Nigel HintonBesprekingen

Well, the four book saga that I started when I was seven (well my teacher started) is finally done and I don't know that I'm entirely happy about it. It was a great story, perhaps slightly more grown up than the earlier books with some philosophical ideas being explored (albeit in a simplistic manner) but a fun romp all the same. It did not feel like the end of the story to me. Yea sure, they defeated the Prince of Darkness but it wasn't a complete defeat. I was hoping for the overall destruction of the big bad.

Can't say too much about this second installment in this series without accidentally letting out spoilers but my feelings about it are the same as the first book so please go ahead and read my review there :)

I absolutely adore this book - just as much as I did when my teacher Ms Giles read it to my (UK) Year 3 class. The story may move a little fast but it is written for ages 7 and above. I found the characters to be well rounded and despite any real description of them I have an image of each of them in my head as I write.

The last time I saw a book by Hinton I must have been around 10 years old, that book was Buddy and I studied it in school. I never realised he had also written books for adults so when I spotted Heart of the Valley I had to pick it up.

We follow a year in the life of a family of Dunnocks(Hedge Sparrows) and all the trials and tribulations that follow. As with other great tales of the genre (Tarka the Otter springs to mind) it isn't all nice and fluffy, and the grim reality of being a small animal in the Kent countryside is brought home. Predators and weather threaten your life at every moment and it's a wonder that anything really flourishes, after all, how many sparrows do we all see everyday and never give a thought to their little lives?

I suppose my favourite thing about Heart is that it manages to be thought provoking without being preachy, a skill many of today's authors could do with acquiring. It makes you realise the impact your own actions have on surrounding wildlife, for instance the lady who feeds the birds everyday, when she falls ill and cannot get to the garden then go unfed which results in the death of some. But the biggest realisation for me came in the form of when humans intervene and rescue animals. I have never really thought that if I rescue an injured owl then you are saving that one life but in all reality condemning hundreds of its prey to their death. Would those animals have otherwise survived and helped their own population flourish?

It lost a star for me only because of when it detoured into the personal lives of the human family, I really wanted the book to remain with the animals and it slightly sidetracked me.,

All in all, this book will stay with me a long time, and has given a whole new appreciation of the British countryside. What more could a book do?

Im klirrenden Januar beginnt die Geschichte der Heckenbraunelle. Es gibt nichts mehr zu essen, alles ist im Schneesturm erfroren. Der kleine Vogel verlässt sein Revier, macht sich auf die Suche und findet schließlich Unterschlupf in einer Scheune. Ein Jahr begleiten wir die Heckenbraunelle, von dem erfolgreichen Überstehen des eiskalten Winters über die Suche nach einem treuen Gefährten bis zum mühsamen Nestbau in einer Hecke. Leben und Tod liegen dicht beieinander.

Das alles passiert in einem kleinen englischen Tal. Es erzählt von den Menschen, die dort wohnen, von den Tieren, die alle auf ihre eigene Art und Weise um die Erhaltung ihrer Art kämpfen. Eine bewegendes Jahr, das wir als Leser begleiten dürfen, obwohl die Hauptperson so klein ist.

Walk the Wild Road is an adventure story with a heart. Leo always wants to do the right thing, but hunger and exposure sometimes compel him to steal food and sneak lodging. He meets people who are kind beyond his expectations, and others who are cruel without reason. He learns that hardship is easier to face in the company of a friend, and he never gives up hope for a better future. Hinton does a nice job transferring this story from family lore to a tale that will resonate with teen boys and girls.

Ryan buys an amazing phone at a car boot sale for a bargain price...almost too good to be true. When he gets it home, it seems to intuitively know what he wants to do or who he wants to call which is awesome until he keeps turning itself on in the middle of the night and strange things appear on the front screen.
This one is for older teenage boys as the phone keeps showing them porn!!
It is a "be careful what you wish for" story with the added complications of Ryan not liking his Mum's new partner, his step Dad Colin and the family dynamics that go with that. At times Ryan is a seriously unlike-able brat in the way he talks to his step Dad, but it is ultimately Colin who helps Ryan break the phone's addiction before it is too late.

Dillion and Robbie's Dad has been in prison for the violence he inflicted on their mother and theboys have not spoken to him for years. Then one day in the school holidays, as Dillion is minding Robbie, he appears on their doorstep saying that they are going camping by the beach and their Mum says it is ok. Dillion is suspicious but tags along to look after his younger brother. His dad seems changed, much nicer and calmer , but as the holiday progresses things get weird including a walk to the dangerous edge of the cliff.
Sad story about mental illness and the strain that divorce and domestic violence can put on children and the perpetrators.

A whodunit story that is very readable and engaging. Nathan waits by the stream for his Dad so they can go fishing. His Dad is nearly an hour late and seems quite flustered when he arrives and when they come across an injured dog, Nathan's Dad surprises him by being able to put the dog out of his misery. Then, there is a murder...his Dad lies about when and where he was and Nathan is thrown into a sea of doubt.

