Book Series that we love: Our (current) favourite Chapter Book series!

J, who is now 7 years old, has become rather a prolific reader and there are a few book series for young readers that have been responsible for encouraging him on his reading journey. Currently, my aim for J to get him to progress towards chapter books that not only increase his vocabulary and reading fluency, but also widen his imagination or scope of interests. Choosing books that appeal to little boys has been quite a challenge for me! I was brought up on a steady diet of Laura Ingalls and Anne of Green Gables, both of which are wonderful book series but do nothing to engage J’s attention. I have since discovered that in order to encourage J to stay with a book for more than a few pages, the book had to contain some or all of the following aspects:

1. Text as well as illustrations – a great black and white wall of text was just too intimidating for a young reader.
2. Fictional subject matter that involves intelligent young male heroes, fast-paced action and a little bit of cheeky humour.
3. Factual subject matter of the slightly yucky kind.

So, here are…

J’s current Top Three Favourite Chapter Book Series

1. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket This is a series of 13 books, each with 13 chapters, following the melancholy adventures of the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny. The books trace the lives of the Baudelaire orphans as they pass through various foster homes before going on the run from the police, whilst being pursued by a self-proclaimed ‘distant relative’, Count Olaf, who is bent on acquiring the Baudelaire’s considerable inheritance. Along the way, they uncover the mystery surrounding their parents’ deaths and encounter all manner of exciting things like secret organisations, venomous snakes and delicious pasta. The author, Lemony Snicket, is as much a character in the books as well as their narrator and commentator – and his satirical humour is evident throughout the novels, often warning the reader that very few positive events take place in each book and even suggesting that the books be discarded in favour of more cheerful pursuits. The stories are accompanied by beautifully detailed black and white illustrations by Brett Helquist which are Victorian in style and add to the gothic nature of the books. The pictures often hold clues as to the true nature of people and events in the story that are not fully described in the text, and this adds an extra dimension to the books as the reader has a chance to play detective (which J thoroughly enjoyed).

Mummy Guide: These books are extremely well-written but the subject matter is a little bit on the morbid side, so if you have a particularly sensitive or anxious young reader then proceed with caution. Additionally, binge-reading these books is not recommended as you will feel miserable at the unfairness of it all. However, the underlying theme of maintaining a courageous and positive outlook in the face of adversity as well as the concept that moral decision-making is not always straight-forward are both great learning points!

2. Horrible Science by Nick Arnold  The Horrible Science books are basically little encyclopaedias covering a variety of science-related topics from physics, chemistry and biology, often in gruesome and disgusting detail. Every page is peppered with silly jokes and hilarious cartoons by Tony De Saulles which make each book a fun and engaging read – so it’s absolutely perfect for kids who are still entertained by toilet humour (which is all kids, really). J loves these books because they help to answer all his questions about the world and provide him with plenty of subject matter for creeping out his classmates.

Mummy Guide: These books are not afraid to be yucky and gross (because science is often messy) but there are no sexual themes or gratuitously written descriptions of gore.

3. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell This is definitely our current TOP favourite chapter book series not only because the books are such an entertaining read and have dragons in them, but also because the main protagonist is one of the best role-models we have ever come across. (Did I forget to mention that there are dragons in these books?) At the moment, there are 11 books in the series, with the twelfth (and final) instalment due to be released in September of this year. The books are set in a fictional Viking world and record the experiences of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his tribe of Hairy Hooligans. The books generally deal with various aspects of the Viking Instructional Programme which also involves the capture and training of both small hunting dragons as well as larger riding dragons. This inevitably leads to Hiccup, his puny hunting dragon, Toothless, and his asthmatic best friend, Fishlegs, getting into some awful (and life-threatening) misadventure. As the books are meant to be the memoirs of an elderly Hiccup looking back over his young life, they are full of funny annotations, notes about dragons and crudely drawn sketches of various characters.

