Spelling Lists for Semester 2 Week 5

Advanced Composition

1. contempt
2. flaunt
3. A masked man was ransacking the room, strewing clothes all over the place.
4. jewellery and accessories
5. sympathetic
6. My heart began to pound rapidly as an ugly suspicion reared its head in my mind.
7. incoherent
8. forced by circumstances



Intermediate Composition

1. alas
2. mischievous
3. scribbled
4. giggled with glee
5. dumbstruck
6. resounding slap
7. His mother explained that as the elder brother, he should set a good example.
8. resort to violence

Book Review: FIVE ON A TREASURE ISLAND

Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton

Five on a Treasure Island is the first book in the Famous Five series, chronicling the first adventures of cousins Julian, Georgina (better known as George), Dick, Anne and George’s faithful dog Timmy. As the first book in the series it is an excellent introduction to our main characters, all of whom are well fleshed out and given distinct personalities: Julian is the responsible, most mature one, often caring for and watching out for the others; George is a tomboy, more rash and hot-headed, but is nevertheless smart and quick-witted; Dick, although similar in temperament to George, is distinguished by his loyalty and daring; and Anne, the most motherly one, and although a little cowardly at times, is still a brave child. Despite having several protagonists, Blyton does well in distinguishing the characters from one another and giving them memorable personalities and traits, making them characters that will stay with the reader long after you have read the book.

Another thing done well is the gradual reveal of George’s character. Initially, when Julian, Dick and Anne come to visit, George is antagonistic and nasty towards them, desperately trying to make them feel unwelcome and drive them away, to the point that readers may even begin to dislike her extreme character. However, Blyton balances this out by showing us glimpses of her softer, kinder side, through her thoughtful treatment of her dog Timmy, whom she treats better than herself. By showing us a softer side to George, this makes the later change in George (as she becomes more welcoming and nicer to her cousins) more palatable, as it is not too abrupt and jarring. We also come to admire George’s extreme character - although she can be extreme in her dislike of someone, she is also capable of extreme kindness and generosity, to the point that she is willing to share her island, Kirrin Island, with her cousins. This makes George a very likable character, one that the readers are fully able to root for.

As with many of her other stories, Blyton succeeds in teaching her readers correct morals and values throughout the course of the book. When the children are in danger of being trapped in the dungeon, it is George who bravely volunteers to sneak out and inform the police while the others distract the antagonists, in spite of the dangers to her if she is caught by the bad guys. Indeed, she manages to inform the police and lead them to the dungeons, saving her cousins and defeating the bad guys. This teaches children that it pays to be courageous, as it is only with courage that you will succeed in overcoming seemingly impossible challenges.

Five on a Treasure Island may be a children’s book, but it definitely succeeds as a mystery novel. Despite the use of simple language, Blyton is able to keep the plot tight enough to create suspense and this allows the reader to feel immersed in the story. It is definitely a good mystery novel, as Blyton manages to keep the plot from being too predictable.

However, a flaw in this book is the seeming gender discrimination. Of the cousins, it is usually Julian who comes up with plans to outwit the enemy, and either George or Dick who carries out the plans; Anne, described as being the most “girly” and “feminine”, often does not have much to do with the action and generally does not contribute much to helping the group when they are in trouble. Furthermore, although George is a girl, she often expresses a desire to be a boy instead, wearing boyish clothes and having extremely short hair; the praise that makes George happiest is when her father tells her that she is “as good as a boy any day”. This seems to bring across the idea that boys are more capable than girls, and that it is better to be a boy than a girl, and this is something that is rather stereotypical and might be upsetting to some readers. Still, if one keeps in mind that this book was first published in 1942 (71 years ago! in the midst of WWII!), given the context of gender roles then, the rigidity and stereotype of gender roles in the story is less offensive, if not understandable.

In conclusion, Five on a Treasure Island is a fun, fast-paced book with distinctive, likable characters, in particular George. Although it is not without its flaws, it is definitely a book worth reading.

Rating: 4/5

For ages 9 and above. 

Spelling Lists for Semester 2 Week 4

Advanced Composition

1. muddle-headed
2. reputed
3. scurry
4. assortment
5. multi-hued bruises
6. His misdeeds had come under the attention of the school.
7. tear-stricken face
8. thuggish behaviour



Intermediate Composition

1. a horde of starving savages
2. ravenous
3. indignant
4. queue
5. confront
6. indifference
7. slunk
8. triumph

Spelling Lists for Semester 2 Week 3

Tip of the Week - 'Mother' or 'mother'?

Flowers for mummies

I received a query from a parent. She asked if we should write 'mother' as 'Mother' or 'mother'.


Remember what I said about Proper Nouns previously? The same rule applies. If we use the word as a Proper Noun, then it should be 'Mother'. However, if we use it as a Common Noun, we should write the word as 'mother'. So I guess the critical question is then how to tell when we are using the word as a Proper Noun or otherwise.


The key to that is the use of pronouns (my, your, his, her, our, their, etc.) or possessive forms of nouns (Peter's, Ahmad's, etc.) directly before the word. If we use pronouns or other possessive forms of nouns before the word, then it is a Common Noun and should not begin with a capital letter.


But if there are no pronouns or possessive forms of nouns in front of the word, then the word is a Proper Noun and should begin with a capital letter.


