Chwilio

*Scroll down for English & comments* Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £6.99 ISBN: 978-1-78461-709-7 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ❖ ❖ Iaith heriol, themau aeddfed. Challenging language, mature themes. ☆ ☆ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Afallon - y nofel olaf yng nghyfres Yma gan Lleucu Roberts. Lle hud yn y gorllewin ydi Ynys Afallon sy’n cael ei gysylltu â chwedlau am y Brenin Arthur. Caiff ei ddisgrifio fel gwlad ieuenctid bythol, gwledda a ffrwythlondeb. Mae’r llyfr yma’n disgrifio rhywle sy’n bopeth ond hynny! Dyma nofel dywyllach na’r ddwy arall yn y gyfres, sy’n cynnwys elfennau sy’n ein hatgoffa o glasuron fel ‘1984’ a ‘Handmaid’s Tale.’ Mae blwyddyn wedi mynd heibio ers y nofel ddiwethaf, mae Anil ar goll a does dim all neb ei wneud i godi calon Cai. Bellach mae gweddill yr ynyswyr a’r Niaid wedi dysgu i gyd-fyw ac yn dechrau cyfathrebu’n well. Erbyn y nofel hon, mae Bwmbwm wedi cael ei ddad-goroni’n llwyr a chaiff ei bortreadu fel creadur reit pathetig bellach. Trafoda’r awdur ladd anifeiliaid mewn ffordd matter of fact, di-ffwdan. Mae’n rhan o fywyd bellach – rhaid hela er mwyn byw. Ym mhennod 5 ceir disgrifiad graffig o hela ebol bychan. Mae’r disgrifiad yn cyfleu realiti anodd bywyd yng Nghymru bellach. Dwi’n falch nad yw Lleucu yn osgoi trafod pethau naturiol fel marwolaeth: “Nesaodd Freyja at yr ebol a wingai mewn poen… ei lygaid yn erfyn am drugaredd… osgôdd Freyja’r llygaid a phlannu ei phicell rhwng asennau’r anifail.” O’r pwynt lle mae Gwawr yn cael ei chipio, mae’r stori yn cael ei rhannu rhwng Cymru ac Afallon. Down i ddeall fod cyfrinach sinistr a thywyll y tu ôl i arwyneb ffals gwlad Afallon. Nid paradwys mohoni o bell ffordd. Caethwas yw Anil ac mae Gwawr yn wynebu treulio gweddill ei bywyd mewn cawell. Rheolir Afallon gan Y Llyw, dyn cymhleth a chreulon, sydd wir yn credu fod yr hyn mae o’n ei wneud yn iawn. Yn Afallon, maen nhw wedi llwyddo i ddal eu gafael ar dechnoleg, ac yn defnyddio awyrennau i grwydro’r byd yn dwyn merched ifanc, ffrwythlon er mwyn cynaeafu eu hwyau. Mae’r ‘fferm’ yn bychanu’r merched i ddim byd mwy nag ieir mewn cytiau. Mae’n syniad tywyll ac yn hynod o anghyfforddus. Bechod na chafodd ei archwilio ymhellach a’i wneud hyd yn oed yn fwy tywyll. Er popeth a ddigwyddodd iddi, doeddwn i byth yn teimlo fod Gwawr mewn perygl go iawn. Tybed a fyddai diweddglo anhapus wedi bod yn fwy o sioc?! Roedd penodau Afallon yn llawer mwy diddorol na phenodau criw’r Ynyswyr yng Nghymru. Mewn ffordd, roedd y cymeriadau yma’n ‘spare parts’ wrth i’r brif stori symud ymlaen at Afallon. Yn bersonol, roeddwn i’n gweld y darn ar y cwch ym Mae Aberystwyth yn ddiflas, ac yn tynnu oddi ar y brif stori. Great White Sharks yn Abertyswyth? Rili?! Ddweda i ddim mwy. Yn sicr, hwn yw llyfr cryfaf y drioleg. Mae’r awdur yn llwyddo i blethu nifer o themâu aeddfed fel cariad, gwrthdaro, natur, cynaladwyedd, trais, sexism, gwleidyddiaeth, cam-drin a sawl un arall. Sgil yr awdur yw eu cynnwys yn rhan naturiol o’r stori, gan wneud sylwadau, yn hytrach na phregethu. Am ryw reswm dwi’n ffafrio diweddglo anhapus i stori - efallai mai fi sy’n od. Ond er y diweddglo ‘happy ever after’ mae Lleucu yn llwyddo i gloi’r drioleg yn effeithiol ac yn daclus, gan ateb y rhan fwyaf o’r cwestiynau a oeddem yn eu gofyn i ni’n hunain wrth i’r drioleg ddatblygu. Mae iaith y nofel yn heriol, waeth i mi fod yn onest. Roedd rhaid i mi ganolbwyntio dipyn wrth ddarllen. Dwi’n meddwl y byddai’n rhaid i ddarllenwr ifanc fod yn reit hyderus i fwynhau’r nofel yn llawn. Mae’n bosib ei fod yn llyfr a fyddai’n well ei astudio yn yr ysgol, o dan arweiniad athro/awes, gyda mwy o gyfle i drafod a gwneud synnwyr ohono. Afallon -The last novel in the ‘yma’ series by Lleucu Roberts. Afallon Island is a magical place in the West that is linked to legends about King Arthur. It is described as a country of evergreen youth, plenty and fertility. This book describes somewhere that is anything but that! This is a darker novel than the other two in the series, which contains elements that remind us of classics such as 1984 and Handmaid's Tale. A year has passed since the last novel, Anil is missing and no one say or do anything to cheer Cai up. The rest of the Islanders and the Niaid have by now learned to live together and can just about communicate. Bwmbwm, the former leader, has have been de-throned and is now portrayed as quite a pathetic character. The author discusses killing animals in a very matter of fact way. It is now a part of everyday life – they must hunt to live. In Chapter 5 there’s a graphic description of killing a young foal. The description shows us the difficult reality of life in Wales. I am pleased that Lleucu does not shy away from discussing natural things like death. From the point at which Gwawr is captured, the story switches between Wales and Afallon. We come to understand that there is a dark and sinister secret behind the pleasant facade of Afallon. It is by no means paradise! Anil is a slave and Gwawr faces spending the rest of her life in a cage. Afallon’s leader, ‘Y Llyw,’ is a complex and cruel man, who really believes what he is doing is right. In Afallon, they’ve somehow managed to hold on to technology. They use their solar planes to roam the globe looking for young, fertile girls in order to harvest their eggs to maintain the population. The ' farm ' reduces the girls to nothing more than chickens in battery cages. This is a dark concept and is extremely uncomfortable. It’s a shame that it was not explored further and made even darker. Despite everything that happened to her, I never felt that Gwawr was truly at risk. I wonder if an unhappy ending would have been more of a shock?! The chapters which took place in Afallon were much more interesting than those with the islanders back in Wales. In a way, these characters felt like 'spare parts ' as the main story progressed to Afallon. Personally, I found the bit on the boat in Aberystwyth Bay boring, and distracting from the main story. Great White Sharks in Aberystwyth? Really? C’mon! This is certainly the strongest entry in the trilogy. The author manages to bring in a number of mature themes such as love, conflict, nature, sustainability, violence, sexism, politics and domestic abuse amongst others. The author's true skill is to include them as a natural part of the story, making observations, rather than preaching. For some reason I prefer an unhappy ending to a story –perhaps it’s just me that's strange. But despite the happy ever after ending, Lleucu manages to bring the trilogy to a neat and effective end. The language of the novel is challenging, I may as well be honest. I had to concentrate quite a bit whilst reading. I think a younger reader would have to be quite confident to enjoy the novel in full. It may be a book that would be better suited to studying at school, led by a teacher, with more opportunity to discuss and make sense of it. BOX SET AVAILABLE £15

*Scroll down for English & comments* Wythnos wallgo gyda'r cwpwl o Decsas! A wacky week with the couple from Texas! Gwasg/publisher: Dref Wen Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £4.99 ISBN: 978-1-78423-135-4 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ❖ Doniol, hiwmor gwrion. Wacky humour. ★ ★ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ★ ★ Mae’r llyfr yma wedi dod yn syth allan o’r 90au! Dwi’m yn deud hynny mewn ffordd negyddol, ond mae’r llyfr yn union fel y llyfrau Cymraeg oeddwn i’n eu darllen pan oeddwn yn yr ysgol gynradd. (gan yr un awdur). Efallai nad yw Gwyn Morgan wedi cyrraedd yr uchelfannau ym myd awduron Cymraeg, a debyg na fyddai llawer yn ei enwi petawn i’n gofyn iddyn nhw restru awduron Cymraeg. Un peth sy’n sicr, mae o wedi bod yn gynhyrchiol iawn dros y blynyddoedd, gan ysgrifennu hen ffefrynnau y silffoedd ysgol fel Zac yn y Pac, Dannedd Gosod Ben, Jazz, Rwba Dwba, Abracadabra a sawl un arall. Mae’r diffyg buddsoddiad mewn llyfrau Cymraeg yn ein hysgolion yn golygu fod yr hen lyfrau yma’n sicr o fod o gwmpas hyd heddiw. Dyma lyfr newydd, sydd, fel rhan fwyaf o lyfrau Gwyn Morgan, wedi cael ei ddarlunio gan Dai Owen, sy’n ffrind da iddo. Dwi’n gallu adnabod gwaith yr arlunydd yma’n syth; mae ganddo steil unigryw sy’n cael ei alw’n Fast Reportage. Hynny ydi, tynnu brasluniau sydyn gyda beiro ac inc i gyfleu symudiadau a theimladau. Mae’r lluniau dros ben llestri yn ddoniol iawn ac yn rhan bwysig o’r stori. Mae’r darn efo pen-ôl Mam a’i blwmars yn siŵr o ennyn gwên neu chwerthiniad! Mae’r stori braidd yn random a deud y lleiaf. Doedd gen i ddim syniad i ble’r oedd yn mynd! Mae’r stori ar ffurf dyddiadur. Dyddiadur merch yw e, sef Sharon Llywelyn, sy’n byw gartref gyda’i thad, Terry, a’i Mam, Linda. Mae chwaer ei mam, (sy’n Fodryb i Sharon) wedi symud i America ac wedi priodi dyn Americanaidd. Stereotypical American o’r taleithiau deheuol. Mae’r llyfr yn adrodd hanes yr wythnos fythgofiadwy pan ddaeth y cwpl draw i aros gyda’r teulu. Mae’r ddau yn hollol nyts a Dad druan sy’n cael y bai pan mae pethau’n mynd o’i le! Tro cyntaf i mi ddarllen tud.8 roeddwn i wedi drysu’n llwyr, ond mi wnâi drio esbonio… Owa Rollercoaster yw’r dyn o Decsas, UDA a fo ydi ‘Dicsi’. Ei wraig yw Bopa Rollercoaster, sef ‘Tricsi.’ Dim ots faint o weithiau mae Mam yn trio cynllunio diwrnodau difyr di-stŵr i’r cwpl yn ystod eu gwyliau, mae rhywbeth yn siŵr o fynd o’i le – gyda chanlyniadau hileriys! Mae’r llyfr yn wirion bost. Os ‘da chi’m yn hoffi pethau wacky felna, nid hwn yw’r llyfr i chi! Darllen ysgafn, addas ar gyfer Bl.4 ymlaen faswn i’n deud. This book has come straight out of the 90s! I'm not saying that in a bad way, but the book is exactly like the sort of books that I was reading when I was in Primary school. (by the same author). Gwyn Morgan may not have reached the upper echelons of the Welsh book world, and many probably wouldn’t name him if I asked them to list Welsh-language writers. However, one thing is certain, he has been quietly productive over the years, working in the background. He wrote old school shelf favourites such as Zac yn y Pac, Danedd Gosod Ben, Jazz, Rwba Dwba, Abracadabra and many more…The lack of investment in new Welsh books in our schools means that these older books are sure to be still floating around. This is a new book, which, like most of Gwyn Morgan's books, has been illustrated by Chester-based artist, Dai Owen with whom the author is good friends. I can recognize this artist’s work straight away; he has an unique style called Fast reportage. This is a quick sketch method with pen and ink that conveys movements and feelings ‘in the moment’. The over the top drawings are funny and an important part of the story. The bit with Mum's bottom and bloomers on show is sure to get a laugh! The story is a bit random to say the least. I had no idea where it was going most of the time! It’s set in the form of a diary. It belongs to Sharon Llywelyn, who lives at home with her father, Terry, and her mother, Linda. Her mother's sister, (who is Sharon’s Aunt, of course) has moved to America and married an American man. An absolutely stereotypical Southern States American! The book tells the story of the unforgettable week when the couple came over to stay with the family. The two are completely nuts and Sharon’s poor father gets the blame when things go wrong! When I first read page.8 I was completely confused, but I will try to explain... Owa Rollercoaster is the man from Texas, USA and he is ' Dicsi '. His wife is Bopa Rollercoaster, a.k.a.' Tricsi. ' No matter how many times mum tries to plan fun outings for the couple during their holidays, something is sure to go wrong – with hilarious results! The book is silly, no doubt about it. If you don’t like wacky things like this, then this is not the book for you! It’s light-hearted reading, pure and simple. Suitable for Yrs.4 and above I’d say.

*Scroll down for English & comments* Antur yn oes y Celtiaid! Time-travel adventure with the Celts! Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £5.99 ISBN: 978-1-78461-744-8 Lefel her/Challenge Level: ❖ ❖ More text than one might expect, but the result is a richer story. ☆ ☆ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Mae’r bedwaredd stori yng nghyfres Cadi wedi glanio. Cadi a’r Celtiaid. Dwi’n tybio fod y teitl yn gliw i chi lle mae Cadi’n mynd ar yn antur yma! Yn ôl mewn amser… Mae Cadi’n ferch fach ddireidus, busneslyd, ond hoffus ar yr un pryd! Tro ‘ma, mae’r antur yn cychwyn wrth i Cadi, ei Mam a’i brawd fynd i gampio yn Sir Fôn. Mi fydd pobl yr ynys yn siŵr o ‘nabod y domen ar y clawr, sef Bryn Celli Ddu. Neolithic Burial chamber ydi o i mi, ond fel gwnes i ddysgu yn y llyfr, Ystafell Gladdu yn y Gymraeg! Ar ôl sleifio allan o’r dent yn fuan iawn, heb ganiatâd ei Mam, mae Cadi’n cael ei chludo gyda hud a lledrith i Oes y Celtiaid, i weld sut oedd bywyd adeg hynny. (Licio sut mae’r llyfr yn hollol ‘PC’, gan ein hatgoffa fod gwneud hyn yn beryglus go iawn! Cyfrifol iawn.) Ers i mi fod yn blentyn, dwi wedi breuddwydio am gael y gallu i fynd nôl mewn amser i weld y byd fel ac yr oedd... Dwi heb lwyddo eto! Mae Cadi’n cael cyfle i baratoi bwyd, i wneud gwaith metel A llwyddo i achub y pentref rhag y llwyth peryg drws nesa! Tipyn o gamp mewn cyn lleied o amser! Ar y daith, mae hi’n dysgu sgiliau pwysig fel canolbwyntio, dyfalbarhad ac yn sylwi pa mor anodd oedd bywyd heb bethau moethus modern! Dwi’n falch fod Bethan Gwanas heb wneud Cadi’n berffaith o’r cychwyn, a bod ganddi dal bethau i ddysgu/meistroli. Mae lluniau Janet Samuel yn hyfryd ac yn gweddu’r llyfr i’r dim. O ran y ‘sgwennu, oes, mae 'na dipyn go lew ohono. Ar ei blog personol, mae’r awdur yn esbonio fod hyn yn fwriadol. Doedd hi ddim isio’r llyfr allu cael ei orffen mewn un eisteddiad, ond yn hytrach ei fwynhau mewn tameidiau dros sawl noson. Dwi’n cytuno Bethan. Dechrau cael y plant i arfer gyda thestun hirach. Wrth gwrs, os oes darllenydd llai hyderus , yna digon hawdd yw mwynhau’r llyfr drwy gyd-ddarllen gydag oedolyn. Het athro ymlaen eto: mae’n stori dda ar gyfer dechrau uned o waith ar Oes y Celtiaid, ac yn sbardun efallai ar gyfer mynd ar drip bach i ardal Llanddaniel Fab! Ar ôl darllen am gadwyn Cadi, mi es i wneud ‘chydig o ‘googlio’ am ystyr y Drisgell. Roedd y rhif 3 yn bwysig i’r Celtiaid, ac yn ôl un gwefan diddorol… Possible meanings include: · Three stages of life: life, death, and rebirth · Three elements: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit · Three domains: earth, sea and sky, past, present and future. The fourth story in the Cadi series has landed. Cadi a’r Celtiaid [Cadi & Celts]. I suppose the title is a big clue for where Cadi is going on her next adventure! Back in time... Cadi is a nosey, mischievous little girl but most likeable! The adventure begins whilst Cadi, her mum and brother go camping in Anglesey. Island folk will no doubt be familiar with the mound on the cover, namely Bryn Celli Ddu, a Neolithic Burial Chamber. After sneaking out of the tent very early in the morning without her mum's permission, Cadi is transported back to the time of the Celts, to see what life was like at that time. (I like that the book remains totally ' PC 'by reminding us that doing this is really dangerous! Very responsible advice.) Since I was a child, I've dreamed of having the ability to go back in time to see the world as it once was... I haven't succeeded yet! Cadi has the opportunity to prepare food, do some metalwork and even finds time to save the village from the neighbouring tribe! Quite some feat in so little time! On the trip, she learns important skills such as concentration and perseverance. Good qualities for anybody to learn. She also realises how tough life used to be without modern luxuries! I'm glad that Bethan Gwanas has not made Cadi perfect from the start, and there are still things she needs to learn. Janet Samuels ' drawings are lovely and suit the book. As for the writing, well yes, it has quite a lot of text. On her personal blog, the author explains that this is deliberate. The book is not one to be rushed and finished in one sitting, but rather, enjoyed over several nights. I agree Bethan. Start getting the kids used to longer texts. Of course, should someone be a less confident reader, then it a good book to enjoy with an adult. Putting on my teacher hat again: It's a good story for starting an unit of work on the Celts and maybe even as a springboard for a small class outing to Llanddaniel Fab! After reading about Cadi’s necklace I went googling the meaning of the triskele symbol. The number 3 was important to the Celts, and according to one interesting website... Possible meanings include: · Three stages of life: life, death, and rebirth · Three elements: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit · Three domains: earth, sea and sky, past, present and future.

