TY Books: Stockett, Adams

Transition Year pupils are now writing their Extended Essays, for completion in two weeks. Here are two more commendations:

Emily Devereux has read The Help by Kathryn Stockett:-
"It is set in the early 1960s in a suburban neighbourhood in Jackson, Mississippi regarding the social/political scene of the time. This was when racism was dominant in the States and is shown through the eyes of black maids and white housewives. The perspective of the book is from three characters - Minny and Abileen who work as maids, and Miss Skeeter. She is working on a book interviewing black maids on their experiences working for a white household. 

Faults are exposed on both  sides. Especially it focusses on how the children who Abileen and Minny care for love them then, but will eventually change into their mothers. Mothers who only invested in wealth, status and separation. This novel captured my attention by showing a different view of the equality movement during the 60s rather than from a renowned person such as Martin Luther King. It features ordinary characters who represented the thousands who were being oppressed. The individual experiences create a certain fondness between reader and the characters making it humorous, tragic and exciting and lastly hard to put down."

Ted Johnson read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams:

"I found it very funny and intellectual at the same time. It was cleverly plotted, with lots of twists in the story line. There is a wide variety of characters in the book, each with very different personality. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in science fiction or space."