Something A Little Different...

The Importance of Literacy and My Recent Project


I have always had a keen interest in English at school and have always been interested in the importance of the written word. I started this blog just over a year ago to mainly share my views and opinions of some of my favourite books that I couldn’t do in my English Literature classes at school. As well as this, I also wanted to use a blog to build upon my linguistic skills, in the hopes that it would help me with my school work. After writing reviews and posts for some time now, I have come to love blogging and have realised the significance that social media now plays in promoting literacy and reading amongst a generation that is now, supposedly, obsessed with technology.


After discussing my blog with teachers at school, I was given the opportunity to create a literacy-based website for the school that I currently attend. Since June, roughly, I have worked closely with my school to produce a website that would be used by the student body across all subjects, not just for English. The website, although primarily promoting the importance of literacy, includes a range of resources, games and reviews covering a vast range of subjects. I wanted to create a website that was not just educational but also fun and which would allow students to directly contribute throughout the year. The website has also allowed me to communicate with authors and writers that I truly admire, including, Gone author Michael Grant! I can’t begin to describe how it felt to actually ask questions to one of my favourite writers and be able to share my interview with my friends and peers at school.


The website launched on Monday (19^th October) and I couldn’t be happier with how it looks and the positive feedback I have received from students and teachers. I wanted to share with you all this project, as I feel that you would appreciate the work that I have done in order to promote literacy. I hope that you find the website fun and engaging and I would really appreciate if you could visit my site, links below, and possibly spread the word amongst your friends and colleagues. This site has been one of the biggest projects I have worked on and I am extremely grateful to all those who have been a part of the setup of the website.


www.cfsliteracy.co.uk

You can also follow us on twitter - @cfs_literacy

Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Book Details:

Author: Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Ages: 12+

Rating: 8/10

Number of Pages: 486

Plot: Veronica Welling’s life is not what it seems. Behind her popular cheerleader exterior, Veronica is forced to deal with an absent father, an unfaithful boyfriend and an unloving mother alone. On top of all of this, Veronica is now seeing a blonde boy in a kilt everywhere she turns and she is the only one who can see him. So when her best friend Mackenna Reid offers to whisk her away to Scotland for the summer, she cannot refuse. Unknown to them, they face a summer full of fantasy and adventure. Through old mystic possessions of Mackenna’s aunt, the girls discover the fantasy world of Doon – a magical kingdom that promises to fulfil the girls’ dreams. In addition to this new magical world, Veronica’s mystery stranger is not only there but a prince preparing to ascend the throne. Whilst Veronica tries to decipher whether she is destined to be with the prince, Mackenna must decide if she should follow her Broadway dreams or follow her heart and pursue a relationship with another prince. In a tale of friendship, fantasy and love, Veronica and Mackenna must work together to save their beloved new world and those they love.

Review: I was kindly given a complimentary copy of this novel from the publishers via BookLook Bloggers, and I was so excited to explore a whole new fantasy world. Corp and Langdon have created a magical fantasy world that is unique and loveable characters that are unlike any other. I loved how the authors chose to use Scotland as their backdrop as it was a lovely change from reading books that solely revolve around the US. As well as this, Corp and Langdon managed to depict the setting beautifully and created a memorable kingdom that could put other worlds to shame. Although I have never been to Scotland, the authors created a picturesque setting that make the reader feel as if they are really there.

"When things seem difficult and we’re tempted to doubt, we need to trust in what we can’t see.” – Prince Duncan

As well as this, I thought that the characters Corp and Langdon created were imaginative and the relationships realistic. I especially loved the friendship of Mackenna and Veronica. The relationship depicted between the girls was realistic and their contrasting personas, one a popular cheerleader and the other a Broadway lover, made their friendship even more relatable. In fact, Mackenna was probably one of my favourite characters in the book. Her determination to be an award winning actress and her protective nature towards her friend, made her, in my opinion, the most relatable character of the book. At times, I found that some of the characters were a bit cliché and lacked the same realness as Mackenna, especially Prince Duncan who, despite being an interesting character, was a little cheesy at times when it came to talking to Mackenna.

However, there were some aspects of the book that I didn’t fully invest in. I understand that the book was set in Scotland for the majority of the plot, but I found the constant use of Scottish colloquialisms a little hard to read. Yes, they made the plot more life-like but the extent to which they were used made the novel, in parts, drag. In addition to this, the story seemed to be unnecessarily long, for example the interactions between Veronica and Jaime were painfully slow. Despite this, I loved this book and I think that the authors have successfully created a fantasy world that is easy to fall in love with. The characters, although at times a little cliché, each had their own characteristics that made them unique and likeable. Corp and Langdon have successfully created a series that brings the magic and action of the Harry Potter series with the mystery and fantasy of the Chronicles of Narnia series. I can’t wait to delve into the rest of the Doon series and learn about the magical kingdom and its inhabitants.

Meeting Mr. Mogul by Mel Ryle

Book Details

Author: Mel Ryle

Ages: 15+

Rating: 5/10

Number of Pages: 396

Plot: Andy Peterson struggles to balance her work as a waitress and visiting her father in hospital. After leaving the south for her father’s treatment, Andy has been living on the couch of an old family friend, Terry, visiting her father every day and trying to look for a higher paying job. It is not until she makes the enemy of her mysterious boss William Maxwell that her life is turned around. Following multiple encounters with ‘Mr. Mogul’, Andy attracts the attention of his older sister and business tycoon, Alexandra and is offered a deal she cannot refuse. A job working as Anastasia’s secretary and a luxury apartment, but there is one catch – she must work alongside her arch nemesis William Maxwell. This contemporary romance novel includes moments that will make you laugh out loud and an engaging storyline.

Review: I was sent this book by the BLVNP Publishing group and was really excited to start reading the novel. As some of you may already be aware I am not a huge fan of contemporary and usually I prefer fantasy or classics. Despite this, I did really enjoy the story. Its light-hearted nature and simple story line made the book easy to read and follow throughout. The characters, although a little cliché, were likeable, especially Andy whose personality seemed very life-like and relatable. I also liked the relationships within the novel – unlike other contemporary books I have read, the relationships depicted were not overly cheesy and felt very real (although I wasn’t too keen on the nickname “peanut”).

“William Maxwell. The man with the power to fire me from both my jobs and perhaps make it difficult for me to get another one in a city he mostly owns. A man I don’t want to be enemies with, although that is getting harder every time we meet.” – Andy Peterson

Despite this, there were aspects of the novel that made it a little predictable and, in parts, boring. It took me very little time to become invested in the storyline and the main characters, but I found the middle of the novel to be incredibly slow and repetitive. By the middle of the novel, I had worked out what would happen in the end but the author seemed to deliberately to add unnecessary twists and turns to the plot that added no new suspense or tension – how many times can one guy be knocked back? Although I was very interested in what the outcome would be, I felt that the story lacked momentum in some parts and thus made it a bit boring.

In addition to this, the language also appeared to be a repetitive in parts and although this may have been used purposely by the author, it did make the novel feel longer than it was. For example, I lost count of how many times William’s hair was described as being “dirty blond” when there are so many other words the author could have used. However, despite some aspects that didn’t appeal to me, the novel, for me, was a pleasant, easy read and a nice break from the usual fantasy or classic novels I usually read. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of contemporary romance or just wants something light-hearted to read. If you would like to discover more about the author, Mel Ryle, why not check out her website here; http://mel-ryle.awesomeauthors.org/ or find her on Wattpad here; https://www.wattpad.com/user/MelonDiaries