A Bright New Dawn.

Diggers, The second book of The Nomes by Terry Pratchett.

"I said don't press it! Did i say press it? I said don't press it!!"

After the epic journey in Truckers, The Nomes have settled in a quarry and a Bright New Dawn is coming for them all, or is it?

Maskilin has gone on a journey to find Grandson 39 and hasn't come back...

Nisodemus the mad Nome is inciting riots, trying to grab power and throwing doubt...

Dorcas has found a strange monster call Jekub buried in the hill....

The weather is growing cold, puddles are going solid and frozen bits of sky are falling from above.

The Store Nomes are confused and unsure of their new environment.

And the humans are returning...

Can Grimma fight them off?, will Maskilin return alive?

Again this is a good solid story, with nice 3D characters and backgrounds, a very good story for younger readers. I feel a bit sorry for the humans in Diggers, I'm glad I'm not one.

A Journey of sorts.

Truckers, the first book of The Nomes by Terry Pratchett

Most of the things you are hunting are also hunting you...

Maskilin must hunt ferocious beasts, gather enormous amounts of food and perform all the finicky and back breaking maintenance for the 8 very old and cranky people he lives with.
Grimma does the cooking, the cleaning and the reassuring needed in any household/hole in the ground. A journey of sorts.

Maskilin and Grimma are not human, oh sure, they have the right number of legs, arms and heads and the eyes and ears are in approximately the right place, but they look like brick walls on legs. They are so stocky they make Japanese sumo wrestlers look half starved by comparison. As a species the Nomes don't live long, ten years is a long lifetime, but they do live fast, for a Nome one year lasts as long as ten years does to a human.

They are only 4 inches tall...

Truckers tells the story of Maskilin, Grimma and the old people's hardships and their subsequent escape attempt. It also tells the story of The Store.

This is a very nice story, it's plot is good but direct and the characters are believable enough but i'm afraid that it is not a young adult book it is more directed at children.

Bored?

Coraline, the graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman and adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell.

Coraline is an Explorer, she has discovered the hot water tank (in cupboard), she has counted all the windows (21) and all the doors (14) and one more which is bricked up.

Coraline has talked to Mrs Spink and Mrs Forcible about their younger days and she has talked to the old man upstairs about the mice that won't go oompah oompah.

Coriline is bored..........

Coriline goes to look at the bricked door and finds a dark hallway where the bricks should be, she enters....

This book is actually quite scary for a childrens comic but its well drawn with a good plot.

Twilight series.

Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

Stephanie Meyer wrote the Twilight series, which comprises of 4 books Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

The series is about the impossible love that forms between the main characters Edward who is a vampire and Isabella who is human and the trials and tribulations that they face to make their love work.

Edward and Bella must face together mad vampires, a vampire cult, werewolfs, shapeshifters and last but not least Edwards own lust for Bella's hot liquid blood. Bella herself must also face the daily traumas faced by all teenage girls in high school, boys, friends and homework.

As a whole the books were good though full of wordy romantic nothings, but to many readers the movie was a disappointment, things happened too quickly and out of sequence, the actors weren't quite right for the parts and the director didn't follow the script closely enough to make the movie good.

Twilight isn't a bad series I certainly liked it, if you liked them you should look out for Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edwards perspective) or her other book The Host.

The Trials

The Trials, based on The Crucible by Arthur Miller and preformed by Hillcrest High school.

Hillcrest High School presents a 2009 year 13 drama production of The Trials, based on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. This production is based on the actual events that, in 1692, led to the Salem Witch Trials, a series of hearings before local magistrates to prosecute over 150 people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. In 1692 a witch-hunting fury swept many of the small, isolated communities in the New World, with Salem in Massachusetts being the most intensely affected. The Trials show how the nightmare gathered force until innocent and once respected citizens were tried and hanged for crimes they had not committed. Although based very closely on historical records, it has many lessons for our own time.

Shiro Binks the Director of The Trials thinks that The Trials is a meaty play for the students to perform. She is looking forward to the joys of acting in traverse, where the audience is on two sides of the stage. She is very excited to be working with this bunch of students. She says that The Trials “should be good” and that she gives the production a “quadruple thumbs up”.
Briana Christey who plays Elizabeth in The Trials thinks that the audience will be drawn to her character for her good morals. She believes that The Trials will be a highly memorable play. She says that The Trials was “not made to entertain”, meaning that it’s “not a comedy” She believes that we can learn from plays such as The Trials how to prevent history from repeating, and how it came about in the first place.

Samara Roberts-Thompson who plays Mary Warren thinks that her character is easily manipulated and because of that is scared most of the time. She tries to do what is right, but gets scared into “capitulating”. She says that it’s really cool because she gets “to spend the whole play crying”. She believes that The Trials shows what happens when people point the finger at others and cause mass hysteria among the people.

Nisha Erin Appanna who plays Betty thinks her character is a” young silly little girl”, who likes to whine a lot. “She likes being the centre of attention.” She likes how the play conflicts and differs to our society and how it shows what it was like back then.

