Recommended English Books

[The Alternative Story]

hquek:

Hi TAS, will send email shortly.

And thanks to you, I got started on 'A face on the milk carton' - and couldn't stop until I finished the book. Can't wait to get my hands on the subsequent titles in the series.

It's really an excellent read on the dilemmas confronting a child on the brink of teenagehood when she finds out she was kidnapped (although I find the kidnapping part a bit convenient but I'll reserve my judgement until I see book 2).

Hi hquek,

This is really exciting, we have found another book-lover! :celebrate:
We often read the books that we buy as well, and not so much
because we are educators and are supposed to know more about
good books but actually because they are irresistible I noticed
that you also read Chinese books, this is quite amazing as most
of us can only read English books, Chinese books are a 'mystery'
for us. We can't figure out the words to understand the plot.

For this series, 'A Face on the Milk Carton', it is very interesting,
although like you say, the kidnapping is a bit convenient, the other
books in the series are also good but honestly, I find the best one
is the first book.

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

Hi parents,


These are some books that we want to recommend for
the P4-P6 age group. Some of these books are newly
released books.

1) Blood Ransom + Blood Ties by Sophie Mckenzie

Blood Ransom is the sequel to the book, Blood Ties. Blood Ties was
about 2 children who discovered that they were somehow linked.
The boy, Theo, always had a bodyguard although his mother
struggled to make ends meet. The girl, Rachel, grew up, feeling
inferior to an older sister who died when she was a teenager and
yet somehow she seemed to look exactly like the older sister.
The children discover that their parents know each other and their
births were linked to a bombing at a fertility clinic. They realize
they are not getting any answers from their parents and before
they can find out more, they are kidnapped by the man responsible
for their births. It is then that they find out that they are clones.
Rachel is the clone of her sister who died. Her parents were
distraught when her sister died and so jumped at the chance to have
her cloned. Theo is the clone of the man who was behind their
cloning. They have to try to escape from the man whom Theo was
cloned after as his health is failing and he might want to use Theo
for an organ transplant.

Blood Ties is a book that you would want to read from the start to the
end at one go. It is very riveting and it brings up many questions
about cloning that you can discuss with your child.

In Blood Ransom, Theo and Rachel (who have been sent to live
separately so their identities are not known) are reunited as
a mysterious stranger approaches Rachel one day and that
starts their fight against Elijah (the man who cloned them) again.

This time however, his plans are more sinister and in this book, the
narrative switches back and forth from Theo to Rachel and
it heightens the tension as one character's chapter alerts us to
the fact that the other character is walking into imminent danger.
Then just before the danger is met, we switch perspectives to
the other character to accompany them as they do just that,
unaware of the danger while we the readers are aware of what is
going to happen.

Both books are good, they are well-paced, the storylines are
gripping and thought-provoking at the same time.

2) Trash by Andy Mulligan

This story is about 3 boys whose lives are entwined around
the dumpsite. They live there, they scavenge for food there,
and finally something unforgettable that changes their lives
happens to them at the dumpsite as well. One day, one of the
boys, discovers a bag full of intriguing items and some money.
He keeps it and shares his find with his friends but then later
the police come looking for it and offer money to the people
living at the dumpsite to offer information on anyone who
has the bag. Soon, the three boys are on the run from the
corrupt police and they need to get to the heart of the mystery
of the person who threw the bag away in order to survive.

The author has lived and worked in India and the Philippines and
hence his descriptions of the street kids and their lives are very
realistic. 'Trash' is not only an exciting thriller/adventure story but it
is a heartfelt and poignant tale of life in the slums and it will open
the children's eyes to how life can be like in the third word nations.

Where to get these books: Blood Ties is available at Borders.
The rest of the books can be gotten online and we are bringing in
these books. The books will arrive in about 2-3 weeks time.

TAS

[Brenda10]

HI TAS


DD had read the book 'Blood Ties by Sophie Mckenzie' that recommended by your earlier on. We also get a 'Girl missing' written by the same person when we pass by the bookstore. Now she is reading 'Survival' that bought from TAS and she comments it is very exciting.

