Answer a question and win

'Never judge a book by it's cover'. It's a saying that has been around for years and it has some merit when choosing a book you've never read.  Imagine the wonderful story you could miss out on if you only judged a book by it's cover.

Now think of it differently. What if you know the story and had to choose the cover?  Take Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for example. It has been published with several different covers over the past 20 years. Take a look at five of the covers below and make your choice. Which cover do you like best?

Fill in your answer on the Google Form and be in to win a brand new book. Open to Kāpiti District residents only. The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 1 April. 

One by Sarah Crossan

Grace and Tippi. Tippi and Grace. Two sisters. Two hearts. Two dreams. Two lives. But one body.
Grace and Tippi are conjoined twins, joined at the waist, defying the odds of survival for sixteen years. They share everything, and they are everything to each other. They would never imagine being apart. For them, that would be the real tragedy.
But something is happening to them. Something they hoped would never happen. And Grace doesn’t want to admit it. Not even to Tippi.
How long can they hide from the truth—how long before they must face the most impossible choice of their lives?

This is a beautiful and emotional read.  It is written in free verse style which was surprisingly easy and quick to read. The story is told from the point of view of one conjoined twin, Grace, and through her we learn both of her individuality and her powerful bond with Tippi.  It’s also a story of a family facing several challenges and how they are coping individually and as a family.  A revealing insight into life as a conjoined twin and a deeply moving story. 

Talking about books with teens in Russia

The Wrappers met some Russian teens via Skype and talked with them about favourite books. Luckily for us the Russian students learn English so we could understand each other.  We didn't know many of their favourites and they didn't know many that the Wrappers had picked as their individual choices.  However there were some popular books they both knew and liked, especially books that appear on 'best seller' and 'most borrowed from the library' lists in New Zealand. Those books included the Divergent series, the Fault in our Stars and Harry Potter.

Answer a question and win

Have you ever thought about what people in other countries read? Especially if they are from a non-English speaking country. Do they read translations of English books or do they prefer books in their own language set in their own culture? Are John Green and Suzanne Collins as popular in Russia as they are in New Zealand? 

At our next Wrappers meeting we will get a chance to answer these questions. We'll talk via Skype with some teenagers in Russia. What do you know about Russian culture?  The questions for this month's prize draw relate to some well know people or items from Russia. 

How many of these symbols do you know?
Matryoshka dolls
The Kremlin
Tchaikovsky
Red Square
Cheburashka
Maria Sharapova
Leo Tolstoy
balalaika
vodka
troika

Count the number you know (be prepared to explain them!), fill in your answer on the Google Form below and be in to win a brand new book. Open to Kāpiti District residents only. The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 4 March. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is a freshman, new at school and facing many of the usual challenges of a teenager starting high school plus a few more.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This book deals with so many issues it could come across as over the top, trying to squeeze every possible teen problem into just 213 pages.  Fortunately it doesn’t. It feels realistic and although as I was reading I didn’t always empathize with Charlie’s sadness and introspection, I did get him by the end of the book.  Mostly though I liked that the story shows it’s OK to be different and that we should remain true to ourselves. 

The Wrappers Recommend

The following books were recommended by Wrappers at the meeting on Friday.  Read one and see if you agree - is it a good read?

Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Last Knight by Hilari Bell

Talon by Julie Kagawa 

Answer a question and win

Isn't summer great? Plenty of time to catch up with friends, sleep in, eat ice-cream and read a book or ten. Where is your favourite place to read outside?  Maybe it's at the beach, in a hammock, in a garden chair, under a tree or even in a tree.  

Make your choice using the photos, fill in your answer on the Google Form below and be in to win a brand new book  (open to Kāpiti District residents only). The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 5 February.