The deadline for the competition is the 6th of March (as an online submission) I am to work on this project independently alongside my uni work, I will also need to create design boards for this project to show the process from research through to my final outcome.
I had never read any of the books before which made it harder to choose a book. I read the descriptions for each book and the one that appealed to me most was Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. Furthermore, in general I am more interested by the story lines in children's books, I also like working quite illustrative and playfully, so I feel that I have made the right choice. I then found the book online and read through it.
My general opinion of the book was that it was very heartfelt and emotional without being obvious; which makes it suitable for a Children's book. It gets the message of how two children rebel against their parents and what is "right" to remain friends despite the race and privilege differences, across in a subtle way that children could understand. A romance begins to build between the two young friends, regardless of their race. As the book comes to the end, it slowly becomes clear what is meant by 'Noughts & Crosses'
'I wanted to turn society as we know it on its head, with new names for the major divisions, ie Noughts (the underclass) and Crosses (the majority, ruling society). I wanted to see this new world through the eyes of the main two characters, Callum (a nought) and Sephy (a Cross).' - Malorie Blackman
Some brief notes that I made when reading through the book:
- Callum and Sephy are friends
- They kiss which causes awkwardness between them? maybe Sephy has feelings for Callum as she over thinks every little thing about the kiss
- Callum is a year and a half older than Sephy- makes her feel really young and inexperienced because of the age gap; intimidating?
- 'Us Noughts and you Crosses'- Callum on his and her age difference maybe? some sort of deeper meaning difference between them...
- When they leave the beach, Callum refuses to have Sephy round to his house, Sephy gets upset by this as they’d be round each other’s houses all the time when they were younger, Callum has grown more than Sephy... she is naive??
- Callum is in a bad mood, in a rush to get home, maybe because Sephys mother is so strict and over protective about where Sephy goes and who she is friends with
- Her and Callum’s friendship has to remain secretive from her family because Callum is a ‘nought’
- Sephy lives in a fancy, glamorous/fake house, although this doesn’t reflect her personality, she is warm & down to earth
- Callum’s house is the opposite to this ‘why couldn’t my family live in a house like Sephys? Why didn’t any nought I knew of live in a house like Sephys?’ Very basic, run down, old?
- Callum’s family also doesn’t like the fact that he’s friends with Sephy because Sephy and her family are ‘crosses’
- Callum and his sister look very similar in appearance, which is why they are so close
- Callum’s sister had an ‘accident’ 3 years ago, she doesn’t go out much anymore
- Callum starts his new school tomorrow ‘he doesn’t need to go to their schools,we noughts should have our own schools with the same opportunities that the crosses enjoy’ - Callum’s dad
- The crosses have more privileges than the noughts, even the little things like the only time Callum ever had orange juice was sneakily at Sephys house, his family only drink milk and water
- Nothing could get in between the relationship,colour did not matter to them.
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