Book Reviews

11/10/2018

Albert Payne

12/10/2018 04:49:26 pm

Wonder: the book I read is called wonder and it is about a boy called August. The boy has lots of problems with face and other problems. When he was young he was being home schooled but in 5th year he started to go to school. And obviously he had a few fights. Everyone was looking at him in a strange way and so on. But, in the end he settles into the school.

I really liked the book and I think you (Mr. Lomas) should read the book even though it is very emotional.

Maria

15/10/2018 04:22:33 pm

I saw the film and I really liked it. I think everyone of all ages should read it.

Lily Vandenbalck

28/10/2018 01:48:49 pm

I woud love to read it.

Mr L

15/10/2018 04:26:07 pm

Sounds like an interesting read, Albert. I can cope with a bit of emotion.

What's the name of the author?

Maria

15/10/2018 05:33:42 pm

The author of Wonder is R J Palacio (that's her pen name) her real name is Raquel Jaramillo.

Albert

16/10/2018 01:25:11 pm

the author is called R.J. Palagio

Hannah

10/3/2021 12:07:11 pm

I've read Wonder too! It's an incredible book! You should definitely read it if you haven't read it yet!

Maria Ezquerra

15/10/2018 04:59:48 pm

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger.

Sophie Foster has never fit in. After waking up in the hospital at age six and being able to read minds she feels like she's not normal. Then one day, she meets Fitz, a elf that tells her the truth. She's an elf. When she gets accepted into the prestigious academy, Foxfire, she finds it hard to keep up wth school life. But Sophie has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory. Shen wants to find out why she was hidden among humans. And that brings out an even bigger question, who is she? The truth could kill her- or save her.

This is my favourite book, it made me want to read faster,and find out the end. At the end,the author leaves such a huge cliffhanger that I almost screamed. This book is the first of a series (Lodestar, Nightfall, Neverseen, Flashback, Everblaze). The only thing I didn't like is that after the first book the author concentrates on finding out the truth,and dosen't mention a lot about school life.
My rating of Keeper of the Lost Cities is 10 out of 10.

Mr L

15/10/2018 06:22:35 pm

Glad you enjoyed it, Maria. Sounds like a great plot.

Christina Graham

21/10/2018 11:37:23 am

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I loved this book. It starts of with a boy called Christopher telling us he is investigating the murder of his neighbour’s dog ‘Wellington’.

Christopher is 15 years old. , He has Asperger’s Syndrome which means he is very clever with numbers but finds it hard to communicate with other people. He finds it difficult to go to new places and he does not like noise.

Even though he finds all these things difficult he is determined to find out who killed Wellington. On his road to discovery he finds out a lot more than who killed Wellington.

One of those books you can’t put down and makes you think about it long after you have finished it. Very insightful into how a person with Asperger's experiences the world.

Maria

22/10/2018 07:37:12 am

Sounds great.

Mr L

22/10/2018 07:48:19 am

A wonderful book!

Just finished teaching it to my S3 group.

Maria Ezquerra

22/10/2018 04:36:48 pm

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This book tells you about the life of 4 girls during the American Civil War. Meg is the oldest and is the wisest, but in my opinion she needs to lighten up a little bit. Jo (Josephine) is the second oldest and always has been a bit of a tomboy, she loves writing. I really like Jo's attitude and thoughts. Amy has always been the one who wished that she was as rich as some of her friends. I think that Amy should stop worrying about what other people think of her. Beth has always been the sweetest of all of them, and as the youngest everyone tries to protect her. I like her but I think her character is a bit weak.

Overall, I really loved this book. There's a film, and it's good but not as good as the book. I recommend it to everyone.

Mr L

28/10/2018 07:24:37 pm

A real classic. Keep up the good reading, Maria!

Stella.T

24/10/2018 05:13:47 pm

BOY Roald Dahl :

BOY is a bout Roald Dahl as a boy all the problems he had all the operations and the deaths of his relatives
There are very sad parts in the story like when Roald got his adenoids removed when he was only a small child.
There are nice parts too like when he visited all his family in Norway
I quite enjoyed the book and it is a well written story.

Maria Ezquerra

24/10/2018 06:54:39 pm

I've read the book too; but I prefer the other Roald Dahl stories.

Mr L

28/10/2018 07:25:35 pm

I love Dahl and used to teach this one in S1. Glad you enjoyed it.

Noah Williams

24/10/2018 07:44:35 pm

An Eagle in the Snow-Michael Morpurgo

This book is about a boy called Michael trying to escape the war with his Mum. His Dad is fighting in Africa and his house is destroyed by the the Nazis. They take a train to go to their aunties house at the seaside but the train stops in a tunnel.

I would give this book a 10/10 and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Mr L

28/10/2018 07:26:31 pm

Morpurgo has written some excellent books. Sounds like an exciting read.

Noah Williams

24/10/2018 07:54:08 pm

Sorry, the boys name is Barnley I got mixed up with another book.

Mr L

28/10/2018 07:27:23 pm

It's because Skellig is so good: you can't get it out of your mind!

Lily Vandenbalck

28/10/2018 01:41:36 pm

The Radleys - Matt Haig

This book is about a family which is different to other families.

There was something that the children didn’t know. The parents had kept it a secret for a long time until, one day, Clara goes to a party and kills someone. The parents decide to tell them the truth. Then everything starts to make sense…

Clara and Rowan seem to live a normal life like us but they have always wondered why animals run away from them when they approach, why they have to take medicine to sleep and why they wear sun cream all year round.

The unexpected arrival of the children’s uncle who drinks blood to quench his thirst, causes even more drama at home.

Clara, for a 12-year-old, has a strong personality. This is a good thing given the difficult situations in which she often finds herself.

I really liked this book because there is a lot of suspense and you want to keep reading it. I would give it 10/10.

Mr L

28/10/2018 07:28:25 pm

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's a popular book and at one time there were about 5 copies in the class library!

Maria Ezquerra

30/10/2018 11:56:38 am

Sounds great!

Lexi Doyle Currie

30/10/2018 03:45:36 pm

"Murder Most Unladylike" by Robin Stevens

This is the first book in the mystery series A Murder Most Unladylike, which is all about two young girls called Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells who attend Deepdean School for girls in the 1930s.

The two friends set up a secret detective society. However, they struggle to find anything interesting to investigate. Then, one day, Hazel walks in to the gym and finds the science mistress, Miss Bell, lying on the floor. It takes some moments for Hazel to realise that Miss Bell is actually dead. Her immediate reaction is to report it to the police, but the more outgoing Daisy persuades her that they can solve the case themselves. Together they slowly uncover some dark secrets lurking in the school and make sense of this mystery.

I would highly recommend this book and the rest of the series. There are many unexpected plot twists. I could not put the book down!

Mr L

31/10/2018 08:48:06 pm

Sounds a bit like Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. I'm of a certain age!

Dimo Varbanov

5/11/2018 09:29:37 am

Maurice and his educated rodents

The plot of this book is complex with unexpected twists. Maurice is an intelligent cat who has smart rat friends. The rats and Maurice embark on one last rampage before they split and go their own ways. However, the town they go to wants to get rid of rats and their adventure goes wrong. Will they escape or will they be caught?
The characters in the story are well developed and the dialogues are realistic.
My rating is 8/10

Mr L

14/11/2018 04:03:30 pm

It's a play we'll read in class. Pretty amusing! Try to review other books not on our class reading list.

Samuel

13/6/2019 07:06:12 pm

The play was great, so I hope the book was the same!

Samuel Nuyts

5/11/2018 08:17:39 pm

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare,

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a fantastic play in which four lovers: Hermia, Helena, Demetreus and Lysander are controled by the harsh Athenian rules. They flee to a land of magic in which the encounter fairies.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a classical example of a typical Shakespearean play: The play includes "a play within a play" found in many Shakespearean plays. This play is also written in iampic pentameter ( the poetry that Shakespeare uses).
In total I will give this play a 97% for its' indulging language!

Mr L

14/11/2018 04:04:50 pm

Shakespeare: what can I say that hasn't already been said or will be said?

Kathleen

7/11/2018 09:27:03 pm

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

I am Malala is a very inspiring book about Malala, who is an activist for women and education. Her book tells the story of how she lived in Pakistan whilst the Taliban were in power. They are an extremist Islam terrorist organisation who believe that women should not have any education or role in society and should stay at home to work for their male relatives. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in human rights or just interesting books in general.

Bea

11/11/2018 03:59:43 pm

Sounds good!

Mr L

14/11/2018 04:05:45 pm

Great choice! What an inspiring individual.

Louise

14/11/2018 04:32:56 pm

I agree with Kathleen this book is a must read :)

Mr L

14/11/2018 04:35:55 pm

I'm glad you've read it too, Louise. The blog is all about sharing good reads. Girlpower!

Bea Butters

11/11/2018 03:59:07 pm

The Land of Stories 1: The Wishing Spell (by Chris Colfer)

Not too long ago Alex and Conner's Father died, this caused all sorts of problems at school for the twins. Alex was always lonely, but Conner's grades weren't pretty. The only thing that made life bearable for them were fairy tales, and when their Grandmother gives them the book their father read to them ever so often about an alternate world where fairies and fantasies exist, they start noticing a strange sound that comes out of the book. Then Alex jumps into the book and Conner jumps in after her. They find themselves in "The Land of Stories", where fairy tales are real they try to find a way back home with the help of their friend Froggy. The only way back seemed to be the Wishing Spell. The Wishing spell was a list of items that are incredibly hard to acquire and when combined you could wish for anything in the world (or in their case worlds). Little did they know the Evil Queen was after it too and the spell could only be used once more as their father had used it to escape this world too.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good read.

Mr L

14/11/2018 04:07:16 pm

Don't know this one. Really like twists on fairy tales. Keep up the good reading.

Sashka B.

14/11/2018 03:57:56 pm

I definitely agree with Bea. I have read the whole serie and it is amazing. It's a serie which continues the life of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Red Riding Hood. It also announces the past of the Fairy Godmother, which is very interesting.

Definitely a serie that I would recommended.

oliver w link

17/11/2018 12:45:46 pm

I've read the second book it was very good

Louise

14/11/2018 04:52:41 pm

Harry Potter an the Order of the Phoenix
The story begins when Harry (main character of the book who is a wizard) is at the park with his cousin Dudley. Dudley starts provoking Harry about his muttering in his dreams when Harry takes his wand out. Suddenly some Dementors come and attack Dudley. There is a whole debate wherever he should be expelled or not as some believe he did some magic while others confirm that he didn't. In the end he isnt expelled but dementors are still lurking and Harry has to rely on his least favourite teacher (Professor Snape) to teach him how to defend himself from the evil forces of Voldemort.

At first I was quite dissapointed about this book but after reading a few chapters I got used to the way of writing and it is now one of my favourite books in the Harry potter series! I reccomed reading the other book in the series first as it would be quite confusing. It was quite tricky to explain what happened so I hope the people who haven't read the other books understood.

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:46:53 am

Classic. Keep up the good reading.

