James Minter's Blog: Writers do it in Public... - Posts Tagged "values"

From My Heart: Transforming Lives through Values by Neil Hawkes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Neil is passionate about introducing value based education into primary schools, and is by all accounts, having a great deal of success. I had the privilege to hear him present, and to discuss values in the classroom. The book is a very accessible summary of the issues and approaches to getting values embedded in a school's culture, and is applicable to business and public sector organisations worldwide. A modern day must read to stem the progress of negative values so pervasive in many economies and societies.



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Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy by Lara Williamson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Values are at the heart of our behaviour, and family values form the foundation of our lives. Lara Williamson, in her third book, continues with the theme of the importance of family life and successfully demonstrates how values matter.
In this adventure, her young hero Adam is eleven years old, and although he has always known he’s adopted, a school project on tracing your family tree brings it to the fore. Adam is growing up and has lots of questions about who his mother is, and why she abandoned him. Aided by his school friend he sets off on a mission to find her.
Life in his adoptive family goes on, and Adam is caught between what he has and what he thinks life might be like if he found his birth mother. The truth is quite different. When his adoptive family is threatened by illness and the potential loss of a loved one, he realises what he has and the unique place the heart of a family is.
The mood of the book is positive, and the tone comical. It’s a fasted paced story which addresses potent issues. A must read for tweens and adults alike. Thank you, Lara, for another splendid book.




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Gloria and the Unicorn by Wanda Luthman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gloria is a six-year-old child with a facial disfigurement. Her mother died giving birth to her, and Gloria blames herself. She sees the disfigurement as a daily reminder of what she did to her mother. Keeping this belief a secret, she is sombre to the point where she feels she is unlovable.

Living in a children’s home, the owner decides it better not to send Gloria to school because she is different and feels she would be bullied. Though Gloria works in the home, she cannot find a real purpose in life. Her despair deepens, and Gloria invokes an imaginary friend – a Unicorn – with magic powers.

Besides reframing what happened with her mother and her disfigurement, the Unicorn introduces Gloria to the power of reading and learning. She decides to go to school but the inevitable happens – she is bullied. But as the Unicorn says “fear is something we create and isn’t true … and when others aren’t very nice, it’s because they are full of fear.”

The Unicorn points out love is stronger than fear, sadness and hateful things, and loving oneself is the greatest gift of all. The message is don’t let fear win, and focus on love. Love is the most powerful emotion, and with it, you can eliminate fear and sadness and build your own self-belief.
Everyone is different and goes through periods of self-doubt when growing up. Issue books like this are crucial to helping children and parents cope with these times. The messages are important, and Ms Luthman makes them very accessible to the young reader in a gentle story. I fully support such writing, but I would like to see a summary aimed at parents on the various issues covered to enable them to have a better-informed conversation with their child. Definitely worth a read and I think it would be a hit with young girls. I give this book 4.5 stars.

The author supplied me with a copy for the purpose of a review.



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24 Modernized Aesop Fables by Luke Christodoulou

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is close to my heart, and I have to applaud Luke Christodoulou for making these ancient stories accessible to modern youth. My preoccupation is with teaching positive values to children through storytelling in the Billy Books series. Morals and values are a part of the behavioural aspect of a person. Whereas morals are a system of beliefs that are taught for deciding good or bad, Values are personal beliefs that come from within. However, the two are emotionally related for choosing right or wrong.

Over and above rewriting the stories in contemporary language, for each fable, Mr. Christodoulou has included extra pages for parents to make clear the moral under discussion, and he’s proposed a number of activities parents can do with their children to help to reinforce the message. Also, he has also included suggestions for YouTube where children can see cartoon versions of each fable.

My only issue with the book is the extra ‘parent’ pages – Mr Christodoulou is an English graduate, and some of his exercises appear a little demanding. The book is an eBook I would have expected to see clickable links to YouTube versions, and some of the parent’s pages seem to be rushed making them light on content. Though this is still a very worthwhile read, I feel there is an opportunity to revisit it to make it easier to use in this digital age.



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My Actions Matter: A Book on Life Values by Kayla J.W. Marnach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Values matter, children's values matter most of all...

For me, the holding of positive values for children and adults is essential. A set of positive values is the most significant legacy any parent can leave their child, and so I applaud any book which promotes and guides the development of values and notable in this case, kindness, respect, and trust.

Our values shape our behaviours and are especially important when we have to deal with difficult situations. Through acquiring positive values children are empowered, they can make better decisions, and are more likely to overcome the challenging issue.

My Actions Matter – A Book on Life Values by Kayla J W Marnach, is aimed both at young children and their carers. Using this book as a vehicle, teachers and carers can start a conversation with children about the issue under discussion. In addition to the illustrated story, the book features a section on behaviours and the needs the child is displaying, and further a section with open-ended question suggestions caregivers can ask children to get a discussion going.

Although the book is well presented – font choice, size and line spacing, and the illustrations are beautiful, the overuse of repetition in the narrative is too much. I know and agree that 5, 6, 7-year-olds need repetition, but in effect, there are four identical double-spread pages which are not necessary. I would have liked to see the messages given on the same pages being built upon as the book progressed.




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Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In this book Yuval Harari has tackled a massive subject. Forecasting the future is fraught with issues and Harari knows this. Though a professor of history, his knowledge spreads far and wide, and in my opinion he's done a very credible job. Scientists do as scientist do and have taken a pop at him, being dismissive, saying his work lacks rigour.

For me, Yuval has made an incredibly complex subject accessible to the layperson. Enjoyment is probably the wrong word, although is't a great read and well written, enlightenment is more accurate. Of course the future of A.I algorithms, robotic workforce, and the development of a useless class of people won't play out exactly but I believe, much like Uber, AirBnb, SpaceX, plant-based-diets and many more disruptor businesses and trends, Yuval has achieved a similar position with this book. We cannot walk into the future blind - especially as the future is only 20 to 30 years away!

I have grandchildren who will be majorly impacted by these huge changes. Their lives will be so different from mine and their parents. We, as a society need to start debating what these changes will mean and to prepare them through their education.

A must read book for all peoples with an interest in the future - and that's all of us.



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West End Treehouse Mystery, The by Mark Weakland




This story features the exploits of two boys—Matt and Jerry—who are just finishing their time in elementary school before experiencing a massive change in their lives as they move up to Junior high school. Set in the year 1975 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, the work is aimed at 9 to 11-year-olds.

Though not strictly an issues book, Weakland’s latest novel uses traditional storytelling to take a compassionate approach to address topics nearly-teens find difficulty dealing with, like overcoming fear, not accepting change, and failing to show empathy. Personally, I applaud authors who tackle negative feelings with sensitivity while leading the reader to a safer place.

Weakland is a recognised literacy expert and the story he’s imagined reached the page as it should do; meaning that his use of the English language leads to great prose and uncomplicated sentences. The descriptions employed are concise yet fully formed bring to the reader's mind’s eye a clear picture of what is taking place without unnecessary or redundant verbiage.

The story focuses on Matt and Jerry who really only want to build a mega tree-house but people keep getting in their way. Drawing on all five senses, Weakland takes the reader into the woods, to the thick of the action where, through his writing style, you are there experiencing the unfolding events for yourself. These scenes are divided between a gang of teenage boys who rule the neighbourhood with fear and an ageing couple who have failing health but are fearful of seeking help from welfare services because of the consequences it may bring them. Matt and Jerry find themselves conflicted in what they should do and how to act.

A well written compelling story based on positive values giving pre-teens a view of what should be not necessarily what is – always a good lesson.




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