Book Equivalent #         2                               Words:    80,633                                       Date: Around 1st of September

Title:       Eagle Day                                                           Author:    Robert Muchamore

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:   Historical Fiction

• Opening Sentence:

It was eleven at night, but the port of Bordeax crackled with life.

• Favourite word / phrase / sentence:

My favourite sentence is “Pale skinned, slender, and whose accent had more in common with a wealthy Frenchman than a North African.”

The effect of this sentence on the reader is that it creates a good image in their head of what the character looks like. Also, readers feel they can relate to it by relating his accent to a wealthy Frenchman, rather than a North African. Also this sentence uses alliteration when the author writes, “pale skinned and slender”. The effect of using alliteration in this sentence is it makes the sentence sound nicer and flow more.

• Vocabulary and new terms (with part of speech) and definition:

Traipse (verb) -To walk around tiredly and reluctantly.

• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written. The author masterfully manipulated the story and the minds of the reader, often through use of foreshadowing.. An example of foreshadowing in the story was when the author wrote “All I want is a quiet life,” said PT. This is foreshadowing when PT is going to try and leave Henderson’s group. The reason for him trying leave Henderson’s group was that he only wanted a quiet life. The author also includes lots of imagery. An example of this is when Robert Muchamore wrote “Since running away from the orphanage two weeks earlier, Marc had trained himself to block out the horrible things he saw all around: from mumbling old dears suffering heat stroke to escaped pigs lapping the blood around corpses at the road side.” The effect of this sentence on the reader is that it gives the reader a really vivid and concrete image of the situation and the world the characters are living in. It also gives the reader, a really good idea of the horrors of war and what the characters are dealing with.

I can connect to this book because all the kids helping out Henderson had to choose between leaving him and going to somewhere safe away from the war, or staying to help him sabotage and spy on the Nazis. I can connect to this because I have had to make important decisions in my life before where I did not know what the right decision was and have had to think about it for a long time, just like what the kids in the story had to do.

In Eagle Day, the author believes that you should always do the right thing. He shows this by Charles Henderson, sneaking into a top Nazi officer’s office to steal plans for an invasion of Britain, so that he can stop the invasion. (This actually happened. Germany was going to invade Britain by land, but the plot was foiled by secret agents!). There was an extremely high chance that Henderson would be caught, and if he got caught, he would be killed. Despite this, he carried on and did the right thing and got the plans. Another time the author reinforced this was when Henderson’s group of spies (They were recruited orphans, not technically spies), had to break into the docks to blow it up, so the German’s supply of ships would be destroyed. This operation was also extremely risky, but the group did it anyway, because they knew it was the right thing to do. Another example the author gave to support the theme was when PT tried to steal gold and money from Charles Henderson , who had cared, looked after, and been good to PT so long. PT then tried to run away from the group with the stolen items to himself. Luckily, he was stopped, and the whole group got extremely mad at him for betraying them after everything they had done for him. This shows that PT did the wrong thing, and for the rest of the book nobody trusted him, or valued him. No one paid much attention to him when he was shot in leg even by a big machine gun. Another time the author tried to reinforce the idea of always doing the right thing was at the beginning of the story, when a young boy shot a police officer so his dad wouldn’t be arrested, and caught for his crimes. This shows that the boy was only doing what he believed to be right(even if it wasn’t necessarily the right thing to do).

Throughout this story, I felt incredibly hopeless, because all the characters had no say in what their fate was. For example, the kids in the story were totally dependent on Charles Henderson for survival. Also, to rely on him, that meant they had to perform dangerous undercover tasks for him where they could be killed. Throughout the story, the kids just went wherever and did whatever Henderson wanted them to do, which involved dangerous missions. Also, when nazis attacked, swarms of people would helplessly fall like flies. At any moment, it could be one of the main characters. In addition to this, it also made me feel hopeless that once the kids even made it through a mission, they wouldn’t have a family or life to go back to. There life is now a miserable one full of violence and danger.

Paul reminds me of myself, because he is always questioning and thinking clearly about what he is doing. He asks questions over whether or not what he is about to is the right thing. For example, when he has to shoot nazis, he always aims for their legs. In contrast, Henderson always justs gets a machine gun and willy nill shoots them up.

This author uses many literary devices. One of these devices is symbolism. The author uses symbolism intelligently to support the second main theme; think before you act. Robert Muchamore believes we should think before we act. Often times in the story, someone will shoot someone, and afterwards they feel really sick, gutted, and disgusted. As this is quite a violent book, the author makes a lot of reference to blood. In this story, I believe blood is a major symbol. I think blood represents the consequences of actions, because in this book when someone is bleeding it is because another has performed an action that inflicts pain upon another. The consequence of the action of inlficting pain is that blood is drawn, and blood being drawn isn’t a good thing. The author uses blood to represent the negative consequences of one’s actions. This further reinforces the theme; think before you act, because the author wants us to consider the consequences of our actions beforehand.

