Totally Weird, Insane Rip-off Plus

Teen Power Inc.

- Emily Rodda

Since turning 24 a few months ago I have been asked three times what grade I am in at school.

I have decided to take this as a compliment but it still feels very strange. I don't think I look seven years younger then my age and at none of these occasions was I acting, I think, particularly immaturely. Granted once I had just walked the length of a crowded room with a dirty plastic plate balanced on my head but in context my actions were completely reasonable. I was declared a hero and everyone eyed me with looks of marked appreciation until someone noticed that new nibbles had arrived on the table. Moving on from the nibbles though I have decided my cheerful naivety must be the cause and I make concentrated efforts to seem like a powerful entrepreneurial women when speaking to my student's parents. 

However there are positives that come with looking younger and one of them that I happily cash in on is not looking out of place in the young adults section of the library. I'm living on the wild side! I really like some young adult books. Not the paranormal ones about vampires and creatures of the dead that leave you as an emotional hormonal wreck with fried brain cells but books that have a reasonable story line and are well written.

One of my favorite series of books in late primary and early high school was the 'Teen Power Inc.' series by Emily Rodda. This series is about six normal Australian high school friends who inadvertently solve mysteries through their odd job business. Here are my five reasons why these are quality books.

1. The books have six main characters which means the series doesn't become boring as there can be a different character to focus on through the books.

2. The books portray fairly normal 90's teenagers without making them too saintly or too lecherous. They focus on their personalities rather than their love lives. Their flawed, realistic personalities make them personable and likable. You find yourself working out which character you most resemble or wish you did. Team Tom!

3. These books are exciting! In lots of them the Teen Power Inc members almost die through various sticky situations and my sisters and I would fight to be the one to read them first. 

4. The author Emily Rodda is not a poor writer who has resigned herself to young adult fiction. She is a good writer who has chosen to make more simplistic books interesting and well constructed. 

5. These are books that I will remember reading right through my life and not something that I will forget tomorrow  Exciting? yes, realistic? yes, funny? yes, mysterious? yes, awesome? yes, easy to read? yes, disturbing? no, embarrassing? no.

Also finally because you know you want to...Which Teen Power Inc Character are you?

"We took ages to work out what to put in the ad, and especially what to call ourselves. Nick suggested a name made up of initials, but when Tom started getting silly and suggesting things like TWIRP (Totally Weird, Insane Rip-off Plus) and BUMS (Brainy, Useful, Muscly Stars) he went off the idea.

In the end we settled on Teen Power after all."

The Fellowship of the Ring in under 1000 words! Part 1

I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy! The books, the movie, J.R.R. Tolkien, everything, it is quality enjoyment for one and all. So I decided to challenge myself, can I retell each book of the trilogy in under a thousand words? Originally, I was going to limit myself to less than five hundred but I have realised how ridiculous that would be. 

This is part 1 of the Fellowship of the Ring and so far I have used 530ish words and have only got up to the forming of the fellowship. This is so hard! Let us all be eternally grateful that what follows is not the only copy of the story. 

Part 1

Bilbo the adventurous rebel Hobbit has a birthday party.

Everyone turns up.

Gandalf wielding fun fireworks arrives.

Bilbo skips the party early to holiday with the Elves.

Gandalf convinces Bilbo to leave his special ring with his nephew Frodo. Bilbo is not too pleased.

Everyone leaves.

Rumours of unrest are heard.

Gandalf brings Frodo news of the ring.

Frodo and Gandalf freak out; it’s the one ring of power!

Evil Sauron’s spirit lives on through the Ring. He needs it to gain full power again.

Gandalf worries about proximity of Ring to Hobbiton.

“Let’s take it to the elves” says Gandalf.

Frodo and gardening pal Sam head off to the Elves at Rivendell.

Sauron’s black riders hunt the travelling Hobbits who now number four.

The Hobbits travel into the old forest, mistake; the trees come to life and attack them.

Old Tom Bombadil saves them by singing to the trees.

Tom and friend Goldberry look after Hobbits.

Everyone sings a lot and Tom fills the Hobbits in on some history.

Hobbits leave Tom and arrive at prearranged meeting point for Gandalf at the human village Bree.

Gandalf is a no show and everyone else seems sus.

A tall dark stranger called Strider takes Hobbits aside.

‘You are being really conspicuous’ says Strider. ‘You know the black riders are hunting you right?’

Strider offers to help with travel woes.

Hobbits slit eyes at Strider.

Hobbits receive an old note from Gandalf, ‘actually, also, trust this guy Strider’.

‘Fair enough’ says Frodo.

Hobbits and Strider keep travelling to Rivendell.

The black riders spring them and Frodo gets stabbed with cursed sword.

Frodo teetters on the brink of undead-ness.

The travelling troupe rush faster to Rivendell and medical sanctuary.

An elf called Glorfindel joins them and gallops Frodo to Rivendell followed close behind by Black riders.

Frodo yells at the riders.

Suddenly the black riders are swept away in a strange water current.

Frodo wakes up somewhat healed to find himself at Rivendell with Gandalf.

Everyone gathers at a feast including Bilbo.

Bilbo goes a bit crazy when he sees the ring so Frodo tucks it away.

Elrond, head of Rivendell calls a council and powerful Dwarves, Elves and Humans turn up.

The history of the Ring is told.

Gandalf shares that the powerful wizard Saruman now is on Sauron’s side.

‘Basically, the ring can’t stay in Rivendell, it’s too evil and powerful’ says Elrond. ‘Let’s brainstorm our options’.

Some want to destroy the Ring there and then.

‘Lol, can’t be done’ says Elrond.

Some want to use the Ring for good.

Elrond smirks, the Ring will corrupt anyone who has it so that idea is also scrapped.

The council looks for volunteers to carry the highly powerful, highly corruptive ring deep into enemy land to the only place it can be destroyed Mount Doom.

There is general shuffling of feet.

‘For crying out loud, I will’ says Frodo.

Frodo is joined on the trip by Hobbit chums Sam, Merry and Pippin. Also coming along are Gandalf, an Elf called Legolas, a Dwarf called Gimli, and two men  Boromir and Aragon who was actually Strider.

They give themselves the team name ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’.