11+ Trauma

So, here in the Kent countryside it seems we are one of the last counties to put our primary school kids through the trauma that is the 11+ exam. Izzy got her results yesterday and she didn't pass - this is despite being top of her class, going above and beyond the 'expected' targets she should be hitting at school and having a reading age of 13.5 years (she's 10). Needless to say she was gutted, but now this morning her Head Teacher has informed me she wants to appeal the decision. Arrrggghhhhh! TOO. MUCH. STRESS. It doesn't matter to me whether she goes to a grammar school or not, I know wherever she goes she will fly high, but COME ON KCC! To have my daughter tell me she doesn't know why I'm proud of her because she failed is not on. Time to abolish the 11+, and let kids find their own path without being made to feel inadequate.

She's my beautiful, talented, kind, crazy, intelligent, big-hearted baby and no exams or grammar school is ever going to change that.

Created - The Destroyer

Oooh so this was next up on my TBR list:

And  I actually loved it. I was totally hooked from the first page, where we meet our hero about to be frazzled by the electric chair after being framed for a crime he didn't commit. Obviously, he doesn't get frazzled (otherwise theres no story hehe) but what follows is a fantastic roller coaster ride of a novel in which we see him become absorbed into CURE, a top secret government agency that doesn't actually exist, therefore Remo ceases to exist. The story that follows will leave you quite breathless as tons and tons of action takes place in what actually felt like quite a short novel. I loved it as much as I loved I am Pilgrim, which I really, REALLY enjoyed. I've also heard that it's going to made into a movie, directed by the guy who did Ironman, which if you think along Liam Neeson-doing-lovely-hardcore-action-things/Da Vinci Code lines, its going to be a cracker. You can find other reviews for this novel here:

Or you can just buy your own copy and get in on it all before the movie comes out HERE:

Created - The Destroyer