Book Equivalent #   2                                     Words:    Around 109,200

Title:     Who Wants to Be a Batsman                                                 Author:      Simon Hughes

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:     Non-Fiction

• Opening Sentence:

I haven’t scored any hundreds, but I’ve given away a few.

• Favourite word / phrase / sentence:

The Sri Lankan’s brush strokes are delicate, careful, silky. There is a beautiful evenness about his movements, he has a steady hand as he guides, steers, caresses the ball across the green canvas.

• Vocabulary and new terms (with part of speech) and definition:

Conformism (noun) – abiding by the rules, customs or styles or a group.

Auld (adjective) – A Scottish form of “old”.

• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

Anyone interested in cricket should read this book because it explains how to become a better batsman. It discusses the range of batting styles and personalities. This book covers the temperament required to be a good batsman. Witty, and cynical, this book taps into the mind and hearts of any avid cricketer. In addition to appealing to cricketers, anyone interested in 1980’s to early 90’s culture in England, because Simon Hughes recalls on his own experiences in dressing rooms during that time period, and gives a snapshot of what the culture was like back then.

The most important thing I learned in this book was that to be a good batsman you have to do what feels right for you. This means you have to play the way you want to, and have the technique that feels right for you, but there is a common mindset required for all good batsman. The author proved this to me by giving me the example of Steve Smith, whose technique is ungainly, and hard on the eye, but Steve Smith scores a lot of runs. The author says the common mindset required among all good batsmen is to be harsh, tough, uncompromising, yet calm and stable. The author also uses the example of Donald Bradman to support this point, whose technique was traditionally “wrong”, but he still was an excellent batsman and had the right mindset.

This information greatly conflicted with what I already know. Before reading this story, I thought there was a “correct way” to bat. For example, I thought I had to follow all the traditional ideology about batting, such as having the right stance, backlift, grip, shot selection, technique, stroke play, etc. However, this book came out and boldy said that there is no correct way to bat.

This book greatly changes how I view the world of elite cricketers. Watching them on television, and in the stands, the cricketers look really rough, tough, invincible, alpha-male, and cocky sometimes. However, this book includes interviews with really top players and goes inside their minds and thought process. I was surprised to find out that many of the players weren’t actually that confident, and they were mentally unstable and shaky. For example, the book included a private interview with Shane Watson and it revealed that he was constantly unsure of himself and he was struggling to feel confident, and he was confused and didn’t know his role in the team. The book also revealed Ian Bell, a free-flowing, elegant batsman, was really unsure of himself and he was constantly doubting his ability. The book also revealed how cricketers, such as Mark Ramprakash, would sometimes break down in their bedroom after losing a match, or performing badly.

I personally, really enjoy playing cricket, and love when I score runs or take wickets, etc. But, I also know the gloom, and hopelessness of scoring a duck, or playing badly. Whenever I go through a dry patch, I start fiddling with my technique, and style in order to get better. I always thought this was the right way to go about things, always looking to improve and persevere. However, I  became extremely excited and intrigued when I read this was the wrong way to go about things. Simon Hughes said to be a good batsman, you need to find a method that suits you, and stick to it always. In an interview with Kumar Sangakarra, Sangakarra said he had a difficult start to his career. He only averaged 26 in his first 4 years of first-class cricket, but he stuck to his style, and did what he felt was best, and eventually finished his career with a Test match batting average of 57. This shows that if you stick to what feels right to you, you will be a successful batsman, as an average of 57 suggests!

In this book the writer made the information very interesting. First of all, he did this by really tapping into the hearts of cricketers, and connecting and relating to them. He did this especially well when he would perfectly, vividly, and eloquently describe the feeling of failure and scoring a duck. All cricketers knows the extreme sadness and down in the dumps feeling of scoring a duck. This caused me to really relate to him. Secondly, he wrote in a very entertaining manner, he used lots of quips, jokes, and wrote in a witty, cynical manner. The author used lots of hyperboles and imagery. Another thing the author did to make the book interesting was that he kept challenging lots of traditional cricketing ideology, such as having a correct way to play. The author also kept subtly posing questions in the text to get the reader to read on the find the answer. An example of this was when he said there was no correct way to play, and then he started talking about the mindset needed to bat. He posed the question whether or not there was a correct mindset.

