Get That Book Too!

Chevening Book Reviews

Frontpiece

To

Book lovers

All over the world

Still struggling to find that next ‘Can-not-put-it-down’ novel?

Well, the Y6 pupils of Chevening CEP School are here to help… again!

With original colour interpretations of the book covers;

each entry gives an insight into the main characters,

plot; and reasons why these books have made it on to our

‘Recommended Reads’ list.

If you have some show-stoppers yourself, why not email a review to us?

We can include it in the next edition of ‘Get that Book’.

(qureshi@chevening.kent.sch.uk)

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Copyright

Get that Book Too!

Copyright © Chevening Press.

ISBN

First Edition

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced

in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission.

Published by Chevening Press & Lulu.

qureshi@chevening.kent.sch.uk

Also available as a physical book.

Visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/Chevening

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Also from Chevening Press

The Faith (ebook)

The Grace Book

Get That Book!

The Pearl and Crystal Garden

The Faith (A4 Colour and B&W editions)

The Faith (A5 Colour and B&W editions)

12 Carols of Exaltation & Joy

Secrets of a Ballistic Cat

Oscar’s Keyrings

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Get That Book Too!: Chevening Book Reviews

More Reviews from the Y6 pupils of Chevening CEP 2013…

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By J.K. Rowling

Reviewed by Esther

Thrilling! An amazing book by J.K. Rowling. Your brain will boil over with excitement when you turn the pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! It’s the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, but is still as exciting as the first.

Harry is in his fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is experiencing some strange goings on! At the Quidditch World Cup the Dark Mark appeared in the sky and a few weeks later Harry has been entered into the Triwizard Tournament - not of his own accord! Is Lord Voldemort rising to power again and are the Death Eaters getting stronger? Will Harry survive to know the truth?

This book is full of unexpected twists and surprises and you just can’t predict what will happen next!

I would highly recommend it to 9-14 year olds who don’t mind a bit of death. It is quite a long book but I have read it many times and still enjoy it over and over again; and the plot never gets boring. The characters develop over time so you need to read the books before this one to get a sense of the plot and who’s who.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a really great book and is full of detail and description so, therefore is one of my favourites.

Reviewed by Esther.

Trouble According To Humphrey

Trouble according to Humphrey!

By Betty G. Birney

Reviewed by Sasha Petrie

Troublesome!

This hamster has an amazing story to his life so…

Follow small (but smart) Humphrey on his journey to fix all of room 26, Longfellow School’s problems, without being found out.

It tells the story of Humphrey, and all his classmates’ lives, in a series of great stories from his point of view. It tells of the solving of all problems and the worry of being found out.

Join Humphrey for his third adventure; and this one is packed with trouble! All sorts of problems crop up in the classroom, from the marks of “Pay-Attention-Art” going down, to “Golden-Miranda” finding herself in big trouble. Humphrey must step in to lend a hand or should I say a helping paw? Using his charm, resourcefulness and wisdom, he’s certain to have a plan, but will he succeed?

I would recommend it to girls aged 6+. If you love a bit of humour and animals, you are going to love this book. I hope you read this caring hamsters’ story, for a bit of bedtime fun.

Artichoke Hearts

By Sita Brahmachari

Review By Edie

Artichoke Hearts is a story about 12 year old Mira. She lives in a chaotic house with a chaotic family. Her beloved artistic Nana Josie is slowly dying and sometimes Mira feels like she is all on her own. That is until she meets Jide Jackson, a mysterious boy in her class. But Jide has some secrets of his own and will Mira ever find out what he is hiding from her?

I found Artichoke Hearts a very entertaining book and it changes your emotions all the time. One minute you are laughing, the next tears are streaming down your face. Some parts can get a bit boring because they go on for a bit too long but most of the chapters are exciting and intriguing. Jide Jackson makes sure the book is full of suspense, mystery and a slight bit of sadness.

I would rate this book 4.5/5 stars because the style was written well and the story line was a very unusual idea. Mira is a very interesting character and she would appeal to many people including myself. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of humour and mystery at the same time. I think this book is suited to girls rather than boys. To read this book you would have to be a reasonably good reader because it has a wide range of vocabulary, some of which is harder than others.

There is a sequel to Artichoke Hearts called Jasmine Skies which am looking forward to reading soon - which will hopefully be as good as Artichoke Hearts.

Overall I think this book is a very good book to read and would recommend it to a lot of people as one of my favourite books.

The Raspberry Rules

By Karen McCrombie

Reviewed by Harriet

Dare you knock down the Raspberry Rules on the Raspberry Walls?

Astonishing! Do you want an amusing, effective and imaginative story? If so, Karen McCrombie’s Raspberry Rules will be just the book for you. As you read through her diary you will be learning all Rowan’s hidden secrets and all about her wild family. This book makes you believe Rowan Love is actually in the same room as you!

