June 20

‘Mac Slater Cool Hunter: The Rules of Cool’ by Tristan Bancks

mac slater 1He soars through the sky like a bird and then all of a sudden “crack”, “bang” the wings start to malfunction. Mac is falling to his own certain death. This is one of the many things that happen in Mac Slater Cool Hunter. This book is good as it takes you on an adventure and it shows how anyone in life can face very challenging things and that you should never give up on something you truly want.

The story is about a boy named Mac Slater and he is an inventor who gets invited to a group of people that are called “Cool Hunter” and he has to choose to either ditch his friend and go into Cool Hunter or deny the invite and stay with his friend. Later on he faces many challenges that he has to overcome. Mac Slater is a very exciting book and if you liked books that take you on an adventure then this book is for you. If you have read other books such as Lockie Leonard and you liked them, then you should definitely get this book.

In the book Mac Slater the main character is Mac Slater and he is a 13 year old boy with scruffy hair. He has a friend who also likes to invent as well. During this book Mac Slater and his friend get invited to go to a club and he has to invent one of his greatest inventions of all time to get in.

I liked this book a lot because it was very intriguing and it took me on a great adventure and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure books or they are either 12-15 years of age as it is a bit childish but not that serious at times. This book is very good and I rate it 4/5 stars.

By Dallas B., Year 8

……

Let me ask you a question. Do you like FLYING bikes and good comedy? Well, look no further, because “Mac Slater Cool Hunter” is the book for you, with its flying bikes, amazing ideas and comedy that is appropriate for all ages. So why not read Tristan Bancks’ “MAC SLATER COOL HUNTER”? I guarantee that you won’t regret it.

This is one of the best books for the ages of 5 to 14 years old and older. This novel is powerful in ideas, imagination and a creative mind from the main characters Mac and Paul. Mac and Paul have an idea which involves a bike that can fly. A bike that can fly is their invention that they want to go viral. Mac and Paul have been working on their flying bike for weeks. When it is finally finished, they test out the crazy invention at a cliff face in a small town in Australia where there were a lot of people such as school friends and students and a girl that Mac liked. This was a tough crowd for Mac and Paul. They didn’t expect this type of crowd, so It was going to be tough for Mac and Paul to pull off this stunt.

This book is one of the best books I’ve read so far. It is the best book that shows that when you put your head to things you want to achieve anything is possible. This novel has one of the most inspiring characters if you enjoy fantasy and humour, this novel is appropriate for the ages of 5-14 years old. I would recommend you to read this book for your enjoyment. Trust me you won’t regret it. Mac Slater Cool Hunter.

Thomas F, Year 8

……

Have you ever wanted to invent a flying bike.?

Well, these kids have and they tested it by being normal kids and riding off a cliff face and almost killing themselves because they’re just normal kids. But one of the kids who was actually riding the bike after landing/crashing suddenly fell in love with one of the girls who came to watch the travesty. I’m sorry to say, though, that she’s one of those weird mean girls who will smile at bad things that have happened.

Honestly I think that this book is a 4 out of six stars because its a good book but it is not my style. I recommend this book to people who like the normal lifestyle kind of books. All in all that is only my opinion and I know that other people will like it. I hope that you boys and girls will like it because the writer has worked really hard on this book and many others so I hope you all like it.

Matthew C., Year 8

November 30

‘Don’t Call me Ishmael’ by Michael Gerard Bauer

Don't call me ishmaelDon’t Call me Ishmael is a book written by the amazing author Michael Gerard Bauer. It is about a boy who is starting his first year of high school and does not even have one mate in his class.

On his very first high school day, a mean boy called Barry Bagsley, the bully in his grade, bullied Ishmael. At the end of Grade Eight Ishmael was more known as Le Sewer. When Grade Eight finished, Ishmael was thankful to not have any more school because he wouldn’t get bullied or picked on any more. The next year of school, Ishmael again continued getting his daily bullying and he struggled with school.

The book is set in a normal, average area. Ishmael does not like his name. He has his two parents and a sister who is thirteen years old. Ishmael is a shy fourteen-year-old boy. Ishmael doesn’t like his parents’ decision to name him after a name in a book. He loathes the novel that his parents frequently bring up and talk about. This book is about him trying to fit in with other people. The novel is quite long and it makes you think in more depth about bullying and how it affects people that we know and even people we don’t.

This book is best suited to boys and girls because it helps them think about the consequences of bullying and how big an impact it can make on people. The book also makes us think about what we can do to make these people’s lives better.

Sam T., Year 9

November 20

‘A Pocketful of Eyes” by Lili Wilkinson

A pocketful of eyes“How could this have happened? Who did this?

These questions kept repeating in my mind after I had heard those three words. ‘Gus is dead’.”

Beatrice… known as Bee, who is 17 years old, has an interest in mysteries but she doesn’t realise she is in a mystery herself. Bee works at a taxidermy lab in the Melbourne Museum of Natural History as a summer job with her co-workers Gus and Toby. Bee and Toby stayed later one night resulting in a 1am kissing session, when suddenly they heard a noise in another room. Thinking nothing of it they went home. The next day Bee got to work but something seemed off. There was no one at the museum. Toby then confronted Bee and what she heard next changed her life!

“Gus is dead.”

I loved this mystery love story to the point where I was reading it everywhere I went. Bee and Toby’s interest in mystery and solving who killed Gus intrigued me. They both had such different personalities. Toby knows a suspicious amount of animal mating facts and Bee is a peculiar 17 year old. She loves mysteries. That is all she did when she was young. A pocketful of eyes is a great book for teenagers who love a bit of romance and a mysterious plot. I rate this book 4 out of 5 because each page had new information. My mind didn’t drift off and think about other stuff. I stayed and enjoyed reading about Bee and Toby’s dramatic, action-filled, romantic mysterious journey to find out if Gus really killed himself.

Beth H. Year 9

June 12

‘Cool Hunter: The Rules of Cool’ by Tristan Bancks

cool hunterHunt for cool as you follow Mac and Paul through their journey to become cool hunters.

This story is set in a little town called King’s Bay where Mac and Paul live. Mac is a brave, non complaining and ‘willing to do anything’ boy in Grade 8. He lives in a hippy van with his mum and goes to school with his best mate Paul. Paul is a smart, scared and friendly boy in Grade 8 who loves to invent new things.

Mac and Paul are just ordinary boys with ordinary lives until they crashed their homemade flying bike in front of basically the whole grade. Just as they think they have made complete fools out of themselves, something very strange happens. Two boys offer Mac a job to hunt down all the cool things in his town and then maybe, just maybe, he will get chosen as one of the four cool hunters and travel to New York. At first he thought they were crazy to have picked him but then after a while he decides to go for it and starts filming all of the cool things he finds in King’s Bay. But Paul is very upset that he can’t do it as well, so Mac goes and talks to the boys that offered him the job and says that he is not doing it without Paul, so the boys make an arrangement that Paul can help Mac.

