NZ Intermediate School Librarians discussion

On the day before we went into Level 4 Lockdown I went to our local bookshop and, in a bit of a rush & with no prior research, I bought some books for my school library, which I then of course took straight home to read. There were a few winners in my pile, but then there were the books that weren't...
My lockdown duds were:
1. "The Wild Lands" by Paul Greci - Dystopian. Set in Alaska. Group of teenagers are trying to escape Alaska which has succumbed to all manner of human-wrought environmental destruction. I love a good dystopian e.g. The Road To Winter, The Dry, Dog Runner. But this was definitely not in that league. Wished I hadn't bought it!
2. "Alone: Quarantine" by James Phelan. This is the 3rd and final book in the Alone series. I really enjoyed the first book "Chasers". The 2nd was OK. The 3rd - nah. Shame because the title is perfect for the current situation.
3. "Words on Fire" By Jennifer Nielson. This just didn't do it for me and I had to abandon it half way through. I just didn't really care about the characters or what was going to happen next. I will be careful not to share my negative feelings with any students though. I'm sure some people will like it.

So, do you have any lockdown duds to share? Please comment below...

I enjoyed "The Wild Lands" - not as much as "Dry" but I thought it had plenty of action in it. I see the author is a teacher who enjoys exploring the Alaskan wilderness.

Jayne wrote: "I enjoyed "The Wild Lands" - not as much as "Dry" but I thought it had plenty of action in it. I see the author is a teacher who enjoys exploring the Alaskan wilderness."

Good to know Jayne. At least I can pass it on to students saying "I've heard it's good". :-)

Hi Jane. I really enjoyed 'Words on Fire', possibly because I know a family who lived in Lithuania during the war and I know their story - fact, not fiction. Mind you, I 'enjoy' most war stories. You're right though, everyone is different so I'm sure you will find takers for this one too.
As far as duds go, I finally got around to reading 'The Bunker Diaries' and disliked it intensely. Personal opinion only of course as I know it was a Carnegie Medal winner in 2014.

Joanna wrote: "Hi Jane. I really enjoyed 'Words on Fire', possibly because I know a family who lived in Lithuania during the war and I know their story - fact, not fiction. Mind you, I 'enjoy' most war stories. Y..."

Thanks for that Joanna. I had read some good reviews about "Words on Fire" and I was looking forward to reading it so it was particularly disappointing when I didn't enjoy it - but maybe I just wasn't in the right mood? And it does have a great cover! :-)

My lockdown dud is Where the River Runs Gold by Sita Brahmachari. I bought it after reading a highly favourable review on booksforkeeps.co.uk as I was keen to have another good eco-dystopian book suitable for a slightly younger crowd (I've lots of YA dystopia) and this was recommended for 10-14 year olds. While its environmental message is strong, and I enjoyed the premise of the plot (the world is devastated by extreme weather and bees are extinct) I found it difficult to follow what was happening, particularly during the action scenes. If I can't follow it I'm guessing my students won't either. The ending also didn't satisfy. A book that promised lots but frustratingly didn't deliver for me.

I also struggled a bit with Words on Fire... especially as I love her other historical fiction. I did persevere though and it did get better, but it doesn't compare to her others.
There will definitely be some children who will like it though!

Joanna wrote: "Hi Jane. I really enjoyed 'Words on Fire', possibly because I know a family who lived in Lithuania during the war and I know their story - fact, not fiction. Mind you, I 'enjoy' most war stories. Y..."

Hi Joanna, I read the Bunker Diaries and was so horrified by it that I threw it out of the library. If it can make me feel that way, there is no way I want any of the students to feel the same. I feel traumatised by thinking about it now!

Wow! We don't have The Bunker Diary at my school library - and I think it will stay that way. ;-)