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Mae'r athrawon wedi diflannu! Ond mae gwaeth i ddod...
The teachers have disappeared! But something far worse is coming...
Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◎
Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◎◎
Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◎◎◎◎◎
Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◉◎◎◎◎
Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎
Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎
Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◉◎
Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◎◎
ADNODD ADDYSGIADOL ODDI AR HWB:
Cwestiynau i gyd-fynd
LEARNING RESOURCES FROM HWB:
Mae pecyn digidol am ddim ar wefan Hwb, sy’n cynnwys cwestiynau i gyd-fynd â’r nofel. Bydd y nofel yn helpu dysgwyr i fwynhau darllen drwy ganfod, dethol a defnyddio gwybodaeth yn ogystal ag ymateb i’r hyn a ddarllenwyd mewn modd ysgogol – bydd hyn yn arwain at ddealltwriaeth o astudio’r nofel fel cyfrwng rhyddiaith ac yn ymateb i fanyleb newydd TGAU 2016 maes o law.
Fe ddisgrifir y llyfr yma fel ‘nofel garlamus ar gyfer yr arddegau cynnar,’ ac mi fedra i gadarnhau fod y disgrifiad yna’n gwbl gywir. Erbyn y drydedd tudalen, cawn wybod beth sydd wedi digwydd a dyma fydd yn llywio gweddill y nofel. Heb fawr o esboniad down i ddeall fod nifer o’r athrawon, gan gynnwys y dirprwy wedi diflannu. Dw i'n siŵr ei fod yn swnio fel dream come true i’r plant! Wel ddim yn hollol, achos nid aur yw popeth melyn ac mae rhywbeth llawer gwaeth ar y gorwel, a dwi’n sicr y byddai’n llawer gwell gan y plant weld eu hen athrawon yn ôl…
Dwi’n hoff iawn o sut mae’r nofel yn bwrw’n syth iddi. Top marks yn fanna. Does ’na ddim backstory hirwyntog, dibwys. Mae’r athrawon wedi diflannu - dyna’i gyd sy’n bwysig. Dydi ‘ble’, ‘pwy’ a ‘pham’ ddim yn bwysig. Nofel ffantasi yw hon, ac felly mae’n gofyn am suspension of belief, chwedl y Sais. Mi fydd pethau anhygoel ac anghredadwy yn digwydd yn y nofel, ac os ydych chi’n berson sy’n cymryd pethau ormod o ddifrif, nid hwn yw’r llyfr i chi. Dyma lyfr reit boncyrs a dweud y gwir sy’n mynd a ni ar antur ryfedd iawn, so just go with it…
Ar ôl i’r hen athrawon ddiflannu, daw prifathro newydd i’r ysgol, sef Mr Dŵm- dyn tra gwahanol, i ddweud y lleiaf. Glywsoch chi ’rioed am brifathro sy’n dod i’r ysgol ar gefn moto-beic ac sy’n berchen ar deigr – ia, TEIGR! “Bydd disgwyl i chi foesymgrymu ger fy mron, oherwydd o nawr ymlaen fi fydd yn rheoli eich bywydau bach pitw,” yw ei anerchiad cyntaf i’r disgyblion. Nid ‘detention’ yw’r gosb am herio’r prifathro newydd, ond cael eich bwydo i’w deigr! O diar!
Gyda’i dîm newydd o athrawon - Don Econ, Morris y Beic a Barry Thousand Meters, bwriad Mr Dŵm yw trawsnewid yr ysgol, a chyn pen dim, fe ddatgelir yr enw a’r arwyddair newydd - ‘Academi Ddysgu Mr Dŵm - Nid da lle gellir drwg’. Fydd y lle byth ’run fath! Yn ogystal â sefydlu clinig tatŵs newydd ar safle’r ysgol a gwneud gwersi ‘dwyn’ yn rhan allweddol o’r cwricwlwm, mae’r bêl chwaraeon wedi cael ei newid am octopws ac mae un o’r plant wedi dwyn pengwin o’r sw. Ydy, mae’r lle wedi mynd yn draed moch go iawn.
Mae’r prifathro wedi gosod her er mwyn dewis disgybl yr wythnos. O dan y drefn newydd, i ennill £500, bydd rhaid i’r disgyblion fod mor slei, drygionus a thwyllodrus â phosib. Dydi hyn ddim yn newyddion da i'r prif gymeriad, Daf. Dwi ddim am ddweud mwy, heblaw bod pethau’n mynd o ddrwg i waeth i Daf druan, a bydd rhaid iddo ddibynnu ar ei ffrind Dr. Dolittle-aidd, Heti, i’w achub!