Inira Takeh

16/11/2018 07:47:37 pm

Arsenic For Tea by Robin Stevens

This book is the second book of the Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series. This book is about two girls, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells who attend Deepdean boarding school and have made a secret detective society. It's the Easter holidays and Hazel and Daisy are at Fallingford house for the week ( Daisy's house ). It's Daisy's birthday on Sunday and their friends Beanie and Kitty are coming over soon. they hear the door bell ring but it's not Beanie or Kitty, it was an surprise guest. His name is Mr Curtis and Daisy's mother had invited him over.

He has been acting very suspiciously and the girls are keen to investigate but need to stay undercover. On Daisy's birthday, during birthday tea, Mr Curtis doesn't feel very well so goes upstairs and passes away after a few minutes. The doctor thinks it's an illness but the girls know he was poisoned with arsenic ( rat poison ). Over the next few days the gather clues and find the culprit. They call the police and Steven, Bertie's friend ( Bertie is Daisy's older brother ) was found guilty. After the Easter holidays, When the girls go back to school they are happy that it's all over and Hazel doesn't want to investigate for a while either.

I really enjoyed this book and would recomend if you like murder mysteries.

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:48:02 am

Sounds like fun. Arsenic has a long history as a method of poison!

Bea

30/12/2018 12:08:33 pm

I really liked this series too, although I think this one isn't one of the best books.

oliver w link

17/11/2018 12:37:45 pm

James Bond "heads you die". This book is about James Bond as a child. This is the third book in the series. James is enjoying a holiday in Cuba with his friend Hugo Grande. This name is a bit ironic considering that Hugo has a mild case of dwarfism. James is walking down a street when he hears a cry for help. On instinct he rushes to the place where a girl is being held captive by two men. As James is a black belt in judo he snaps his foot round and takes both men out. Then he goes back to his apartment and on the way he hears somebody shout murderer at him. At his apartment he sees that the place has been trashed. He runs out and meets the girl he saved she says that she is running from her father "Scolopendra". they soon meet up with Hugo and another girl. James's uncle disappears the day after that and James thinks that he knoas who might've taken him. Scolopendra. So the foursome set off and try and find out where James's uncle is.

This is a great book for people who like action and adventure

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:34:22 am

Good writer.

oliver w link

17/11/2018 12:41:29 pm

I'm also halfway through. Assassin's Creed "Renaissance". So I'll also post a review about that

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:35:05 am

Great.

Noah Williams

19/11/2018 07:31:14 pm

Alex Rider stormbreaker - Anthony Horizon

Alex a teenager is left with only an uncle. His parents died when he was small. His uncle says he was is banker but soon after his death he figures out that he is a spy. The police says that his uncle died in a car crash not wearing his seatbelt but Alex finds it hard to beleive and tries to find out the truth.

This book is packed full of action and is crammed with clif-hangers. I suggest it to anyone who loves action and suspension. If you are interested there is a whole series.

oliver link

20/11/2018 07:37:27 pm

I've read the whole series it was a very enjoyable read i recommend this book to action lovers

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:32:59 am

A classic.

Anna Kernohan

15/9/2019 03:05:17 pm

I’ve read the whole series and I agree with Oliver it is definitely a series for people who like action books.

Magnus

24/11/2018 10:10:34 pm

A few weeks ago I read a book called; Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. The book takes place in an imaginary world filled with warring nations and wizardry. The book is set in the island nation of Kerch, a nation ruled by the wealthy where the only sacred thing is money. The main character is Kaz Brekker, a con artist and gang member from "The Barrel" -the poor area of Ketterdam, Kerch's capital city- the book opens with Brekker about to meet with a rival gang with whom there have been territorial disputes. The meeting ends with Brekker shooting one of his own men after finding out he was a snitch. Brekker leaves the meeting before being kidnapped.
He wakes up only to see Jan Van Eck one of the most prosperous business men on Kerch and a member of the Merchant Council, Kerch's rulers. Van Eck offers Brekker a job. The most daring heist ever to have been proposed, he is to break into the "Ice Court". A military stronghold belonging to one of the most powerful nations in the entire world. Brekker accepts and is permitted to leave. He assembles a crew of his most trusted followers and devises a plan.
So, when the day comes and they are about to leave something most unexpected happens, they are ambushed. Their ship is blown to bits and the most vital member of the crew is stabbed.

It is a great booked filled to the brim with intricate plans and and heart wrenching disasters as well as some moments that made me laugh in the real world. I really immersed myself into this book having read a previous series set in the same universe by the same author, Leigh Bardugo. all in all I thought it was a great book.

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:32:20 am

Ace! Sounds like a great read. A well written review.

Sashka

8/12/2018 11:17:58 am

Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carrol

The story takes place in London in 1922 where a young girl called Lil Kaye lives. One day, she reads the morning paper and finds out that a famous Egyptologist was found dead. When Lil goes to her grandad’s house she finds a parcel, which was sent by that Egyptologist.

Lil opens the package and finds a jar with a scroll inside. The scroll contains a story about a king’s tomb which archeologists are desperately hunting for. After reading the scroll, Lil finds out about the curse that the jar holds, and must embark on an incredible journey with her friends to protect the ones they love and to break the deadly curse. But they are quickly running out of time. Will they manage to return the jar to its resting place?

I really like this story because it has many interesting facts about Ancient Egypt and its pharaohs. At the same time the storyline is very captive with a thrilling twist at the end. I could really picture myself in the story helping Lil. And I really felt sad and sorry when the things went wrong. It also helped me to realise how lucky I am to have a great family that loves me and cares for me. I would definitely recommend this to someone who likes adventures.

Mr L

8/12/2018 11:30:15 am

Sounds great. Love anything with Ancient Egypt!

Oliver

20/12/2018 06:16:47 pm

Lil Kaye sounds like a rapper

Anna Kernohan

15/9/2019 03:07:44 pm

A very good book and as I am quite passionate about Eqyptian Mythology I enjoyed a lot

Oliver

20/12/2018 09:19:26 pm

A review of the book "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance

This book follows the life of the entrepreneur and businessman Elon Musk. It starts by telling us about Musk’s difficult childhood in South Africa; how he was constantly harassed by bullies at school and how he suffered at the hands of his almost abusive father. In spite of the troubles he faced at home and at school, from a young age Musk was a voracious reader and managed to code his first videogame at age twelve. The book goes on to tell us how Musk moved to Canada at age 17, attended Queens University, where he met his first wife, and went on to found Zip2 with his older brother, Kimbal. After running the business for a while he decided to sell it and found another company, X.com (which later became PayPal). Finally the book tells us about Musk’s struggles with getting Tesla, the electric car company, started, and getting SpaceX literally off the ground.
Overall, I found this book disappointingly boring. It is written in such a way that it feels like you’re reading a 374 page business article. This is especially true when Tesla are in the middle of a crisis that needs to be urgently solved by Mr. Musk, and he miraculously solves the problem, ending the crisis. This part was supposed to be gripping and show how hard Musk worked for Tesla, yet I found this part quite boring because of the repetitive style and the fact that it went on for too long, and it didn’t make me want to read more of the book.
However, the book does give a good insight into how hard Musk works for all of his companies and what effect this has on his health and family. Musk rarely got to spend any time with his kids; not only does he have multiple nannies for his 5 kids, but he also employs a nanny manager. He divorced his first wife and then married another woman, divorced her and then married her again and divorced her. The part I personally found the most interesting was the section about Musk’s childhood. It was fascinating to read about the adventures that led Musk’s family to South Africa from Canada and about the time a young Musk tried to set up an arcade with his cousins, or the passages where Mr. Vance, the author, goes into detail about the technical issues that caused some of the SpaceX rockets to fail or the technology that went into the Tesla battery packs that make Teslas run.
I would not recommend this book to anyone unless they were particularly interested in business and how companies are run or just happen to be a massive Elon Musk fan. I give it a 7/10 rating.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:04:17 pm

The perils of non-fiction! Mr Musk has been having a few 'difficulties' lately.

Samuel

13/6/2019 07:09:56 pm

I read the book and found it fascinating! (I do not know if it was the same version).

Louise

22/12/2018 01:01:26 pm

Death On The Nile, Agatha Christie
Detective Hercule Poirot is enjoying a holiday in Egypt but is drawn into a drama where a newly wed couple is being followed by Jacqueline Bellefort. Jaqueline despises Linnet and Simon Doyle (the newly wed couple) as Jaqueline believes that Linnet stole Simon from her. When the couple arrive in Egypt Linett feels uneasy and, says that she is surrounded by enemies. A few days later she is found shot through the head in a cabin. Poirot takes this case immediately as she is scared that the murder might strike again..
I found this book extremely interesting and could not put it down. At first I was a bit confused at who the characters were as it was not specified but understood after a few chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Agatha Christie or murder novels in general.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:07:13 pm

Classic Christie. The recent BBC adaptation of 'The ABC Murders' was pretty dark and creepy!

Diana

28/12/2018 07:54:04 pm

The Letter to the King

This book is written by a Dutch writer - Tonke Drag. It's a story about a 16 year old squire, Tuiri, soon to be knighted who sets off on a quest during his vigil. It takes place in three kingdoms: the land of King Dagonaut, to the east of the Great Mountains, the land of King Unawen, to the west of the Great Mountains, and Eveillan.

The story starts during vigil in a church in the land of King Dagonaut. Tuiri and his friends must not leave the chapel until dawn. They are neither allowed to speak, eat, drink nor open the door to anybody. Suddenly Tuiri hears a voice asking him to open the door, claiming it to be the matter of life and death. He tries at first not to pay attention to the voice, although after many pleas, Tuiri does open it. His friends seem motionless and ignorant about the situation. The man gives him a mission to deliver a letter to the Black Night with the White Shield, promising Tuiri will be back before the ceremony at dawn.

When Tuiri finds the knight dead, he considers finishing the knight's quest himself. Travelling through forests, down rivers and over mountains, he is chased by various groups of knights, dogged by rumours and captured more than once.

He meets many people such as Slither; the man set on Tuiri's trail to kill him, Menaures; the hermit living in the mountains, Ardanwen; the horse of Edwinem of Forèstèrra, the Black Night with the White Shield, later becoming Tuiri's.

This book has lots of cliff-hangers making it impossible to predict anything. It is very well written, as well as it has a beautiful plot. I highly recommend reading this book if you like adventurous and long-lasting books.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:08:59 pm

Sounds gripping. Was it a translation or in Dutch?

Bea Butters

30/12/2018 11:50:17 am

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (by J.K. Rowling)

This fantasy book is the first book in the Harry Potter series, it is also the Authors debut book. I was always told this book was a "must read", I thought it was probably overrated so I was at first extremely reluctant to read it. The reason I ended up reading it, was I found I was missing out on an important part of general accomplishments and now I have read it, it is one of my favourite books.
Harry Potter lives with his neglectful aunt and uncle, who for an unknown reason despise him. They tell him his parents died in a car accident, which he soon finds out is a lie. On his 11th birthday, discovers that he is a wizard, which explains some odd happenings (for example his gift to talk to snakes) that had been baffling him for quite some time.
Harry is then invited to Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. He is the only wizard to have survived a death spell by an evil wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort (he had also attended Hogwarts 50 years ago) so he is extremely famous. Meanwhile strange things had been happening at school, Harry and his friends find an enormous three headed dog on the third floor. The children believe the dog is guarding something and they want to know what because they think one of their teachers wants to steal it. Suddenly the school doesn’t seem half as safe…

I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone with a taste for entertaining books!