I enjoyed reading this book because it is adventurous, interesting, unpredictable and funny but I think this book would be better for boys that are a bit younger than me.

I would recommend this book for boys aged 6-10 because boys at this age are all about being the coolest boy in the grade and this story is just perfect for them.

Sterre, Year 8

————————-

“Cool or uncool? Geeks or revolutionaries? The votes are in.”

     – Tristan Bancks

How often do people “fly a bike” and land with a job? Well that’s what happened to Mac, a teenager from Kings Bay whose dream was to invent something legendary. With his friend Paul as the brains, and Mac as the guts, they were inventors of random cool stuff that usually didn’t work. After they crashed their latest prototype in front of the whole school, Mac was approached by the creators and producers of “Cool Hunters” and offered a job as Kings Bay’s first ever Cool Hunter.

Mac Slater, Cool Hunter was written by Tristan Bancks. It is a very lively book that takes you on an adventure whilst reading. It is unpredictable and funny and would be highly recommended for boys from ages 8-10. With the story centred around Mac, a 13 year old boy, young male readers can relate to the need to be cool and the fun of adventure. In the story Mac, who is anything but cool, is chosen by the creators of Coolhunters, an online site dedicated to finding the coolest things on earth. Readers may relate to Mac as an everyday boy who has the chance of doing extraordinary things. During Mac’s trial, he is competing against Cat DeVrees, who not only is the hottest girl around, but is also desperate to win and get the gig of travelling the world reporting and working for Coolhunters.

I personally did not enjoy the book because I felt it was slow moving and being female, it did not appeal to my personal interests. I feel the book would appeal more to young males interested in adventures, inventions and trying to be cool. It was well written and easy to follow and I would rate this book 6 out of 10.

– Rachel C Year 8

November 17

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ by Jeff Kinney

diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-dog-days-dvd-cover-40On the off chance that you’ve never read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days, it’s about Greg Heffley, a middle school kid who is always being tormented by his more seasoned sibling Rodrick and his younger sibling Manny, who annoys him and escapes with it. His companion, closest companion Rowley, is an unusual child, however he appears to dependably get it right with the girls while Greg is horrible with them. Greg endeavors to wind up acclaimed, however he is always a disappointment.

Does this sound like a book you would enjoy reading and will it keep you reading for the duration of the day and night? Assuming this is the case “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog days” is the book for you.

When Greg and Rowley go to Rowley’s country club, they bring a girl friend, Trista, along, yet she begins communicating with some lifeguard and simply overlooks Greg and Rowley who were the ones that took her there. It was one unfortunate day, it was. Rowley’s father appears at Greg’s home and expects that Greg will pay for all the smoothies he’s requested at the country club. Greg and Rowley begin a grass cutting business to attempt to earn cash to pay off Rowley’s father. A client shows up and says Greg provided for her with an awful quality yard cutting. At that point his father comes and completes the employment for him, however the woman still has a bad take on Greg’s reputation.

All these grievous occasions and more made him have the need to stay home for whatever remains of the summer as all that he arranges goes totally pear-shaped.

In this book I adore the characters Greg, Manny and Rodrick because they single out Greg and attempt to mix things up, and he figures out how to transform it into an huge show. It makes the book more successful. Greg’s guardians are careful, because they don’t know what Greg’s brothers will be up to next. Rowley is a painful character, as everything needs to go his direction.

I found this book very amusing and an incredible page-turner. Before you turn the following page in the book you know Greg’s going to have a terrible accident, in the same way as when Rodrick deceives him into hopping off the high stage into the swimming pool. The style of writing relates well to teens because it provides a view of teen life.

If you like a courageous, humorous tale around a truly dorky young person and his disastrous life, go read this book.

Po-Jen, Year 9

November 11

‘Son of the Mob’ by Gordon Korman

Son of the mobVince Luca lives the life of an average teenage boy: school, sport and work; but he is being held back by what you would think would be the most influential people in your life, his family. Does this book have the right theme for you? Then Son of the Mob is definitely for you.

The author, Gordon Korman, has written Son of Mob as a great thrill story. With the turn of every page, a surprise arises and it always keeps you intrigued and wanting to read more. The story is set in the city of New York, where the love lost Vince Luca is struggling to keep his girlfriend, Kendra Brightly, from finding out about his family business (crime). It doesn’t help that Kendra’s father is a FBI agent. Vince’s infamous family business is holding him back from doing the things he wants and he finds himself juggling his secret life from reality, and this turns out to be very difficult for Vince.

The story line creates a great atmosphere whilst reading this book and I enjoyed this book due to its creative and intriguing storyline. It is constantly changing and this is why Gordon Korman has made such a successful book. I would recommend this book to 14 to 15 year old males, as it is suited more to a male’s taste in reading. As it is also about a teenage male, this allows 14 to 15 year old boys to relate to this book more than what females could. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars as it kept you very inclined to reading it, but in some cases I think a little bit more action could be put into the story, therefore making an even better book to read.

Overall, Gordon Korman has created a fascinating book that is always changing and every turn of page keeps you inclined to read more and more, therefore making this book a good read. Daniel, Year 9.

—–

Imagine your family are mobsters and you found the girl you love but you can’t let her find out about your family’s life because her dad is the FBI agent trying to take down your father! Pretty hard to imagine ,right? Well for Vince Luca this is a reality. He wants nothing to do with the family business but it somehow always manages to screw things up for him. Author Gordon Korman has created a book that is intriguing to say the least! Once you start reading you just can’t stop because it takes you on an adventure through Vince Luca’s fascinating life.

Vince, was struggling with his secret life before he met Kendra. Now he has to juggle keeping himself away from his family’s business and dating the daughter of the man who has bugged his house and his phone listening to every conversation he has. He has been mildly successful in distancing himself from the family business but little was he to know that one delivery of money to his father could turn his life upside down. It gets too much for Vince, Kendra finds out about his true identity and dumps him, then he finds out a secret that has baffled his father for years and Vince finds himself at the end of a barrel of a gun.  Could it be the end of Vince or will he get himself out of it? All will be revealed in Son of the Mob!

The novel Son of the Mob was remarkable to read. If you like books that are thrillers, adventurous and leaving you intrigued to read the next page then Son of the Mob is the book for you. This story leaves no stone unturned so you’re never confused. I would recommend this book to teenagers of the ages 14 to 17 years old. This book definitely is a page-turner I would read again. I would rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars because it did get a bit boring in the middle of the book.   Mitchell, Year 9

November 7

‘My Life as an Alphabet’ by Barry Jonsberg

mylifeasanalphabet     Life may seem like a piece of cake for little old Candice Phee, but in reality life is another dimension for this 12-year-old girl.

     You may think that Candice is an average Year 8 girl in the sunburnt town of Albright, but in many respects she lives a very tough life. Due to a family feud, her father and uncle do not talk to each other anymore. As the death of Candice’s newborn sister, Sky, is introduced in the book Candice experiences depression and guilt.

