tall story
we can place some reliance on courts in being able to distinguish between a tall story, a good story and a true story .
whether this man was a mutant or this is a tall story is unclear .
definition and synonyms of tall story from the online english dictionary from macmillan education .
episode one: a tall story - screens october 4 at 4: 05pm .
find candy' s website here, the tall story website here and of course this is the david fickling books website. tall story is out later this month .
what she says about her grandfather being a foreign prince sounds like a tall story to me .
we’d love your help. let us know what’s wrong with this preview of tall story by candy gourlay .
he explained its provisions quizzically and delightfully, as though he were applying for membership of the tall story club .
a story that is greatly exaggerated or particularly imaginative, such that it is difficult to believe; a tall tale .
the story moves from andi' s point of view, to bernardo' s. it tells the story of the past, it tells the story of the present .
thanks to his' tall story', the reader can understand through the eyes of a child the hard reality of the time .
tall story by candy gourlay looks like a small unprepossessing book - something you might pick up as a snack read between heftier volumes .
mr s spun the judge a tall story about mysterious trusts and a dead american friend, which the judge described as' frankly preposterous' .
they serve a function not as lies or tall stories but rather as metaphors .
tall story films is a sydney based production business with work ranging from award winning documentaries and narrative productions, to viral videos, promotional campaigns and music clips .
calculating the height of a tall building where only the number of stories is known .
among other things, there are chatty little articles in this quarterly magazine and some rather tall stories .
when i first picked up this book, i assumed it was titled tall story because one of the main characters, bernardo, is sixteen years old and already eight feet tall. but, i love a twist in any title and was totally pleased to discover this book was rich with tall tales from the philippine' s. as a kid, i always loved folklore: hansel and gretel, jack and the beanstalk, etc. they had an element of danger. candy gourlay' s tall story took me right back to being five years old. i felt myself holding m
what’s spectacular with tall story is its literary juggling act as it tackles topics that range from superstition and science, the real and the magical, tall and short, of the difference between things that we want and things that really matters most — a hodgepodge that makes it a fitting whole. more than being a heartwarming story, tall story also comments on such timely social and familial problems such as poverty and corruption, immigration and integration, cultural identity and differences, sibling relationship and the sacrifices that a family has to go through when one member is forced to work abroad .
tall story films is a sydney based video production company. we specialise in digital content and make everything from music videos to comedy specials, tvcs to documentary productions. check us out and get in touch urltoken
despite having nine stories on the inside, it appears to have five, exceptionally tall stories from the outside .
obviously i' m not going to reveal how the story pans out but it is deliciously wonderful and uplifting and it made me laugh and cry at the same time. i definitely think that david fickling books have a winner on their hands and i hope that tall story makes a big splash because it genuinely does deserve it. small in size, but big in impact, tall story won' t leave a dry eye in the house. it' s so many things but mostly it' s powerful storytelling at its best .
basketball - mad andi thinks she has big problems until she meets her long - lost brother bernardo who is tall... but not just tall - a giant. bernardo is eight feet tall. he suffers from a disease called gigantism but in his little village, people think he' s a legendary giant come to save them from earthquakes !
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true story of the life of jimmy piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball .
tall story is a light and heartwarming novel for readers of all ages. more than an educational and funny story of a brother and a sister, it doesn’t only just give us a glimpse of what the philippines is as a country, but also the potential it holds as a key player in international literature. truly, size doesn’t really matter, eh .
i agree completely! it is a lovely story, beautifully told. i look forward to whatever candy writes next! !
at the beatrice, a new 55 - story rental tower and hotel in chelsea, the developer, j. d. carlisle, realized two years into its construction, when workers reached the 30th story, that cellphone coverage would be spotty .
originally posted here. tall story is a touching, poignant story about family, sibling love, infusion of cultures, and sports. more specifically, the novel tackles the importance of being with our families, appreciating and taking care of our siblings, filipino and british cultures (their similarities and differences), and the love of basketball. take all these ingredients together, and here' s a lovely story that will inevitably leave a mark in the reader' s heart. bernardo is a sixteen - year - old
is a poignant, heartwarming story of clashing cultures, of family and sibling love, with just the right amount of magic, tears and laughter. this is one story that everyone, whether british, filipino or otherwise, would not regret having read .
each song suggests a fragment of a screenplay: an encounter, a missed opportunity, tall stories told through a haze of alcohol and smoke .
also posted at my book blog dark chest of wonders a giant tale with a giant heart (a book review of candy gourlay’s tall story )
rush hour. so many armpits, so little deodorants .
so begins tall story, candy gourlay’s fantastic debut novel about basketball, sibling love, cultural differences, legend and magic. a poignant tale that warns us of the dangers of the things we wish for and that ultimately, size doesn’t really matter. andi is a basketball - obsessed, 13 year old, half - filipino who wishes not
the people who need to be administering the policy are fishermen—admittedly, the kind of fishermen who do not tell tall stories and whose words we can trust .