Mummy Guide: The books do involve quite a bit of violence (eg. sword fighting, hunting animals, people getting eaten by dragons etc.) but there are no graphic or gory descriptions. There’s also plenty of ridiculous potty humour of the sort that tends to appeal to little boys (eg. burping, farting, characters going through Advanced Name Calling training). However, Hiccup is a very well-written hero and his journey traces the struggles of his character as he grows into a good leader. One of the main themes of the series involves him having to make tough choices between what is right and what is easy, and through his actions, we can see the power of forgiveness, humility, compassion and loyalty.

Update: MPH Bookstores Singapore has kindly offered to sponsor a copy of How to train your Dragon: How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm by Cressida Cowell to TWO lucky Owls Well readers! Hooray!!

 To take part in this giveaway, just complete the following:

1. Be a fan of the Owls Well Facebook Page

2. Share this Facebook post (set to public) and tag a friend

3. Leave a comment below telling me about a chapter book or book series that you or your children have enjoyed. Don’t forget to leave your Facebook name and your email address so that I can contact you if you win – or if you’re really shy, you can email your details to me separately at 4owlswell@gmail.com

(This giveaway is open to people with a Singapore mailing address and ends on 7 April 2015. Winners will be picked via Random.org – just make sure you complete the 3 required steps!)

Quietly, quietly: A Round up of tributes to a great man

Out of respect for the passing of Singapore’s senior statesman, the late MM Lee Kuan Yew, there will be no book month-related post on Owls Well today. Instead, we bring to you a collection of what we feel are well-written and meaningful personal tributes, starting with:

1. A Becky Lee’s review of MM Lee’s Memoirs
2. This very balanced and thoughtful post by Lyn Lee of Lil Blue Bottle
3. A very personal reflection on the impact MM Lee’s policies had on the average Singaporean by Angie of Life’s Tiny Miracles (and one by David of Life’s Tiny Miracles)
4. An account of how Pamela of TanFamilyChronicles teaches her young children about why the nation is grieving for one man.
5. These thoughts about the impact that Mr Lee has on one woman in different stages of her life by yAnn of Yannisms.
6. This beautifully written note by Missus Tay from Missus Tay’s Journal
7. A heartfelt thank you by Dot of A Pancake Princess
8. More thoughts on the passing of a great man by V of Life is in the Small Things
9. An inspired poem written during an early morning cycle through the city by Rachel of MalMal Our Inspiration
10. An unexpected grief reaction by Ai of Sakura Hakura

And finally:

Lee Kuan Yew’s Memoirs – A Review (or, How to Build a Country When All You’ve Got is a Bunch of Really Ornery Immigrants)

It seems inconceivable that the World should lose not one, but two of its geniuses in the span of a week. Yet, here we are mourning the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and the last of the PAP’s first generation.

Mr Lee is not known for his literary genius. He was a visionary, strategic thinker and politician. Still, he did publish his memoirs in two thick volumes – The Singapore Story and From Third World to First, so in the spirit of the Owls Well book month, I have decided to write a little bit about them.

As I read both books in 2000, my memory of the books might be a little hazy, but I’m pretty confident that I may well be one of the very few people who have read them cover to cover.

The first book, A Singapore Story, covers Mr Lee’s childhood growing up in rural Singapore, his young adult years as a University student in London and his early political career.

Rather than a book about heavy politics, it’s more of a recollection of childhood and growing up, with a little bit of romance thrown in.

It’s hard to imagine Lee Kuan Yew as a young man picking mushrooms at a golf course and making omelettes with them while courting his wife-to-be, yet the memories are still there, pinned to the page like so many butterflies in a collection. It’s equally difficult to imagine him as a glue manufacturer and salesman, but apparently, Mr Lee supported himself during the Japanese occupation by making Stikfas glue (he even provides his readers with the recipe for it!). It’s not a poetic book by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s informative, giving a glance at the man who would later become Singapore’s driving force.