The first main idea in this informational text is that you should bat in whatever manner feels most comfortable, even if you are going through bad patches. One time the author proves this is when he mentions how Kumar Sangakarra averaged only 26 in his first 4 years of first class cricket, but how he stuck to his game and ended up with a test average of 57. The second main idea in this informational text is to stay calm. The author wants the batsman to always stay calm out on the pitch when playing, and take their innings one ball at a time. The author also wants the reader to stay calm when they are going through a bad period. To support this claim, the author uses the example of the failure of Mark Ramprakash at Test level. The author explains how he was a good cricketer at first class level, but he wasn’t calm and mentally stable, so when he started playing test cricket, he failed. His failure was shown in only averaging 27 in test cricket. The third main idea in this text is to enjoy batting and playing cricket, even when everything is going against you. The author shows this by calling on his own experiences when batting and describes how he didn’t enjoy it, and dreaded it. As a result of this, he failed and got out quickly, and couldn’t win the game for his team, the author said.

The author wants me to know that being batting requires someone to be very tough, hard, and uncompromising. He shows this by explaining how when he was facing Malcolm Marshall, he wanted to get out of there for fear of getting hurt. Then, when he nicked one behind and the umpire gave it not out, he walked because he didn’t want to be out there. In contrast, he showed how batsman such as Allan Border, and Javed Miandad, always strived to keep their wicket, regardless of the damages it could do to their health. They broke jaws, bones, and fingers. He also said good batsmen would never give in. He also said that it was useless arguing with a good batsman because they would never give in.

The author organized the information this way to keep the reader engaged. In the beginning of the book, the author gave inklings and hints of what is to come later in the story, and posed questions in the mind of the reader, so that they would read on. Throughout the chapters in the book, the author went about answering those questions.

The writer told the story in third person omniscient. The writer used third person pronouns in the story such as he, she, and they. The author knew everything that was going on in the story, and the reader knew things that the characters didn’t. Will didn’t now the tsunami was going to hit, but the author foreshadowed it, so the readers knew it was going to hit. He foreshadowed it by mentioning how the elephant did not go in the water today, and was afraid of it. It was also foreshadowed by the description of the really low tide, and the weird looking ocean.

The author uses symbolism in this story as well. At the end of the story, Will was standing on a jetty by a river when he had decided to spend his life in the jungle, and while the author was describing his thought process. Throughout the story, Will was struggling internally and his choice to stay marked the end of his internal struggles. As a result of this, I think the water symbolizes purity.

Book Equivalent#      2                              # Words:        100,572

Title:  Running Wild                                                               Author:  Michael Morpurgo

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:     Fiction

• Opening Sentence:
• The sea murmured onto the beach.
• Favourite word / phrase / sentence:
• He was a withered, diminutive man, his skin stretched thin over his hollow cheeks, as if life was draining out of him with every passing minute.
• Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
• Crook(noun)-A bend in something, usually at the elbow in someone’s arm.
• Mahout(noun)-A person who works with elephants in the south-east Asia region.
• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

In “Running Wild”, the author believes that we should always help eachother, because in this book there are many examples of others helping others out, even if it will negatively affect the one helping. An example of this is when the tsunami hits Indonesia, and Oona, the elephant carries Will into the jungle and saves him. A second example of this is when Will rescues 3 baby orangutans who have lost their mothers and he carries them throughout the jungle, caring for them, and giving them food. A third example of this is when “Other One”, an orangutan, is guiding Oona, another Orangutan, the baby orangutans and Will through the forest to the wildlife sancutary to get help. In all of these circumstances, one is helping others just for the sake of it, even if it will negatively impact them, or not benefit them at all.

The beginning of the book made my feel really sad. The tone and mood was very gloomy, miserable, depressed, and forlorn. This was because Will’s father died fighting in the Iraq war. After that, Will’s mum also died in the Tsunami. During the middle of the book, when Will was roaming the jungle, I felt happy, because Will was enjoying his time in the jungle with his good friend the elephant, Oona. I felt happy until poachers started shooting orangutans, and Will & the orangutans were captured, then had to escape. At the end of the book, when Will was waiting in the wildlife sanctuary for his grandparents to pick him up and take him back to England, I felt bittersweet and conflicted, because I knew how much Will loved the jungle now, but I also knew how much he loved his grandparents. The end of the book also made me feel curious and tense to find out if Will will choose to stay in the jungle, or if he will go with his grandparents.

This book is a lot like my life, because it involves Will having to make lots of choices that will determing life or death for him. In my life, I haven’t been in any life or death situation, but I have had to make important choices. Will had to choose if he was going to leave Oona and survive on his own, he had to choose if he was going to follow “Other One”, and he had to choose if he was going to care for the baby orangutans. Ultimately, he had to choose if he was going to stay in the jungle or go to his grandparent’s house. I have also hd to make decisions in my life as well.