     One day at her school, Candice is given an assignment. Her task is to write her life in 26 paragraphs, but each paragraph has to start with consecutive letter of the alphabet. Candice then recounts her life in order to write the assignment, along the way she tries to remember the people who made her what she is.

     I really enjoyed the book, ‘My Life As An Alphabet’ because it was fascinating to learn about how this young girl handles teenage depression and creates a whole other universe where she can be herself. It was very engaging how Barry Jonsberg describes the toughest of times for Candice, but suddenly turns the worst of times into an advantage.

    The ending of the story was very creative as a former character is brought back in for the final word.

    I would recommend this novel to teenagers from age 13-16 as it tells the tale of a young girl facing the teenage life that lies ahead. This book was compelling and it had many ups and downs with Candice discovering who she really was: Candice Phee, a girl whose life really is an alphabet. I would rate this book 4.5/5 stars.

     Bobby.T,  Year 9

————————————————–

‘No family is perfect… we argue, we fight. We even stop talking to each other at times.

But in the end, family is family…The love will always be there.’

      Candice Phee, a twelve-year-old girl from the town of Albright, enjoys school and has a best friend called “Douglas Benson from another dimension”. Douglas Benson from another dimension thinks he is from another dimension after a recent fall from a tree. Candice’s sister Sky died when she was only a couple of weeks old in her sleep. Candice’s dad and uncle both dislike each other and they do not talk much.

      Candice received an assignment at school one day to write a story of her life. It has to have 26 paragraphs with each paragraph starting with the letter of the alphabet. For example C is for Chaos. The reader then goes on an adventure throughout Candice’s life along with Douglas Benson, Sky, Candice’s dad and Candice’s uncle.

     I liked this story a lot because it reminds me that not everyone has a perfect family, in fact no family is perfect. While reading this story I realised that friends can be crazy, families may fight or argue and you may get bullied at school but life moves on every second of your life. I would recommend this to both boys and girls between the ages of 12-16, because the characters Candice Phee and Douglas Benson are 12 years old and it mainly focuses on teenagers because the story states the things that teenagers have to go through in their life. 

 

Luke J., Year 9

——————————————————–

 

“Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching… An extraordinary book…a book you won’t neglect.”

 

         Candice Phee is a nearly thirteen-year-old girl, who’s on an inspiring mission to bring light, laughter and love to the treasured ones around her. Throughout the book, Candice Phee is hilariously honest and a bit … odd at times, and somehow, through all the things she tries to accomplish, she effortlessly succeeds in making sure that everyone she loves and cares about, including her pet Goldfish (Earth-Pig-Fish) is living a happy and positive life, despite the weird mistakes and confusion she easily creates.  

            At school one day, Candice was given a task to write 26 paragraphs all about her life, and each paragraph had to start with the next letter of the alphabet. Throughout the novel, Candice gives you a unique insight into her fascinating, fun, quirky and harsh life, of how her family is “torn-apart,” due to her mother’s battle with cancer, and her father’s falling out with his brother over business. Although it may not sound like Candice has the prefect family that everybody wishes for, she is constantly trying to repair her family with happiness.

           

            I really enjoyed reading ‘My Life as an Alphabet’ as it was a brilliant view of a young girl’s own unique experiences of how she copes with family issues, neglect, depression, loneliness and confusion in the eyes of a thirteen year old. I believe by reading this book it helps girls and/or boys to understand some of life’s hurdles thrown at you. Even though the author portrays a lot of sadness and heart felt moments, it is an ‘hilarious and lighthearted comedy-drama award-winning novel,’ and I would definitely recommend this book to young adults from ages 14 years and up. The author, Barry Jonsberg is a brilliant author by captivating his audience and making them want to read on endlessly. Candice Phee really did live a topsy-turvy life but dealt with troubles and made them the best times in her life. I honestly thought that this was one of the best novels that I have ever read and I am willing to rate this book 4/5 stars. 

 

Courtney H,  Year 9.

 

November 5

‘Son of the Mob’ by Gordon Korman

  Son of the mob    Vince Luca is trying to live a normal teenage life, but when his Dad’s ‘business’ gets involved in his love life and everything he tries to do, he feels he has no choice but to get involved in his dad’s ‘business’… Do you think he will?

     Vince Luca is on his first date and it’s going so well, until he finds a surprise in the trunk of his car… A dead body! He then realizes that his dad’s business is going to ruin his last high school year. Vince can’t even play football, or create a website or even go on a date without his dad’s business somehow getting in the way.

     Vince Luca, aged 17, is trying to finish his last year of high school without anything going bad in his life, but when your dad is a mob boss it’s very tricky.

     This is a very pleasant book to read because from the first page I was engaged in it. The author has done a fantastic job at describing the characters, from their personalities to how they are thinking and feeling, which is quite effective because you can get a better understanding of what’s happening throughout the book.

      The novel “Son of the mob” is an exceptional read. If you are really into books about mobs and romance at the same time you’ll fall for this one. This book is very descriptive so you can imagine what’s happening. I recommend this book to teens and young adults, around the ages of 13 to 21. This book was truly a fantastic read, and I would definitely read it again! I rate this book 3 out of 5.

Shannon F., Year 9

——————————————————

Say hello to the ‘Luca family’; they’re a close but also public mobster family in the heart of their local community. The Luca family has an absent-minded control over people; their son Vince doesn’t want a part of it. He wants to be in the social and study theme instead of violence. If you are into mobsters’ unsolved crimes and discovery, then this is the book for you!

 

Vince wants to stay out of his father’s business but he seems to be getting caught up in a ruckus. On his first date he finds a dead body in his trunk,  all the way till he gets forced off the football team because his team’s mates think they’ll get a run in with one of his uncles if they even lay a finger on him!

 

This book has razor fast dialogue and bullet fast pace. It’s a definite page-turner! ‘Son of the mob’ could get any teen reading because it was a thrilling read. I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Cooper, Year 9

—————————————————————–

The book, ‘Son of The Mob’, is about a teenager named Vince. Vince was not a normal teenage boy; his dad is the boss or the head of the biggest Mafia group in New York. The other teenagers treated Vince differently. Vince has recently got a girlfriend called Kendra but then things get more complicated; Kendra is the daughter of the head of the FBI who is trying to catch Vince’s father. Vince’s best friend Alex is trying to score vicariously through him, his brother annoys him and his dad is trying to get him motivated to join the mob.

 

‘Son of The Mob’ is a thrilling book to read because the suspense that is between the FBI and Vince’s dad is incredible but with this book you have to be patient and keep reading because it takes a few chapters for the book to get interesting. At the start of the book it doesn’t introduce all the characters. In my opinion, I did not enjoy the book ‘Son of The Mob’. It would be better for an adult to read this book because the author has made ‘Son of The Mob’ a bit tricky to read.

