June 20

‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by Jules Verne

The novel that I will be talking about is called, ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, and was written by Jules Verne. The book was set in London, England, in 1872. The story begins at the Reform Club that one of the main characters, Phileas Fogg, regularly goes to. It is at the Reform Club that Mr Fogg places a wager of £20,000 on him being able to travel around the world in 80 days. Because of this wager and the adventure that Mr Fogg and his new servant, Passepartout, go on, the setting changes continuously. The pair visit places such as Paris, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, Liverpool, and London.

There are four major characters: Phileas Fogg, Jean Passepartout, Mr, Fix and Aouda. Phileas Fogg is a rich man who is very punctual and has very high standards, which is shown as he fired his butler because he brought Mr Fogg’s shaving water in at a few degrees colder than he likes it. Jean Passepartout is Fogg’s butler, who is loyal to Fogg and always does as he is told. Mr Fix is a detective who suspects that Mr Fogg stole a lot of money. Aouda is a young woman from India who Mr Fogg and Passepartout rescued before she was sacrificed.

The four main characters go on an adventure that has many ups and downs. After Mr Fogg makes his wager, he and Passepartout start on their journey around the world only to be followed by Mr Fix. The characters travel through Europe and Eastern Asia only to make it to India to find that the rail line hasn’t been built yet. Mr Fogg then buys an elephant for them to ride on to keep their journey moving forward. It is also during their time in India that Mr Fogg and Passepartout rescue a girl, Aouda, from being sacrificed and she joins them on their journey. Passepartout and Mr Fogg are separated by Mr Fix in Hong Kong but they meet up in Japan before they head off to America. In America, the characters are travelling by train when it is attacked by Native Americans and Passepartout is captured. Mr Fogg then goes to rescue him. This meant that they miss their train to the East Coast, so the pair travel by sledge instead. They then miss their boat but Mr Fogg was able to take control of a small vessel to make the trip home across the Atlantic. Mr Fogg is arrested by Mr Fix in Ireland but is later released when the real criminal is arrested in London. Mr Fogg marries Aouda and ends up arriving a day early, winning his wager and the £20,000.

Overall, I would rate this book a 1/10 because I personally didn’t enjoy it because it isn’t the type of book that I like to read. The way the author wrote the book didn’t make much sense to me as it was written in ‘Old English’. I didn’t feel any emotions when reading this book, therefore, I would not recommend this book to my friends.

By Preston D., Year 8

June 19

‘Zac Powers, Deep Waters’ by H.I. Larry

The book that I have read and will be reviewing is called Zac Powers, Deep Waters by H.I. Larry. In this mission, Zac has been recruited and taken undercover by one of the biggest secret agencies in the world, G.i.B. He is sent into one of the deepest darkest oceans in the world to discover a deep dark secret that the enemy B.i.G has been planning. This book was very interesting and kept me intrigued the whole way through the book. I recommend this book to ages 8+

Daniel C., Year 8

July 13

‘The Secret Hour’ by Scott Westerfeld

the-secret-hour-midnighters-book-1‘The Secret Hour’ is the first book in Scott Westerfeld’s intriguing Sci-fi trilogy, ‘Midnighters’. ‘The Secret Hour‘ follows the adventures of four high school students, Rex, Dess, Melissa and Jonathan, as they encounter the new girl to the town of Bixby, Jessica Day. Though appearing to be a little less-than-average during the day, the Midnighters each hold a secret power, and have the ability to be awake during one hour of every night, when their world is plunged into a dark and mysterious state known as the ‘blue time’.

Throughout the book, the ‘Midnighters’, as they call themselves, must discover more about Jessica’s power in an attempt to defend the town against perilous creatures, ‘darklings’ and ‘slithers’ that live in the blue time. Jessica discovers more about herself during the time she spends in Bixby than any other time in her life. The characters also learn more about true friendship, trust, and Jessica discovers what it truly means to be a Midnighter.

We enjoyed reading ‘The Secret Hour’, as its story line was interesting, unusual and unique. There were a few unexpected twists, which added to the story and greatly influenced the effect of the book.

Scott Westerfeld uses impeccable descriptive language in ‘The Secret Hour’, which helps the scenes of the book really come to life in the imaginations of readers. The characters of the book are also well-developed and have distinctive personality traits.

The book is overall an enjoyable read and a very descriptive novel. It definitely kept us on edge whilst reading it. The book was certainly action-packed and well thought out, which appeals to many types of people. We would recommend this book to teens aged 12 – 18, and rate the book 3½ out of 5 stars as a group.

Lily P, Peter A, Jade T, Year 8

July 13

‘Boy Soldier’ by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby

boy soldierFergus Watts. Supposed traitor to the SAS, but is he really guilty?

Do you like books that excite you and keep you guessing as to what will happen next? Then Boy Soldier is the book for you, an action-packed novel filled with mystery and suspense that will keep you questioning throughout the whole book. An ex-SAS hero Fergus Watts is captured because he is considered a traitor to the SAS and to his country. His grandson Danny, rejected from the army because of what his granddad did, is determined to find him and bring him to justice, but there is another person he must watch out for, a person is watching him, but who? Read Boy Soldier and find out!