Examples of 'mother' being used as a Common Noun:

• My mother is not going to the market tomorrow. (pronoun in front)
• The woman standing next to the principal is Peter's mother. (possessive noun in front)
• Nurin and Surin did not dare to defy their mother. (pronoun in front)

Examples of 'mother' being used as a Proper Noun:

• I greeted Mother when I entered the house.
• Alice rushed to Mother with the umbrella.
• John answered Mother's questions curtly.

~.      ~.      ~.

Book Review: THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

The Magic Faraway Tree is the second book in the Faraway Tree series, detailing the adventures of Jo, Bessie and Fanny as they explore the magical Enchanted Wood. It is not necessary for readers to have read the first book before reading this one; we, the readers, along with Dick, the children’s cousin who has come to visit, are given a clear and no less fantastic description of the magic of the Enchanted Wood.

Spelling Lists for Semester 2 Week 2

Tip of the Week


'Stationery' and 'stationary' are very simple words and many pupils get them mixed up, unable to recall which is which.


'Stationery' is a noun and refers to paper and other materials needed for writing (Concise Oxford English Dictionary).

An example of grossly overpriced stationery.

'Stationary' is an adjective and it means still, as in motionless, not moving.

This machine is called a 'stationary bike'
because no matter how hard you pedal those wheels,
you ain't going anywhere.

An old trick that my teacher taught me decades ago and which is amazingly effective in helping me to differentiate between the two is to remember that 'stationery', apart from paper, also includes pens, pencils and erasers.


Hopefully, this mnemonic trick will also help the current batch of starlings who are still in the educational system!   :)

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A COMPOSITION A WEEK - BUZZZ OFF!

Encounter with animals are a common topic in PSLE Continuous Writing, especially the picture compositions. Past year questions included a boy whose finger was pinched by a crab and a man who was sprayed with water by an elephant. For this week's Composition, we'll feature a story about bees. Enjoy!

Book Review: 24 HOURS

24 Hours by Margaret Mahy

Margaret Mahy - RIP

Margaret Mahy who died in July last year – 2012 – at the age of 76 was one of the most underrated writers around. From the number of awards that she had won (Carnegie Medal in Literature, Phoenix Award, Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing, etc.), one can tell that the experts obviously recognise the quality of her writing but she is not very well known amongst today’s youths.

Which is a shame because she writes exquisitely. When I think of Margaret Mahy, I think of lyrical writing. There are some prose writers who write like poets. Tan Twan Eng is one of them and Margaret Mahy was another. It is very difficult to find clichés in her writing for she approaches each word in a unique fashion, going to the core of the word, and the result is a freshness of the English language one rarely finds in today’s storybooks.

Many of Mahy’s books are written for young adults and they deal with the themes of growing up and learning about oneself in the process of maturation. 24 Hours, however, is slightly different from her other books which usually contain elements of the supernatural. 24 Hours does not hold any trace of the supernatural at all. Instead, the magic of the book comes totally from Mahy’s fine writing and sharp characterisations.

The main character, Ellis, is on the verge of a new chapter in his life. He has finished high school and is due to enter university soon. The only blot in his perfect life is the recent suicide of his best friend. One day, he goes to town to spend an evening and just as he has decided to watch a film, he runs into an old friend, Jackie. Then begin the strangest 24 hours in Ellis’ life – hence the title of the book.

Jackie brings Ellis to gatecrash a party and at the party, Ellis meets two sisters, Leona and Ursa. From the party the quartet – Ellis, Jackie, Leona and Ursa – adjourn to the sisters’ home, The Land of Smiles, which is a cheap motel in a slummy part of town. There he meets the third sister, Fox, and the sisters’ guardian, Lewis Montgomery as well as an assortment of strange characters.

Spelling Lists for Semester 2 Week 1

Tip of the Week


I came across this sentence when marking some of the students' work:

The doctors claimed that they had never seen such a disease like that.


Can you guess what is wrong with the sentence?


If you have answered that the words 'such' or 'like that' are redundant, you are right.


In the sentence above, 'such' has the same meaning as 'like that'. Thus the sentence may read:


The doctors claimed that they had never seen such a disease.


It may also read:


The doctors claimed that they had never seen a disease like that.


But we cannot use both 'such' and 'like that' in the same sentence. We are repeating ourselves needlessly when we do that.

~.      ~.      ~.

A COMPOSITION A WEEK - PSLE QUESTION

This question appeared in one of the PSLE in the last five years.


You and your friends were at a bus stop when you noticed an elderly woman walking in an unsteady manner towards you.

Based on the above situation, write a story of at least 150 words.

You must make use of the points below in your story:

• what happened to the elderly woman
• what you and your friends did next
• what happened in the end

You may reorder the points. You may also include other relevant points.

Extracted from 2008-2012 PSLE Examination Questions

If you were faced with such a question in the examination, what sort of story would you write?

Remember that you have five minutes at most to plan the story. Obviously the old lady is a central character so your story must centre around the old lady. Some possible stories come to mind:

• the old lady collapsed and you and your friends rushed to her rescue
• the old lady wanted to cross the road and you and your friends help her to do so (if you want a story with a twist here, you could discover that your valuables were missing after helping her - she was a pickpocket in disguise!)
• the old lady was carrying many bags of groceries and she either dropped a bag or one of them burst, scattering her purchases onto the ground and once again you and your friends would have to play the role of the Good Samaritans
• the old lady was not right in her mind and she dashed out onto the road

For this week's story, we'll choose the last topic. Sit back and enjoy this story contributed by an anonymous writer!