 

Daniel, Year 9

—————————————————————-

      Son of the Mob is an action, adventure book written by Gordon Korman. The story is basically about a boy named Vince Luca. Vince’s dad runs a mob, sort of like a Mafia, but Vince wants nothing to do with it. Vince’s brother, who is older than him, joined his dad’s mob. There are a lot of other people who are in the mob and they are all coded with secret names that start with ‘Uncle’, for example Uncle Pampers and Uncle Big Nose.

 

      Vince gets caught up in a relationship with the school news reporter Kendra Bightly. Kendra’s dad is an agent that goes by the name of Agent Biteme according to the Luca family. Agent Biteme is in charge of keeping watch on the Luca family. He has cameras set up in the Luca family home and he listens in on all their conversations.

 

       The main characters in Son of the Mob are Vince Luca, Anthony Luca who is Vince’s dad, Kendra Bightly (Vince’s girlfriend), Alex Tarkanian (Vince’s best friend) and Jimmy Rat, who is basically a low life that owes money to the mob.

 

       All up, I think the Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman is an exciting adventure that leaves you not wanting to put the book down. Son of the Mob has humour, action and some nail-biting scenes. Son of a Mob is a book that is for ages 13 and up. It is a great book that deserves some huge recognition. I give the book a 9 out of 10 for its humour, action and the feeling you get when you just can’t put the book down. Gordon Korman is a great author who I think gets a huge round of applause for creating such a wonderful book that is Son of a Mob.

 

 

Alby, Year 9

 

June 11

‘Alex Jackson: Grommet’ by Pat Flynn

alex jackson grommet     Meet Alex Jackson, a thirteen year old skateboarder who wants to ‘date’ a girl his age. But will he get what he asked for? Is there a secret hiding between them?… Does this sound like the type of book you’s like to read? If so then the book ‘Alex Jackson: GROMMET’ is for you.

      Life to Alex was quite simple in St Joseph’s but now that he’s in high school he has a truckload to learn. This book takes place in Logan City. In the book the main characters are Jimmy Homan, Sarah Sceney, Billy Johnstone, Adrian Dorry, Becky Tonella and Alex Jackson himself. Throughout the first term for Year 8 Alex had to face challenges. He also had one unusual problem he thought he’d never have. The person Alex has a crush on had come between him and his skateboard.

      When I read this book I was very disappointed with the structure of the book but on the other hand the storyline went well. What made the structure disappointing was that there was unnecessary information in the book and when I was near the end of the book I had realized that the unnecessary information was scattered and spread out in the book. Although the storyline would have been mysterious, they had ruined it with the information. At the ending of the book I wasn’t interested with any of the scenes.

      I would recommend this book to teens from the ages 13-15 who like drama. The book wasn’t to my expectations and I was disappointed. I would rate this book 2 of 5 stars. Jay V D B, Grade 8.

—————————————————————————–

    Meet Alex Jackson, a 13-year-old skateboarder. Alex can do things on his board that kids his age thought were only possible in movies, but when it comes to girls and fitting in he has taken some pretty heavy spills. If skateboarding, adventure and girls are what you’re in to, then I think “Alex Jackson: GROMMET” is for you.

     Things are not the same since Alex has moved to St. Joseph’s High School. For Alex and his friends Becky, Jimmy, Zane and Sarah school is a place of bullies, mean teachers and popularity contests, but when Alex shreds the skate park no one can stop him. With the help of Becky and his friends, will Alex finally fit in and will he become better friends with Becky?

     I really enjoyed this book ‘Alex Jackson: GROMMET’ because it is about a teenaged boy who is trying to fit in at school, but what people don’t know is that he is actually a very talented skateboarder. I thought this book was well structured and the story line flowed nicely. I felt that the book kept me guessing on what was going to come next. A school fight? A trip to the hospital? Or even a move that could leave Alex and his friendship with Becky hanging on the line? In the end the book was summed up extremely well and has made me want to continue to read the saga of the ‘Alex Jackson’ books.

 

I recommend this book to young teenagers or older children between the ages of 11 to 14 that enjoy a book with heaps of relatable moments, but also to a person who likes jam-packed action at a skate park. This book is a great read if you are looking for an easy novel for a relaxing day of reading. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars, enjoy… ‘Jayden S, Year 8    

 

           

 

 

June 7

‘The Cockroach War’ by Jonathon Harlan

Cockroach war coverJonathon Harlan’s “Cockroach War” is an enjoyable fun filled book about a 13 year old boy who, with his sister, has a plan to make his annoying, rude, selfish, unbearable, and uncivil neighbors, the Cadwalladers pay.

 

The Judge family is a kind, caring and ordinary family who live peacefully on Dagenham Road next to the Cadwalladers. The Judge and Cadwallader families are great friends and neighbors. They have barbeques together and do other fun activities together.

 

Then one day, one ordinary day, this all changed. The Cadwalladers won 40 million dollars in the “lotto of a lifetime”. The whole family, two children and a mother and father, went insane; so insane that the mother became very ill with demented and she acted like a baby without knowing, and the father,Dick, started spending straight away.

 

One of the first things he spent money on was building a mansion and demolishing their house. Once work had started it didn’t finish until the house was done and the Judge family didn’t like the noise at all.  Toby Judge and his sister Emma thought of an ingenious plan to make the Cadwalladers move out of their monstrous building to a normal family home in a different street.

 

This book is written brilliantly and it is a very enjoyable book. I would recommend this book for girls and boys from about 10-14 because its humor is right for that age group. I really enjoyed this book because it was funny, very enjoyable and a fun read. I didn’t want to put it down once I had started.

 

Louis Year 8

—————————————————–

In this hilarious book, you will experience the story of Toby Judge. It is about the Judge and Cadwallader families. One morning in their nice Suburban Street something shocking happened. The Cadwalladers had won the lottery. I know what you’re thinking… well that’s not so bad, but you’re wrong. They thought the same, but when the constant construction and parties kept happening, that’s when it started to get out of hand. After a while they didn’t talk to each other or even look at each other.

 

This book is both a comedy and a thriller. You will never expect what is around the corner. There are so many exciting sections in the book. But the question is: will the Judges defeat the Cadwalladers in the cockroach war? Will they finally have the freedom to be normal again. This is why I recommend this book to you.  If you do read this book, you will find out the exciting end to this amazing book.

By Mason, Year 8

——————————————————

What if you won $40 million dollars? How do you think your neighbour’s would react? Meet the Cadwalladers, a kind loving family from hell! The poor Judge family, how would they cope with parties, helicopters and an explosion.

 

 

The story is set in a peaceful neighbourhood where neighbours would help and treat each other nicely but not for long. The lottery was where everyone would buy tickets to win big. Every family would buy to win and for one family this was their greatest day.

 

 

Not everything works out how you would expect and the families are getting along. No, this wasn’t just a change in the Cadwalladers but the Judge family too. The Judge family loved the Cadwalladers till now; now they hate them. The Judge family are made up of mum, dad, daughter and two sons. The  Cadwalladers are the same as any Aussie family with Dick Cadwallader, Beverly Cadwallader and their two sons Ian and Shaun.  The two families are typical working families, not better or worse then each other. 

