May 9

‘Two Weeks with the Queen’ by Morris Gleitzman

I am not the type of person who reads a lot. If someone asked me to read a book, I would say no, as much as possible. I have never found a book that I really enjoyed more than Two weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman.

 The book is mainly about cancer, which attracts me more. My friends and I have all read this book and we all have different opinions that relate to the book. I particularly found this novel interesting because when Colin’s little brother ‘Luke’ gets cancer it seems to Colin that it is just another way of his little brother trying to get attention. But when Colin is sent to England and stays with his aunty and uncle he hatches a plan that will really make his mum and dad sit up and take notice. If he can just get to the Queen to ask if he can borrow the best doctor in the country then all will be well.

As you keep reading into this novel you will find a prefect combination of tragedy and comedy as Colin embraces an hilarious mission. I would highly rate this book an 8/10 and it would be suitable for younger readers ages 10 and up. It’s a really great book that you can’t put down. You could read it a thousand times and still be really into it.

Courtney L. Yr 8

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Morris Gleitzman’s book “Two weeks with the queen” was quite boring and lacked description. The idea of the story and the message it was trying to give to children was great but the series of dull and boring events let the whole book down. I think it might’ve suited younger kids than me as it was about teaching the reader to be empathetic and to not give up which they need to learn at a young age.

When Colin’s little brother, Luke, is diagnosed with cancer that doesn’t have a cure, Colin strives to find the best cancer researcher and doctor there is. The message for the reader is to never give up even when things are looking down. He wanted the best for his brother so he wrote a letter to the queen and went to the most famous cancer hospital in the world.Outside of the hospital he meets a very special character, Ted, who also has a loved one dying of cancer. Throughout Colin’s journey he grows up and realises that he cannot control everything that happens in his life. He learns to accept the situation as it is and be empathetic for his brother.

The story is lovely but the author failed to provide any climaxes in the story, which bored me. The problems, and consequences seemed so unreal.There were events that no one could have done and got away with. This would make children think they can get away with such rebellious acts.

I rate this book 3 stars. Zali, Year 8

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Normally when I read a book and it’s not interesting I stop reading it and move on to another book, but with this book there is just something about it that I like.

It’s interesting and I think it will get better throughout the book. This book is set in Australia in a small town. One of the main characters is Colin. Colin is a determined and quite optimistic character who is not afraid to put himself out there. This book is about a sick boy and his brother, determined to cure him so he sends a letter to the queen asking for a one of the best doctors they have. I liked this book because I think it will get better further into the book. I recommend this story to people in Year 6 and up.

Dan.    Yr. 8

May 17

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese CinderellaAdeline Yen Mah was the last born of her family. Unfortunately for Adeline, her family dislikes her very much. When Adeline Yen Mah was born her mother passed away. Her mother either had the choice to stay alive and give up Adeline’s life, or give birth to Adeline, let her have a life and give up her own. So she chose to let her daughter have a life, and she gave up hers. Poor little Adeline is only four years old and goes to preschool, and her closest relationship is with her Aunt Baba. Adeline and her Aunt Baba have a very close relationship. Her Aunt Baba looked after her, as the rest of her family hated her. Adeline was always asking her Aunt Baba for photographs of her mother. She just wanted to know what her real mother looked like. But Aunt Baba would always tell her that her father made sure all photos of her mother were destroyed. All Adeline wanted to do was feel accepted in her family, and feel like she was a part of her family. So she spends years just trying to prove to her family that she is worthy of being a part of her family. Samantha, Year 8

October 25

‘Go Ask Alice’ by Anonymous

See full size imageThis book gave me a view of the world where drugs are definitely there. You will feel sorry for Alice and grow to love her.  This book is old but it is still a book where you can learn from it.  After reading 1/2 of this book you know what will happen when you start to take drugs and the affect. I think everyone should read this book when they are growing up. Mitchell Year 9

‘Go ask Alice’ is the traumatic life story of a 15 year old girl tormented into a life of drugs and crime. It’s a ground shaking, mind blowing book. The level of emotion in Alice’s dairy is unbelievable; she shows us the harsh teenage life and gives us a glimpse into the world of drugs and abuse. This book does not hold any solutions, it targets a very specific life style. It is an insight into the youth of this ever growing dangerous world we live in today. Rachelle Year 9