This is a story intended for adults from children's novelist, Nigel Hinton. He is perhaps better known for classics like "Buddy" and "Buddy's Song" (Buddy was dramatised by children's BBC and starred Roger Daltry).

To me, this book was the literary equivalent of a silent movie, chronicling a year in the life of a family of Dunnocks (Hedge Sparrows) in a rural Kent.

And rural Kent is anything but a bucolic idyll. The author tells it like it is: a world where sex, struggle, and starvation prevail and just about everything is out to eat everything else.

Straightforwardly written in an almost documentary style, this fiction is without anthropomorphism. The needs, drives, and motivations of the animal (and human) characters are made dramatically clear to the reader based on the author's own insightful observations.

A well-written tale that will charm, shock, and delight its reader.

At around 100 pages this is only a short story. It is aimed at ages 7 and up.
It's the story of a boy, Philip, who gets carried off by his kite and ends up on a magical island inhabited by woodland animals.
The island has been taken over by an evil witch and her magical army of Growlers. In order to banish the witch and save the island Philip must sneak into the castle and find the magic spell book.

Because it's aimed at younger readers the story moved very fast and it seemed like everything was over before it had even began!

It was a cute little story that I'm sure young kids would enjoy, but I think older children might find the story too childish for their liking.

Walk the Wild Road is a middle grade historical adventure set in 1870 Prussia (now Poland) during the on set of war with France and follows one young boy's incredible quest to reach America. While a work of fiction, the novel was inspired by how the author's own grandfather made his way to the United States.

Leo is a very shy, yet caring and courageous young character who has to rely heavily on his likability and sweet face to get food and shelter as he travels across Prussia. The things he has to endure while traveling are truly heart-breaking, from being beaten, to illness and almost death. It's hard for me to even imagine any 12 year old boy from today surviving what Leo goes through. His most remarkable trait is that despite everything he goes through, Leo holds on to the hope of a better life for himself and the family he had to leave behind.

I found the pacing of the novel to be quite slow. This made the beginning a real struggle for me to get through. However, once Leo meets Tomasz I felt the story really picked up. I thought the very short chapters helped keep a rhythm, fluidity and real sense of tension to the story that might have gotten lost with longer ones.

I really enjoyed the friendship between Leo and Tomasz because they helped keep each others spirits up and balance each other out. Tomasz is a very upbeat and outgoing character which helps to bring Leo out of his shell. He's also a fast talker, weaving elaborate stories very easily, in the hopes of finding him and Leo jobs, food and places to stay. While each boy's life is vastly different from the young boys of today, I still think they're easy to relate to. Neither one is perfect and both make bad decision but they're dreams of a better life are real and encouraging.

The historical backdrop of the oncoming war was quite fascinating and added a deeper sense of danger. Also great detail is given to the poverty, religious tension and desperation of the citizens of Prussia during the late 1800's making you fully understand why Leo and Tomasz would seek to leave it behind and travel to America. Although the novel doesn't have a perfect ending, its still a very good one and fits very well into the overall theme of hope which runs throughout the story.

While the slower pace of the novel was a struggle for me at times, I still really enjoyed the characters and historical aspects of the book. I think Walk the Wild Road would be a perfect fit for boys who enjoy reading middle grade adventure or historical fiction books. As well as for adults who like those same genres.

Ich mochte dieses Buch sehr, das vom Leben einer Braunelle (ein kleiner Vogel) erzählt. Es zeigt sehr gut auf, wie viele Zufälle dazu beitragen, dass Leben so verläuft und nicht anders und wie vernetzt alles ist. Das ist ein schönes Buch, das Tiere nicht vermenschlicht, sondern einfach von ihrem Leben berichtet.

Fadern misstänkt för mord, sonen vill få fadern rentvådd. Tvivlar - har pappa gjort det. Engagerande spännande bok!

Spännande berättelse om tre killar som gör pengar på droger. "Lady" kommer in i deras liv, svartsjuka, hämnd. Passar både killa och tjejer, men kanske mest en bra bok för läsovana killar

I like this book because it has a really good story line and it makes me want to keep reading it

One year in the life of a hedge sparrow! I love this book! I must have recommended it a 100 times to friends and strangers alike and, when I heard from them again, they were all as taken with it as I was. The author certainly has great imagination, but what is more, he has amazing observation skills. Great story!

Jag är väldigt imponerad av Argassos lättlästa böcker. Trots att de är tunna med korta kapitel får de ofta till djup hos sina karaktärer. Jag tyckte Gangsterbröder var väldigt, väldigt bra och som en kollega sa skulle den passa bra att sätta i händerna på den läsovillige när Shakespeare ska avhandlas. Både Romeo och Julia och Otello kan man ana som inspiration.

Mick runs away to sea because his father was a sailor. Everyone thinks that the captain is great except for the ship’s cook Yan, who says he is bad luck. Then Mick hears screaming in the night and suddenly nearly everyone aboard becomes ill, so he thinks maybe the ship is cursed.p.43-46