 

 

The Cadwalladers win $40 million dollars, spending their money on blowing up their house, buying a GX-26 fully automatic helicopter and installing a landing pad as well as throwing wild parties night after night. The sister sends in secret weapons to spy on the Cadwalladers to stop their mockery and to put an end to their shenanigans. 

 

 

I really enjoyed this book The Cockroach War as it was an easy read. The story’s setting and finding out what happens at the end made me think of what I would do with $40 million dollars. I would recommend this book to sci fi lovers and males aged 8 to 14 who are interested in fantasy.

 

 Angelo.L, year 8  

 

May 31

‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ by Michael Gerard Bauer

Don't call me ishmael     Do you like to be enticed into a novel whose story sends you into another world, imaging thoughts you never knew you could think of? Then this is a book you will absolutely love. The novel Don’t call me Ishmael is wonderful book that takes you through the world of Ishmael, where he’s hounded by a regiment of menacing bullies and quite literately struck in the face by his phobia of girls. This book is mainly about him explaining his life because he thinks he has ‘Ishmael Leseur Syndrome’.

     This novel is a novel that kept me wondering and pondering all night. It kept me reading for two and half hours until I read the whole thing. For me there is no better accomplishment than finishing a book before I have finished all my cookies. This book has descriptive sentences that give you a wide range of imaginative experiences and to top it off the author includes a squirt of comedy here and there. This book is for people who like comic writing and a story they can relate to.

     Lawrence, Year 8

——————————————————-

Do you like a laugh?

If you do,

‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’

Is the book for you!

 

     ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ is the funniest book by far of all the books I’ve read. It makes all books seem like trash.

     ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ is an exciting and hilarious book that will take your mind through the amazing life of Ishmael. This book tells you about Ishmael’s hard going days at school, also his phobia of females. This book is mainly trying to explain his life at school because he strangely thinks he has ‘Ishmael Leseur Syndrome’.

     This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It keeps me wondering as I slept. It constantly made me drawl as I thought about it.Everyday I would leave a space in my day so I could just read my book, I would never put the book down unless I have finished two or more chapters. This book is the most funny and exciting book your mind will ever grasp. If you have not read this book you must go get it!  


George, Year 8

————————————————————

Description: Macintosh HD:Users:187036:Desktop:180px-Don't_Call_Me_Ishmael_cover.jpg     Do you like stories that involve schoolyard dramas? If you do then ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ by Michael Gerard Bauer is the book for you.

     This book is an hilarious story with great comedy and humor that will definitely make you laugh.

     Ishmael is in Grade 9 at St Daniel’s Boys College and he gets bullied by a small group of boys. Ishmael really dislikes getting bullied and he hates his name. He is always getting called names that rhyme with Ishmael Leseur.

     This novel encouraged me to want to read more.

     I enjoyed every second of it and read as much as I could in my spare time. It was one of the first books that actually kept me interested and helped me to enjoy reading more.

     This book is a quick read and is aimed at younger teenagers.

     I encourage you to read this book so you too can enjoy what I did.

Liam M, Year 8

 

 

 

May 20

‘Thai-riffic!’ by Oliver Phommavanh

Thai-riffic!Meet Albert’s Family or you could call him Lengy for short from his last name. Albert (Lengy) Lengviriyakul, is fed up with being Thai. His parents own a Thai restaurant with a really cheesy name of Thai-riffic! and Lengy is sick of being his father’s curry guinea pig, longing to just eat pizza! At school he is a bit of a troublemaker, going to any lengths to hide his background. But when his best friend decides to become Thai for a day for a school project, Lengy thinks about it and comes to the realisation that there may just be some pretty cool things about his culture.

Kids from 9 to 14 of age will mostly enjoy this book. It is mainly for children because of the corny jokes the author talks about. High school is quite hard when you think about it. Lengy might be Aussie, but he definitely smells like Thai food. This book can remind people how frustrating high school is, with all the work and frustrating teachers. You can see what Lengy goes through when people are calling him ‘Bow-Thai’… and everybody thinks he comes from Planet Mars. When everybody is getting junk food and little sweets, Lengy gets stuck with his homemade rice and curry chicken. But when Lengy makes a new best friend and he has an interest in the Thai culture, Lengy starts to think about his family and see how great life is.

I personally think that people would love this book, obviously because it tells us how relationships, jokes, and many more things can reflect on people’s lives and even on your own. I would rate this book an 8/10. It might not be a 10/10 but you can have a ‘Thai-Riffic’ time reading this book. So come join in with Albert (Lengy) and have a great time with his wonderful adventure enjoying the young life of a teenager.

By Cristian, Year 8

—————————————————————————————

Do you like reading about people embarrassing themselves? Well this is the book for you. Thai-riffic is about a boy who has incredibly embarrassing parents plus one of the most annoying brothers in the world, plus he is just starting high school and is already feeling scared.

 

I highly recommend this book to the under 10s because the humour in this book just isn’t enough to make me laugh. I recommend this book to the more experienced novel readers.

 

Clay, Year 8

May 9

‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar

“He needed to save his energy for the people who counted.”

A quote from ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar.

I chose this quote because I too needed to save my energy for the books that counted and this wasn’t one of them for me.

I read a lot but I must say “Holes” by Louis Sachar isn’t the type of book I’d usually choose.  Still, it was an entertaining read with characters most people can relate to.

Stanley Yelnats is sent to Green Lake detention centre for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is subjected to all kinds of cruel and unusual treatment including having to dig holes in a barren part of the land where he and the other inmates are rewarded with days off every time they find something of interest to the warden.

While none of the boys are sure what they are looking for, they learn about themselves and each other during their time at Green Lake as the story is revealed through the many different perspectives of the culturally diverse characters.

Friendship and social justice are the main themes of the story, which asks the reader to think about what makes a true friend and how we should treat society’s young people, even those who have made mistakes.

I enjoyed the book but unfortunately I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy at the same time and it was way better.

A review by Rhys, Year 8

—————————————————————–

The really interesting thing about the book Holes by Louis Sachar is that you get multiple stories in one book, but the main character is Stanley Yelnats. Stanley is put into a juvenile detention centre for a crime he didn’t commit. (Stealing shoes.) Stanley has been picked on at school a lot and has never been lucky. In fact, they blame it on the “family curse” that has troubled their ancestors and Stanley alike. So you can imagine how he feels when he arrives at Camp Green Lake. He meets other boys there (that are coping with it much better than he is). Their job was to dig one hole each day.

Holes is a novel that will surprise and interest you. I think this book would be suited for boys of the ages 11-13. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Michael, Year 8

 

May 9

‘The Cockroach War’ by Jonathan Harlen

I’m not a person who likes to read but this book, The Cockroach War, is a really great book to read. There’s some really funny characters and there’s some bad and selfish ones. When I started to read this book I thought it was going to be really boring and not enjoyable but as I read more I started to think that this book is not that bad. It is a great book to read and once you start you don’t want to stop.
This book has no pictures but while you’re reading, the pictures will appear in your mind.