Rowan (no middle name) Love, aged fifteen, has always been, and always will be, a pink-lover. She wants pink this and pink that! Her room is a pink-explosion with pink fairy lights, raspberry walls and a pink bed and carpet! Wow, she loves pink!

Everyone else is normal- she is not! She fits in with no-one at school, especially not Libby-Mae Ferguson, who turns out to be the girl with the attitude she least expects! However her old friend Erin has new friends; so now she has found herself wondering around the school alone, writing this journal - just like her thirteen year old sister. She had been wondering why Erin or any of the others don’t like her. So she writes her life rules on her ‘raspberry pink’ walls, called the ‘Raspberry Rules’….will she ever make any friends?

A Jaw-dropping story; I would recommend this book for girls aged 8-13 years, as it is a typical girl’s book. Younger and older readers would have more appropriate books to suit their age.

It’s my favourite book - hope it’s yours!

Read this book? Then read other books by Karen McCrombie like Ally’s world (Rowan’s mischievous younger sister); a series of her life, living with a rather odd family. By Hattie

How To Train Your Dragon

By Cressida Cowell

Reviewed by Joe

The Strain of Training Your Dragon

Amazing! If you like adventure, then this is the book for you; if not then you’re seriously missing out. This book by Cressida Cowell is very funny and exciting, with many cliff hangers. It is all about the son (Hiccup) of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe in Viking times. Eleven boys all Hiccups’ age are training for the Dragon Initiation Program with their instructor Gobber The Belch: a seven foot giant, who was born to fight.

The eleven boys must catch their dragon and then teach it some things within the time period of 6 months. They much teach it to fly, fish and fight for their masters. If they don’t catch a dragon or fail the dragon initiation program, they will be thrown immediately into exile and leave their tribe and family for ever. But will Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III complete the Challenge thrown upon him?

They have made a film of this book, but personally I don’t think it’s much like the book, as dragons are enemies of the Vikings, not friends. It has roughly the same ending, but not beginning.

Overall I would give the film four stars because it ruins the book for you. Even if you haven’t read the book and seen the film, there are several others by Cressida Cowell. But what do you think?

I would give this book four and a half stars because it has adventure, humour and advanced words. But it is only really suitable for a certain type of reader. So basically you will like this book or you won’t. It is still amazingly popular and an astonishing book.

Thank you for reading this review.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Written by J.K.Rowling

Reviewed by Ben

4.9 stars

Hallowed Not Hollowed - This Book Is Full Of Everything You Want In a Book.

Brilliant! I would say that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an enthusiastic, adventurous book. I think people who don’t mind a bit of violence would like this book. This book is the last of the series and the big, brutal battle between Harry and Voldermort (Harry’s enemy) finishes.

This book is the final chapter of the wizarding world of Harry Potter and tells the story of a boy named Harry, as you probably already worked out, who is hunting horcruxes with his two closest friends (Ron and Hermione). The aim is to kill Voldermort once and for all.  In my opinion I think the book is a little rushed because Harry just finds the horcruxes 5 pages after the other and it should be a little spread out to keep you interested. This book isn’t all about killing and fighting, J.K Rowling put a lot into this book like survival, friendship and a load of trust.

This isn’t a fairy tale book, where the villain gets killed and we all live happily ever after. No, quite the opposite: some of the good people die, like the funny people, the people they need most and even the people closest to Harry and I mean the closest you can get to someone. With some twists and turns it makes it more interesting. Even though each book starts off like the first book I would read them in order to help you understand them better. Each book starts off with another year at Hogwarts and another year of Harry’s life.

Throughout the series you will meet a lot of characters and all of them come together to battle Voldermort. Who will win the battle? Harry and the Wizards and Witches; or Voldermort and the Death Eaters, but to think all of this happened because of the night Harry got the lightning scar on his head!

By Ben

Point Blanc

Make your face go white with Point Blanc.

By Anthony Horowitz.

This is the second book I have read in the Alex Rider series.

It is about a fourteen year old boy who was orphaned in a car crash and was taken away to a secret service called MI6, to become a spy. Now he’s being blackmailed to do missions he doesn’t even want to do.

This book is about a school on top of a mountain called Point Blanc that is meant for misbehaving rich children, who need to be taught to behave correctly and politely. But for some reason there are armed guards and two children have died there. That’s why Alex has to pretend to be another boy to go undercover to see if anything suspicious going on. Is something going on?

It is an incredible book that is full of suspense and action. My favourite bit is where there is a thirty year old ski run and the only way down is on a customised ironing board down the run chased by armed skimobiles.

I recommend this book to boys and girls from 8-20 but my parents have enjoyed it as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I rate this book five stars.

Reviewed by Charlie.

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Tintin and the Lost Treasure

TINTIN and the Lost Treasure

By Herge and Paul Shipton

TINTIN not bin bin Red Rackham’s  Treasure

The excitement, the mystery and all the fun you can get is right here. Herge has done it again: out of twenty books I think this one of the best. All Tintin books are full of adventure and excitement but Red Rackham’s Treasure is something else.