“rush hour. so many armpits, so little deodorants. ” so begins tall story, candy gourlay’s fantastic debut novel about basketball, sibling love, cultural differences, legend and magic. a poignant tale that warns us of the dangers of the things we wish for and that ultimately, size doesn’t really matter .
click here to download a pdf version of this webpage. the ctbuh has developed this tall building height calculator to assist in determining tall building heights when only the story count is known. the calculator is divided into three categories representing the three major functions represented in tall buildings; (i) office (ii) residential / hotel (iii) mixed - use or when the function unknown the calculator will provide an approximate height for a single tall building, but as tall building characteristics vary significantly with location, structural material, form, profile, etc, in some instances estimates will vary considerably with actual building height. as such, the calculator is best utilized to determine heights in multiple building / statistical studies, where there are many unknown building heights. in these instances the greater number of buildings examined will reduce any overall variations. the calculator does not include any factors for spires or any other major projections at the roof plane, due to the wide ranging nature of these. the height calculator is never utilized by the ctbuh to determine any building heights as part of the ctbuh tall building database i. e. all published heights within the ctbuh database are accurate, confirmed heights according to published data .
a p. e. i. couple celebrated their wedding day in true island style — with an eight - foot - tall potato named tate the tater as their special guest .
but mum' s family have kept a secret from her. they didn' t actually ever tell her quite how big bernardo' s grown. eventually, they came clean but andi' s mum never tells andi quite how tall her big brother is. not until she sees him at the airport for the first time. and he' s eight foot tall !
i really enjoyed this book. the beginning is a bit slow but as the book goes on it gets more interesting. “tall story” by candy gourlay is a story about a regular girl in london who loves to play basketball and her 8 - foot brother named bernardo. he has moved from the philippines to london to meet his family. andi thinks that she doesn’t share anything in common with bernardo however later in the book they realize that they do share something in common. they both share respect to the people aroun
what you want is not always what you get. even when your wishes come true andi desperately hopes her long lost half - brother bernardo will be as mad on basketball as she is. but when he steps off the plane from the philippines, she cannot believe her eyes. she hasn' t seen him for ten years, but even so, how did he get to be eight foot tall? an eight - foot tall boy who is about to crash into her life with his size 22 feet. but bernardo is not what he seems. bernardo is a hero, bernardo works miracles, and bernardo has an amazing story to tell. a bittersweet story, funny, sad, and magical .
i was thoroughly charmed by the entire book, and not just because it' s a brother - sister story. i knew i’d like andi from her first line :
swish, swish, swish this book surprised me. not that i thought it would be a bad book, but it was much better than i hoped. i picked it pretty much on its cover, and the fact that it was available right then as an audio book. ;) the story is not all about basketball. it is the tale of a boy' s unique journey through and perspective on life as a giant. it is the story of a basketball loving girl who is finally becoming a little sister. it is the story of a filipino village, their culture and legends. the story is unique, properly told, with authentic characters. i like how the story alternates between viewpoints. in the audio book they even switch voice actors for the different chapters which was really neat. i don' t want to give away much, but this story is definitely a great read. it might even make a slam dunk onto your shelf. ;) swish, swish, swish happy reading .
i really enjoyed this book. the beginning is a bit slow but as the book goes on it gets more interesting. “tall story” by candy gourlay is a story about a regular girl in london who loves to play basketball and her 8 - foot brother named bernardo. he has moved from the philippines to london to meet his family. andi thinks that she doesn’t share anything in common with bernardo however later in the book they realize that they do share something in common. they both share respect to the people around them. a lesson that the story could be trying to get through to the reader is that is for a successful relationship to take place, respect must be present from both parties .