There are five characters in this book: Emma, Toby, Beverly, Dick and Judge.
Emma is my favourite character because she is creative and sweet. Except for Dick, he is the worst one, after winning the lotto with his family and becoming rich he changed and became really bad. They call Dick and his family the Cadwalladers. They are the worst neighbours in the whole neighbourhood.

I would recommend this book 11 and up and give it 4 stars.

Nadia, Year 8

———————————————————————————————

The Cockroach War was written by Jonathan Harlen. The Cockroach War is one of my favourite comedy books because it is so funny. The story is set in Dagenham London, England. My favourite character is Dick Cadwallder because he is hilarious, and he always does funny things.

The story is about neighbours the Judges and the Cadwallders. They are friendly neighbours until the day the Cadwallders win the lotto, and turn into a mean family because they become rich. I liked this book so much because it is a comedy and I love comedies.

I would recommend this book to everyone over the age of twelve, because I think it would be too hard to read for kids under that age. The words would be hard for them to understand. I would rate this book an 8 out of 10.

By Stellan, Year 8       

May 8

‘Alex Jackson: GROMMET’ by Pat Flynn

Alex had the best evidence that there was a god since he had been at St Joseph’s: there is a god because he and Becky Tonella were assigned to sit next to each other. I would admit that Alex Jackson: Grommet was one of the optimal books I have ever read, and I do not particularly enjoy reading but when I started reading this book I could not stop!

The story is set between St Josephs and the Skate Bowl. The main characters are Alex, Jimmy and Becky. Billy and Jimmy are best friends and they both met in Grade 3 in Primary school. It’s about Alex, who is one of the kids at St Joseph’s and he is finding it hard to become popular. But eventually he does one of his best skateboard tricks in class for a speech and successfully pulls it off. He became more popular later when he fought one of the toughest and largest kid in the grade, Billy Johnston. He came off first, so everyone in his class was trying to be best friends with him.

I loved this book because it wasn’t just one of those books where you have to just read it for school with no choice whatsoever but because it had something to the book which made me not want to stop reading it and gave me giggle or laugh every now and then.

I highly recommend this book for people (mainly boys) between the ages of 12-15.  Some boys go through the same trouble as Alex Jackson goes through.

By Reece B, year 8.

—————————————————————————————

I am not the type of person that likes to read. If someone asked me to read a book, I would try and not read it as much as possible. I had never found a book that I have enjoyed, but then I found this book with love and thrills. The book is called Alex Jackson Grommet, which is a fiction book.

I think that this book made me feel like it was a really good book and so when I read the first couple of pages I thought it was a great book and that it was an amazing book. The feelings the book made me feel was love and thrill.

The book would be for people about 12 to 18 because this book has lots of thrill and love that everyone likes and so I would recommend this book for children cause it a funny book and a really good book so that’s why you should read this book.

Tyrone, Year 8

——————————————————————————————–

The book I am reviewing is Alex Jackson: Grommet, by Pat Flynn.

The book is about a boy in high school who loves to skate but has a crush on a girl at school.

My reactions to the start of the book were that it was a relaxed type of book, then once Alex started skating the tempo of the book picked right up. I thought that the start could be more like for example Alex at the skate park attempting a really hard trick on his board.

The part of the book that was key to me was when Alex and Jimmy created a fake email just so they could talk to Becky. The thing about the book I enjoyed most was the style of the book and also the characters because of the different types. I would rate the book 5 stars because you never know what’s going to happen next.

Ryan. K Year 8.

May 8

‘Don’t call me Ishmael’ by Michael Gerard Bauer

I don’t really like to read much. If I get asked to read I moan and try to get out of it. But I have never enjoyed a book as much as Don’t call me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer. It is a good book and it is a good book to read.

 The book is about a boy that had the same name as his disability and he got bullied at school. The bully’s name was Barry Bagsley. Barry had friends that help him bully  Ishmael Leseur. They would call him names like ‘fish tail’, ‘le sewer’ and ‘le spewer’. I found this book sad and a bit funny.

I highly recommend this book for boys and girls aged between 10-14, because the book is really good and I think it teaches us not to bully and to accept people for who they are. This book is also tempting to keep reading because you don’t know what will happen next. I really liked this book and I hope if you read it you will like it as much as I did .

By Ben F, Year 8

——————————————————————————————

“The ‘thing’ slid lower down my thigh. It was hard and cigar-shaped. I twisted my leg further around till I was balancing on one foot. Whatever was down there was dropping…….dropping……              

At the last moment I made a desperate lunge and clamped my hands on my shorts.
But it was too late. A blurred object shot from my pants, bounced off the toe of my shoe and skidded across the tiles.
I held my breath. My heart stopped.
I abandoned what I was about to say.
One of the Beatles had just fallen from my pants.
I was pretty sure it was Ringo.”

Hmmmm…. Feeling interested yet? Cause I sure was! If you read this book you will travel through many of Ishmael’s crazy experiences with him. You can really relate to Ishmael’s problems, and Ishmael certainly has a lot.

This book is targeted at young teenagers, and has possibly some of the most important lessons to learn at that age.
Ishmael is just going into his second year at high school and doesn’t really have much confidence. As you read this book you learn about Ishmael’s life and how he hates it. As the book travels on Ishmael finds new friends and maybe even the confidence he’s missing!
Don’t Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer is certainly a great book and if you are looking for a quick read and a few laughs this is the book you should read.

By Octavia G., Year 8

—————————————————————————–

I’m not usually one for books, as I don’t like reading, and “Don’t call me Ishmael” by Michael Gerard Bauer wasn’t an exception. I felt the book didn’t relate to girls, so that is why it didn’t appeal to me.

Although Michael Gerard Bauer’s writing skills are exceptional, the book in my opinion was not exciting.

The book follows Ishmael Leseur, a boy in year 9 who has Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome. The novel takes place in St. Daniel’s All Boys High School. He is trying to fit in but is finding it hard to as his personality is very shy. He also get picked on for his name. Then Ishmael fears the new boy James Scobie, as he looks like a target to the school bullies. Barry realizes that “Scobie” has no fear so he doesn’t mess with him. To get Ishmael’s confidence boosted James decided to sign Ishmael up for debating and that’s how he meets Kelly. Ishmael realized that his life isn’t as bad now as it once was.

The book covers such topics as bullying, friendship, love and fitting in. So the book’s general audience would be boys around the age of 12-14, as the writing of the novel is complex.

As a group we read the book, and the majority of my group enjoyed the book as the topics were relevant. We rated the book ★★★ (Three Stars). The book was quite funny in places and those were the bits that we enjoyed the most.

My overall opinion was the book would have been better if read by a  12-14, but all in all it was a nice book with a good story line, but it just wasn’t enjoyable to read.

Gemma T, Year 8.

