We wrote and asked Morris a few questions.
He has been away for a month and we were really happy to receive a reply from him today.
This is what he said about where he lives and why he wrote Boy Overboard.
Dear Room 5
Sorry this reply is so late – I’ve been in Europe for a month. I do indeed live in Australia. I was inspired to write about refugees in 2001 because quite a few were arriving in Australia at the time, and some people here, including members of the Australian government, were telling stories about them that I felt were both untrue and unkind. So I decided to tell my own story about them.
Please feel free to post this on your blog – better you do it because I’m blog-incompetant.
best wishes
Morris
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Book Review
Boy Overboard is a moving fictional novel written by the witty and popular
Morris Gleitzman. The book was first published and became public in 2002.
This gripping novel about a brother and his sister and their big dreams will
surely keep you on the edge of your seat.
In this moving tale, Jamal and his family live happily in one of the million
villages in Afghanistan. But when the evil government find out Jamal's
mother's secret school, the family are forced to desperately flee for their
lives. They're going down under. Way down under. The story is set in a
war-torn village in Afghanistan and then travels to the Pacific Ocean. On
the way to Australia Jamal and BiBi meat Omar and Rashida. This is a well
paced story and is told in first person by Jamal. Children can easily
understand the language that is used. The moral of this story is always have
hope.
Boy Overboard will be loved by children of all ages. Some words may have to
be looked up in the dictionary. This book is hard to put down and will
always be keeping you in suspense. This book has believable characters and
will teach you the lesson of always having hope and faith. I highly
recommend this book for children aged 9-12 years old.
Written by Erika Anacan.
Room 7
Morris Gleitzman. The book was first published and became public in 2002.
This gripping novel about a brother and his sister and their big dreams will
surely keep you on the edge of your seat.
In this moving tale, Jamal and his family live happily in one of the million
villages in Afghanistan. But when the evil government find out Jamal's
mother's secret school, the family are forced to desperately flee for their
lives. They're going down under. Way down under. The story is set in a
war-torn village in Afghanistan and then travels to the Pacific Ocean. On
the way to Australia Jamal and BiBi meat Omar and Rashida. This is a well
paced story and is told in first person by Jamal. Children can easily
understand the language that is used. The moral of this story is always have
hope.
Boy Overboard will be loved by children of all ages. Some words may have to
be looked up in the dictionary. This book is hard to put down and will
always be keeping you in suspense. This book has believable characters and
will teach you the lesson of always having hope and faith. I highly
recommend this book for children aged 9-12 years old.
Written by Erika Anacan.
Room 7
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Chatting to the author - Morris Gleitzman
Room 5 students had sent Mr. Gleitzman an email at the start of their study of Boy Overboard. They were thrilled to receive an email from him and delighted that he had taken some time to look at their blog.
The class decided to send a reply because they had some question to ask. They are hoping that they will hear from him again.
This is Mr. Gleitzman's email and the class reply.
Dear Mr. Gleitzman
We have finished reading Boy Overboard and we really enjoyed it. Now we are reading Girl Underground and so far it’s just as good. We don’t know yet, but we hope that Bibi and Jamal get rescued by Menzies and Bridget. We have been doing a study on Human Rights and both of these books are very appropriate to read at this time. A group from our class has now visited the Mangere Refugee Centre. We’ve learnt about how refugees come into the country and we were amazed that our country only takes in 750 refugees a year! We had lunch with the children in the camp and played sports with them.
We wanted to know which country you live in? Is it Australia? What inspired you to write about refugees? We are continuing to add information and pictures to our blog and we would really like it if you would post a comment on our blog. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Room 5
On 18/9/07 1:47 AM, "Morris Gleitzman" wrote:
Dear Boy Overboard Blog Team
I’ve been enjoying your Boy Overboard words and pictures. Well done all of you.
best wishes
Morris Gleitzman
The class decided to send a reply because they had some question to ask. They are hoping that they will hear from him again.
This is Mr. Gleitzman's email and the class reply.
Dear Mr. Gleitzman
We have finished reading Boy Overboard and we really enjoyed it. Now we are reading Girl Underground and so far it’s just as good. We don’t know yet, but we hope that Bibi and Jamal get rescued by Menzies and Bridget. We have been doing a study on Human Rights and both of these books are very appropriate to read at this time. A group from our class has now visited the Mangere Refugee Centre. We’ve learnt about how refugees come into the country and we were amazed that our country only takes in 750 refugees a year! We had lunch with the children in the camp and played sports with them.
