Often times, we read about bloggers who have bought and read Chinese books with their children, and who recommend these books on their blogs. However, don’t you ever wonder what the child thinks of the book? Shouldn’t a good book be equally educational and interesting for kids as well? Bringing you a book review written by a Primary 4 boy – for other primary school children to enjoy.
九小时的幸福 (邱惠敏著)
I read a very interesting book this June holidays that I would like to share with you. It is called 九小时的幸福.
This is a story about 陈以乐, a boy who dreaded going to school at first, just like me sometimes! The story revolves around his three classmates and an extraordinary teacher.
黄兴凯 was a school bully. He was not afraid of any teacher, and did nasty things to his schoolmates. There was an incident where he even fought with a teacher and he won! Everybody was afraid of him and he had no friends.
吴文荣 was a boy who smelled really bad due to his bad hygiene. He wore the same dirty clothes to school everyday and he always looked untidy. In fact, it was so bad, 陈以乐 said that he contributed to air pollution. The book described him as smelling as bad as urine and poo! He kept to himself and did not respond to teachers and anyone around him. Everybody avoided him like a plague, even the teachers. He was seated next to陈以乐 for a whole two years! Poor him!
There was also a 陈怡君, a spoilt brat who was very bossy in class. Worse, she was always the class monitor. It was not because she was a good girl in class. She got to be a monitor because her mother would always either bribe or demand that she be chosen. I find this hilarious and ridiculous. Thankfully none of my teachers ever does that.
陈以乐dreaded going to school because of these weird classmates he had. All these changed when a new teacher arrived and took over the class. 周老师 was a stern but nurturing teacher. She genuinely cared for the kids in her class. She took the extra mile to understand the kids through house visits and by spending time with them individually.
At the end of the story, 吴文荣 was no longer a timid and dirty boy. During a house visit, it was discovered that his mother was a drunkard who was never sober. His house was in a mess and there were beer bottles all around the house. In fact he tripped over the bottles and hurt himself quite badly in one incident. I felt sorry for him as I read the story, so did 陈以乐. I learnt not to judge a person based on his appearance and behavior solely. 周老师 bought new clothes and food for吴文荣, and even prepared breakfast for him daily. She also encouraged him to speak up during class, which he did eventually. He now had friends and was no longer rejected.
黄兴凯 had an even bigger transformation. No longer a class bully, he was now a popular basketball player in school! 周老师 made him her “小帮手”, and got him to be responsible for the class. With the new responsibilities, he changed for the better and set a good example for the rest. 周老师also encouraged him to join the school basketball team after realizing that he was good in sports.
I really enjoyed reading this book. My favorite character is 周老师. I like how she helped 吴文荣and黄兴凯. I like how she took charge of the class and was not afraid of authorities and parents.
I think 九小时的幸福 reflects what I go through in school everyday. I had fun meeting friends, playing sports but I also dread the homework and the weird characters I meet in school. I hope you will take some time to read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.
“在学校的九小时是最幸福的时光！因为在学校，我们可以和很多同学一起打球，一起运动，一起学习。而我最喜欢的就是放学后的点心时光” A little quote from the book.
Ian Ow Ky-Ren (P4)