I absolutely loved this book because of the fast-paced action and slow plot development all rolled in to one book. I love how Andy McNab and Robert Rigby have used real S.A.S code words and abbreviations to provide a military style setting to the book to bring the book to life a little bit more. I like how this book always kept me guessing and it only gave me the answers I needed at the end, but even then, I had to piece everything together and figure out what happened. I was glued to the book the whole way through and loved every moment of reading it because of the intense scenes and cliffhangers.

I would recommend this book for 12 – 17-year-old boys who like fast paced action books, and if you have read and liked The Hunger Games, Divergent or any other action fighting style books with thrills, twists and turns, then Boy Soldier is definitely the book that I recommend for you.

Joe S. and Nic P., Year 8

June 21

‘Rat Catcher’ by Chris Ryan

Rat catcherDo you like a book that ignites and excites you? If so, I think that the book ‘Rat Catcher’ by Chris Ryan is the book for you. This book is set in South America in the city of Quito. Poverty is a big problem in this city and many kids are roaming on the streets. These kids have to deal with even worse problems because there is a very evil, bad man named Rat Catcher and this man thinks that these streets kids are worth nothing.   Team Alpha are a bunch of the most intelligent kids in the world who protect kids on the street from the Rat Catcher.

This book was thrilling and exiting because it made you sit on the edge of your seat. I got glued to the book when the kids were in danger because it was entertaining, such as when Paulo, one of the members of the Alpha team, goes undercover as a homeless child and she meets a girl named Eliza who get abducted and she then decides to go with her. This part of the novel was very exiting because the team has to stop the rat as well as save Paulo.

I really liked this book because it was full of action and thrills and if you like that you would definitely love this book. Chris Ryan does a great job in this book to keep the reader entertained. When more books are released I think that they will be very entertaining and fun to read.

By Nash A., Year 8

June 20

‘Ship Breaker’ by Paulo Bacigalupi

Do you like dystopian novels?

Ship breakerDo you like intense action?

Do you like adventure?

If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then Ship Breaker is the book for you. In this dystopian novel the world is a cruel place. The rich are born to ride through the seas in massive ships, while the poor are left to break down ships and sell their findings. The two crews that operate on these ships are light crew and heavy crew. The heavy crew are the big, strong people that remove iron panels off the ships and pretty much anything too big and heavy for the light crew. The light crew are the smaller people who are usually young. The light crew search the inside of the ship to try to find things such as wire. But both crews are looking for one thing: oil.

In this world if you find oil, and a lot of it, say goodbye to ship breaking, and welcome to the life of the rich.

Nailer, the hero of our story, is a light crew worker breaking ships with his crew: Pima, Sloth, Moon Girl and Tick Tock. Nailer’s father, Richard Lopez, is an angry drunk who is abusive and deadbeat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story had enough twists and awesome breakthroughs to keep anyone glued to this book. Paulo Bacigalupi wrote this book very well, with amazing descriptions. The characters were diverse and colourful, the scenes and places were described perfectly and the plot was structured very well.

I would recommend this book to young adults and teenagers who enjoy action packed, survival, dystopian style novels. This book is definitely a worth the read. I’d rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.

Kai B, Year 8

June 20

‘The 5th Wave’ by Rick Yancey

5th waveMy finger yanked back on the trigger, the rifle kicked against my shoulder hard, and the barrel bucked in my hand as I emptied the clip.

Meet Cassie. She is an ordinary high school girl; well that was before Earth was invaded by aliens. Cassie is a girl on a mission. The only thing keeping her alive is her will to find her brother.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is a fast paced book that will keep you hooked right to the very end.

Things are no longer as they seem on Earth since the aliens arrived. They have wiped out 97% of the population and are disguising themselves as humans. Cassie has to do what she can to survive after her mother was wiped out by the sickening red death, a disease the aliens released to control the population of humans. She continues on her quest to find her brother, who was taken by the aliens, and tries to avenge her dad after he died fighting. Can Cassie save the Earth from the aliens before the human race ceases to exist?  Along the way Cassie is shot and is unable to move. Fortunately she is saved by a mysterious stranger. But can the stranger really be trusted? Evan Walker acts as if he is to be trusted, but Cassie begins to do some investigating and something about him just doesn’t add up.

I totally enjoyed this book because it really engaged me and I started to think about whether this thing could happen to us. Evan’s mysterious nature kept me guessing about the person he was.

The 5th wave is action packed and fast moving and is incredibly hard to put down.

I recommend this book to anyone from the age of 15 and up, as it does get a bit complicated throughout parts of the book and has some coarse language. Anyone who is interested in mysterious, action packed and adventurous novels will really enjoy this book. The 5th wave. I rate 8 out of 10 stars.

