Month: April 2019

‘See you in the cosmos’ by Jack Cheng

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I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and it is one of the most entertaining audiobooks I have listened to. It really was brilliantly done with a complete cast, so the story truly came alive with the voices of the different voice actors. See you in the cosmos is a first-person narrative told by the main character, Alex Petroski. Alex is an eleven-year-old aspiring rocket scientist who records his life story on his iPod with the aim of sharing it with the ‘extraterrestrials’ in the universe. This is the start of Alex’s adventure where he hopes to launch his iPod into outer space at the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival (SHARF) for rocket enthusiasts, located near Alburquerque, New Mexico.

See you in the cosmos is both moving and hilarious in parts. Alex is likeable (just like Auggie is likeable in Wonder), he’s intelligent, self-sufficient (reasons for Alex’s self-sufficiency become clear as the novel progresses) and he is a caring and kind boy. See you in the cosmos is a thoroughly enjoyable novel which I could easily listen to or read again. I think Year 7 and Year 8 students would enjoy this book, however, it is the type of story that could be enjoyed by all ages, including adults wanting something a little different and inspirational. Alex’s adventure is also very much about family, relationships, life and the ‘cosmos’ (as the title states). The final chapter is beautifully told. If you are looking for an unusual, realistic fiction then this could be the next book for you. 

Mrs Sylaprany

#12 Book Club Meeting – Graphic Novels & Manga

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Hello everyone,

[Image source: www.goodreads.com]
I never know where Book Club conversations will take us which, I guess, is definitely part of the enjoyment of being part of a Book Club. As a group, we have a diversity of reading experiences and it’s always interesting to hear your thoughts and responses to different novels and genres. In last Monday’s discussion, it was clear that while many of us enjoyed the graphic novels we individually selected, for others the experience was less fulfilling (and for Mrs Hanratty it was clear that her preference is for the written word!). I think we all agreed that graphic novels are generally quick reads in comparison to novels, with many of us reading more than one graphic novel before this meeting.

[Image source: www.goodreads.com]
Reading is a personal experience where we like to ‘imagine’. I guess with graphic novels, as with film, there is less visual imagining as it is ‘described’ for you from the illustrator or designer’s perspective. But I think that’s where the illustrator also shows their skill in creating story through the complementary use of visual details involving, for example, characters’ expressions, settings, use of colour, perspective, and other special visual effects. There are many elements that come into play when reading a graphic novel.

[Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/]
When you have time and if you are interested, I invite you to read this interactive digital graphic novel called The Boat (it is about escape during the Vietnam War). It is a totally immersive experience with sound as well as text and visuals. You can pause at points to access different parts of the story through clicking the red arrows where additional information and photographs from this period in history can be accessed. I would be interested to hear your thoughts about The Boat at our next meeting (please note: due to infrequent coarse language, this resource is not recommended for students under 15 years).

Here’s the list of the graphic novels and manga shared at our meeting – what a great, diverse collection we covered! (along with the links to find them in eLibrary):

Other book recommendations:

Thank you for your participation at Monday’s Book Club meeting. As mentioned, for our next Book Club meeting we will be reading a fantasy novel. Our three choices include:

As soon as these books are ready, I will let you know so that you borrow a copy for the holidays. Until they arrive, you might like to read reviews about each book to see which one you might like to choose. If there is another fantasy book that you would like to read instead of the books above, you are welcome to select your own fantasy novel. It’s a BIG genre and there are many sub-genres within this genre too.

Finally, here’s the link to the audio recording of our #12 Book Club Meeting.

Enjoy your holiday reading time.
Looking forward to our next meeting,
Mrs Sylaprany, Mrs Hanratty & Mrs Ryan