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:11:12 pm

I remember reading this book with a first year class in my very first year of teaching!

Diana

3/1/2019 08:42:13 pm

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell.

This is a story about four young children who were heading towards Manaus, a city in Brazil. Whilst flying, the pilot lost control of the plane and crashed. The pilot did not survive leaving the children on their own in the endless Amazon Jungle.

They had to survive on working together without knowing each other and without hope. Fred- the protagonist of the story and the oldest is stuck in the jungle with Con, Lila and her younger brother Max.

They try to get to civilization, and during their search for food they find a map with an "X" on it. Intrigued and wondering what the "X" stands for, they built a raft to travel on the river through the jungle.

When they arrive at the point marked "X", they find someone living there. Who could it be and could that person help them?

When I first started reading this book, I did not particularly like it but as I reached a certain point, I could not stop reading it. I highly recommend it to people who like exploring different places through books, in this case - the jungle.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:16:27 pm

I really liked this one too. A rewarding read.

Kathleen

5/1/2019 11:33:25 am

The Wolf Wilder (Katherine Rundell)

The Wolf Wilder is set in early twentieth century Russia. Feodora and her mother live in the ever snowing woods of Russia. They are wolf wilders. Wolves were considered of great value at the time and it was a sign of wealth if you possessed one. However, when the wolves get to shabby or aggressive for their liking they send them of to wolf wilders. Their job is to train these wolves (or untrain, technically) to survive in the wild. In other words they 'untame' them.

One day, Russian general Rakov appear at their cottage and threatens to imprison them if they don't stop. He claims the wolves have been killing cows and other animals.

A few weeks later Rakov comes back and arrests Feodora's mother. Feodora, though manages to run away with a friend of hers. Their plan is to go to Moscow and get her mother back.

This plan eventually grows into a plan to start a revolution, and soon Feodora finds herself in the biggest adventure of her life.

This is a good book for anyone that likes adventure books that are not too far fetched, but are still fiction. if you like anything a bit history related this might also be a book for you.
I recommend this book as it is gripping and interesting at the same time.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:17:47 pm

You can't beat a good revolution. Rundell's writing is very vivid.

Manuela

6/1/2019 06:55:22 pm

Anna and the Swallow Man,
by Gavriel Savit.

Kraków, 1939.

When Anna's father is sent to a concentration camp by the Gestapo, she is left alone until she meets the Swallow Man. The Swallow Man is a mysterious stranger whom intigues Anna. They travel together to other places trying not to leave a trace behind them, nor being recognized by anyone.

In a world gone crazy, could you trust anyone even the person who's been travelling with you for the past months?

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:15:21 pm

Sounds like a great read. Glad to see a review, Manuela!

Lexi Doyle Currie

7/1/2019 09:20:24 am

The Look
by Sophia Bennett

This book tells the story of a girl nicknamed Ted. Her family has recently been forced to move out of their house in to a small flat after her Dad lost his job. Soon after this, the family find out that Ted’s big sister, Ava, has cancer. At the same time, Ted is scouted by a model agency. This comes as a shock as Ava was always considered the pretty sister. Ted and Ava at first think that it is a scam but they soon realise soon that it is legitimate.

Ted spends her summer going to different castings and shoots and soon big opportunities come her way. Once she is back at school she struggles to maintain a modelling career and watching out for Ava, all while studying for her GCSEs.

This book does a good job of depicting what the modelling world is truly like, showing both the good and bad sides. It also talks of the sadness an illness can have on a family. I would recommend this book for its contrasting stories told in tandem.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:14:17 pm

Not one I know. A Christmas gift?

Alexandra

9/1/2019 10:15:16 pm

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

This is a book about ten people who are lured onto an island in different ways. They know very little about each other or, in most cases, nothing at all, something that will be to their detriment later on.

The ten strangers were all expecting to have a relaxing time on an idyllic, desert island, however they are soon eager to leave when a recording accusing them all of terrible crimes is left on by the hosts, who coincidentally never shows up.

Just as things seem like they can’t get worse, two murders occur, and just when they were getting excited about leaving, the daily boatman doesn’t show up. Horrified, they realise they were never meant to get off this island, as one by one, they begin to die....

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes murder mysteries, or just anyone who would like a gripping book to read.

Mr L

9/1/2019 11:12:59 pm

Christie seems very popular in the class. Keep up the good reading!

Alex.E

12/1/2019 11:07:28 am

Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series) by Anthony Horowitz

This is a book about a boy, Alex Rider, who lived with his uncle (Ian Rider). Then one night his uncle dies in a "car crash". He finds out that Ian was a secret agent for MI6 and was shot on the road after having discovered some important information about Herod Sayle and his suspicious giveaway thousands of the best computers in the world. Alex Rider, a 14 year old boy, goes to finish the job that the best secret agent in MI6 had failed to do...

Remember, when you're a secret agent, you're never to young to die.

Mr L

13/1/2019 03:49:42 pm

Always a popular choice with the lads, Horowitz!

oliver link

12/1/2019 11:34:46 am

Itch

Itch is a normal boy that loves science, every day his room is either burning or covered in soot. His sister gets quite annoyed when he performs his experiments at night. Itch also wants to have every element in the periodic table so one he goes to a friend. his friend gives him a rock but itch has no idea which element it is. he soon discovers that this rock is extremely radioactive. Itch soon realizes that he is in danger a man is after him and wants the rock for a bomb. So itch is forced to go on the run. But this rock isn't what it seems...

Mr L

13/1/2019 03:50:33 pm

Lots of good reading this school year, Oliver.

Samuel

13/6/2019 06:58:56 pm

Looks good!

Thomas Moynan

12/1/2019 01:07:09 pm

Prince caspian has been a very good book. My family are fond of the Narnian books.
Prince capitan has been thrilling, full of battles, twists and turns. I am very glad I chose it through I reomend you start with the first book “The magicians nephe”. It will make more scence

Mr L

13/1/2019 03:51:20 pm

A classic series of books. Try to write a bit more, Thomas.

Ani Adjemian

12/1/2019 01:47:35 pm

The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius

This book is about a gorilla, (Sally Jones) writing a story of her life. Sally Jones is an amazing gorilla because she understands humans, can write, and can play chess. She was a sailor sailing along with her Chief, until he was falsely accused of murdering a man. He went to jail, so Sally Jones had to stay in Lisbon, and live in a house with Ana Molina (a singer) and Luigi Fidardo (an instrument repairer) She helped him repair instruments. All that time, she was trying to help Chief escape jail.

A year later, Sally Jones understood that the person Chief was accused to have killed might not have been dead. Sally Jones bravely left for India to find proof that Chief hadn't murdered anyone. She got betrayed by many different people on the way and ended up in a city miles away from Cochin, where she was supposed to end up. Sally Jones ended up in a maharaja/king's palace. Off her track, she tried hard to escape and help poor Chief in jail.

This is an interesting story full of surprises. Sally Jones, the hero, may have saved Lisbon from a group of criminels.

Mr L

13/1/2019 03:52:36 pm

This has been a popular choice. I enjoyed it too but then again I do love Lisbon!

Ani Adjemian

13/1/2019 03:32:28 pm

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass is the third book of the, His Dark Materials, series. In this book, Will Parry needs to bring the Subtle Knife to his friend Lyra's father, called Lord Asriel. He is preparing for a war made up of many worlds. The Subtle Knife is a knife that can cut through anything. It can even cut through different worlds, so it is a very dangerous weapon.

Even though Will got orders from his dead dad to give the knife to Lord Asriel, he only wants to do it after saving Lyra from her, apparently evil mother. Together, they will try to join the war with their dangerous knife. Lyra and Will will travel through many different worlds, including the world of the dead. They will help lots of kinds of people and Lyra will betray her best friend.

I like this book because there is lots of adventure. I also like the fantasy in the book. The story is both happy and sad.

Mr L

13/1/2019 03:53:23 pm

A great writer. Keep up the good reading, Ani. Nice to see some reviews!

Alex.E

13/1/2019 09:28:57 pm

Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider is needed again after two adults, whose children go to the same school, get killed. The school is in France and specialises in children who get expelled all the time.

MI6 have their doubts about this business and send Alex Rider, just a child, to go on a life threatening adventure to Point Blanc.

Mr L

1/2/2019 02:35:40 pm

This one is definitely doing the rounds!

Manuela

16/1/2019 10:23:23 pm

Man from the South - Roald Dahl

Three strangers are sitting by the pool, the man from the south, the American boy and the storyteller. They all engage in small talk, they have a cigar and the American boy lights all three cigars. (That's where the story gets really interesting). The man from the south and the American boy make a deal:
If the American boy can strike lighter successfully ten times running, he gets the southern man's Cadillac. If the boy isn't successful, his little finger on his left hand will be cut off by the man from the south. They make the deal and go to the southern man's hotel room. They tie the boy's hand to the table... The southern man holds up the kitchen knife in the air and the boy starts lighting the lighter....
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...
Suddenly something unexpected happens...

Manuela

18/1/2019 10:05:42 pm

Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s coat-Roald Dahl

Mr and Mrs Bixby lived in a smallish apartment somewhere in New York City. Mr Bixby was a dentist who made an average income, Mrs Bixby was a vigorous woman. Once a month, on Friday afternoons, Mrs Bixby would board a train at Pennsylvania station and travel to Baltimore. She would spend the night with her aunt and return the following day to New York City.

She visited her old aunt (or so she told her husband). She was actually visiting the Colonel (a lover of hers). He was extremely wealthy, he lived in a charming house, no wife or family, only loyal servants. Year after year this pleasant alliance continued without a problem .It was before Christmas and Mrs Bixby was standing on the station in Baltimore waiting for the train departing to New York City when suddenly Wilkins, the Colonel’s groom, approached her handing her a big cardboard box.

Once she got on the train she open the box and found a beautiful deep which blue wild labrador mink coat. She estimated that it would’ve cost $6000, possibly even more but she couldn’t take your eyes off it so she tried the coat on and thought she looked amazing. She read the letter lying in the box. Her eyes stretched very wide , she couldn’t believe it, out of the blue the Coronel wrote a letter saying they can’t see each other any more. She then realised that wasn’t the big picture any more. How was she going to tell her husband that her aunt Maude got her a coat? Aunt Maude could never afford a coat like this one! She needed a good excuse if she wanted to keep the coat.

Once she got off the train, Mrs Bixby stopped at the first pawnbroker she saw and left her coat there. The man gave her a ticket it was a $50 loan. When she arrived home, she told her husband that she had found the ticket in the taxi. Mr Bixby picked it up the following Monday and Mrs Bixby rushed down to the clinic to see what her husband had found.

Her worst nightmare had become true...

Mr L

1/2/2019 02:34:24 pm

A super summary but what did you think of it?

viktor

19/1/2019 02:58:39 pm

i read the series of unfortunate events its about 3 orphan siblings trying to stay alive and escape count Olaf a man who tries to take their family fortune (:

viktor

20/1/2019 08:30:40 am

auther

lemony snicket

Mr L

1/2/2019 02:30:51 pm

A good choice but try to write a lengthier review next time.

