Get to know the writer by watching this introductory video first:
What are the questions you would like to ask the writer?
Born and raised in Birmingham, England. Rejecting the appointment as an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003, Zephaniah wrote:
Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought. I get angry when I hear that word “empire”; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised. It is because of this concept of empire that my British education led me to believe that the history of black people started with slavery and that we were born slaves, and should therefore be grateful that we were given freedom by our caring white masters. It is because of this idea of empire that black people like myself don’t even know our true names or our true historical culture. I am not one of those who are obsessed with their roots, and I’m certainly not suffering from a crisis of identity; my obsession is about the future and the political rights of all people. Benjamin Zephaniah OBE — no way Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.
We are going to analyse some poems by Benjamin Zephaniah. Before we do, have a look at his webpage and browse it freely. What are the things that struck you because you did not know them before?
What do we need most in life? He thinks we need people. What do you think he means by this?
Let’s deal with the poem presented in the introductory video to Benjamin Zephaniah: “Talking Turkeys”. Listen to the poet recite the poem and follow from the text. Underline all the spelling variations you can spot.
- Why do you think the poet wrote this poem?
- What are the issues he raises? Find evidence in the poem.
- Why are there so many spelling variations? (Remember what he said about “colonialism” in the introductory video?)
- What extra information do you learn about the writer from this poem?
- Creative activity: choose another animal human beings eat and write yoru poem as if you were Benjamzin Zephaniah. OR choose another animal eaten by human beings or exploited by human beings and write a poem through the eyes of the animal itself. Have fun. Remember what Benjamin Zephaniah says about poetry and why he wishes young people would write it?
Now read another poem “People will always need people” and watch the video.
People need people,
To walk to
To talk to
To cry and rely on,
People will always need people.
To love and to miss
To hug and to kiss,
It’s useful to have other people.
To whom to moan
If you’re all alone,
It’s so hard to share
When no one is there.
There’s not much to do
When there’s no one but you.
People will always need people.
To please
To tease
To put you at ease,
People will always need people.
To make life appealing
And give life some meaning,
It’s useful to have other people.
It you need a change
To whom will you turn.
If you need a lesson
From whom will you learn.
If you need to play
You’ll know why I say
People will always need people.
As girlfriends
As boyfriends
From Bombay
To Ostend,
People will always need people-
To have friendly fights with
And share tasty bites with,
It’s useful to have other people.
People live in families
Gangs, posses and packs,
Its seems we need company
Before we relax,
So stop making enemies
And let’s face the facts,
People will always need people,
Yes
People will always need people.
–Benjamin Zephaniah
Now watch the performance of the poem “Money”, included in City Psalms (1992). It would help if you printed it.
Have you evern wondered about your national identity? What does being Italian mean? What does being British mean? How do you think Italians are different from Brits? What are the stereotypes of an Italian? of a Brit?
Now let’s proceed with another poem, entitled “The British”.
- Why do you think Benjamin Zephaniah used the extended metaphor of cooking to describe the British?
- What does the poet invite the reader to think of?
- What are the ingredients for a ‘cool’ nation/dish? What are the features of a ‘cool’ dish/nation?
- What are the ingrediatents that make a nation/dish unpleasant?
The poet discusses the issue of racism and multiculturalism. Watch the video and take notes. He also recites and mentions some poems we will analyse at a later stage.
Now you will have some fun watching the following video written by the poet himself. Why do you think he decided to shoot it? The analysis of some of his poems has certainly given you the necessary means to go beyond the face value of the video. It tackles … it is rich in intertextual references, such as….. because he wants to emphasise that…
Look at the two covers of the novel “Face”. Which one do you like better? Why?
Read the following review written by a teen student, just like you. It is taken from www.teenink.com
Benjamin Zephaniah has been interviewed by different people in different parts of the world. I read manifold interviews and some questions struck me for their depth and for the purport of Benjamin Zephaniah’s answers.
What role do creative pursuits like poetry and art have to play in the current climate of global poverty, conflict and economic hardship?
When people ask me, ‘Are creativity and art and poetry relevant in political struggles?’, I used to say, ‘Go and ask Mandela. He knows the importance of poetry and arts in the struggle against apartheid.’ I’ve seen lots of liberation struggles where poets have said, ‘I don’t want to write anymore; I want to go and fight.’ And the revolutionaries have said: ‘No, keep writing, because we need you! We need our poets.’ People need somebody to articulate what the struggle is about. Politicians can get on a soapbox and say that we dream of a better land and all that stuff, but poets can visualize it better and put it into words and into the imagination of the people in a much better way than politicians can.
One of the political issues you’re most passionate about is racial equality. Are you encouraged by the level of progress that has been made in your lifetime?
