New Releases by Aidan Chambers

A haunting selection...Drawing on the wealth of literature published in this ever-popular genre, award-winning author Aidan Chambers has brought together all his favourite ghost stories in one spine-tingling collection. From the eerie sound of an unseen child''s laughter in a London flat, to the appearance of a medieval monk who has lost his way, to the mysterious bloodstain in a country house, this books is packed with ghosts to haunt the imagination.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Todd is about to discover himself. Jacob''s plan is to go to Amsterdam to honor his grandfather who died during World War II. He expects to go, set flowers on his grandfather''s tombstone, and explore the city. But nothing goes as planned. Jacob isn''t prepared for love&150or to face questions about his sexuality. Most of all, he isn''t prepared to hear what Geertrui, the woman who nursed his grandfather during the war, has to say about their relationship. Geertrui was always known as Jacob''s grandfather''s kind and generous nurse. But it seems that in the midst of terrible danger, Geertrui and Jacob''s grandfather''s time together blossomed into something more than a girl caring for a wounded soldier. And like Jacob, Geertrui was not prepared. Geertrui and Jacob live worlds apart, but their voices blend together to tell one story&150a story that transcends time and place and war. By turns moving, vulnerable, and thrilling, this extraordinary novel takes the reader on a memorable voyage of discovery.

Aanwijzingen en suggesties voor leeskrachten in o.a. het basisonderwijs, te gebruiken bij het werken met jeugdboeken op school.

A haunting collection... Following the great success of Ghost Stories, described by Children''s Books of the Year as A strong collection that will leave a powerful impression, comes this second volume of chilling tales. Drawing on the wealth of literature published in this ever-popular genre, award-winning author Aidan Chambers has brought together all his favourite ghost stories in one spine-tingling collection. The combination of a winning theme and top-quality writing makes this another Story Library bestseller

Postals de terra de ningú explica la història de Geertrui, una jove holandesa que s’enamora d’un soldat anglès, casat, mentre la seva família l’acull durant la batalla d’Arnhem. Cinquanta anys després, el nét del soldat anglès, un jove de disset anys, visita Amsterdam amb motiu de la commemoració de la batalla d’Arnhem i allí coneix Geertrui. Arran d’aquesta experiència commovedora, comença a qüestionar-se quin és el seu lloc al món i la seva vida pren un altre rumb.AIDAN CHAMBERS va néixer en el si d’una família de miners. Va prendre la decisió de dedicar-se a escriure quan, a l’escola, va començar-se a interessar per la literatura.Com a professor responsable de la biblioteca de l’escola, va descobrir que hi havia molt pocs llibres dirigits als nens de la classe treballadora i va deixar la feina per satisfer aquest desig. El 1969 va publicar The Reluctant Reader, en el qual parla de la gran quantitat de nens que saben llegir però que no tenen ganes de fer-ho. El 1975, amb Breaktime, es va embarcar en una col·lecció de novel·les juvenils.

Den engelske unggutten Jacob er oppkalt etter sin bestefar, som deltok i slaget om Arnhem i siste del av 2. verdenskrig. Jacob besøker menneskene som med fare for eget liv bisto bestefaren da han ble skadet og før han døde. Boken veksler mellom fortellingen om den unge Jacob i dagens Amsterdam og fortellingen fra fronten, opplevd gjennom soldater og sivilbefolkning. Nederland av i dag, der både frigjort sex og aktiv dødshjelp er en del av kulturen, danner bakteppet for Jacobs tanker og observasjoner omkring skjebne, drifter, valg og vilje. Hovedpersonen må forsere språklige, kulturelle og aldersmessige barrierer, og går gjennom en modningsprosess i forholdet til familien, til egen identitet og til sitt syn på livet. Ordrikhet og nitide skildringer sinker fremdriften i teksten og gjør det tungt å følge romanens prosjekt. Fortellerstemmens nærhet til hovedpersonen Jacob veksler også. Personene virker ellers levende nok og målbærer viktige tanker om individualitet, verdier og moral. Den norske oversettelsen varierer i kvalitet.

Runners by Susan Gates - Sparrow runs into problems when she tries to employ a deputy to deal with the most feared boy in the school. Graphical by Marilyn Watts - A cat jumps out of a computer game at school - and spine-chilling disaster threatens! The Present Takers by Aidan Chambers - When the persecution becomes too much, Lucy is forced to take the school bullies at their own game.

"There is a correlation between the richness of the reading environment in which readers live and the richness of their talk about what they''ve read." "In any group of children we find that if they begin by sharing their most obvious observations they soon accumulate a body of understanding that reveals the heart of a text and its meaning(s) for them all." Talking about a book helps a child find the heart of a story, make sense of a string of facts, and understand complicated ideas. Aidan Chambers proposes an approach for discussing books so children learn to talk well about what they''ve read. Indeed, not only talk well, but listen well. And not just about books, but about other things. For the "Tell me" approach ultimately helps children learn to clarify ideas for themselves and to communicate with others. It is, in short, a basic step in applying knowledge and articulating meaning. Tell Me offers practical information about book talking in the classroom, explaining some of the processes and outlining the ground rules developed by teachers and others who work with children and books. From their experience he has formulated a Framework, "a repertoire of questions that assist readers in speaking out their reading." Tell Me is companion to The Reading Environment.

"Reading is a provocative act; it makes things happen." "It is a fact of our psychological make-up that we cannot read anything without experiencing some kind of response." "If we are forced to read as a duty, expecting no delight,we are likely to find it a boring business." "We cannot easily read for ourselves what we haven''t heard said." "Some people say they don''t like reading stories, butI''ve never come across anyone who doesn''t like hearing one." With such forthright statements Aidan Chambers ensures that The Reading Environment will make things happen about the ways reading is presented in schools. For Chambers, reading is a life-enhancing occupation, not a pastime. Drawing memorably on his own experience as a teacher and a reader, he offers a multitude of stimulating ideas for opening the rewards of thoughtful reading to all children. Concerned with the practical aspects of creating an environment that supports children as they become readers, he provides suggestions on school book fairs and displays, reading areas, author visits, and book selection. But having enabled children to become readers is only part of the issue, and he also addresses ways of keeping track of children''s reading and helping them develop responses to what they read. Concise and elegantly written, The Reading Environment will be a valuable book for preservice and inservice teachers, and its distinctive blend of reflective and active comment make it an enlightening reminder to parents, media specialists, and librarians. Tell Me: Children, Reading, and Talk is the companion volume toThe Reading Environment.

Eerie tales of real life hauntings.

YA. Very short stories with stark, eye-catching illustrations.

A body is found hanging. Tom, a young detective, sets out to investigate. Nik is researching for a film about a contemporary life of Jesus when he meets Julie, and they embark on a love affair which will involve a spiritual experience that will change them both for good. Tom and Nik''s investigations bring them together in an unexpected climax.

Hal''s summer affair with Barry Goldman ends tragically when Hal discovers he is much more committed to the relationship than his friend.