The Book Pantry

Good tidings, fellow readers. I am always on the lookout for new books to share with you, and something caught my eye right away while persuing a newsletter from Simon & Schuster. The synopsis is brutally convincing, but first behold the beautiful cover!

This exciting book comes out in February, and it is for grades 7 and up (from age 12).

💗

  The Revenant meets True Grit with a magical twist in this thrilling and atmospheric debut fantasy about two teens who must brave a frozen wasteland and the foes within it to save their loved ones and uncover a deadly secret.

The answer to what freezes first is the eyes. That ain’t what most people would guess.

Everyone in Shadow Springs knows that no one survives crossing the Flats. But the threat of a frozen death has never deterred the steady stream of treasure hunters searching for a legendary prize hidden somewhere in the vast expanse of ice. Jorie thinks they’re all fools, which makes scavenging their possessions easier. It’s how she and her sister, Brenna, survive.

Then Jorie scavenges off the wrong body. When the dead man’s enemy believes Jorie took something valuable from the body, he kidnaps Brenna as collateral. He tells Jorie that if she wants her sister back, she’ll have to trade her for the item he thinks she stole. But how can Jorie make a trade when she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for?

Her only source of information is Cody, the dead man’s nephew and a scholar from the South who’s never been hardened by the harsh conditions of the North. Though Jorie’s reluctant to bring a city boy out onto the Flats with her, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her sister. But anything can happen out on the ice, and soon Jorie and Cody find they need one another more than they ever imagined—and they’ll have to trust each other to survive threats beyond their darkest nightmares.

💗

What do you think? Would you read it?

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Details:

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• When: February 9, 2021
• Length: 320 pages
• ISBN13: 9781534465695
• Source: Simon & Schuster webpage

New section: BOOK OF THE WEEK

Hi, English learners :-) You know that books are the perfect source of fun and knowledge, so from now on, we are going to introduce a different story every week. I'm prone to fiction, particularly YA fiction, so you will see a lot of that here ;-)

At the academy, you will se a NOTICE with a title, the author and a few key words to help you identify what kind of story you will be facing, such as genre or important elements of the plot.

TITLE

AUTHOR

Key Word

Key Word

Key Word

We would love if you participated, too, with your own recommendations. It doesn't have to be a book in English, though that would be a plus. Any book is welcome. Children's books, comics, Young adult fiction, science-fiction, romance, thrillers...

There's a chance to recommend

a favourite book every week!

For that purpose, we have facilitated a stack of cards where you can write down the title of your choice and put it inside an envelope.  It can be anonymous if you like.

card -> pen -> write a title and an author ->

-> put card inside the envelope

Come by Belinda's desk and you'll see her first recommendation! It's a recent YA science-fiction release that is bound to leave a mark on you...

So many books are released every month! Would you like a special post to tell you about these new books coming out ? Right now, I can't stem my enthusiasm so here are some links to websites where you can oggle at those beautiful covers of upcoming books.

• Ten most anticipated YA books of March 2017

• YA database with lots of releases, check it out

it's a comprehensive compilation of books useful both for readers and librarians

• Avid readers will find TEENREADS is a wonderful source of news

• EPICREADS is featuring the 18 most anticipated YA books to read in March

If you feel curious about any of these upcoming books and decide to pick one up, let us know. We'd love to hear from you!

Read you soon.

Be open. Be free.

Happy Book Day!

Hey, fellows! Today it's BOOK DAY. 

It's April 23rd, so I decided that it would be fitting to post lots of books. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

These are some of the books I've read this year. Enjoy! 

  

GOODREADS LINKS

THE PAPER MAGICIAN

THE WINNER'S CRIME

AFTER THE WOODS

THE YOUNG ELITES

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Two books to watch

Hey, fellows! Today we bring a new book recommendation. 

From now on until Book Day on April 23rd, a new book will be featured on the blog every day. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

We're almost there! Tomorrow is the day! I know we missed our book date yesterday, so to make it up to you we are going to be doing a spotlight on TWO books by the fantastic Gregory Maguire. How about that? ;-) 

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

426 pages

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Gregory Maguire just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

372 pages

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland,Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Tomorrow we'll be back with a new book recommendation! If you want to recommend a favourite book yourself, leave a comment.

