HITLER'S DAUGHTER- reading challenge

'Hitler's Daughter' is an informative and interesting book written by Jackie French. It's the sort of book which will keep you up till 1 am just to know the rest of the story, and will afterwards prohibit you from sleeping whilst hundreds of questions and thoughts tumble through your mind. Is it a true story? Did Hitler really have a daughter? How could he be so cruel to her? Just because she (Heidi) was his daughter, did that make her evil aswell? All these questions were also going through Marc's head, 24/7, between the 'matinal' story tellings of his friend Anna. Every morning, she'd tell a part of Heidi's rather tragic story whilst waiting for the school bus. Heidi was completely cut off from the world during WW2, and saw noone but Faulein Gebler (the woman who brought her up), her cook and Duffi -aka Hitler-, when he once every few months (is she was lucky) blessed her with a short visit. The novel follows Heidi's joruney out of Germany and Marc's thoughts on the story at the same time. It is quiet a fascinating novel; however, there were times where I was sat wiahing Jackie French could have skipped a few of the slow and painful passages about the rain, swamps and cows of Australia. A bit boring at times, yet the rest of Heidi's story is completely worth it.

Rating: 6.5/10

Homework (set Tuesday 9th November)

Please learn the following vocabulary list for next lesson. You will be tested on them at the beginning of the lesson (Thursday 11th November). You will be given one mark for the correct definition and one mark for the correct spelling:

‘slink’ = to move in a secret, guilty manner
‘concealed’ = hidden, covered
‘bore’ = gave birth to, (past tense of bear)
‘roam’ = to wander about
‘shed away’ = stripped away
‘hag’ = an ugly old women; a witch
‘knock-kneed’ = knees knocking together in walking.
‘trudge’ = to walk heavily or wearily
‘lime’ = a white, acid-like powder
‘guttering’ = To flow in channels or rivulets
‘Writhing’ = to twist or squirm because of pain
‘cud’ = partially digested food that is returned to the mouth
‘vile’ = sickening or disgusting
‘zest’ = lively enjoyment
‘ardent’ = extremely enthusiastic

Eat Pray Love

This brilliant novel was written by Elizabeth Gilbert about a long travel through Italy, India and ending the year in Indonesia (Bali). She describes how she tastes wonderful food such as spaghetti in Italy with such pure delightfulness with delicious toppings that you can just feel along your tongue. Spending around 3 months there learning the Italian language and how the language is like music floating through your soul. Afterwards she lands herself in India by calming her nerves with praying day in and day out from 3am till 10pm. Sometimes she ends up locked in her room by her room mate and climbing out the windows, landing in some bushes, bleeding endlessly but yet needs to go and pray her heart out. The journey slowly comes to an end in Bali, where she re-meets the man who taught her of her knowledge and the bumps in the road along her life.

I recommend this novel for anyone who likes to take a break and loves food. I really enjoyed this book because it's like a biography and yet is like an adventure. How there is one escape from reality and you can go along the road just exploring yourself and finding who you really are instead of relying on someone else all the time.

Year 9 English Homework:

Choose two of the poetic techniques below (that you have not already done) and write a DETAILED PEE paragraph for each (2 PEE paragraphs in total):

1) “Juliet is the sun.” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.)
2) “Life’s but a walking shadow.” (Shakespeare, Macbeth.)
3) "Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle"
4) "Only the monstrous anger of the guns." (Owen)
5) “Everyday is a winding road…”
6) “Death lies upon her like an untimely frost.” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.)
7) “England … is a fen of stagnant waters.” (Wordsworth.)

DUE: Monday 8th November