Book Reviews
Victorian Adventure by Roderick Hunt
This story is about an adventure with a magic key, the magic key takes them back in time to the Victorians. The main characters in this story are a young boy called Biff, a girl called Chip and their fluffy, loving dog Floppy.
In the story they find a girl. who they thought was a boy because she wore a hat over her short, orange hair and wore trousers. They also met a boy that was friendly with Queen Victoria’s grandson. They sneak into the palace and play basketball but get caught by Queen Victoria’s maids. Luckily, their grandma was also in the adventure and was friends with the queen. She tells her that the children were good kids so the queen released them and they got to play with the queen’s grandchildren.
I like this book, it had many turns in the story when you did not expect it. I would recommend this story to Year 2 to Year 4 because the text is easier to read than some of the Year 5/6 books. Also, you get to see parts of history in a fun way.
By Max 6WS
Dotty Detective by Clara Vulliamy
This story is set in a school and is about a girl called Dotty who has a dog called McClusky. Her friend, Joe, lost his dog, it ran away. They made a plan to find the dog by getting lots of people to help them, they made a map of the whole school and put up missing posters. They all split up and looked in different places. One friend made a cupcake to make him happy while they searched for the dog. In the end, McClusky was the one that found the missing dog by sniffing it out in the pet’s corner.
I enjoyed this book because I kind of like mysteries and how to solve things. This story is all about Dotty being a detective which is what I like doing. Also, I found this book the right length to read so that I could found out what happened sooner and there are pictures you can just flick through without reading all of the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs and mysteries. The age group I would recommend it to is 7-12 year olds. Under 7’s would find it hard to read but perhaps their parents could read it too them.
Evelyn - 6W
Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon
This story is very mischievous and has lots of surprising turns in the story. The main character is Horrid Henry, he is very grumpy and rude especially to his little brother (Perfect Peter). He has kind parents but he never treats them well and he has a friend called Rude Ralph.
Horrid Henry and his neighbours always get into fights. He also has a fort which he calls The Purple Hand Gang. He and his friends always plan mischievous things to do on other people and at school. He does not like school that much but Perfect Peter does. This really annoys him because Peter is always perfect in school and gets lots of stars. For this reason, Henry tries to get Perfect Peter in trouble in lots of horrible ways. However, this encourages the reader to keep reading because some of them are actually quite funny.
I would recommend this book to both genders that enjoy reading books that are easy to read and are fun. I think this book would be suitable for ages 7 years to 12 years old, even if the younger children just have it read to them.
By Jess 6WS
The Butterfly Lion By Michael Morpurgo
The Butterfly Lion is a book about a boy in boarding school, who escapes into a old lady’s house and she gives the boy some food and tells him about a story. The old lady says to look up at the hill where there’s a white lion and she tells the story. The story is about is a boy who lives in Africa with his mum and dad - the dad hunts animals . There is one important rule do not go out the fence; the boy really wants to but listens.
One day, the boy saw two lions, a lioness and a cub. He was so shocked so he told he told his parents but they didn’t believe him so when his dad was out he went out and saw nothing he waited and finally gave in. When he went back inside his dad said he lioness , that’s when the boy knew there a lion cub in need so the day he went outside the fence and saw the cub he took inside and told his mum they kept it when the dad came home he wanted it gone so a couple of weeks later his dad wanted it gone to a circus. Then one early morning the boy sneaked out and put the lion into the wild. Unfortunately, the mum and dad caught him and the next day the lion was taken by Frenchman to the circus
The next day, the boy heard sad news he was moving out of Africa to go to where his auntie lived in Sailsbury . One day when the old lady was little she got her kite stuck up in a tree and a boy went up to get. His name was Bertie. Bertie and the girl became best friends and they both had something in common but sooner the old lady had to go college and they got split up. They wrote letters to each other until one day Bertie said he was going to war.
When Bertie was at war, he got injured he had to get to safety helped others. He was soon in hospital and his long lost friend the old lady came to visit him and took him out for walks and then he suddenly spots something the white lion. They went to place and saw the white lion they took him in and kept him. Bertie got married to the old lady and unfortunately the white lion dies.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures and animals.
By Belle 6WS
Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Getaway By Jeff Kinney reviewed by Xander
My rating: 9/10
I would highly recommend The Getaway to everyone of any age. This exceptional book has struck my interest over the past few days. I have extremely enjoyed this book and so have many other Year 6 children here at Goosewell. I have found this book really funny and have enjoyed reading it. I now feel like I know Greg and his family personally.
I think that anyone of any reading level would enjoy reading this book. I have found that every Diary of a Wimpy kid book is excellent and amusing.