Anna K

15/9/2019 03:42:58 pm

I quite liked the series though it is not one of my favourites

Aobhe Staunton link

19/1/2019 06:51:16 pm

Street child by Berlie Doherty

This book is about a boy called Jim Jarvis who is a runaway. The story is set in London in the 1860s. Jim lived with his mother and sisters in a tenament room.

His mother was very sick and his father had already passed away so they had no money. They couldn't afford their rent so they had to go to the workhouse. Shortly after Jim's mother dies. This book tells the story of homelessness and how difficult it was to survive in Victorian times.

Jim eventually escapes the workhouse and lives on the streets he is actually happy there as he met many kind and decent people.

Unfortunately his happiness ends when he is sold to a cruel alcoholic named Grimy Nick. Once again he was treated very cruely and eventually escapes again.

Luckily he came across Dr Barnardo's ragged school classes and asked him for help. Jim showed him where all the homeless children were living and it is thought that Jim inspired Dr Barnado to open up homes and to help children on the streets just like Jim. The charity is now called Barnardo's and is still thriving today helping young people in many ways.

I found this book very interesting and a great read. It really shows you the hardship of children on the streets in Victorian times.

Mr L

1/2/2019 02:32:35 pm

Great choice, Aobhe and a well written review!!

Alex Hill

8/2/2019 07:05:32 pm

I have been reading Unbearable by Paul Jennings.I like this book because it has many adventures and stories.

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:21:43 pm

One from the class library? Try to make your review less brief and more detailed.

Kathleen

9/2/2019 09:25:00 am

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Star, a 16 year old African American girl lives in two completely different worlds. One is here home town garden Heights, where drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy are a big problem. The other, Williamson prep. is were she goes to school, a very rich neighbourhood, were nearly all the people are white.

Here behaviour in each of these worlds differ greatly. At school she tries to stay low-profile and not seem like an 'angry black girl'. Also, as she is black she is automatically considered cool.
At home in Garden Heights she uses slang and is considered a bit of a loser as she goes to school with white kids.

One night she goes to a party in Garden Heights with friends. Soon though, gunshots can be heard and there is panic. She drives off with a good friend of hers, Kahlil. A moment later they are stopped by the police and Kahlil is taken out of the car to be searched. He makes a sudden movement. Suddenly, the police man shoots and Kahlil dies. Star is the only witness.

Star, naturally is very shaken and spends many weeks crying. There doesn't seem to be any action against the police officer who killed her best friend. There are protests along the streets, people demanding justice for Kahlil. But Star, scared she or her family will have the same fate as Kahlil, does not raise her voice.

A couple weeks later, all her friends are pushing her to do something. Your voice is you most powerful weapon, use it.
So she starts to take interviews. Still, nothing happens. Every day every week she feels a stronger urge to raise her voice and do something. One day she does............................................................

This is a very powerful and inspiring book about finding oneself and using your voice. It shows that even though, today we say that racism has been abolished, the problem is far from being solved.

Kathleen

9/2/2019 09:34:00 am

The Hate U give
I just wanted to add that it has been made into a movie in case anyone wants to watch it. Read the book first though (;

Noah Williams

16/2/2019 07:08:43 pm

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider was playing football with his school. During the match Alex saw someone he recognized staring at him. He left the pitch and went up to him, It was someone from M16. Alex hated being a spy after his last experience. He could already feel him tempting him. In the end he wins by giving him a trip to Wimbledon to be a ball boy. After his first few days Alex realized he was tricked. He ended up killing someone suspicious not knowing he was part of a the red circle gang. The next day he found himself sitting in the office of M16.

He was forced to escape from the red circle gang to Hawaii. In Hawaii Alex was pretending to be part of a family not being allowed to interfere with the mission. Alex ends up saving their lives by exploding a can of oil but trouble comes back.

I found this book incredible. It was full of gun attacks and explosions. I would rate this book a 10/10.

viktor

3/3/2019 05:19:21 pm

i am reading a book called Artemis
it is about a women who sells illegal products to a wealthy criminal on the moon. the city on the moon gives the name to the book Artimus
The women is not payed enough so when a new and dangerous mission comes up she accepts. I just started this book so i don't know a lot about it but that's already the beginning.

viktor

3/3/2019 07:04:43 pm

so far i rate it 10/10

Sashka B.

19/3/2019 05:50:27 pm

Death in the Clouds
By Agatha Christie

A death occurs in midair when Hercule Poirot is on a short flight from Paris to London. While the attendants are checking the bills one of them tries to wake up one woman onboard, but she does not respond. A doctor onboard examines the woman. He then informs the attendant that the woman died half an hour ago, with what looks like a wasp sting. But when M. Poirot takes a look of the woman’s surroundings, he finds a wasp on the ground. After picking it up he releases that it is not a wasp it is a small dart lined with black and
yellow cloth.

When they arrive in London, the police are already there. After interviewing the passengers, they have their suspicion list…with M. Poirot on it! Poirot needs to quickly clear his name. Will he be able to find the killer before anything happens to anyone else?

While investigating, Poirot becomes friends with a young woman, but soon finds out that she is in grave danger. But why doesn’t Poirot tell the girl? Will he manage to save the girl before it’s too late?

Sashka B.

19/3/2019 06:01:00 pm

Personally I find this book the best one of The Hercule Poirot serie. I couldn't put it down. The murder is as always an exciting one (as all of the murders from Agatha Christie).

The reason why I like this book the most is because Poirot is a suspect however in the other books he is either called to the investigation or just investigates during his holiday.

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:19:35 pm

The queen of murder mystery!

Thomas Moynan

22/3/2019 09:47:42 am

Alex Rider egal strike is the fourth book in the series of Alex rider. it is a about a boy who lost both of his parents and works for MI6. but he gets very mad at MI6 so he trys to leave, because he tried to show a friend the truth why he is always absent at school but MI6 stays hiden. then the friends dad almost got killed by a bomb. and then his friend gets kidnapped by the same guy who tried to kill her father . and then she finally believes him when she had to kill the villain Damin cray pushing a trolley at him making fly out of the air force 1 and get cut in half with the planes engine. so i really liked the book full of adventure. hope you enjoy.

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:18:15 pm

Good to see you getting through plenty of books!

Alex Escardino

22/3/2019 09:52:04 am

Skeleton Key - Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

After getting into quite a problem with a type of Chinese mafia, Alex leaves Britain to get away from the reach of the mafia, and to help two american agents from the CIA to get into the island of Cuba called "Cayo Esqueleto". There he finds out that an old Soviet general by the name of "General Sarov" means to make a revolution in Russia using uranium, the highly explosive substance in an atomic bomb. He tries to sneak into their base but fails and becomes captive. Alex runs out of ways to escape and it looks really bad for him.

I rate this book a ten.

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:17:16 pm

Great story!

Noah Williams

27/3/2019 03:36:07 pm

Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz

During the summer holidays Alex goes to the french seaside with his girlfriend Sabina's family. One day Alex spots a bizarre boat on the beach. The next day the house blows up and Sabina's dad gets very badly injured. Alex blames himself for the explosion and investigates the the boat. He finds the assassin and follows him everywhere. After a few days finds enough proof but is captured by the assassin. During the investigation Alex finds out he is going to Amsterdam so he goes after him. Alex has only 90 minutes to save the world.

I found this book very good and it deserves a 10

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:16:03 pm

I really enjoyed this one.

Charlie Norton

28/3/2019 05:36:33 pm

Fear: Trump in the Whitehouse.
By Bob Woodward

pages 1 to 100

I bought this book against my usual taste for books. It is about Donald Trump and the advisers surrounding him. I decided to try it as it had such success in the US.

At first I thought it would be a book on the "crazy" different things Trump was doing that no one knew, like his habit of eating paper (stated in Omarosa Manigault's, "unhinged").

I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The book offered an in depth view into Trump's presidency and his personality.

I thought that my small understanding of politics would be a problem when reading the book, but Bob Woodward did very well to target both adults (assuming they know a normal amount about politics) and teenagers (such as myself).

The book follows two of Trump's advisers who try and help him become president of the United States of America, at first, deemed an impossible job to which many were laughing.

The book offers a great understanding of Donald Trumps true self. It does this by including real quotes quotes from him and his advisers. It shows how his decisions were made, many of them heavily influenced by the advisers whom the reader gets to know very well. It illustrates his stupidity, stubbornness and selfishness perfectly, making the book very funny to read, as well as serious.

I recommend this book to all ages from twelve upwards.

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:13:09 pm

Great choice, Charlie. Bob Woodward is one of the best investigative journalists of his generation.

Maria Ezquerra

2/4/2019 05:38:27 pm

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

In the the village of Gavaldon, best friends but total opposites, are preparing for the night that could change their lives. Every four years the School Master takes 2 children from Gavaldon. At first, there was no apparent pattern but after a few years, the villagers realized that one of the children was always evil and the other one good.
Sophie, with her blonde hair and her good deeds is expecting to be put into the School for Good while Agatha (her best friend) and her black dresses are put into the School for Evil. But when the School Master leaves Sophie in the School for Evil and Agatha in the School for Good. Agatha and Sophie try to correct the mistake, but what if there was no mistake..........

This book is the first of the series (the series including: a World without Prices, The Last Ever After, Quests for Glory and a Crystal of Time). I personally love the book and the series and would give it a 10/10.

Maria E

2/4/2019 05:40:17 pm

Sorry, I meant a world without Princes, not Prices!!!

Mr L

2/4/2019 08:14:30 pm

Thanks for the review.
I think a world without prices. Imagine free Maltesers!

Bea

25/4/2019 01:49:18 pm

Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’ is a gripping novel about 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America.
The Capitol, the high tech metropolis that controls the rest of the nation, exploits the twelve surrounding districts of their natural resources and labour. Katniss lives in the twelfth district, in the coal-rich region that was once Appalachia, USA. Her father died in a mining accident, thus her already poor family had no income whatsoever. In the districts of Panem people can sign up for 'tesserae' (a year's supply of grain and oil) but that increases the chance of one becoming a tribute (what the contestants of the Hunger Games are called) in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts of Panem are selected randomly to compete in a televised battle to the death where there is only one rule: “Kill or be killed”. Katniss signs up for tesserae for her, her mother, and her younger sister Prim. But when Prim turns 12 she will not allow her to take any tesserae in order to decrease Prim's chances of becoming a tribute. But even so Prim gets picked. Katniss decides to volunteer and take Prim’s place in the Games to save her sister from being killed. She competes against a 23 other contestants to win the Games, or in other words live.

This book is a must read! But it is violent and the idea of children being forced to kill each other on live TV is especially disturbing, but most of it is suspense and the deaths aren’t too detailed. Therefore I think it is ok for someone from the age of 11 or 12 to read but many people disagree and think this is a 16+ book. Just to give you an idea, a friend of mine read it at the age of 11 and started dreading her 12th birthday so it really depends on the person. I received the trilogy on Easter Sunday and read the first book by the next day because I couldn’t put it down. I would not recommend reading it before bed because you will probably stay up all night reading it!

Anna K

15/9/2019 03:54:14 pm

I would say it’s a 12+ book as I have read it but there’s nothing detailed about the deaths and it’s mainly suspense and action

Lexi Doyle Currie

23/5/2019 10:27:23 am

The New Recruit
by Andy McNab

This book is the first in McNab’s military trilogy. It follows the journey of junior soldier, Liam. His reasons for joining the British Army were twofold. He blames himself for the death of his friend, Dan, who died after falling off a building while they were free-running. Plus, his parents don’t give him an easy ride, with his dad wanting him gone. In joining the army, Liam is attempting to escape from his life at home.