*Scroll down for English & comments* Antur gyda'r môr ladron... a Nain!! Pirate Adventure..with Gran! Gwasg/publisher: Gomer Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £5.99 ISBN: 978-1785623073 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ☆ ☆ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Dyma bartneriaeth newydd ffrwythlon rhwng awdur newydd, Llio Maddocks, a’r arlunydd, Aled Roberts. Mae Y Môr Leidr a Fi yn deillio o gyfnod yr awdur ar Gwrs Ysgrifennu a Darlunio i blant yng Nghanolfan Tŷ Newydd yn 2018. Dwi’n falch o weld bod Llio wedi bod yn brysur yn rhoi pin at bapur ers hynny. Y canlyniad yw llyfr gwreiddiol Cymraeg newydd i blant ifanc. Fel rhywun â dyfodd i fyny yng nghwmni Nain a Taid, dwi wrth fy modd gyda’r stori yma, sy’n sôn am fachgen yn mwynhau penwythnos llawn hwyl a sbri gyda’i gyfaill gorau, Nain. Ond nid Mam-gu hen ffasiwn, arferol mo hon, o na! Gredwch chi be? Mae Nain yn fôr-leidr! Mae’r stori yn dilyn anturiaethau llawn dychymyg Nain a’i ŵyr dros y penwythnos! Dwi’n licio’r ffordd mae nain yn defnyddio rolling pin fel cleddyf! Creadigol iawn! Dwi’n siŵr na fydd o eisiau mynd yn ôl at ei rieni ar ôl cael gymaint o hwyl efo Nain. Nabod y teimlad. Mae’r llyfr yn lliwgar dros ben gyda lluniau clir a diddorol. Grêt i rieni neu athrawon drafod y lluniau gyda’r plant. Mae’r ffaith fod y llyfr ar ffurf penillion bach doniol sy’n odli yn wych. Syniad da. Ffordd syml o ddechrau cyflwyno odli i blant ifanc drwy sôn am eiriau sy’n swnio’n debyg. Llyfr gwych i blant ifanc gyd-ddarllen ag oedolyn. This is a fruitful new partnership between writer, Llio Maddocks, and the artist, Aled Roberts. The book Y Môr Leidr and Fi is what resulted from the author's time at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre on a writing and illustration for children course in 2018. I'm glad to see that Llio has been busy putting pen to paper since then. The outcome, a brand-new original Welsh storybook for young children. As someone who is very close to my grandparents, I love this story. It sees the boy spending a fun-filled weekend with his close friend, Nain. This is not your average, old-fashioned grandmother, oh no! Would you believe? Nain is a pirate! I like the way grandma uses her rolling pin as a sword! Very creative! I'm sure the young lad won't want to go back to his parents after having so much fun with Nain. The book is very colourful with clear and interesting pictures. Great for parents or teachers to discuss the pictures with children. The fact that the book comprises of small, funny rhyming verses is great. What a good idea. It’s a simple way to start introducing rhyme to young children by talking about words that sound similar. A great book for young children to read with an adult.

*Scroll Down for English & comments* 2140. Aberystwyth, Cymru. The year 2140. Aberystwyth, Wales. Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd: 2018 Pris: £6.99 ISBN: 978-1-78461-653-3 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ❖ ❖ ☆ ☆ Cymraeg Gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Geirfa anodd. Mwy addas i ddarllenwr hyderus. Some challenging vocabulary, best suited for confident reader. Hadau. Hwn yw’r ail lyfr yn y drioleg ‘Yma’ gan Lleucu Roberts ar gyfer pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau. Mae’n dilyn ymlaen yn syth o’r nofel gyntaf - mae’r criw anturus wedi cyrraedd Aberystwyth bellach ac wedi darganfod nad ydyn nhw ar ben eu hunain... Mae ‘na recap sydyn os na wnaethoch ddarllen yr un gyntaf. Yn fuan iawn rydym ni’n cael ein cyflwyno i gymeriad newydd, sef Anil. Mae o’n un o’r bobl frodorol sydd yn byw yn yr ardal, sef y Ni. Drwy’r nofel rydym ni’n cael nifer o gliwiau yma ag acw am hanes Anil ac rydym ni’n dod i wybod fod o’n wahanol i weddill ei bobl. Mae un o’i bobl yn cyfeirio ato fel ‘not-peth’. Er bod bomiau niwclear wedi chwalu popeth cyfarwydd ar y ddaear, mae rhagfarn a chasineb yn dal i barhau yn amlwg. Rydym ni’n dod i ddeall fod Anil yn hermaphrodite. Hynny yw, dydi o ddim yn ‘fo’ nag yn ‘hi’, ac y ddau ar yr un pryd. (bosib fod y llygredd niwclear wedi achosi hyn) Er bod o’n rhan o’r llwyth, mae geiriau creulon yn dal i’w frifo a tydi ei bobl ddim cweit wedi ei dderbyn fel person ‘normal’, os oes fath beth! Dwi’n meddwl fod y penderfyniad gan yr awdur i wneud Anil yn wahanol iawn yn un da - mae’n sicr yn gwneud i ni feddwl. Mae’n rhaid i’r ynyswyr ddysgu cyd fyw gyda’r ‘Niaid’ ac mae hynny’n anodd o ystyried fod yna broblemau cyfathrebu ieithyddol. (cewch weld yn y nofel!) Heblaw’r ffaith eu bod nhw’n addoli llygod mawr, mae ‘bos’ y Ni yn deyrn, ac yn unigolyn ‘anodd’. Mae ei dymer drwg a’i gymeriad ansefydlog yn peri perygl i fywyd Cai. (Dwi’m yn keen ar yr enw, Bwmbwm,- dipyn bach yn crinji efallai!) Y brif stori yn y nofel yw’r ynyswyr yn dysgu (yn raddol) i gyd-fyw gyda’r Niaid. Mae gan y ddwy bobl lawer i ddysgu oddi wrth ei gilydd, fel hela. Rŵan ta, os ydych chi’n ffans o gŵn, dwi’m yn meddwl byddwch chi’n rhy hapus hefo Lleucu! Rhybudd! Oes, mae ‘na lawer o sôn am hela a bwyta cŵn yn y llyfr yma! Does dim Tescos bellach, cofiwch! Dros eu cyfnod yng Nghymru, mae perthynas Cai a Gwawr yn newid. Yn y nofel gyntaf, roeddwn i’n rhagweld perthynas rhamantus yn datblygu rhwng y ddau, ond mae pethau wedi newid. Drwy gwrs y nofel, mae Cai yn dod yn agosáu at Anil ac mae hyn yn creu problem rhwng y tri. Dipyn o love triangle yn fanna. Difyr. Reit ar ddiwedd y nofel, mae 'na rywbeth mawr yn digwydd sy’n troi bywyd Cai wyneb i waered. Bydd rhaid disgwyl tan y nofel nesaf i gael mwy o atebion am hyn... Mae Hadau yn welliant mawr ar y nofel gyntaf ac mae 'na lawer mwy yn digwydd yn hon. Dwi’n hoff o’r disgrifiadau o adeiladau - mae’n ddiddorol ond yn anodd dychmygu cyflwr popeth ar ôl cymaint o amser. Dwi’n cysylltu hadau gyda bywyd newydd a dwi’n meddwl mai bwriad yr awdur ydi dangos fod yna fymryn o obaith mewn dyfodol mor galed a llwm. O ran y darllen, mae’r iaith ysgrifenedig Lleucu Roberts yn heriol iawn ar adegau, ac roedd rhaid ail ddarllen darnau i wneud synnwyr o eiriau anghyfarwydd. Fodd bynnag, mae’r stori ddiddorol yn werth yr ymdrech. Hadau. This is the second book in the ‘Yma’ trilogy by Lleucu Roberts for teenagers. It follows on directly from the first novel- the adventurous crew have now arrived in Aberystwyth and discovered they are not alone... There is a quick recap for those who didn’t read the first one. Very early on we are introduced to a new character, Anil. He is one of the indigenous people living in the area, called Y Ni [Us]. Throughout the novel we get a few clues here and there about Anil’s backstory, and we come to realize that he differs from the rest of his people. One of them refers to him as a ' not thing'. Even though nuclear bombs have destroyed everything familiar on earth, it seems that human prejudice and hatred still remain evident. We come to understand that Anil is likely a hermaphrodite. That is, not quite a ‘he’ or a ‘she’, and possibly both at the same time. (this deformity may be as a result of the nuclear pollution) Although he is part of the tribe, cruel words still hurt him and his people have yet to fully accept him as a ' normal ' person, if there is such a thing! I think the decision by the author to make Anil very different is a good one-it certainly makes us think. The Islanders must learn to live with the ' Niaid ' and that is difficult given that there are linguistic and communication issues. (You’ll see in the novel!) As well as the fact that they worship