A Book A Week

Viewing the blog of Gino Bondi,  Principal at John Oliver Secondary, I was excited about his post on reading. I am inspired that he is reading a book a week and I am enjoying his reviews. I will definitely keep these books in mind for my summer reading list.

I am an avid reader and the students I work with are avid readers.  However, life has gotten in the way of my reading this year, and I have endless excuses as to why I haven't read:  the dog needs walking, there is laundry to fold, there are lunches to make, yoga classes to go to, dishes to wash, and the list goes on.

It was during my last book club meeting that I became inspired because the students were so interested in novels!  They talked and talked about novels that I hadn't read.  So, to keep up with the reading of my students, I am going to read a novel a week.  Not any novel, but novels for young readers ages 8 and up.  And, I will share these books here, in order to give ideas to other teachers, students, and parents.

My first review is a book recommended to me by a student who likes adventure stories:  Silverfin.  This book by Charlie Higson is part of the Young Bond series.  This story is about young James Bond before we know him as a handsome spy, as depicted in the movies.   

I highly recommend this read, as it appeals to young boys and girls who like action and adventure.  I enjoyed how the author portrayed the young Bond as a an ordinary kid.   As he says,

" I  knew  when I first began thinking about the project that I didn't want James to step out on to the first page wearing a mind tuxedo, a smirk,  and a shoulder holster; I didn't want a shrunken down version of Pierce Brosnan (the actor who was playing Bond at the time).  I wanted him  to start out as a reasonably straightforward and recognizable thirteen-year-old boy, so that kids reading the book could identify with him.  Why not? I reckoned that James Bond, the man (in many ways the ultimate man) - the international jet-setting playboy/secret agent - must have started life like all of us, as an ordinary kid" (page xiv, introduction to Silverfin)

The story begins with Bond being sent to Eton, and his trials and tribulations in meeting students, finding himself as a talented long distance runner, and finally his issues with George Hellebore, an American student whose father Lord Hellebore owns a castle in Scotland. During his Easter holidays, Bond visits his Aunt Charmian and his dying Uncle Max in Keithly Scotland, and he comes upon the mystery of a local boy who has disappeared, fishing at Lord Hellebore's castle at Loc Silverfin.  And so the mystery begins!

As a young adult, I read many of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming, and I have seen all of the James Bond films - being quite the fan of the early films staring Sean Connery. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series, and I can think of lots of boys and girls who will enjoy this exciting read!