I always get worried that if we say ‘nothing’s changed!’, people will go: ‘you’ve got a black president!’ And if we say ‘we’ve got a black president!’, then they’ll say: ‘but somebody’s just died!’ So you see what I’m getting at? There is a black president in the US, but you’ve still got racist people.
But things have moved on, there has been progress in some ways. I remember the days when in Britain you never saw black people in the media; now you do. And now we have a black British person [Steve McQueen] making a film – 12 Years A Slave – that’s mainstream, that Hollywood has recognized. So that’s progress.
But for a 16-year-old black kid in London, who’s walking around with baggy trousers, who may just want to hang out on the streets because that’s where the girls are… when he is stopped by a cop and asked: ‘What are you doing here?’, and he says: ‘I’m just looking for girls, why do you want to search me?’ – that’s when the tension starts. You can’t go up to that kid and say ‘well, Barack Obama is president!’
We’ve talked a lot about human rights. But are animal rights equally important to you?
One of the things that frustrate me is that in the human rights world, I know some people that are not really into animal rights, and vice versa. They say they are, but you know they’re not really active. I think you make a better case when you’re active, especially now when it comes to the environment and how important the environment is to us. And that means animals and land and humans. But yeah, I’m as passionate about animal rights as I am about human rights and I do think they overlap and connect.
Are you optimistic about the future of humanity?
Yes. This is something that I can’t really explain, and maybe it’s the spiritual part of me. I do think in the end that good will overcome evil. And if I didn’t, I would just give up. I would make a lot of money, I’d take my poetry and I’d concentrate on doing rap or something like that and get lots of girlfriends and just have a good time. But I want to contribute to good in the world.
I do really believe that good will overcome evil. And it’s so nice when you see good. Sometimes I’m amazed at some of these people that go to war zones and do medical work. I’m not talking about the political people; I’m talking about the people that just do humanitarian work helping people. So there are all these evil forces out there, but there are good ones, too, and I think the good ones will win in the end.
Identify the poems we analyzed that touch on the aspects he mentions in the interview. Which question do you like most?Why? What is the most important teaching by Benjamin Zephaniah you are going to take on board and investigate by yourself? I would really love to know. Obviously do not mention anything if the poet has not inspired you in any way whatsoever. Introducing and analyzing a poet in class does not imply that you must love that poet!
I introduced this writer to my students many years ago, when his first novel was released. I was told by an English teacher back in England that his writing would appeal to ESL students as much as it appeals to English mother tongue students. I found his prose “real”, “full of life”, I found the issues dealt with in “Face” close to young people’s interests. I love his social commitment and his urge to raise people’s consciousness and awareness to themes dear to me too. I hope you have enjoyed this short journey into Zephniah’s world. It was just a starter, so you can go on with other dishes if you wish. You can read his poems, novels, plays or listen to his music.
I would like you to have fun with the subject-matter of the novel. You know the themes, we discussed the characters. Now be creative and be inspired by one of the following prompts:
- Create a Book Trailer (https://spark.adobe.com/) or Bookreview
- Page of a Blog (write a review of the book and invite other bookworms to read it)
- Interview Benjamin Zephaniah (http://www.spreaker.com/)
- Write a Poem as if you were Martin Turner (1 before the accident, 1 at the end of the novel)
- Interview Martin Turner
- Write one of the pages of Martin’s diary (you choose what stage of the book to focus on)
- Write a different end to the novel
I think that Benjamin Zephaniah wrote “Talking turkeys” to raise children’s awareness about everyday life issues. He’s a rastafarian and a vegan, so if we look at the surface of the poem we certainly can say that he wanted to spread the beliefs of his religion, he wanted to children to grow aware that even animals have rights, just like us. But we can’t observe only the surface of the poem, we have to examine it and get what he’s really trying to communicate.
Personally, I think that even if it looks like one, “Talking turkeys” isn’t just for kids, it is an important opus for everyone. In fact, he raises many issues with his playful poem: he talks about consumerism and capitalism (“Humans get greedy an waste more dan need be/ An business men mek loadsa cash”) and deforestation (“What happens to christmas trees?”).
In the poem there are many spelling variations because he wants to communicate that he’s Jamaican and he’s proud of that, and even if Jamaica was forced to become part of the British Empire which tried to suppress the culture of the country, Benjamin incite the battle for people’s own identity.
Through this poem I could learn that Zephaniah is a really thoughtfull person who cares about equality, who believes that everyone has a right to live a free life, to question things and don’t just adapt to what the powerful ones say, whether you’re a human being or an animal.
Another animal who is exploited by humans is the pig.
Breakfast in pink
Did you ever think about poor little pigs?
Like the ones you cook and offer to your kids?
Because you know, they too have kin.
They have a family who fear for their lives
While you only consider your own appetite.
Pigs are cute and enjoy playing with mud,
They would like to swim and run in the sun
And definitely, they like watching clouds scud.