Are you curious about this book?

Hey, fellows! Today we bring a new book recommendation. 

From now on until Book Day on April 23rd, a new book will be featured on the blog every day. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

Our next recommendation is taken from Brooke's list. It may very well open eyes and souls. Enjoy! 

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

137 pages
Mass Market Paperback

Fiction
Age Range: 10-12 years
Grade level: 5-7

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Tomorrow we'll be back with a new book recommendation! If you want to recommend a favourite book yourself, leave a comment.

New book recommendation

Hey, fellows! Today we bring a new book recommendation. 

From now on until Book Day on April 23rd, a new book will be featured on the blog every day. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

Our next recommendation comes from another teacher, Susana. She has a long list for you which will be disclosed in its entirety another day.

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

384 pages

Biography
Age Range: adult

One of history's most misunderstood figures, Marie Antoinette represents the extravagance and the decadence of pre-Revolution France. Yet there was an innocence about Antoinette, thrust as a child into the chillingly formal French court.
Married to the maladroit, ill-mannered Dauphin, Antoinette found pleasure in costly entertainments and garments. She spent lavishly while her overtaxed and increasingly hostile subjects blamed her for France's plight. In time Antoinette matured into a courageous Queen, and when their enemies finally closed in, Antoinette followed her inept husband to the guillotine in one last act of bravery.
In To the Scaffold, Carolly Erickson provides an estimation of a lost Queen that is psychologically acute, richly detailed, and deeply moving. 

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Tomorrow we'll be back with a new book recommendation! If you want to recommend a favourite book yourself, leave a comment.

Today's book recommendation

Hey, fellows! Today we bring a new book recommendation. 

From now on until Book Day on April 23rd, a new book will be featured on the blog every day. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

Our second recommendation comes from another teacher, Matt. This was his first choice for you!

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

64 pages

·         Age Range: 1 - 8 years

·         Grade Level: 2 - 3

'Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.'

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Tomorrow we'll be back with a new book recommendation! If you want to recommend a favourite book yourself, leave a comment.

Recommend a book every day

Hey, fellows! As we announced, here we are with a book recommendation. 

From now on until Book Day on April 23rd, a new book will be featured on the blog every day. Pick your pencils and start taking notes. You might want to start you birthday wishlist early ;o)

Our first recommendation comes from one of our teachers, Brooke. She loves reading and this series she's chosen for you looks really awesome!

GOODREADS LINK

Amazon

First in a series of four

288 pages

·         Age Range: 8 - 12 years

·         Grade Level: 3 - 7

Annabelle Doll is eight years old-she has been for more than a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll family, day after day, year after year. . . until one day the Funcrafts move in.

Read your days away, book fellows. And remember, A Book a Day keeps Boredom at Bay ;o)

Tomorrow we'll be back with a new book recommendation! If you want to recommend a favourite book yourself, leave a comment.

Book Day is coming

BOOK DAY is just around the corner and we thought that it'd be fantastic to celebrate by sharing those titles we love with everybody.

 A BOOK A DAY KEEPS BOREDOM AT BAY!

Will you recommend a book?

We aim to recommend a book every day till Book Day. Will you help us? Leave a comment with the title and the author of a book you love. Let's share!

We love Book Day!

 

Yes, we do. Book Day is a symbol of a beautiful activity called READING. It can be considered a hobby or a form of entertainment. It can be done in solitude or give you a feeling of community when you belong to a book club, you share your views with friends or connect to people from all over the world.

 

BOOKS CONNECT PEOPLE

 

And the funny thing is that books also connect us with our own self.

 

Have you ever read a book that you were obsessed with? Have you read a book that stayed in your mind weeks after finishing it? Have you recommended books to your friends and family?

 

We'd love to know what book you're reading now, and if you bought any new books on Book Day.