The best part of the book was when Will was captured by the poachers and he had to escape. This was the best part of the book, because Will was going to be sold as a slave as part of a human traficking business, and he had to escape. The author conveyed the Will’s enjoyment, and pleasure he got out of roaming freely in the wild earlier, so when he was locked up in a cage, I understood the enormity of the sadness he was feeling. It was also the best part, because it was very tense, and kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if he would make it. This was also the best part of the book, because the poaching business’ chef, helped them. He gave him food while he was in the cage, even though he wasn’t meant to, and he got tools to help Will escape from the cage. This act by the chef further reinforces the theme of helping others out.

The title does fit the book, becuase throughout most of the story, Wil was running wild throughout the jungle with Oona and the baby orangutans, Bart, Tonk, and Charlie. Since the author described and conveyed how much Will enjoyed running wild throughout the jungle, I think the title does fit the book.

The single most important sentence in this book is, “Oona swung round, and before the mahout could stop her, she was running towards the trees.” This is the most important sentence, because it is the start of Will’s journey running wild in the jungle, as Oona heads towards the trees. It is also the most important sentence, because it is really further reinforcing the theme of to always help others, because Oona is carrying Will on her back to safety. Also, because of the author’s word choice in this sentence, I know she did it instinctively, because the author used the word choice of “swung round” which shows she did it quickly and without thinking a lot. This shows that helping people is part of Oona’s nature.

I do like the ending, even though it was bitter sweet. I think it flowed naturally, and the author used the ending to excellently reinforce the theme, sum it up, and show that he really wanted people int he world to help others out more. At the end of the story, Peter was taken to a wild life sanctuary by “Other One”. At the sanctuary, Peter was treated for his sickness, and once he recovered he began helping out with the orphaned orangutans in the sanctuary. Will also discovered his grandparents were coming from England to pick him up, this caused him to feel really conflicted because he loved his grandparents, but he also loved the jungle and helping the baby orangutans. Ultimately, Will choose to stay in the sanctuary and help out the orangutans, which perfectly reinforces the theme of to always help others, because he decided to spend the rest of his life helping orangutans.

I think I am like Will in this story, because when he has his mind set on something he does it. For example, he really enjoyed running wild in the jungle, so he decided to spend the rest of his life running wild in the jungle and help to rescue baby orangutans. I am like this as well, because when I have my mind set on something, or really enjoy doing something I do it. For example, I really enjoy playing cricket, and always try my best and do it often, because it is something I love to do.

Oona, the elpehant that was always looking after Will in the jungle, remind me of my mum, because my mum is also always caring for me, and making sure I’m ok. Since I am a Roman Catholic, Other One reminds me of my guardian angel, because he was always looking out over Oona and Will from above, and gave them warning signals when danger was coming, and guided them away from danger. For example, Other One, high in the trees, guided Oona and Will who were walking on the ground out of the bush fire to safety, and eventually to the wildlife sanctuary. I think Other One always high in the trees and never actually directly interacting with the other characters represents a guardian angel, or a higher being in heaven. I think by always guiding and watching out for Oona and Will from afar represents a guardian angel always looking out for me from Heaven.

In this story, I would most like to have Will for a friend, because Will is very perseverant and will stop at nothing to get something done. He shows this when he is escaping from the cage guarded by the poachers and human trafickers, and he runs into the jungle, and doesn’t stop running until he is positiveley sure the bad guys won’t catch him. In addition to not only running as fast as he could for a long time, he had multiple orangutans clinging on to him, so they to could escape. I would also like to be friends with Will, because he is always looking to help others and he is extremely caring. Will shows this when Oona and he have separated, but he met up with three orphaned orangutans and he caries them through the jungle, and cares, and looks after them. Finally, Will is very resourceful. He shows this by building nests high up in the trees for him, a human, to sleep on in the jungle.

In this story, personally, I would most like to live in the wildlife sanctuary that specializes in helping orphaned orangutans, because it is a very nice place. Cheerful, caring, it helps orphaned orangutans. Also, the people that help the orangutans are really nice, and the sanctuary is really caring and is very helpful. It shows this by caring for Will when he is sick in bed for 3 weeks, and rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned orangutans.The facilities in the orphanage are also really nice. There is a great big bamboo bungalow for the head of the sanctuary, surrounded by lush green grass, on a steamy island in the middle of the jungle.

What interested my in this story was the second theme the author implied. The author also believed that we should move on from things, but never forget them. The author showed this by the grandparents of Will organizing a vacation for him and his mum to go to Indonesia on holiday to move on from the passing of Will’s father. But, the author showed that we should not forget by writing about how Will remembered happy times with his father and remembering a joke his fathe used to tell him all the time. The author wrote, ” Usually I can’t remember jokes, but I always remembered this one, maybe because Dad told it so often.” The second time the author wanted to convey this theme was when the author wrote about how Will wanted to forget all about the poachers, human trafickers, and the shooting of the orangutans. Once Will escaped, he moved on from them and wanted to “forget them forever”. However, as the author doesn’t want us to forget, he showed this by the poachers and bad guys coming back with guns in the forest to find Will and the escaped orangutans. This shows and highlights the flaw of Will completely forgetting about them. Another time the author further reinforced this theme was when Will was running wild in the jungle, he forgot completely about England and his grandparents. As a result of this, when they were coming back to pick him up, he didn’t want to go with them, even though he loved them so much before. Also, it came to him as a brutal shock that he was ebing picked up and he couldn’t cope with it.

