Book of the Week

Stand on the Sky

by Erin Bow

Transport yourself to another land.

She had always heard that the eagle chooses the eagle hunter. She wanted that. She wanted her eagle to come to her. To choose her.

Aisulu discovers that her brother, Serik, has been concealing a bad limp that risks not just his future as the family's leader, but his life too.

When her parents leave to seek a cure for Serik in a distant hospital, Aisulu finds herself living with her intimidating uncle and strange auntie -- and secretly caring for an orphaned baby eagle. To save her brother and keep her family from having to leave their nomadic life behind forever, Aisulu must earn her eagle’s trust and fight for her right to soar.  Along the way, she discovers that family are people who choose each other, home is a place you build, and hope is a thing with feathers. 

Read the book HERE

To help you understand what is happening in the book better, below is a trailer for a documentary  about a 13 year old girl and her eagle in Mongolia.  This is not the actual book, but it is very similar to Stand on the Sky.

Sign Language Week

HARD OF HEARING

Here are some books to support Sign Language Week 6th May - 12th May.

The first book to look at is , an award winning comic called,  el deafo.  I have included a interview with the author Cece Bell also.

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.


To find out what happens in this very moving comic book go to Epic! or  click on the link, COMIC HERE


Below is the author, Cece Bell,  talking about her inspiration for writing  el deafo.

The next novel is by Shari Green.

Find Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess HERE

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess is all about,  Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a For Sale sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their little family, adding an unwelcome stepfather and pesky six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy's final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she'll put it off―just like those wedding centerpieces she's supposed to be making.

Just when Macy's mother ought to be sympathetic, she sends her next door to help eighty-six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move―in her case, into an assisted living facility. Iris can't move a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn't know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn't going to let Macy's deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a friendship grows. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life.

The last book is a non-fiction book, about a famous lady in history called,
Helen Keller.

Helen Keller was deaf and blind.  She spent her life helping others.  Having learnt to speak and write, Helen showed the world how much disable people could learn and do.  Her work changed many lives for the better.

Read about this remarkable lady HERE


 Below is how to sign Deaf in New Zealand Sign Language.  

While lifting your finger and pointing to your hear, mime the word deaf.   Watch the video 
HERE

Can you solve it?

Do you think you can solve it?

Do you like to complete crosswords?  Do you have a love of books? 

Then this crossword is for YOU!

HERE you will find a crossword to complete. You will need to put dashes - between names for the answers.

Give it a go.  

Have fun, and best of luck.

You can check you answers HERE.

An Award Winner

Inside Out & Back Again.

For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family. 

This book was an award winner in 2011.    When you open this book, you will notice that the writing style is different to what you would normal expect form a novel. Not a bunch of paragraphs, but a novel in verse,  meaning it has a plot but it's written as a bunch of short poems.  

However, as you start to read this book you will see that the poetic style could almost be a diary. 

Inside Out & Back Again, is written in the first person , and almost entirely in past tense. 

It is a easy read, but most certainly a book that you will want to read to the end.
You really do get swept up with Hà and her experience of life.

Find the Book on Epic!Inside Out & Back Again Book Link

Can you name the books?

Can you name the book?

Have a look at these images and see if you can name the book.

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Check you answers HERE

Check out these books that we found on Epic!

Do you have a sense of adventure?

Read it here on Epic!

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/49107

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.

Or here is another great adventure.

 Read it here one Epic!

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/16831

Tom, an adventurous boy who feels there must be more to life than school. The first part of The Boy Who Biked the World follows Tom leaving England, cycling through Europe and all the way through Africa to the tip of South Africa. Along the way, young readers are introduced not only to the various fascinating landscapes he passes through, but also to the various people who so happily embrace him as he travelled on his journey. With engaging illustrations, postcards, and journal entries throughout, this book provides an immersive experience for any young adventurer.

Author Presentation-Sophie

Down below is an author presentation created by Sophie on J.K. Rowling.