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