While discovering how tough army life is in reality, Liam becomes close friends with another soldier, Cameron. After graduating, and no longer a junior soldier, he goes into training to prepare to go on a tour of Afghanistan. Liam is excited for this new adventure despite finding out that Dan’s brother, Mike, is in the same regiment as him. Mike sets out to make Liam’s life a misery, but Liam knows that nothing awaits him at home and that he must forge ahead with his army career.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an insight into life in the British Army. I found the glossary at the beginning of the book very useful for understanding the different military terms and acronyms.

Mr L

3/6/2019 09:14:44 am

Glad you enjoyed it!!

emile

25/5/2019 01:28:19 pm

I read the Hand of god it is about Maradona it is a great a great book because it talks about the bad things he did and many other things. I think you should read it. I give it 8 out of 10.

Mr L

3/6/2019 09:15:21 am

Sounds interesting but try to be more expansive.

Ani Adjemian

25/5/2019 03:58:00 pm

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

Tris Prior lives in a futuristic society where the city is divided into five factions: Abnegation, the selfless; Dauntless, the brave; Erudite, the intelligent; Amity, the peaceful; and Candor, the honest. She has grown up in Abnegation, the selfless faction. She knows she doesn't fit in, but she doesn't want to leave her family in Abnegation while she transfers. Every citizen have to pass a special test at the age of 16 to give them an idea of which faction they should go to. When Tris takes the test, she understands that she is different: she is Divergent. This means she doesn't fit in any faction. She is in grave danger because the government kills Divergent.

On the day where she has to choose which faction she will go to, she decides Dauntless. Tris and her brother, who transferred to Erudite, have betrayed their factions. People from Abnegation rarely ever transfer. Since Abnegation is the faction everyone laughs at, she gets an enemy who has transferred from Candor: Peter. He's a bully who makes fun of her.

Tris and the other initiates have to compete harshly for a place in Dauntless. If they aren't good enough, they'll have to become factionless; something people would rather die than be. Four, is the trainer. He is mysterious but very talented. The training is so competitive that some initiates hurt each other. Tris is betrayed by one of her best friends who tries to kill her with Peter because he is scared to become factionless.

Tris and Four soon discover an upcoming conflict. Jeanine Matthews, the leader of Erudite, wants to erase all of Abnegation. They understand that she wants to use all the Dauntless so they can fight Abnegation. Her plan is to inject a serum into all the Dauntless so that they aren't aware of what they are doing. They have to kill people from Abnegation. Only the Divergent are still conscient of what they are doing. This is the reason Jeanine wanted to kill all the Divergent.

Her plan goes exactly as she wants it to go, except for the fact that Tris and Four know what they are doing. They'll have to save Abnegation from its horrible fate.

This is the first book of the Divergent trilogy. Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant, make the series. There is also an extra book called, Four.

Mr L

3/6/2019 10:05:15 am

Great to see so much good reading, Ani.

Anna K

15/9/2019 03:37:18 pm

Ani I think you would like the Hunger Games. It’s a very good book and my favourite is the first one

Dimo Varbanov

26/5/2019 10:51:31 am

The Last Chance Hotel is written by Nicki Thornton.
The main character, Seth, is a kitchen boy at the remote Last Chance Hotel. His mother died when he was very young and his father left soon after. His father was an excellent cook and Seth has his talent. The boy works for the nasty Bunn family that runs the hotel.
One night, a group of magicians comes to stay at the hotel. The VIP guest is Dr. Thallomius, one of the most important magicians in the world. Seth prepares his special dessert for dinner at which the VIP guest is poisoned. Suspicions turn to Seth and an investigation begins. Although he is innocent, it is very hard to prove. The story takes unexpected turns while Seth, with the help of Nightshade, tries to solve the mystery.
The plot contains magic, murder and mystery. I highly recommend this book and I would rate it 9/10.

Mr L

3/6/2019 10:08:51 am

Sounds like a good thriller. You might enjoy Agatha Christie.

Anna K

15/9/2019 03:33:52 pm

I like murder mysteries and I have a feeling I will like the book

Lexi Doyle Currie

5/6/2019 09:18:46 pm

The Sorceress
by Celia Rees

This book is the sequel to Witch Child. It starts from when an English girl, Mary Newbury, escaped from the new-found English settlement, Beulah in America, after strong suspicions of her commitment to sorcery.

In Witch Child, the reader had already been introduced to a young native-American boy called Jaybird, who turns out to be a very important character in this book. Previously, at the risk of someone from the settlement discovering their contact, Mary was forced to lose touch with him. In Sorceress, after escaping Beulah, a big storm arrives and Mary nearly dies from the cold. However, a wolf finds Mary and cares for her by creating a den to keep her warm, and by lying by her side to give her even more strength. Once Mary wakes up, the wolf is gone. Jaybird is reintroduced to the story at this point, as he and his father, White Eagle, have come to her aid. Upon arriving at their cave, Mary sees the wolf again. Jaybird and White Eagle tell her that it was the wolf that led them to come and save her. Mary then understands that the wolf is actually her mother.

Once Mary recovers, she marries Jaybird, and even becomes a daughter to White Eagle. Eventually, they move to a native-American village and Mary slowly becomes one of them. Her story does not end here though. Throughout the book, she establishes other great relationships and also suffers from great loss as a result of war. More interestingly, despite her having thought to have escaped anyone’s suspicion of her being a witch (and the consequences), she sometimes encounters Europeans that still hold such suspicion. The very first line of the book is indeed Mary herself saying “I am a witch”. However, contrary to what the Europeans think, she does not see this as a bad thing.

This book is different to Witch Child in that, for the most part, it is written from Mary’s perspective, but not like a diary as in the prequel. The main difference though is that there are also accounts from characters living in modern times, including Alison, a researcher, who supposedly wrote Witch Child. She is still extremely dedicated to finding out what happened to Mary after her diary abruptly ended. This is where Agnes comes into the story. After she meets with Alison, she starts to be taken into the spirit world and becomes Mary, living as her for the rest of Mary’s life. The book is essentially Agnes’ visions.

Especially at the beginning of the book, there is quite a lot of text on Alison and Agnes’ lives. I personally didn’t mind this too much, but I can also understand why some readers may have preferred a story based only around Mary. Despite Sorceress being a piece of fiction, I think that Alison’s character shows what extent historians have had to go through to discover everything that we know today.

The book also featured Alison’s end notes, explaining what she discovered from various records about what happened to everyone in Beulah. I think this was a nice way to end Mary’s story, as people such as Reverend Johnson and Hannah died soon after Mary’s escape. Deborah Vane, another one of the sisters did not lead a very successful life either. These people had only made Mary’s life a misery. Others though that were friends to Mary, such as the Rivers and Morse families, did not necessarily lead easy lives, but were successful.

Also included in the end notes, was what happened to the young boy, Jack Gill, who was on-board the ship with Mary. It turns out that Jack had kept the half of the shilling that he had split with Mary as his lucky piece. Mary’s vision of how he would die was actually a vision of Jack’s son, and not himself. I think it was a nice touch to let the reader know what became of Jack.

To conclude, I think this book was just as well written and entertaining as the first. It is more fast-paced than Witch Child, but I actually preferred it this way. As Mary lives with native-Americans, known at the time as “Indians”, there is a lot of information about them, and so I would also recommend the book to anyone wishing an insight into their culture and the wars they fought with the Europeans.

Manuela

10/6/2019 09:19:42 am

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote)

The story is about a woman called Holly Golightly and her life. The narrator is fascinated by Holly and so are many other men but she isn't fascinated by any of them. The narrator and Holly start to spend time together and he learns Holly's way of liffe. He soon falls in love with her but he's devastated to find out that Holly has a sectret love affair with Jose. Jose eventually proposes to Holly and they make plans to move to Brazil together.
Who will she choose?

Manuela

10/6/2019 10:33:28 am

The Landlady (Roald Dahl)

It was a cold night and Billy Weaver was walking down a street, he was hungry and tired. That's when he found a boarding house so he decided to ring the doorbell. A nice old lady came outside to greet him and when he entered he looked at the guest book. He could've sworn that he had seen those names before.

The lady offered Billy food but he kindly declined telling her that he was too tired. Later that night, he accepted her invitation so they drank tea together.

Billy couldn't stop staring at the parrot and the dachshund because they didn't move. Nonetheless, they both talked about the guests but the woman kept saying strange things like: 'his skin was so soft'. Billy finnaly tells the lady that the parrot fooled him for he thought it was alive, the lady responds by telling him that neither the parrot or the dachshund are alive.

That's when Billy realised that the names from the guest book were the same names that he read on the newspapper who mysteriously disapeared.

He asks the woman if there had been other guests in the past 3 years she replies calmly saying, 'no, only you.'

Manuela

10/6/2019 10:35:09 am

*calmly replies

Anna Kernohan

15/9/2019 03:31:47 pm

I like the sound of the book. It sounds interesting

Samuel

13/6/2019 06:44:21 pm

Strike of the shark

This exciting story is written by Bear Grylls and I recommend it to anyone who likes survival-action movies/books.

Beck Granger is a going on holidays with one of his dads friends. On his way he goes on a boat with a sea captain who has already lost a boat, the story is already suggesting tragedy.

In the middle of the night a strange boat crash happens and Beck goes onto a life boat with the others. But it turns out that the people on his are the ones that caused the crash. Beck and the sea captain (something happened to his dads friend) are captured, will they escape...

I really enjoyed this book and I hope that everyone who has read it enjoyed it too.

Samuel

13/6/2019 06:55:20 pm

If anyone was wondering, this is a series and it is not the first book. But this one is my personal favourite!

Noah

15/6/2019 08:17:10 am

There is also a series called Bear Grylls on youtube.

It is by the author of this book (he is a survival expert).

17/6/2019 05:48:51 pm

Samuel

Diana

16/6/2019 07:01:11 pm

Little women by Louisa M. Alcott
This book is the first of the sequel about the March girls.
It talks about four young girls whose father is in the American Civil War, fighting for their country, and their mother with whom they live. They are poor, although they have enough money to sustain themselves and their parents teach them to give away things that others may need more than them. They spend their first Christmas without their father but later in the book he gets injured, then recovers and returns home – to the great relief of the whole family.
Each girl has different personality traits but they also have flaws. For example Meg, the oldest, likes expensive things but when she remembers that she is poor she is saddened by the thought. Their mother helps them and is the one that encourages them all the time.
At the start of the book you might think it is a sad book but in reality, on the contrary, it is one that gives you many lessons of life and teaches you moral. It has sad and happy parts, very much like reality but it ends on a positive note where they are all reunited at home. This book is a summary of one year with the March family and only the beginning of a sequel of four books. Unlike the others books, where events take places over the course of many years, sometimes jumping from one period to another, this book describes a whole year with barely no gaps.
I would recommend this book to people who like fiction books with a deep meaning. In my opinion, everyone should at least read classics like this one as it is wonderfully written.

