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Wanted! | Kate Thompson
Reviewed by Egan Derrick, age 10
I think this book is a short but memorable book. It is set in Roman times and is based on true facts. Nothing is obvious like: what is going to happen next. The book tells the story of an adventure of a boy and a horse who are on the run from the Roman army. One of the main characters is a boy who sells bread. Yet my favourite character is the Roman emperor Claudius because he pretends he is stupid so that his nephew (the current emperor) doesn’t kill him because he wants to humiliate him. Claudius is a very clever and crafty man.
It was an easy book to read but it isn’t one of my favourites. I recommend this book for 7-8 year olds.
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Lily Alone | Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Bryony Adshead, age 12
An interesting and exciting read, this book tells the story of Lily, her sisters and her brother. When Lily’s mother goes on holiday without her children, Lily is happy for her. She really is. Or at least that’s what she tells herself. Lily is left to look after her siblings, Baxter, Bliss and Pixie, with no money and no key to get into her house. No one must know that their mother isn’t looking after them, or the consequences would be terrible. Lily tries to be the mother her own never was, sweeping the floors, setting the table, but when things take a turn for the worst, she has to take her siblings away from home. Then Bliss has a horrible accident…
Will her mother ever come home? Will Bliss ever recover? Find the answers to these questions and more in Lily Alone, a wonderful book for children 8+.
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The Dragon’s Apprentice | Dugald A. Steer
Reviewed by Egan Derrick, age 8
When this heavy book arrived I was excited to read it because the illustrations on the front are very interesting. Also it mentions on the front of the book the ‘Dragonology Chronicles’ and I have the Dragonology game. It is the third book of the series.
This is an enjoyable book that is full of tricks and dragons. The dragons can talk. Most of the story takes place in London. The story is all about rescuing and protecting different objects, dragons and discovering a traitor. The main characters are children, dragons and one adult. My favourite character was a dragon called Erasmus because he is snooty, short tempered and mean, although really he is a good dragon. The story ended as I expected but the part leading to the ending was very surprising. I would recommend this book to other children and adults particularly if you like to get stuck into a book filled with surprises and adventure.
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The Haunting of Charity Delafield | Ian Beck
Reviewed by Rebecca Maver, age 8
Charity lives a very strict live at Stone Green Hall with her father, Charles Delafield, and his servants: Rose and Edward and the kind cook Mrs Browne. She doesn’t live with her mother because she is claimed to have died at Charity’s birth. Charity is haunted by the same dream every night: that she’s walking down a green corridor and her cat, Mr Tompkins, is speaking to her. One day she finds a forbidden room and in that room is a little book of fairytales. When she reads this book more secrets seem to unfold, but when she finds her mother’s diary the whole story starts to unravel and questions are asked: has her mum really died or has she not?
When I read The Haunting of Charity Delafield I couldn’t get my eyes off it! I found it a bit scary in some places, but I mainly thought it was very exciting. When I was reading this story I was imagining Charity even though there were no pictures. One of the best books I have ever read!
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Escape From Shadow Island | Paul Adam
Reviewed by Finn Sharp, age 10
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Darkisle | D.A. Nelson
Reviewed by William Moloney, age 10
The book was good and it was quite hard to put down: I read it in a weekend!
It’s about a Girl called Morag who is treated very badly by her foster parents, Jermy and Moira. When she starts a row at breakfast she gets locked in the cellar and there she meets a rat and a dodo. They tell her about a quest they are on to free a dragon turned to stone 30 years ago by an evil warlock. They also tell her about a sacred stone called the eye of lornish which has been stolen by the warlock in an attempt to harness its power. They need the dragon because she is the only one who knows the way to Murst (a secret island off the coast of Scotland). When they get to Scotland they meet a fisherman called Kyle who agrees to take them to the island to steal the eye.
If you want to know more you will have to read the book! 4 stars from me!
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The Longest Whale Song | Jaqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Bryony Adshead, age 12
After Ella’s mum has a baby in hospital, things go really bad. Her mum goes into a coma, the new baby screams and shouts all day long, Ella’s step dad is always to tired and grumpy and her best (and only) friend, Sally, has gone off with someone else.
When she is asked to do a new school project on whales, it seems like a bore, but the more she learns about whales, the more she loves them. Whales can sing for hours under the water, calling their love to each other. If Ella could find a way to do this, would her mum come back, or (at least) call to her?