So why do you have to shed their blood?
They’re just like us.
In the morning you open carelessly the fridge
Take a frying pan and begin to prepare eggs with bacon.
Pigs want to protest but their rights had been abridge.
Ladies and gentlemen, here it is what I really think:
Eat pancakes or peanut butter and jam
But save pigs and avoid breakfasts in pink.
sorry I was wrong to write the song so i rewrite it
PIG MY FRIEND
Dear pig
you’re so funny
your towards makes LAUGH
but we use the mouth
men use you
eat every part of your
Your body is despised
but you deserve to be loved
gifts all over yourself
for those who does not give you anything
maybe one day
will be gray
and do not eat
because they will have more
who knows your little
what will they think
when they will be without a mother
and a father
and the same will happen
in their
and their piglets
you should say stop
and live your life to the top
no human will eat you
but all friends for you!
I like the book review, it describe the story very well. It’s full of detail but, at the same moment, it doesn’t spoiler the end of the story, making the reader impatient to read the full story. The reviewer response it’s very interesting, too. It shows a viewpoint of the story different from mine, as I loved to read the book! The entire story was very actual and original for me! However, the video review wasn’t as interesting as the previous review; it was pretty boring, and that sequence of words and images shows you everything, even the end of the story. Instead of images and word I think a talking people would be better, as he can make his own discourse about the book, maybe with a script to read or something else.
I don’t like the review I’ve just read.
It is very objective while I review should show what you think about the most important parts of the book.
The writer has just spoken about the names of the characters and the places which are not important at all.
He hasn’t understood what the book is all about.
First he wrote that Martin liked his face before the accident, but he didn’t understand that Martin has learnt to love his face just the way it is, also after the accident
I book review should talk about what’s the message of the story: Martin won the competition, Martin has learnt to accept himself, Martin’s changed, these are the things the reviews writer should put in.
I liked Face.
I liked the way Martin’s changed, I liked that Martin hasn’t won the competition because it is not predictable, I liked how Benjamin Zephaniah has shown that people are not always kind and sweet with different ones, we have to choose who we want to stay with and accept differences because sometimes they help you, like the fact that Martin didn’t like jamaican sisters, but at last they ’ll become the only friends of him (apart from Anthony).
The trailer isn’t really involving, i don’t like the images, the music is not interesting and the animations are absolutely boring. There must be something that focus the attention on the book.
i don’t know how to explain it, this is something you just feel.
I like the way the review was written because it describes in a simply and short way what the book is about so, the reader could understand quickly if the story could interest him/her. This review is very good for me also because it doesn’t spoil nothing.
This review respects all the features of a typical book review: a summary in which the reviewer will shortly illustrate facts and at the end a personal comment where the reviewer write his/her personal opinion.
I don’t agree at all with the reviewer’s response. I think the book deserves a better mark than four out ten because this book transmits emotions and has a good moral, also I don’t think the story seems fake, actually it give us tips to “face” life. I would mark it seven out ten because it doesn’t make me feel really involved in the story and because I feel so sad after reading it.
I don’t like the book trailer so much. Images are badly chosen and generally the quality is low. It doesn’t make me interested about reading the book. The song in background is instead very appropriate and makes me feeling emotions and thinking about Martin’s sadly situation.
I think that a good trailer has to involve the viewer and to make him/her feeling like part of the story. If I have to make a trailer I would choose some people to interpret some character and record short scenes about the book.
I personally like the review of “Face” by Benjamin Zephaniah. Its introduction is interesting because it begins with a question: “Do you like your face?”. It involves the reader. Then the writer describes the story just as it happens. In my opinion it would have been better if he wrote more about Martin’s feelings than about the description of the whole situation. Anyway, this book review is clear and helps you to understand the meaning of the book, although I don’t agree with the writer’s response to the novel. He says that it isn’t realistic, but in my opinion it is, because people can and do change, especially after a serious event. I think that the atmosphere Zephaniah created isn’t absolutedly fake!
Writing a book review means describing the story of the novel you’re talking about, getting from your critical point of view, and then explaining your personal opinion of the book. You can start saying what is the book about, the development of the story and then you should write what you liked and what you didn’t like about it. In the end, you can illustrate your thoughts and rate the book, for example with marks from one to ten.
The book trailer of Face is quite good and quite not really good, in my opinion. I liked the music on the background, I think it is suitable for the context of the story. The summary of the plot is too detailed and it spoils the happy ending of the story.
A book trailer should give information about the plot, involve somehow who watches it and say a reason why you can’t miss the book. If I prepared a book trailer, I would have used images with an higher quality than the ones of the video, then I wouldn’t have spoiled the conclusion of the novel and I would have suggested the viewers to read it to see how it ends.
