossible for the story of his childhood to be told through anecdotes about food; that it was a novelty that would get old quickly. I was wrong.

The chapters are short and often leave you wanting more detail, but not needing more. It is very cleverly written, so that at first it seems more about the food, but as he builds up the picture of what his life was like, we are drawn in, anxious to discover how things turned out.

He has an unusual style of writing some chapters in the present tense as if the events are unfolding as he writes, and other chapters in the past tense. It works well and is done so cleverly that it does not leave the reader confused about the order of events as I would have anticipated. He also has the ability to let the reader know what is happening, while he himself was unaware of what was happening, like the time he heard his parents talking and thought they were having another baby and wondered why they hadn't told him yet.

Although this story is not all about food, I'm sure any chef reading Nigel Slater's book would identify with many of the tales he tells later in the book about his experience in Hotel kitchens. This book made me cringe, sigh, laugh and cry. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading interesting memoirs, especially fans of the TV chef.

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2011-11-04T20:55:00.000Z

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just like the first three books in the Harry Potter series, after reading all of the books a few years ago, I have just re-read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with my children (12 & 7). They are loving this series and have really enjoyed this book too.

What I loved most about this book though, was that there was so much going on. Apart from the Triwizard Tournament, there were so many other threads to follow and even right up to the very last pages of the book, there were questions we wanted answers to, such as who Fred and George were blackmailing and why, and how Rita Skeeter was getting her information.

They are all great books to read aloud, with interesting and well rounded characters, fantastic description and exciting storylines. I highly recommend them for parents to read to their children.

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Book Flame: 13 Day's of Halloween Madness: Interview and Givea...

2011-11-03T09:49:00.000Z

Book Flame: 13 Day's of Halloween Madness: Interview and Givea...: Welcome to Book Flame's 13 days of Halloween Madness!

Click on the link above to take you to Book Flame's blog to find out what this is about.

2011-11-01T13:21:00.000Z

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I went on a real journey with this book. I picked it up on recommendation from a friend and after reading the first few chapters, I began asking myself whether or not I should continue reading. It's not that it wasn't interesting; indeed the event around which the book revolves is controversial and, due to our natural tendency to be drawn towards other people's private lives and tragedy, is intriguing, but I believe the fact that it's written in the format of letters to Franklin makes it hard for the author to create suspense. In addition to this, the vocabulary which is diverse is sometimes too obscure making it hard on the reader, even a reader with a good vocabulary.

I took a break from the book, thinking that perhaps if I went back to it in a few weeks with a fresh pair of eyes and a different frame of mind, I might find it easier to read. But after returning to the book, I still found little to grab my attention, to make me gasp in surprise, to make me think, 'Ooh, I certainly wasn't expecting THAT to happen!' By half way through I was almost ready to give up, only spurred on by my own obsessive need not to leave a book half read.

Then about half way through, an event suddenly creates some suspense and the story builds around this making it instantly more interesting. So after struggling to keep going through the first half of the book, I could not now put it down. The storyline was gripping; I wanted to know how this would turn out. From that point onwards I knew I was not going to put this book down until I had finished. It was fantastic.

The author has written about things we don't want to think about. As a mother, reading this book is, of course, thought provoking, but it's also frustrating. I found myself wanting to shout at Franklin, not understanding why nobody could see what Eva could. I kept asking myself the same questions, long after I finished the book; was it her fault? What if...?

This is a book I will not forget for a long time. When the Daily Mail stated that it was 'Harrowing', they were not exaggerating. It's a book I would recommend to others with warnings:

1. Keep reading, no matter how hard going it is.

2. Don't make assumptions

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2011-10-23T10:18:00.000Z

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! John Elder Robison is a fantastic story teller and what an amazing story he has to tell. I picked up this book because I am interested in reading about Asperger's from the point of view of someone who has lived with it, but I continued reading because it was so compelling.

There was nothing about this book I didn't like. It was funny, sometimes because he was intending to be funny and other times just because he was being so blunt and logical, I could see exactly where he was coming from. It was sad, particularly at times when he describes his awful childhood with parents who had many serious problems of their own. It is hard being a person with Asperger's even today, but back in the 70s when it was not a recognised condition, he was made to feel like he had a personality defect and would never come to any good. The exciting and unbelievable adventures he tells of in his book show that he did not simply accept and play the role he was given by people who didn't know any better. He took opportunities given to him and made new ones for himself.

Through reading this book, I have gained an insight into the world of someone with Asperger's, but have also been inspired to make the most of life (and to make up my own functional names for people!)

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2011-10-21T19:10:00.002Z

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and fear one of my usual 'thrown together' reviews will not do it justice, so I'll be short (if that is possible for me), sweet (erm...) and to the point (?). Let's see...

I was so surprised by some of the low ratings this book has received. I guess it's not for everyone. It is definitely for me. Since the moment I read the blurb, I wanted to read this book. I eagerly awaited its publication and was excited to be the first to read the library copy (not being able to afford it myself). From the moment I opened it, I wanted to keep reading and not put it down until I'd finished (and even then, not put it down as the book is so beautiful, with its black edged pages and creatively designed sleeve covering the red edged hardcover underneath.

The Night Circus was everything I hoped it would be and more. It is beautifully written and engaging to the end. My only disappointment? I want to go to the Night Circus, but it never comes here :(

I will definitely read this book again and look forward to more from this author.

Have a look at Erin Morgenstern's Flax Golden Tales too. They give you a taste of the wonderfully descriptive writing you can expect in the book.

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2011-10-15T07:57:00.000Z

This made me laugh so much I thought it worth blogging rather than just sharing on 'facebook' (excuse my bad language!)