Riley S, Year 8

June 17

‘Loyal Creatures’ by Morris Gleitzeman

loyal creatures“The Turks had got Dad. They’d got Otton and Bosworth and Lesney.”

‘Loyal Creatures’, by Morris Gleitzman, is an exciting, action and adventure book about a 16 year old boy who goes to war in Egypt along with his father and their two horses.

The story is set in Australia where they depart from Sydney to go to war in Egypt and fight the Turkish. The two men will stay in a war camp in Egypt whilst waiting for the fighting to start.

Frank, the younger man in this story, was excited about the war and he wanted to fight in it. His father did not want to go to war with his son as he had already lost his wife and his son’s mother. He had made a promise to his wife that they would never go to war but their time had come to serve for their country. The two men embarked on a journey across seas and oceans with their two horses to help fight in the war. The men would find new friends along the journey and fight alongside them.

Frank and his father’s role in the army was to find water for all of the troops because Frank’s horse, Daisy, could sense where the water was underground. This continues until Frank’s father receives ‘the white feather’ and is sent to a different location, leaving Frank by himself with the other men who are much older than him. Frank does his job in the water department of the army until the sergeant allows him to fight.

Frank and all of the troops in his  area were very successful in their first days of fighting until Frank is informed that his father has been KIA ( Killed In Action). After Frank received the information, he was having second thoughts about fighting. This story was very enjoyable as it was very exciting and it was filled with lots of action-packed fighting scenes. This book would be very enjoyable for a person who likes action type books and also you don’t have to be an amazing reader to get the full story.

Jay T.H., Year 8

……

Loyal Creatures is a great book telling all ages about war. It may be a book that could strengthen people because if you’re a sensitive person this book would be great for you. It will make you not as afraid about the bad and will help you later in life because bad things may happen and you may have to be strong about it if you have lost a family member.

This book is about a man’s son wanting to go off into war and his father is saying otherwise not to go off into war, saying if you go there’s a small chance of coming back because you’re fighting for your peace and country. This is a major event in life and all people in the world should learn about World War I and World War II. These significant events tell a lot about how they lived in the olden days and tells what guns and houses and how work was done, as well as awesome stories that would be interesting for all ages between 9 to old as anything.

This book is about a significant event in life for all kids and parents. Teachers all over the world should know about this event because it involved every country. The book is a very good interesting book and you may learn new things because not all books talk about the same thing. You may learn new words and more interesting events in life that happened around 1900. The book is written by a very famous book writer as it says above the title of the book, so I say it must be a alright book for all people if it’s made by Morris Gleitzman.

Lee S., Year 8

June 17

‘Ship kings: The coming of the whirlpool’ by Andrew McGahan

The coming of the whirlpool“If you go to the sea, you will come to the attention of the ship kings. And if they find out who you are they will kill you”.

These words spark the beginning of a perilous journey to the sea. Dow Amber became a traitor to his family and town by rejecting the simple timber-cutting life that they have set out for him. Instead he went on a perilous journey simply because of his love of the sea.

This story, being a seafaring story, has vast amount of different locations in it, such as the town Dow grew up in and the sea. Dow Amber is a strange and unusual boy. After seeing the sea just once he then wanted to throw away his life at Yellowbank, the town he grew up in, to go and live near and on the sea. A big shock had awaited him at the winter council; a secret. It was a family secret that had haunted his mother’s family for  generations; a secret that changed all their lives forever.

Do you want to know what the secret is and how it affects the rest of the books, events and the characters? If so, then you had better read this book and you won’t regret it. This book is such a great read for those mystery, action and adventure type readers. It also helps if you like books about times before the modern age, especially when set in an imaginary world. This book is set in various locations, with suspenseful and exciting situations. This book is especially good for people 11-25 years of age. This book is better for males because the main character is male, making it easier for them to relate to and understands the some of the situations he goes through.

Jonathan D., Year 8

……

“If you go to sea, you will come to the attention of the Ship Kings. And if they discover who you are, they will kill you.”

This book is about a boy named Dow. He wants to be a sailor but his parents don’t want him to be a sailor but instead a wood worker. They convince him to be a wood worker but he betrays his father and becomes a sailor.

The book is set in the medieval age.

I liked it because it gave a lot of information when it came to the hard times and the confusing time. I also like it because it relates to me, when I wanted to go trick or treating my parents did not want me going so they convinced me to stay because we are going to have a good dinner and watch a movie.

I would recommend it to boys and/or girls in Year 8 and 9 who are interested in action, sailing and adventure.

Hunter C., Year 8.

June 16

‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’ by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson“Half Boy, Half God, All Hero. That’s Percy Jackson.”

Imagine you are the son or daughter of a Greek God. How adventurous would that be?  Percy Jackson is just about to find out just how adventurous it is.  Percy is the son of Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Wow! Isn’t that a big name to live up to.

‘Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief’ is an adventure filled fantasy book. It was written by Rick Riordan and was published in 2005 in the USA by the Publisher Puffin. The novel begins in upstate New York where Percy attends boarding school. After that the novel is set in lots of places across America, Long Island where Camp Half-Blood is, the Underworld and Mount Olympus.