In my opinion, this review is too shallow and synthetic. In fact the writer didn’t consider at all the “advantages” that Martin obtains from the accident. From my humble point of view, he should not have focussed so much on the loss of his old friends disregarding the new relationships that the protagonist has found thanks to the accident. Moreover an engaging book review should begin with an introduction where the author starts with a question that should arouse the readers’ curiosity. Another essential aspect not to overlook is the conclusion. The reviewer shouldn’t give the ending away, actually he/she may include a recommendation or an evaluation of the book in order to invite the public to read it or, on the other side, not.
Personally I don’t agree with the reviewer’s opinion: not only have I found the book extremely touching, but I also share and appreciate the message that the author tried to communicate.
The book trailer didn’t engage me a lot because, as the review does, it only reports the results of the competition, not all the work that Martin has done to arrive there. In addition, it does not concern about the new friends, the Jamaican sistas and Anthony, Alan and the PE teacher. I support the idea that a charming book trailer should tempts the audiences with some emblematic phrases drawn from the book. In this way the watcher understands what the book deals with and, most important, what is his message. If I had set the book trailer of Face, I would have used this features to make my video more captivating.
Interesting considerations on the features a good book review should have.
I don’t like this book review very much because the reviewer didn’t like the book as I do, so he wrote a negative comment and he also gave a bad mark to it. I found the start of this review interesting, but when I was going on reading I found some words which doesn’t exist, neither in the vocabulary, like ‘’pries’’. Some phrases were written in a bad way like this one: ‘’So, after that Martin decides to go back to school for the beginning of the new term, and him and his friends drift apart, and him and Natalie just break up’’ I couldn’t understand it before reading it at least ten times, he didn’t put the comas well. He should has written in that way: ‘’After that, Martin decides to go back to school for the beginning of the new term and he (not him) and his friends, including Natalie, drift apart’’. I also found interesting the metaphor he compared to Martin: ‘’You can’t judge a book by its cover’’, in fact the meaning is that you can’t judge a person by his face.
This book review doesn’t catch the attention of a book reader at all because of his bad comment. He recommend the book to a younger audience because to him the novel isn’t so realistic and he thinks that younger people maybe find it real. I think that also older people can find it realistic, is that a stereotype?
I like the book trailer more than the book review. The music was coherent to the argument of the video, but the photos should have been of a better quality so they can catch more the attention of a book reader. If I made this video, I should record my voice saying the same phrases because they are beautiful and full of meaning.
I really enjoyed the way the review was written because even if simple it grabbed my attention: I think that if somebody who has not read the book read the review could he be encouraged to read it.
This should be the principal feature of a book review, it should attracts the reader’ s attention; a book review should explain the book’ s plot and talk about it from the reviewer point of view: it should say what the reviewer liked or not in the book, give information about the characters, speak about the reviewer’s favourite part of the book and explain why that is so beautiful for him. A good review should really stimulate the interest in reading the reviewed book.
I personally disagree with the reviewer’ s response to the book where he writes “it just didn’t seem very realistic to me or pull me into the story” I was very involved in the story
On the contrary I did not like the book trailer: in my opinion the images were grainy, the music was not appropriate and the way it was planned was definitely confusing.
A book trailer effective in inviting the viewer to buy and read the book shouldn’ t necessary be perfect: it must avoid to spoil anything and to show any personal opinion but it should just give an idea of the general situation until the “spannung” (the moment of higher suspence); finally music shouldn’ t be too loud.
In my ideal “Face” trailer someone should act as Martin Turner, talking quickly about his life until the car accident and simply saying that his life changed after it. The only way for the reader to know what happened next will therefore be to buy the book!
Nice idea Isacco.
Personally i like the way the review was written because it describes the story; maybe it was done with few details, but the plot was cerrect. What i don’t like is the mark he gave to the book: i was involved in the story and i actually think it was really realistic, so i would give 9 to the book, also because i liked it a lot. A book review must tell about what happens in the book, without spoiling the story at all; there must be a personal judgement of the book; there has to be a part in wich we described the principal characters, with their features. Furthermore we must talk about the moral of the story highlighting what the author wants to suggest with the text. Personally i don’t like this book trailer because it used bud images and it didn’t describe exactly what happens into the book ,even if it told about important themes of life, that are also mentioned in the book.I think a book trailer should involve a person in the story of the book; we have to use images that have to be realistic,and they have to describe the theme of the book and we have to describe what happens, telling it with our voice or using phrases that flow in the video. There has to be a music in background, it doesn’t have to hold so much time for not boring the viewer and abviously, like in the book review, it doesn’t have to spoil all about the story. I really like the book, because it tells about the most important aspect of life i don’t judge a book by his cover, and because i felt involved in the story. I think that things like this can always happen.
I like this review because the text is fluid, pleasant to read and clearly tells about the story and its moral. The reviewer has commented and it is clear the reason why the author disliked the book.