Anna Kenohan

15/9/2019 03:24:58 pm

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
It is about a 15 year old boy named Eragon who’s quite poor and he’s hunting in the woods when he finds a polished blue stone. This stone turns out to be a dragon egg, when the egg hatches and the dragon comes out Eragon realises he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire it’s self.
When he touches the egg he has automatically become a Dragon Rider and has entered a new world of magic, destiny and power. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire is in his hands...

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Lord of the Rings and books a bit like that. I would give it a 10/10.

Anna

19/9/2019 06:51:20 pm

Kernohan

Emilie Groenvald link

16/10/2019 07:06:22 pm

Private Peaceful by Micheal Morpurgo

This book is about two brothers who live in a small town but one day they have to go off to fight WW1 in the trenches.

I really liked this book because it was quite fun to read and towards the end it got a bit sad. There were many interesting parts. I would recommend it highly.

Emilie Groenvald

AOIFE

29/3/2020 01:34:50 pm

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

“Sister, Missing” is the second book of the “Girl, Missing” trilogy by Sophie McKenzie.

This book is about a 16-year old girl, Lauren who goes on holidays with her mum and two sisters - Madison and Shelby. One morning, Lauren goes out for a walk on the beach with her 8-year old sister, Madison. Lauren allows Madison to get ice-cream alone, but Madison doesn’t come back…she has gone missing…she has been kidnapped.

To get Madison back, Lauren has to meet up with the kidnappers and pay a ransom of two million pounds. However, things do not go as planned and the lives of Lauren and her family are about to change forever…

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was a real page-turner, full of suspense and always taking the reader by surprise. I can’t wait to read the third and final novel of this series! I would highly recommend reading this trilogy!

Mr L

1/4/2020 08:41:18 am

It's not one I know but sounds interesting, Aoife.

I like the kidnapping theme. One of my favourite novels as a kid was 'Kidnapped' by Robert Louis Stevenson.

De Loof Luca

1/4/2020 08:39:10 am

YE its a nice book would love to red it

Albert Payne

1/4/2020 08:47:48 am

Cherub: The Recruit
Cherub is a series of novels and i read the first one called the recruit. Cherub is a top secret british MI5 like organisation but for kids. In this book a boy called James is taking the three month long entry class that includes intensive exercises like running through a very hard assault course and doing karate etc. He really tries hard and luckily at the end he gets in.

Mr L

1/4/2020 09:00:27 am

I think I mentioned it before but I wrote the blurb for a couple of Muchamore's books. He came into one of my English classes to read extracts many years ago!

emile greene

1/4/2020 08:49:32 am

so recently I read the book
Economix. it's a book about politics, economy and much more.
It's a fun read if you want to learn economy.

Mr L

1/4/2020 09:01:18 am

Sounds interesting!
What about fiction? Have you read any interesting ones recently?

Simona

1/4/2020 08:49:47 am

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

"The amateurs" is the first book of Sara Shapard's trilogy.

this story is about a girl named Aerin who's sister Helena was murdered 5 years before when this story is set. she put her sisters murder case on a website called Case Not Closed where they put open cases after the cops drop them.

Tpeople from that website see her post and go to her house to investigate. They end up all working together to solve her sisters murder.

I highly enjoyed this book and it had me wanting to read the next chapter. The ending was a huge surprise and i can't wait to fi ish this trilogy. I really recommend these books if you're a murder mystery fan.

Mr L

1/4/2020 08:58:53 am

I do like a good murder mystery. Have you read any Agatha Christie?

Simona

1/4/2020 09:33:22 am

yes I've read quite a few

Ciara

1/4/2020 08:53:10 am

Wolf by Gillian Cross
Wolf is a book set in London. Cassy (the teenage girl) lives with her grandmother. One night she wakes up to loud footsteps, mysterious footsteps. The next day cassie is sent to live with her mother, who is squatting in London. Her mother, mother’s partner and his son are making a play about wolves for a school and they incourage Cassie to join in and she does.
Cassie has a feeling that she is being stalked and learns something terrible about her father that she has been protected from all her life.
This book is quite interesting and i would reccomend it to anyone who likes mystery books.

Mr L

1/4/2020 08:57:37 am

I like Gillian Cross. My eldest daughter used to be terrified of 'The Demon Headmaster'!

Mateo Mojsoski

1/4/2020 08:58:51 am

“YOU” by Caroline Kepnes

It’s a thriller novel and the story makes up of lots of twists and it’s just very interesting and suspenseful to read. The book is about an author called Guinevere Beck who visits a nice bookshop when she meets eyes with Joe, Joe Goldberg. They talk for a bit and immediately they have a connection. However as we are soon to find out, Joe has something up his sleeve.

Mr L

1/4/2020 09:10:15 am

You can't beat a book with twists. Sounds interesting!

James

1/4/2020 09:02:29 am

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

This book starts when Thomas, a sixteen year old boy wakes up in the maze with no recollection of his former self. He is welcomed by 20 odd boys, none of them remembering anything from their past either. Despite having built a working society with farms and even a system of government these boys desperately want to know who put them there and what is happening in the outside world. They know the secret to escaping lies somewhere in the maze but with runners having tried to find it for almost two years now they don't have much hope. Can Thomas help them escape and if so is escape worth facing the outside world?...

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it had a lot of suspense and many unexpected plot twists. There are four sequels: The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, The Kill Order and The Fever Code. I have almost finished the third book now and I don't think the plot is getting old or boring. I would recommend this book who people who enjoy books such as C.H.E.R.U.B by Robert Muchamore.

Mr L

1/4/2020 09:11:05 am

Great book. I love dystopian fiction and it has become very popular in recent years!

Alex

1/4/2020 09:04:56 am

I am reading a book called wonder by R. J. Palacio. I've already watched it and its pretty emotional beacuse it's a boy born with facial diffrences his name is August he lives in new york and has one sister.He has been homeschooled for most of his childhood. When he was in fifth grade he went to a school called Beecher Prep, and of course when he goes to school he gets bullied. luckily for August he made friends with Jack.

Albert Payne

1/4/2020 09:07:48 am

I already saw it it's great!!! And read it but when I saw the film half way through the shopping mall cinema fire alarm went off so we had to evacuate it so we had to watch it again

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:07:14 am

Sounds powerful and poignant.

Anna

1/4/2020 09:09:18 am

Holes by Louis Sachar

This book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who often has bad luck. The bad luck was often associated with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, though most of the Yelnats thought it was only a myth that went down through generations to help them not feel bad about the bad-luck. In the story we often have some chapters written about the great grandfather as though we were back in time but back to the story.
One day Stanley is walking home from school and a pair of shoes drop from the sky, aand since his father is an inventor he decides to take them home.But it turns out those shoes belonged to a famous baseball player that was going to give them away for charity. Stanley is then borught to court, and since his family are poor they don't have the money for a lawyer, he's given the chance to either go to prison or to juvenile detention at Camp Green Lake. At Camp Green Lake the boys have to dig holes 5 ft deep and 5 ft in width to "help build character" but Stanley suspects there is something else they're diging for as well...

I really liked this book and i really enjoyed the plot and idea of this book. This is the first book i've read from Louis Sachar and I think I will read a lot more of his books. I would highly rocmmend this book to basically anyone.

Overall I would give this book a 10/10

James

1/4/2020 09:14:10 am

I read the book and I really enjoyed it

Mr L

1/4/2020 09:14:42 am

A fantastic book, Anna. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I taught it a few years back and it was very popular. Have you seen the film? Not as good as the novel but not bad nonetheless!

Emilie Groenvald link

1/4/2020 09:12:26 am

Messenger

It is a book about a small boy called Matty who is adopted by an old blind man. They live in a village where most people are injured in someway or another. Matty isn't hurt though and he can go through the dangerous forest that surrounds the village. He sends messages to the other villages. In the village, when they are old enough they are given a title and Matty wishes for the title of Messenger.

In the village, everyone is welcoming and kind to others but one day there comes a strange and sinister man called Trademaster. He could give you anything you wanted but you had to trade something away. Most people didn't have many valuables so they didn't have much to trade but Trademaster could find a way. Many people traded away parts of themselves. They traded away some of their personatlities or characteristics. They traded away these things for objects like fur coats and gaming machines. The people of the village became mean spirited and wanted to build a wall around the village so no one new could come in.

The old blind man has a daughter who has a crippled leg, she lives in a village beyond the forest and he asks Matty to bring her back before the villagers build the wall around the village. before, the forest was always safe for Matty to travel through but now it becomes dangerous as poisonous plants start to creep up on the two. Matty also discovers a special ability he has but it takes up lots of energy.

I really liked the book and it was fun to read. It was also interesting with the Trademaster and how people wanted materialistic things more than who they were. Overall it was a nice book.

AOIFE

1/4/2020 09:18:26 am

I read that book too and I loved it!

Anna

1/4/2020 09:19:48 am

I'm reading Gathering Blue which is the book right before Messenger. Have you read The Giver as well?

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:09:14 am

Sounds great. I think we are all learning at the moment that people are much more important than acquiring material goods.

De Loof Luca

1/4/2020 09:14:15 am

So, I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher'ss stone, it is the first book of the Harry Potter collection.
After the death of his parents (Lily and James Potter), Harry Potter is taken care of by his aunt Pétunia and his uncle Vernon at the age of one year. always from a fierce hatred towards the parents of the boy whom they describe as "bizarre" people, even "monsters" coldly treat their nephew and remain indifferent to the humiliations that their son Dudley makes him undergo. Harry doesn't know everything about his parents' story, except that they were apparently killed in a car accident. However, one day, the day of Harry's eleven years, a half-giant by the name of Hagrid picks him up to inform him of his registration at Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft where he has been registered since his birth, and to give him his letter. He reveals to him that he has always been a wizard, just as his parents were, in fact, killed by the most powerful dark mage in the world, his name was Voldemort. Hagrid then accompanies him on the Diagon Alley to buy his magic wand and his school supplies. The half-giant takes the opportunity to recover, on Dumbledore's orders, a mysterious package from Gringotts, the bank of wizards. Harry meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger on the Hogwarts Express, the train to Hogwarts. When they arrive at Hogwarts, the students are distributed in different houses after having put on the "sorting hat" which

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:10:57 am

A classic! I remember when this came out. It was during my first English teaching job. Every student was reading it!

AOIFE

1/4/2020 09:15:24 am

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

This novel is based on a true story. It is about the impacts of a high school shooting on its survivors.

3 years ago, there was a shooting in a high school and only 6 witnesses survived to tell the story. However, that story was far from being accurate. The stories about the shooting on the internet are all false. That’s not what happened!

One of the six survivors, Leanne is keeping a huge secret. She didn’t want to hurt anybody by telling the truth, but in the end someone was truly hurt by the lie she told… It turns out that all six survivors kept a bit of the truth to themselves and that everyone had gotten the whole story wrong… Leanne wants to interview the survivors and write a book about the shooting, but not all of them want her to bring back those horrible memories…

I loved reading this book because I kept on finding more and more secrets that I never saw coming. I would definitely recommend reading this novel full of suspense and mystery!

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:11:47 am

Great to see you are a bookworm. Keep up the good reading!

