Things I learnt from boarding school

My old digs

I attended boarding school from mid-grade 11 to graduation after my parents decided I was working too much at Baker's Delight and not studying.

I was NOT a rebel.  

I only wish I got sent to boarding school for doing something risque.  I do love implying that I was "sent" for everything other than the real reason.

• Boarders will make a quick buck anyway they can including making beds, doing laundry and betting money on relationship time lines.
• Your food of choice - toast.  If you can chase it with a glass of Milo you’re good to go.  No other food groups necessary.
• Setting the fire alarm off with a toast malfunction is a good thing.  Sure your parents will be invoiced for $200 BUT you get a visit from the local, hot fireman crew.  Not to be underestimated in an all female environment,
• Pillow fights stop after grade 8.  Lingerie is never involved.
• There is no girl code on dating another boarder’s ex.  Friend’s ex?  Yes.  Someone you sleep on the same floor as?  No.
• Girl code does apply to boys that you know from your hometown that are attending the nearby male boarding school.  If you know them pre-boarding school, they belong to you unless you say otherwise.
• The boarders in the grade level immediately below you will always be the most irritating.
• Vending machines are your friend.
• You are training for a lifetime of paperwork.  You want to leave for the afternoon to the shops?  Great, fill in the form and wait for confirmation.
• No matter how unattractive or unappealing, any male that steps within the school’s boundaries will be like a bug under a microscope.  This includes dads, little brothers and the local pastor.
• You will never escape sharing a sleeping space with someone will conflicting music taste.  Cross your fingers that they’ve invested in earphones and that the posters aren’t too hideous on the eyeballs.  If not, mocking will commence.
• Your quilt will represent your personality.
• Your towel will match your quilt.
• Your phone is your lifeline.
• Daybugs (non-boarding students) will always be the enemy, no matter how nice.
• When there are general school leadership elections you will vote along boarder lines, no matter your feelings.
• Time served only increase your boarder power.  Like Samson, if you cut it short you're done.
• You can get a lot achieved in the four minute allotted shower.  This will be a valuable life skill.
• A communal television means you will see a lot of programming you don’t want to be exposed to.
• There is no limit to how many times you can watch the ‘nobody puts Baby in the corner’ and resultant dance as a collective.
• Politeness will get you everywhere with the head mistress.  This is another valuable life skill.
• The headmistresses’ teenage emo son, forced to attend formal dinners with a hundred girls, will be  the catch everyone is fishing for.
• Watching the headmistress and her house mistresses interact prove to be a great example of hierarchy and female politics.
• A wet towel and the ceiling fan will be the loves of your life on a hot night.
• Never keep goldfish as pets.
• Shoes are never just your own, neither are your clothes.
• You will not wear academic gowns at dinner, or ever.
• Not one of your fellow boarders is ‘the chosen one’.

YA is the great educator

Yesterday I wasted time by posting songs that could  never (but let's pretend they could) cover the main learning areas of a curriculum.

Today I am raising the bar....by using YA titles.  I've made it harder for myself by choosing titles I've reviewed and linking them (click on subject).

YA Curriculum

Literature with Professor Nelson

Mathematics (Probability) with Professor Collins

Science (Chemistry) with Professor Kuehnert

(Arthurian) History with Professor Sandell

The Arts with Professor Crowley

Languages with Professor Perkins

Heath and PE with Professor Murdock

Music with Professor Benway

Sex Ed with Professor Blume

Driver's Ed with Professor Dessen

How's your YA curriculum looking?
:)

Song is the great educator

Following is my top 40 curriculum


Literature with Professor Bush

European History with Professors BoneyM

Mathematics with Professor Feist

Science with Professor Bush (different one this time)

The Arts with Professor with Professor Jagger and the Stones

Health and PE with Professor Newton-John

Languages (French) with Professors Pink, Aguilera, Kim and Mya

Are you educated?


What would your curriculum look like?