Tintin is on a new case. After he finds the secret of The Unicorn (ship), Tintin carries on to find the lost treasure of Red Rackham. With the help of his little dog Snowy, Captain Haddock, and The Professor; Tintin is one step closer to finding the treasure. But before Tintin can do anything, he will have to go deep down in the ocean to the location of The Unicorn to find the treasure. Tintin will have to work hard to find the treasure, but he is not the only one who is after it.

Can Tintin get to the treasure first?

Herge is a great writer and it is shown in how good this book really is. Herge did not just create Tintin , he also wrote a book about him.

So if you are into excitement and adventure, then this is the book for you. There are many other books to read and all with different fun and adventures. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you for reading this review and I hope you read the book.

Reviewed by Isaac class 6

The Bad Beginning

By Lemony Snicket.

Reviewed by Amelia

Lemony Snicket is a Wonderful Author! Lemony Snicket tells you an amazing story of the three Baudelaire orphans, who found out their parents died in a house fire that day. It is a sad, inspirational, exiting and lovely story to read.

Lemony’s style of writing is really good because she changes it from happy to sad, exiting to scary. I have to say this is the first book that I have actually finished, saying I can’t wait to read the next one. The recommendation on this book is truly hard to think about it as it depends on what kind of person you are. If you are a person who likes a good beginning and good things happening all the time, then this is not a book for you because this book is called Unfortunate Events - The Bad Beginning. But if you like books with mystery in, then it has a spice of that. Age wise I would recommend this book to 7years and onwards.

This Book showed me personally how lucky I am to not be in that situation, especially when tragedy came to them like a lighting strike. I felt so sorry for the children, mostly when the horrible man strikes the middle child across the face. (I would hate to live with that horrible man.) If you have any interest in this book then you can stop reading now, so I don’t ruin the beginning of the story for you. For those who haven’t got any interest yet, keep reading, it is a good book.

What happens in the first book

The children have wealthy parents and they are on a beach when a strange figure comes towards them. They can’t make out who it is. As he comes closer then they realise it is Mr. Poe (one of their parents’ friends). He doesn’t look as happy as normal to see the children. They soon find out the news he delivers and have to go and live with Mr.Poe for a while until he finds them another relative to live with. Finally, Mr. Poe comes home one day from work and tells the children that they are going to live with a man called Count Olaf, a relative of their Mother. When they say their goodbyes to Mr. Poe’s family, they drive out of the narrow drive. Their new home is a filthy place to live at (from looking at it from the outside). There was mould everywhere and eyes dotted around the place (it was really freaky), even on the doorknob.

I shan’t tell you all of the book because it was meant to be a quick synopsis (although I have told you a bit already) but he is a very suspicious man. He tries to marry the oldest Baudelaire orphan, (Violet ) so he can get hold of the Baudelaire orphans fortune, but can he ? (the Baudelaire’s are very clever children). He can’t get hold of the Baudelaire orphans’ fortune. If you want to find out why, then go ahead and read.

The first book is called ‘TheUnfortunate Events The Bad Beginning’. If you want to try reading it, I would definitely get at least 1/5 of the way through the book, but I liked it from the first page. If you like it, try all the series up to the 13th book ‘The End’. They are amazing books to read but just to warn you, there is not a not a happy ending, I wonder what happens next! Come along and read the wonderful adventures with the Baudelaire family and discover what going to happen next.

Cookie

By Jacqueline Wilson

Illustrated by Nick SharrAtT

Book Review by Natasha

Crazy Cookie

Dramatic and fun to read. This book will make you want to read page after page.

This book is about a girl, a girl that was timid. She’s called Beauty Cookson. She has a kind and lovable mum, but a very horrible and violent dad. He is trying to force Beauty to be a more confident child, and for her to like pretty, pink clothes. But she’s not like that.

But her enemy Skye is like that. ‘It’s all about me. I’m so pretty, and I wear nice clothes’. That is what she’s like - a selfish and horrible girl. She is horrible to Beauty. Skye call’s Beauty Ugly!!! How mean!

I bet you are wondering why this book is called ‘Cookie’. Beauty and her Mum love making cookies. Plus it’s the only thing her Mum can make!

It was her birthday and her best friend Rhona bought her a rabbit! But one of her dad’s rules was ‘no pets is allowed’. Beauty got scared and worried. Then she went to the theatre, in a limo, with her friends and enemies. She comes back, and the rabbits are gone! The cage door is wide open. She knows who has done this. It was…

…Sorry I’ve said too much. You’ll just have to read it yourself.

I would rate this book 5 stars because; the author has worked really hard on writing it. But I’ve always wished there would be a ‘Cookie 2’.

Thank you for reading my review, I hoped you liked it.

A Boy Called M ,O ,U ,S ,E.

By Penny Dolan

Review by Tristan

Amazing! This book is so cool, I’m going to read it again!

