Mt Roskill Grammar

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BookDragon

17,080 pts

(13,081 pages read)

Before the Devil knows you’re here

By Autumn Krause

5 stars

A very strange mixture of dystopian adventure, romance and folk lore, this book was not all what I was expecting. Engaging and well written with great love and respect of Spanish and native Mexican/South American myth and culture, it’s possible not for reluctant YA readers as I don’t think they’ll stick with it. But YA readers who enjoy something a bit strange, fantastical and magical - as well as unwinding a tangled story, may well enjoy it.
The Escape Artist

By Jonathan Freedland

5 stars
The Seven Daughters of Eve

By Bryan Sykes

5 stars

I love reading about genetics, evolution and human traits - I’m not a scientist, I don’t ‘get’ most science, but genetics and evolution is just history, and I LOVE history!! Professor Bryan Sykes makes everything accessible, even to a layperson like me, and I (mostly!) get it. But taking the story of genetics from this one point, when he was asked to help with the analysis after the discovery of a perfectly preserved 5,000 year old man frozen in the Italian Alps nicknamed ‘iceman’ and finding out about the history, life and even tracing his descendants, was a piece of historical research and a crime mystery all rolled into one. Very accessible and fascinating read. Any NZ student with an interest in genetics will thoroughly enjoy this book and it would make a great case study for teaching in class or assessments.
Dominion - The making of the Western Mind

By Tom Holland

5 stars

Encompassing every aspect and event in development of Western culture, it takes a lot of digestion!! You think about every point and example and mull over it. Inevitably in such a big, wide ranging book some bits drag but on the whole an amazing piece of writing. Not really a young adult ‘reading for pleasure’ text but teachers could certainly use parts of it in history, philosophy, religion, English or ethics lessons!
The Brothers York-an English tragedy

By Thomas Penn

5 stars

An impeccably researched book, a step by step accounting of the story of York and Lancaster and what has become known in history as ‘the Wars of the Roses’. However, it would have been nice to hear what Penn thought of WHY some of these men did the things they did. I understand he is an academic and interested in accurate history and not interpretation, but having immersed himself so thoroughly in the lives of these three brothers, he is in the perfect position to make some assumptions and interpretations of their actions. It helps the layperson reader to understand and engage with the historical figures when reading about them. Also, I know it is a story about the brothers, but a little more information and focus about the women in the story would have been nice. The mother, their wives and sisters all played a massive part in the story but you wouldn’t know it from the book. Easy to read, but not a book I think any NZ school student would pick up to read for pleasure, unless they had a very niche and dedicated interest in this era, but could would certainly be helpful for researching and assessments.
Colonising Myths, Māori Realities - He Rukuruku Whakaaro

By Ani Mikaere

5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. I learnt so much and so many things came together. Truly inspiring, eye-opening and utterly honest. Very, very accessible, Mikaere’s collection of essays covers a period of about 20 years and allows you to catch glimpses into where she was in these moments of her life and her fight and vision. A lot of her thoughts are very hard hitting and will immediately alienate many Pākehā readers, but that is not her problem … and that’s the point. Eye-opening for me and lots and lots of room for thought.
Swarm

By Jennifer D. Lyle

5 stars

Actually a very strong, engaging YA dystopian. Bit different. No teenagers saving the world - just scared and trying to survive. Highly recommend for giving to students for reading for pleasure.
Ship to Wreck

By Ian Thomas

3 stars
The White Ship

By Charles Spencer

5 stars

Interesting and well written. About a very niche and specific era of British history so unlikely to be helpful for assessments or giving to students for reading for pleasure, but accessible if you this period - or just like learning.
Hongi Hika; Warrior Chief

By Dorothy Urluch Cloger

3 stars

This is a real passion project and such a richly researched and detailed book, clearly such an important piece of work for the author, whose family are descended from Hongi Hika. But I’ve read an awful lot of non-fiction and biographies, and there are ways of writing non-fiction so it is still engaging, interesting and not just a chronological narrative of people and places. A little dry to say the least! I think this will make a great resource for assessments.
Queen Victoria; Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow

By Lucy Worsley

5 stars

Another brilliant Worsley special. So readable and engaging. Really interesting. Very accessible for any students interested in the Victorian era.
Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets

By Chelsea Ichaso

2 stars

Awful. When will authors realise you have to be clever, nuanced and subtle to write a good mystery. An endless string of red herrings, motives and suspects is not clever, it’s boring, makes you lose any tiny scrap of interest you might have held in finding out what happened and every time a new theory comes along you immediately know it’s not what happened - particularly if you are only half way through the book! Here is my limited pool of suspects - she did it, everything points to her … oh, no, wait, never mind. It was him, he had means, motive…actually it’s all good, turns out wasn’t him. It was actually them, look they are trying to kill me to keep me quiet … no, nope, I was wrong, they are trying to save me. It’s actually my original suspect, definitely, look what they have been hiding … oops, my bad, totally different secret. Oh look, it’s the only person we have left we haven’t accused yet and who has absolutely no motive whatsoever!!! Ahhhh!!! And this has a particularly pointless and ridiculous ending. Not a good read.
Witches- James I and the English Witch Hunts

By Tracy Borman

5 stars

While Borman doesn’t write her history in the same engaging, almost conversational style as her colleague Lucy Wolsey, she is still one of the best historians of our time and writes with new a lens and focus on such important and interesting themes. This will be a great book for topics around Patriarchy, feminism, history of women, women’s rights. I think students would have a hard time sticking with it and reading all of it, but it would make a great, thorough, easily accessible research resource or to find examples for teaching and lessons.
1984

By George Orwell

2 stars

Like everyone else that reads this book, I was amazed and awed by its startling intuitive view of the future, considered when the book was written. It is sheer genius and proves Orwell was clearly some sort of witch. HOWEVER, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is dry, plodding and pedantic. Sorry - heresy I know - but everyone is allowed their own opinion and this is not my cup of tea.
A Very British Murder

By Lucy Worsley

5 stars

One of my favourite authors - she writes so easily and well. An interesting look at the history of the British obsession with crime stories. Not being a huge fan of the quaint detective stories from ‘The Golden Age’ of the 1930s (despite one of the ‘Queens of Crime’ from that era being a kiwi!) I found the last few chapters a little dry. Although the story of poor Dorothy Sayars real life was fascinating and profoundly sad. Won’t be a crowd pleaser for young adults particularly, but very, very accessible for anyone interested in the topic.
How Do We Look / The Eye of Faith

By Mary Beard

5 stars

Interesting, engaging and thought provoking - admittedly I’ll read and love anything Mary Beard writes but this was particularly fascinating into the human relationship with art and the impact of art on religion. Would be a great resource for classics or philosophy classes and students interested in how attitudes and customs developed.
A History of New Zealand in 100 objects

By Jock Phillips

3 stars

A little dry but extremely well researched and informative. A wide and interesting variety of objects, clever concept. Not a great one for reading for pleasure but will make a great resource for assessments. Very authoritative and thorough.
Femina

By Janina Ramirez

5 stars

Brilliant. So easy to read, engaging, interesting and insightful.
Unruly

By David Mitchell

5 stars

Absolutely brilliant. Impeccable history told in a genuinely laugh out loud way. Loved it! Unless any NZ school students have a deep and abiding interest in British royal history from post-Roman Anglo-Saxon to the end of the Tudors, probably not going to be a popular one!
The Rest is History

By Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook

5 stars

Clever, funny, irreverent and extremely readable. Covers all sorts of history (the 10 worst parties in History … that sort of thing) so no need to have an interest in one era. Almost an adult version of Horrible Histories.
Indigenous Identity and Resistance

By Brendan Hokowhitu (co-editor)

5 stars

Extremely academic and some of the essays were very hard to engage with as a layman but fascinating, important and just shows how far we have to go. A good resource for a year 11 or 12 assessment but doubt any students would read for fun!
The Cardiff Killings

By Gaynor Torrance

0 stars
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders

By Jesse Q. Sutanto

5 stars

Good fun, if slightly ridiculous. Aimed more at adults, but would be a fun read for strong year 11 or 12 readers
Lost Cities Ancient Tombs