I think that this review respects the standards: it tells briefly about the story, highlighting the most important events and then the reviewer tells what he thinks about the book and he also gives a rating.
In some cases the review is spoiler-free and helps the reader to decide whether to buy it or not but the majority of the reviews have spoilers; in this case the reviews are an opportunity for discussions about the book with other readers.
I agree with this review: the book seems too cheesy in some parts and the story is too “moral-driven”. In my opinion, it seems that the whole story is not a story but just a camouflage to express the moral “do not judge people for what they look like” (especially the finale), which even if it is very important it is too weak to make the book a classic, or anyway a book that everyone should read. The only thing that saves the book from oblivion is the way Benjamin Zephaniah tells the story, especially in some slow scenes like the hospital one. The way he flowing tells the events with a good rhythm, make the book pleasant to read. Finally, I don’t really agree with the rating of the reviewer : for me it is a 6/10.
The book trailer looks awful. It’s utmost a cheaply made sideshow and most crucially it spoils the finale. For me a book trailer should use captions from the book and should focus on rapid scene changes (so for example showing for a few seconds a close-up of an object and then changing the scene with a landscape) trying to make the video fast and entertaining.
Also the music must be catchy and must follow the “speed” of the video or the whole will seem too silly.
You are definitely a careful reader. It is true that the novel emphasises the “moral” aspects of the story itself, yet we should bear in mind that it is a novel for teens. The aspect that I like about the novel is the use of the language.
Yes, I do. Because I think that who wrote it did a nice job by putting the right things and using an easy and catching expression so that it is maybe easier for a teen public to read without getting bored.
The features of a book review are to be as simple as possible so that the important parts of the book get obtained easier. And at the end maybe to give an own judgment of the book.
Yes i do because I also think that ” You can’t judge a book by its cover ” is an excellent way to explaine why some people judge others by the way they look and not by the way they really are inside.
I didn’t quite enjoy the book trailer because I did’t like the images that were chosen in it and because of the way of telling the story in a very easy and fast way.
I think that the book trailer should have some suspense and that it should excite and catch the attention of who is watching it.
My book trailer would be a very simple one, I would put in some parts of the book that catch the attention and that are interesting and make you reflect and I’d chose some better music and images.
I think that this review could be considered a good experimental text for such a young person. Personally, supposing this was one of his first serious projects he has done until that age, the job seems good, although, if I were him, I would have added a little introduction to the subject. I would have talked shortly about the author and the general info and I would have contained more the major part, even if it was the most important, in a lighter sum. On the other hand, I would say that he managed to organize pretty well the other aspects, respecting the chronological order of the fact and not spoiling any of suspenseful acts. The word used appear carefully chosen and they express in most of the cases the intendent peculiar meaning in the sentence. In my opinion, this project was well designed and prepared: in fact, the reader gets immediately the sense of the article. I have not had a grand and various experience in this subject, but from I have had the opportunities to do so far I could affirm that I enjoyed the writing techniques and the style. In addition, I would have appreciated more the article if the writer have underlined more the toughness and the shock caused in the protagonist by the accident.
As mentioned before, the book review should follow the order in which facts are described in the novel, but not spoiling them. Next, book reviewers are used to focus on their thought and underline the possible things they did not like.
I liked his honesty in his valuation of the book. Personally, I agree with him on the fact that the nouns of people, places and shops seemed unreal; Even if I am not a professional doctor, I think it is quite rare that a young boy, such as Martin, is able to go over a coma phase that easily and that fast. Anyways, because of the poem at the end of the book and because of Zephaniah’s ability to tell this story with that extremely deep theme, I will give the novel a judgment of 7+ out of 10.
Going on, the book trailer I would like to talk about was produced by a boy of the some ages as the one above. He used a series of images and some short sentences. To me, it seemed that the pictures he used were not the best; this counts also when speaking about the text. Sometimes it slowed the rhythm of the song and the video, whereas in other moments it gave a sense of tension, which was great, like for example the three “Until” he disposed for the smallest to the biggest, adding also background variations. Personally, it was not brilliant (but at least good), though people could still understand. If I had to do my own video about it (I do not have that much competence with technology), I would try to play a little going around a particular character, trying to repeat some mottos or something similar. Ah! In addition, I would try to add some extra effects too!
Dear Francesco, you do not need to be an expert in technology to have a go at videomaking. So go for it. If you use the applications I mentioned in class you should not encounter any difficulties. 🙂
FACE
I think this review is very easy and nice to read. It describe the intrigue of the book with exactitude and care, but I don’t agree with opinion of the reviewer. I think this book is realistic and touch upon very important stereotype like racism. I think the most important teaching which we can learn is “look with your heart, not with your eyes. It can’t fail”. Sometimes we judge people by how they dress or how they are look like and we lose sight the beauty of spirit. Martin pay an high prize to learn it but after the crash he become a new person, a better person. This review describe the intrigue of the boo and it express the opinion and the feelings of the reviewer. When I started to read FACE I wasn’t very excited ( I usually hate reading) but when I finished it I feel happy and I started love this story.
