Reading@the Beach 2007/2008 wrap-up!

A very big thankyou to all of the participants of this year's Reading@ the Beach programme. The programme drew to a close last evening with a get-together at the National Library in Auckland, where participants could talk about their reading experiences with each other, prizes were awarded and Wayne Mills inspired the gathering with a rousing talk about using picture books and novels to teach grammar in the classroom.

As part of the evening, participants were asked to join one of four groups, where they were able to discuss their reading experiences within a set context. Below is a summary of some of the recorded comments:

A Book That Surprised You

• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park - "There was a surprise in the ending"

• Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff - "Don't usually like American authors, but loved this author's descriptions - especially the colours"

• Smile by Geraldine McCaughrean - "Intriguing cover, book was great on two levels, would appeal to children, was not what I thought it would be"

• Hoot by Carl Hiassen - 'I didn't expects to enjoy a U.S. author, the book deals with teenage bullying and sticking to one's passions, I was riveted from beginning to end"

• Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo - "I did not expect this to be so interesting"

• Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent - "Deals with cross-cultural adoption and age related struggle"

A Book That Made You Think

• Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini - "Powerful story of two main characters - difference in backgrounds, good to learn about different cultures, story had depth and raised questions about personal experience"

• Fagin the Jew by Will Eisner - "A sophisticated graphic novel, challenges the reader to think about how it could be used/read. Demanded reader's full attention and needed to be reread. Colloquial language made reader work hard to "sound right" in imagination. Illustrations and story depicted subconscious stereotypes"

• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - "I cried buckets - the realistic, nitty gritty of dealing with death - from a child's perspective"

A Book I Did Not Enjoy or Did Not Finish

• Sil by Jill Harris - "Not real enough, it was weird and "holier than thou"

• Batman by Frank Millar - Graphic novel. One reader could not get into it, while another enjoyed the graphics and the ambiguity of the characters

• Arctic and Safari Adventures by Willard Price - "Enjoyed this as a child, but shocked at how "un P.C." this now seems. Is a real step back in time - well written for audience of the time"

• Adventures of Tom Sawyer - graphic novel retold from Mark Twain. "Too light weight and did not do original novel justice - "not a real book"

• Crow of Whareatua : a New Zealand war story : a graphic novel / by Sid Marsh - "Historically inaccurate"

• Speed of Dark by Alex Shearer - "Just not able to get into it"

Books That Made Me Laugh or Cry

• Range of New Zealand Novels - "Titles not to hand, however read books I would never had read otherwise - so this was a great opportunity to develop reading knowledge"

• Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm and Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo - "Both books have social justice during wartime as theme and both very sad"

• Don't Call me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer - "Supposed to be sad, but very funny in a clever way as author played with language. Bullying theme - good focus for boys"

• Down the Rabbit Hole : an Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams - "Mirrors Alice in Wonderland - Hilarious, especially ditzy lead character. Best children's book read in a long time - not formulaic"

• Bootleg by Alex Shearer - "Funny book about chocolate being made illegal - great for teaching about governance and community"

• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - "Original novel narrated by "death" - portrait of war from a girl's and boy's perspective - good cross-over novel"

• Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne - "need to be an older reader to understand the nuances, beautifully written"

• Norman and Brenda by Colin Thompson - Sophisticated picture book. "It is hilarious - about social misfits. Illustrations are funny - great match with text, good for older students"