The main characters are Percy Jackson, his friends Annabeth and Grover. This interesting adventure novel has many deep, dark secrets to be revealed throughout the story and Percy’s best friend Grover has been there since the start.

Every year Percy moves school to escape danger. We won’t tell you what that danger is, you need to find out for yourself. But we can tell you that Percy’s mum has to tell him the biggest, deepest secret of all. His dad is Poseidon, the Sea God. Percy is a demi God.

This novel follows the adventures of Percy, Annabeth and Grover as they try to save Percy’s mum, find the Lightning Thief, return the lightning bolt to the Gods and maybe even meet his dad, Poseidon.

‘Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief’ is a great read as it is full of adventures, danger and action-filled events. There are many secrets to be revealed, so you have to keep on reading. The novel keeps your interest right to the end. This novel is suited for ages 8 – 18 years, both male and female.  Read this book if you love mysteries or fantasy novels.

Renae B, Year 8

……

‘There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling boom! and our car exploded.’

Percy Jackson is your average troubled, blue food loving twelve year old boy with one small quirk: he is a half-blood son of a god with monsters attacking him left and right. The Lightning thief follows Percy as he begins to discover the world of the Greek gods, centaurs and other mythical creatures. But early on in his stay at Camp Half-blood, a camp for half-bloods as the name implies, he and his half goat half man best friend Grover Underwood, as well as  fellow half-blood Annabeth Chase must set out on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s master lighting bolt.

I found The Lightning Thief to be a great read as it is full action and adventure. There is a wide variety of characters for everyone to relate to.  This book is great for boys and girls in their preteens and early teens. I loved every page of Percy Jackson: The Lightning thief as it was very well written and there was never a dull moment.

Gracie B, Year 8

June 14

‘Wave Warrior’ by Lesley Choyce

wave warriorImagine face planting into the bottom of a wave with your mouth open, gargling in salt water. Common sense is to go back up to the surface; that isn’t a good idea, at least not in this case.

“I surfaced just in time to open my eyes and see my airborne surfboard eclipsing the morning sun. And aimed straight for my head. Wham.”

“This book is about a boy named Ben who is determined to learn how to surf. In the choppy North Atlantic beaches of America, only the best are able to surf the tough waves. Ben’s first attempt is a complete disaster. Then he meets an old, experienced surfer, Ray, a surfing veteran from the heart of California. Ray promises to teach Ben how to become a wave warrior and how to respect the mighty ocean. As Ben becomes more comfortable on his board, riding the waves, he learns to face his fears and prove that he has what it takes to become a Wave Warrior.”

Ben is one of those people who doesn’t give up; who faces every challenge that he is confronted with. Ray is an old-timer who has been surfing all his life since he was a little surf grom. Ray is funny man who knows a lot about the incredible sport of surfing.

I liked the book Wave Warrior because it was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. The book made me want to read more. Wave Warrior is an adventure book with lots of tiny challenges throughout. I recommend the book Wave Warrior to the younger boy category around 12 years old. It is a good book for anyone who likes adventure books as well as kids who have a passion for the tough, exciting sport of surfing.

Hunter P., Year 8

June 14

‘Stormbreaker’ by Anthony Horowitz

Stormbreaker“You’re never too young to die.”

Alex Rider is a strong obedient young spy. His fierce attitude shows that, as a young boy, life without challenge is no life at all. Jack is Alex’s babysitter in the story. After Alex’s dad passes away, Jack is all that Alex has anymore. She’s always there for Alex, although some of his ideas are not always the best, but throughout their friendship Jack helps Alex with anything he needs to become a young man.

Herod Sayle, “the bad guy” is eager to get revenge on schools in the UK. He had been bullied throughout his childhood. He is mysteriously rude to all people and will not tolerate any slight error. If you do mess up, you might find yourself not breathing. The story is set in London, England.

The movie is about Alex Rider when his uncle dies on a secret spy mission. Alex then has a new job as after his uncle dies he’s the only spy left so he was the one chosen to complete the mission his uncle failed to complete. He then was recruited to M16, a training camp, to train for his upcoming mission. He then sets off to Cornwall to shut down the computer system before Herod Sayle discovers his true identity.

I would recommend this book for young students in Year six to eight because it’s an exciting, thrilling adventure, which fits into this age category perfectly. Boy or girl, you will love reading this book. I liked this book because it was just so thrilling I wanted to just keep reading it because it got me so attached to the mystery and excitement of Alex Rider. Stormbreaker is an exciting book. Its sense of action and adventure tops it all off.

Cohen G., Year 8

June 14

‘Point Blanc’ by Anthony Horowitz

Point blancAlex Rider, teenage superspy, is back! One of the many famous books from Anthony Horowitz’s series of Alex Rider books is the novel ‘Point Blanc’.

