Childrens Literature (5KFE0053) Book Review Ng XiangQi (A6)

assignment cover sheetBed(Hons) Primary Education with English

A. STUDENT/S TO COMPLETEModule Name:Childrens LiteratureModule Code:5KFE0053

Student Name: NG XIANGQIStudent ID Number:PLPPIP2011/037/KIC

Lecturer Name:DATIN SUZELINATutor Group:A6

Assignment No./Name:Book Review

Due Date: 21/03/2014Date Submitted: 21/03/2014

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Date: 21/03/2014

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Name :Ng XiangQi

Matrix Number:PLPPIP2011/037/KIC

Group:A6

Subject:Childrens Literature

Topic:Book Review

Lectures Name:Datin Suzelina

Submission Date:21 March 2014

Book ReviewThe Whispering Statue written by Carolyn Keene in 1970, published in New York is a book about mystery. This book talks about a girl named Nancy Drew, who is good at solving mystery. Nancy is asked to solve a puzzling mystery involving a valuable collection of rare books. The rare books were commissioned to Mr. Basswood by Mrs. Merriam who suspected him of being a swindler. On the night when Mrs. Merriam was as Mr. Drews house talking about the suspicious Mr. Basswood, two masked assailants tried to enter the house through the front and back door to stops Mrs. Merriam. Hence, Nancy decided to disguises herself as Debbie Lynbrook to solve the mystery with her cousins, Bess and George. As she progresses on the case, she encounters another mystery about a stolen marble statue known as whispering statue in Waterford. In both mysteries, Nancy becomes an undercover employee who works for Mr. Basswood to get clues which leads her down a danger path to crack the unsolved mystery of the statue and rare book. From the Whispering Statue Novel, the author review to the reader that if you keep trying and work hard, you can achieve your goal. Nancy Drew is the protagonist in this novel. She is an alert teenager especially to her surroundings. One day, while she is working at Mr. Basswoods shop, she manage to impersonate herself as Debbie when she Mr. and Mrs. Thompson who are from her home town that knows her well. This can be seen (pg 87) when Nancy wrote a short note to Mr. Thompson, Im here incognito. Please dont identify me without Mr. Basswoods noticing. She also loves to help people to solve life or death mystery. She is very outspoken and determine girl and has a very strong will. This can be seen from the novel when she determined to solve the whispering statue and rare books collection mystery of Mrs. Merriam even after she was involved in an attempted kidnapping and a nearly disastrous sailboat collision. In the end, she managed to solve both mysteries in Waterford. Nancy is also a very determine girl. Once she knows about the whispering statue mystery, she makes up her mind to fins the statue. After some time in Waterford, she manages to find the whispering statue in an abandoned tool house and place it back to the original place. By right, she should have already solved the mystery of the missing whispering statue; but she firmly believed that the statue is actually an artificial statue. As proven in the text pg 46, I have a strong hunch that the statue were looking at is a reproduction of the original. Nancy determines to find out the original statue by seeking help from her father. In the end, the truth is reviewed and her instinct is correct. Apart from that, Nancy has a very supportive friends and family members who always help her in solving the mysteries cases. Bess and George, her cousin sister and friend are always by her side whenever Nancy is out of town to solve mystery. Even though they know the danger of Nancy working alone in Mr. Basswoods shop; they always encourage her to keep doing what she is doing at the moment. In order to try to protect Nancy, they would always drop by at her work place to ensure her safety. The author clearly shows the Nancys friends and familys support and encouragement motivated her to work hard and keep trying to crack the unsolved mystery. From the feminist perspective, this story portrays women as capable as men.The author is trying to transmit message to readers on how women should be respected as they have equal capabilities as man have. Through this, a healthy image is project to children that both genders are equal. In this novel, Nancy managed to solve the mystery, and this has proved to the society that as a lady or a woman, they also have the power or ability to solve mystery like a man does.In conclusion, The Whispering Statue is suitable to be used as a material for young teenager because the way Nancy solve her mystery is fun and interesting. If it is to be used in primary level, it is for highly proficiency year 6 students and it can helps to encourage and enhance childrens imagination and thinking skills. Besides that, the novel also has some moral values that are useful for them in life such as never give up and work hard to achieve goal or dream in life. In addition, it also teachers children to be independent in doing tasks like Nancy. Lastly, it may also bring awareness to children that in this 21st century, men and women have equal needs and abilities, there is no longer stereotype as women or ladies are weaker than men.

REFERENCES

Keene, C. 1970. The whispering statue. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

Book Review (A6)5