I know the Tsunami in Indonesia is fact and not imagined, because it is part of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, because the author talked about it in a post script. The epicentre of the Tsunami was off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. I also know the Oona, an elephant, detecting the tsunami was also not imagined. In the post script, the author mentioned how Sri Lankan media reports said elephants detected the Tsunami before it hit, and began to stampede inland. This was like Oona detecting it before it hit and also racing inland. I also know the Iraq War was not imagined. In the post script, the author talked about it. In the post script the author said deforestation and the burning of forests in Indonesia for palm oil, and to clear land is also a real problem, not imagined. Lastly, orangutans losing their habitat and being sold is pets is also a real problem, as mentioned in the post script.

I know that this a Michael Morpurgo book, and from experience, I know his endings are always totally unexpected and there is always a last minute twist in the end. While reading this book, and nearing the ending I was expecting a twist or something unexpected, and I got it. At the end of everyone of his books, he plays with the mind of the reader, and this was no exception. In this story, nearing the end, everyone was content, and Peter was planning on spending the rest of his life in the jungle. All of a sudden however, there was a huge bush fire, and Other One had to lead them to safety. Other One eventually took them to a wildlife sanctuary, where the person running it recognized Peter as the missing boy and phoned his grandparents in England to come pick him up. Then, as Peter was boarding the boat with his grandparents to take him down river to the airport, he decided he wanted to stay in the jungle and help the sanctuary.

Although this book has many external conflicts, such as the poachers, his parents dying, the Tsunami, and struggling to survive in the jungle, the core conflict in this book is person versus self. Throughout the story, Will was struggling inside himself and was struggling with his emotions, and feelings. In the beginning of the story, Will’s father died. Inside himself, he was battling with his emotions. Will felt extremely pained, sad, depressed, and agonized by his father’s passing. Will would try to move on from the pain he felt from his father’s death, but when he tried to forget about the pain and his father’s death, he just couldn’t and the memories came back. It made peter feel disgusted and gutted that he tried to forget about his father and his death, and it made him feel even sadder when he tried to forget because the memories would just come flooding back. Also, to show that Will was more internally affected by the death, rather than externally, the author spent a lot of time using vivid imagery to eloquently describe Will’s feelings.

The second internal struggle Peter experienced was when he left his mum swimming in the ocean, when the tsunami struck. While he was in the jungle, he kept hoping in vain that his mum would be alive, even though she was swimming in the ocean when the tsunami struck and the whole coast was destroyed. He felt extremely pained, upset, and sad because of his mum’s passing. Like dealing with his father’s death, he tried to forget about his mum completely, but that just made him feel even sadder, and caused more memories to come flooding back. While in the jungle, Will tried to deny truth of his mum’s death, and constantly told himself that he would someday find her and she would be alive.

The third internal struggle Peter experienced was whether he should stay or leave the jungle. What further invigorated this struggle was the fact that his grandparents arrived at the end of the story to come pick him up and take him to England. Will had bonded with the jungle after living in it for 2 years, he loved and had a deep connection to it. The idea of wheter or not he should leave or stay kept tossing and turning in his head.

To interest me in the story, the writer had an ongoing train of throught and internal struggle in Will’s head, which kept asking questions of Will and his future. I read on in the story, because I wanted to find out how Will was going to cope with the internal struggle, and I wanted to find out the answers to the questions he was asking of himself.

The author writes in third person omniscient. The author uses third person pronouns such as he, she and they. The author and the readers know things that the character do not. For example, the readers knew the tsunami was going to hit, because the author foreshadowed it. The author foreshadowed it by mentioning how the elephant was acting strangely around the water, and how the tide was really low, and the ocean looked peculiar.

The author also uses symbolism in the story. At the end of the story, Will stood by a river on a jetty, when he had decided to spend the rest of his life in the jungle, and this marked the end of his internal struggles. In this scene, I think the river symbolizes purity. Firstly, because water is a common symbol for purity. Secondly, I think it symbolizes purity because his mind is no longer clouded and confused. His mind is clear, set, and knows exactly what Will wants to do for the rest of his life. Another symbol the author uses is the orangutan, “Other One”. I think Other One represents a higher being watching over the humans, because, like a higher being, he never directly interacts with people, and is always guiding us from above. Other One is guided Will and Oona to safety out of the fire.