“The task of the leaders must be to provide or create for them a strong framework within which they can learn, work hard, be productive and be rewarded accordingly. And this is not easy to achieve.” – Lee Kuan Yew, The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Kuan Yew only really gets to the meat of the politics of Asia with his second set of memoirs, From Third World to First, (or as I like to call it: “Country Building 101: What to do with a bunch of really ornery immigrants who don’t have much direction and would really like the British to come back, kkthx”).

The answer to this question is, of course, “Get Machiavellian” (e.g. Make serving in the army compulsory on pain of jail and also pain) and if that doesn’t work, “Make Stuff Up” (e.g. Ask Israeli army trainers to grow moustaches and call them codename them ‘Mexicans’ so that things stay totally top secret).

“I have never been over concerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader. Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless.” – Lee Kuan Yew, The Singapore story: The Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew

One of the things I enjoyed the most about Lee Kuan Yew’s memoirs is simply seeing what his thought processes were in making his political decisions.  There is no denying that the man was a political genius, and some of the things that he actually got away with were, frankly, inventive and funny.  No matter how many of Lee Kuan Yew’s decisions boil down to getting Machiavellian or making stuff up, we cannot deny the results.  Singaporeans currently enjoy a high standard of living and a the highest trade to GDP ratio in the world.

“I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.” – Lee Kuan Yew, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story

Lee Kuan Yew gave everything he had to Singapore and the story he tells about the building process is fascinating, not just because of what happened, but also because of what may still happen in the future.

Goodbye, Sir, and thank you.

Sir PTerry is Dead. Long Live the Discworld.

On the morning of Friday, 13th of March, the following messages appeared on Terry Pratchett’s twitter feed.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

…and I cried, because this meant that Sir PTerry, author of over 70 books, including the famous Discworld series, was dead.  The literary world is all the poorer for his leaving this Earth so young.

Terry Pratchett’s books have a special place in the hearts of his readers and in the hearts of the Owls Well crew.  My personal favourites are Reaper Man and the books in the Tiffany Aching series.  Debs favours The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents and Men at Arms.  The Boobook’s favourite books are Hogfather and Thief of Time.  Even the Barn Owl has his favourites, The Colour of Magic and The Bromeliad Trilogy.

It is difficult to put into words how much the Discworld series, and Terry Pratchett’s other work mean to me.  Even now, as I type these words, I cannot help but feel tears streaming down my face as I recall how very alive he was as an author.  His books always brimmed with energy.  In his work, we could see our own world through a fantasy lens, realising the beauty in it while still recognising the terrible and awful things that needed changing. Back in University, I was able to attend a talk that he held in a small meeting room just off Darling Harbour.

Though the room was packed, he still somehow managed to make his speech feel intimate and friendly.  He spoke about having open heart surgery, about cosplayers at Discworld conventions and even chatted to a few of the cosplayers at the talk.  After the talk, he sat down to sign everyone’s books and I remember asking him if he had any books about Chinese people.  He said he did and handed me a copy of Interesting Times, which he signed with a flourish.  A present from him to me, he said.  I still treasure that book.

Three days later, the announcement came that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and yet he kept writing.  Even after he could no longer read, he continued to write through dictation.  Even now, after his death, there are still a number of books that will be published posthumously. Even though Sir Pratchett has gone, his books and characters will live on.  And for that, we are grateful.

Book Series that we love (Emerging Readers): Timmy & Tammy

Timmy and Tammy ‘Let Me Read’ Series

One of the ways that I have been teaching J and Little E to read is through the use of books that are specially written for emerging readers.

These are little picture books that use a controlled, repeated vocabulary, with one or two sentences on each page printed in a large and clear text. These easy-to-read books are great for helping kids to match spoken words with print and for building up confidence in reading. Although there are plenty of beginners books on the market, I find it rather difficult to find really good books that use natural language and contain engaging subject matter.

However, when Armour Publishing introduced me to the homegrown Timmy and Tammy ‘Let Me Read’ series written by Ruth Wan-Lau, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the books were not only beautifully illustrated (by Eliz Ong) and well-written but also appealed very strongly to Little E. At the moment, we keep the books at the Aged P’s house and they are her current go-to books. She is always bringing them to the Aged Ps to get them to read along with her!

