Tag: Grade Seven

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Submitted by Emma

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
By J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Spoiler Alert!!!

 

 

 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play which is a continuation of the Harry Potter saga, by J.K. Rowling. This story is the adventure of Harry Potter’s son, Albus Potter, and the hardships of living in his father’s shadow. On his first trip to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, Albus meets Scorpius, the son of Draco Malfoy, once the sworn enemy of Harry Potter. Albus and Scorpius go on adventures together to rewrite the outcome of what happened in the Triwizard Tournament (for reference, see book 4). Each time they travel back in time using a stolen Ministry of Magic time turner. When the 1st challenge sends them back to the present, Albus finds he is in Gryffindor and his aunt is no longer Hermione Granger. And when they come back to the future from the 2nd task, Scorpius finds that Voldemort won the battle of Hogwarts and that Harry Potter is dead. Truly great feats of magic happen in each turn of time. Albus and Scorpius face their fears and overcome the dangers that await them in every new present, past and future.

Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy and Delphi Diggory are the main characters in the Cursed Child. At the beginning of the play Albus is scared and angry at his father and his life, while Scorpius is sad and lonely. When they meet Delphi, the resentment, anger and sadness fuel them to make hasty decisions — jumping off a train, going back in time, and breaking into the Ministry of Magic. In the end, Albus and Scorpius become happier, start to enjoy school more, and Albus becomes closer with his father.

This story is told in the form of a script for a play, so that means it doesn’t have one person’s view, but is omniscient. The tone of this novel is sad, suspenseful, and chaotic. If you go to the theatre to see the play you will see what I mean. With all the bright wand flashes and special effects, it feels as if you are practically living in that moment, but you must keep track in the beginning because everything happens quickly, while the end is more slow going.

I enjoyed this book and play for 3 main reasons. The plot was a full serving of suspense, mystery and sadness with thrilling twists and turns. The special effects and acting in the play where amazing and finally I loved how this magical Wizarding World felt so real.

Emma is a grade 7 student and a library monitor

Spotlight on: getting caught reading

One of our most beloved library monitors is finishing grade seven and going off to high school. Emma has been a dedicated library monitor and is a Reader Extraordinaire! She has completed every monthly Quilchena Reading Challenge, as well as this June bonus “Get Caught Reading” photo challenge. She also tells me that she’s almost finished the Read Harder 2020 reaching challenge, which is designed for adults and is meant to last the whole year. Amazing!
And without further ado…

Get Caught Reading

Poetry Month Day 26

Today: reversible poems

File:Duck-Rabbit illusion.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Is it a rabbit? Or a duck?

A reversible poem is one that can be read fro the top OR from the bottom!

Often the message in the poem is different, depending on which direction you read it. I have never tried to write a poem like this but I think it would be tricky. I’d like to try one day.

This poem was written by a girl named Chanie Gorkin when she was in high school! Amazing!

Don’t forget to read the lines from bottom to top after you read it the regular way.

“Worst Day Ever?”

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure your can agree that
The reality
Creates
My Attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a good day.

*Now read from the bottom to the top*

Poetry Month Day 10

This poem is written to address parents. It is also my wish for you all right now. Poetry has the amazing ability to hold us in a moment and give us the space we need to breathe and see our world a little more clearly.

“Do not ask your children to strive” by William Martin

Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.

The eve of our return to a new way of being together

Greetings Quilchena families,

I hope that you are all healthy and that you are finding ways to be calm and joyful these days. This is a very strange time we are living through right now and there are so many different ways to react; we may experience many of those different reactions all in one day!

As we navigate the next few days and weeks, you will hear from classroom teachers and from Mrs Sleep. You can also stay tuned here for links to activities, conversation starters, and other helpful connections to our learning community.

You will hear from your classroom teacher by the end of this week. In the mean time, start getting up at a regular time each day and follow a basic schedule (that includes getting dressed and eating regular meals 😉) and KEEP READING.

I’m looking forward to the interesting things we will discover as our attention is focused in different ways over the next few months. Please reach out if you are struggling: hearts are open.

take care, and stay tuned.

Tips for Reading Aloud: January Edition

New year, new habits.

I have a friend with whom I used to work at Kidsbooks who had a family routine that I admire: after supper most nights she would read aloud from the dinning table while her partner and daughter washed the dishes. They did this well into her daughter’s teen years.

We often read a story aloud at bedtime. What other regular times might be conducive to reading aloud? Sunday mornings? While you wait for lessons to start? Or, if it’s challenging to find a regular time, try to choose reading aloud as a spontaneous family activity, like on a sunny afternoon, laying on the grass in the park.

Continuing to read aloud to our children as they get older has a number of benefits:

  • it supports their vocabulary development
  • it allows you to engage in tricky conversations about difficult topics
  • it maintains moments of closeness, physically and emotionally
  • it models an ongoing reading life

There is some more good information in this post on the blog “Best Book for Kids.”