The author used words really well in this story. He used similes. An example of a simile in this story is when the author writes “I felt like a king up there, or an emperor maybe, or a sultan..” The author was describing how Will felt on top of the elephant. The impact on the reader of this similes is that it uses concrete imagery to really show how Will feels on the elephant, by comparing it to something. This further reinforces the theme of the story, because a king, emperor or sultan, is always being cared, looked after, and pampered for.

Book Equivalent #  2                                  # Words:     104,598

Title:            The Fall                                                     Author:        Robert Muchamore

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:    The Escape

• Opening Sentence:
• As a baby, Marc Kilgour had been abandoned between two stone flower pots on the platform at Beauvais station.
• Favourite word / phrase / sentence:
• Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
• Boche(noun)-A german soldier.
• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

• In this story, the author believes that we should take risks,

  because

  in this story, Marc escapes from the orphanage. In the orphanage, kids would be whipped, and thrashed if they did anything wrong. Also, there was a hierarchy in the orphanage, and kids would get teased and bullied. Marc had a rival, and they would always fight. If Marc got caught after trying to escape, he would be bullied and humiliated by the other orphans, and he would be mercilessly whipped by the man running the orphanage. The author shows us we should take risks here because Marc took a huge risk escaping from the orphanage, and the consequences of getting caught were huge, but he did it anyway because he wanted better opportunity in life. Another time the author shows this is when Marc and Charles Henderson charge into a hotel crawling with nazis and shoot some high-ranking people, but because they fired their guns, it brought a lot of attention to them, and they had to escape out of a hotel with masses of nazis chasing them. The author shows we should take risks here because they took a massive risk by charging into a building of Nazis and shooting some people, but they did it anyway because they knew they had to do it to help win World War 2.

  Book Equivalent: 3                                   # Words:         171, 912                           

  Title: Michael Clarke – My Story                                                                 Author:  Michael Clarke                          

  Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:        Non Fiction                                                                         

  • Opening Sentence: It’s a beautiful morning for cricket: today is the semifinal of the 2007 World Cup and we are in St. Lucia to play South Africa. 
  • Favourite word / phrase / sentence: My job is to stick around at one end so my teammates can score runs at the other.
  • Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
  • Introspective – (adj) characterized by or given to introspection.
  • Introspection – The examination of one’s own mental and emotional processes.
  • Reflection, Connection & Personal Response: Anyone interested in cricket should read this book because it gives a fabulous insight into the life of Michael Clarke, a terrific cricketer. Also, it gives extremely informative pieces of advice to anyone who wants to improve their cricket. The most important thing I learnt while reading this book was; if you want to succeed at cricket you have to really enjoy playing cricket. Clarke explained this by describing his love for the game, and how his enthusiasm to play helped him be successful. This book has enormously changed my view of Michael Clarke. Initially, while watching him on TV and in person, I saw him as quite a grumpy and unfriendly man (quite different to most cricketers on his team). However, after reading his book, I realized that his dad had cancer for many years during Clarke’s playing career. Additionally, Michael Clarke had  excruciating, chronic back pain that required loads of treatment. While reading this book, I was really interested and surprised to find out that me and the child/teenager Clarke had so much in common. Constantly, he talked about his eternal desire to just play cricket, and how much he enjoyed the game. The words he used to describe his love for cricket were exactly how I feel. Also, I could really relate to how he felt playing in the Under 17’s competition as a 13-year-old and facing much bigger, and older bowlers, because I am playing in the HK U17 competition right now. He always described how he would struggle and just try to stick around at the other end, something I feel and can relate to exactly.

The writer made the information interesting because he would sometimes use narrative writing techniques to share stories or insights into his career. He would use descriptive language, and metaphors, etc. This made the reading much more story-like, and made it easier to connect to Clarke as the main character.

The three most important ideas from this informational text are to firstly, fight against unjust power. Secondly, to enjoy cricket very much. And third, to value family and friends over anything. To always fight against power is a main idea because during Clarke’s career the hierarchy of the Australian Cricket Board was not working well and making Clarke’s job very difficult. For example, they would not let him have any say in selection meetings even though he was meant to. Moreover, they would never listen to him orrespectt his views regarding his own personal fiteness as well. However, Clarke constantly fought this throughout his career. To enjoy cricket t is a main idea because Michael Clarke talks about how his love of the game helped him be so successful not only in cricket, but socially and emotionally as well. He talked about how his undying love for cricket carried him through to play for Australia. Whats more, he talked about how he became friends with so many people through cricket, and how cricket helped him maintain a confidence and happiness during his teenage years. To always value family and friends over everything is a main idea because Michael Clarke always put his family ahead of cricket. For example, when his Dad had cancer, he took time away from cricket to help him. Furthermore, Clarke lost numerous good friends while playing for Australia because he put work ahead of them. But afterwards, he deeply regretted it.