Part of the charm of the series lies in the fact that the stories are all set in Singapore and revolve around Timmy & Tammy’s adventures to popular local attractions such as the Botanic Gardens, Changi Airport and the Fire Station. Little E gets a real thrill out of pointing out familiar landmarks featured in the books and talking about cultural experiences mentioned in the books that are uniquely Singaporean.

Super cute illustrations by Eliz Ong

I am not at all surprised to find out that the Timmy & Tammy series was selected to be part of the SG50 Jubilee Baby 2015 welcome package! That means Baby #3 is going to receive a set later this year! Woohoo!

A Special Something for Owls Well Readers: The kindly folk over at Armour Publishing are generously sponsoring a set of 5 Timmy & Tammy books to ONE lucky Owls Well Reader! Thank you, Armour Publishing!

To take part in this giveaway, just complete the following:

1. Be a fan of the Owls Well Facebook Page

2. Be a fan of Timmy & Tammy Facebook Page

3. Leave a comment below telling me about a book or book series for emergent readers that you or your children have enjoyed. Don’t forget to leave your Facebook name and your email address so that I can contact you if you win – or if you’re really shy, you can email your details to me separately at 4owlswell@gmail.com

3. (Optional) To double your chances of winning, share or reblog this giveaway on any form of social media that you fancy and leave a comment below with the link!

(This giveaway is open to people living in Singapore and ends on 24 March 2015. Winners will be picked via Random.org – just make sure you complete the 3 required steps!)

P.S. You can purchase Timmy & Tammy books at S$34.50 (for a set of 5 books) or S$6.90 each from Popular Bookstores, Amazon Website or from Armour Publishing’s Website.

Update: This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been emailed – thanks for playing! 

Cheap as Free Online Novels for the Broke

I like reading, but reading can get pretty expensive.  Good books cost upwards of $30 out here in Sydney and eBooks readers can get quite pricey – not to mention all that headache with eBook compatibility and such.

There’s only one way to solve this conundrum… TO THE INTERNET!

Many web novels on the Internet are free, or at least extremely cheap.  I’m proud to say that over the many years that I’ve lived on the Internet, I’ve been able to amass a fairly impressive library of online novels and am happy to share them with you.

1. Thalia’s Musings by Amethyst Marie

I’ve got a real soft spot for Greek Mythology.  Some of the earliest media I consumed were about Greek Myths and I’ve even won prizes for memorising and retelling the stories of Grecian heroes when I was a little tyke in school.  So, I was drawn to Thalia’s Musings by Amethyst Marie, a well-written insider account of the various quarrels, love affairs and dramatic deaths of the Grecian pantheon, as seen through the eyes of the not-so-innocent bystander, Thalia, the Muse of Comedy.

Although the series loosely follows the stories of many Grecian myths, it diverges slightly from what is expected and doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the raunchy behaviour of the Grecian gods (and goddesses too)!  All in all, a great read.  Amethyst Marie has written three books of the series so far and is currently writing the fourth.  I’m at the edge of my seat to find out what happens next!

The books are available free online, but if you’re willing to shell out a little money and support Amethyst, you can buy eBook versions of Thalia’s Musings in her shop.

2. Stefan Gagne’s Fiction Factory by Stefan Gagne

All right, I’ll admit that Stefan Gagne (aka Twoflower) is one of my favourite online novelists – I’ve even tagged him on the writing process blog tour!

Unlike other online authors, Stefan really makes good use of the capabilities of html, working with different fonts, colours, images and even little flash programs to flavour the stories that he tells.  His latest work, cyberpunk web novel series, Floating Point, is very topical; but I’m a little more fond of his earlier cyberpunk work – A Future We’d Like to See (FWLS).  FWLS is a little 90s era zeerusty, but it still contains an underlying layer of unbridled optimism that came with the early Internet before the Eternal September of 1993, before all the trolling and the nastiness and the doxxing and stuff.