 

In the meantime, why don't you have a look at the potos we took on Book Day. Children had a blast making colourful bookmarks to take home!

 

 

 

 

Be curious. Be happy.

 

Book Day 2013

 

It's one of those days when you feel excited and happy and it's all because there is something good in books.

 

There is a book for everyone. There is everything in a book. From adventure to knowledge, from fun to thought, it's up to you to go out and find your "book mate".

 

What are you doing on Book Day this year? I'll be reading, that's for sure. Right now, I'm reading an engaging thriller about the gospel written by Mary Magdalene and also a comedy about a woman who spent a year in bed. What are you reading?

 

Recommend a book

When you like reading, it's impossible not to try and tell others how wonderful your last read was or how they would enjoy reading it too. Have you ever recommended a book to a friend or relative? If so, please, let us know the title and author in a comment and we will all profit from sharing.

For the time being, here are our own book recommendations:

 

 

 

Those are the books we have read and are all published in Spain. But what about new releases that we can enjoy in the future?

La cazadora de almas - Alison Noel

El libro de las fragancias perdidas - M. J. Rose

Fusión - Julianna Baggott

Heaven - Alexandra Adornetto

Un toque de magia - Kathryn Littlewood

El reverso de la fortuna - Michael Ennis

Días de sangre y resplandor - Laini Taylor

La reina traidora - Trudi Canavan

Todo lo que cabe en los bolsillos - Eva Weaver

Nombre en clave: verity - Elizabeth Wein

If you happen to read one of these books thanks to our recommendations, we would be delighted to know!

Thank you for being there. Be a reader. Be free.

The Finest Age

Growing up is a bittersweet experience for most people. Here is a tribute to motherhood and what is gained and lost when time goes by.

The Finest Age
When he was only nine months old,
And plump and round and pink of cheek,
A joy to tickle and to hold,
Before he'd even learned to speak,
His gentle mother used to say:
"It is too bad that he must grow.
If I could only have my way
His baby ways we'd always know."

And then the year was turned, and he
Began to toddle round the floor
And name the things that he could see
And soil the dresses that he wore.
Then many a night she whispered low:
"Our baby now is such a joy
I hate to think that he must grow
To be a wild and heedless boy."

But on he went and sweeter grew,
And then his mother, I recall,
Wished she could keep him always two,
For that's the finest age of all.
She thought the selfsame thing at three,
And now that he is four, she sighs
To think he cannot always be
The youngster with the laughing eyes.

Oh, little boy, my wish is not
Always to keep you four years old.
Each night I stand beside your cot
And think of what the years may hold;
And looking down on you I pray
That when we've lost our baby small,
The mother of our man will say
"This is the finest age of all."

Edgar A. Guest

 

 

Edgar Albert Guest (August 20, 1881, Birmingham, England – August 5, 1959, Detroit,Michigan) (aka Eddie Guest) was a prolific English-born American poet who was popular in the first half of the 20th century and became known as the People's Poet. (Wikipedia)

 

Be a thinker. Be open to feeling.

 

Pride and Prejudice never die

The year 2013 is the proud bicentennial of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", one of the world's most beloved novels, "a truth universally acknowledged."

What is it about?

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the "most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author's works," and Eudora Welty in the twntieth century described it as "irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."

Who is Jane Austen?

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose works ofromantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. Her realism and biting social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics.

Austen lived her entire life as part of a close-knit family located on the lower fringes of the English landed gentry. She was educated primarily by her father and older brothers as well as through her own reading. The steadfast support of her family was critical to her development as a professional writer. Her artistic apprenticeship lasted from her teenage years into her thirties. During this period, she experimented with various literary forms, including the epistolary novel which she then abandoned, and wrote and extensively revised three major novels and began a fourth. From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.

Other books by Jane Austen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you read Pride and Prejudice?

 If you have, leave us a comment with your opinion about it. If not, this is the perfect time to do it. Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice. Good stories never get old.

 
 Be a reader today. Be free.

Sources: Goodreads - Wikipedia - Novels