rats, they are governed by an unstable tyrant. His unstable temperament poses a real danger to Cai's life. (I'm not keen on the name, Bwmbwm. A little cringe, but that’s just me!) The main story arc of the novel is the Islanders gradually learning to co-exist with the locals. The two peoples have a lot to learn from each other, like hunting. Now, if you like dogs, I don’t think you'll be too impressed with Lleucu! Warning! Yes, there are numerous references to the hunting, butchering and eating of dogs in this book! It’s done in a very matter-of-fact way. Well, come on, there are no Tescos anymore, remember! During their time in Wales, the relationship between Cai and Gwawr is changing. In the first novel, I envisioned a romantic relationship developing between the two, but things have changed. Through the course of the novel, Cai grows closer to Anil and this creates a problem between the three. We have ourselves a bit of a love triangle here. Interesting. Right at the end of the novel, something big happens that turns Cai’s new life upside down. You'll have to wait until the next novel to get more answers about this... Hadau is a big improvement on the first novel and has a lot more going on. I like the descriptions of the ruined buildings-it's interesting but difficult to imagine the state of everything after so long. I associate seeds with new life and I think the author's intention is to show that there is some hope in this tough and bleak future. In terms of reading, the written language Lleucu Roberts uses is very challenging at times, and I had to re-read bits to make sense of unfamiliar words. However, the gripping story is worth the effort. A book for the confident reader for sure. Read more from the author, as she discusses the trilogy at: https://parallel.cymru/lleucu-roberts-yr-ynys-hadau-afallon/?lang=en

*Scroll down for English & comments* Antur arall ar y carped hud i Goedwig y Tylluanod. Another adventure to the magic forest. Gwasg/publisher: Gomer Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2017 Pris: £5.99 ISBN: 978-1-78562-100-0 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ✩ ✩ Cymraeg Gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ✩ ✩ Iaith digon syml, a llyfr efo graffeg diddorol Simple enough language, with interesting graphics Dyma’r ail lyfr yn nhrioleg hynod o boblogaidd Dosbarth Miss Prydderch gan Mererid Hopwood! Mae hi wedi bod yn brysur iawn dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf achos erbyn hyn mae ‘na chwe theitl yn y gyfres! Hwn yw’r ail lyfr yn y drioleg gyntaf ac mae’n parhau yn syth o’r nofel ddiwethaf. Dydi hi ddim yn angenrheidiol eich bod chi wedi darllen yr un cyntaf ond mae’r awdur yn awgrymu hyn yn gryf. Yn fras, mae Miss Prydderch wedi troi allan i fod yn athrawes arbennig iawn! Mae hi’n gallu tywys y dosbarth i lefydd anhygoel, fel Coedwig y Tylluanod, ar ei charped hud. Ar ddiwedd y nofel ddiwethaf, mae ein prif gymeriad, Alfred, ar goll yn y goedwig, achos mae’r ‘badi’, Dr Wg ab Lin, wedi ei herwgipio! Mae Wg ab Lin yn fy atgoffa o Kaa, y neidr seimllyd o Jungle Book sy’n trio twyllo Mowgli! Yn yr antur yma, mae’n rhaid i Alfred ddianc o afael y sarff slei, achub ei ffrind gorau Elen Benfelen, cyrraedd yn ôl i’r ysgol mewn un darn a helpu i rwystro Ysgol y Garn rhag cael ei gau! Mae dipyn yn mynd ymlaen yn y stori yma i gadw sylw’r darllenydd. Dwi’n hoffi’r ffaith fod 'na fwy nag un stori’n mynd ymlaen yma. Mae gennych chi antur Dosbarth Blwyddyn 6 yn y goedwig, wrth iddyn nhw frwydro yn erbyn y neidr er mwyn helpu’r anifeiliaid gael eu lleisiau’n ôl. Rhwng y stori yma, mae 'na is-stori yn mynd ymlaen yn y byd go-iawn. Mae’r ‘awdurdodau’ (gair pwysig, ond swnio’n ominous!) yn trio cau ysgol y Garn oherwydd bod niferoedd yn lleihau. Mae ‘na ddwy frwydr yma: y frwydr i achub y goedwig rhag Dr Wg ab Lin a’r frwydr i stopio’r Cyngor rhag gau’r ysgol. Mae clywed y ddau hanes yn cadw pethau’n ddifyr drwy gydol y llyfr. Mae gan Mererid Hopwood ffordd hyfryd o egluro teimladau anodd eu trafod yn syml ac mewn modd sy’n ddealladwy i blant. Gall yr awdur wneud hwn yn effeithiol heb dreulio gormod o amser arno cyn mynd yn ôl at y stori. (Gweler esiampl) Mae’r llyfr yn gorffen ar cliffhanger sy’n cadw ni ar bigau’r drain isio gwybod beth sy’n mynd i ddigwydd nesaf. Mae'r awdur yn ein herio i brynu'r llyfr nesaf i ffeindio allan! O ran sut mae’r llyfr yn edrych, dwi’n hoffi fod 'na ddim gormod o ysgrifen ar bob tudalen, ac mae’r penodau’n eithaf byr. Mae 'na sgwigls yn dod allan o eiriau er mwyn esbonio rhai geiriau (sy’n syniad brilliant rhaid ‘mi ddeud) ac mae 'na weithgareddau ar-lein i gyd fynd â’r llyfr. Os ydych chi’n dysgu Cymraeg, neu’n ddihyder yn darllen llyfrau Cymraeg, mae’r stori’n ddiddorol ac mae’r iaith yn ddigon syml i chi allu deall a mwynhau’r stori. (dim byd gwaeth nag iaith or-gymhleth sy’n sbwylio llif y darllen!) Ymlaen i nofel rhif 3!!! This is the second book in the hugely popular trilogy Dosbarth Miss Prydderch by Mererid Hopwood. She has been very productive lately because there are now six titles in the series! It is the second book of the first trilogy and continues straight from the last novel. It is not necessary that you have read the first one as there is a brief re-cap but the author strongly advises this. In broad terms, Miss Prydderch has turned out to be a very special teacher! She is able to take the class to some amazing places, such as Coedwig y Tylluanod (forest of the owls) on her magic carpet. At the end of the last novel, our main character, Alfred, is missing in the woods, because the bad guy, Dr. Wg ab Lin, has kidnapped him! Wg Ab Lin reminds me of Kaa, the seedy snake from Jungle Book who tries to trick Mowgli. In this adventure, Alfred has to get out of the grip of the evil snake; save his best friend Elen Benfelen; arrive back to school safely and help prevent the closure of Ysgol Y Garn! As you can see, there’s quite a lot going on in this story to keep the reader's attention. I like the fact that there is more than one story going on here. You have the main Year 6 class adventure in the woods, as they fight the snake in order to help the forest creatures get their voices back. Between this story, another sub-story is going on back in the real world. The ' authorities ' (an important word, but sounds ominous!) are trying to close the school because numbers are falling. There are two battles here: the battle to save the forest from Dr. Wg ab Lin and the fight to stop the council closing the school. The two stories intertwined keeps things interesting. Mererid Hopwood has a lovely way with words to explain difficult feelings in an easy to understand manner. The author does this effectively without dwelling too much on it before going back to the story. The book ends on a cliffhanger that keeps us on edge wanting to know what is going to happen next. She teases us at the end by telling us we’ll have to buy the next book to find out! In terms of how the text looks, I like that there’s not too much writing on every page, and the chapters are quite short. There are squiggles coming out of words to explain some meanings (which is a brilliant idea I have to say) and online activities to compliment the book. If you are learning Welsh, or lack confidence in reading Welsh books, the story is interesting and the language is simple enough for you to be able to understand and enjoy the story. (Nothing worse than overly complex language that stops the flow of reading!) Onwards to novel No.3!!!

