Shine

Product Information

Katy Handley, Formby Books. A thrilling and emotive read that weaves myths and superstition into the modern day virtual world of social networking. It ha everything: ghosts, star-crossed romance, jealousy and betrayal. Read the Review

Throughout the book, we see Piper connect in small ways to her deceased mother. It’s heartwarming to watch Piper become the woman she wants to be, and the woman her mother would be proud she became. This was an all around 5 star book, no question. Many of these quotes will make my FB personal profile over the next few weeks as inspiration to my friends and family to realize their full-potential is not in what they accomplish by awards, or what their financial status is, but instead in how they treat others and the value of their relationships. This is a lesson many adults still have yet to learn, and one that would change the world we live in if practiced by all. This is a great spin on the classic cabin-in-the-woods story, but it brings clever and fresh ideas to proceedings and gleefully refuses to sit on the fence. Many novels would have hedged their bets; are the creatures real, or is it all in the character’s heads? Make no mistake, very early on in The Watchers the reader realises they are very real and the manner in which they were presented is highly unsettling and slightly reminiscent of Josh Malerman’s Birdbox. This book really did my heart some good, this week. I wasn't sure what to expect, based solely on that cover. But was easily a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating from me! It was engaging and everything I hope for from a middle grade novel. Ruth is nervous about starting her first day of third grade at Dalton, a prominent school on New York's Upper East Side. On the one hand will miss her old school in Harlem that she attended with her sister, but on the other hand she's excited that she'll be with her friend, Christina at the new school. Christina is also the daughter of Ruth's mother's long-time employer. However, it's not long before Ruth feels like everyone is treating her differently and she doesn't think it's just because she's new to the school...Survival horror novels work best with strong characterisation and the four main protagonists (three women and one man) play off each other beautifully, each dealing with varying degrees of trauma and loneliness. However, my favourite is without doubt the parrot which Mina is hired to transport in the opening stages and refuses to abandon (I love her for this) when her car breaks down. It would have broken my heart if anything happened to this lovely and expressive creature! Kim Gruschow, Readings (Australia). Shine is a cleverly addictive and mysterious novel filled with warm characters and moments that do ultimately shine over menacing presences. Read the Review. Ruth was a good student, the best reader in the class and loved astronomy. She was a good listener, a willing friend. They were studying about stars. The reason stars look so small in the night sky is because they’re so far away from us. She must learn to navigate between the two worlds and hope like the stars, no matter where you stand you will be under the same light. She wants to be "seen" beneath her color. Philip Ardagh, The Guardian: “ Gourlay has created something very special here; a precious and important novel that also explores exile from neighbours, family and country. The book is about reinvention and the faces we present to the world, whether it be in person, on a postcard or on the internet, all wrapped up in an exciting and perfectly paced story with a disturbing and dramatic climax.” View

A special young girl you will fall in love with, as she learns at a young age the injustice of a cruel world of prejudice, race, and privilege. As pa rents, we should never underestimate the power and influence classmates have on our children’s wellbeing, and the power the actions of our own children have on their friends. ‘Always be kind’ is indeed a great lesson for our youngsters; sharing these books with your child is a great way to develop that ethos. Priya (A Panda With Dyspraxia) is a lovely character who finds physical skills more challenging than her peers. This book touches on the relief of receiving a diagnosis, something many families and children with SEN will probably relate to, and how parents can find ways to limit the impact of a condition such as dyspraxia on their child’s every day life. Priya is embarrassed and worried by the prospect of her peers reacting to some of the equipment and items put in place to assist her. She is happily reassured by her classmates, who don’t seem to notice some of the items Priya is worried about, and who are very positive about the items they do notice. A cute, coming of age book for the middle grade audience about compassion, finding yourself, and friendship. After Piper’s dad gets a job at a preparatory school, Piper learns that she will be attending the school with all the “rich kids” that she doesn’t connect with. Insecure about not being able to blend in, Piper does her best to stay in the shadows at her new school. . . until, the school announces that there will be an award at the end of the term for the student that best exemplifies excellence. Now determined to win the award, Piper and her small group of “nerdy” friends work together to earn the award, even when the bullies try to put them out. As Piper tries to be the image of excellence, she can’t help but wonder if being the center of attention is everything she thought it would be.

I may be incredibly naive, but the entire time I was reading, I just kept asking myself - are kids really this mean? Granted it’s been quite some time since I was in third grade and I don’t have any kids, but still. Are kids this young really spewing such hatred? There’s no way they understand the ramifications of their hurtful comments or even fully grasp what they’re saying, so how exactly are they learning to behave this way? It's scary to think about. Auffällig ist hier wieder einmal, wie angenehm der Schreibstil von Jodi Picoult ist. Dieser liest sich nicht nur sehr leicht und flüssig, sondern besitzt auch eine gewisse Melancholie, die mir sehr gefällt. Die Dialoge sind gut ausgearbeitet und die Figuren sind gut ausgearbeitet, sodass man sie nicht nur ausreichend kennen lernt, sondern vor allem auch die kleine Ruth direkt ins Herz schließt.