———————————————————————————

This book is a great book and a fabulous story about a fourteen-year-old boy who doesn’t have the best school life. I love the language in this book. It made me laugh quite a few times and also it was very clever.
I think the best part of this book was that it focuses on one of the main problems in schools today: bullying. In this book it explains how Barry Bagsley and his mates like to pick on other student but mostly Ishmael Leseur. This name comes from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, a book about a whale. Their teacher at school (Miss Tarango) points this story out as she thought she was standing up for Ishmael but it only provided Barry with more names to call Ishmael, as he had a way with words. Ishmael became:
Fishtail

Dishrail

Kisstail

Piss-tail

And not to mention his poor last name, Leseur, (actually pronounced Le-sir) became
Le sewer

Le spewer
Le pooer
& manure
So he didn’t have the best time at St Daniel’s all boys College.

He soon realised he had to avoid Barry but it was hard to do considering he had a lot of classes with him.
I would recommend this for older readers as it would be harder to read for young ones. Also it is more of a boys’ book than a girls’ because it would be more understandable for boys, behaviour and language wise.

Overall I would rate this book 3 stars as it was funny and a great story but personally I got a bit bored in parts, but other than that I liked this book.

Britney, Year 8

May 4

‘Mac Slater, Cool Hunter: The Rules of Cool’ by Tristan Bancks

Unfortunately I’ve never liked reading books. When people ask me to read, I always have a thought in my mind saying, ‘No thank you.’ But I have never read a book like Mac Slater, Cool Hunter. This novel is out of this world.

This book grabs your attention as soon as you start to read, as it’s full of excitement. The story is about two boys Mac and Paul who are best friends. They love inventing things such as a flying bike out of rubbish and other weird things.

One day they were testing one of their inventions when a man asked them to spot cool things, so he can put it on a website called ‘Cool Hunters.’ It’s a website where kids can find new, cool and interesting things. This is a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone between the ages 10 to 12.
3 out of 5 stars.

By Kobi P, Year 8

——————————————————————————–

The book Mac Slater, Cool Hunter by Tristan Bancks is a really great book that you just can’t stop reading.

This book is aimed for boys aged eleven to thirteen who are sporty and imaginative. I really like this book because the two main characters Mac and Paul want to do something completely out of the ordinary. I also enjoyed this book because you could relate to it, such as I like making things with my imagination and this book was all about getting something like a bike and making it into something ‘cool’ like a flying bike.

My favourite character in the book was Mac, who gets asked by these two ‘Cool Hunters’ to hunt ‘cool’ for the next week and upload it on the cool hunting website every night and then whoever gets the most votes out of the competitors on the videos wins for that day. Paul gets jealous of the opportunity that Mac has to go to New York but when Paul finds out that Mac’s competition is the mean girl at school, Cat, he tells Mac to go ahead with it. Mac and Paul eventually win the competition and in the end they both get to go to New York.

This is a great book that eleven to thirteen year old boys would really enjoy and it gives them lots of ideas to make inventions one day.

By Molly R, Year 8.

May 4

‘The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites’ by Heather Brewer

I normally don’t like reading that much if the book I’m reading isn’t that good, because I can’t get stuck into it. The chronicles of Vladimir Tod is the kind of book I’m talking about. It started off being very weird and I didn’t like it, but then when I kept reading it started to grow in me. I think this book attracts readers who like unusual and gothic books. Vladimir, the male character, is a boy who has just entered high school. He is trying really hard to control the vampire within him by bringing in blood capsule sandwiches to satisfy his needs. In my opinion I liked the ending more than any other part of the book because many problems arise in Vlad’s life at home and at school. Imagine having your own teacher tempting to reveal the biggest secret of your life.

“I can’t wait to hear your oral presentation,” Mr Otis says. Mr Otis has assigned an assignment describing what a “werewolf” is but when the letters on the paper change into “vampire” a whole world of pain arises for Vlad. This is a good book and I think you should give it a try.

Sebastian, Year 8

—————————————————————————

I hate reading. I almost never read, but fortunately I was forced to read “The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod” and surprisingly, I enjoyed it. It is a vampire story, filled with a lot of twists and turns in the story. I recommend this book to 12-15 year olds who enjoy reading fantasy books such as Christopher Paolini’s series “Eragon” or J.R.R Tolkien’s “Lord Of The Rings”

The main character Vladimir Tod is very intriguing because nothing is known about vampires.  Vladimir and his best friend, Henry find themselves in the middle of a mystery when they discover Vlad’s fathers journal. The journal contains many secrets to Vladimir’s secrets and history. Unknown to Vlad, he is being hunted by another mysterious character.
By Jordan, Year 8

—————————————————————————–

I am not the type of person that likes to read. If someone ever asked me to read I book, I’d try and make excuses to get out of reading the book.  But when I started reading The Chronicles Of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer, I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t stop or put it down.

This book is mainly for boys and girls that are different. It’s basically about a boy named Vladimir who isn’t popular at school just because he’s different.  He ignores all the bad comments that everyone has to say about him. He just lives life no matter what anyone says.

It helps all children realize that you don’t have to be perfect to live life. You can be whatever you want to be whenever you want.

I highly recommend this book to boys and girls from an age of 12-15 as when you older, people seem to believe popularity is the most important thing. This book is filled with friendship problems and school problems and helps you solve them and it often brings a smile to one’s face.

By Alana S, Year 8.

————————————————————————

My book Blog The chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Vampire and his Victim. Usually I don’t really like to read books because I don’t find them that interesting. At first when I was given the book The chronicles of Vladimir Tod I didn’t think that I would like it because I usually like books that are sporty ones, so when I got one about a vampire I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like. I think that this book is probably more for boy teens because I find that the girls won’t really like what’s in there compared to the boys. None of my friends that I know have read this book so I had to start it not knowing at all what it would be like. I find that this book is a bit harder to relate to because it’s about a vampire called Vladimir Tod and I haven’t met anyone who is a vampire before. Although at first when I started reading the book I found it hard to get into, when I read on I found the book to be very interesting. I found it interesting because it is about a boy at the beginning who is a vampire and he likes a girl but can’t find the guts in him to actually talk to her. The two main characters in this this book are Vladimir and his friend Henry. Vladimir is a vampire and likes to drink glasses of blood in the morning. Henry is Vladimir’s best friend. All the girls at school have a crush on Henry. There is also Vladimir’s mum’s friend Nelly who has looked after Vladimir since his parents died three years ago. She is a fully qualified nurse and tries to sneak some blood from the hospital to take home to Vladimir so he can drink it. Vladimir and Nelly are not family but Vladimir said that he would consider her as family after all she has done for him in his life. If I had to recommend this book to any age I would say for 11-15 because it is sort of a mystery but not too serious and also has some romance in it which people of that age would be able to relate to from their life.