Thank you and looking forward to hear more goods books. :lol:

[The Alternative Story]

Brenda10:

HI TAS


DD had read the book 'Blood Ties by Sophie Mckenzie' that recommended by your earlier on. We also get a 'Girl missing' written by the same person when we pass by the bookstore. Now she is reading 'Survival' that bought from TAS and she comments it is very exciting.

Thank you and looking forward to hear more goods books. :lol:

Hi Brenda10,

No problem at all :lol: Really glad to hear that you daughter
likes the books. We will definitely be introducing more good
books here

TAS

[PretzelT]

Hi TAS,


Can recommend books for my P6 girl to read, she is bored, bored, bored and drives me up the wall with her bored looks and her sighs..

Anyway, you or the teachers at TAS seem to know so many books! How I wish you can provide a service at the libary or bookstore, When we go in, we can go to people like you and ask for help and you guys can rattle off all the interesting books to our kids and also get them interested to read. I know this is unrealistic but seriously if the libraries or bookstores have sales people like you to attend to the customers, I am sure the books will sell like hotcakes. Haha, I think I am too free now and so I am thinking of all these off the wall scenarios

[The Alternative Story]

PretzelT:

Hi TAS,


Can recommend books for my P6 girl to read, she is bored, bored, bored and drives me up the wall with her bored looks and her sighs..

Anyway, you or the teachers at TAS seem to know so many books! How I wish you can provide a service at the libary or bookstore, When we go in, we can go to people like you and ask for help and you guys can rattle off all the interesting books to our kids and also get them interested to read. I know this is unrealistic but seriously if the libraries or bookstores have sales people like you to attend to the customers, I am sure the books will sell like hotcakes. Haha, I think I am too free now and so I am thinking of all these off the wall scenarios

Hi PretzelT,

We will recommend some books soon
If we have a bookstore, we would love to introduce books to our
customers. Anyway, its just a pipe dream too.

TAS

[she0407]

Hi TAS


I would like to sign up my children for this and have already sent you a pm.

Thanks.

[hquek]

The Alternative Story:

hquek:

Hi TAS, will send email shortly.

And thanks to you, I got started on 'A face on the milk carton' - and couldn't stop until I finished the book. Can't wait to get my hands on the subsequent titles in the series.

It's really an excellent read on the dilemmas confronting a child on the brink of teenagehood when she finds out she was kidnapped (although I find the kidnapping part a bit convenient but I'll reserve my judgement until I see book 2).

For this series, 'A Face on the Milk Carton', it is very interesting,
although like you say, the kidnapping is a bit convenient, the other
books in the series are also good but honestly, I find the best one
is the first book.

TAS

Hi TAS,

Postscript of sorts. I went to the library and borrowed all the other books in that \"face on the milk carton\" series. Had to zoom through all of them in practically one sitting. It's really an excellent read and the story just gripped me by the tenseness of the situations. I like the way the author moves in/out of scenes. I was fairly surprised by the ending in \"What Janie Found\" (4th book). There seems to be some parts lacking/unexplored, leaving me with a 'not quite enough' taste, but overall, I do agree. This is a good series and a wonderful read.

Definitely a series worth picking up - but more for teens/upper primary kids.

Already eyeing Blood Ties as recommended. But I think I should also have to finish my other unread books.

[The Alternative Story]

she0407:

Hi TAS


I would like to sign up my children for this and have already sent you a pm.

Thanks.

Hi she0407,

I have replied you

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

hquek:

Hi TAS,

Postscript of sorts. I went to the library and borrowed all the other books in that \"face on the milk carton\" series. Had to zoom through all of them in practically one sitting. It's really an excellent read and the story just gripped me by the tenseness of the situations. I like the way the author moves in/out of scenes. I was fairly surprised by the ending in \"What Janie Found\" (4th book). There seems to be some parts lacking/unexplored, leaving me with a 'not quite enough' taste, but overall, I do agree. This is a good series and a wonderful read.

Definitely a series worth picking up - but more for teens/upper primary kids.

Already eyeing Blood Ties as recommended. But I think I should also have to finish my other unread books.

Hi hquek,

You managed to finish reading all the books at one go? Wow!
Did you manage to borrow all the titles from one branch? It is
quite hard to find all the titles in this series nowadays
as the books were written some time ago.

Blood Ties is another series that is good! Enjoy the reading :celebrate:

TAS