Carnegie Short Review: 3

A Greyhound of a Girl – Roddie Doyle

This is a charming story, easy to read, telling of Mary O’Hara and four generations of the women in her family. I loved the Irish lilt in the voice of the narrator. It’s a very emotional book, telling of Mary’s Great-Grandmother Tansey who returns as a ghost when her own daughter Emer, now a Grandma is dying. Tansey died when her daughter was only three, but through Mary, the pair are reunited and go on a journey to the farm where they used to live, sharing bits of family history along the way. The relationships between mothers and sughters reallyy came alive for me and it was a very enjoyable read.

Carnegie Books: Short reviews 2

Wonder
RJ Palacio

This book had been on the library shelves for several months and had never gone out. It was one I intended to read, and as soon as I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. The first few chapters are from Auggie’s point of view, then it changes to include various other characters. I would have preferred Augustus to be the narrator the whole way through, as I was sorry when the first section came to an end, but the other characters offered interesting perspectives on what was happening to Augustus. However, his sister only had a short section and I found her very interesting as a character. The book tugs at the heartstrings, but it is very American and everything ties up neatly at the end. I don’t find the cover very appealing and wonder if it puts readers off, as I’m still having difficulty persuading students to read it, despite recommending it to them.  

Carnegie Shortlist - my short reviews: 1

The Weight of Water
Sarah Crossan

This book is delightful. I hope the verse layout doesn’t put teenagers off because it is so beautifully written and easy to read. Important issues are dealt with in this book, seen through the eyes of Kasienka, a young Polish girl who comes to London with her mother, following the footsteps of the father. It soon becomes clear to Kasienka that her father does not want to be found and she finds herself in the middle of a complicated family situation. Kasienka also has to try and fit in at school, deal with bullies and her growing friendship with Will, who recognises her talent for swimming.
This book is both sad and humorous. It didn’t take me long to read, but the book stayed with me afterwards.