The Bookaholics Carnegie list

Students always complain about the Carnegie shortlist as they rarely like  many of the books chosen and have their own ideas about what should be on it. So this year The Bookahlics have been through the Carnegie longlist and a synopsis of each book and they have selected the titles they would like to read. We hope to compile our own shortlist, plus any of their choice and see how it compares to the real thing!. Their list so far is:

 

Blackman, Malorie Boys Don't Cry
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385604796

Barraclough, Lindsey Long Lankin
Publisher: Bodley Head ISBN: 9780370331966

Brahmachari, Sita Artichoke Hearts
Publisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9780330517911

Bowler, Tim Buried Thunder
Publisher: Oxford Children's Books ISBN: 9780192728388

Bruton, Catherine We Can Be Heroes
Publisher: Egmont ISBN: 9781405256520

Collins, B.R Tyme's End
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408806470

Condie, Ally Matched
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141333052

David, Keren Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery
Publisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781847801913

Dogar, Sharon Annexed
Publisher: Andersen ISBN: 9781849392211

Downham, Jenny You Against Me
Publisher David Fickling ISBN: 9780385613507

Earle, Phil Being Billy
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141331355

Eastham, Ruth The Memory Cage
Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 9781407120522

Evans, Lissa Small Change for Stuart
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385618007

Gibbons, Alan An Act of Love
Publisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842557822

Grant, Helen Wish Me Dead
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141337708

Halahmy, Miriam Hidden
Publisher: Meadowside ISBN:9781845395230

Kennen, Ally Quarry
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN:9781407111070

LaFleur, Suzanne Eight Keys
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141336060

Mulligan, Andy Trash
Publisher: David Fickling ISBN: 9780385619011

Perera, Anna The Glass Collector
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141331157

Pitcher, Annabel My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
Publisher: Orion ISBN: 9781444001839

Priestley, Chris The Dead of Winter
Publisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408800133

Rai, Bali Killing Honour
Publisher: Corgi Childrens ISBN: 9780552562119

Rooney, Rachel The Language of Cat
Publisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781847801678

Rosoff, Meg There is no Dog
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141327167

Saunders, Kate Magicalamity
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN:9781407108964

Stephens, John The Emerald Atlas
Publisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780857530189

Young, Moira Blood Red Road
Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN: 9781407124254

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

 

The Bookaholics have requested a group outing to see the new film ‘The Hunger Games’ which comes out in March 2012. I thought I had better read the book first to check what I was letting myself in for.
The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts. Each district is distinct from the others and has its own characteristics and laws. The country is overshadowed by the annual competition, The Hunger Games, which takes place in The Capitol, in which a girl and a boy are selected from each district to take part. Of the 24 competitors only one will emerge the winner – and the only survivor, as the object of The Games is to kill the other competitors.

The novel follows Katniss Everdeen a 16 year old from District 12, who volunteers to take the place of her younger sister Primrose who has been selected to take part. After the lavish ceremony where the participants are dressed up and paraded in front of the nation, they are thrown into the arena. Each year the challenges are different. Katniss is skilled at hunting, but will it be enough to save her? The whole event is compulsory for the nation to watch on TV and representatives of the participants compete for sponsorship – sponsors are allowed to send in gifts at certain points during the Games.

I found this book very gripping, a surreal play on the idea of reality TV. There is plenty of action and twists and turns as the Gamemakers can and do change the rules and conditions of the Games.  One of the twists is that Katniss is also encouraged to fake a romance with Peeta Mellark, the other representative from District 12. Peeta says he is in love with Katniss and their romance grips the nation; Katniss presumes Peeta is faking his feelings as she is, or is he playing a deadly game?

I was swept along by this book and particularly liked Katniss although I found the character of Peeta very annoying and was hoping he would die in the end!
My reading of the book convinced me that it would be a good film to go and see, although having recently completed ‘Blood Red Road’ I think that book was the better of the two and will stay with me for longer as I loved the way it was written. I am now reading the second book of the trilogy, ‘Catching Fire’ as it continues the story where the first left off.

Review of Blood Red Road by Moira Young

I picked up this book to read as I heard about it winning the Costa Children's Award. Also it is on the Carnegie longlist which I am working through with my reading group The Bookaholics, each person selecting a title they would like to read and review for the group. As it was on the school kindle, I took it home to read last weekend.


Initially I had to get used to the dialect which took only a few minutes, but after that I was hooked. 'Blood Red Road' tells the story of Saba, who lives in a dystopian world with her twin brother Lugh, her father and her younger sister Emmi. Her life is shattered when her father is killed and her brother is taken from her by a mysterious group of riders.


Saba is a wonderful character, feisty and difficult, full of complicated emotions. Devoted to her brother, she struggles with her little sister and sees her as a nuisance who will hinder her on her quest to find her brother. She attempts to leave her behind but Emmi has her own ideas and is another wonderfully complex character.


I don't want to give too much away but I didn't expect to be reading a book about cage fighting! Saba is captured and is soon known as the Angel of Death as she becomes unbeatable in the cage. Saba is fiercely independent but her character mellows along the way and she realises she needs to trust other people. She makes friends with a group of female warriors, the Free Hawks who help her to escape and continue on with the search for her brother.


A group of people gather around Saba on her journey to the rocky red mountains - a real mixture of interesting characters. One of these is Jack, who Saba fights constantly but eventually comes to understand why the stone she wears around her neck gets hotter the closer she gets to him. Their relationship is yet another battle for Saba to deal with.

There are many adventures and battles along the way and I found it hard to put this book down. The changes in Saba's personality are reflected as her attitude changes to finding her brother at the end of the story and  the outcome she would like shifts. The way she feels about her sister also changes. I loved the constant tussle she has with feelings - Saba is a truly great character - there is no shortage of strong female characters in this book.

I have already started recommending this book to students. As for me, I am now reading The Hunger Games, as the Bookaholics want me to take them to see the film, so i need to see what all the fuss is about!