Mrs Morris answers the librarians' questions

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

Fattypuffs and Thinifers, by Andre Maurois. 

If you could be a character from a book, who would you be?

Harry Potter.

What sort of books do you like reading now?

Murder mystery.

Who is your favourite author?

Too many to choose from! Jeffrey Deaver and John Grisham.

Are there any picture books that you would recommend?

Ones by Anthony Browne.

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

A crime or thriller. 

If you could pick one book to read to your class, what would it be?

Any of the 'Percy the Park Keeper' books. 

Visit Dee Shulman's website

I know many of you enjoyed our visit from author and illustrator Dee Shulman yesterday. We'll be using one of the drawings she did for us in our after school club soon. 

If you want to find out more about Dee's books, pay a visit to her website:

http://www.deeshulman.com/

and here's a link to Polly Price's totally secret website:

http://www.deeshulman.com/#!pollypricestotallysecretdiary/cfvg

Answers from Mrs G.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce.

If you could be a character from a book, who would you be?

Alice (from Alice in Wonderland).

What sort of books do you like reading now?

Adventure.

Who is your favourite author?

Malorie Blackman.

Are there any picture books that you would recommend?

How to Live Forever, by Colin Thompson.

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

King Arthur.

If you could pick one book to read to your class, what would it be?

Room 13, by Robert Swindells. 

'Lauren and Lucky' and 'Lily Alone' - reviews by Darcy

Lauren and Lucky, by Kelly McKain.

Lauren is an ordinary girl who would love to have the talent to ride. The luck is with her when she finds out her horse is Lucky. But will the luck stay with her? 
Lucky and Lauren were meant to be!

Lily Alone, by Jacqueline Wilson.

This book is just as it says in the title. Lily wants her mum to be happy (at least, that's what Lily thinks). That's until her mum becomes too happy and flees on holiday. Will Lily be able to keep the secret, or will she spill?

Stories by Sebastian and Joshua

Sebastian has written a story about one of the characters we talked about at the after-school club:

Once upon a time lived a wizard who liked to eat spiders. One day, he flew to the moon and stole it. He flew back to earth and turned it into a frog and ate it. Then he went back home and he saw a magic stone at his door. He got to a submarine which took him to dolphins. The dolphins danced and danced and danced forever and ever. He put some music on and lived happily ever after. 


Joshua has also written a story for our blog:

Once upon a time there was a poor man. He lived in the forest in a house made of straw. One day, he saw some people. They came to the door. Two people were carrying some food and some money. They were children. Sadly, he came to the door. Suddenly, in shock, he saw the children. The day after, they were there and they kept on coming and he became rich and he lived happily ever after. 


Thank you for your stories, boys. 

If you have a short story, poem or book review you'd like to see on the blog, write or type it and give it to Mrs Eyres, Mrs Dale or one of the librarians and we'll make sure we include it on here. 

Answers from Mrs Eyres

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

I don't know if I can just pick one. I loved anything by Enid Blyton, especially the Adventure series. I think the books that stayed with me were ones that weren't just written for children: The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham and Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, which I read when I was about twelve. Narnia books were great, too. 

If you could be a character from a book, who would you be?

I always wanted to be George, from the Famous Five, because she owned Kirrin Island. I would love an island with a ruined castle and secret caves! I'd quite like to be in a scary book, so maybe I'd be Coraline? Although it might be too scary to have parents with button eyes. Okay, final choice: I'd be Harry Dresden, from the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher, because he's a private investigator in Chicago, who also happens to be a wizard. But then there's Lucy, from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, too... Maybe I need to give up on normal life and just be in stories. 

What sort of books do you like reading now?

I like books that are a bit out of the ordinary, where strange things happen. I'm hoping that, one day, I'll open the stock cupboard door at school and walk into Narnia. 

Who is your favourite author?

Neil Gaiman, without question. His children's books are brilliant, and his books for older readers are incredible. My favourite is Neverwhere, about a city under London filled with strange, and sometimes terrifying, characters.

Are there any picture books that you would recommend?

Anything by Anthony Browne or Colin Thompson. I can study those illustrations for ages and still find something I'd not noticed before. 

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

I think it would be something in the fantasy genre. Maybe a Terry Pratchett type of thing, like The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky. I'd like to write for older children / young adults, because I think a lot of those books can be more imaginative than 'normal' books for grown-ups. 

If you could pick one book to read to your class, what would it be?

I'm going to cheat here, and choose a series... or two. Either A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, because the books are full of puzzles and daftness, or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, which is funny and clever and because Elm Class deserve to know the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. 

Mr Sayers answers the librarians' questions

The librarians wanted to know a little more about the reading habits of the school staff. Here's what Mr Sayers had to say:

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

A Twist of Fate by Pamela Scobie.

If you could be a character from a book, who would you be?

Willy Wonka.

What sort of books do you like reading now?

Short ones.

Who is your favourite author?

Khalil Gibran.

Are there any picture books that you would recommend?

Lost and Found - Oliver Jeffers,

Clown - Quentin Blake,

Elephant and Piggie series - Mo Willems.

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

The triumph of spirituality over materialism.

If you could pick one book to read to your class, what would it be?

Whispers in the Graveyard - Theresa Breslin. 

Thank you, Mr Sayers!

“I was a Rat” (or The Scarlet Slippers) by Philip Pullman

Here's a book review by Mr Sayers:

Roger is a strange boy. He suddenly appears on Bob and Joan’s doorstep and doesn't seem to have any family history. He tears his bed sheets and has awful eating habits. Roger’s only explanation is that he was a rat.

How does such a strange boy know his way around the palace, like he’s been there before?  Why is the princess prepared to help him when everyone else thinks he’s a freak?
This story is the work of a genius!  The denouement leaves you saying “Oh, of course !” Philip Pullman is so good at getting you wrapped up in his stories, and he does the same here. The ending/solution should be obvious, but you get so wrapped up in the details of the story that you miss it – until the very end. Realising that you have been tricked, all along, actually makes you appreciate this book all the more.

Molly's 'Piece of Writing'!

Molly couldn't decide quite what she had written. It wasn't really a story. It wasn't a diary-entry. It was, she decided, just a piece of writing!

A Piece of Writing, by Molly

They say when you hit rock bottom, you can only get back up. You need to realise that there are other people who feel like you do. Sick and tired of running bare-foot on stone floors. Sometimes, this doesn't work. Sometimes, those people are taller than you, too far away or they just don't care. You run into stone walls and bang locked doors with your fists, but there is no escape. Monsters chase you, dark scary monsters, and worst of all, you know who they are. They're monsters that shout insults, trip you up, and can hurt you without even getting close. You scream and scream but no-one can hear you, so you take the only option and run. Running and running, making sharp turns and demolishing anything in your way. You keep running, keep turning, never stop, though all you want to do is curl up and die. Bash your head against floors, dig your fingernails into your palms. Something, anything to wake yourself up from this nightmare.

 You find a dark corner to sit in and watch people start to build towers. Towers of hope. Towers of strength. Towers you will never climb. Your hands wrap round your knees and your face goes down into your lap. You can't bear to watch people work their way back up to the top. Because you know however high you stretch, you will never reach the top.  

Photo courtesy of chriscandy/freeimages.com

Mouse's First Summer

A book review by Alicia Mae:

Mouse's First Summer - by Lauren Thompson

This book is for mouse lovers. I enjoyed this book because it had very good descriptive words before it told you what it was describing, so your imagination started working. It also had cute characters. I love this book. I would recommend this book to my friends. 

Thank you for sharing a lovely book with us, Alicia Mae!