*Scroll down for English & comments* Llyfr sy'n byrstio â ffeithiau am Gymru. Book bursting with fun facts about Wales. Gwasg/publisher: Rily Publications Cyhoeddwyd/released: Hydref 2018 Pris: £12.99 ISBN: 978-1849670548 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ☆ ☆ Gwreiddiol Cymraeg - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ *Welsh & English versions available* Mi faswn i wedi bod wrth fy modd gyda llyfr fel hwn pan oeddwn yn yr ysgol. Bydd hwn yn apelio at gynulleidfa eang, ond yn enwedig pobl sy’n hoffi darllen llyfrau ffeithiol yn lle rhai stori. Mae Elin Meek yn amlwg wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed ar y prosiect yma, ac mae Cymru ar y Map, ynghyd a’r fersiwn Saesneg, Wales on the Map, wedi bod yn un o werthwyr gorau 2018/19. Mae o fel encyclopaedia ac atlas wedi cael eu cyfuno ac mae’n byrstio, YN BYRSTIO, gyda ffeithiau diwylliannol, hanesyddol a daearyddol diddorol o bob math am wahanol ardaloedd o Gymru. Cyfle da i rhywun sy’n newydd i Gymru ddysgu ‘chydig am ein gwlad anhygoel! (mae geiriau’r anthem ar y clawr = hynny’n bwysig!) Mae Valériane Leblond hefyd wedi bod yn brysur yn darlunio, ac mae’n llyfr wirioneddol hardd. Tybiaf fod na gymaint o ymdrech wedi mynd i mewn i’r lluniau a sydd wedi bod i ysgrifennu’r llyfr! Mae’n llyfr mawr, clawr caled sy’n teimlo fel llyfr o ansawdd da ac maen gweddu’r math yma o lyfr ffeithiau. I gychwyn, ceir ffeithiau cyffredinol am Gymru, cyn i’r llyfr symud at dudalen ddwbl o ffeithiau ar gyfer pob Sir yn Nghymru. Yn olaf, mae na adrannau unigol ar gyfer Celfyddydau, Chwaraeon, Byd Natur, bwyd a phethau amgylcheddol o dan deitl gofalu am ein gwlad. Mae’r darn ‘dyddiadau pwysig’ ar ffurf calendr syml yn handi iawn hefyd. Mae’r nifer o ffeithiau sydd rhwng dau glawr y llyfr yma’n rhyfeddol. Mae’n siŵr y bu’r awdur wrthi am oes yn casglu’r holl wybodaeth. Mae ‘na rai ffeithiau/atyniadau pwysig dwi’n teimlo sydd ar goll mewn ambell i le, ond dwi’n cydnabod fod hi’n amhosib cynnwys pob dim! Oeddech chi’n gwybod mae yn Sir Conwy (lle rwy’n byw) y mae’r canran uchaf yng Nghymru o bobl hŷn, dros 65 oed yn byw? Bydd pobl yn mwynhau chwilio am y tudalennau am eu hardal nhw, yn mwynhau’r cyfarwydd ond hefyd o bosib yn dysgu ffeithiau newydd am eu milltir sgwâr. Diddorol hefyd yw darllen am ardaloedd gwahanol llai cyfarwydd. Dwi’n gallu gweld sawl teulu yn defnyddio’r llyfr fel sbardun trafodaeth a dwi’n siŵr gall sawl gwyliau neu drip deuluol ddeillio o fynd i weld rhai o’r pethau sydd yn y llyfr yma. Ar ôl gweld Traphont Pontcysyllte (o dan Sir Wrecsam) dwi’n benderfynol fy mod i’n mynd i deithio arno mewn cwch gamlas yn 2020! Dwi hefyd wedi rhoi taith i Pistyll Rhaeadr i mewn yn y dyddiadur! Mae ‘na oriau o waith darllen yn y llyfr yma a dwi’n siŵr fod na rhywbeth newydd i bawb ddysgu. Hwn yw’r llyfr perffaith i basio’r amser ar siwrneiau car hir! Mae na becyn ar gael sy’n cynnwys y llyfr, yn ogystal â llyfr cwis a lyfr gweithgaredd hefyd! Mae’r amrywiaeth eang o ffeithiau’n siŵr o olygu fod na rhywbeth at ddant pawb. Mae na bosteri a gêm fwrdd cwestiwn ag ateb i gyd fynd â’r llyfr. Os dwi’n rhoi fy het athro ymlaen, mae ‘na bosibiliadau di-ri i ddefnyddio’r llyfrau yma yn y dosbarth. (mae pecyn ysgolion ar gael sy’n cynnwys mwy nag un copi) ar gyfer gwaith grŵp. Byddai’n llyfr da ar gyfer gwaith darllen grŵp, yn enwedig gyda darllenwyr amharod neu ansicr. Gellir chwarae cystadlaethau chwilio am ffeithiau neu defnyddio’r darn fel sbardun i wneud ymchwil pellach. Mae’n sicr o gyd-fynd a nifer o themâu ysgolion ac mae darganfod mwy am Gymru’n taro nifer o nodweddion y Siarter Iaith/Cymraeg Campus. Mi faswn i’n hoffi gweld copis o’r llyfr yma ym mhob ysgol yng Nghymru. (Llywodraeth Cymru – da chi’n gwrando…?!!?) Enillydd haeddiannol Gwobr Tir na n-Og 2019! Mi fydd hwn yn lyfr poblogaidd am flynyddoedd i ddod. I’d have been delighted with a book like this when I was at school. This will appeal to a wide audience, but especially to people who prefer to read factual books over storybooks. Elin Meek has clearly been working hard on this project, and Cymru ar y Map, together with the English version, Wales on the map, has been one of the top sellers of 2018/19. It's like encyclopaedia and Atlas have been combined and it is bursting, I say bursting, with fascinating cultural, historical and geographical facts of all sorts about different areas of Wales. A good opportunity for someone new to Wales to learn about our amazing country! (The national anthem's words are on the cover – very important!) Valériane Leblond has also been busy drawing, and what we get as a result is a truly beautiful book. As much effort has gone into the artwork as there is in writing the book! It’s a big book, with a hardback cover that feels of good quality and somehow suits this kind of fact book. Initially, there are general facts about Wales, before the book moves to a double page spread of facts about each county in Wales. Finally, there are individual sections for arts, sports, nature, food and environmental things. The ' important dates ' piece in a simple calendar format is also very handy. The many facts between the two covers of this book are amazing. The author has been busy collecting all the information. There are some important facts/attractions I feel are missing in some places, but I recognise that it is impossible to include everything! Did you know that Conwy County (where I live) has the highest percentage of elderly people, over the age of 65 in Wales? People will enjoy searching for the pages on their local area, enjoying the familiar but also possibly learning new facts about their own backyard. It is also interesting to read about different, less familiar areas. I can see some families using the book as a stimulus for discussion and I'm sure many family outings could result from this book. Having seen the Pontcysyllte Viaduct (under Wrexham County) I am determined that I’m going to travel over it in a canal boat in 2020! I've also put in a trip to Rhaeadr Pistyll in the diary! There are hours’ worth of reading in this book and I'm sure there's something new for everyone to learn. This is the perfect book to pass the time on long car journeys! There's a pack which contains the book, as well as a quiz book and activity book too! The wide variety of facts will surely have something to everyone's liking. The book has been accompanied by posters and a Q&A board game. If I am putting my teacher hat on, there are countless possibilities to use these books in class. (a school’s pack containing multiple copies) is available for group work. It would be a good book for group reading, especially with reluctant or insecure readers. Fact-search competitions can be played or the piece used as a springboard to undertake further research. It is bound to go well with a number of school topics and finding out more about Wales hits a number of targets within Siarter Iaith and Cymraeg Campus. I would like to see copies of this made available to all schools in Wales. (Welsh Government – are you listening?!?) This highly deserving Tir na n-Og 2019 winner will surely be a popular book for years to come.

