Tuesday 31 May 2016

Fiji


Hey guys,
you've probably been wondering why we didn't post last week. That's because we went to Fiji for 6 days. The purpose of our trip was to support an Organisation called a girl and her world. A girl and her world is an organisation that funds education for girls . 
in need. It was an absolutely rewarding experience. We visited quiet a few different villages and also had the pleasure of visiting two schools, both had libraries. Unfortunately one of the Libraries was badly affected by Cyclone Winston. Therefore we wanted to dedicate this post to appreciate our own library and not to take for granted how lucky we are to have such a large and extensive library that caters to all our students needs. We cannot stress enough how important reading is for the brains development and for a healthy imagination. One of the village elders told us that since he started encouraging the young children to read, it has helped their progression in school immensely. He said it is hard to come by books, because the village is so secluded it’s tucked away really. This is yet another reason to why we stress the fact that reading is important and how lucky we are to have our library. We are so happy that the Fijians agree with us
 
We are going to ask you lovely readers to go to the library or email us what your favourite things about our Library is and we can write it on the windows. This is a quick thing you can do to support our library and to show much you value it.

As always hope to hear from you and thank you for tuning in Zinnia and Gwendoline :) 


If you would like to support the Organisation you can donate at: https://www.gofundme.com/dbxnwnps

If you would like to learn more about the Organisation you can check out their site at:

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Student's Opinion: Beneath the Dark Ice


Bobby Squiggles recommends ‘Beneath the Dark Ice’ by Greig Beck to our readers.  The gripping novel tells of a rescue mission to save the passengers of a plane that had crashed over Antarctica.  Losing hope as they struggle to find traces of survivors, they also meet scientists researching a possible oil reservoir.  But they soon discover that something more sinister may be lurking beneath the surface.  Bobby Squiggle enjoyed the read because of the interesting combination between horror, action and fantasy and thinks that readers between the age of 13- 25 would enjoy it too.  He browsing, on the lookout for something new to read he randomly found ‘Beneath the Dark Ice’.  The main character Captain Alex Hunter is the one he identified most, although Bobby described him as violent and badass or an ‘emotional teddy bear’.  So maybe next time you’re stuck for something fresh to read you can check out ‘Beneath the Dark Ice'. See you next week!  Zinnia and Gwendoline
7736474-beneath-the-dark-ice [image] .http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7736474-beneath-the-dark-ice

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Author Related: Mary Pope Osborne

When we were younger we loved reading the 'Magic Treehouse' series, so when we found out it is the authors birthday next week we decided to learn more about her.

Mary Pope Osborne is obviously very creative, as her books take the two protagonists Jack and Annie all over the world and all through history.  The time traveling tree house takes the children to different places in a time the children wouldn't ordinarily get to see, as it is in the past or even in the future.

After one having looked at Osborne's life story it is clear that she herself has experienced many things that could have inspired her to write one of the many books in the series. 

As a child Osborne moved around the world a lot, since her family was in the military.  They moved around the United States and also Internationally.  Perhaps this is where she was inspired to write some of her stories, such as 'Moonlight on the Magic Flute' the 42nd book in the 'Magic Treehouse' series set in Austria.  Pope's family lived there for some time during her childhood, but she moved back to the University of North Carolina to study.  After studying cultures, mythology and religion she visited countries from Europe to Asia.  Osborne has always loved seeing new things, so the constant change of scenery wasn't a problem for her.

Another passion of Osborne's is drama, being very involved in her community theater, both on and off stage.  Her career has also been very varied, Pope has worked as a drama teacher, waitress, travel agent and more before finding her passion in writing.  Osborne is best known for the 'Magic Treehouse' series, although she has also written many other books, including research guides which supply background knowledge to the historical events happening in a certain 'Magic Treehouse' book.  The series is available in more than 30 languages, including English and German and we would definitely recommend the series to anyone who loves learning about the world and enjoying a good story while they're at it.  Find the series in the GISS library now! Zinnia and Gwendoline

N.A. (n.d.). Biography Mary Pope Osborne. Retrieved from http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/mary-pope-osborne
Mary Pope Osborne (2016). Biography. Retrieved from http://marypopeosborne.com/biography/
N.A. (n.d.). Mary Pope Osborne. Retrieved from http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/mary-osborne.html
Special Program- Mary Pope Osborne [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.discoverpittsfield.com/event/special-program-a-visit-from-mary-pope-osborne/

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice


A pride and prejudice review, how original! Hah you’ve been mistaken, this wont be your typical review, rather I shall try and convince you to give the famous Jane Austen a go. It may seem daunting to a few of you who would rather stick to more modern novels, however I can guarantee for most of you at least it will be worth your while.

Most people just think of it as a typical love story. Boy meets girl, heaps of drama and a happy ending, but for those who have endeavoured to read this canon it is so much more.

I was skeptical at first. I thought that it was one of the most over rated books I had ever heard of. I only read it for research reasons; little did I know I would be hooked. Now to be honest, I did find the first chapters to be quite dull. I had heard it all before, parents marrying off their children for hopes of a better or at least pleasant life for them. The moment that I felt inclined to continue reading for pleasure rather than purpose, was when Jane fell ill and stayed over Netherfield*. This reminded me so much of Wuthering Heights (hands down my favourite book ever) and the amazing story which it turned out to be, this gave me a glimmer of hope for what was to come. I soon became #TeamDarcy and everything after passed in a blur I finished the book that night, the ending came with the inevitable feeling of loss one acquires when parting with characters that one invests so much time and emotion into. I wont give anything away; because I don’t want to commit the heinous crime of taking away the adventure and suspense that this book so easily induces. So I wont present a brief summary or try to trick you into reading it by the means of a cliff-hanger, I’ll let you decide for yourselves. If you are skeptics, yet still try to read it I commend you. I am so thankful for the slight similarity between the two books, otherwise I might not have finished it, which would have been disastrous.

We would love to hear your responses on this article. Please answer the following questions and either email us or let us know face to face what you answered. This helps us know what posts you like and we would like to get to know our readers better.

Have you read Pride and Prejudice?
If yes, what was your favourite part?
If yes, #TeamDarcy? Why?
If no, would you consider reading it after this article?

- Zinnia and Gwendoline 
 


*Jane is the eldest daughter among five siblings. Netherfield is a small town in which Mr.Bingle lives. Mr.Bingle is a handsome gentleman. 

Austenland Quote [gif].  Retrieved from https://gowatchthisnow.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/austenland/