I suggest this book at all teenagers. They must read it!
I think I prefer the second cover, because it shows just a man’s hair and not his face, all in a white background. It highlights about the most important thing for humans: we have to be beautiful inside ourselves and not outside. This cover reminds a famous sentence, “never judge a book by its cover”, and reflects the story that the book tells, and also it invites you to read the novel, to discover more about Martin (the main character) and what happened to him.
I don’t really like the cover the fist cover of the book, because it gives you too many information about the charter and it is not well made, but I really like the second cover, because it create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery
1_ Yes, I did like the review, especially for its structure and for its contents.
2_ A good book review have to have a first part, where you present the book without spoilering too much, and a second part, where you write what you think about the book, and you tell the reader to who the book is write for.
3_I really enjoy the first part of the review, it was really well written and it presents the book in a very summarize way. But I’m not agreeing with the second part. In my mind, the book was really good, even if the cover was not so good, or if the charters was not so realistic. But I completely agree with the last part. I would also suggest this book, not only to the teenager but also to the adults, because I think that it’s a really good lesson of life.
4_I don’t like the trailer because I think that it shows too much of the book, and when you are going to read it you will not be completely involved in the story, because the trailer shows already what you are going to read.
5_I think that the book trailer has to have more suspense and it should be more mysterious, if not the reader will not buy it.
6_My book trailer would be made using real actors, and it would create an atmosphere of suspense, using flashlights and particular effects. It would show the car crash, and there would be a narrator’s voice, telling a little part of the story, and citing parts of the book.
I better like the second one cover, because it reminds me to the crucial fact of the novel: Martin’s burnt face.
I like it because it’s a really simple pic, but with a large meaning: for me it represents a person with no more identity, an anonymous, because there’s a boy without a face. Maybe Martin, at the first time when he looked his face through the mirror, he felt a no identity boy and this is what shows me the second cover of the book, which is also the cover I always saw when I read the book.
I didn’t like so much the review because to me it is too articulated. I think that a review mustn’t told even some details of the story, especially if they are not important. It could be boring for who read it and it could also be a ‘spoiler’ for someone that is interested to read the book.
For example, if I had to write the review, I wouldn’t speak about the reaction of Martin’s parents and I would never ever told that Martin and Nathalie broke up. Instead I would told about Anthony, the Jamaican friends and also a little bit of the gymnastic competition.
For me the features of a review are, first of all, a simple vocabulary, with short phrases and clearly expressed concepts; then I would only told about necessary episodes and at the end I would explain more my feelings and my personal opinion about the moral of the story, so that other people might confront their with mine.
I don’t really agree with the reviewer’s responce to the book because for me the story seems real and it made me enter into it almost like I was a character.
I also think that all the messages of the story might make some adults think a lot because it’s important to remember that it’s never too late to change and also because in my opinion there are adults who still discriminate and ‘judge a book by its cover’. So I think that sometimes it’s better to recommend this book to an adult with wrong prejudices than to a child grown up with the right values.
I loved the book trailer; even if there weren’t real people acting it involved me a lot. It was really synthetic and exhaustive and also a bit touching.
I enjoyed the music’s choice because it was a bit mysterious but also a bit energetic, with deep words.
If I had to make the book trailer I would use real people acting but with no sound, just expressing concepts with gestures and some writings like what I’ve seen before.
Between the two different covers I prefer the second one, the one I have in my book at home. I prefer that cover because there are only the hair and the ears and not the face of the person. With this image the second cover is linked to the main theme of the book, don’t judge a book by its cover; how does your face look like or what are you wearing aren’t the important things; what kind of person are you, what do you like, what are your interests, … are the important ones.
The review explained exactly what happened in the book in an understandable and simple language, and I liked it but there are some passages that I didn’t really like. When the person who wrote the review wrote that Martin and Mark accepted a ride from two drug dealers, it seems to me like if Martin and Mark knew that the people from which they accepted a ride were drug dealers, but they didn’t know that. Martin and Mark accepted the ride because they thought that the two guys were going to bring them home.
The features of a good review are: to say what does the book talks about and what happens during almost all the book paying attention on how do you write about certain things, that means that there wouldn’t be misunderstandings on certain part of the story. Another feature of a god review is to say, at the end, what do you think about the book, if you liked it and why/why not.