I especially enjoyed the aeroplane ride as it was really funny in my opinion. I felt really bad for Greg in this book as if I were in his position I would hate it and want it to end. I found that there were a lot of hilarious and awkward moments in this book and, this really made me laugh in the class. I laughed so much during reading this book that I was scared that I would distract the person sitting next to me. This book Is EXCELLENT!!!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney reviewed by Jack
My rating 9/10
I can tell you that all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have idolized me and my friends. This exceptional book and its author are amazing. I have extremely enjoyed reading this book. Greg is stuck in middle school with nobody but his best friend Rowley. How will Greg get out with Fregley in the way? But don’t worry because Greg has his best friend by his side and they are doing just fine playing the rumble trike. Rowley’s parents don’t like Greg and they think he is a bad influence but it does not because they are in it till the end.
Big Shot Diary of a Wimpy Kid reviewed by Malie
Over the past two days, I have been reading an extraordinary book called Big Shot. In my opinion, this book is amazing, it has been one of my favourites so far. This book is about a 11\12-year-old boy who does not have a love for sport but then he finds a sport he may not regret. As I was reading this book I really enjoyed the plot of the story. This book is also based on trial and error. Greg Heffley a normal boy trying to find a sport that fits for his lifestyle perfectly, but the question is will he find the one sport? I recommend this book from ages 7-12. My favourite part of the book is the illustrations. You can see how many details and how much time is put into only drawing Greg. And another one of my favourites is the humour! The humour in this book is fantastic and I would recommend!
Star Rating:10/10
CHRISTMASAURUS AND THE NAUGHTY LIST by Tom Fletcher reviewed by Zayne
The naughty list has OVER LOADED , and there is annual gift giver) no not William Trundle (the boy in a wheel chair that has saved Christmas himself is unfortunately ON THE NAUGHTY LIST! So that only means that the dino will have to do it. Yes you read me right I mean the one and only, CHRISTMASAURUS! I recommend this book to because it gave me PURE JOY reading it due to the amount of SUSPENSE and HILARITY and even DANGER! Ok maybe not as much danger.
In total I rate it a FIVE STARS!
Harry Potter and the half-blood prince by J K Rowling reviewed by Ted
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue another adventure in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series.
Characters
- Harry
- Dumbledore
- Ron
- Draco Malfoy
- Hermione
- Severus Snape
In this book, Harry must uncover secrets of lord Voldemort’s. His friends Ron and Hermione must help him find and track down a horcrux (a piece of Voldemort’s soul). Dumbledore must help Harry find a bit of Voldemort’s soul and destroy it. Draco must find a way to complete the dark lords deed.
Age rating: 8 and up
Type of story: wizarding
Other stories from this series
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Night Spinner by Abi Elphinstone reviewed by Ruby
I loved the night spinner. I believe anyone who likes magic and for the unexpecting to happen will enjoy this super book. Even though it is the third story of a collection it is a fun read. Names of characters:
- Moll-main character
- Gryff-wildcat
- Alfie-missing friend
- Siddy-friend
Together they are the TRIBE.
Still missing fellow TRIBE member, Alfie, and armed only with a mysterious set of clues, moll sets out on an adventure across the northern wilderness with Gryff and her friend Siddy at her side. They must brave the LOST ISLES, scale the BARBED PEAKS and face witches, goblins and giants who lurk at every turn….while the SHADOWMASKS draw ever closer.
Abi Elphinstone is an amazing author who lived in Scotland for her childhood and travels the world for more story ideas. She is one of my favourite authors and I hope you will enjoy her books as much as I do. Another great book she has written is Rumble Star.
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey reviewed by Harry
George and Harold are really funny and imaginative. Captain Underpants is the superhero who tries to save the world by defeating the strangest of super villains. Captain Underpants is a strange superhero because of his intelligence because his intelligence is very small. He is very dumb but very funny.
This book is very good and funny. I highly recommend this book because of its action and humour. There are also multiple of other books about the amazing superhero Captain Underpants.
The Famous Five by Enid Blyton reviewed by Grace
I think the book Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together by Enid Blyton is a really good book to read. Julian, Dick, Anne and George as well as her dog, Timmy, go on a half term hike and fall into an unexpected thrilling adventure. They mistakenly receive a secret message from an escaped convict which leads them to hidden treasure. What will happen and where will the five go next?
Blurb
It’s half term and the Five are going hiking through the woods and up the hills. But when Anne and Dick take a wrong turn, it leaves them all into danger! An escape convict is on the loose and passes a strange message to Dick by mistake. A stash of treasure has been hidden nearby – will they discover it before the prisoner strikes again?
The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley reviewed by Annie
I have really enjoyed The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley and there is a lot of adventuring inside. This book has taken me into a whole other world of adventure and there is a plot twist around every corner. It is really easy to understand and it was a pleasure to read.
