Book Sharing Session by Jan Mann – Tom Trueheart and others (05/04/2014)
| Venue | ： | Causeway Bay Kiddyland Basement, 68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay, H.K. |
| Speaker | ： | Mrs. Jan Mann |
| Host | ： | Ms. Christa Tam |
Review
Our members have grown up so much! They have already outgrown our story time for young children. So it was really fantastic to see them back again at our book sharing event for 8+ readers. It gave us so much pleasure to hear them talking about their favourite chapter books, popular series and young fiction titles with such excitement.
They sat all around Jan Mann, our advisor, who has been a school librarian for a few decades, to listen to the stories from the books she recommended.
Jan immediately drew the children (and parents too!) into her store of favourite tales with The Adventure of Tom Trueheart: Boy Adventurer by Ian Beck at the top of her list. Tom, the youngest of seven brothers, is on a quest to search for his six brave and adventurous brothers who have got lost in their missions to complete the tasks set by the Story Bureau which employed them in the Land of Stories. Tom, not much an adventurer himself, now has to discover himself as well as his own story. Jan read short excerpts from the book expressively to give the audience a taste of the author's elegant prose and showed the exquisite silhouette illustrations, also created by the author. Readers have to find out if Tom will succeed in his mission. This original tale loosely based on fairy tales with an unusual twist is sure to stimulate the imagination of young book lovers.
For every boy and girl of eight years plus who likes something silly, quirky and to do with the sea, Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve is just the book. Beautifully illustrated by Sarah McIntyre, this story is a delight! Jan told how Oliver, who grew up in a family of explorers, has his biggest adventure with the sudden disappearance of his parents. With his nautical training, and with help from his new friends, a grumpy old albatross, a short-sighted mermaid and a friendly island called Cliff, he sets out to rescue his parents, but things get complicated...... Will Oliver find his parents? Well you have to read it to find out! It is filled with humour, great characters and loads of surprises. The lovely illustrations perfectly complemented the prose.
Jan then turned her attention to a carton of milk! She introduced Neil Gaiman's Fortunately the Milk, a book in which the milk is of great importance in a father's adventure when he goes out one morning to get the milk for breakfast for his kids whilst their Mum is away. Children will love the time-travelling dinosaur, green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires and of course a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk. It's a truly imaginative story, enhanced by the illustrations, making it an instant hit for more confident readers.
After three adventure stories, Jan introduced a very touching story, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, winner of 2013 Newbery Medal, which is based on a true story. It is about the friendship between Ivan, a gorilla and Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild. The story is told from the point of view of Ivan, who has spent 27 years performing in a shopping mall. He is forced to look at life through the bars of a cage in a shopping mall after witnessing the death of his own elephant friend, Stella. It tells how he helps Ruby to escape. This heartwarming and thought provoking novel about friendship is perfect for shared reading as it is equally enjoyable for children and adults.
None of us likes going to the dentist, do we? Not surprising really! Jan showed a copy of Demon Dentist by David Walliams, the first (funny) horror story by the author of six bestselling books for 8+ children. How would you feel if the tooth you put under the pillow for the tooth fairy turns into something other than the magic coin you might have expected to replace it when you wake up in the morning? A dead slug, a live spider or something totally unexpected instead? In this new book, something is very wrong. Evil is at work. Who's behind it? In the author's own words, this story is "a combination of chills, action and of course comedy." This hilarious story is a great book to get boys and girls hooked on reading, if they aren't already.
Jan ended the session with one of her favourite classic stories, The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde, now available in hardback collection published by The Commercial Press. She told how the statue of the once Happy Prince, exquisitely decorated with rubies and diamonds, is feeling distressed because he sees the misery of the poor people in his kingdom. With the help of the selfless swallow, he manages to bring happiness to all of them too. This timeless, heartwarming story is a must read for everyone. Oscar Wilde's simple and beautifully crafted prose is sure to move many readers to tears.
After this intimate session, the boys and girls, mums and dads in the audience took their turn to speak to Jan, catching up with her and getting some advice from her. It was heartwarming to see so many enthusiastic young readers, and we look forward to meeting them again soon.
Keep reading, keep joining our events! Keep in touch! We are here whenever you need our suggestions for your next book.
Thank you all for coming!
Thank you, Jan, for sharing!