Of his works, my favourites would have to be Unreal Estate, a sweet sci-fi romantic comedy deconstruction of harem anime of the 90s that spans across the multiverse; and Anachronauts, a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel about fairies, aliens and working together for the common good.  Both of these novels are now available for purchase in book or eBook form on Stefan’s store.  As a bonus, Stefan has included an extra short-story in each book that is not available online.

3. Velveteen vs. by Seanan McGuire

I’ve written about one of Seanan McGuire’s books before, so I was pleased to note that she also releases free short stories on her Livejournal.  Velveteen vs. is a realistically modern take on superheroes in a corporate world, exploring how the very nature of superheroes can be corrupted by the ever persistent bottom line.  The series follows the story of Velveteen, a retired superheroine on the run from her former employers and her attempts to eke out a living as a civilian.  It’s a compelling and emotional read, certainly worth the wait between chapters.

The Velveteen vs. stories are still ongoing, but Seanan has collated most of them into two books – Velveteen vs the Junior Super Patriots and Velveteen vs The Multiverse.  Both are available at most bookstores, though you may have to order them in.

4. Tapestry: a Tale of Empire by Wysteria Climbing

Asian fantasy novels are fairly common these days, but very few capture that Tale of Genji spirit quite like Tapestry does.  With its unique diary-style format, Tapestry follows the tale of Lady Uru, her husband Seichi, children Pen and Pang and house slave Heiye as they navigate the treacherous politics, pomp and ceremony of the Elite class in a fantasy empire.  Wysteria Climbing does an expert job of painting Lady Uru’s personality through her conservative attitudes, reserved language and clever use of wordplay and inflection.  Don’t let the 2008 dates on the Livejournal fool you, Wysteria is still very active on her blog and updates her story sporadically.  The series is currently on its second book.

While Tapestry doesn’t have a dead tree format just yet, but you can still support Wysteria on her Patreon.  Doing so will increase the speed of her updates.

While these series represent what I feel are the best web novels on the Internet, you can still find plenty more to sate your reading appetites at the Web Fiction Guide.  However, if your tastes are more classical, you might want to give Project Gutenberg a try.

As a bonus, I’ll leave you with two more stories that didn’t quite make the A-list, because they’re not quite books…

Blue Sky by Waffleguppies:  If you like the Portal game series, you might want to check this excellent piece of fanfiction out.  It will seriously give you a case of the feels.  (Don’t worry, they’ve started a support group for that).

Digger by Ursula Vernon:  This Hugo Award winning graphic novel follows the story of a very lost wombat and her adventures in a strange world full of cults, religions and talking hyenas.  It is beautifully illustrated and cleverly written.

Book Series that we love (For Preschoolers): The Adventures of Squirky The Alien

The Adventures of Squirky The Alien #1 and #2 by Melanie Lee

I am so glad to introduce this wonderful series of children’s books by my primary school chum, Melanie Lee, the author of Imaginary Friends! Yay! It’s so great to see brilliant work from local Singaporean authors!

This book series revolves around Squirky, a little blue alien from Planet Q who is living on Earth with his parents and sister Emma. In the first book, ‘Why Am I Blue?’, Squirky realises for the first time that he is different from the rest of his family, and his parents reveal to him that he is adopted.

The book deals very sensitively with the concept of adoption which is a subject very close to Melanie’s heart and provides a great springboard for discussion. I imagine that the books will be invaluable to adoptive parents who are looking for ways to gently and openly talk to their children about the subject. Melanie also includes links to useful resources about adoption as well as a very helpful FAQ at the back of ‘Why Am I Blue’ about the issues surrounding adoption which I found very informative. After reading the FAQ, I have a better understanding of the struggles and fears that adoptive parents go through when broaching the subject with their young ones, and I hope that I can be a better support to my friends who have adopted children.

I was very surprised to find that both J and Little E identify very strongly with Squirky, as (coming from an interracial background) they already know that they are different from the people around them. When they look in the mirror, they are both very aware that their outward appearances are different from that of their classmates. This is something that Squirky has to deal with in ‘Why Am I Blue?’ and he learns that being different makes him unique, and that he is not alone in the world when he is surrounded by a family who loves him.