‘Go Ask Alice’ is a diary about a 15-year-old girl, she starts to hang out with the wrong crowd and that’s when she turns to drugs like speed and LSD. At one point she thinks she is a pregnant. She runs away from home to go to San Fransico. Her life is a mess but she is hooked on drugs. She tries to stop but she is addicted. It is a crazy and full on book. It is for ages 13 and up because this book has drug use. Paige Year 9

Being based on a real story, I was astounded by some of the things that have gone on in the book so far with ‘Alice’. This book has so far taught me that even if you take the tiniest amount of drugs you can turn you into an addict, as shown when Alice writes: “I don’t know why I shouldn’t use drugs, as they’re wonderful, but I know I shouldn’t” (‘Go Ask Alice’ – Page 39). This book perfectly explains how drugs damage people’s lives, and lead to their ultimate downfall. This book really made me feel sorry for Alice as she was real. This book is fascinating, and should be read by all who are worried about drugs taking over their lives. Jack Year 9

‘Go Ask Alice’ shows the life of a 15 year-old drug addict. After being introduced to LSD, she ends up experiencing the highs and lows, from the loss of friends she once had to the gaining of new ones. Mikey Year 9

Written by an anonymous teenage girl, ‘Go Ask Alice’ is the journey of a 15-year-old girl who quickly becomes addicted to drugs. Her first experience was unwillingly; LSD was slipped into her drink and her drug  journey begins from there. She feels the need to try different drugs and experience new things. She goes off the rails, she runs away from home twice. Each time she tries to stay clean drugs always seem to slip back into her life. By Tayla, Year 9

The book ‘Go ask Alice’ is the anonymous diary of a 15-year-old girl who hangs out with the wrong crowd, and gets herself into a fantasy world of drugs. She is unwillingly introduced to drugs and easily gets addicted. This is based on a true story; it is a very informative book as she writes about all her experiences and the ups and downs in her life. I personally liked this book because it is bursting with emotions and I could relate to her and how she was feeling throughout the book. I would personally recommend this book to 14+ years, as it is quite graphic.
Amber, year 9.

May 5

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese CinderellaAdeline Yen Mah ‘s mother died when she was born and her brothers and sisters blamed her for making their mum die. Adeline felt bad about herself and had bad luck and that made her feel unwanted all her life. Then she thought to herself, “I can make all of my family proud of me at school” and Adeline did make them proud. She came home with a silver medal pinned on her chest.  Jasmine, Year 8

I have not read the whole book but this is what I think of it so far. The book ‘Chinese Cinderella’ takes you into a young Chinese girl’s life. She lives with her family but without her mum, which is one thing she can’t get off her mind. Her brothers and sisters are jealous of her because she is top of her class, and her father is finally taking notice of her. I think this book is suitable for mainly teen girls and over and is a very interesting for me to read. This book is also a great way to learn more about what used to happen in China. Bailey, Year 8  http://adelineyenmah.com/

May 4

‘Missing you, Love Sarah’ by Jackie French

missing you love sarahOverall the book was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I would encourage you to read this great novel as I could not put it down. Sara is a young teenage  girl living in a small town who is eager to find out what really happened to her older sister Reenie.  Follow Sara on her emotional journey as she tries to uncover the truth behind Reenie’s disappearance….
Did she kill herself?Did someone kill her?Did she just simply disappear?Are the police helping and investigating as much as they can?
How can Sara help?All of these questions Sara wants to know, but she doesn’t have any answers….What really happened to Reenie?Rhiannon, Year 8
http://www.jackiefrench.com/

This book is a good read. Its mysterious and exiting. It will leave you clueless! Sara is a teenage girl and her sister Reenie disappeared at 11:35am Thursday, May 4th. Nobody knows where she went after the shops.  Did she get lost?  Did she disappear?  No one can find out. Her family are starting to worry. There are so many questions that need to be answered but no one can answer them… Are they going to find her in time, or is it too late? Rachael, Year 8