This is an amazing book full of Ella’s love for her mum, love for whales, love of drawing and loyalty to Sally. The Longest Whale Song will delight children, teenagers and adults alike, I would recommend this book to anyone, particularly if they were 8+.
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Return to the Lost World | Steve Barlow & Steve Skidmore
Reviewed by Egan Derrick, Age 8
This is a book about a boy called Luke Challenger who is looking for his mum. She is at the Lost World where dinosaurs live and the snake & spear group. His mum is a palaeontologist (studies dinosaurs). This book is full of adventure, it is a quest, things surprised me about the story while I was reading it. At one stage a boy called Luiz jumped off a cliff so he didn’t get eaten by an Allosaurus! The book starts with Luke nearly being assassinated whilst he’s trying to win a gliding competition, but the would be assassin dies by crashing into a cable car wire and severing his own head! During Luke’s adventure he travels in 2 planes, once as a passenger and once as a stow away, he also travels in a hot air balloon that can be steered. Luke always travels with his good friend, Nick and he finds other friends along the way, however there are many obstacles which attempts to stop him completing his quest. The story ends by Luke having a sword fight and completing his quest.
I liked this book and would recommend it to people who like guns, murder, adventure and dinosaurs.
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Moon Pie | Simon Mason
Reviewed by Amy Punchard, age 10
This is EXACTLY my type book. I really enjoyed it.
It’s about an eleven year old girl called Martha who’s Mum died when she was 9. Martha loves to make costumes for the films her and her friends are remaking. But now being the lady of the house she has to look after her Dad and brother Tug (who says some very amusing things at times). So, when Martha’s Dad starts drinking too much alcohol, she is worried. Desperate to keep her family together, she visits the doctor and the library, trying to get advice or information. Will social services find out?
Her dad’s drinking causes him to be forgetful and angry and one day he goes way too far. Things are not made much easier when the Grandparents get involved.
This book is happy, sad, funny and unpredictable. Even adults would enjoy this tremendously realistic book.
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Hetty Feather | Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Amy Punchard, age 10
Hetty Feather is my favourite book, I read it all the time. It is set in Victorian times and is about a girl with a fierce temper called Hetty Feather. She was abandoned as a baby and suffers a cruel life in the foundling hospital, where she is teased for her unique bright red hair. However, at Hetty’s foster home her beloved brother Jem took her to see the circus, where she met Madame Adeline, a lady with hair as red as Hetty’s own. Hetty is convinced that Madame Adeline is her mother. So when it is Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee instead of staying at the fair, Hetty runs away to find out the truth…
Hetty Feather is one of Jacqueline Wilson’s best novels. I think this book will be enjoyed by children aged 7-12.
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Delphie and the Magic Ballet Shoes | Darcey Bussell
Reviewed by Rebecca Maver, age 7
Delphie loves ballet, but can’t go to lessons because her
mum and dad don’t have enough money. Then suddenly
she is allowed to join a ballet class for free! The teacher
gives Delphie some red, magic ballet shoes and they take
Delphie to magic adventures in Enchantia, the land of
ballet. In Enchantia Delphie helps the Sugar Plum Fairy
free the Nutcracker Prince from the evil Rat King.
Delphie and the magic ballet shoes is exciting because
it’s one of those books when you always want to know
what happens next. There are other books in the Magic
Ballerina series and I can’t wait to read them too!
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The Siege of Macindaw | John Flanagan
Reviewed by Finn Sharp, age 10
“The Siege of Macindaw is book 6 in the exciting Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. The story is so much more than strategizing and fierce battles. Flanagan adds strong friendships, a small love story and most importantly modern humour. You’ll laugh at the witty banter between Will and Horace. And best of all, the book leaves you satisfied, yet craving the next instalment.“
This is a quote I got from a website and I personally do not agree with the last line. Almost all over the internet and on the blurb it states that the Siege of Macindaw is a fantastic book. I found the book to be quite slow to develop at most parts, and the story wasn’t that gripping as it had made out to be.
Though saying all this, I talked to one of my closest friends who read the book, who said completely the opposite to what I just said.
So in conclusion if you like a story with medieval action plot and some good characters then this is the book for you, but for me it just didn’t cut it.
