Most Popular Books by Aidan Chambers

Shy, likeable Karl is in love with clever, beautiful Fiorella. To prove his affection, she demands that he bare his soul to her in letters. The difficulty? Karl is convinced he can''t write, or at least not well enough for Fiorella, who loves books and words. He sets out to persuade Fiorella''s favourite novelist to write a letter for him. When the famous author agrees, a series of misunderstandings ensues, resulting in a startling revelation, a near tragedy, and an unexpected friendship that transform the lives of all three.

In Breaktime, Ditto challenges Morgan to prove that literature is crap and triggers off a chain of events to alter his outlook of life forever. Ditto faces a series of charges from Morgan against literature: that all fiction is Done. Finished. Dead; a sham and a pretence. He undertakes faithfully to record a life in the week of Ditto - with all the chaos of reality thrown in - and his literary creation reveals more about himself than he originally bargained for. In Dance on My Grave, life in his seaside town is uneventful for Hal Robinson, nothing unusual, exciting or odd ever happens to him - until now that is. Until the summer of his 16th birthday when he reaches a crossroads of choices in life. He foolishly takes a friend''s boat for a day''s sailing, gets into difficulty and is rescued by Barry Gorman. Their ensuing relationship results in a tumultous summer for Hal as he experiences the intense emotions of his first teenage love. A major new movie - ''Summer of 85'' - based on Dance on My Grave, by groundbreaking French director Francois Ozon, was released in October 2020 to much acclaim. ''Deftly captures the thrill of first love'' - NME ''A sweet gay romance that gradually morphs into something more suspenseful and macabre'' - Daily Telegraph ''A film that will take you back to your first summer love'' - The Gay UK

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.

Using a pillow book as her form, nineteen-year-old Cordelia Kenn sets out to write out her life for her unborn daughter. What emerges is a portrait of an extraordinary girl, who writes frankly of love, sex, poetry, nature, faith, and of herself in the world. Her thoughts range widely: on Shakespeare and breasts, periods and piano playing, friendship and trees, consciousness and sleep, and much more besides. As she writes of William Blacklin, the boy she chooses as her first lover, or Julie, the teacher who encourages her spiritual life, Cordelia maddens, fascinates, and ultimately seduces the reader. This is a character never to be forgotten from a writer at the height of his powers.

William resents going on a ''boring'' holiday to Wales, but while there he is let into a big secret by Gwyn, a local boy. Gwyn has found a seal pup and has it hidden in a cave. He makes William promise never to tell anyone about it, and plans to breed it on a farm. William is determined to let it go free, and ''borrows'' a leaky dinghy to take it out to sea. The story ends with an exciting rescue.

"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.

Lucy is tormented by class bullies who demand that she bring them gifts.

Everyone seems to know best when it comes to Jan''s future - but he''s still working out for himself who he really is. Jan feels so hemmed in by the pressures of family and friends, he decides to leave home and live alone in the house on the toll bridge. While there, he meets Tess and Adam and their close bond of friendship develops into something which has devastating effects on them all.

A collection of sixteen (16) short stories.

This book presents ideas and descriptions of practical teaching experience that will be of invaluable help to everyone interested in literature, children and education.

Vanuit een 25-jarige onderwijservaring besteedt de auteur aandacht aan het belang van lezen, leesgedrag van kinderen en manieren om de leesmotivatie van kinderen te stimuleren.

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.