Clara

1/4/2020 09:17:34 am

The Amateurs is the first book of a trilogy by Sara Sheperd.
The book writes about Aerin’s older sister, Helena, who disappeared five years ago and no one can crack the case. Years later, her body was found, but the authorities still can’t figure out who was responsible. Aerin is sixteen years old now and is still thinking about her sister. She sends a desperate message for help on a website that discusses murder cases and in turn, Seneca, a college student, travels to the location of the crime, to see if she can solve the case. While she is there, she meets Brett and Maddox, who are also interested in the case and together they try to solve the puzzle.
I enjoyed the book because the book is told in multiple perspectives and it really gives insight into each character’s life, which throws the plot in a completely new direction every time. There was a lot of plot twists and turns in the book, but the last one was entirely unexpected and a real game changer. It definitely makes me want reread the book all over again to see if I could have found the clues earlier.

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:13:08 am

Interesting that there is a character called Seneca. He was a Roman playwright who wrote some pretty grisly revenge tragedies!

Sarah

1/4/2020 09:17:47 am

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

This book is about three girls, Lillia, Kat and Mary. They hardly know one another when the school year begins but they meet by chance and discover they have all been hurt - by a bully, an ex-friend, an almost boyfriend - and so they work together in secret, to get payback.

This is the second time I've read this book and I didn't find myself getting bored. The three main characters were all well thought out, and they have contrasting personality traits. My favourite character would be Kat because I like her boldness, but it was interesting to see Mary's character development.

The book has a great plot as the authors create all this tension and suspense as you get to the climax of the story. Throughout the story lies get told and secrets are uncovered, keeping the reader's attention.

I would rate this book 9/10 and would recommend this book to people who like drama and books which are set in a high school setting.

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:14:31 am

Sounds like a good one. Interesting that there are two authors!

Zoe

1/4/2020 09:18:23 am

New Guard by Robert Muchamore

"New Guard" is the final novel in the Cherub series.

CHERUB is a series of teenage spy novels written by Robert Muchamore. It focuses around a division of the British Security Service called CHERUB, which employs orphans, under the age of 18, as intelligence agents.

In the book "New Guard", Ryan Sharma is a 17-year old CHERUB agent. Working undercover, he can slip under adult radar and get information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. Now he's investigating a double kidnapping, working with mission controller and old CHERUB agent, James Adams. In the mission to end all missions, Ryan and James must assemble a team of legendary CHERUB agents to find the hostages, bring them home and possibly take down the Islamic State. But missions don't always go as planned...

I really enjoyed reading this book (and most of the series) because it focuses on problems that are currently happening. Robert Muchamore's way of writing is so good that you never want to put his books down (and this on my parents' nerves because it takes ages to stop me from reading, and actually start eating me dinner).

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:22:19 am

They are very gripping. In this case, I'm glad you are getting on your parents' nerves!

Spiros Krahulik

1/4/2020 09:21:20 am

The Foundation Novels: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation is the fourth book of the Foundation Novels

This sets about one hundred thousand years in the future. The First Foundation has been conquered by the Mule and now he wants to conquer the Second Foundation. The Mule fails finding the Second Foundation.

After the Mule dies The First Foundation rises back to its feet. Then a few generations later the First Foundation is now trying to destroy the Second Foundation, will they be successful?

I think this book is really exquisite and interesting because it has good imagination about the future and has good literature in it. I can wait to read all of the novels. This book is good for people who want to step up their reading level and who like science fiction.

Mr L

1/4/2020 10:24:26 am

An excellent choice, Spiros. Great to see that you are ambitious in your reading.

Thomas

1/4/2020 12:38:27 pm

Alex rider Ark angle. Anthony Horowitz.

Alex rider is a 14 year old who has to save the pentagon from being blown up. The villain who tries to blow it up is super rich Russian mob boss. who created a terrorist groupe to make them look they blown up the pentagon.

It is a very good book i would recommend it. But first reed the first 5 books before this book.
Hope you enjoy.

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:42:11 pm

A very popular writer with the lads!

Vito

1/4/2020 12:42:23 pm

The Book of Dust - La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

This is the first book of the trilogy (only two have been published)

This book talks about an eleven year old boy called Malcolm who works in his parents' inn alongside a fifteen year old girl called Alice. He is particularly affectionate to a baby called Lyra. Malcolm also has a canoe.

People in this book have alter-egos called 'daemons'.

Strange things are happening in town, and one day, there's a flood. Malcolm finds Lyra with Alice. They use Malcolm's canoe and try escape from the dangers awaiting them, as many people want to have Lyra. They try escape from this agency, as well as this mysterious man.

What other adventures or dangers will await them?

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:45:46 pm

I love Pullman. Great choice, Vito!

Isabel Michaud

2/4/2020 09:32:32 am

Ruby Redfort: 'Look into my eyes'

Lauren Child

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ruby Redfort: 'Look into my eyes' is about a girl from Twinford who is a genius code breaker and puzzle solver. One day she gets a calll from a secret agency called 'Specturum' who want to hire her to solve the 'Lopez case', although there's a catch, Spectrum's #1 rules is to 'keep it zipped' and Ruby Redfort struggles to keep the massive secret away from her best friend Clancy Crew.

I really enjoyed the first book of the 'Ruby Redfort' series, it's funny and has quite a bit of action in it. It has a satisfying ending yet it leaves you on a cliffhanger. I definitely recommend it to those who like Crime fiction.

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:48:09 pm

Sounds interesting. Not heard of the author before.

ANANYA RAMESH

5/4/2020 09:01:05 pm

Cold Hands, Warm Heart - Jill Wolfson

Dani and Amanda know nothing about each other nor did they ever get the chance to talk.

They both live very different lives; Dani who in her fifteen years of life became and still is, a very frequent hospital patient due to her heart, being on the wrong side of her body since birth, and Amanda who's always had perfect health and is a very talented fourteen year old gymnast.

One slip up makes their lives collide...

I enjoyed this book very much and liked the twists and turns it took. Most of the book is based around Dani and Tyler (Amanda's brother). I liked how their perspectives were different and how the grieving brother's point of view was very original and something that I've never come across before. I've re-read this book several times yet I never seem to get tired of it, I definitely recommend this book for those who prefer emotional reads.

Luca

12/6/2020 02:18:40 pm

I have read the third book of the cherub series (Arizona Max). This boy called James has to setup an operation consisting to make Curtis Oxford, son of Jane Oxford, so then they can fid out her mothers hideout Curtis is in the Arizona Max prison which is in the middle of no where and James is not by himself in this mission he is with his little sister and a 17 year old boy called Dave. During this mission at the prison Dave and James pretend to be brothers but Dave gets injured because he fought someone so he is punished, so that means James is all by himself but does he become friends with Curtis, and do Cherub catch Jane ???

read the book :) to see what happens

Albert

12/6/2020 02:23:00 pm

The third book of the cherub series is not Arizona Max it’s Maximum Security

Leonie Goodchild

30/9/2020 06:04:09 pm

The Machine-Gunners by Robert Westfall

Chas has the second best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth. The class bully, Boddser Brown has the best one. One day, Chas sets off looking for treasure before going to school. In the woods, he finds a Nazi Aircraft. A Heinkel He 111! If he could only get that gun! Later, he secretly comes back with friends and saws it off. Now, where to hide it? If any adult knows a child has a machine gun ready to kill, plus 2000 rounds of live ammunition, the should be worried...Soon the police get involved!

Will Chas get to hide the machine gun or will this all end in a disaster?

I loved this book set in WW2. It is a book of friendship and secrecy. I recommend it to those who like war-time books, but I think anybody could enjoy it.

Mr L

30/9/2020 06:15:14 pm

What a great choice, Leonie. I last taught this book about twenty years ago and remember reading it as a schoolboy. The line, "Where you going now?" really stuck in my head! Shortly after I read the book it was serialised on the TV. Here's a link to the dramatisation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7gymq-9FLM

Christiana Skiadopoulou

12/10/2020 07:35:46 pm

I watched the series “The Babysitter’s Club” on Netflix. I loved it and got the first book. Honestly I didn’t really like it. I probably had my hopes up since I loved the series however I wouldn’t consider reading the rest of the books in series. I didn’t enjoy the way the story was written. A lot of the details that made the series interesting were missing in the book like; the personalities of the characters, the children’s mishaps, the camp they all went etc.

The books are about 5 girls starting a baby-sitting “business” and all of their funny mishaps with the children that they are babysitting.

I personally wouldn’t read the next books but I know some people would really like them, especially if they haven’t watched the series yet.

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:44:15 pm

It's usually the other way around but the series format does lend itself well to storytelling. It's how many novels were originally sold.

Leonie Goodchlid

18/10/2020 11:42:24 am

Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven

Everyone knows Libby Strout. At least, they think they do. She was once America's Fattest Teen so, once out of hospital, she gets mocked by students in her school because of her size. People send her hatemail and bully her behind the teachers' back. Nobody can see past her weight, and find that she is a wonderful girl inside.
Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too. He is the one who can mend or make anything from scrap. He is the cool one, the popular one. He has prospagnosia-face blindness. Nobody knows that he can not recognise faces, not even his parents.

The two of them get involved in a stupid and rude dare. As a punishment, they have to stay back after classes, to talk about their feelings along with other misbehaving students. The more they get to know each other, the more time they spend together. In each others presence, they share their problems and thoughts, they feel less alone.

I liked this book a lot because it shows that even people in horible or weird situations can be kind and loving. I appreciated the difference between their problems- one that everybody can see, and one, that is hidden inside where nobody can see it. One would think that the first one is worse, but is it really?

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:49:58 pm

Sounds like an optimistic book. We all need a bit of that at the moment.

Johanna Ryan

29/10/2020 07:32:03 pm

Private Peaceful- By Michael Morpurgo

For young Thomas Peaceful, looking back over his childhood while he is on night watch in the battlefields of the First World War, his memories of his mother, Charlie, Big Joe, and Molly, the love of his life. Too young to be in the war, he pretends that he's 18. Thomas has followed his brother to war and now, every moment he spends thinking about his life, means another moment closer to danger.

I loved this book. It was exciting, funny and heart warming. I love Michael Morpurgo's books, they are not that hard to read, and I couldn't put it down! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes exciting books.:)

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:44:52 pm

Great author!

Saffron Sandhu

15/11/2020 07:19:23 pm

The Spook - by Joseph Delaney

This book is the first book of a set of 13. It is a fictional book about the Spook (John Gregory). His job is to keeps evil creatures out of the county. He is getting old and needs to handover the role to an apprentice. Tom is the apprentice, who is preparing to take over from the Spook.

Tom went to the forest to get food for the spook, where he met a girl called Alice. She wore pointy shoes, which was a sign of being a witch, according to the Spook. Tom was warned to keep away from witches. However, she saved him from dangerous situations on many occasions. Tom told the Spook about Alice, but he didn't tell him that he was fond of her. The question was could she be trusted. Tom certainly did, but the Spook did not.

Later on Alice's grandmother were threatening Tom's family, but Alice saved Tom's family by using dark magic.

I really liked this book because it was very exciting and I could not put the book down because I wanted to know what will happen next. I wanted to know if Tom would survive. I would recommend this book to people who like thrillers.

Mr L

21/11/2020 04:46:40 pm

Glad you enjoyed it, Saffron!