It’s all about a boy named Mouse who lives on a farm called Roseberry Farm. He stays there for about one year, but soon afterwards Mouse gets taken to school! Horrid school! The place he was taken to was Murkstone Hall!

Horrible, horrible Murkstone.

After 5 years at Murkstone, Mouse finally escapes; but he finds that his farm had burnt down. What will Mouse do? Will he ever find Ma (his mum) again?

This book has a lot of effective openers, adjectives and adverbs.

I would give this book 5/5 stars.

I would recommend this book for 10 to 15 year olds.

A Bear Called Paddington

An amazing book written by Michael Bond!

If you like animals and a bit of adventure, this is the book for you! It’s a lovely way to introduce classic stories to children and they are bound to love it! Plus it shows children how to be polite.

This classic is about a bear who helplessly tries not to get into trouble, but his plans get destroyed whilst he tries to be himself and not cause mayhem. One gloomy day Mr and Mrs Brown go to Paddington station, to pick up their daughter Judy. While they are sitting down a bear bumps in to them; he raises his hat politely and apologises - but wait, I am giving away the story!

All I shall say at the moment is that Paddington Bear makes interesting things happen. Some of his escapades include: falling in hot tubs of water, creating havoc underground in the tube stations, having funny shopping expeditions, painting first prize paintings by accident, becoming an actor in a theatre and dropping marmalade sandwiches on top of people’s heads! They also include going to the seaside, sailing in buckets all day long AND… making eggs disappear!

It’s by far my favourite book and I shall enjoy reading this book again and again.

By Hebe

Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now!

By Lauren Child

Reviewed by Annie

Incredible! Fantastic! Have you ever Bean so excited about a book? It is the best book I have read! It is so realistic and it captures the real emotions of Clarice Bean – a ten year old girl who is flustered by all that is going on in the big wide, world. As disasters strike, she finds it hard to keep her spirits high; and losing friendships can be traumatising.

Her utterly best friend, Betty Moody, moves away and her family life goes downhill from there. In addition, a new girl, Clem Hanson, has taken her place and Clarice wants Clem gone more than anything; but little does she know Clem also feels unsettled.

I liked this book so much because it is modern and life-like (and goes into Clarice’s mind with all her worries and feelings); some of which may be yours; and she shows you what you can do too.

When I finished this book I felt sad inside, not a bad feeling, I just felt like the characters where real. It was something I had never had before. It makes you want to read it again and again.

There are a series of Clarice Bean books but this is my favourite one. That means you can read on and on. Some of the books are picture books, but in both they have the unique touch Lauren Child gives to all her books; one of which is her amazing layout. She makes the words in swirly writing or changes the font for effect.

This is why I would thoroughly recommend Lauren’s book for children from seven to ten but I would say adults and children of all ages will enjoy it as well.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan

Review by Alex

Brilliant! This is an incredible series of books! Better executed than Harry Potter! More thrilling than Alex Rider! It will blow you away!

The Percy Jackson series is action packed, (filled with adventure, thrills, cliff hangers and all round humour). It makes you want the main character to succeed - which is always a good thing - also, you're often having that feeling that something bad has happened that shouldn't to the main character, (especially embarrassment or something being blamed unfairly on him/her). It makes you slam the book down for a moment and think "Oh no! This is really bad." This is also a good thing because not many authors can do it. 1 - Because you don't care about the character enough and 2 - because it's not that easy to get the character into a situation like that either. It's stuffed to the brim with interesting Gods, heroes, teachers - it has it all!

That's enough about my opinion for now; it's time for some recommendations.

There are 5 books in the series and they range roughly between 300 and 400 pages, so if you don't like a long read, these books aren't really for you.

It's an American author and so written in an American style. It's also set in America, so if you're not a huge fan of the USA it's likely you'll spend more time cursing them than enjoying the fabulous read.

It's about ancient Greek religion, more specifically, Greek gods and monsters. You don't have to know anything about ancient Greece, as you'll find out as you read the book; and if you take in what you read it'll make sense. So if you're not very interested in Greek mythology or don't want to learn about it - you're not really suited to the series.

This book contains a lot of fight scenes, (not as many in the earlier books). The deaths are not very vivid, so if you dislike blood it should be okay (especially in the first 2 books). If you want really gruesome and gory battles or deaths, then you should be reading the Hunger Games. (Another superb trilogy.) In books 3-5 there's some romance - it starts very small in 3 but does grow bigger throughout the rest of the series. So if you don't like that, I would try book 1 and 2; and see if you think it's worth ploughing through the other 3. (There's very little romance in the 3rd).There are sad deaths also - so if you're not one for grief, I wouldn't recommend it to you.

The Percy Jackson series is first person, you take on the vision of the god of the sea's son.