Queen Stella

J and Little E were also intrigued by Squirky’s story, which bears many similarities to that of DC Comic’s Superman (whom both of them are familiar with).

When Book #2 of the Squirky adventure series was released, J became very excited and could not wait to get home to read it to Little E! They were both captivated by the beautiful illustrations by local artist David Liew, especially his depiction of the beautiful and sad Queen Stella.

In ‘What Happened To Planet Q?’, Squirky’s loving parents support his decision to search for his birth parents and find out more about his origins, so with the help of his sister Emma, he leaves his home on an exciting space adventure in the second book.

The theme of this book is on the concept of honesty and openness in communication which is something that I am currently trying to impress upon my children. The truth is oftentimes hard and painful, and the reaction you may get from telling the truth may be unpleasant, and this is something that Queen Stella experiences when talking to Squirky. However, lying through omission can be even more hurtful!

The Adventures of Squirky The Alien #3 by Melanie Lee

Squirky’s adventures continue in the latest addition to the series, ‘Who Is The Red Commander?’ and I have been very privileged to receive a preview copy of the book from MPH Group Publishing.

In ‘Who Is the Red Commander?’, Squirky and Emma land in the hostile environment of Planet R and bravely persist in their quest to find out about what happened to the inhabitants of his home Planet Q, meeting the mysterious and unfriendly Red Commander. In this book, both Squirky and Red Commander learns that facing one’s fears head-on can lead to forgiveness, personal growth and strength.

I really appreciate the way that Melanie weaves difficult concepts and themes into all the books, providing many opportunities for discussion with my kids – and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the rest of the series!

(By the way, Melanie and the book series illustrator David Liew will be at Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City on Saturday 14th March 2015 at 3:30pm and at Books Kinokuniya at Jurong Store on Saturday 22nd March 2015 at 2:00pm for the launch of Book #3 of the Squirky series! They will be conducting a storytelling session as well as some really fun art-and-craft activities for the little ones, so do hop on down and check it out. More details here.)

A Surprise for Owls Well Readers: MPH Bookstores Singapore is very generously sponsoring a full set (Books #1-3) of The Adventures of Squirky The Alien by Melanie Lee to TWO lucky Owls Well Readers! Woohoohoo!

To take part in this giveaway, just complete the following:

1. Be a fan of the Owls Well Facebook Page

2. Be a fan of The Adventures of Squirky the Alien Facebook Page

3. Leave a comment below telling me about a book series that you or your kids are currently enjoying and why you think everyone should read it. Don’t forget to leave your Facebook name and your email address so that I can contact you if you win – or if you’re really shy, you can email your details to me separately at 4owlswell@gmail.com

3. (Optional) To double your chances of winning, share or reblog this giveaway on any form of social media that you fancy and leave a comment below with the link!

(This giveaway is open to people with a Singapore mailing address and ends on 17 March 2015. Winners will be picked via Random.org – just make sure you complete the 3 required steps!)

Good Luck!

Update: This giveaway is now closed and the winners have been contacted by email. Thanks for playing!

The Owls Well ‘Ch-ch-ch-changes’ 2015 Family Reading List

With the March school holidays coming up, the advent of Baby #3 as well as new schools for both J and Little E, we are all adjusting to many life changing events in the Owls Well family! What better way to prepare ourselves for the future than to delve into the world of books?

With this in mind, let me share with you our current Ch-ch-ch-changes 2015 reading list for all the family!

Preschoolers Reading List for Little E who is looking forward to being promoted

You’re A Big Sister by Bedford and Poole

This is a really great book for little girls who are soon to be promoted in family status to ‘Big Sister’!

Not only does ‘You’re a Big Sister’ by Bedford and Poole sport beautiful illustrations featuring multiracial children as well as mixed-race families (especially relevant in our situation), but also very sweetly deals with the fears that any child might have when there is a new baby coming around and points out how being the older sibling is special and wonderful.

