After the Snow

I have to admit that this cover really caught my attention, as to the story - it seemed to be a typical misery dystopian future. Then I read it.

First of all, S. D. Crockett has a tremendous gift for description. From mountain to grotty encampment, I was there and could see it in my mind's eye.

Now, to the story which was not run of the mill nor dull. I was gripped by Willo's efforts to survive and found his dialect an important part of his characterisation, not an irritant (as can sometimes happen e.g. as in Billy Dean.)

His memories of other characters filled them out and, even though unseen, they became vital and real.

This will not make my Y7 Incoming list but I shall be promoting it to anyone else who will listen. Why not for the list? It's possibly a bit daunting - 307 pages with some harrowing detail and I don't know these students yet. Once I do, I'm sure somebody in the group of 300+ will be up for it.

Another factor is the price. I try to recommend paperbacks. This is a hardback costing £12.99. Not a lot to some but it is for many, especially if you have to kit someone out for high school as well as provide for siblings.

Could that be one reason why libraries have always been important ...?

 

 

 

Ealing Readers' Award (ERA) 2012 Shortlist

Ealing Readers' Award is an attempt to give our students some say in what they think is the best book of the previous year.


It began because the Ealing School Librarians felt that, after many years of Shadowing the Carnegie, students got very little satisfaction for their effort. In over ten years of Shadowing, our school agreed with the official panel once - for Mal Peet and Tamar.
Frequently, the students were baffled as to why they were involved in Shadowing if there was no end result for student choice. So - step forward ERA.


If you are in a participating high school in Ealing you may nominate any eligible book - i.e. one that has been first published in the previous year (in the UK). Any student from Years 7,8 and 9 may nominate.


Our closing date for nominations this year was World Book Day. Since then the nominations have been counted and there are eight books on the shortlist.


A panel of six readers from each school will read all the shortlisted books and then decide their winner at a meeting at Featherstone High School on the 27th June.


Here is the shortlist:

There are eight participating schools this year - Acton High School, Brentside High School, Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Drayton Manor High School, Elthorne Park High School, Featherstone High School, Greenford High School and Northolt High School. (Dormers Wells High School is unable to participate this year because of a major building programme.)


Previous winners were:
Darren Shan in 2012 with Hell's Heroes - guest speaker Candy Gourlay
Charlie Higson in 2011 with The Fear - guest speaker Alan Gibbons