The first book, ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’ starts the series off well. Percy Jackson is a teenager, who has been expelled from numerous schools; he has only one friend at his current school, Grover. His class go on a school trip to a museum, everyone is bored stiff; until Percy's maths teacher turns into a monster, tries to kill him and despite its sharp claws and fangs it is killed by some type of... pen sword. Why? He's the son of Poseidon, God of the sea and brother of Zeus, king of the gods and hades, God of the Underworld. And he has been accused of stealing Zeus's most powerful weapon - the Master Bolt. Percy has nothing to do with it. He goes from knowing almost nothing about Greek mythology to finding out he's a huge part of it! His mortal mother takes him to `camp half-blood' - a place where demigods live and are safe. Determined to clear his name, Percy embarks an incredible quest with 2 friends. Will he succeed or will he fall prey to the wrath of Zeus? Only time can tell.

The other books include Percy venturing into the sea of monsters, fighting with the evil Titan, Atlas; exploring the legendary Labyrinth and finally battling the beyond evil Titan-Kronos.

The series is full of action and fun. You meet lots more characters: intelligent Annabeth, wise Chiron, timid Grover, skillful Luke, gloomy Nico, the many gods and many more. As the series progresses you start to understand many of the characters.

My only Criticism with the series is that the ideas seem to be similar to Harry Potter; for starters the hero thinks he's just an ordinary boy, but strange things have always been happening to him. He's taken to a special place, where he can learn to use his powers. Meanwhile, an evil villain (Kronos or Voldermort) who was destroyed long ago is returning, and the hero must try to stop him. Fred and George have been replaced by Connor and Travis Stoll, Hermione is now called Annabeth and Ron has been transformed into a Satyr called Grover. Despite this, the series is mostly original. Most of the events are Rick Riordan's ideas, and the Greek theme is quite new, plus the humour makes you almost forget the issue. More than not, the characters are Riordan's ideas, so the problem isn't that bad.

Despite a few flaws, this series is funnier than a comedian! More thrilling than being an assassin! Even greater than riding a dragon: making it one of my favourite book series.

9.5/10. I don't like the thought of stealing someone's idea, but a lot of this is original and the brilliant writing, humour and story line blows the criticism out of the water; but it can't be completely ignored, so I deduct half a point, leaving a total of 9.5/10.

A superb series. The movie is not a thing like the book - so don't judge the book by the film.

This series is funnier than a comedian; more thrilling than being an assassin; even greater than riding a dragon - making it one of my favourite book series ever.

9.5/10

Superb!

Alex

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Asking for Trouble

by Sandra Byrd

Review by Ilse Johnston

Just extraordinary, the best book I have ever read. I would recommend this book to girls aged 9 and over who enjoy a mix of fantasy and suspense… If you are a boy and you are reading this review, I would stop right here! If you are a girl, carry on reading…..

This book is about a teenager called Savannah, who has left Seattle, leaving her best friend Jen and moving to England. She tries out lots of different things, for example a variety of different foods such as fish and chips. Savannah hasn’t made any friends at her new school and is finding it very hard to fit in to a group.

Will she make any fabulous friends?  Will she fit in with a group that she enjoys?

At her new school all pupils get a chance to try out many new clubs, some of which include gymnastics, chemistry and her favourite, being a journalist. So does she become a journalist??? Well read this book and find out.

This is a quote from a girl called Leila- “just amazing, exciting and full of wonder; I absolutely love reading and this is the best book I have ever read.”

About the author.

Sandra Byrd makes your imagination fly away; she is a brilliant author, full of wonderful ideas. Sandra Byrd is the bestselling fiction author for tween, teen and adults.

Gangsta Granny

By David Walliams

Reviewed by Georgia

Gran’s Gangsta Granny Gang

Meet Ben’s granny. She is a typical boring, old, cabbage-smelling granny. She stuffs tissues up her sleeve (yuck), has white hair, that surprisingly looks good with her glasses and false teeth. Ben, on the other hand, is just an ordinary boy who goes to school, does his homework and goes to granny’s house. However his interest in plumbing makes him individual. His Mum and Dad adore ballroom dancing but Ben hates it, one of the only things Ben enjoys doing is going to the corner shop.

This story could have been a bit boring, but thank goodness David Walliams knows how to make a splendid story.

Ben goes to his Granny’s house every Friday night, (purely because his parents want to watch a dance program). Ben really hates going to his Granny’s house and will do anything to stay at home. One day Ben helped himself to a cookie. He discovers that his Granny has a big secret inside a small biscuit tin. She has some explaining to do…

Gangsta Granny was just super. I really liked the fact that the title was catchy and used alliteration. It was probably my favourite book of the year - I loved it so much.

Personally, I didn’t like the first David Walliams book - Mr Stink, and I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen Gangsta Granny from the shelf either. However a friend recommended it to me and she read part of it; and that was quite interesting.

Hand gripping entertainment. It was just my cup of tea. Adventurous with a hint of suspense and mystery. I recommend this book to people over the age of 9, who like a bit of humour with a twist.

I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

By: Joan Aiken

Reviewed by: Alexandra

Jaw droppingly amazing!