*Scroll down for English & comments* Mae rhywun - neu rhywbeth - yn ei dilyn. Someone - or something - is following her. Gwasg: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2013, 2017 Pris: £4.95 ISBN: 978-1-84771-680-4 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ❖ ❗ Darnau ofnus, some scary parts ☆ ☆ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh original ☆ ☆ Heb os, y diweddar Gareth F. Williams yw fy hoff awdur Cymraeg hyd yma. Dwi’n gweithio fy ffordd drwy ei lyfrau ac mae gen i dipyn o ffordd i fynd! Yn wreiddiol, cafodd Hwdi ei ryddhau yn 2013 ond dwi’n falch o weld y cafodd y gyfres Mellt (nofelau cyffrous wedi eu hanelu at ddarllenwyr 11-14 oed) ei hail rhyddhau yn 2017. Os nad yw’r clawr wedi gwneud hi’n hollol amlwg i chi – llyfr arswyd pur yw Hwdi a dim byd arall. Dwi o’r farn fod cael eich dychryn yn beth da – hyd yn oed i blant – ac mae’r llyfr yma’n sicr yn gwneud hynny. Tydi’r awdur ddim wedi dal dim yn ôl. Ydych chi erioed wedi clywed am y ffilm The Grudge? Dwi’n dweud dim mwy… Mae Lois Evans, sy’n bymtheg oed, wedi symud i’r pentref gyda’i Mam, Buddug, ar ôl i’w rhieni wahanu. Mae Mam Lois wedi troi at y gwin ers iddi golli ei busnes, ei bywoliaeth, a’i phriodas ar yr yn pryd. Mae yfed Buddug yn creu problem rhwng y Fam a’r Ferch. Dwi’n hoff o’r ffordd mae’r awdur yn plethu themâu cyfarwydd fel ysgaru a trio ffitio i mewn yn yr ysgol i mewn i nofel arswyd. Dwi’n siŵr fydd nifer o ddarllenwyr yn gallu uniaethu gyda Lois, sydd yng nghanol y ffraeo. Mae rhai o’r cyfeiriadau poblogaidd yn y nofel yn dechrau dangos eu hoed (e.e. Twilight) ond nid yw hyn yn amharu ar y stori. Gan mai hi yw’r “hogan newydd” mae Lois yn ffeindio hi’n anodd gwneud ffrindiau yn yr ysgol, ac mae Siân, Ifan a Marc yn tueddu i feddwl ei bod hi chydig bach yn weird oherwydd ei hymddygiad od. Cafodd hi ei gweld yn cerdded yn frysiog gan edrych o’i chwmpas fel petai rhywun – neu rhywbeth – yn ei dilyn. Er fod Lois yn ceisio dweud wrth ei hun fod popeth yn iawn, mae pobl eraill yn dechrau sylwi ar ‘rhywun’ mewn Hwdi yn loetran o gwmpas y stryd, a does neb all ddadlau fod yna rhyw deimlad annifyr yn nhŷ Lois. Mae ‘na bethau rhyfedd yn mynd ymlaen. Tydi pethau ddim cweit yn iawn... Mae’r stori yn cyflwyno’r cymeriadau ac mi ydan ni’n cael ‘chydig o gefndir ond tydi pethau ddim wirioneddol yn dechrau digwydd tan ganol y nofel. Mae’r awdur yn creu nifer o gwestiynau ac rydym ar bigau’r drain eisiau atebion iddynt. Wrth i’r nofel nesáu at y diwedd, mae’r arswyd yn cynyddu. Dwi’n gaddo y cewch chi deimlad anesmwyth iawn wrth ddarllen. Mae’r stori yn hynod o creepy. Ceir diweddglo annisgwyl iawn, sy’n dreisgar ac yn wirioneddol frawychus. Dwi’n falch fod ‘na lamp yn agos achos mi oedd gen i dipyn o ofn - fi, rhywun 28 oed, heb sôn am blentyn! Weithiau, mae awduron hŷn sy’n trio ysgrifennu fel plant yn eu harddegau yn swnio’n annaturiol ac yn ffals, ond dawn yr awdur yw ei fod yn dallt yn iawn sut mae pobl ifanc yn siarad ac yn meddwl, gan hyd yn oed gynnwys y rhegi! Mae’r stori yma’n cael 9 allan o 10 gen i ac maen ffefryn personol. Rhowch gynnig arni, os ‘dach chi’m yn ormod o fabi! Undoubtedly, the late Gareth F. Williams is my favourite Welsh author so far. I am working my way through his books and I've got some way to go! Originally, Hwdi was released in 2013 but I am pleased to see that the Mellt series (exciting novels aimed at 11-14 year-old readers) was re-released in 2017. The cover may have had you thinking that this would be a book about gangs or teenagers going off the rails, but be under no illusions – Hwdi is pure horror and nothing else. I think being scared is a good thing – even for children – and this book certainly does that. The author has not held back. Have you ever heard of the film the Grudge? I’ll say no more. Fifteen-year-old Lois Evans has moved to the village with her mother, Buddug, after her parents divorced. Lois’ mother has turned to the bottle since she lost her business, her livelihood, and her marriage. Buddug's drinking poses a problem between mother and daughter. I like the way the author interweaves familiar themes such as divorce and trying to fit in at school into a horror novel. I'm sure many readers will be able to identify with Lois, who is caught is in the middle of her two parents. Some of the popular references in the novel are now beginning to show their age (e.g. Twilight) but this does not impact on the story. As she is the "new girl," Lois finds it difficult to make friends at school. Siân, Ifan and Marc tend to think she is a little bit weird because of her strange behaviour. She was seen walking hastily and looking back as if someone – or something – was following her. Although Lois tries to convince herself that everything is fine, other people are beginning to notice ' somebody ' in a hoody hanging around the street, and no one can deny that there is an uneasy feeling in Lois’s house. There are strange things going on and things are not OK…. The story introduces us to several characters and we get some snippets of background information but things don't really start happening until the middle of the novel. The author poses a number of questions with the strange goings-on and we are left desperate for some answers. As the novel approaches the end, the horror increases. I can promise that you’ll feel very uncomfortable whilst reading. I got the shivers. The story is remarkably creepy. There is a very unexpected ending; rather violent and truly scary. I'm glad there was a lamp close to hand because I was quite scared, and I’m 28!! Some older writers who try to write like teenagers sometimes sound artificial and false, but this author has always been skilled in this area. He knows how young people talk and think, and even includes some swearing! This story gets 9 out of 10 from me and I consider it personal favourite. Try it out, if you’re not too much of a scaredy cat!