in all the years that i’ve been actively reading, this is the first time i’ve read a book where the characters are filipino, where the majority of the story is set in the philippines, where my culture is breathing and so alive. bonus: tall story is also written by a filipino author. it’s incredibly cruel. and it says so much about our publishing industry. we need more diverse books. we need more marginalized authors with unique stories to partake. and we need you to champion them just as much as yo
when i first picked up this book, i assumed it was titled tall story because one of the main characters, bernardo, is sixteen years old and already eight feet tall. but, i love a twist in any title and was totally pleased to discover this book was rich with tall tales from the philippine' s. as a kid, i always loved folklore: hansel and gretel, jack and the beanstalk, etc. they had an element of danger. candy gourlay' s tall story took me right back to being five years old. i felt myself holding my breath and rooting for bernardo to escape the legacy thrown upon him. bernando is raised in the philippines by his aunt and uncle, yet longs to be able to finally get clearance from the british home office and move to london with his mom, stepfather, and sister andi. but, the people back home fear his move more than anything because they believe bernardo, the giant, is the only one who can save their village from the destructive earthquakes that constantly make the earth rock and roll. when he finally gets his papers and moves to london, the townspeople are devastated. and andi, is mortified that her gigantic beast of a brother will be an earthquake in her own life. told in alternating points of view, tall story is a bittersweet modern day folktale of two siblings finding friendship with each other as they battle language barriers and outside forces. definitely a unique read .
* as you read the story, emphasise the movement words associated with the giant such as' striding',' hopping' and' standing on one foot shivering' .
my uncle has always been fond of telling tall stories about his time overseas. i used to believe him when i was a kid, but now i' ve learned to just laugh along .
the book sold well enough for its niche, but soon there would be more to the story. this first edition followed the team only through the still - undefeated 2002 season .
just like ilustrado, tall story once again confirmed my firm belief that filipino fiction has indeed arrived on the global literary center stage; that this book originally published by the renowned david fickling books (dfb) is enough validation alone. i’m equally thrilled how much stories out there are just waiting to be discovered. certainly, i’ll be one of those who will eagerly await its coming .
as the story bounces back and forth between andi and bernardo, their wishes about their changed circumstances become more focused. for andi, it’s no longer all about her desire to be the point guard on the school basketball team. bernardo’s escape from a disastrous earthquake in his native land softens her outlook. a lovely story for those who treasure realistic fiction with heart .
working through the many meanings of' tall story,' first - time author gourlay slam - dunks this tale of a towering boy from the philippines and the pint - size, basketball - crazy half sister with whom he has recently been reunited... this will capture the hearts and minds of sports lovers - and just about everyone else as well .
booklist starred review read
yes, it' s small but for all its smallness it packs quite a punch. i read it a few weeks ago and i' ve not been able to stop talking to friends about it and i' ve not been able to stop thinking about it. i don' t know why. some books just have this bit of magic about them and tall story has a lot of magic .
( l - r) de la salle spartans retired head coach, bob ladouceur, producer david zelon and jim caviezel on the set of' when the game stands tall.' (tracy bennett / sony pictures )
amandolina (andi) knows her life is in for a change when she learns that her half - brother bernardo is moving from the philippines to live with her and her parents in england. people have always said bernardo is
tall
but at eight feet he towers over everyone - taller even than andi' s hero michael jordan. at his home in the philippines, bernardo' s height is considered a mark of good fortune. though he longs to reunite with his family, he fears leaving his superstitious neighbors behind. tall story is a tale of family, friendship, wishes, and curses with a twist of folklore blended into a story of growing up. the book is told in alternating chapters by andi and bernardo and author candy gourlay does a remarkable job giving each character a unique perspective and voice. though their situations are original they both face awkwardness and adjustments that any young adult can relate to but the heart of this story is a theme of love and family that will charm readers of any age .
a beautifully constructed book, well - written and full of humour, magic and pathos. this is storytelling at it' s finest. it' s a story about wishes and being careful of your wishes - because they may not come true in quite the way you expect. from the start, candy gourlay draws you into the worlds of fire - cracker andi and bernardo, the giant - a brother and sister who have lived at opposite sides of the world - one in london, one in the phillipines. and herein lies candy gourlay' s great strength - the ability to draw on her own multiculturalism (born in the phillipines, living in london), she creates vivid worlds which she brings easily to life. it is evident in the storytelling, that candy gourlay clearly has known a depth of human experience, and it is reflected in her writing as the story weaves through hopes and dreams, rejection and acceptance, love and misunderstanding. it reflects too in the characters she creates, characters so alive you feel you could reach out and touch them. for me, the true richness of tall story lay in the effortless creation of a world of magical realism - yes, there is, as the previous reviewer said, some predictability but the mythological element which runs throughout the story always keeps one guessing. tall story is a truly special book, one that will always stand out from the crowd .