Do you like an adventure? Do you like mystery? If you do, then this is the book for you. From the gigantic mansion of Willoughby Chase, to the hideous girls’ boarding school in Blastburn, Joan Aiken has it all.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a magical and gripping tale, about two young girls named Bonnie and Sylvia.

Lady Sophia (Bonnie’s mother) has become severely ill, so Sir Willoughby (her father) organises a sea voyage to try and restore her health. Sir Willoughby therefore invites Bonnie’s cousin, Sylvia to stay in their luxurious mansion so Bonnie won’t get bored while her parents are away.

To get to Willoughby Chase, Sylvia has to survive a long, rough train journey. She has only a few provisions: some sandwiches, a spare change of clothes (made from curtains) and a little doll named Amelia; but it turns out wolves are on the line…

When Sylvia reaches Willoughby Chase, she is welcomed by the cheerful and enthusiastic Bonnie, who takes care of Sylvia along with the servants. Sir Willoughby has arranged for one of Sylvia and Bonnie’s distantly related cousins (Miss Slighcarp) to be their governess. Little do they know of her evil plot to take over Sir Willoughby’s estate and his riches.

I would recommend this book to ages 9 plus as it has some complicated words. At the beginning it is quite hard to get into the book, but once you get past a certain point it is thrilling!

Once again AMAZING!

The Secret Garden

By Frances Hodgson Burnett

Review by Grace

This story is a lovely story about a girl called Mary Lennox. Mary is a pretty, spoilt girl who changes with the help of a key and a garden.

The Secret Garden is a mood changing story - at one moment you’re amazed, but there are some sad bits to. This story is an old story but I have a modern day version. Some bits are old bits. It’s an imaginative book. It’s a really lovely book. At the beginning it is quite sad and at first Mary is a nice, kind girl.

This book is a great story and you can get it as a film, which is brilliant too. I would say it suitable for ages 5 and up because, as I said the beginning, it is quite sad and a bit scary if you are young. I would rate it 8/10 because I found some bits hard to understand because it’s an old book.

4 stars

Red sky in the morning

By Elizabeth Laird

(You don’t need to be a shepherd to be warned about this story)

Wow!

I’ve never read a book this good!

Twelve year old Anna is ecstatic when she hears that there will be a new face around soon - as she is not so keen on her annoying younger sister, Katy. But when her little brother, Ben, is born she sees instantly that something is not quite right and that he will never be like the other children. Despite this Anna thinks he is lovely and cute, but will her friends think the same?

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a realistic tragedy. I give this book 5 stars, as it is the best book I’ve ever read. If I had one wish, it would be that the book ends a bit later because you don’t ever hear what happens to Jackie or Tony.

Overall, Red sky in the morning is a heart-warming but tragic tale with brilliant words and phrases.

Reviewed by Lucy aged 11

Matilda

By: Roald Dahl

Reviewed by: Zara

Heart lifting, mind blowing and out of this world! The best book ever! Magnificent and magic Matilda is a young, small girl, full of mystery. Matilda has two mean parents and a younger brother. What will happen to her?

As you go on, the story gets better; Matilda finally goes to school. She has a really nice teacher called Miss Honey. However, the Headmistress is an evil one. What mystery comes up? Will something unexpected happen?

This earns an amazing 5 stars because it is a wonderful story. I would recommend it for 7 to 12 year olds. If you are a person who enjoys books that are full of adventure and magic, then this book is for you.

Matilda is a joyful book. If you like Roald Dahl then you will love this one. He creates fantastic stories, such as James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, George’s Marvellous Medicine and many more. I hope you will like this book as much as I did!

The Princess Bride

By William Goldman

Reviewed By Abigail

Step back in time for some… Revenge, Giants, Fencing, Adventure…

And a long perilous case!

The legend is about Westley, a simple farm boy who is soon captured by the unspeakable Dread Pirate Roberts; there is no hope of him surviving! This is good news for Prince Humperdinck, now he wishes to marry Westley’s beloved Buttercup! A mysterious man in black is close on Buttercup’s trail. On this mystifying journey our heroes fight… With Fezzik the Giant, the unbeatable sword player Inigo Montoya and the mastermind Vizzini.

Who is the secretive man in black? Will he ever reveal who’s behind the mask? It’s a great read because it’s gripping; just makes you turn the pages.

The people who would like this story are people who like fantasy, gripping books - ‘Definitely 4 ½ stars’

The Adventures of

Captain Underpants

The Adventures of Captain Underpants are not rubbish. They have got action, thrills and laughs.

George and Howard are best friends. They love making comic books and pranking people but their Head Teacher punishes them. So they order a “hypno-ring” to use on him but it goes terribly wrong. Captain Underpants the crime, monster and toilet fighter!

There are ten other books which include “The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby”, which is an amazing book from Dav Pilkey.

You can get a bonus CD, which has ten hilarious songs on it; a groovy computer game; a great animated music video; and you can print you own poster and other cool stuff.