It was  just an ordinary day, but at 11.35am on May 4th, Sarah’s world was destroyed. She searches for the reason and meaning of her sister Reenie’s disappearance. ‘Missing You, Love Sarah’ is a heartbreaking story, sharing all the pain Sarah feels while waiting for news about Reenie. It all started out with a walk down to the supermarket one Thursday morning. That was it. No one ever saw Reenie again. Keele, Year 8

 

At 11:35am on Thursday, May 4th, Sarah’s sister Reenie disappears. Sarah tries to piece together the answer behind her sister’s disappearance. Reenie was the exact opposite to a person you’d expect to disappear. Was she kidnapped? Did she kill herself? Or is her body lying somewhere waiting to be found.  ‘Missing you, love Sarah’ is a book that really touches your heart and leaves your mind wondering. Jackie French has captured the exact feeling of how you would feel if your sister was kidnapped. Lauren, Year 8
 

A girl named Reenie went missing! Reenie went missing on the 4th May 11:35.
She went out to get some things from the supermarket and suddenly she disappeared.  Her sister Sarah tried to help the investigators but they didn’t let her. It is a mystery what happened to Reenie. If you would like to find out what happened, I suggest that you read this book. Taylah, Year 8

May 4

‘Pig Heart Boy’ by Malorie Blackman

pig heart boyThe book ‘Pig Heart Boy’ is about a young boy who has a very weak heart. Cameron doesn’t have a very long time to live and  the clock is ticking down with each second passing by. He has been on the heart transplant list twice and was cut both times for other people who needed it more than him. It was a few weeks after that, that the doctor walked through the door with  the news that would change Cameron’s life forever. I think this book is a fantastic book because you never know what going  to come next. Rachel, Year 8

I have only read half this book but already have I found that it is interesting. ‘Pig heart boy’ is about a thirteen year old boy who has a failing heart and is in desperate need of a new one. Already he has been cut from two transplant lists because the hearts went to others who seemed to have had a worse experience than himself, which I think is wrong. Just when all hope was lost a doctor arrived at his door suggesting to do a heart transplant on him, but instead of an ordinary heart he was willing to transplant a pigs heart into Cameron.  So far the book has been about his experiences on how he is coping with his new heart and with his mother being pregnant I’m sure there’s yet to be more experiences along the way. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a story with a heart and truth. Meleea, Year 8

‘Pig Heart Boy’ is about a young boy named Cameron, who is 13. Cameron has a heart which is having big difficulties. It could stop beating in a year or so. Even though Cameron and his family are having a hard time with his heart problems, he will not give up! With the help of Dr. Bryce, Cameron may be able ot live a longer and happier life. With the help of Trudy will this happen? Will Cameron make it through this hard and miserable time? This book is full of questions that the author is so eager to tell. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a true story. Jacinta, Year 8

‘Pig Heart Boy’ is a brilliant book and I can’t wait to finish it. The story tells about a boy, Cameron, who has a bad heart and is told he only has a year to live. The doctor then surprises him explaining that he has exciting news to share and that there could be a chance for him to live forever. To do this he must get a pig’s heart. I really enjoy reading this book and just can’t wait to finish it. This book always has different things happening on every page. This story relates to real life. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a good story, although it is quite sad. I am really enjoying this brilliant book and can’t wait to read on! By Tyler, Year 8 http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/

April 26

‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne

boy in striped pyjamasI have not yet read very far into the book, but I can already see how it is getting interesting. I have seen the movie, so I know what happens, but I wanted to see if I could pick up differences. I had heard that the book was more interesting than the movie, but I thought I would decide for myself. The book has more detail than the movie does. I love how Bruno always asks questions. He is very curious. He doesn’t like the idea of moving away from his house and not being able to see Karl, Daniel and Martin, his three best friends for life. I would reccomend this book to a variety of different readers. This book can bring joy, but also sorrow. Jessie, Year 8

‘The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas’ is a very interesting book. I’ve seen the movie and wanted to read the book to see if it was different and to see how much more detail it goes into. So far it is great . Bruno has to move houses because of his father’s job but he really doesn’t want to. He is a very curious person and keeps asking his mother questions as to why they have to move and why can’t Father move by himself. But there are three very important questions Bruno and his sister Gretel want to know. What is that dreadful place behind their house? Who are all those people? Why are there no girls only boys? I can’t wait to finish the story and see if Bruno finds out what he’s been looking for! Kayley, Year 8

