storyLines

by John Green

It is almost the end of the last year of high school. Quentin Jacobsen (known as Q) continues to admire his neighbour and classmate, Margo Roth Spiegelman, his best friend from when they were little. But Margo has been beyond him for years. He is a nerd and she is A-list. Then one night she turns up dressed in black ninja gear and convinces him to accompany her on a night of revenge. Okay, nobody dies, but plenty of Margo’s ‘friends’ will be rather pissed-off by morning. Quentin is happy to be Margo’s friend again. Then she disappears.

This novel aimed at older teens is a funny and tender story of friendship and (believe it or not) poetry. For Margo really has gone missing, leaving clues for Quentin and his friends to follow. A major clue is a copy of Walt Whitman’s long poem, Leaves of Grass. Margo has highlighted certain lines, but what do they mean? There is also her record collection. How did none of them know that she was such a fan of Woody Guthrie and Billy Bragg? How do we really know anything about another person?

Paper towns on old maps, abandoned buildings, clues left on archane ‘Omnipedia’ entries, lead to Q. & co missing graduation to try to save a friend. How much do we miss in those around us, and how much of what we think we know is really true?

In Paper Towns John Green takes us on a merry ride across several American states, has us considering the wisdom of lines of poetry we wouldn’t have thought twice about yesterday, and introduces us to some odd, endearing and also some annoying young characters.

And what does John Green have to say about his book?

 Review by Mrs Thomson

Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary School Day Parramatta 20th May 2009 

Thoughts from Zac:

Mal Peet was my favourite author at the festival for many reasons. Mal was very one-on-one and related to everyone in a comical way which made it more enjoyable and interactive. He was funny and therefore entertaining while still explaining his story.

His book “Exposed” was inspired from something so ordinary and over-rated to become something that I am interested in reading.

Mal also talked from a real person’s perspective that was so true. The way he ‘exposed’ it and talked about it was in a different fashion that just connected to everyone and made everyone listen, learn and be entertained by a few simple ideas from the catastrophic world of stardom to an action packed highly detailed book.

We were very lucky to have Mal Peet and M.T. Anderson come to our school as well. If you were at the Sydney Writers’ Festival day at Parramatta, or at the session at school the day after, then please add your comments here or submit a piece of your own about one or more of the authors.

Other authors at Parramatta were: Isobelle Carmody; Garth Nix; James Roy; Rhanda Abdel-Fattah.

A story by Filipe

0 Seconds on the Clock
The light flashed red. He eased onto the throttle hitting 3000 rpm. Red again, a tiny push further on the pedal. Orange, he slammed the pedal to the floor. The cabin filled with the unmistakable scream of an internal combustion engine tuned to its limits. Green, he engaged first gear, the wheels spun for just a fraction of a second but the studs on the ice tyres then griped the ice as if it was tarmac and whilst hitting the rev limiter, he shot off the line. The brutal roar from the massive turbo charged and supercharged Lancia Delta S4 could be heard from kilometres away, the sound from the driver’s seat was like a petrol head’s 9th symphony.

2min 37sec on the Clock
The driver’s concentration was split between the co driver’s pace notes and the narrow and twisty ice corridor ahead. Corner after corner accurate blurts of speed and corner type filled the drivers head. Every corner the driver enters quickly shifting gears at a rate incomprehensible to an amateur driver. Every tap of every one of the three pedals is just as important as the last. Brake, Clutch, Shift, ACCELERATE, ACCELERATE. His unbreakable focus leaves no time to even consider the dangers of driving over thin, frozen ice lakes going at over 180 km/h with 550bhp at the base of his foot.

3min 41sec on the Clock
The frozen solid ice banks flew past as the Lancia forced itself along the thinning ice. 400, seven millimetre studs in each tyre made the ice seem like glue to the driver but for him to remain in control the ice had to be thick. When the ice thinned rocks below would grip the metal studs and rip them out of the tyres, providing a show of sparks seen at the base of each wheel. He flicked the car around every corner still feeling the grip of the specialized tyres on the ice, sometimes he wouldn’t even brake in corners, merely using the snow banks to bounce off and hurl around the tight and tricky corner. This was a very fast but dangerous technique, although his experience made it seem effortless.

5min 6sec on the Clock
The ice ahead was thin and muddy, a real problem for the driver. The teams had received information that the stage was covered in thick ice but a change in weather proved to be and issue. Previous cars going through had churned the dirt into the slowly melting ice and snow leaving exposed areas of rock and gravel. The driver pushed on following the next pace note. The co driver indicated that the next corner was long and fast. The driver prepared himself for a slide. He hit the corner with speed then with a sharp turn and a grab of the hand brake the car immediately was forced sideways. A rapid turn of the wheel in the opposite direction prevented any danger of over steer. The power slide was a quick but complicated technique that allowed the driver to maintain high speeds but have control through long slippery corners.