Taine Year 8

May 4

‘Skulduggery Pleasant’ by Derek Landy

I am not much of a big reader myself, but after reading this book I took a bigger interest in reading. Skulduggery Pleasant is a thrilling book to read. This book takes place in Ireland near the city of Dublin. The main characters in Skulduggery Pleasant are Stephanie Edgley (Valkyrie Cain), Skulduggery Pleasant and Nefarian Serpine. Stephanie Edgley is a bored girl at the age of 16, just waiting for some excitement to come along in her life. Skulduggery Pleasant is human, until he dies a tragic death and comes back to life as something very strange. Nefarian Serpine is Skulduggery’s biggest enemy. He is evil and has no skin on one of his arms. He tortures and kills innocent people. When Stephanie’s Uncle Gordon Edgley dies, he leaves her his house and possessions. When she goes to the house a stranger asking for ‘the key’ attacks her. Whilst she is being attacked Skulduggery Pleasant saves her life in a very peculiar way. When Stephanie finds out what Skulduggery is she is very surprised and wants to join him in his work. They have to work together to stop Nefarian Serpine from getting what he wants so he doesn’t take over and gain power. I liked this story so much because you never know what’s going to happen next or who is going to do what. I also like it because it is action packed and I would recommend this book for teenagers because it is a thrilling, funny and action packed book. By Jed E, Year 8

————————————————————————————–

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

“With his sunglasses gone there was no denying the fact that he had no face. All he had was a skull for a head.”
The story takes place at Stephanie’s uncle’s funeral when Stephanie first sees Skulduggery and he enters her life. Everything is quite straight forward; she is a single child going to her uncle’s funeral in respect. She isn’t that upset about the fact he is dead either; they weren’t really that close. Everything changes though when Skulduggery accidentally drops his disguise in front of Stephanie. Skulduggery is a very weird, funny and bold character. He is a detective trying to sort out the death of his friend. Meanwhile, he lives in this world with people who own magic and he is a skeleton.
Stephanie and Skulduggery set out to discover what really happened to Stephanie’s uncle. They already know he is murdered but who did it and why?

This book was good because it was unpredictable. Also, Skulduggery added a tinge of humour into the story. It was a better book then I thought.

I’d mostly recommend this story for 9-11 year old boys. I don’t think girls would enjoy this story because it’s about a man who is a skeleton. This type of story line would also interest boys.
Kyoko, 13.

———————————————————————————-

When I picked up  ‘Skulduggery Pleasant’ I started reading and I was immediately sucked into this book.  It was an exciting start, with the first sentence:

‘Gordon Edgely’s sudden death came as a shock to everyone- not least himself.’

And from that sentence I was interested throughout the whole book. With twists and turns, you could never predict anything. I think this book is in the thrill and wonder category. The plot is thrilling, and interesting.

I think this book is aimed at really anyone who enjoys a good mystery book but mostly teens. Derek Landy wrote this book. If you enjoyed The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest, Haunted or other Derek Landy books you will surely enjoy this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.
I rate this book 3 out of 5.
Georgia, Year 8

October 24

‘Son of the Mob’ by Gordon Korman

“Son of the Mob”, written by Gordon Korman, is an hilarious book that gets you hooked on the first page.

“ When Vince opened the trunk of the car to get the picnic blanket, he see Jimmy ‘the rat’ unconscious and wrapped up in the blanket.”

Vince Luca was born into the mob but has never taken an interest in business, but as the story goes on the business keeps on finding him and he hates it and to top it off his Dad (the Boss) is on his back pressuring Vince to join so that when Abe (Dad) is finished the business can stay in the family.

For me this is a great book that I am really enjoying that I would recommend for a 14 year old and someone that likes light comedy with a bit of action. I give this book 9/10. This is a great book that all should read.

Sam, Year 9

FBI agents may be watching the house, but Vince Luca is still just an ordinary high school boy. He and his close friend Alex are trying to score every girl they see. Vince’s brother is very annoying and his father is also very demanding at trying to get him to do things and to be motivated. There is one thing keeping him from having a normal life and this is that his father is the leader of a powerful crime organisation. Because of this Vince’s family can be very handy for particular things, like his teachers are scared to give him bad grades. Vince likes a girl but he doesn’t know how he is meant to explain to her what his father does and how their family operates. But when the moment comes and he finds a girl, he doesn’t know that his family will be the biggest problem of all because her father is the FBI agent wanting to lock his father away.

In my personal opinion I think that this book is more suited to all ages but particularly teenagers. This is because I have heard reviews and people as adults themselves have said they enjoyed it too. The book is great and has you on the edge a lot. Rachel, Year 9

 

Vince Luca is just regular high school boy. He has the usual problems like any other teenager, just like his best friend Alex who keeps trying to beat him in everything, and his father, who tells him he must be very serious in life. But there is only one little difference between himself and other kids; his father is the head of a huge mob organization. There are many positives to this relationship, however. For example, if Vince ever gets poor grades, his teachers will automatically change his marks, thinking that his father will kill them otherwise. But Vince is thinking about his future. How will new people he meets react to his family? Would he ever be offered a job anywhere? Would he have to carry on his father’s business after completing high school? And the biggest question of all is how will Vince explain to his girlfriend what his father does for a living?

Vince’s luck improves when he finally thinks he has found someone. But instead of his dad being the problem in their love life, the girl’s dad seems to be the problem. The difficulty is that her father is an FBI agent, who is working day and night to put Vince’s father in jail! From here, the book shows the son of the mob’s struggle in his social life, and how he tries to overcome all obstacles. The book is very good with lots of action around the corner. I recommend it to older audiences with some of the things in it like a blood soaked person in the boot of Vince’s car. About 13+ is the age I would recommend it to, but other than that it is a really good book to read. Kaide, Year 9

At a young age, Vince Deluca knew his family wasn’t normal. With regular appearances from the police in his house and his dad’s constant referral to the  ‘Agents’, Vince caught on pretty fast that life wasn’t ordinary. It was the life for the son of a mob.

Now aged 17, Vince wanted to get on with his life. But with only one friend, a controlling father and his business trying to take over it, he was finding that pretty hard. Until Kendra came along. Kendra was everything Vince could have hoped for and better; beautiful, smart and actually willing to put up with him. Then he found out that Kendra’s father was an FBI agent trying to put his father in jail.

I would recommend this book for ages 13 to 16. I believe both genders will enjoy it, but preferably boys. It is a quick and easy read, that relates to their daily lives, with drama added to it. I would rate it a 7 out of 10 because it is a book you can relate to, with a great writing style, although it could do with some touch-ups.

Holly, Year 9

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the son of a criminal? Vince Luca is and he hates it! Born into the criminal side of the world, Vince just wants to live a normal love life without his dad’s business involved. But when he starts dating the daughter of an FBI agent, whose life long ambition is to have Vince’s dad behind bars; things start to speed off track.

This novel is for an adolescent age group, predominantly male, because it deals with moral decisions and problems teenagers go through in today’s society. This very entertaining and humorous novel moves along very quickly and keeps the reader guessing.

Lauren, Year 9