Leonie

3/12/2020 05:50:27 pm

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Phileas Fogg is a very punctual, precise and rich man. He is calm and phlegmatic. He recruits a middle-aged Frenchman named Passepartout as a servant. Passepartout is delighted; he wanted to serve a master with an unbroken regularity, and this was excactly what Mr Fogg was. Every morning, at half past eleven, Fogg puts his right foot before his left five hundred and seventy-five times, and his left foot before his right excactly five hundred and seventy-six times. This brought him to the Reform Club, where he gambled.

The other members challengenged him to go around the world in just eighty days, to be back on the 24th of November at 8:45 precisely. Immediately, he informs Passepartout, and they are off. There is not a minute to lose, as twenty thousand pounds are at play. They pass from London to Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Fransisco, New York and back to London. There will be all sorts of thrills and surprises on the way.

I loved this book full of excitement. It is hilarious, stressing, and relaxing at the same time. I could not put it down! I recommend this book. *****

Sebastien

10/1/2021 05:21:33 pm

The Scorch Trials
By James Dashner

This book is about a boy called Tom, who escaped from the Maze but awaits another adventure. He cannot remember much because his memories have been wiped by WICKED before entering the Maze and will just discover how reality is.

The next morning Tom wakes up finding out that they are trapped in their own dormitory and cannot get out. He tries to call out for Teresa telepathically, but she does not respond. When they finally break out from the room it was pitch black, when they finally find the light switch, they see all the bodies of the people who took them there hanging on the ceiling dead.

In the corner of the common area is a glass shield where inside is a chair, desk and sitting in the chair was a man. They called him the rat man because of his weird looking face. He explained about the maze and about the variables. He said that the maze was only Phase One and tomorrow at exactly six o clock sharp behind him the wall will reveal a Flat Trans. And that is when the Phase Two will Start.

I would give a 10 out of 10 rating for those people who love action and thriller.

Leonie

22/2/2021 11:56:13 am

I also read this book and I loved it too; it is really exciting. The situation is so dangerous that nobody knows who to trust, and not everything goes to plan. Everyone is capable of terrible, revolting things to get out of this ever-lasting, torturingly hot desert. It is very tense, I could not put the book down. I truly enjoy this series.
I would also give this novel a 10/10 rating.

Hannah

10/3/2021 12:34:27 pm

the Last Everafter (the last book from the School for Good and Evil trilogy)
by Soman Chainani

This is a great book, and I strongly recommend you read it if you like fantasy, adventure and rewritten fairytales. Maybe start by reading the first book though, not the third.

The School for Good and Evil triligy is about two best friends, Sophie and Agatha, that live in Gavaldon, a small village in the centre of a forest.
Once in a while children are kidnapped from the village and taken to the school for Good and Evil. When the parents try to find them again though, by venturing into the forest, they always end up back in Gavaldon, or dead.

Sophie dreams of going to the School for Good, where all the heroes and heroins from fairy tales, like Snow White, or Cinderella, learnt how to be princes and princesses, and one night Sophie is captured. Agatha sees her being taken into the woods, and follows Sophie to try and save her, but ends up being kidnapped too.

When they arrive at the school though, they are sorted into the wrong school! Sophie ends up in the school for Evil, with all the children of the fairytale villains, and Agatha ends up in the school for Good, with the children of the famous fairytale princes and princesses.
At first the two best friends think it's a mistake, but is it really?
Sophie and Agatha embark on adventures together, starting their own fairytale. But not every story has a happy ending.

The storyline may sound a bit silly, but it's actually quite dark.
I would say more about what happens in the next few books, but I don't want to ruin it for you, so I won't :-)

Johanna Ryan

23/3/2021 03:30:55 pm

I read this book too! I loved it! :)

Johanna Ryan

23/3/2021 03:29:25 pm

Remembrance- Theresa Breslin
This is a book about the lives of five young people in the first world war. The Dundas family- John Malcolm Dundas, Maggy Dundas and the 14 year old Alex Dundas, and the Armstrong-Barnes family- Charlotte and Francis. Life is pleasant until War breaks out and John Malcolm and Francis need to go to war.
I loved this book, not only did it give facts about the first World War but it also portrays how it affected people's lives. I really recommend this book to anyone of any age, tell me if you want to borrow it :-)

Leonie

24/3/2021 12:33:34 pm

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew by C.S.Lewis

Polly and Digory are neighbours. They are also best friends. Digory has a mysterious uncle. He is not allowed to speak to him at all, despite the fact that they live in the same household! One day, Polly shows Digory a secret hiding place in the loft. Nobody else knows about it. They discover a never-ending corridor. They figure it must be at the back of all the houses on their street. They see a door, and open it. What a surprise when they find Undle Andrew's study! There is no going back now, he has seen them. He beckons them in, delighted. He offers Polly a ring. The second she puts it on, she disappears. Uncle Andrew laughs evilly. Polly is nowhere to be seen. Uncle Andrew suggests that Digory should go after her. He has all planned. This is why nobody ever let Digory near his uncle: because he was dangerous. He gives Digory a green ring and two yellow ones; so that they can come back. He is well informed: he has made these magic rings.

Digory and Polly find themselves in a wood, surrounded be many pools of water. Each pool can take them to another world. The children will have many adventures going from land to land with this magic jewellery.

I really liked this book and I recommend it. ***** If you also enjoyed it, I suggest you continue reading the series of Narnia. There are a few more :)

Saffron Sandhu

29/3/2021 07:19:24 pm

The spook’s nightmare - by Joseph Delaney

This book is the seventh book of a set of 13. It is a fictional book about the spook (John Gregory) and his apprentice (Tom). Their job is to keep the evil creature out of the county, lock them up or sometimes kill them.
Tom, Alice and Gregory have just returned from their journey to the Ord (the queen of the evil people). They defeated the Ord with the help of mam (Tom’s mother) but she died during the process. Every house, in the county, was abandoned and damaged. They headed towards the spooks house and found that his precious library was burnt to the ground. The spook starts to have nightmares which seem more like premonitions. He had a nightmare of Bonnie Lizzie (a witch) killing him. The spooks powers are waning just when he needs them the most, hope is fading, nightmares turning real, Tom and Alice being captured. The Buggane (a creature of the dark) is getting closer to devouring Tom, and his soul will be handed over to the Fiend. The abhuman (another creature of the dark) sees a slither or dark magic in Tom. Will he be able to fight the dark on his own?

Johanna

9/5/2021 11:24:20 am

A wrinkle in Time- Madeleine L’engle
Charles and Meg Murry have been leading a normal life since the strange and abrupt disappearance of their father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in some secret government work. But one evening they get a visit from a stranger, who was speaking about a “tesseract” and referring to their father’s disappearance.
Charles and Meg and their friend Calvin (one of the most popular boys at school) embark on a journey to one look for Meg and Charles’s Father. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil the sorry for you ;)
I liked this book because it was different to any book I had ever read. It talked a lot about the forces of good and evil, and the balances between the two. At times I found it hard to understand what exactly was going on at times but it was still a thrilling read.
There is also a film (remember not to watch the film before reading the book) but I thought that the film didn’t do justice to this brilliant book in my opinion :)

Johanna Ryan

9/5/2021 11:57:38 am

Artemis Fowl- Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old boy with a brain unlike any other, but sadly, he uses his supernatural abilities for evil, he is a criminal mastermind.
Artemis has, after a lot of thorough research confirmed the existence of fairies. He travels to the city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam with his Butler. He obtains “The book of the people” which is written in Gnommish. He decodes this and knows all about the fairies, how to speak their language etc.
Meanwhile Captain Holly Short, an elf, is on a Mission to track a rogue troll.
The mission doesn’t exactly go to plan and Holly gets kidnapped by Artemis Fowl and is ransomed for a huge amount of Fairy gold.
Artemis is a ruthless criminal mastermind and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It is up the fairy nation to decide what to do.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone around my age. Even though the story line might sound a bit pathetic, it’s written in a way which makes it very exciting and suitable for children of any age.
I especially liked the relationship between Butler and Artemis, Butler looks out for Artemis even after Artemis pushes him away several times.
During the book course of the book the author made you feel sudden “pangs” of sympathy for the characters, even Artemis, who may be the antagonist in the story, it is also portrayed why he may be acting this way.
I would rate this book *****
There are also several other books in this series but I haven’t got the chance to read them yet.

Leonie

16/5/2021 07:43:20 pm

The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Christopher is fifteen years, three months and two days old. He has found a dog on the street. He has found a dead dog on the street. It is Mrs Shears' dog and it died standing up with a garden fork in its body. How sad! Christopher kneels down and hugs the dead dog. He takes the fork out. He hears a screaming voice.
Christopher is an autistic boy. He lives with his dad and likes learning maths at school and groaning. He doesn't like yellow or brown. He also doesn't like different foods touching each other. Just a normal autistic boy.

I love this book, because it is very original. It is an unknown universe. A whole new world. No, it isn't actually. It is our world in somebody else's amazing mind. I beg you to read it. You will never look at people in the same way again.

5 stars is an obvious rating for this book.
(You will have no problem reading this novel, it is written very simply, but skilfully)

Leonie

16/5/2021 07:43:31 pm

Leonie Goodchild

16/5/2021 07:43:59 pm

Leonie Goodchild

16/5/2021 07:44:15 pm

Johanna Ryan

18/5/2021 08:52:12 pm

The Letter for the King- Tonke Dragt
This book is about a young boy/teenager called Tiuri who was about to become a knight, he has been dreaming of this all his life. But then he gets a desperate call for help to deliver a letter to the king across the great mountains, the future of the entire kingdom depends on it.
He has to abandon everything he knows, his family, his knighthood, everything.
But some evil men called the “Red riders” are after this letter to destroy it. They have already murdered the knight with the white shield, the knight who had the duty to deliver this letter, so Tiuri is in grave danger.
This story talks about his amazing adventures, the treacherous journey he must endure, and the friends he makes along the way.
I loved this book and have read it three times already!
It’s very well written, in a way which makes you want to never put the book down. My favourite character in the book was a character called “Piak”. I liked the relationship between Tiuri and Piak, Tiuri acts almost like a older brother to Piak. I would rate this book *****.
I recommend this book to anyone around my age (12-14).

Mr L

3/6/2021 10:10:22 am

Sounds interesting!

Benjamin Boyd link

11/10/2022 01:55:38 am

Especially their TV nothing. Organization price example agreement.
Total seven player ten. Rate explain film middle past. Finish threat cover ahead local significant. Learn eye pattern.

Erik Burns Jr. link

14/10/2022 04:45:02 am

Down own agreement list project just claim. Describe son director dream.

Brandon Ball link

17/10/2022 08:11:43 pm

Give various build learn. We expect not wife majority job provide. Most administration account himself whatever.
Culture community little quickly. Course whom accept statement face.

Steven Hunter link

21/10/2022 03:08:25 pm

Expect positive believe north power data direction.
Listen work store huge hold yes whose once. Over out their.
Hour world assume college smile you study. Computer have gun writer.

Steven Newman link

10/11/2022 05:12:50 am

Draw very town traditional firm shoulder. Contain less another contain next late.
Offer popular director form fill. Out order whose between.

Book Reviews

Leave a Reply.

EEB3 Book Review Blog

Archives

Categories

Home

Contact