Reading Response #1

Book Equivalent:    1                             # Words:        48,000                        

Title: Ivanhoe (Adapted)                                                                     Author: Sir Walter Scott                              

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:   Historical Fiction                                                                              

• Opening Sentence: In the year 1192, the people of England feared for the life of their beloved king, Richard I, also called Richard the Lion Heart.
• Favourite word / phrase / sentence: “There is only one man in all of England who can fight like that!” cried Ivanhoe.
• Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
• Parapet (noun) – a low, protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge or balcony.
• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

While reading the book, I felt in awe of Ivanhoe’s resilience, bravery, and truth to power. He was incredibly brave to fight in the joust against the best night, Bois-Guilbert. He also courageously showed truth to power by standing up against Prince John and his reign by challenging his knights.

In a way, Ivanhoe reminds me of myself. But not because I go around as a knight in shining armor fighting for my true love! Ivanhoe reminds me of myself because of his traits of resilience and courage. He showed resilience and courage while carrying on fighting in a joust against one of the best nights in England, even though he was wounded. He didn’t back down from the challenge. This relates to me because I am resilient and courageous as well. I am prepared to take risks. And I never back down from a challenge, and will fight to the end, just like Ivanhoe.

During a fight to the death in a joust, I was enormously surprised when Ivanhoe disarmed his opponent and had him pinned underneath his sword. Yet, Ivanhoe did not kill him. By doing so, the author showed that people must show mercy, and treat others how you want to be treated.

Throughout the story, I noticed that the writer used a lot of descriptive language to describe the setting. For example, Scott wrote, “On the eastern and western sides, galleries had been erected and covered with carpets. Here, knights, nobles, and town officials, all with their ladies would be seated from the center to the end, according to their rank and wealth. The poor masses, however, used the slopes of the surrounding hills and branches if the trees from which to view the tournament. ” In the excerpt above, Scott spends a lot of time setting the scene of the joust. Scott does this in many other parts of the book as well.

I notice that the writer used symbolism to help tell the story. For example, I noticed that disguise is a major motif throughout the story. For instance, Ivanhoe returned to England in disguise as he rode through the Sherlock Forest. Also, after winning a joust, Ivanhoe did not remove his helmet, because he wanted to remain unknown and disguised. In addition, Gurth disguised himself as a monk to enter Front-de-Bouef’s castle. In the story, Whenever someone used a disguise in the story to do something it was because they weren’t as powerful or strong as their opponents, thus they needed to resort to more clever means of getting things done. Here, the author believes that when someone doesn’t have as much power as another person, they need to use their brains, rather than muscle and strength to beat their opponents.

I also believe the siege and burning of Torquilstone castle is a symbol of everything that happened in the story and is happening in England at the time. The castle represents everything that is wrong about England, and what Ivanhoe and others are fighting against. Cruel Normans run the castle. This is just like England being run by cruel, lawless Normans. The castle is also the place where Cedric, Ivanhoe, and Lady Rowena, all Saxons were imprisoned. This is exactly like the Normans oppressing Saxons all over England at the time. The siege of Torquilstone represents the conflict in the story, the noble Saxons against the cruel Normans.

I noticed that Scott used used lots of imagery in Ivanhoe. This evoked my senses and enabled me to feel and experience the story. Scott did this especially well in battle scenes, which I especially enjoyed. For example, Scott wrote, ” … the trumpets blared as the knights sped towards each other. Lances were thrust at shields, sending shocks through both men. Their horses recoiled back-wards but recovered their balance…the Templar struck first, his lance crashing into the Disinherited Knight’s shield with such force that the wooden pole shattered to pieces. But… the disinherited knight thrust his lance into the templar’s visor. ” Here, and in other places throughout the story, the author uses imagery to describe scenes so the reader can feel engaged in the story. Moreover, Scott used lots of similes and metaphors to help readers understand what was going on, and so readers could relate to what was being said.

Reading Response #2

Book Equivalent:            3                      # Words:        158,100                                   

Title:  AB de Villiers – The Autobiography                                                         Author: AB de Villiers                                 

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:   Non-Fiction    

• Opening Sentence: Someone else should bat.
• Favourite word / phrase / sentence: Focus, I told myself. Concentrate. Get into line. Fight. Don’t give it away…don’t get out to the oke who trampled your cap.
• Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
• LED (noun) –  a light that glows when voltage is applied. (light emitting diode)
• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

Anyone who is interested in cricket, or South African culture should read this book. If you are interested in cricket, you should read this book because it provides an excellent insight into the life of AB de Villiers, one of the world’s superstar cricketers. It talks about his cricketing career, and how he reached the top level. If you are interested in South African culture, you should read this book because it provides a terrific, first-hand, on the ground experience of South African culture, and the troubles that embroil their society.