No, I don’t agree because I think that the book is realistic and it really pulls me in the story. The whole story didn’t seem fake to me. I liked the story also because it seemed something that could really happen, that people could really react like in the story. I also think that Martin, after the car crash, is an example for all the people, because he understand that you don’t have to judge a book by its cover, unfortunately not all the people agree with this affirmation and, even if they say that they agree they constantly judge people by their look. This happens also because it isn’t simple to don’t look at appearance; in our society all is based on what do you look like but this isn’t an excuses for judging people by the appearance.
In general I liked the booktrailer, but there is an aspect that I didn’t like. I didn’t like the fact that the trailer tells you all the things that happens in the book. Theoretically, you watch the trailer before reading the book, and, if you watch the trailer of Face before reading it, the trailer spoiler you all the things that happens in the book, even the end.
A booktrailer, to invite the viewer to buy and read a book, should be colorful and understandable, it shouldn’t tell you all the things that happens in the book, only the main important at the start of the book and it should be short, 1 or 2 minutes, because people will be annoyed if the trailer is too long.
My booktrailer would be similar to the book. I would really like that people who watch the booktrailer and after, they read the book, will recognize the things that are in the book because they have seen the booktrailer. My booktrailer would also be short and it won’t spoiler to people all the things that happen in the book because, if the trailer tells you all the things that happens in the story, after you could don’t want to read the book any longer.
I prefer the second cover, with the boy without face. I like it better because it represents what Martin has lost. But I think that it is also how we must see people: without looking only the image, but trying to see inside them. In this way we could know better a person: his feelings, his fears, his problems, his story; and maybe we will understand why a person has this face, this body or this aspect. Therefore, every time that I look to this cover, I don’t see a boy without face, but I see his story written inside the book.
I don’t like so much the way the review was written. I think that the person who wrote this review gave too many details about the plot of the book; such as how Martin was like after the accident, how he felt and how people react to his new aspect. I also disagree with the fact that the story didn’t seem very realistic, because with this book I’ve understand that terrible things could happen to everyone and Martin’s story isn’t just about a fictional book, but the life of too many guys like him in the world. So, I think, that even if Benjamin Zephaniah wrote the novel for teenager, everyone should read it to know better how to face difficulties of life.
In my opinion the features of a good book review are saying in few lines the plot of a book without spoiling anything but trying to involve the future readers. A good review, for me, should also have a short description of the protagonist’s character, because if you hate at all the protagonist’s way of thinking, probably you won’t like the book. At the end every reviewer must say how many stars out of 5 he/she would award the novel and what he/she likes or dislikes about the book. But for me a perfect review should also have some of the best quotes of the story, because when I read a book I rewrite on my notebook all the best quotes, and usually the book that I like more are the ones that have the most meaningful quotes.
The book trailer was more involving, but it spoils the final part of the book. The pictures were very important to understand Martin’s situation and the song keep the attention. So, at the end I found it interesting and I liked it.
In my book trailer of the novel Face I wouldn’t describe the usual plot of the book, but I would like to involve the readers with the poem (Faceless) written at the end of the book. I would like someone to read the most meaningful stanzas of the poem to know what happened to Martin. And in the background, I would put some pictures that including all the themes in the book; such as prejudice, racism, friend, family.
FACE
I think that the second cover for book “Face” is better than the first because the image reflects the sense and the meaning of the book. In fact the second cover is much more basic than the first, the first for me is very dark, when the book teach to us that the our heart light is more important than the look, and we must show how we are outside and inside us to other people. So the second cover show a white face and I believe that the white means our light and the hair without face means that the people anytime fear to show to other people who they are and this is the story of Martin. All people in the world are beautiful with their injures.
I like the book review, but I think that the reviewer doesn’t spoil the final of the book because for me a good book review be necessary to involve reader to read the book. Apart from this I like the book review, it very interesting and it explains very well the true meaning of the book “Face”, If I haven’t just read the book, I would read it immediately. I think that the reviewer is very valiant to show his feeling in this book review. In the book review he starts with a question: “do you like your face?” it is a difficult question for people who never think about himself and for people who put mask on their face, so this question introduces the book not for his protagonist , but for its meaning. I think that a good book review have to have the title, the author, the most important details of the story, it must have the meaning of the book, with a review the reader can imagine the story before to read the book, so a good book review doesn’t have the book’s final and it stops with a questions for the reader, so people want to read the book. Personally I don’t agree with the reviewer because I think that this book is more realist than other book I read, and I think Martin story is an example for us, in fact he fights out of his limits and he copes a lot of obstacle in his life after the accident, with the help of his parents and true friends he understands that in life the most important things isn’t your look, but is what we have in our head and in our heart. I think that the reviewer is a valiant person, but I don’t agree with his thought.
I like so much this book trailer, because it is emotional and it illustrates very well Martin’s story, but in my opinion a perfect book trailer should have “a question mark”, so it involves people to read the book because they want to discover the final. My book trailer would have a song that can adapt to the test and the story and it would have a lot of image, it wouldn’t have the final, but I think that the most important thing that my book trailer must have is the meaning of the book.