The story is set out in the modern day and is based on the protagonist Alex Rider. At the beginning of the novel, you would think that Alex is just an average 14 year old boy who attends school, however Alex is secretly an undercover spy working for the agency MI6. In this book he’s assigned to a task where he is put in an academy high in the mountains with a false ID and disguised gadgets. When he attends Point Blanc Academy which is set in the French Alps, he must discover the truth about what the principal Dr Grief is really doing behind the doors.

From the very start of the novel, the story is captivating as you are put straight into the action with an assassin attempting to murder Michael J. Roscoe. From then on it always keeps you wanting to know what will happen next. The book is highly entertaining as the main character is only my age but is completing missions that to me seem impossible. The book really drew me in by the way Anthony Horowitz wrote. He described every setting and character very precisely which helped to easily depict an image in my head. The novel developed from scene to scene perfectly with thrills and suspense on every page to keep you on the edge of your seat. The book ended with many questions left in my head such as whether the real or fake Alex survived. This question made me want to read the rest of the novels in the Alex Rider series.

This book is recommended to young readers who are passionate about reading a book filled of adventure, thrills and a bit of mystery. Along with this, anyone who has read other novels in the Alex Rider series would most likely enjoy Point Blanc. I rate the book Point Blanc 3.5/5 stars.  Kyra V., Year 8.

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Meet Alex Rider. He seems to be a normal teenager but underneath he is an agent working for MI6. The story is set in the modern day and is based on the protagonist Alex Rider.  Alex is assigned a secret mission in the French alps at a school named Point Blanc.  While he is there, there are two deaths of billionaires whose children attend the school Point Blanc.  Alex must discover the truth about what the principal Dr Grief is really doing.

Alex is the main character of the story. He is a 14 year old boy who wants to live a normal life. Unfortunately, the MI6 doesn’t think that.  They want him to be a superspy.  Dr. Hugo Grief is the principal of Point Blanc. He is the antagonist during the novel and if his plan succeeds he will be the richest man alive and in turn the King of the world.

I enjoyed the story because the plot was very deep and interesting.  It kept me reading for hours and I was addicted.  The series of novels are all great reads according to other websites and reviews.  The way that Anthony Horowitz crafted the characters and plot kept my interest and I was never bored.  I really enjoyed the novel especially because the main character, Alex, was my age therefore relevant to my likings.  The ending was very different and has kept me thinking all this time after finishing the novel.

I would recommend book to teens and adults and anyone in between who are interested in adventure and thrilling books.  This book is great for most readers and I would rate this book a 3 out of 5.  Kai B., Year 8

June 13

‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar

HolesHoles, holes, holes.

Digging holes is what they do all day in Camp Green Lake.

The novel ‘Holes’ is a great book written by Louis Sachar. It takes place in Camp Green Lake, which was once a swamp but now is a prison camp in the desert with no access to water. The main character Stanley has bad luck and so does all his family. This is how Stanley ended up in Camp Green Lake, because off his bad luck.

At Camp Green Lake all day every day the people there have to dig one hole every day. One day Stanley decides to run away and look for his friend Zero, who had already run away. Stanley is searching and searching and then he finds Zero but there was one problem and that was that they didn’t have food or water.

I like the book ‘Holes’ as it is an easy read and is interesting at the same time. I would recommend this story to young teenagers as it is quite a big book and it is suitable for their age.

HENRY Y., YEAR 8

……

Do you dig holes? That is what the children at Camp Green Lake do.

This book, Holes, is set at Camp Green Lake. Camp Green Lake is out in the desert where once a big massive lake was but it dried up over hundreds of years. Camp Green Lake is where naughty boys go to learn from their mistakes. They had to dig one hole in the lake bed every day.

Stanley Yelnats was sent to the camp for something he didn’t do. One day a shoe came flying out of the sky and hit him on the head. He picked it up and took it home. After that they found out and accused him of stealing. Stanley was at camp and was finding it quite hard digging holes. One day his friend ran away from camp and Stanley went after him. There were no walls around the camp because there was one hundred miles of dry hills and no water. Stanley found Zero (the boy who ran away) and went up the top of the mountain. Whilst up there they thought they knew where the treasure was so they sneaked back to camp and started digging. They found the treasure but before they could run away they got caught by the people working at the camp. The lawyers came and Stanley and Zero were free with the money.

I enjoyed this book because it was an easy read and interesting at the same time. I recommend this book to teenagers because it is too big for a young child and too childish for an adult.

JACKSON K YEAR 8

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“Why are they called yellow spotted lizards when what scares me is the red glowing eyes and the sharp threatening black teeth?”

Today I will be talking about a widely known book, Holes. I will be telling you about the book without spoiling it for you.

Holes is a book explaining about how a young man has been put in a jail camp for not even doing the crime. His name is Stanley, or to his fellow prisoners his name was Caveman. This jail camp was in the hot desert where the inmates have to dig a hole every day five feet deep and five feet wide. This was an extreme challenge, each and every prisoner getting up at four in the morning to start their hard work digging holes. They dug at four in the morning to prevent digging in the hottest part of the day, but it still got pretty hot. Stanley got advice from the court to go to the camp instead of a jail, but what’s so punishing about going to a camp for eighteen months? At that time Stanley’s family didn’t believe the harsh heat, and the large scale digging of holes. The story raises many questions, including why Stanley’s doing time, or if Stanley’s guilty or innocent. What do you think?