There are great pictures, especially in the flick book, which I think is amazing idea.

I would recommend The Adventures of Captain Underpants to a friend aged 8-11.

Reviewed by Red

War Horse

By Michael Morpurgo

Reviewed by Mia

Wondrous War Horse

Amazing! Fantastic! Wow! These are just a few words to describe this fabulous book. In my opinion this book is the best one I have read and I have read lots. It is within the age group of 8 years old to a fully grown adult. If you are one of those people who like adventurous life stories or drama books, this book could be for you! I am here to encourage you to have a taster of this wonderful book and if you like the sound of it, go on and give it a try.

War Horse is one of Michael Morpurgo’s most famous books and it has won awards.

In 1914 there is a horse called Joey, who was separated from his mother at a young age. He is sold to the father of Albert, a 13 year old boy in the village and they become best friends until Joey is taken to war. Will Joey survive the 1st World War? But more importantly, will Albert and Joey ever meet again? What do you think will happen?

This is a heart-warming story of a great friendship and even though there are trials and tribulations, their friendship still hangs on. This story of War Horse is true because in a town there is a painting of a horse and this is what it says: “Joey painted by Captain Nicholls”.

So I hope you liked my review of War Horse, and that from this you will go on to reading it, in Michael Morpurgo’s great style of writing.

Thank you for reading and I hope you like the book

By Mia

WARNING!

Lots of people die in this book.

Time Train To The Blitz

By Sophie McKenzie

Review by Joel

Hop on the Time Train to the Blitz

How is your thirst for adventure? Do you like time trains, teleportation, and the blitz? Well this book is ideal for you.

It all started when brother and sister (Joe and Scarlett) were playing in the park with their dog, Pippy, with nothing at all to worry about; when suddenly, unexpectedly, a loud echoing noise of a train rattled their ears.

Without being aware of its destination, the children and their faithful pet entered the train; but this train was not a normal vehicle, it dashed at lightning speed from place to place, from one moment in time to another…

What challenge will they face on their journey? Where will they go? The children don’t realise that the train will put them in grave danger. The price of death was cheap but solving the problem of survival wasn’t - The Blitz.

They were going to meet a young boy, named Alfie, who was dead. Or was he? Will the time-train take them back early enough to save the young boy? Or is it too late already? The mission is to save Alfie - will they?

Read the book!

“I couldn’t stop reading.”

“Sophie McKenzie has blown me away.”

“Your heart sinks, rises and leaps into your throat.”

“Suspense, disaster, hope.”

Sophie McKenzie has written this book in an easy to understand, yet adventurous style; and without doubt, she has written it very descriptively. Painting these characters beautifully, all with wondrous personalities; she brings excitement into their lives (and also yours)!

I’m sure children aged 7+ will love this book.

I’ve never read any of her other books, but now she has written this book in the most brilliant style, I am looking forward to reading some of her other adventures. I recommend this awesome story to all you kids. Sophie McKenzie isn’t currently the most popular author. However, I believe her books should reach the top and I hope they will make it!

Review by Joel

The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

Review by James

The Mind Consuming- Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a fabulous trilogy that I was first introduced to on a train journey to France. At first, I found it hard to understand the book, as it is written in first person and present tense, but later on, I found it easier. As soon as I opened the book, I was in a trance. I just couldn‘t stop reading. I was transported into the “world” that the book was set in. The characters were so real; I could almost see them with my own eyes! Almost everything about them was realistic.

Meet Katniss Everdeen. She is just a normal girl, minding her own business and trying to get on with her life; until she takes her sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games that is. She regards it as a death sentence but that is only because she is not yet aware of her skill. After all, staying hidden and alive is her everyday business. Not to mention her amazing accuracy when it comes to archery. Despite that though, she has to face some pretty tough competitors. Will she ever come out of the games alive?

One of the good things about this book is that it has everything in it that you don‘t expect. Each and every book has a twist, a mystery yet to be solved. If you like books with mystery and suspense, then this is the book for you (if you don‘t mind violence). The plot does move quite slowly but if it didn‘t, it would be a short, boring story that no one would like.

As in all books, there is a bad guy: in the Hunger Games that bad guy is called President Snow. Unlike other bad guys, President Snow has a whole army at his disposal. Since the last rebellion, no one has dared confront him.

Although you might think so, the Hunger Games isn‘t all about people fighting to the death. It is a story featuring mystery, suspense, friendship and a little bit of love. Unfortunately, this story does not have a very happy ending. Some of the main characters’ closest friends and even family members get killed in the struggle to bring down the Capitol. If you are like me and don‘t like fairy tales, like Cinderella, where everyone lives happily ever after; then this is the book for you. It was the best book I’ve ever read and I‘m sure you will love it too.

Mr. Stink

By David Walliams

Reviewed by Mae

Mr Stink – He’s the Smelliest Stink Around

Do you like entertaining books? Do you like a book where you have an adventure?

