Great Classics for Boys

Well, it took me quite a while to convince myself that I should read classics too. So I suppose that it will take a longer period of time to persuade boys to read classics. To tell you the truth, I even take some time to convince myself to write this post. But who knows, there are Great Illustrated Classics which are suitable for boys even if they are "illiterate", just kidding. Below are a few which I think you all might be interested, even girls, since they are simple and will be a short and quick read which takes about half an hour to one hour, depends.

No. 1, these classics are not Jane Eyre or what-so-ever, so don't expect them to be listed below although they are "great".

1. Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Extremely thrilling and interesting. A hundred times more interesting then Mr Midnight or True Singapore Ghost Stories, no offense, but that is true. I have the Great Illustrated Classic at home, so it is extremely simple to read since someone simplified it. Ask me for it if you are interested. :) Short summary:

Jonathan Harker is sent to see a client of his company in a distant part of Europe. The castle is deserted and the count is a very strange host. But little does young Jonathan suspect that he and the people closest to him are about to be put into the worst danger and the most gruesome terror that anyone can imagine! Now they must track and destroy Dracula before he finds and destroys each of them.

2. Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles, by A. Conan Doyle. This book is one of the best works of Doyle. A must read for those who enjoyed Jia Hern, Shi Yu and Bryan's mystery story. Again, I have the Great Illustrated Classic at home, so ask me for it if you are interested. :) Short summary:

The curse of a supernatural hound brings Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to England's gloomy moor country to solve Sir Charles Baskerville's murder. Will they find the murderer in time to prevent another killing? And what strange secrets are the people in and around Baskerville Hall trying to hide? Follow the greatest detective of all time as he solves this baffling case!

3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. I, unfortunately, do not have it. But I have another book by the same author-- Huckleberry Finn, which is not a Great Illustrated Classic so it will take some time to read it. Still, both books are extremely interesting, but I have a preference of "-Tom Sawyer". Short summary:
Join Tom Sawyer and his friends in a series of unexpected adventures: forming secret societies, pretending to be pirates, attending their own furnerals, solve a murder, and even being criminals themselves! See how exciting a boy's life can be!

4. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a wonderful book about pirates and treasures. If you are a "money-face", a must read for you too. Short Summary:
When former pirate Billy Bones leaves an old sea chest and an ancient treasure map at the Admiral Benbow Inn, young Jim Hawkins embarks on a treasure-hunting adventure that takes him to the South Seas.

5. Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle, is a great adventure story. If you like the Disney adaption of this book, with the fox as Robin Hood, this will be even more enjoyable! Short summary:
The adventuresome young man, Robin of Locksley, doesn't have a worry in the world until one day when a drunken man working for the King shoots an arrow at him. Robin' s aim is better, to his lasting regret, and he becomes an outlaw subject to capture and hanging. Before long, however, Robin attracts a hearty band of other outcasts to Sherwood Forest. Their only wish is to lead a free, merry existence while doing any kindness they can for the downtrodden. If it means making sport with the authorities, so much the better. Little do they know that their deeds will grow into a timeless story.

5. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, is a marvellous classic which has also been made into a movie. If anyone happens to have this book, please kindly lend it to me. Short summary:

One of Dickens' most popular and moving novels, OLIVER TWIST deals with a world Dickens himself knew only too well -- a world of debtors, prisons, alms houses and poverty. Oliver is born in a workhouse. Apprenticed to an undertaker, he runs away to London where the "Artful Dodger," Jack Dawkins, takes the starving boy into a den of thieves. Among this motley crew, Oliver meets the sinister Bill Sikes, his pitiful and tragic Nancy and the master criminal, Fagin. And an adventure begins...

6. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, is fantastic. A book that everyone will love. Short Summary:

Set against the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumas' thrilling adventure story is one of the most widely read novels of all time. In it the dashing young hero, Edmond Dantes, is betrayed by his enemies and thrown in a secret dungeon in the Chateau d'Lf -- doomed to spend his life in a dark prison cell.