This book is great for all ages, but especially those from ages 13-15 as it is about a young teenage boy. The book shows a wide range of character strengths including, courage, bravery and perspective. I highly suggest that you read this book and see o who you like the most of the camp mates.

By Emma R., Year 8

…….

Stanley was walking home from school on the last day of school when something fell out of the sky and hit him on the head. He was unaware that the object was a famous baseball player’s cleats. As he ran back to his house, he was stopped and arrested by the police for stealing the cleats. He was sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake. Stanley’s dad is an inventor and he is trying to find the solution for food odour.

Holes is a very interesting book about a young man called Stanley who got put in a jail camp for not even doing the crime. It is really good for teenagers to read so it can teach them that all things don’t come to a good ending. Any little thing that you may think was funny could end up putting you in a situation like it put Stanley. Camp Green Lake was thought of as a school camp to Stanley and his family but when he got there he realised it was not like a school camp; it was like jail but for teenage boys to go to instead of being punished by putting them in jail. They are sent to Camp Green Lake to dig holes for a living, 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide, without any rest every day. Sometimes boys would purposely get bitten by a snake so they could have a day’s rest laying in the tent. Stanley was not guilty. He was completely innocent but they didn’t know that at this stage. He had to go and dig holes like all the other teenage boys had to in Camp Green Lake. This book is a great book to read for young boys or teenagers, especially for those that are up to mischief and need to learn that if they do bad things they do get punished by being put in jail and they cannot get out of everything in life as a teenager.

Grace, Year 8

June 9

‘Trash’ by Andy Mulligan

trashMountainous piles of trash looming down at you, ready to fall at any second. This is the reality for the people of Bahala dumpsite. Living in ramshackle shacks made out of anything and everything they can find and picking through the rubbish and stupp to make a living. Andy Mulligan describes the living conditions in some parts of the world in this adventurous book ‘Trash’.

This story of adventure is set in the rubbish dumps of Bahala where the three main characters Rat, Raphael and Gardo, hiding their secrets, use each other’s strengths to scrummage through the city and piles of rubbish to unlock clues to the mystery of Jose Angelico. Living day by day, they are being hunted by police, protecting the treasure they found in the trash: the wallet full of clues. They decode the mystery with help from friends along the way, and end up fulfilling their true dreams.

This book is very exciting following the twists and turns of the plot filled with adventure and mystery. The story progresses with subtle suspense and leaves you wanting more. The plot is very engaging in the way Andy Mulligan describes the characters and scenes throughout the book. The description and clear imagery help me to see vivid scenes in my head as though I was there. I really liked this book because it links to real world problems, and gives me an insight into the way people live in these bad conditions.

I would recommend this book to 10-20 year olds as it is very thrilling and captivating and leaves me sitting on the edge of my seat wanting more. This book deals with real world problems in a thrilling dramatic way. I rate ‘Trash’ 4 out of 5 stars because it has a very good storyline packed with action and adventure.

Darby W, Year 8

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“You’ll never know what you’ll find…”

Have you ever thought of living on less than the bare minimum? Trash is based on this one phrase. If you are looking for an excellent read with great and mysterious adventures Trash is the book for you. The beginning of the novel makes you jump straight into the life of three friends: Raphael, Gardo and Rat.

These three friends are dumpsite boys who don’t live the cleanest life. Raphael, being 14 years old, is the same age as his friend Gardo, whereas Rat is 10. Although they are kids, they don’t live the typical life of normal children.

These dumpsite friends are being hunted and tracked down by the local police department, living on less than the bare minimum and hiding the biggest and deepest secrets they have ever kept. They leave everything behind with the youngest, Rat, letting him guard the three boys’ dignity and lives all over one simple wallet of answers. How will the story end? Can the three boys end up living the lives they have always wanted and are never on the run?

I really enjoyed this book because of the storyline that Andy Mulligan has written in this book, and all the characters behind it. Trash is a very captivating story full of life long lessons, whilst the book takes the reader on several rollercoaster adventures through the dumpsite of Bahala and the lives of Raphael, Gardo and Rat.

I would recommend Trash to keen readers of ages 10-15 as it has extreme adventure and journeys.

Trash also leaves the readers wanting to know more and keen to read on. Trash is a great read and it has life long lessons through the the book.

Georgia C-G, Year 8

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” My name is Raphael Fernández and I am a dumpsite boy.”

Three friends, Raphael, Gardo and Rat, live in Behala, a filthy dumpsite on mountain piles of never ending trash. Breathing filthy, unhealthy air, and eating rotten food, living life with the bare minimum trying to survive by finding anything valuable to keep them alive. They sit around all day and sort through the the sifting rubbish.