Mhairi Hayworth who plays Abigail believes that her character has 3 sides to her, and that she shows a different face to different people. She has the ability to change from one face to another quickly. Her faces are a façade to her true nature. Her three sides are evil, innocent and flirtatious. She thinks that The Trials is a really, really cool play, which will send chills down the audiences spines. She also states that “Mrs Binks is the greatest director ever.”

The performances start on Tuesday the 18th of August and the last night is on Friday the 21st of August, and are being held in the auditorium. Tickets cost $5 for students and $8 for adults and are available from the school office. Door sales are also available, but not guaranteed. Get in quick for a wonderful time.

Signs in the dark..

Thud! a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.

The Dwarf bled alone in the mud and darkness....

There once was a time when Sam was one of only three policeman in anka-morpork. He was for the most part drunk, greasy, single, happy and as free as a bird. Sadly not any more. Sam Vimes is the current Duke of Anka-Morpork and police chief of the same he has a wife, a butler and worst of all responsibility. Though he is ashamed to admit it, he is loving it.

These perks do not come without problems to solve. The Dwarfs are getting angry and secretive, the Trolls are wearing more lichen and carrying bigger clubs, there is a government inspector loose in his watch, he is expected to hire a Vampire of all things and Koom valley day, the historic start of dwarf-troll hatred, is looming along with a civil war. He must do something!

But every night without fail at 6:00 Sam Vimes must read "Where's my cow?" to his little son.

There are some things you have to do.

Enviromental care helpbook list.

You can save the planet by Rich Hough.

Wow! This really is a day in the life of your carbon footprint. This book takes an environmental journey through your day. At 7:30 you have breakfast – did you know that 22 glasses of water are used in the processing of 1 glass of Brazilian orange juice? At 4:30 you do your homework – did you know that each year, every person in the UK throws away an estimated 2 trees worth of paper and card? This book is very easy to read and at the end of each chapter it contains useful advice as to how you can live a more sustainable and environmentally friendly life. (Includes a six month diary checklist of what you can do to save the planet!)

Paper or plastic by Daniel Imhoff.

Packaging is a huge environmental problem which needs to be addressed. This book focuses on harmful/wasteful packaging which has reached epic proportions. Includes some packaging tips on what you can do: (pretty much just don’t buy products with heaps of packaging), however, it is relevant and thoroughly convincing that greater action must be taken. Jam-packed (Ha!) with statistics and images that make you wince with disgust. If you want to see how pathetic packaging really gets check out the box on page 34… sad.

Sustainable development by Clive Gifford.

At first glance you may think this is just another book which you may only open for a school project. You may actually be right. It does, however, take a serious and somewhat depressing look at the situation of the Earth. Pages 48 and 49 tell you what you can do. It will certainly show you the reasons why environmental change is necessary.

Power by Kate Ravilious.

Easy to read. Focuses on resources and the environment. Designed to make the reader think by its slightly corny “you decide” activities: “would you consider alternative methods of transport when you go on holiday?” – written for young people but seriously – what kid is allowed to decide the type of transport for their parent anyway. Another says: “would you buy a banana that had been grown in the Israeli dessert?” I am not sure if they are asking the right questions, but at the back it does provide books and websites to go to for further information, so you may have more luck there…

1001 easy ways for Earth-wise living by Reader Digest writers.

Hmmmmmmn. Chapter titles include “the natural home”, “around the home”, “the healthy body”, “feeling well”, “Earth-wise gardening” and “out and about”. I mean come on! We are greenies, not housewives who go to Yoga and make “caramelized red onion relish” whilst reading “ten tips for better digestion” (page 200). However, you may find sanity in this book under efficient living, and also “out and about”, which takes a look at power and travel environment tips. Just watch out not to get sucked into “understanding your skin” and “Holistic Health”! (Blurgk!)

Save the Earth by Jonathon Porrit.

First published in 1991, this book may have slightly passed its best by date, however, it does contain some detailed and informative content and seems like it was ahead of its time. Don’t miss the foreword by HRH the Prince of Wales or (more importantly) the introduction by Peter Garret! This book would be very interesting to read if you have enough time on your hands. It has many contributions from a wide variety of well known people and covers in depth a large variety of environmental topics.

Good (magazine).

This magazine does have LOTS of advice. The target audience seems to be for more of an older audience than high school students, though. Some of it will bore you to tears – NO, I am NOT thinking about buying a heat pump! Your parents are likely to benefit from this more than you, but it does provide some valuable content, just have a flick through.

Window by Jennie Baker.

A sophisticated picture book which illustrates the way a community environment can change so easily and drastically over a few years. Wonderful illustrations and a clear message that does not require words.

Earth Matters by David de Rothschild.

It is not just the content of this book that is environmentally friendly - the paper used to make it is sourced from responsibly managed forests, their paper mill recycles 91% of the water required during manufacture. Their printer has reduced its carbon footprint by 52% since 1994 (very clever printer), and generates 100% of its own electricity. Their ink is vegetable ink, not petroleum products and there is not dust jacket (to save paper and energy). Yes, they really have gone the whole way, and guess what! - it's actually a really good book too. Has pretty much everything you need to know about the environment, is up to date and also filled with wonderful photography.