swish, swish, swish this book surprised me. not that i thought it would be a bad book, but it was much better than i hoped. i picked it pretty much on its cover, and the fact that it was available right then as an audio book. ;) the story is not all about basketball. it is the tale of a boy' s unique journey through and perspective on life as a giant. it is the story of a basketball loving girl who is finally becoming a little sister. it is the story of a filipino village, their culture and lege
what you want is not always what you get. even when your wishes come true andi desperately hopes her long lost half - brother bernardo will be as mad on basketball as she is. but when he steps off the plane from the philippines, she cannot believe her eyes. she hasn' t seen him for ten years, but even so, how did he get to be eight foot tall? an eight - foot tall boy who is abou
jane fonda is quite winning in her film debut about a boy - crazy college co - ed, chasing after star athlete anthony perkins. the plot thickens when perkins is propositioned by gamblers to throw a key game against a visiting russian team. it' s all innocuous fun, but what' s most funny about the film is how different fonda' s character is from her real - life persona as an independent, liberated woman, instead here portraying a flirtatious, man - crazy college girl studying home economics and determined to land herself a husband. besides this being fonda' s film debut ,
tall story
also marks the film debut of robert redford in a supporting role. you also have solid supporting performances from ray walston, murray hamilton, and gary lockwood. overall ,
tall story
is a breezy and enjoyable comedy, though thoroughly lightweight .
children will be enchanted by this endearing larger - than - life character invented by the creators of the popular gruffalo. enjoy the story together before extending children' s learning with these cross - curricular ideas .
candy gourlay was born in manila during the dictatorship of ferdinand marcos. after working as a journalist for some years, she moved to the u. k. in her twenties. candy is now a full - time writer across a range of mediums: short stories, blogs, web sites, journalistic features, and radio programs. tall story is candy' s first full - length published novel. visit her on the web at candygourlay. com .
it helps, of course, if the guy is david zelon, a producer and executive vice president ï»¿at mandalay entertainment group. back in 2009, the devoted football dad was straightening up the equipment room at his son’s high school in santa monica when he came across a copy of “when the game stands tall, ” the famed story of concord’s de la salle high school spartans and their 151 - game winning streak under the guidance of coach bob ladouceur .
and just as the stars aligned in the making of de la salle’s record - breaking team, kismet also played a part in the story’s path from real life to feature film — an effort which at times felt futile .
reviewed by kira m for urltoken standing over 8 feet tall with size 22 shoes, bernardo has always felt like somewhat of an outcast. while his mom, stepfather, and half - sister live in england, bernardo lives in the philippines in hopes of making it back to england one day. when his wish comes true, however, he has a hard time dealing with the hustle and bustle and unfamiliar feel of his family and home. will he be able to adjust? amandolina has always lived in england and has only met her older half - brother once when he was six years old. when she sees how tall he is, she hopes he loves basketball as much as she does. the initial thrill of a brother soon wears off, though, and the stresses of adapting to the change in schools, houses, and family starts eating away at her. will she also be able to adjust? a fun, lively rendition of a modern - day folktale. the characters are well - developed, and the story is likable and holds the reader' s interest. those who like realistic fiction, books about blended families, and school stories will enjoy reading tall story .
note: to validate the ctbuh tall building height calculator, the actual height of 15 buildings in each of the three categories has been compared to the height as determined by the height calculator. the estimated and actual heights are presented with the aggregated variance .
perhaps most notable as jane fonda' s screen debut ,
tall story
is also remarkable for what it didn' t do for anthony perkins: define his acting career. released the same year as hitchcock' s classic thriller
psycho ,
tall story
shows the charming, naive and humorous side of perkins. he stars as ray blent, custer' s star basketball player and star student who finds himself caught in an ethical nightmare just before the biggest game of his life against the russian sputniks. fonda is adorable as a cunning co - ed whose one aim in college is to snare the unwitting ray. unfortunately, we didn' t see more perkins characters like this one because the actor was typecast as a psychotic madman following his admittedly excellent portrayal of norman bates in
psycho .
this movie shows the virtuosity of a great actor who regretfully didn' t get the chance to demonstrate his full range of acting skills more often .