“…you’ll never know what you’ll find.” One day they find something, something extraordinary, but from that day forward they are hunted without any mercy. With danger chasing at their heels, the three boys are chased from Behala’s gutters to its wealthy avenues. But these boys can’t run forever. They are in need of a miracle.

The story Trash is set in a little town named Behala, where the main characters, Raphael Gardo and Rat ( Jun- jun ) live. Yet these boys don’t live in clean luxurious homes with everything their heart desires. These boys live in a dumpsite with their families, yet every day these boys are sifting through rubbish trying to find anything valuable to help them alive. Ever since Raphael Fernández found the leather bag with all the clues to uncover the mystery of Jośe Angelico, he and his friends are then being chased day by day by the police, trying to protect the leather bag, but these boys can’t run forever. They are in need of a miracle.

This book was very interesting and eye catching because of all the clues and the mysteries and the twisty plots that the main characters come up against. The process of the story flowed with the suspense and kept leaving me wanting to know more about the upcoming events. The events throughout the book eg. plots was very engaging how Andy Mulligan set the scene, and had me in the edge of my seat leaving me wanting to know what was going to happen next to the characters.

I believed that this book was very engaging, thrilling and adventurous. I would recommend this book for teenagers age 13-16 because it was very action packed and was full of adventure. I rate Trash 4 out of 5 stars.

Sophia H, Year 8

……..

Just image you work and lived in a dump site from morning to night just because you don’t have enough money to stay anywhere else. This is the daily life in Belhala. Belhala is a huge junk yard where people of all ages live and work. But out of the thousands of people in Behala there are three kids who are about to set out on an adventure to solve a mystery.

The three main characters are Gardo, Raphael and Rat. Gardo and Raphael are just like brothers. Their bonds are strong between them.

The main plot of the story is that Gardo has found a bag that has caused a lot of commotion. The police are after the bag that contains an ID card, 11 hundred pesos (dollars), a map and a key. The police are giving the one person that finds the bag money. The police will torture Gardo for that bag. They will even kill for it, but what do they want with it? You will have to read the book to find out.

Trash is a wonderful book to read. It’s a mystery and a thriller that will make you want to keep reading. I would recommend that this book to 12-20 year olds.

Dominic B., Year 8

June 9

‘Brotherband: The Outcasts’ by John Flanagan

brotherband-1-the-outcastsWelcome to the brotherband. They’re outcasts, but with ingenuity and courage on their side they might just surprise everyone. If you like the sound of that and you like ‘Rangers Apprentice’, ‘Brotherband’ is the book for you.

To become a warrior in Skandia you must go through brotherband training. When Hal Mikellson finds himself the leader of a brotherband he must use his brains to help them win. He must overcome bullies, be challenged and tested to the limit, undergoing team rivalries, all so that these unwilling teenagers can come out with the title of the winning brotherband. He meets a mentor, Thorn, who teaches him how to overcome mental challenges and physical challenges. The main characters in this book are Hal, Stig, Thorn and Tursgud.

I enjoyed the book ‘Brotherband’ because it was relevant in ways to today’s society. With the theme of overcoming mental challenges, it had a lot of action in warrior fighting and combat. I was glued to it because even in the less action-packed parts of the book, the author John Flanagan still made it interesting and the descriptive language made it easier to imagine the setting and the appearance of the characters which made it much more enjoyable. The ending was easy to understand and linked well with the next book in the Brotherband series “The Invaders”

I recommend this book to young teens and and adults between 12 and 25 who are interested in warriors and combat and enjoy tactics and action. This book is a very satisfying read. I’d rate the book 4 out of 5.

Thomas H., Year 8

November 30

‘All I Ever Wanted’ by Vikki Wakefield

All I ever wanted“Should you keep moving forward, even if you don’t know where you’re going?”

Jemima, also known as Mim, knows what she wants, and where she wants to go: anywhere but home, that is. She’s stuck in the suburbs with her mother who won’t get off the couch, and two brothers in prison. Mim has set herself rules to live by, like: – I will finish school, – I will not take drugs etc. Does she sound like a goody two-shoes to you? Well she isn’t. Does she know everything? No she doesn’t. But she does know you don’t walk too close to the Tarrant house.

Mim lives in the ‘worst street in the worst suburb’, and what she wants in her life is the boy she has a crush on – Jordan. This novel really makes you see how the author paints a picture of the poorer Australian suburbs. She does so well in describing the scenes that it makes you seem as if you can actually feel the heat, sweat and mosquitoes of a summer blackout.

The main characters include Mim, a sixteen going on seventeen-year-old girl, who has set herself rules. The main one is ‘I will not turn out like my mother’. Tahnee is a girl who is best friends with Mim except they are nothing alike. Tahnee does whatever she wants whenever she wants and just doesn’t care. Lola is a girl who is 20 years old. She doesn’t have a very good reputation. She does anything for easy money and is squatting in a house. But Jemima supports her. Jordan is a guy who comes from a very well mannered and successful family, who Mim has a crush on.