Little E really enjoys this book so much, that I have seen her looking through the pictures by herself and talking to herself about all the things that Big Sisters can do to help care for a little baby!

I especially appreciate the fact that the book doesn’t paint a false rosy picture of a new baby in the family, but also briefly touches on the negative aspects of having a sibling – such as coping with noise, mess and busy parents. However, the book is quick to reassure the Big-Sister-To-Be that also things will different in the family, it will be a positive change overall.

(For those of you with little boys in the family, there is You’re a Big Brother by the same authors!)

Early Readers Book List for J who is realising that his family is not perfect

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look

This hilarious, beautifully illustrated chapter book is actually the fifth in a series of books featuring Alvin Ho, a very anxious 8 year old, and his day-to-day adventures.

In ‘Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night‘, Alvin realises to his utmost horror, that his mum is expecting yet another baby which might be another girl like his sometimes bothersome little sister…and worse yet, he is experiencing signs of sympathetic pregnancy (or to put it in his words ‘simply pathetic’ pregnancy)! Alvin is eventually is confronted with the birth of his new sibling – and his reaction to the baby is pure gold.

This book was so funny in places, that I couldn’t help laughing out loud whilst reading it – and J could not wait to get his mitts on it when I was done. J brought this book to school for early morning ‘silent reading’ before the start of class, and he loved it so much that he re-read twice! I found this book very good for reading aloud as well – Little E thought it was hilarious.

I was really touched by how the book dealt with the anxieties of older siblings who have already had some experience with younger children in the family, and I noticed that after J completed the book, he seemed much more positive about the advent of Baby #3, choosing to remember the positive aspects of when Little E was an infant.

I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books of the Alvin Ho series!

The Parent Agency by David Baddiel

J is also reading The Parent Agency by David Baddiel, which is quite a light-hearted wish-fulfullment story about a dissatisfied boy named Barry who is given the opportunity to choose his own parents (and by extension, pick a whole new family).

Fortunately, he already has a list of detailing the failings of his parents – apart from naming him ‘Barry’, they are also (1) Boring and (2) Always Too Tired – so he is well-equipped to choose a new and improved family (or is he?). Barry is not prepared for the consequences of his choices, and eventually learns to appreciate what he has.

The book is a simple, fun read but it does rely rather heavily on humorous pop-culture references which not all children may be familiar with. Additionally, the characters are super-wacky and the crazy situations that Barry finds himself in are exaggerated and over the top, so if you prefer more sophisticated humour, then I would look elsewhere.

However, I do like the subtle wordplay which is a great introduction to the world of puns…but be prepared to do some explaining to your early reader!

 Grownup Booklist for Debs G who wants to be more involved

How We Learn by Benedict Carey

With J starting Primary School for the first time, and Little E starting Nursery, I decided that it was time I took a good look at learning and memory, to see how I can help the kids in their educational journey.

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey is a really engaging read which examines decades-worth of education research into how our brains process and retain information, starting from birth and throughout our lives. Surprisingly, much of what I thought would be helpful to learning (such as providing a stable, distraction-free environment for example) is not necessarily the most effective way to help the brain in memorisation!

Benedict Carey does a great job of organising all the various studies together and presenting it in a very practical way, with good techniques and tips that will help parents, teachers and students who want to know how to study or learn more effectively. He also touches on various aspects of learning – not just rote memorisation or concept comprehension, but also the development physical prowess and complex skills with many of the learning techniques applying across the board.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who might be interesting in a greater understanding on how to exploit the quirks and eccentricities of the brain and make learning more efficient, productive – and fun!

Young Adult Booklist for the Barn Owl whose world is changing too fast

(There’s nothing like a little bit of young adult dystopian fiction to put life in perspective!)

Left: The Maze Runner by James Dashner Middle: The Giver by Lois Lowry Right: The Kill Order by James Dashner

The three novels pictured above are not particularly challenging reads, but they are certainly highly entertaining and a great way to unwind after a hard day at the office.

‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner is about a teenaged boy named Thomas, who wakes up in The Glade, the centre of an ever-changing labyrinth populated by a society of teenage boys. He, like the other boys, remembers nothing except his own name. The boys have been trying for years to escape the maze which is patrolled by deadly creatures, with no success. When the first girl is introduced to the group, the conditions of the maze change drastically and they are forced to find a way out. The plot is intriguing with plenty of fast-paced action, and although the end of the book leaves a more than a few questions unanswered, the main story arc is well-concluded.

‘The Kill Order’ is the prequel to ‘The Maze Runner’ but it works perfectly well as a standalone novel and describes the world-changing events which eventually led to the creation of the Maze. This book was really such a fun read – basically, it is every single apocalyptic novel all rolled into one! WOOHOO!!!! Anything bad that could possibly happen to destroy the world and ruin organised society takes place in this book (apart from the arrival of Lovecraftian terrors from the deep – no mythical beasties here, we are a terribly realistic portrayal of possible catastrophic events), so it is a wild roller coaster ride which I thoroughly enjoyed!

If you are looking for something a little more thought-provoking, then the Newberry Medal-winning novel, ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry, is what you might be looking for. The novel centres around 12 year old Jonas who lives in a peaceful community where pain and suffering no longer exists. When he begins his training as the Receiver of all memory, he slowly sees the truth behind his seemingly utopian society which is devoid of colour, emotion and choice. Definitely a very powerful novel, which is worth a read (despite its enigmatic conclusion).

A Surprise for Owls Well Readers: MPH Bookstores Singapore is very kindly sponsoring set of the following titles: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look , How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey and ‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner to ONE lucky Owls Well Reader! That should keep one family occupied for the whole March school holidays!

To take part in this giveaway, just complete the following:

1. Be a fan of the Owls Well Facebook Page.

2. Like and Share this Facebook post (set to public) and tag a friend.

2. Leave a comment below telling me about a book on your current reading list and why you think everyone should read it. Don’t forget to leave your Facebook name and your email address so that I can contact you if you win – or if you’re really shy, you can email your details to me separately at 4owlswell@gmail.com

(This giveaway is open to people with a Singapore mailing address and ends on 12 March 2015. Winners will be picked via Random.org – just make sure you complete the 3 required steps!)

P.S. Special thanks to MPH Bookstores Singapore for being awesome and acquiescing to my request for review copies of all the books listed here!

Update: This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted via email. Thanks for playing!

Book Month at the Nest and the Burrow!

Although we at Owls Well are not citizens of the United States of America, we have decided that being married to an Englishman and affianced to an Australian South African (certified White) person respectively, makes us very very American indeed!

Therefore, we at Owls Well have decided that this month, we are going to celebrate American National Reading Group Month!

So, go twice as high as a butterfly and take a look in a book!

Of course, if you’re too lazy to read, or (like me) are absolutely terrible at literary analysis and just want to learn, you should hit up Thug Notes brought to you by Sparky Sweets, PhD.

Each week, Dr Sweets lays down a comprehensive summary of a literary classic and provides a fairly detailed post-modern analysis of each novel in basic and hilarious Jive talk.  The series is fairly responsive to its watchers, with the latest few episodes based on requests sent to its Twitter.  I’ve put in a request for the Joy Luck Club, which I had to study back in the Secondary School.

This show is not just meant for high school students either.  As the show’s presenter, comedian Greg Edwards states, “the truth is, the gift of literature is universal in meaning and should be made accessible to everyone on every plane.”

My favourite episode of Thug Notes is the one about George Orwell’s 1984, simply because the figure representing Julia has waffle-permed hair in a side tail – totally 80’s yo!

(WARNING: There is foul language in the video, yo!)

Of course, if you don’t like too much cussin’ with your learnin’, you should totally check out Crash Course Literature presented by the cleaner and neater Mr John Green.  Crash Course provides a more technically academic view of literary devices and themes used in the novels it analyses, but is no less informative.

So, happy reading y’all and come hit us up later in the week for more of dat sweet book lovin’, EUH!