The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas tells the story about a kid who lived in Germany when this was in dictatorship. The story starts when the father of this kid who works as a soldier is promoted and their family have to go to another place.

This kid who is called Bruno realizes that in this place there are nothing to do or play with, he hasn’t got friends there and he couldn’t meet new friends, so he gets upset because of the move to the new house. Afterwards he meets another kid and they speak with each other everyday for a year but when he gets the news from his father to return to his old house in Berlin he gets sad. After that when he tells the news to his friend they agree to do something special for the last day together to remember this friendship forever.

The most I like from this book it is that makes you realize how the things change when you see the story as an innocent kid who do not realize about the differences between people so he do not judge them for who they are, where they were born… I would recommend this book because I am sure that if you don’t know this story you will enjoy reading this book.

 

David Llordés Palou

THE Nº1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY

Firstly, I have to say that I have chosen this book,  THE Nº1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY , because I’m interested in mystery and detective novels. In this book everything happens in a ladies detective agency in Garbone, the capital of Botswana, in the middele of South Africa.

She, Mme. Ramotswe, is an agency boss, the best and best known detective in Botswana. Thanks to her father’s inheritance, who had worked long years in the mines in Mochudi, a little mining town, she could buy a small and simple office well-located in the center of the city and a white van, where the novel is set.

Secondly, I won’t make a review of each chapter of the book, since each one is a different case that alternates with her every day’s life, family, her past, present and childhood memories when she lost her mother who was run over by a train when Mne. Ramotswe was a baby. Maybe if she hadn’t lost her mother when she was a few old her life might have been different. However, Mme. Raotswe, her secretary and close friends invistigate cases together, for example: common cases like marital infidelities, robberies, fraud, scams, disppearances, crimes, etc. which she resolves satisfactory with common sence, wit and intuition, this common sence that in most cases women have, haven’t we?.

Finally, the impression I got from the novel is my admiration for Mme. Ramotswe effort and courage to move away from her husband who doesn’t love her for that reason she starts a new life with new dreams to set up a company like THE Nº1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY in a country dominated by men where only men have the space to be able to work as detectives.

RAMONA CREUS

WONDER

WONDER

I liked this book a lot. I think, it has a very special force, because it has made me think very much about everything we have and we do not know how to value it enough.

From the beginning I have admired the main character August. He is 10-year-old boy who was born with a several healthy problems. He had a lot of surgeries because of his illness, he could not breathe, either could swallow what he ate or his saliva. But what most worries him, is his physical appearance. For that he always wears a helmet, as a result, nobody can see his face.

He has never gone to school, her mother teaches him at home. Although his parents were afraid of August going to school, they thought that it is the moment so that he began to go to a private school at fifth grade.

At first August didn’t have so many friends, all the classmates looked at him badly, but very soon he became a close friend with Jack and Summer.

In spite of his friendship, the worst for August was when Jack laugh at him due to his appearance to another boy. Because of this fact, August becomes “sick”, he could not understand the behaviour of his close friend Jack. August thought that Jack was different to Julian and his friend.

Eventually, August decided to explain Summer why he was angry or disappointed with Jack in order to feel better. Summer always is besides August in spite of what all the classmates thought.

One day, after the science class, Julian told August as a “freak” when Jack listened it, he hit Julian’s month. As a result, Jack goes two days at home, so that he wrote a letter apologizing to Mr.Tushman and later he apologizes to August so they reconciled.

Mr.Tushman discovered that August continued to be bullied by Julian and his friend, and he decided to explain it to Julian’s mother. But she defended her son, and she added that all the students should not be exposed to August. Julian’s mother was angry and she declared that Julian will not be back the following year in this school.

Finally, August becomes more accepted by his classmates and in the school.

In my point of view, August and his family were very strong, but without the support of his close friend Jack and Summer and Mr.Tushman he would have got over the school and perhaps never had been accepted as he is.

A wonderful boy.

 Vicky Huerta

WONDER

Wonder tells the story of a boy called August who lives with his parents and old sister.

August or Auggie as his family call him, is an ordinary boy in many ways; he plays, he watches films and he is a big fan of the Star Wars films. But he was born with severe facial deformities and he was having twenty-seven surgeries. The story begins when his parents have decided that he should go to school, and the story covers is first year in school.

August was upset and afraid to face the kid’s reactions to his appearance, but there is also part of him that wants to do normal things. The director of the school, Mr, Tushman introduces Auggie to a small group of students before school starts, this will help the transition. Whereas some of the students are accepting August, others are a bit put off by him, and still others are downright cruel. However, August make two close friends, Summer and Jack.

The book was convicting, truthful, hopeful and heart-warming.One thing I really liked about this book is that it’s told from the point of view of different characters while it shows  that we  can’t judge people by how they look or what they like. Everyone should read this book because it teaches a good lesson.

Marta Pont Ruiz