So far I have read about one quarter of this book and it is very entertaining to read. Once you start reading you just can’t stop. It’s, well, addictive actually. This story is set in World War II, with a little nine year old boy called Bruno. He moves away from all of his friends in Berlin and of course his house. When Bruno arrives at his new home there are no little kids to play with or talk to. All there is that poor Bruno can talk to is the maid and his very annoying sister. But when he goes in his room, there is something suspicious outside his window. What could it be? Maryann, Year 8

This book, ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, is a great story from what I have read so far. Bruno is the main character in this book.  Bruno is 9 years old when he moves away from home in Berlin and his friends.  He does not like this one bit.  The one question I have so far is, ‘What does his father do as a job?’  It really bothers me because I just can’t think of something that fits the description.  Perhaps I will find out what he does later on in the book.  I recommend this book for readers of about 10 years of age upwards because from what I heard it gets a bit upsetting. Jasmine, Year 8   

I really like ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ because it is really easy to read and when I am reading I can picture the story in my head. The book is based on World War Two. At the start it’s a bit emotional because Bruno loves where he lives, but one day he comes home from school and his Mum says he is moving for his Dad’s job. He doesn’t really understand because his family loved where they were living, so he thought that his Dad should get a different job around where they were living. I rate this book 7/10 so far…..Catherine, Year 8  

This book ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,’ is a great book. I would recommend this book to ages 12 and up, because there are some parts of the book that younger readers may not understand. It helps you to understand a bit about what it must have been like to live in the time of World War 2. When you read this book you will follow the adventures of Bruno, and one special adventure that takes him to a fence, and a special boy. He goes to the fence every day. The trouble is that the fence is out of bounds, absolutely no exceptions, and he has to sneak out of the house. He is told that he will be living at the new home until the foreseeable future. At first he wants to leave, but when he finds the fence he wants to stay. Chloe, Year 8

When I read this book I can instantly understand every sentence. It’s not complicated at all. It gives a lot of detail in the book and is easy to read. I can picture “the boy in the striped pyjamas” playing in my head. I definitely recommend that ages of 12 and up read this book, especially the years of thirteen and fourteen. The ages of eleven and below probably wouldn’t understand this book as much as teenagers of the ages thirteen and above. Samantha, Year 8
This book is about a 9 year old boy called Bruno. Bruno is puzzled by his father because his family has all moved to the countryside. Bruno asks all types of questions like ‘Why are we moving?’ or ‘Why am I going to move away from my friends?’ But  he decides to stop asking questions because his mother is very frustrated with him. This book is nothing like the movie, the book is more descriptive than the movie and leaves you imagining things and if you are in and reading the book you are kind of placed into this book. Now I will leave you to decide what you think about this book but I think this book is the best. Anna year 8  http://www.boyinthestripedpajamas.com/#/home
June 10

‘If I Stay’ by Gayle Forman

if-i-stayMia seems to have it all – weird and whacky parents who love her to bits, things she loves doing, a boyfriend and friends who accept her for herself, even a cute little brother! But things can change in an instant. It’s such a shock when you get to that part of the book – a cold morning, snow falling on the road…and suddenly Mia has only one choice – the hardest choice of all. ‘”Just listen,” Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. “Stay,” he says.’ This is one of the most gripping real-life books that I have read. It made me appreciate life itself and the courage it takes to live it well. Maybe it will even be my favourite for 2009! I hear that there’s a Hollywood film on the way…move over ‘Twilight’! This may be the next big thing! http://www.ifistay.com/ Mrs K.

Mia is a girl with many paths. She has everything. She has parents who accept her for herself, a boyfriend who would do anything for her and a best friend who cares so much about her…except for one day when all the paths are gone. Except one. What would you do if your world came crashing down? Mia’s life can change so easily right now. One choice can change everything. So what would you choose?
 Alicia, Year 8.

Here’s a book trailer to tempt you to read the book!