Mim is sent a job by her mother to go and collect a special package and bring it home, but on her way home she runs into Jordan and he steals the package out of her hands and leaves. This was a very unusual thing for Jordan to do because he comes from a very well mannered and successful family. So now Mim had to think up a plan to get the package back and doing so she becomes friends with his sister to get into his house. This book is not just about romance, and the package, it is also about Mim and her place in the world, and about the people around her. Sometimes Mim breaks away from their expectations. In addition, her family and neighbours at first glance seem a disparate crew of drunks, criminals, child neglectors, sex workers and nasty old ladies, but they are not all who Mim thinks they are.

Then on her seventeenth birthday Mim wakes up and sees the package on her table, and it was not what she was expecting to be inside. It was her birthday present from her mother. What do you think was inside the package?

I really like this book, even though I’m not one to want to read, because it felt like it was real. The wording left you with images in your head, and it really grabs your attention making you want to keep reading. It was full of adventure, wonder and heart filled thrills which should really be your next book to read. I would recommend this book to be read by females, between the ages of 14-16.

Brooke B., Year 9

November 30

‘Ice Station’ by Matthew Reilly

ice-station“Now they were back…and they had brought the rest of the pack with them.”

This book is set in Antarctica. The main character is Shane ‘Scarecrow’ Schofield, a US marine who ventures off into dangerous places with mysterious treasures, but in this book, he ventures off to his Antarctic station. Together with his fellow marines, he finds a mysterious metal object deep in the Antarctic Ocean. Schofield’s US marine crew have set up a station in Antarctica, sending a pair of divers to go down to the diving bell. It all goes wrong when the operator finds that the pair aren’t responding to their transmissions.

This book was a really great read, with plenty of action and mystery. My favourite part was right at the beginning, when the divers have been down for more than four hours with their oxygen tanks having only a wisp of oxygen left. I was so surprised that there was so much action already. I would recommend this book to all of the young men out there who are looking for an interesting read, with plenty of action, along with mystery. The approximate age group for this book would be 14+, because there are a few swear words in the book and I personally don’t want anyone below the age of 14 reading this book. –

Angus W., Yr 9.

November 26

‘The Young Elites’ by Marie Lu

17984141Malfettos are survivors of the plague known as the blood fever, cast aside by everyone, even their loved ones, hunted down by inquisitors, all because they are marked, but some of these malfettos have manifested powers. They are called the young Elites.

The Young Elites is set in a medieval fantasy world at a time after a tragic plague has struck the land and follows one of the survivors named Adelina Amouteru on her journey. Adelina grew up with an abusive father a mother and a little sister, Violetta, in a wealthy home. When she was young, her mum, her sister and she were all infected with the blood fever. Only she and her sister survived costing Adelina an eye. Because her little sister and she were marked, her father’s business suffered, which would lead to her father constantly hurting and teasing her.

The story starts off showing Adelina eavesdropping on her father having a conversation, were he bargains her off to a man. This was the last straw for her. She ran off starting the adventure that is The Young Elites. Without spoiling too much of the story, Adelina is captured by the Inquisitors and the leader of the Young Elites saves her life. He reveals himself to be the son of the king, Enzo, who was banished from the kingdom for being a malfetto. He reveals to her his plans to overthrow the new king who has ruined the kingdom. From this point Adelina is trained by the Young Elites to use her powers of creating illusions as part of Enzo’s master plan.

The story of The Young Elites was different and more entertaining than my usual reads, and although it is set in a fantasy world, the characters’ interactions and emotions were very grounded. Everything they did had an affect on the main plot. The main character also made this story very interesting. Instead of having a cliché protagonist they have a realistic and dark hero with a tragic past. I would recommend this book to people who like good character interaction, a little edginess from their books, fantasy and action.

Gil T., Year 9

November 20

“The recruit’ by Robert Muchamore

The recruit             The Recruit is an adventurous novel that is great for teenage boys. This is an action packed book that has some useful insights about human behaviour. This book is about a boy named James who doesn’t believe in himself, however he later does as he has to believe because of the challenges he faces. This book was published in 2004 and was written by an author by the name of Robert Muchamore.

The book always makes the reader ask questions about the plot and it keeps the reader engaged. The beginning of the novel goes through some teenage issues, because James gets teased about his Mum. The book is about a teenage boy who thinks he can’t do things, however challenges are forced upon him and because he is under such tense situations, James overcomes his fears and succeeds in the challenges.

The CHERUB logo on the front of the book is the name of a secret service that helps James find his ways through life by training him to become a special agent. James finds the spy school helpful in dealing with the issues of his Mum.

The book could be found offensive to kid readers as there is some bad language used in this book. This language is caused from some of the characters over drinking alcohol and having too many cigarettes. Some characters also use drugs, which adds to the offensive language in the book.

Overall, The Recruit is a great read. The book makes you want to turn to the next page and keep reading. The plot keeps you guessing the whole way throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this book for teenage boys who are into action books.

Jordan, Year 9