so few books with filipino characters so i was very excited to pick this one up to help diversify my reading and my classroom library. the dialogue switches from sister andi to brother bernardo and gourlay does a masterful job of giving each of them their own unique voice that positively shines through. in my process to vet books for read alouds for my 7th graders, having alternating narrators only works if it is supremely well crafted and tall story fit the bill. the interwoven bits of science ,
dahil sa ganda ng pabalat nito at disenyo, nakuha nito ang aking atensyon para bilhin ang aklat na ito. base pala ito sa mga tunay na pangyayari pero sa magkaka - ibang kwento ng buhay tungkol sa basketball player, at masugid na tagahanga nito, at nabiktima sa pagkagat ng isang aso sa magandang babae. para sa akin ang tall story ay isang malaking istorya na tumatalakay sa literal na paglaki o pagiging matangkad na may kinalaman sa abnormal na paglaki ng tao. tinalakay din nito ang pagiging “resp
candy gourlay truly loves the philippines and it just shows in this book, tall story. this being her first novel makes me agree with one of the blurbs that she is an author to watch. having been married to a british national and now raising her three sons in london, i will not be surprised to know that she has changed her citizenship from filipino to british. but the way that she carefully, positively and realistically depicted the philippines and its people, culture, folklore and even superstit
amandolina (andi) knows her life is in for a change when she learns that her half - brother bernardo is moving from the philippines to live with her and her parents in england. people have always said bernardo is
tall
but at eight feet he towers over everyone - taller even than andi' s hero michael jordan. at his home in the philippines, bernardo' s height is considered a mark of good fortune. though he longs to reunite with his family, he fears leaving his superstitious neighbors behind. tall stor
* invite the children to create sound effects for the animals in the story as you read the book. add the sound of the wind by blowing through cupped hands and suggest that everyone claps when the giant receives his present from the animals .
* look through the book together to find the tallest and the smallest creature. create a height chart to discover how tall the children are. draw a chalk outline of an adult, a child and a teddy on a dry outdoor surface and make size and height comparisons .
so few books with filipino characters so i was very excited to pick this one up to help diversify my reading and my classroom library. the dialogue switches from sister andi to brother bernardo and gourlay does a masterful job of giving each of them their own unique voice that positively shines through. in my process to vet books for read alouds for my 7th graders, having alternating narrators only works if it is supremely well crafted and tall story fit the bill. the interwoven bits of science, supersition and magic and the real is deft and only adds to the richness of the story. diversity of cultures, socio economic status and sibling / familial relations make this a book many people middle grade and higher will find speaking to their own life experiences. i highly recommend .
also posted in it' s a wonderful bookworld. there is a lot to learn from tall story despite being a short read. the themes are close to home — and to the heart, as it tells about long distance family relationships, sibling rivalries, friendship, and basketball — all interspersed with philippine folklore. after waiting for too long, bernardo finally sets foot in london. his mother and his sister, andi, are likewise excited to meet him and when they did, they were surprised. because bernardo is tal
emphasise this rhythm as you read the story. gather together small objects to represent the rhyming words, such as a model boat and a plastic goat, a tiny house and a rubber mouse, and a toy dog and a small brown fabric bog .
he updated the story with an epilogue for a paperback version, with both editions selling in total about 60, 000 copies. hayes was approached by a few independent movie producers, but nothing panned out — until the day zelon sat down to read .
sixteen - year - old bernardo, who is eight feet tall and suffers from a condition called gigantism, leaves the philipines to live with his mother' s family in london, much to the delight of his thirteen - year - old half sister andi, a passionate basketball player .
a lovely, heart - warming story about a boy from the province who ends up coming home to his family in london. i love how it breathes of provincial superstitions and modern living. the myth of bernardo carpio takes a special place in these pages, while family love is featured heavily next to basketball point guards. the dialogue is very believable, and the characters are presented well. lovely storytelling, and a great story that moves mountains - almost literally. (currently playing at a 4. 5 to 4. 7
be careful what you wish for... andi is short. and she has lots of wishes. she wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, bernardo, could come and live in london, where he belongs. then andi' s biggest wish comes true and she' s minutes away from becoming someone' s little sister. as she waits anxiously for bernardo to arrive from the philippines, she hopes he' ll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. when he finally arrives, he' s tall all right. but he' s not just tall... he' s a giant. in a novel packed with humour and quirkiness, gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures .
andi is short. and she has lots of wishes. she wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long - lost half - brother, bernardo, could come and live in london where he belongs. then andi' s biggest wish comes true and she' s minutes away from becoming someone' s little sister. as she waits anxiously for bernardo to arrive from the philippines, she hopes he' ll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. when he finally arrives, he' s tall all right. eight feet tall, in fact - - plagued by condition called gigantism and troubled by secrets that he believes led to his phenomenal growth. in a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures .
this story is written in dual narrative. andi, a teenage girl, lives in london, mad on basketball and desperate to see her half brother safely battle through the immigration red tape to finally live with her family. bernardo, her filipino brother, is a giant. he too wishes to join his family, but his battles are not just with red tape but with the myths and legends of his land and the guilt he must carry when he leaves his homeland for a new life in the uk. this is a gentle story, full of humour
what you want is not always what you get. even when your wishes come true. andi desperately hopes her long - lost half brother, bernardo, will be as crazy about basketball as she is. but when he steps off the plane from the philippines, she can' t believe her eyes. she hasn' t seen him for ten year, but even so, how did he get to be eight feet tall? this eight - foot - tall boy is about to crash into her life with his size 22 feet. but bernardo is not what he seems. bernardo is a hero, bernardo works m
this is one of the sweetest and most refreshing books i' ve read this year. it is a very sweet story, extremely well written and deeply enjoyable! actually, you want to know a funny story? my roomie is from the philippines and (wait for it) is a nurse! exactly like the mother of andi and bernardo. and i laughed so much when andi transcribes what she thinks is tagalog, because that' s exactly what i hear when my roomie talks to her family there. sorry, i' m in a boring anecdote mode today! this is a
de la salle high school football players from left to right, mike pitorre, terrence kelly, erik sande in a game against clayton valley high school during the 2002 season. this pjhoto was used on the poster for the film ,
when the game stands tall .
( bob larson / www. boblarsonphotography. com) 2002
i highly recommend tall story... . oh, wow. what a heartwarming, feel - good book :) family is very, very important. would you agree? the sole reason that i do not want to work abroad is that, i do not want to be separated from my better half, my toddler son, and my
senior citizen
parents. i want to be with my best friend as we grow together in our married life. i want to be here when my son grows up. i want to be here for whatever number of years my parents have left before they retire to the afte
i like... 1. it is recommended by the filipino group. (putik! di na naman ako nakapunta sa f2f discussion .) 2. the name of the author is childish. 3. it is a tall story because bernardo is the tallest man you can ever imagine. 4. andi is a cool girl. she is competitive, speaks her mind, and knows what she want unlike most girls. 5. it features a typical barrio in a very vivid and comical way. it changes your perspective. 6. what perspective? the sense of community is strong in the province. 7. it has a
this story is written in dual narrative. andi, a teenage girl, lives in london, mad on basketball and desperate to see her half brother safely battle through the immigration red tape to finally live with her family. bernardo, her filipino brother, is a giant. he too wishes to join his family, but his battles are not just with red tape but with the myths and legends of his land and the guilt he must carry when he leaves his homeland for a new life in the uk. this is a gentle story, full of humour and love. i read it in two sittings .
for bernardo, happiness about his immigration clearance is tempered by worry that his departure will expose his small village to earthquakes. ever since he began to grow—he’s now 8 feet tall—some villagers believe he is the returned legendary giant bernardo carpio, who saved san andres from being crushed long ago. in alternating chapters, andi and bernardo describe bernardo’s first days in london—the chilly weather, the mri for the seizures that bernardo has begun to experience, the first real clothes that fit his tall body, the sister and parents who love him. andi’s voice is genuinely funny, tender and acerbic, especially about her parents; bernardo’s is thoughtful and earnest, his forays into english nicely handled with sympathetic humor .
, and i agree that gourlay managed to weave the legend cleverly into the story, leaving readers wondering if bernardo the human is actually a reincarnation of bernardo the giant. candy also added another magical (and scary) element, in the form of nena, the town witch, and her daughter, gabriela, which gave the story more depth, and showed the diversity of filipino culture and myth. if you’re not keen on magic, however, you aren' t forced to accept that world - view - - gourlay provides a possible scientific explanation for bernardo’s height and other ailments, and leaves the
truth
open. i thought this was really smart, as it grounded the story into the real world while it still reached for something out of the ordinary. while there were still some things in the end that seem to defy rational explanation, the author leaves it up to the readers to decide which to believe .