The story of his long, intolerable years in captivity, his miraculous escape, and his carefully wrought revenge creates a dramatic tale of mystery and intrigue, and paints a vision of France -- a dazzling, dueling, exuberant France -- that has become immortal.





Well, this are the classics which are great reads in my opinion, for both boys and girls. Of course, there are still more such as Ivanhoe, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, The Last of Mohicans and many more. Take your time to read them one by one and you will realize that you will never get tired of them! I think that you will have to read them in "Popular" Bookstores or Kinokuniya and other big bookstores, since I think that the library has run out of them. If you need any more titles, gladly ask me! :)


Read on!

The Apotheosis of Fantasy Books

Before Part 2 of my mystery story comes out, let me tell you about some books that are worthy of mentioning. Seriously, the below is the apotheosis of fantasy b.

1) Needless to say, there is the most famous book of all: Harry Potter. It could be either the Philosopher's Stone or the Deathly Hallows, every single one of the seven books is an enjoyable read. I can promise you since I have all seven of the Harry Potter books at home. If you know me well enough, I could lend it to you.

But there are so many books out there in the world that bookworms could choose from, yet, many refuses to leave their "HP", afraid that they will be disappointed or confident that will be. Harry Potter, I must admit, is a great series though if you look at it in another angle, it will never be able to compare itself to the Great Classics like Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice. However, how many of us will actually be willing to take the time to read these classics, especially boys, who already find it hard for them to tear their eyes away from their computer screens. So, indeed, what is the book or should I say the books, that will be after Harry Potter. What is this new generation of books that will snatch away the reader's attention like how Harry Potter did to Sherlock Holmes? Here, I introduce to you this new generation, which in my opinion are the apotheosis of great fantasy.

1)His Dark Materials.

That is a series of books written by Philip Pullman, which consists of 3 books, namely:
-Northern Lights, or rather the Golden Compass (made into a movie)

-The Subtle Knife

-The Amber Spyglass

2)The Ink Trilogy.

Another series of 3 books, by Cornelia Funke:

-Inkheart (made into a movie)

-Inkspell

-Inkdeath

I have only Inkspell, so if you are interested feel free to ask me for it.

3)Time Quintet.
A series by Madeleine L'Engle. This is a series that definitely all P5 GEPupils should know. The first book of this series is made as the base reading material for all P5 GEPupils throughout Singapore. It is an extremely good series, but you will find the first book the best of all five.
-A Wrinkle In Time (made into a movie; winner of Newbery Award)

-A Wind In The Door

-A Swiftly Tilting Planet

-Many Waters

-An Acceptable Time

4)Artemis Fowl

Written by Irish author, Eoin Colfer, this six book series is both a Science-Fiction and a fantasy. All readers should definitely start from the first book or else it would get a bit confusing.

-Artemis Fowl

-The Artic Incident

-The Eternity Code

-The Opal Deception

-The Lost Colony

-The Time Paradox

5)Chronicles of Narnia

This is definitely a series worthy of everyone's attention. This series is every as much interesting as Harry Potter though not as much action-packed. I am a fan of CS Lewis and let me tell you a secret. Did you know that both Lewis and J RR Tolkien were in the same book club when they were young? Surprising, isn't it?
-The Magician's Nephew

-The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (made into a movie)

-The Horse and His Boy

-Prince Caspian (made into a movie)

-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (to be shown in Cinemas in December this year; 2009)

-The Silver Chair

-The Last Battle

I have three books from this series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "The Horse and His Boy" and "Prince Caspian". Don't worry, this is not a series like Artemis Fowl. You could start from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and would not feel lost at all since Lewis did wrote "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" first and completed the series before writting "The Magician's Nephew".

There are much more to these books such as Eragon, Pendragon ... But if I continue at this rate, I will be here for far too long.

I am extremely apologetic that I am unable to write a summary for each book. Try your best to find them in the library or borrow them from your friends because I am confident that you will not regret doing so

Read on!

~Coming Soon, Mystery Story Part 2~

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