7min 58sec on the Clock
The rally of Sweden presented a stunning variety of extremes to the drivers, challenging stages, beautiful scenery and severe weather condition. These conditions then provide the amazing slippery ice stages that offered a whole new driving style for them to master. The driver began to feel the pressures of losing more and more of his precious ice studs to the warming condition that exposed spots of tarmac. His control on parts of the stage that was still iced over began to lessen and no longer did he have the traction required for high speed slides and insane attacks on corners. Being a rally driver, he pushed on unfazed only thinking about his time. A fraction of a second is what it takes to win a stage in the World Rally Championship.

9min 17sec on the Clock
There were only isolated patches of thin ice on a long strip of bare tarmac; a few 100 metres driving on this surface immediately destroyed the ice tyres on the Lancia. On the next corner the driver could feel he was losing control of the car. Rapid turns of the steering wheel and stabs on the throttle in a desperate attempt to straighten the car failed and with a tremendous crash the rear of the Lancia became imbedded in an ice bank. The co driver and driver quickly jumped out; one would think their rally was over… The right rear wheel and suspension system was ripped out due to the impact. Spectators at the finishing line where greeted with a tattered Lancia Delta S4 dragging its body along the now iceless tarmac, stage time 12 minutes and 56 seconds.

_________________________________________________

Turbo Charged, Super charged, 550bhp, 410kw, 0-100km/h in 2.55 seconds on gravel. Known as the forest’s F1 car. World Rally Championship

 Phot Credit: RAC Rally Lancia originally uploaded to Flickr by estoril

by Stephenie Meyer

Recently I read the vampire-based story called Twilight. As you may know its movie was recently filmed, and here is what I think about it.

The story begins with Bella Swan moving to a cold town called Forks with her dad after her mum goes travelling with her new husband. Bella attends the local school and comes across a beautiful boy named Edward Cullen. Bella gets closer to Edward each day, whether it be him saving her from a car accident or from being assaulted. Then she figures out that Edward is a vampire and everything starts to take a turn…..

Twilight is actually one of the best books I have ever read because it is filled with action, romance and drama. The action and the drama made me want to read the next book in this modern series.

Reviewed by V-man

From Stephenie Meyer’s Website: The story behind Twilight. If you have not read the book yet beware of spoilers in this article.

by Anthony Eaton, Random House Australia, 2008

In this fabulous book Eaton gives us a new take on the polar adventure. Having recently spent some time at Casey Station with the Australian Antarctic Division, he blurs the boundaries between what is true and what is invented in this account of an ill-fated Antarctic expedition, embarking from Hobart in 1921.

The narrator confesses (in an introduction bearing Eaton’s name) that he removed an expedition journal found secreted in the Casey library, intending to use it for his personal gain. Yet the journal has haunted his dreams ever since.

Eaton has done his homework and makes this expedition, secretly planned by Edward Rourke in 1921, very realistic. Rourke has gone to enormous effort and expense to avoid the pitfalls of his predecessors. The black ship is appropriately named Raven (and if “never more” comes to mind it is probably more than a coincidence). Rourke is wealthy but also driven, having in his youth been rejected by the likes of Scott, Mawson and Shakleton. But he also lacks in empathy for his companions, and even more so as things go on, and go wrong.

But the journal which is the major source of this story is written by Will Downes, a decorated hero of the First World War. Returning to his family property in Victoria and becoming engaged to his sweetheart, Elsie, has not completely cured Will’s restlessness. The expedition is a challenge - the challenge of a lifetime - and he makes a fateful decision to put off the settled life for a bit longer.

Eaton in the language of his narrative uses Downes’ memories of the war as a yardstick upon which to measure many of the occurences on the expedition. Will’s heroic nature and strong sense of conventional responsibility make him both a good leader and a loyal servant. But he is not without his flaws. His loyalty to Rourke may be one of those. Rourke is surely mad, but was he mad from the start, or did he, like other expeditioners, merely respond to the shocking conditions of their fate? But Downes was not the only one who let his better judgement be over ruled by fear of his leader.

Rourke is repeatedly referred to in the book as “the Leader”, recalling another man developing his leadership skills in Eurpoe at that very time .

But in spite of all, Downes is still a sensitive observer of life who is able to note in his journal quite late in the piece:

“It is a stunning place, this frozen world, and despite our ongoing predicament, at times … I cannot imagine that I might have lived my life without ever having experienced it.”

If you haven’t yet read an account of one of the great Antarctic expeditions then you will find some good places to start in Eaton’s bibliography. Bickel’s This Accursed Land recounts the horrors of Mawson’s 1910-1913 journey, for instance, and the TV production Shackleton is also excellent.