a lovely, heart - warming story about a boy from the province who ends up coming home to his family in london. i love how it breathes of provincial superstitions and modern living. the myth of bernardo carpio takes a special place in these pages, while family love is featured heavily next to basketball point guards. the dialogue is very believable, and the characters are presented well. lovely storytelling, and a great story that moves mountains - almost literally. (currently playing at a 4. 5 to 4. 75, but i can' t quite place it as 5 - stars .) (full review pending. )
' a precious and important novel that also explores exile from neighbours, family and country. the book is about reinvention and the faces we present to the world, whether it be in person, on a postcard or on the internet, all wrapped up in an exciting and perfectly paced story with a disturbing and dramatic climax.'
i like... 1. it is recommended by the filipino group. (putik! di na naman ako nakapunta sa f2f discussion .) 2. the name of the author is childish. 3. it is a tall story because bernardo is the tallest man you can ever imagine. 4. andi is a cool girl. she is competitive, speaks her mind, and knows what she want unlike most girls. 5. it features a typical barrio in a very vivid and comical way. it changes your perspective. 6. what perspective? the sense of community is strong in the province. 7. it has an element of filipino folklore. we strongly believe in superstitions and sometimes science can support it. not bad. candy made a strong argument on how bernardo is a hero and a victim of tumour. 8. it has a mother - daughter angle. no matter how short i enjoyed reading it. i love my mum! 9. basketball story is rare. i love that andi plays basketball. it seems abnormal but we love every time she swish. 10. great ending !
jane fonda before
barbarella
, anthony perkins the same year as
psycho
, tom laughlin before
billy jack
, ray walston doing the same professor bit he utilized in
fast times at ridgemont high
, and still the flick' s a dud! set on some mythical college campus, one inhabited with well - scrubbed students who look as if they' re about to burst into song a la
good news
,
tall story
comes up short on realism, with a forced - friendly atmosphere masking wispy story of a basketball player targeted by a pretty co - ed who really wants a man! debuting fonda is alternately coy and coquettish - - not a credible mix - - though she does look cute in her chemistry glasses; perkins fares worse, with a voice that sounds dubbed by a 12 - year - old boy on the verge of puberty. it' s not a complete loss - - the director is joshua logan, who knows how to put a picture together - - but the results are still pretty tired. * 1 / 2 from * * * *
andi' s story is less big, if you excuse the unintended pun. her struggle is more internal and her story would be an easy one to overlook but the author makes very sure that this doesn' t happen. she imbues andi with a life and vividness that is vibrant and real. we feel andi' s success as she is chosen to be part of a basketball team, how she never ever misses her drops into the basket, we feel for her when it transpires that they have to move and the realisation that she has to give up this brand new place in a team. we empathise with her when at the new school she wants to try out for the team but they don' t take on girls .
the smartest giant in town written by julia donaldson and illustrated by alex scheffler (macmillan, 5. 99) tells the story of george, who wishes he wasn' t the scruffiest giant in town and so decides to buy himself a smart new outfit. however, on his way home he meets various animals that desperately need his help... and his clothes !
looking much more at home on a basketball court than he did on the diamond (fear strikes out), anthony perkins costars with jane fonda (making her film debut) in this mostly unfunny romantic comedy based on a play by howard lindsay and russel crouse, which was in turn adapted from howard nemerov' s novel the homecoming game. june (fonda), a tall girl, matriculates... read more
bernardo’s filipino culture was juxtaposed against andi’s british culture, in such a way as to highlight the differences between them. filipino was portrayed with a lot of color, laden with some superstition and magic unique to filipinos. i’m not too familiar with local folklore, so i wasn’t familiar with the legend of bernardo carpio, so i came to the story with little more knowledge than these
candy gourlay’s voice is a refreshing breath of air, writing in an accessible, kid - friendly, charming style peppered with comic wit. the plot can be easily followed through alternating point of views of nardo and andi, and though the story often use backflashes in telling nardo’s life in the philippines before his arrival in london, it effectively moves and enhances the unfolding narrative thread .