Dwi eisoes wedi clywed gan athrawon fod y llyfr yn boblogaidd, yn enwedig gyda’r gynulleidfa darged, sef pobl ifanc rhwng tua 12-14 oed (Bl.7-9) ond dwi’n siŵr nad ydi o allan o afael plant Bl.6 chwaith. Ar y cyfan, dyma stori ysgafn, ddoniol sydd â digon o gynnwys whacky i apelio at ddarllenwyr o bob math sy’n licio jôc. Yn bersonol, credaf y bydd y llyfr yn siwtio darllenwyr anfoddog, bechgyn, neu’r rheiny sy’n newydd i ddarllen llyfrau Cymraeg. Tydi o ddim rhy hir chwaith – mae’n bosib ei orffen yn reit sydyn a dwi’n siŵr y bydd sawl un yn methu ei roi i lawr.
Roedd digon o droeon trwstan a hiwmor yn y nofel ac roedd hi’n refreshing i ddarllen a mwynhau stori ‘ysgafn’ nad oedd yn rhy ddwys. Hoffais y darnau am Yoda ar ddechrau’r stori. Dyma lyfr addas ar gyfer darllen yn annibynnol (er pleser) neu gall fod yn nofel ddifyr (a gwahanol iawn) i'r dosbarth! Bonws i athrawon yw bod pecyn gweithgareddau yn cyd-fynd â’r llyfr ar Hwb sy’n arbed dipyn o amser cynllunio - grêt!
Doedd gen i ddim syniad i ba gyfeiriad roedd y stori’n mynd (oedd yr awdur hyd yn oed?) ond does dim ots o gwbl am hynny! Fedra i ddim ei chymharu gydag unrhyw stori arall achos mae hi, wel, yn unigryw!
Rhowch gynnig arni!
This book is described as ‘a galloping novel for early teens,’ and I can confirm that the description is absolutely correct. The plot gets going right away and by the third page, we find out exactly what has happened and this directly influences the rest of the novel. There’s little explanation about ‘why’ events have occurred, but we come to learn that several of the senior teachers, including the headteacher, have disappeared. This probably sounds like a dream come true for the kids, but not quite! All that glitters is not gold – the old boring teachers may be gone, but something far worse is heading their way…
I love how the novel gets going right away. Top marks for that one. There’s no long, complicated backstory required – just straight into the action. The teachers have disappeared-that is all that we need to know. The ‘who’ and ‘why’ of it aren’t really important. This is after all, a fantasy novel and thus requires some suspension of belief on the reader’s behalf. Amazingly farfetched and ever so slightly unbelievable things happen in the novel, and if you’re someone who takes things too seriously, this is probably not the book for you. It is at times, quite bonkers, for want of a better word. It takes us on a strange adventure and my advice to you is simply ‘just go with it…’
Following the disappearance of the staff, a new headmaster is quickly appointed, Mr Dŵm (Doom) - a strange, mysterious and sinister character to say the least. Have you ever heard of a principal who rides to school on the back of a motor bike and brings with him his own pet tiger, yes, you heard, A TIGER?! ‘Detention’ is no longer the go-to punishment for misbehaviour – you are simply fed to the tiger! Oh dear.
With his new team of teachers- Don Econ, Morris y Beic and Barry Thousand Meters, Mr Dŵm’s intention is to transform the school, and he wastes no time in revealing a new name and motto, encouraging bad behaviour of all sorts. The place will never be the same again! As well as setting up a new on-site tattoo parlour and making ‘stealing’ lessons part of the curriculum, many other changes take place. The sports ball has been replaced for a live octopus and one of the pupils has stolen a penguin from the zoo! It’s chaos!
The headteacher has set a challenge for the new ‘pupil of the week award.’ Under the new system, in order to win the £500 prize, pupils are encouraged to be as naughty cunning and devious as possible. This isn't good news for our main character, Daf. I don't want to say too much, but things go from bad to worse for poor Daf, and he will no doubt have to rely on his extraordinarily gifted friend, Heti, for help! (she has a super skill btw!)
I've already heard from teachers that this book is popular, especially with the target audience of young people aged between 12-14 years (school years 7-9) It’s not out of some year 6s’ league either if I’m honest. On the whole, this is a humorous fantasy story that’s not too overly-dark. It has enough wackiness to appeal to readers of all sorts that appreciate a bit of fun. Personally, I think the book will come in useful in tempting reluctant readers and boys towards reading Welsh books. It's not too long either and can be finished quickly – I’m sure many will be unable to put it down.
There’s plenty of adventure to be had and it was rather refreshing to read and enjoy a story that wasn't too ‘deep,’ intense and serious. I liked the bits about Yoda at the beginning. This book is suitable for independent reading (for pleasure) or it could be used as a fun, ‘different’ kind of class novel. A bonus for teachers is that an activity pack with questions accompanies the book which saves a lot of planning time! [See Hwb]
For most of the time, I had no idea where the story was going and where it would end up (did the author even know I wonder?) but it matters not! This book will go down well with young teenage readers and we need more like this in Welsh. I can't compare it with anything else; it’s certainly… unique!
Give it a go!
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