Reviewed by Mrs Thomson

Read another review of Into White Silence by a teen reader on the YARA website. If you have read this book please add a comment below.

by Jackie French, HarperCollins, 2007

This is an excellent adventure about a boy born to be a leader. But Narmer has his birthright taken away in an incident which is physically debilitating and emotionally scarring. The worst part of this terrible ordeal is that it is caused by an act of betrayal.

But Narmer is mentally strong and has a chance to follow a completely different path with solid companions. He grasps this opportunity, and it is surely this decision which saves his life.

Thereafter we are taken on a fascinating journey through Ancient Egypt as this damaged boy regains his spirit and then his place in the world.

You can read a sample from Pharaoh using the publisher’s Browse Inside widget in this post.

Mrs Thomson

by Sean Condon. Penguin Australia, 2007

Michael Sweeney’s Method is a novel set in a private school somewhere in Australia. It is a gentle, humorous story that also touches on some sad topics.

Michael himself tells the story which takes place during his final year of high school. He has one true friend, Dud. These two are very different on one level - Michael is sensitive and nervous and often behaves in a way which belies his intelligence (which is really quite high). Dud is a jock and seems a bit dumb but shows his intelligence in the way he behaves as a true friend.

One day Michael decides that they should befriend the new American kid before the creeps do. Tom (the American) turns out to be okay, except all three start to find themselves in trouble from the time they get together. But what is the secret about Tom’s dad? He is apparently famous, but for what?

Meanwhile Michael meets Lucy (or is that Edna?) and falls in love.

But nothing is that simple.

Somehow the boys get involved in a theatre production and even more complications arise as life rolls on.

There is very little in this book about studying or final exams so one must conclude that it is set in a sensible place which doesn’t have anything like the dreaded NSW HSC.

Michael is an unusual and believable character, with the odd, not too tragic flaw. He struggles with life in a realistic way, retains his sense of humour and loves his dog. Michael Sweeney’s Method is worth reading just for the dog subplot, but there’s much more to enjoy in this book.

Mrs Thomson

by Garth Nix

Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is supposed to die. But then he finds a key, discovers a mysterious house and meets the sinister Mister Monday…
Prepare for seven breathtaking adventures as Arthur fights to save his world.

From the Garth Nix Website

The Keys to the Kingdom is a series of seven books by Garth Nix. I’m going to try to tell you about them without giving too much away.

They are fantasy books about worlds in different dimensions and that involve a bit of adventure as well. The main character is Arthur Penhaligon and he becomes friends with Suzy. Arthur becomes the “Rightful Heir” after Mister Monday gives him half of his key. The Great Architect created everything and made a Will. The Will becomes a woman who calls herself, Dame Primus.

If you are a good reader, or even not that good a reader, I believe you will like this series.

Reviewed by AdrianB

Would you like to share your thoughts on one of the Keys to the Kingdom books? Add comments below, or use the contribution link at the top left of the page to have your review published.

Google doesn’t quite rule the world yet but is infiltrating new regions every day.

Last year Penguin Books commissioned writers and designers to create six digital stories. Each pays homage to a well know traditional story. Explore them all at We Tell Stories.

One of the new stories created is The 21 Steps by Charles Cumming. The design people at Six to Start mashed the story with Google Maps to produce a story where you follow the characters across the map. In this case the story goes from London to various locations in Scotland. This means that The 21 Steps is clearly in the setting as well as the genre of its 1915 predecessor, The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan.

Please road-test The 21 Steps (and The Thirty-nine Steps for that matter) and let us know what you think by commenting below.

You might also like to investigate Google Lit Trips for another way of using Google with literature.

This last term with Year 8 we have been exploring the literature of the First World War and have heard stories from personal accounts of these times and the literature inspired by the horror, the heroics and the sheer waste and sadness of these terrible events of the past.

In our last session we are looking at the part played by members of our own school community at that time, and the responses of those who remained at home. We are fortunate to have a wonderful resource in our school magazine, whose bound volumes grace the shelves of our library, dating back to the 1880s. From within the school network we can also access The King’s School Magazine in digital format.

The Australian National Archives has done tremendous work in making available the records of those who served Australia in World War I. Mapping Our Anzacs is an online tool which gives us many ways to find out about these men and women. You might like to research one of our well known old boys,  like Alan Mitchell, or have another person in mind for whom you wish to search. You can even start with a place name and find links to those who enlisted or were born there.

Alan David Mitchell (1903-10), who was Secretary of the Old Boy’s Union from 1912 to 1913, died of wounds sustained at Gallipoli in 1915. In his memory, the Old Boys’ Union founded a prize. It is to honour the best all-round boy in the school.