2012 - What to look out for in contemporary OzYA?

Australian YA.


You know it, I know it.


I was kindly invited to blog for the Book Smugglers this week and felt terrible for only mentioning a tiny list of YA titles as most anticipated.  


They were:

• The Howling Boy - Cath Crowley (contemp)
• The Wrong Boy - Suzy Zail (historical, WW2)
• Broken - Elizabeth Pulford (contemp, graphic novel)
• The Montmaray Journals: FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper (historical)

You can read more about them over at the Book Smugglers.  I have chosen to augment that list with more contemporary titles as that is what I am typically asked to recommend on this blog.  In some cases I don't have a lot of offical information to tell you so you'll have to keep glued to their publishers' websites.

What you should be seeking out in 2012 from the land Down Under, home of supremely talented, very attractive and outrageously funny writing folk.


Vikki Wakefield's sophomoric novel on the heels of All I Ever Wanted.  No title has been announced, or release date, but I want to read it.  She's a new contemporary voice in Australian youth lit and you should be jumping on the Vikki-train.

Queen of the Night by Leanne Hall - heck yes.  Text Publishing lists its release as February 27th this year. If you haven't read This is Shyness - get on it.

The dark is dangerous. So is the past. So are your dreams. For six months Nia—Wildgirl—has tried to forget Wolfboy, the mysterious boy she spent one night with in Shyness—the boy who said he’d call but didn’t.

Then Wolfboy calls. The things he tells her pull her back to the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn’t rise and dreams and reality are difficult to separate. There, Doctor Gregory has seemingly disappeared, the Darkness is changing and Wolfboy’s friend is in trouble. And Nia decides to become Wildgirl once more.

Fiona Wood made quite an impression in 2010 with her debut novel, Six Impossible Things.  This year will  see the release of its follow up, Pulchritude (or perhaps Kisschasey)

The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams is a story I don't want to talk about that much.  It might spoil things.  If you've read Beatle Meets Destiny then you know Williams has a delightfully off kilter sense of humour with a strong beating heart.  What I can tell you about this book?  It involves a quest...at the worst possible time for a teen about to sit her final exams. Also, there is a lovely reference to Wizard of Oz throughout.  Intrigued?

When Dodie's parents go missing just as final year exams are about to start, she convinces herself they're fine. But when the least likely boy in class holds the key -- quite literally -- to the huge secret her parents have been hiding all these years, it's up to Dodie, her sister, the guy from school, and two guys she's never met before, to take on the challenge of a lifetime. So now Dodie's driving -- unlicensed -- to Sydney, and being chased by bad guys, the police, and one very handsome good guy.

Some of you may know that I started a new job at the beginning of 2011.  I work at the State Library of Victoria as the Program Coordinator for the Centre for Youth Literature.  Our role is to promote teen reading and youth literature with a specific bent towards Australian authored works of wonder :)


My team each posted their favourites of 2011 and their most anticipated for 2012.  It is a great snapshot of Australian YA content you may not be aware of from a multitude of reading tastes.  We also post reviews and thematic book lists weekly at our blog - Read Alert.  Throughout January we are also posting links to teachers' notes and units of work for possible class texts in the lead up to the Australian school year.


Plugging over :)


Thanks for making me feel like I haven't completely slipped out of the blogosphere.  I am hoping to post more movie reviews throughout 2012 as I dearly miss blogging and the community.


Have a happy new year with your noses pressed into lovely smelling pages of wonder.

Pretty pretty pretty

Guess what I treated myself to?

I ordered it before Christmas, completely forgot about it and received it today.  How's that for a new year surprise?

Leila over at Bookshelves of Doom makes these little treasures from a 1962 German fairytale stamps.  I fell for this Snow White one but there are heaps of others to choose from and they are very reasonable priced (and well made).  They are encased in glass and wrapped in foil - just lovely.  I am smitten.

You can find her etsy site here.