We wanted to know which country you live in? Is it Australia? What inspired you to write about refugees? We are continuing to add information and pictures to our blog and we would really like it if you would post a comment on our blog. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Room 5
On 18/9/07 1:47 AM, "Morris Gleitzman"
Dear Boy Overboard Blog Team
I’ve been enjoying your Boy Overboard words and pictures. Well done all of you.
best wishes
Morris Gleitzman
Boy overboard - my reflections
Today after reading Boy overboard I am feeling lucky. We take lots of things for granted that jamal and Bibi would appreciate like a new soccer ball or school or our government in New Zealand. I would like to know if people survive landmines ?I also want to know why girls are not allowed to have an educaiton or go to school? I wonder why women are taken for granted and treated badly. They are responsible for bringing up the next generations!
If I had to write a letter to Bibi about her actions and some of the decisions she makes, this is what I would write.
Dear Bibi
I think you need to take the situation you are in more seriously. You are not thinking about the consequences of your actions or the consequences of your actions for other people. You are a very smart girl and you need to take advantage of and think before you act.! Hopefully you will think about what is happening around you and act appropriately. Since you have to flee the country now, you need to act maturely.
Yours sincerely
Georgia
If I had to write a letter to Bibi about her actions and some of the decisions she makes, this is what I would write.
Dear Bibi
I think you need to take the situation you are in more seriously. You are not thinking about the consequences of your actions or the consequences of your actions for other people. You are a very smart girl and you need to take advantage of and think before you act.! Hopefully you will think about what is happening around you and act appropriately. Since you have to flee the country now, you need to act maturely.
Yours sincerely
Georgia
Boy Overboard - United but not actually together
Is it possible for a family to be united but not actually together?
In this picture, there are many different people from different parts of the world. They are different in nationality and colour yet they are still united as human beings even though they are separated from each other because of the different palces where they live.
I think that no matter where you are in the world, whether you are with your family or not, you can still be united even if you are not together.
Is it possible for a family to be together but not actually united?
A family may be together but not united. For example, families can live together or stay with each other but they may not back each other up when they make decisions.
Cheyenne
My reflective journal
These are some of my reflections about Boy Overboard.
" I feel that it is unbelievable that Jamal, Bibi and their mum and dad had to leave Afghanistan just because their mum ran a school at their house. A question that I would really liked answered is why won't the government allow girls to have an education. I feel really lucky that I live in a peaceful country. I wonder why there are active landmines in Afghanistan. I wonder why women in Afhanistan are not allowed to leave the house freely and why they have to be completely covered up when they go out. " Levana
" I feel that it is unbelievable that Jamal, Bibi and their mum and dad had to leave Afghanistan just because their mum ran a school at their house. A question that I would really liked answered is why won't the government allow girls to have an education. I feel really lucky that I live in a peaceful country. I wonder why there are active landmines in Afghanistan. I wonder why women in Afhanistan are not allowed to leave the house freely and why they have to be completely covered up when they go out. " Levana
Monday, September 3, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
LAWS FOR PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN
We have learnt that the laws for people in Afghanistan are quite different from our laws here in New Zealand.
For example, in Afghanistan, the government doesn’t like anyone to play soccer, females can’t go outside without being accompanied by a male relative, girls are not allowed to play soccer and education for girls is forbidden. The government has banned fizzy drink and music too. However, all these laws are allowed in New Zealand.
In New Zealand, you cannot drive without a license, nor if you are under age, you are not allowed to drink drive, you can’t smoke in restaurants and smacking is now banned, but all of these laws are to protect New Zealanders.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Summary of chapters 1-5
Jamal and his friends are playing soccer when Bibi, his younger sister, unexpectedly joins them. Women and girls in Afghanistan aren’t allowed to leave the house without wearing a burqa or they will be prosecuted. They are also not allowed to play soccer or go outside unaccompanied by a male. Bibi runs in front of Jamal and does an enormous kick. The ball goes onto the desert’s lonely plains that are full of landmines. There are also many tanks in this area. Bibi runs off to get the ball. Jamal tries to tackle her but she moves over leaving Jamal in the sand. Jamal warns Bibi about stepping on a land mine. Bibi manages to get to the ball without stepping on a land mine. Jamal gets to her by stepping on Bibi’s footsteps. The barrel of the supposedly abandoned tank in front of Bibi moves. Jamal tells Bibi to lie down. Bibi slowly steps back without the ball and lies downs next to Jamal. Jamal tells Bibi to run away and that he will get the ball and will follow her as soon as he can. Bibi runs away carefully stepping on her own footsteps. Jamal lurches forward to get the ball but realizes that the ball is wedged underneath the tracks of the tank. Jamal tries to pull the ball out but the ball is stuck and won’t come out. Jamal talks to the tank about how he wants to be brave .The tank reverses off the ball and disappears into the desert. Jamal grabs the ball and as he slowly walks back stepping on his footsteps, he hears his friend yell that Bibi has stepped on a land mine. Jamal gets worried and runs toward his friend’s frantic screams. When he gets there he sees his friend pushing on Bibi’s foot. Jamal switches places with Bibi so that he is on the landmine. Jamal tells Bibi to go and tell their mother and father about the land mine. Bibi goes away but runs back and accidentally pushes Jamal off of the landmine. The landmine doesn’t explode.
