Balclutha School

32,853 pages read and 3,444 team points

Team members

LindaS

5,836 pts

(4,278 pages read)

You Took the Last Bus Home

By Brian Bilston

4 stars

Does poetry count? I'm going to say it does, as it fits in with my covid-addled lack of focus! I bought this last year and hadn't yet settled down to read them, so am glad I have the time now. An anthology of poems by Brian Bilston, who has a deliciously quirky style of writing. This included his Refugees poem, which should be taught to all students (in my opinion), as well as several that made me laugh and cough very loudly - poor Frisbee!
The Book of Guilt

By Catherine Chidgey

5 stars

Set in the New Forest - one of my favourite parts of the world - this was a fantastic novel which I devoured in a couple of days. A book of secrets, lies and mystery, which I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat.
The Impossible Fortune

By Richard Osman

5 stars

I love the Thursday Murder Club series! They're well-written, always funny, sometimes quite moving, and consistently a great read. When I grow up I want to live in a retirement village and investigate murders!
Good Things Come and Go

By Josie Shapiro

4 stars

Easy read, enjoyed this more than the previous Josie Shapiro I read the other week. The novel follows three adults and their stories of love, betrayal and loss (though it's not all completely miserable!). It also made me realise that I have yet to visit the Coromandel Peninsular, which could be a belated New Year's resolution!
North Woods

By Daniel Mason

5 stars

A stunning book, quite different from others I have read as it was several short stories of different genres which all combined to make one giant delicious novel set over several centuries in one location in the woods. Love the descriptions of the forests and the rich story telling from a small plot of land.
Nine Girls

By Stacy Gregg

4 stars

Have had this on a pile of books to be read to see if I could read them as a class novel. Finally got round to it and I'm glad I did - it's a well-written story with some great characters and several storylines that all tie up together beautifully. I couldn't read it aloud to my class, however, as I got too emotional at the end so will instead recommend it to students to enjoy by themselves.
Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts

By Josie Shapiro

4 stars

Written from the point of view of the youngest, shortest, dyslexic child of a family. Mickey struggles at school and at home until she discovers her talent for long-distance running. An entertaining enough read.
The Covenant of Water

By Abraham Verghese

5 stars

A stunning novel that follows generations of a family in India over the twentieth century. Tales of love, loss, strength and faith, largely written through the eyes of some fantastically extraordinary women. Beautifully written, it captivated me from the beginning and continued to do so throughout the entire book. Which, considering it is the size of a small house, was a highly impressive achievement!
Remarkably Bright Creatures

By Shelby Van Pelt

4 stars

A lovely story about a friendship between a lady who cleans at an aquarium and an octopus that keeps escaping from its tank overnight. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, it doesn't need too much concentration and was a great read for the summer holidays.
Orbital

By Samantha Harvey

4 stars

This is set on the International Space Station and covers the activities and emotions of the six astronauts onboard over a 24-hour period. A short read, but I still quite enjoyed it. I feel it would have been better if I had an opportunity to settle down and immerse myself in it a little more, so I'll re-read it sometime when I have a house to myself and no one to distract me!
This Way Up - When Maps go Wrong (and why it matters)

By Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman

4 stars

Bought this book because the whole family love the Map Men series on YouTube - especially the children. They produced a book about maps and how they came about in a number of settings, including the first chapter about a map that deleted a country (that country being Aotearoa!). I really enjoyed the book, it was funny, educational and well-written, but I have the advantage of being both a bit of a nerd as well as British - a couple of the chapters relate to the UK and may not make sense to people from this deleted country. I suppose I should let the kids fight over who's next to read it...
Every Day's a Good Day

By William Pike

3 stars

Written for older children, but I enjoyed it as an adult. Great research into William Pike before our students take part in the William Pike Challenge next year. A very impressive story of resilience.

12 - 0 - 1

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Balclutha School

32,853 pages read and 3,444 team points

Team members

CherieZB

LindaS

VickiN

MareeP

Nisha

Heather W

Janette

RSCraig

Maggie

Old Chook

Tristaaa

Billie

LindaS

You Took the Last Bus Home

The Book of Guilt

The Impossible Fortune

Good Things Come and Go

North Woods

Nine Girls

Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts

The Covenant of Water

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Orbital

This Way Up - When Maps go Wrong (and why it matters)

Every Day's a Good Day

Balclutha School

32,853 pages read and 3,444 team points

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