4/10
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Z.Rex | Steve Cole
Reviewed by Egan Derrick, aged 8
This book is about a boy called Adam Adlar who is on
the run, a massive man eating dinosaur and Bill the
scientist. Also there is a group of baddies who want to
create an army of Jurassic park style dinosaurs to carry
out their wicked schemes. In parts of the book there
are fights between good and evil using ultra reality
gaming and dinosaurs. By the author of the Cows in
Action and Astrosaurs series of books this is aimed at
an older group 11+. This book is amazing, Z.Rex can fly
and even defuse bombs! This book is followed by the
sequel Z.Raptor which I am looking forward to reading!
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Lob | Linda Newbery
Reviewed by Charlotte Lightwood, age 10
Lob is a wonderful book about a green man who Lucy is told about by her grandad Will. Lucy’s parents and grandma don’t believe that Lob (the green man) exists, but when Lucy’s grandad died her nan had to move. Lucy prayed that she would see Lob again. In the end Lucy ended up giving up on seeing Lob, but then she sees him again…
Lob is a great book for all ages. It’s an amazing book by Linda Newbery. It’s an enjoyable read for early learners but also for those in primary school or maybe even high school.
Well done Linda Newbery.
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The Totally True Story of Devon | Jon Katz
Reviewed by Bryony Adshead, aged 10
When I first laid eyes on this book I thought it was just another silly book about a talking dog or something; but how wrong could I be! This is an amazing book about how Jon Katz (the author) struggles to keep his promise to look after Devon, a two year old border collie with a habit of being extremely naughty! From jumping on moving vans to escaping through locked fences Devon means only one thing…TROUBLE!!!!!! Before Jon adopted Devon he had a quiet life in New York, living with his wife and two lazy dogs. Both his dogs, Julius and Stanley, had never, ever been any problem at all so, Jon thinks as he says he will take on Devon, why on earth should a young border collie be a impossible challenge? That, of course, was before he met Devon. Devon had to be flown in from Texas, so Jon couldn’t see how much trouble Devon was before he took him. One day Jon had a phone call from a lady called Deanne Veselka, a border collie breeder in Texas, who had read one of Jon’s books and thought he would be the perfect owner for a troublesome dog. After that Deanne rang every day until Jon said, ”yes he would take Devon”. Then she still rang every day to tell him about naughty Devon, Jon wasn’t so sure he had made the right decision now.
Read this book to find out whether Jon tames Devon or does Devon tame Jon? I would recommend this book for 7+ years old! (Adults might like to read the adult version of this book, A Dog Year: Rescuing Devon.)
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Aurora Dragon Orb | Mark Robson
Reviewed by Egan, age 8
It’s a really good book if you like dragons and war. This book is the last of a series of four good books. The basic story line of the books is to save the Oracle by collecting orbs, one for each dragon and rider. The dragons are called Firestorm, Shadow, Longfang and Aurora. They each have a rider, the riders are called Nolita, Pell, Kira and Elian. A man named Jack is one of the main characters. Jack is from another world full of war and ‘flash bang weapons’, he meets a day dragon called Bright Flame and becomes her rider. This book is about dragons, war, collecting orbs, sacrificing a rider and dragon for the rebirth of the Oracle. From the first page of reading this book I thought it was quite exciting and I didn’t want to put it down because every time I finished a chapter I wanted to start another.
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Sparks | Ally Kennen
Reviewed by Bryony Adshead, aged 10
A story full of description and originality. This book has it all; amazing characters, Viking furerals and gothic carnival queens wearing pink. Not to mention Sparks, stealing dead bodies from funeral parlours and magic rivers.
The main character, Carla, lives next to a river that if you drink from gives you magic powers. With Carla’s dangerous and hectic lifestyle she’s going to need all the help she can get… When Carla’s Grandpa dies she is devastated. She is determined to give him the Viking funeral that he always wanted.
In this amazing book you’ll find that sometimes doing wrong is doing right.
This novel is award-winning teen writer Ally Kennen’s first story for younger readers. I would recommend this book for girls and boys of 9+.
But, make sure you have got plenty of spare time; you won’t want to put this book down!
