Edit: I've just realised that this is 1. a book by Matt Haig, when I thought I'd read my first book by him (Reasons to Stay Alive) this year, and 2. technically this must have been my first ever ARC!

Don't mention that place,' she said in the most serious voice Samuel had ever heard. 'Don't let your mind think what is inside there. When you go outside, you must stay on the grass, where I can see you. Both of you. This is the most important rule I will tell you. Neffer go in the forest. And don't talk about it effer again. Do you understand?'" Nguyễn Trinh Thi, And They Die a Natural Death, installation view, 2022, Rondell, Kassel, August 10, 2022 Photograph: Nicolas Wefers/Courtesy of the artist If you tried to get into the Shadow Forest beforehand, you would know you can't with the guards in the way. With Miki's help, you keep them busy long enough to slip in, finding Nikki on the other side of a pond.Over-all the writing is juvenile; Haig info-dumps character descriptions (and repeats those descriptions several times in the space of a few paragraphs), and the dialogue is clumsy and unrealistic. He also breaks the show-not-tell rule throughout. The first chapter is both clever and surprising, but after the initial hook, I found myself struggling to carry on. The plot is a good adventure, once you get about a third of the way in, journeying the enchanted landscape of a magic forest, and is unique in its use of Norwegian folklore. For children this would be a pretty fun and engaging story, but it’s placement in the teen/YA shelves is a little baffling. The jokes are cliché and childish, the characters overstated and shallow. While I did enjoy some of the quirky adults, such as a Norwegian cheese-shop owner, and a two-headed troll, I couldn’t relate to either of the child protagonists. A beguiling read, filled with warmth and humour, and a vibrant celebration of the power of books to change lives." My first audiobook for this year. I still prefer reading physical books but I trusted the taste of my friend LS who liked this so much. She is our supplier of audiobooks in our book club. I also decided to listen to this audiobook this week because my favorite morning radio program has become boring because the two lady DJs seem to have permanently left the station. I think their reason was they could no longer stand the nastiness and arrogance of their fellow but boss DJ.

To begin, the hero is Samuel Blink from Nottingham who, along with his sister Martha is orphaned at the beginning of the book. They go to live with their Aunt Eda in Norway. Eda lives on the edge of the Shadow Forest into which her husband Henrik disappeared years ago.Using the Aroma Pouch on certain plants will give you different colored Pollen to attract different slime-like creatures. Gathering a Blue or Yellow creature for example means that you must fight the sleeping monster, the Quaffid. We recommend finding the red pollen so that you can also receive the Skullduggery Frame! Collect Red Pollen To collect red pollen, head towards the plants near the falls. Once you have the right pollen, head towards the slime near the entrance and carefully lure it towards the Quadffid. Drawing shadows - use different objects to cast shadows with interesting shapes. Students try to imagine and associate the shadows that might resemble different animals.

Women’s voices are foregrounded across other presentations. Alongside the Colombian artist Carolina Caycedo’s work in film, which explores the overuse of natural resources, she is exhibiting banners created by the Welsh Greenham Common protesters. Environmental pillage is also at the centre of Taloi Havini’s hard-hitting film and photography exploring Australia’s exploitation of the copper reserves in her native Bougainville. After closing the hole, head up north until you reach a space where you can climb the wall. You will now be in Viper Manor! In the forest live dangerous creatures, under the control of our villain-to-defeat, the Changemaker. (Don’t worry, we’ll get him.) We are introduced to white horses, witches, Trolls, Truth Pixies, Tomtegubbs, huldres, Slemps, rabbits, etc. While most of these creatures are normally good-natured, their shadows (read: souls) have been stolen by the witch who works for the Changemaker, and that turns them uncaring and evil. They do the bidding of their boss, and his command is that no human that enters the forest will walk out of it alive again. This was an enjoyable adventure for younger readers - albeit with a rather sad start. Samuel and Martha Blink are left orphaned when an accident kills their parents on the way to a 10th birthday treat for Martha. After this they must travel to Norway to live with their mysterious aunt, who has some odd rules - the oddest of which is that they must never enter the nearby forest. It is no surprise when this rule is ignored. The adventures that follow are imaginative and will especially appeal to younger readers. The author provides humourous asides, and the book has a slightly quirky feel that will again appeal to younger readers. Shadow olympics - challenge students to see who can make the longest shadow or a shadow with the largest surface area, using just a torch and an object.Cela faisait vraiment longtemps que je n'avais pas lu un livre aussi captivant et créatif! Toutes les créatures du livre m'ont fascinées: Les trolls, ( surtout Troll-de-Droite et Troll-de-gauche! Je suis un peu déçue qu'on ne sache pas ce qu'ils deviennentSpoiler(cliquez pour révéler)) les gubins, que j'ai adoré, les caloush, qui m'ont beaucoup fait rire et les huldres, qui m'ont terrorisée! Nowadays, when flood lights shine on a football pitch from all directions at night, players can cast four different shadows at once! Shadow Forest features lots of humour mixed in withwith some superbly gross parts (such as exploding heads). MattHaig's quirky style of writing make this an exciting and most enjoyable read. Haig has added some really nice touches such as including himself in the list of characters at the beginning of the book and indeed interjecting the ensuing chapters with little author's interruptions, which prove just as entertaining as the main storyrather than stalling the momentum. These "interruptions" add more substance to his fantastical tale. This book is a definite for any child who enjoys being fully immersed in a world of myth and magic. Sam Blink and the Shadow Forest starts like a typical Disney movie does: you get rid of the parents in a violent way so the children can be manoeuvred around into a plot. ;) Early in the morning and early evening, when your part of the Earth is further away from the sun, shadows are at their longest.