Answer A Question and Win

This month's reading theme is graphic novels and with that in mind this month's prize draw relates to comic book characters. Some of them have been around for a while. Superman first appeared in 1938 and Spider-Man the following year.

Who is your favourite comic book hero?  There are five choices below.  They are the top five from a list of the 10 most famous comic book heroes on the website 'The Most 10'.

Complete the form to enter the prize draw (open to Kapiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 7 November.

Flora's War by Pamela Rushby

Flora Wentworth is in Cairo with her archaeologist father. She has just turned 16 and is now officially ‘grown up’. She is enjoying parties, picnics and shopping for new clothes. She is delighted when her father gives permission for her to learn to drive.

 

But it is 1915 and the realities of World War 1 begin to hit home. Although Cairo is many miles away from the battlefield a flood of wounded soldiers are shipped to the city from Gallipoli. Flora’s comfortable life is turned upside down and she is challenged in ways she could never have imagined.

 

Although the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1 is well documented ‘Flora’s War’ tells another side of the story. Flora is a fictional character but the context is real. Many Cairo buildings were taken over to become hospitals, and civilian volunteers helped overburdened and exhausted medical personnel cope with the huge number of injured soldiers. Flora’s War is a fascinating glimpse into a little known aspect of ANZAC history and a heartfelt story of a young woman facing up to the shocking realities of war.

 

 

 

 

I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale

When she turns 14, Rebecca will find out who she is to marry. All the girls in her religious sect must be married just after their 16 birthdays.  Her twin sister Rachel has her eye on a boy she likes and Rebecca just hopes for someone kind. But the choice is not theirs to make. 

 

As the story unfolds we learn about the strict ways of the religious sect, Children of the Faith, that Rebecca’s family belongs to. A series of incidents then sets off a shocking sequence of events and the pace of the story ramps up to a gripping conclusion.

 

I am Rebecca is the sequel to I am not Esther. You don’t have to read them sequentially but it is worth reading I am not Esther first to establish the wider scene and follow the time line. A highly recommended read that is receiving great reviews. 

 

 

Maia and What Matters

Thanks so much to Greet, of Book Island, who spoke to the Wrappers about publishing and the differences between children's literature in NZ and Europe. We learned that New Zealand picture books are more jolly and positive on the whole compared to European picture books which are more likely to deal with darker topics such as loss and death.

We discussed the picture book Maia and What Matters. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book from Belgium that deals with the illness of one grandparent and the death of another. At present at Paraparaumu Library we have two copies in the parent collection. Following discussion with the Wrappers we have decided to move one copy to the sophisticated picture books.  The Wrappers felt that the grandfather's death was dealt with in a sensitive and touching way, and that reading the book would be a good way for older children to be introduced to the subject of death. 

Do read it and you will find out what matters too.