Information about refugees
Refugees: Boy Overboard
A refugee is someone who has had to leave their home country for fear of persecution because of their nationality, race or membership in a particular group. They flee to a country where they think they will not be found. Because of this, people may treat refugees differently because they are foreigners. They may not be allowed to go to certain places or do certain things.
Refugees face many problems. While they are travelling, they need to get past the borderline without a passport, and not knowing the language would bring major communication problems.
Refugee camps are a place that new refugees can live in until they can get sorted out in their new country. However, these camps are very cramped, and there is often not enough food to go around.
When refugees have settled into their new country, there are yet more obstacles to face such as, learning the new language, earning money, finding a job and finding a home (plus learning how to use all household appliances).
Until a refugee can feel at home in their new country, it’s a hard life.
A refugee is someone who has had to leave their home country for fear of persecution because of their nationality, race or membership in a particular group. They flee to a country where they think they will not be found. Because of this, people may treat refugees differently because they are foreigners. They may not be allowed to go to certain places or do certain things.
Refugees face many problems. While they are travelling, they need to get past the borderline without a passport, and not knowing the language would bring major communication problems.
Refugee camps are a place that new refugees can live in until they can get sorted out in their new country. However, these camps are very cramped, and there is often not enough food to go around.
When refugees have settled into their new country, there are yet more obstacles to face such as, learning the new language, earning money, finding a job and finding a home (plus learning how to use all household appliances).
Until a refugee can feel at home in their new country, it’s a hard life.
A Letter to the Author
A LETTER TO THE AUTHOR OF “ BOY OVERBOARD “
Dear Mr Gleitzman
At Bucklands Beach Intermediate school in New Zealand, our team of four Year 7 classes ( 11 year olds ) are currently studying Human Rights, and as a novel study, we have been reading, studying and researching your novel, Boy Overboard.
We decided that we would use a blog to share the best work from our classes. On this blog, we will publish illustrations,text, reflections and possibly videos later on.
As a public web address, this site can be viewed by anyone, anytime and we hope that we can in some way make people more aware of how refugees live and what their lives are like.
We would appreciate it if you had a look at our blog and if you get some time, you may be able to comment on our work.The address is http://www.boyoverboardteamb.blogspot.com
We never really realized what life could be like for other children our age and how different it could be.
We will look out for your comments.
Yours Sincerely
Cheyenne, Nicole, Nicola, Ellen and Team B
Bucklands Beach Intermediate
New Zealand
Dear Mr Gleitzman
At Bucklands Beach Intermediate school in New Zealand, our team of four Year 7 classes ( 11 year olds ) are currently studying Human Rights, and as a novel study, we have been reading, studying and researching your novel, Boy Overboard.
We decided that we would use a blog to share the best work from our classes. On this blog, we will publish illustrations,text, reflections and possibly videos later on.
As a public web address, this site can be viewed by anyone, anytime and we hope that we can in some way make people more aware of how refugees live and what their lives are like.
We would appreciate it if you had a look at our blog and if you get some time, you may be able to comment on our work.The address is http://www.boyoverboardteamb.blogspot.com
We never really realized what life could be like for other children our age and how different it could be.
We will look out for your comments.
Yours Sincerely
Cheyenne, Nicole, Nicola, Ellen and Team B
Bucklands Beach Intermediate
New Zealand
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Kick Off: Boy Overboard
Boy Overboard is about a boy Jamal and his younger sister Bibi. They live in Afghanistan, where females have few or no rights. Throughout this book, we discover the challenging lives of present-day refugees.
Jamal lives in a small village located near a dangerous desert of land mines and tanks. Everyday the eleven year old boy faces risky challenges and consequences such as protecting his stubborn and independent younger sister Bibi and worrying about his family and what will happen in the near future.
The lives of these young people are quite different from ours. As we read, it really makes us think about our own lives and how lucky we are. We also think about how the laws in our country are so different to the laws in other countries.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog and comment on our posts.
By Cheyenne, Nicola, Nicole and Ellen.
Jamal lives in a small village located near a dangerous desert of land mines and tanks. Everyday the eleven year old boy faces risky challenges and consequences such as protecting his stubborn and independent younger sister Bibi and worrying about his family and what will happen in the near future.
The lives of these young people are quite different from ours. As we read, it really makes us think about our own lives and how lucky we are. We also think about how the laws in our country are so different to the laws in other countries.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog and comment on our posts.
By Cheyenne, Nicola, Nicole and Ellen.
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