* encourage the children to explore their feelings, and develop sensitivity towards others, by talking about what makes the animals in the story so sad. take each animal in turn and read the relevant text before asking questions. why is the giraffe sad? what did the giant do to make him happy again? discuss what makes the children feel sad and what they can do to make their friends feel happy .
catherine joined itv studios drama in 2011 tasked with developing a broad range of drama singles, serials and series for uk and international broadcasters. she developed home fires alongside writer and creator, simon block, and oversaw the project from its inception, through production, to broadcast on two series. alongside this, she developed and executive produced tutankhamun – a lavish 4 - part drama by guy burt based on the howard carter story. in 2016, she co - founded the new itv studios label tall story pictures with francis hopkinson. she developed and is producing mike bartlett’s three - part thriller, trauma, for itv. prior to joining itv studios, catherine has held posts at monkey kingdom where she was head of drama and scripted comedy where she produced numerous projects for the bbc and a pilot for hbo (kate’s small victories). before this, she worked as development producer for greenlit where she ran the development slate and worked on 4 series of the award - winning foyle’s war as well as developing collision, caught in a trap, vexed and honest. a previous role as head of development at sally head productions (producers of tipping the velvet, the mayor of casterbridge) saw catherine working on the cry and the bafta - nominated adaptation of sarah waters’ fingersmith for bbc 1 .
chronicles the tale of half - siblings bernardo and andi, from the day they meet for the first time. bernardo grew up in the philippines under the care of his aunt and uncle, after his mom, a nurse, relocated to the united kingdom to work. bernardo grew up waiting for his papers to get approved by uk immigration, so that he could live in london with his family. andi is a small girl who loves basketball and barely knows her older brother, save for a few letters and phone calls. all that andi knows is that her brother is tall, as her mom often stresses, and she wants him in london so they can play basketball together - - but when he finally arrives, andi is in for a shock. bernardo is not just tall - - he’s an eight - foot giant! as bernardo and andi get to know each other, andi is pulled into bernardo’s “magical” world and bernardo learns how it feels to have a family .
ms. gourlay manages to write fluidly, taking us deeper into both andi and bernardo' s stories. she shows great empathy writing bernardo' s story, the story of a boy who unexpectedly starts growing. who is maybe not the fastest or the most intelligent but someone who is inherently kind and generous. tied in with bernardo and the area he lives in, is the legend of another bernardo, someone who had become a legend in his own lifetime, many years before. everyone in bernardo' s village is now convinced that bernardo is the new bernardo and well, this entails me doing a reveal about who bernardo really is, but i won' t go there. the mythology is so deftly woven throughout the storyline you don' t for a second mis - believe it. cleverly making use of religion and long ago beliefs we are presented with a very clear picture of this tiny part of the philippines.
tall story is a 1960 american romantic comedy film made by warner bros. , directed by joshua logan and starring anthony perkins with jane fonda , in her first screen role , at the age of 22 . it is based on the 1957 novel " the homecoming game " by howard nemerov , which was the basis of a successful 1959 broadway play , called tall story , by the writing team of howard lindsay and russel crouse . the film was a considerable departure from logan 's previous two projects , the drama sayonara , which won multiple academy awards , and the blockbuster south pacific and was robert redford 's first film ever , where he played an uncredited basketball player . tall story is a farcical social satire of american campus life , making fun of the way college life can become a marriage market for some students . fonda portrays a character who is the complete opposite of the independent liberated woman she later personified . 
tall story is a 1960 american romantic comedy film made by warner bros., directed by joshua logan and starring anthony perkins with jane fonda, in her first screen role, at the age of 22. it is based on the 1957 novel " the homecoming game " by howard nemerov, which was the basis of a successful 1959 broadway play, called tall story, by the writing team of howard lindsay and russel crouse. the film was a considerable departure from logan's previous two projects, the drama sayonara, which won multiple academy awards, and the blockbuster south pacific and was robert redford's first film ever, where he played an uncredited basketball player. tall story is a farcical social satire of american campus life, making fun of the way college life can become a marriage market for some students. fonda portrays a character who is the complete opposite of the independent liberated woman she later personified.
tall story is a 1960 american romantic comedy film made by warner bros., directed by joshua logan and starring anthony perkins with jane fonda, in her first screen role, at the age of 22. it is based on the 1957 novel " the homecoming game " by howard nemerov, which was the basis of a successful 1959 broadway play, called tall story, by the writing team of howard lindsay and russel crouse. the film was a considerable departure from logan's previous two projects, the drama sayonara, which won multiple academy awards, and the blockbuster south pacific and was robert redford's first film ever, where he played an uncredited basketball player. tall story is a farcical social satire of american campus life, making fun of the way college life can become a marriage market for some students. fonda portrays a character who is the complete opposite of the independent liberated woman she later personified.