Mr Stink is an outstanding book. I mostly enjoy the language; it is formal and uses a variety of words. This book has many twists and you just don’t know what will happen next. I read the book, then saw the movie and David Walliams has described the characters wonderfully.

This mind blowing story is set in a small village, Raj in the local shop and of course Mr Stink on the bench.  Chloe is just an ordinary school girl until she meets Mr Stink, the local tramp. And yes, he does smell! Behind all that is a heart full of love. This story is about how Chloe and Mr Stink become friends. But not all is happy when Mr Stink is caught in the garden shed. Will Chloe keep the secret or will she turn? Who knows what she will do?

This mouth opening story is a mixed emotion type of book. With loads of bumps in the road, Mr Stink is a fantastic book, and I recommend it to children aged 8+. Just because the vocabulary is great but a bit tricky to say.

That’s why I’m giving this book a wonderful 5 stars.

The book is illustrated brilliantly and when you read it, it’s like Mr Stink is really in your own room. It’s like the book has come to life.

This is an easy book to understand and undemanding to read. The first time I read the book I enjoyed it a lot. I have now read the book many times and it still surprises me.

David Walliams has been an author for about two years. I really admire his work. The mystery and the suspense rolls on page after page. He is a sensation with his brand new release ‘Ratburger’. David has written five incredible books. They include Gangsta Granny, The boy in the dress, Billionaire Boy and not forgetting Mr Stink.

I like this book because of all the mystery he leaves behind. I personally think that he should write loads more books - as I read Mr Stink in 2 days. He is definitely my favourite author.

I hope he is yours too!

By Mae

The Halo Revelations

By J.S. Colley

Reviewed by Alex

The Halo Revelation is a great book for Halo fans. It has stunt action with aliens racing with elite forces. It takes a while for the action to kick in, but you do get to know how it all started.

It starts with a forerunner of how a Halo ring, bigger than the Earth was created.

If you want to know what it does and the power of it, you will have to get it. So far it’s an amazing book and I would definitely recommend it.

Reviewed by Alex

The Troublesome Twins

At Super St. Clare’s.

By Enid Blyton

The first time I read this book, I was eleven. When I was younger, I got Malory Towers read to me at bedtime (also by Enid Blyton), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wanted a book that would really make me snuggle down and read for hours and this book did just that! I started it on one day and finished it the next. I can’t wait until I’ve read the whole series!

The stuck up O’Suvillian twins, Pat and Isobel, decide they will not go to St Clare’s (a boarding school) after going to Redroofs School before. However, their parents think differently! They are used to getting top marks all the time, however will this be the same for them in their new school?

They think of all the excuses why they can’t and won’t go to St. Clare’s and won’t even look at the work; but will St. Clare’s approve of their cheeky behaviour?

One of the reasons why I think this is a good book, is that the plot is brilliant and set at a good pace, with breath-holding dilemmas. Also it’s good because the style is one that will suit most people.

After a while, the two obstinate twins settle down in their new School and my, what adventures they have, with all the new teachers and friends! There are tricks to be played, secrets to be shared and matches to be won. What fun they will have at St. Clare’s!

I give this book 5 stars and fully recommend it to any girl aged 6-20. (However, both my parents found it equally amusing and very much enjoyed it too!)

I hope you have as much fun reading this book as I did.

Reviewed by Hannah, age 11

War horse

By Michel Morpurgo

Reviewed by Jacob

Gallop on a horse with War horse

This book is AMAZING - I really enjoyed it a lot. I would say this book would be read by years 8-12.

This book is about friendship - I will tell you a little about this outstanding book. A horse and boy, who love each other with all their hearts, were put together by Albert’s (the boy’s name) Dad, who is an alcoholic and was drunk on the day Joey was bought.

Once Joey was brought back to Albert‘s Dad’s farm, Albert fell in love with Joey the minute he saw him; which is strange because he already had a horse.

Read on and you will find out all the secrets this book conceals.

That night Albert’s Dad took Joey to the village and sold him to the army. Will he survive?

Reviewed by Jacob

Also Recommended…

by Antoine De Saint-Exupery and Katherine Woods

The Dumping Ground

by Jacqueline Wilson

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Table of Contents

Get That Book Too!

Frontpiece

Also from Chevening Press

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Trouble According To Humphrey

Artichoke Hearts

The Raspberry Rules

How To Train Your Dragon

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Point Blanc

Tintin and the Lost Treasure

The Bad Beginning

Cookie

A Boy Called M ,O ,U ,S ,E.

A Bear Called Paddington

Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Asking for Trouble

Gangsta Granny

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

The Secret Garden

Red sky in the morning

Matilda

The Princess Bride

Captain Underpants

War Horse

Time Train To The Blitz

The Hunger Games

Mr. Stink

The Halo Revelations

The Troublesome Twins

At Super St. Clare’s.

War horse

Also Recommended…

Join in the Fun…