I prever the second cover because there isn’t a representation of a face,so I think it shows the most importan topic that is written in the book: the face isn’t the cover of our character or our personality, people must go beyond it. The message of the first cover is clear and simple to understand and it prepares the readers to what they are going to read about.
I like the review that i have just read because it explains in a few lines the plot of the book without reveal the final and I have also appreciated how the writer of the review focuses only on the important things.
I think that the most important features of a book review are: a short summury of what the book talks about, and the comment in an objective and in a subjective way, all this write as simple as possible, without using too specific examples.
I agree with the reviewer’s response, the plot seems fake and too built but overall I would give the book six out of ten.
I like this booktrailer of face, it shows the most important scenes of the book and it provides the essetial elements of the story.
In my opinion a booktrailer hasn’t to be long and has to show the most interesting and involving part of the plot but at the same time give a very short summery of the book without making any spoiler.
My booktrailer would be as long as the booktrailer that i have just seen, I would add after the short plot a final more interesting that make curiosity and involving to read the book.
I think I prefer the second cover, because it shows just a man’s black hair and not his face. It highlights about the most important things for humans: we have to be beautiful inside ourselves and not outside. This cover reminds the famous sentence, “Never judge a book by its cover”, and reflects the story that the book tells, and also it invites you to read the novel, to discorso more about Martin and what happened to him.
Questions about the review:
1) I really like the way the review has been written, because it is easy to read and understand for us, young people, because it has been written by a boy of my age.
2) A book review needs to be synthetic and clear. It must have a summery of the book that we should read and a opinion of the autor of the review of the book.
3) I disagree with the reviewer. I think face has an important underlying ideology, equality, and all of us (old, young people) can read it. It highlights the problem that the teenager have and it is a very great thing.
I like the explanation of the book trailer, it is clear and short. I think that in my book trailer I will put a lot of images, Coloured letters and a sad but famous song.
It’s not often that one finds a novel as wacky and as full of unexpected surprises as Face, but its booktrailer isn’t as high-grade as the book. Well, at the beginning it’s nice because it explains with few simple words how the novel begins, also the music involves the watcher… but, then a bizarre thing happens: the booktrailer spoils the “spannung”, which is the moment where suspense dominates. That wouldn’t happen in a booktrailer, I think, because it’s designed to rouse readers’ curiosity, to encourage them read the book or, on the contrary, not.
Also, it reveals the major lesson that Martin elaborates himself; that didn’t have to be revealed, in fact, in my opinion, as the character could do it, we should develop it by ourselves.
Moreover, I suppose images aren’t so good quality; to say the truth, I would have chosen pictures much more appropriate to make people understand better or maybe it would have be enjoyable if some scenes could have been performed by real characters.
In that way, I image, it could have been more immersive and intriguing.
As regards the book review, I can say it’s quite adequate. I particularly enjoyed the first sentence “Do you like your face?” because it engages the reader, but later the exposition becomes too longwinded. From my humble point of view, a good review should be quite synthetic and go straight to the point, as well as it should make people understand immediately the gist of the novel (without giving away the ending!).
In addition, I don’t agree with the reviewer about the fact he “would recommend the book to a younger audience, (…), because maybe it would seem more real to them”. I think that type of disgraces can happen, unfortunately, and, exactly realizing they can happen to each of us, we should keep an eye on our actions.
On the other side, I think the best cover of the novel “Face” would be the second one, in fact it is essential and direct, at the same time it gives an enigmatic and mysterious image of the book itself. In a broad sense, it also describes the protagonist’s identity crisis, in order to make you reflect on the theme that the book will deal with.
1. I like most the second cover of the novel because it is more modern and less explicit. I mean, the first one is quite disquieting because of the men with this white hood that is covering his face. The second one, instead, is a with cover with just a kind of hair at the top. The written in the second one is better too because of the colors and because of the character.
2. I like the way the review was written because it gives a general vision about the book. The only missing thing is that there is nothing about Anthony, for example, who had an important role in the way of thinking of Martin. I think that the features of a book review are, first of all, to tell shortly the plot, then to write something about the feelings during reading the book, maybe explain why have you read the book and at the end write why or why not I will recommend this book to others.
I don’t agree with the reviewer’s response because he tells that he didn’t like the book and he wasn’t involve with the story. In my opinion was the opposite, indeed I liked it a lot, the story was very involving and I will recommend to all the guys that have some problems abut self esteem.
I have watched the book trailer but I didn’t like it very much because it was just a set of images with some written that would explain the plot and everything accompanied by a song that were distracting the reading . In my opinion a book trailer would be made by actors and without a song on the background, maybe with just a kind of melody but without any word.