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Little Darlings | Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Jemima Lawler, aged 10
Little Darlings is an outstanding book about two very different girls but with an amazing friendship. This is the basic storyline: it’s Destiny Williams’ birthday and her mum is a single parent but tries very hard to make Destiny happy. One of her birthday presents is two train tickets to London because Destiny’s mum thinks it’s about time Destiny should meet her father …On the other hand there is also another character in this story – Sunset, who doesn’t have a normal lifestyle because she is the daughter of a famous rock star, Danny Kilman. Sunset has two other siblings, Ace and Sweetie Kilman, and their mother is Suzy Kilman. Destiny and Sunset meet in the most unthinkable circumstance and soon an incredible friendship begins to form… Winning the local school talent show is probably the most interesting thing that happens to Destiny Williams but she finds herself being even happier; things start to sparkle and form and she might be able to find her long-lost dad …… (maybe). This Jacqueline Wilson book really makes your heart melt and stammer. It really is touching - I really recommend it to anyone who is a Jacqueline Wilson fan. Even if you aren’t I can assure you that you will adore it. Definitely the best Jacqueline Wilson – 10 out of 10.
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The Candle Man | Glenn Dakin
Reviewed by Charlotte Lightwood, Aged 10
The Candle Man is about a little boy called Theo. Theo has been in the company of only three people in his short life , because of an apparent illness he has.
One dark, creepy night two devious burglars smashed the window of Theo’s mansion sending Mr Nicely, Theo’s butler, flying. The two burglars, named Brady and Foley, started to ask Theo where all the good stuff was. Now Theo had not only been in the company of three people in his life but he was also only allowed in one room of the mansion, his bedroom. Theo started to creep down stairs with Brady and Foley until he realised he wasn’t wearing his gloves. You see Theo had to wear his gloves because of his illness, but Brady wouldn’t let him get them. After a while Theo touched Brady and he started to turn to wax.
Join Theo on his adventure to find out why he has only been in the company of three people in his short life. Could his rare illness be more than it first seems? And what is his connection with the legendary Candle Man?
To summarise the book, I’d say it was funny and exciting and I didn’t want to put it down.
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Midnight | Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Bryony Adshead, Aged 10
This book is fantastic! It is about fairy loving Violet, Violet’s older brother Will and Violet’s new best friend, Jasmine. The story will bring fantasy loving readers and reality loving readers together. Jacqueline Wilson, the author, cleverly combines Violet’s fantasy world with her usual down-to-earth reality style.
The day Jasmine arrives at Violet’s school they become best friends. But their friendship is broken when Jasmine takes a visit to Violet’s house. While Jasmine is at Violet’s house Violet has to go into her attic. There, she finds a box that reveals a shocking family secret. After an argument with Jasmine, Violet runs out of the house and goes to try and find her favourite author, Casper Dream. Surely someone who writes such wonderful fairy stories could help put her friendship back on track? Then something magical happens to Violet and she rushes back home only to find Jasmine has left.
You will have to read the story to find out if Violet will ever have a real friend.
This story will appeal to 9-12 year old girls (maybe a few boys too).
Even if you don’t like the story it is worth reading just for the illustrations by Nick Sharratt!
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Cosmic | Frank Cottrell Boyce
Reviewed by Finn Sharp, Aged 10
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is an enjoyable first person children’s comedy book. It’s set around about now and the main character is the hugely appealing Liam Digby who keeps getting mistaken for a grown man (even his new head thinks he’s in charge of media studies!) The book starts with the introduction when Liam is talking to you from his Drax World Communications phone’s voice diary app telling you about what’s happened but you’ll have to read the book find that out.
After the introduction the second chapter starts innocently enough. Liam is out with a friend from his street called Florida and they go to Liverpool city centre, but then disaster strikes when in the shopping centre everyone mistakes Liam and Florida for a dad and his daughter having a day out and Liam starts doing things only adults can do. While Florida is in a shop, Liam goes to look at the Aston Martin garage when he almost ends up taking an Aston Martin DB9 out for a test drive until his dad yanks him out of trouble and tells the flashy salesman off. This is just a small part of the book – it’s full of many more hilarious gags.
Cosmic is an all round lover and a must keep (shame I got my copy from a library). It appeals to childen of all ages as long as they’re used to quite thick books. I give Cosmic 9/10, a brilliant read.
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The Cat Mummy | Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Charlotte Lightwood, aged 9
The Cat Mummy is my favourite book. It is about a little girl called Verity and a cat called Mabel.
One day Mabel disappears and everyone looked for her. At school Verity was learning about the Egyptians , so she was taught about the mummies. The same night Verity found Mabel in her wardrobe dead, so she did what she was taught in school and turned Mabel into a mummy!
I enjoyed this book very much and didn’t want to put it down. It created a picture in my head. It was funny and enjoyable. Well done Jacqueline Wilson, well done.