The most important thing I learnt while reading this book was to never get to big more my boots. Throughout the story, AB shares his experiences and extraordinary feats from the modest point of view of the young boy he once was. He always reminds the reader how grateful he is for everything he has in his life, whether it be his family, friends, school, or cricket career. He respects opposition players in his book. And he doesn’t view himself as a superstar, but merely a young boy fortunate enough to be playing cricket for a living.

I have always thought AB de Villiers would be ignorant, spoilt, and unappreciative because of all the money he is paid, especially in India. However, after reading this book, I realized he is a really down to earth, and grateful guy. He shows this by always writing about how appreciative he is for everything he has. Moreover, I was really surprised about how religious AB de Villiers is. He talked about faith and what he believed in his book a lot, and how he tried to keep God in his life.

The first main idea in this text is to never give up. AB de Villiers had to practice very hard to succeed at Test cricket. He had to work on his defensive play, something he wasn’t used to. The second main idea in this text is to always be grateful, no matter how much you have. AB de Villiers is one of the world’s richest cricketers, but he always talks about how grateful he is for everything. The third main idea in this text is to show respect. In the text, AB de Villiers always praises other players, and never makes it seem like he is better than them.

The writer used lots of metaphors and similes throughout the story. This helped the reader understand the emotions, feeling, and adrenalin of playing international cricket. He also used lots of onomatopoeia, such as boom, crack, crash. By using onomatopoeia, he helped the reader really engage in the story and feel it.

This book changed my understanding of the South African society. Before reading this, I thought most of the racial issues were over now. However, after reading the story, I realize that race is still a big issue in South Africa. For example, AB reveals that a white bowler was dropped so a coloured bowler could play. Furthermore, AB reveals how some of his teammates as a boy had to leave South Africa due to racial prejudice to pursue their cricket careers. Whats more, some even played cricket for other countries. Take Doug Bracewell, for instance, who plays for New Zealand.

Book Equivalent:   2                         # Words: 74,074                                           

Title:    Biggles Defends the Desert                                                              Author: Captain W.E. Johns

Genre ~ Non-Fiction / Fiction Type:       Historical Fiction

• Opening Sentence: 
• So slowly as to be almost imperceptible the stars began to fade.
• Favourite word / phrase / sentence:
• … Biggles could see his shells and bullets streaming like living sparks into the blue nose, and ripping splinters off the slim fuselage.
• Vocabulary (with part of speech) and new terms with definition:
• Enfilade (verb) – to shoot down the length of a target.
• Reflection, Connection & Personal Response: 
• During the book, I felt very excited and exhilarated by all of Biggles’ courageous and daring exploits. However, at the end of the book, I felt more sober because Biggles nearly lost the final battle against the Germans and was nearly killed. His squadron also suffered casualties.

This book is like my life in some ways. Firstly, when Biggles is disadvantaged against the Germans, he has to come up with clever ways to defeat them. For example, he disguised himself as an Arab and blew up the Germans radio station himself. In my life, when I am slightly disadvantaged at something, I have to be clever to find ways to succeed.

In Biggles, the author wants everyone to live life to the fullest attitude. Biggles is always enjoying life, having fun with fellow officers, and approaches flying with a carefree attitude. But, when the time comes, he gives it his all while fighting against the Germans and is prepared to die. By Biggles doing this, the author believes we should live life to the fullest.

I was very surprised when Biggles decided to warn the enemy that there was a sandstorm coming. Biggles did this because he thought it was inhumane to leave any man in the middle of a sandstorm. I think this represented a big character change for Biggles. Before this, he would use things like sandstorms to his advantage, and to attack the enemy while they were trapped in one. Later, Biggles said he didn’t want to use any of the Germans torture methods on their own German prisoner. Therefore, this event has shown that Biggles has become more compassionate. He is fighting more morals and values, rather than just to kill the Germans.

I noticed that Johns used lots of onomatopoeia, such as bang, boom, crash, smash, whizz, and clang, especially in fight scenes. This really helps to engage the reader in the story and the fight, and helps them to feel like they are there. As mentioned earlier, I also noticed AB de Villiers used lots of onomatopoeia as well. He also used it to engage the reader in the story and the cricket game. I also noticed that Johns used a lot of dialogue. This helped to show the story, not tell it. It revealed more directly what characters think than speech and thoughts reported indirectly by a narrator. It also made the book more engaging, and helped us to connect with the characters and their thoughts. Finally, I noticed Johns used a lot of similes and metaphors. Using metaphors helped the readers relate to something they wouldn’t normally have been able to, in this case war.