*Scroll down for English & comments* Antur Nadoligaidd gyda'r lygoden fach hoffus! Christmas adventure with this likeable little mouse. Gwasg/publisher: Carreg Gwalch Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £4.95 ISBN: 978-1-84527-715-4 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ Addas i blant ifanc ond efallai bydd angen help oedolyn. Suitable for very young readers but may need an adult to read. ☆ ☆ Cymraeg Gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Dyma’r drydedd nofel yng nghyfres Tomos: Llygoden y Theatr. Llygoden fach hapus a hoffus yw Tomos sy’n meddwl mwy am helpu eraill nac ydi o am ei hun. Mae’r stori yn cychwyn yn y theatr, yn dilyn perfformiad blynyddol y Panto ‘Dolig. Mae’r cast a’r staff i gyd yn mynd adref at eu teuluoedd dros yr Ŵyl, heblaw am Mr Noel, y gofalwr. Ar ôl siarad gyda fo, mae Tomos wedi dychryn i feddwl y bydd ei ffrind yn treulio’r Nadolig ar ben ei hun, heb deulu na ffrindiau. Mae Tomos yn cael syniad ac yn penderfynu cuddio ym mhoced Mr Noel fel ei fod yn gallu rhoi sypreis iddo ar fore Nadolig a threulio’r diwrnod gyda fo a’i gi. Dydi Tomos ddim yn gwybod fod gan Mr Noel gynlluniau eraill ac mae’r ddau yn mynd ar antur anhygoel gyda neb llai na…. Siôn Corn!!! Mae hwn yn llyfr clawr meddal hynod o ddel gyda lluniau ciwt, hardd gan Leri Tecwyn. Mae cyfuniad o ddywediadau o’r Gogledd a’r De ac mae digon o gyfleoedd i rieni sy’n darllen y llyfr wneud lleisiau gwahanol i ddod a’r stori’n fyw. Dwi’n cytuno gyda Bethan Gwanas, y byddai golygu gwell (mwy o dorri) wedi bod yn syniad da. Tybed os allwch ffeindio’r camgymeriad printio yn y llyfr? Efallai fod y llyfr wedi cael ei ruthro braidd er mwyn ei ryddhau erbyn y Nadolig. Ta waeth, mae’r prif gymeriad, Tomos, yn gosod esiampl dda iawn i blant am sut i ymddwyn ac maen braf darllen am garedigrwydd Tomos at ei ffrindiau, mewn byd sy’n llawn casineb. Dwi’n meddwl y byddwch chi’n gwenu i chi’ch hunain wrth ddarllen hon. Ar ddiwedd y llyfr, mae’r awduron hefyd yn gado y byddwn yn clywed eto gan Tomos ar anturiaethau pellach… This is the third novel in the Tomos: Llygoden y Theatr series. Tomos is a happy and likeable little mouse who thinks more about helping others than himself. This story begins in the theatre, following the annual Christmas Pantomime. The cast and staff all go home to their families over the holidays, with the exception of Mr Noel, the caretaker. After talking to him, Tomos is shocked to learn that his friend will spend Christmas on his own, without family or friends. Tomos gets a big idea and decides upon hiding in Mr Noel's coat pocket so he can give him a surprise on Christmas morning and spend the day with him and his dog. What Tomos doesn't know is that Mr Noel has other plans for Christmas Eve. Unexpectedly, they both end up going on an adventure with the man himself…. Father Christmas! This is an elegant soft-cover book with cute, beautiful drawings by Leri Tecwyn. There are combinations of phrases from North and South Walian dialects and there are plenty of opportunities for parents who read the book to make different voices to make the story come alive. I agree with Bethan Gwanas, that better editing (some bits could be further cut) would have improved the book. I wonder if you can find the typo in the book? I get the distinct feeling the book may have been slightly rushed in order to release it by Christmas. Despite this, the main character, Tomos, sets a very good example for children about how to behave and is a joy to read about his kindness to his friends, in a world that is full of hatred. I think you will smile to yourself whilst reading this. At the end of the book, the authors promise that we will hear again from Tomos in future adventures…

*Scroll down for English & comments* Antur ôl-apocalytpig yn yr Arctig Post-apocalyptic adventure in the Arctic Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2017 Pris: £5.99 ISBN: 978-1784615031 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ ❖ ❖ ☆ ☆ Cymraeg gwreiddiol - Welsh Original ☆ ☆ Rai blynyddoedd yn ôl, dwi’n cofio gwylio cyfres deledu horror psychological thriller o’r enw ‘Fortitude’ ar Sky Atlantic. Lleoliad hwn oedd rhywle yn Svalbard, sef ynysoedd yn yr Arctig. Dwi’n cofio cael fy syfrdanu wrth weld y lleoliad oer, llwm ac anghysbell yma, a oedd hefyd mor ryfeddol. Dwi’n cofio dweud wrthaf i fy hun bryd hynny, ‘dwi AM weld fanna go iawn rhyw ddiwrnod.’ Yn anffodus, dwi dal heb fod yno eto, ond dyma lle mae’r llyfr yma’n cychwyn. Dylai’r clawr ffantastig roi blas i chi o sut le yw Ynys Spitsbergen. Yr Ynys yw’r llyfr cyntaf yn nhrioleg ‘Yma’ gan Lleucu Roberts (awdur profiadol sydd wedi ennill nifer o wobrau), ac fe gomisiynwyd y gyfres hon ar gyfer plant yn eu harddegau hŷn. Roedd y prif destun, sef dyfodol ôl-apocalyptig, yn cydio ynof yn syth. Y flwyddyn yw 2140. Yn 2030 bu bron i holl fywyd ar y ddaear ddod i ben oherwydd y bomiau niwclear ond llwyddodd 49 (ia – dim ond 49!!) o bobl i oroesi o dan ddaear yn yr Arctig bell. Maen nhw wedi sefydlu cymdeithas fechan yno ac mae hi’n frwydr ddyddiol i oroesi heb nifer o’r eitemau pob dydd rydan ni’n eu cymryd yn ganiataol. Mae ‘technoleg’ i bob pwrpas wedi cael ei ddinistrio’n llwyr ac mae rhaid i ddynol ryw dechrau o’r dechrau. Back to basics go iawn. Rwân, dwi am fod yn onest; does na ddim llwyth o action yn y llyfr yma. Prif waith y llyfr cyntaf yw sefydlu’r sefyllfa a’r cymeriadau. Mae’r llyfr yn ymroi’n llwyr i wneud hyn a dwi’n teimlo ei fod wedi llwyddo. Yn fy marn i, mae’n hynod bwysig i gymryd yr amser i greu cymeriadau y gallwn uniaethu â nhw, a rhai rydym yn mynd i falio amdanynt. Yn driw i’r gynulleidfa darged, rydym yn dilyn dau ffrind 15 oed, sef Gwawr a Cai. Mae Gwawr yn brwydro yn erbyn ei rhieni oherwydd maen nhw’n dal i’w thrin hi fel plentyn. Dwi’n siŵr y bydd nifer o’r darllenwyr yn gallu uniaethu gyda hyn. Mae’r gymuned ar yr ynys yn cynnal taith archwiliadol, (ond sydd hefyd yn teimlo ychydig fel pererindod) yn ôl i’r hen Famwlad, Cymru. Mae hwn yn gyfle unwaith mewn bywyd, ac mae Gwawr ar dân eisiau ymuno â’r criw anturus. Wrth gwrs, mae ei rhieni yn dweud na i ddechrau – ac mae hyn yn achosi tipyn o wrthdaro. Heb sbwylio’r llyfr a mynd i ormod o fanylder, mae Cai a Gwawr yn llwyddo i sicrhau lle ar y fordaith hir a pheryglus, ac mae’n hawdd gweld sut mae’r llyfr yn gosod y sefyllfa’n daclus ar gyfer y ddau lyfr nesaf. Roedd darn canol y llyfr yn llusgo braidd ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o gael ’chydig bach o gyffro erbyn y diwedd. Ym mhenodau olaf y llyfr, maen nhw ar dir Cymru, ac mae’r awdur yn gorffen y llyfr ar cliffhanger go iawn. Roedd yr antur ar ddiwedd y llyfr yn hollol annisgwyl ac yn frawychus i ddweud y gwir. Cyffro llwyr, ond dychrynllyd ar yr un pryd. Mi wnes i fwynhau cyfres Y Melanai gan Bethan Gwanas yn fawr iawn, ond ffantasi oedd y rheiny. Er mai ffuglen sydd yma hefyd, mae’n teimlo’n llawer mwy real, oherwydd mi fysa’r math yma o beth yn gallu digwydd go iawn. Dyna sy’n scary. I mi’n bersonol, roedd hi’n haws dilyn iaith ac arddull Y Melanai - roedd rhaid i mi ganolbwyntio’n llawer caletach wrth ddarllen hon. Mae Lleucu Roberts yn defnyddio geirfa heriol, ac roedd rhaid i mi edrych yn y geiriadur ambell dro. Er fod y gwaith darllen yn anoddach, mae’r stori’n dda iawn ac yn werth yr ymdrech. Dwi ddim cweit yn siŵr pam fod y criw mor benderfynol o gyrraedd Aberystwyth o bob man, ond dwi’n awyddus iawn i ddarllen yr ail nofel i gael mwy o atebion.... Some years ago, I remember watching a psychological horror/thriller television series called 'Fortitude' on Sky Atlantic. This was filmed on location somewhere in Svalbard, in the Arctic. I remember being amazed at the cold, bleak and remote setting. I remember telling myself then, 'I want to see it for myself one day.' Unfortunately, I’m yet to make it there, but it is where this book starts. The fantastic cover image should give you a flavour of what kind of place Spitsbergen is. Yr Ynys is the first book in the ‘Yma’ trilogy by Lleucu Roberts (an experienced author having won a number of awards). This, like the Melanai series, was commissioned by Welsh Government for older teenage readers. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future and it appealed to me immediately. The year is 2140. In 2030 almost all life on Earth was wiped out because of nuclear bombs but 49 (yes – only 49!!) people managed to survive in underground caves in the Arctic. They have managed to set up a small society there and it’s a daily struggle to survive without many of the luxuries we take for granted today. Technology has effectively been completely destroyed and mankind had to ' start again ' from scratch. Back to basics for sure. To be honest, there isn’t a whole load of action in this book. The main task of the first book is to establish the situation, setting and characters. The book is totally committed to doing this and I feel that it was successful in doing so. In my view, it's really important to take time to create characters that we can identify with, and ones we are going to care about. Appropriately for the target audience, we are following two 15-year-old friends, Gwawr and Cai. Gwawr rebels against her parents because they still treat her as a child. I'm sure many readers will be able to identify with this. The community on the island is about to embark on an exploratory expedition, (which also feels a little bit like a pilgrimage) back to the motherland, Wales. This is a once in a life opportunity, and Gwawr is desperate to join the intrepid crew. Of course, her parents say no to begin with – and this causes some conflict in the book. Without ruining the book and going into too much detail, Cai and Gwawr succeed in securing a place on the long and dangerous voyage, and the book successfully sets things up neatly for the next two installments. The middle section of the book dragged on a little and I was relieved to get a little bit of excitement right at the end. In the final chapters of the book, they are finally on Welsh land, and the author finishes the book on real cliffhanger. The ‘excitement’ at the end of the book was completely unexpected and rather frightening. Great! I enjoyed the Melanai series, by Bethan Gwanas very much, but those were fantasy novels. Although this is also fiction, it feels much more real, because it is of the sort of thing that really could happen. That’s what makes it so scary. It was easier to read Bethan Gwanas’ style of writing and I had to focus a lot more when reading this. She uses challenging vocabulary and I did have to consult a dictionary occasionally. Although the reading took a bit more effort, the story is very good and totally worth the effort. I'm still not sure why the crew are so determined to get to Aberystwyth of all places but I really want to read the second novel to get some answers. ...

Christmas adventure with lovely artwork. Antur Nadoligaidd gyda arlunwaith hardd. Gwasg/publisher: Gomer Cyhoeddwyd/released: Tachwedd 2019 ISBN: 9781785621642 Pris: £6.99 Lefel darllen/challenge level: ❖ ✮✮Cymraeg Gwreiddiol - Welsh Original✮✮ Stori Nadoligaidd hyfryd sy’n gywaith rhwng y bardd Tudur Dylan Jones â’r arlunydd talentog Valériane Leblond. Yn y stori, fe â Greta y ferch fach am dro gan ddod ar draws carw bach wedi brifo ei goes. Ar ôl iddi helpu’r carw ifanc, mae yntau ‘n gaddo talu’r ffafr yn ôl iddi. Pan ddaw’r Nadolig, mae’r carw yn dychwelyd ac yn mynd a hi ar antur wnaiff hi byth mo’i anghofio! Stori ar ffurf cwpledi (sy’n odli wrth gwrs) yw hon sydd wedi eu gosod dros waith celf Valériane, sy’n gampwaith ynddo ’i hun. Mae hi’n gwneud defnydd da o wahanol liwiau, siapiau a gweadau ac mae cymaint o fanylion i’w harchwilio ym mhob llun. Ceir ambell dudalen lle mae’r ysgrifen braidd yn anodd i’w weld – ond nid yn amhosib. Dwi’n hoff o’r twist bach chwareus ar y diwedd – tydi oedolion byth yn credu plant nac ydyn?! Fel cyn-athro, dwi’n gwybod byddai fy nosbarth wedi bod wrth eu bodd yn gwrando ar y stori yma ac yn edrych ar y lluniau. Stori perffaith i’w ddarllen ddiwedd pnawn ar y mat, neu rhwng ymarferion cyngerdd ‘Dolig. Bydd plant 3+ yn gallu mwynhau a deall cynnwys y llyfr ond tybiaf y bydd angen help oedolyn i’w ddarllen. A lovely festive story that is a collaboration between poet Tudur Dylan Jones and talented artist Valériane Leblond. In the story Greta, a young girl, goes for a walk and a picnic to the woods and comes across a small deer who has hurt his leg. After she helps the young deer, he promises to return the favour someday. Months later, as Christmas draws near, the deer returns taking her on an adventure she will never forget. This story takes the form of rhyming couplets that are overlaid on Valériane’s artwork; a masterpiece in itself. She makes good use of different colours, shapes and textures - there are so much details to explore in each picture. On a few pages the writing was rather difficult to see – but not impossible. I liked the twist at the end; made me smile. Adults never believe their children, do they?! As a former teacher, I know my old class would have loved listening to this story and looking at the pictures. It’s a perfect story to read at the end of the day on the mat, or in between concert rehearsals. Children aged 3 + will be able to enjoy and understand the contents of the book but I suspect they will need the help of an adult to read it.

*Scroll down for English & to leave comments* Llyfr Adfent del sy'n odli. A lovely Advent book, that rhymes. Gwasg/publisher: Carreg Gwalch Cyhoeddwyd/released: 2019 Pris: £5.95 ISBN: 978-1-84527-716-1 Lefel her/challenge level: ❖ *Gwreiddiol Cymraeg - Welsh Original* Ai jyst fi sy’n caru llyfrau clawr caled? Wel, dyma lyfr bach del, tua maint cerdyn Nadolig. Mae lluniau Luned Aaron yn hyfryd o syml. Nid llyfr stori ydi hon fel y cyfryw, ond mae’n fwy o lyfr Adfent. Mae yna 24 llun a chwpled (sy’n odli yn amlwg) i gyflwyno traddodiadau Nadoligaidd yr ŵyl. Mi fyddai’n llyfr addas i astudio gyda dysgwyr yn ystod y cyfnod yn arwain at y Nadolig gan fod yna eirfa Saesneg yng nghefn y llyfr. Mae’r athro ynof yn gweld potensial hefyd addasu’r llyfr a’i ddarllen yn ei gyfanrwydd fel rhan o wasanaeth Nadolig yn yr ysgol neu Gapel - rhywbeth mwy ysgafn na darlleniadau o’r Beibl. Addas i blant 3+ os yw oedolyn yn darllen. O wefan Gwasg Carreg Gwalch: Dyma drysor o gyfrol liwgar a chwareus i'w mwynhau yn y dyddiau cyn y Nadolig, a hynny ar ffurf odl a llun. Yn ogystal â dangos rhai o elfennau cyfarwydd yr ŵyl i blant, mae rhai o'r traddodiadau llai cyfarwydd, syml a Chymreig, yn cael eu cyflwyno yma hefyd. Llyfr hardd a syml ar gyfer y Nadolig, does 'na ddim mwy i’w ddweud rili! Is it just me that loves hardbacks? Well, this is a small book, about the size of a Christmas card. Luned Aaron’s artwork is beautifully simple. It’s not a story book per se, but rather, an Advent book. It contains 24 pictures and couplets (that rhyme obviously!) that take us through the traditions of the Festive season. It would make a good book to study with Welsh learners in the time leading up to Christmas as it contains an English glossary in the back. The teacher in me also sees potential in using it in its entirety as a light hearted item in a school Christmas Service. Suitable for children aged 3+ if an adult reads. A lovely, simple book for the Christmas period; nothing more to say really!