By Ann R. Williams

2 stars

Boring, insipid, superficial overviews. Also spotted some inaccuracies (mostly through laziness and oversimplification) in areas I knew a bit about- makes you wonder what other mistakes there were. Shame.
Sleeps Standing Moetu

By Witi Ihimaera

5 stars

A hard one to teach for sure, the style and format means it wouldn’t be good for any reluctant readers but so much to discuss. Maybe good for reading bits out loud to a class during discussions around the subject.
A Madness of Sunshine

By Nalini Singh

5 stars

I haven’t read the fantasy series Singh is so well known for yet, crime set in real world settings is a new path for her and after reading this, it is one I hope she continues on! Very readable, engaging, clever whodunnit. The author’s connection to New Zealand and the way the bleak, isolated, dramatic landscape of the South Island’s West Coast impacts the lives and patterns of the residents there is intimately portrayed and the land and weather becomes another character. It is not aimed at young adults but there is nothing in there a strong young adult reader wouldn’t relate to and enjoy. Good crime mystery.
Singing Home the Whale

By Mandy Hager

5 stars

Well written and quite different story. Hard subject matter in a lot of places. Nice touch having parts narrated by the orca. Would be excellent for capable year 7/8 readers but really good for year 9/10, lots to discuss, analyse and unpack.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

By Alexander McCall Smith

5 stars
The House of Doors

By Tan Twan Eng

5 stars

Beautifully written, sad, sweeping historical story about being forced to hide who you are and the pointless viciousness of the British class system.
Kawai. For Such a Time As This

By Monty Soutar

3 stars

A brilliant idea and will make for a solid series, but Dr Soutar does write like an academic. Reads less like a fictional narrative and more like a thesis on Māori culture in the late 18th century. Dragged … a lot … in places. Such a shame because this would be brilliant way for students to look at life in pre-colonisation NZ and Māori tikanga and way of life. But I think this would just be too hard for students to stick with and engage with.
Birnam Wood

By Eleanor Catton

4 stars

It was okay. Well written, different but I just didn’t connect with the story or idea. Dragged a bit. Certainly not for young adults, students would really struggle to connect and enjoy.
Potiki

By Patricia Grace

5 stars

Unique and lyrical. Important and valuable. A true taonga. A good one for year 11 & 12 - lots and lots to unpack.
The Bookbinder of Jericho

By Pip Williams

5 stars

Touching, well written and great historical detail and atmosphere.
The Art of Walking Upright

By Glenn Colquhoun

5 stars

I love Glenn Colquhoun's poetry. His portrayal of the struggle of identity and belonging in these poems is touching and relatable.
Conrad Cooper's Last Stand

By Leonie Agnew

5 stars

Gorgeous book. Dealing with such massive, sad, important themes and yet done so gently and subtly. A book for kids and adults - perfect for year 7-8, but despite the young cover and the age of the characters, I think year 9 & 10 would get a lot out of it. I loved the fact that Conrad's friends convince him that doing their maths homework for them counts as 'doing good' but the flaw in the plan was that Conrad isn't very good at maths! A great way to introduce kids to the subject of disenfranchisement and land rights. Beautiful.
Shatter Me

By Tehereh Mafi

1 stars

If there was the option to give half a star I would have chosen that! This book was the worst thing I have read for a long time. In fact it almost made me give up on YA writing all together. The story is actually not bad, not particularly clever, but engaging, however the writing is appalling. Lack of correct punctuation makes it nonsensical in places and if I ever read the phrase 'lackadasical ennui' again, I swear I will quit reading.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

By Gabrielle Zevin

5 stars

Lovely, well written book. Very different and thoughtful story charting the development and rise of video game development. Great characters. While this is not aimed at young adult readers, I think they will engage with the characters and enjoy the history of game development.
Cousins

By Patricia Grace

5 stars

Brilliant. Very important. Beautiful voice. Might be hard for students not used to reading to follow, as it has many different voices and time frames.
Remarkably Bright Creatures

By Shelby Van Pelt

5 stars

Very unusual - really enjoyed having such a different storyline for a change. Loved that it is partially narrated by the Octopus, who is so much smarter than all us humans put together. Satisfying ending. Not really a young adult read, but not-so-young adults will thoroughly enjoy it!

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