Blurb
When Charlie’s baby brother Dara is born, Charlie RUNS. Runs to the forest, with its sheltering leaves that shut out trouble and hurt and fear. But in the forest is a boy, lying in the river, breathing, though only just. And when Charlie goes for help, the forest has changed. Now it’s something vast and strange. Something ancient, something WILD .And Charlie is long ,long way from home.
Scarlet and Ivy series by Sophie Cleverly reviewed by Lola
The first book is about a spine-tingling mystery set in a creepily atmospheric boarding school. ... When troublesome Scarlet mysteriously disappears from Rookwood School the evil Miss Fox makes Ivy take her twins place. Ivy reluctantly agrees in the hopes of finding out what happened to her missing sister. The second book is about Scarlet and Ivy returning to Rookwood School – in their second spine-tingling mystery adventure! ... The twins' investigations through the school in the dead of night reveal a secret hidden deep within the walls, a terrible crime committed many years past, and a very real threat to their present… I hope you read this book I recommend it to you!
Characters
The main characters are scarlet and Ivy.They solve the secrets of Rookwood school with their friend Ariadne.
There are 6 books in the series and this is the order you should read them:
- The Lost Twin
- The Whispers in the Walls
- The Dance in the Dark
- The Lights Under the Lake
- The Curse in the Candlelight
- The Last Secret
I recommend the age rating as 9+ as there are confusing words.
104-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths recommended by Henry R 6WS
Characters
I love this book because the characters are cool each in a different way; I like Andy because he is the sensible one and always tries to get the thing he needs to do done. I like Jill because she cares for animals or anything that lives - she does anything for animals, she even has a house full of them. I like Terry because he is the funny one and is very stupid; he also has a wide imagination, which spreads into the tree house. I’d say his stupidest idea was washing his under pants in the shark tank!
Book
I like this book for many different reasons: it has a lot of adventure problems and lots of fantasy places to make you wonder what the next book is about. I like the level with the man-eating sharks because they have been there from the start. Also, I like the fact that there is a joke on every single page, which for some people make them laugh. The thing that drew me to the story tree house books was the bright colours and the cartoon pictures on the front page. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t carry on the colour but other than that this book is great.
I would recommend this book to children aged 6-12 years old, who like adventure stories.
Slime by David Walliams recommended by Mia P-E
My book review is about David Walliams’s Slime. I found it very imaginatively funny and it showed how children are able to stand up for themselves even is they have a disability.
The story is about a little boy called Ned, who gets revenge on all the horrible adults on The Isle of Mulch, which is full of horrible adults. The Isle of Mulch is owned by Ned’s horrible aunt Greta Greed, who has 101 cats all called Tibbles!
Ned lives in a little worn out cottage on the cliffs with his mum, dad and older sister Jemima, who is intent on making his life complete misery. His mother runs and fish stall in the market and his dad is a fisherman.
David Walliams is a creative mastermind and I have read nearly all of his books. They are all very funny and creative. I would recommend Slime to anyone who wants a laugh.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling recommended by Leilani H
It is the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. Every character is enjoyable to read about and you will never find yourself getting bored. I get sucked into the world of Hogwarts every time I read it! I love the action and suspense in this story because you never know what will happen next – there is always a twist around the corner!
I have three favourite characters; Hermione Granger because she is a lot like myself; Ron Weasley because he is very funny; and Harry Potter himself because he is The Chosen One. My absolutely least favourite character is Dolores Umbridge because she is so mean and evil.
I would recommend this book for children who like adventures.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School recommended by Trei in 6WS
The book I am recommending is called The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School. I recommend this book because whenever you read this book it is full of illustrations that are extremely hard not to laugh at. This book also contains loads of sentences which you have to look at the illustrations to understand what they are talking about.
Killer Energy reviewed by Faith in 6S
Killer Energy is a ‘Horrible Science’ book by Nick Arnold that talks about the laws of thermodynamics and how important energy is in our day-to-day lives. It tells us who invented thermometers and steam trains, as both require energy to function (one even uses energy to measure energy). Killer Energy tells us that we need to find another source of energy before we run out entirely!
This book, as all of the ‘horrible science’, ‘horrible history’ etc. books, can teach kids a lot that could help them if they want to pursue specific goals in life. As well as all the other books, Killer Energy is packed full of amazing humour and could be very enjoyable for most kids (and adults) to read and learn through lots of funny jokes.
Killer Energy may not be suitable for younger kids as it involves gruesome details about the subject, This is suggested in the book title ‘Horrible Science’. This small piece of information does not hinder the learning experience for the older audience. It just means you might have to wait before giving a child who’s just learnt to read any of these books.
Rating: 4/5
The World’s Worst Children by David Walliams reviewed by Saskia in 6S
This is a story about 10 of the world’s worst children. One of the side characters is Raj, he is in every one of David Walliams books and I personally think that he is the funniest in his books and creations. These books are awfully funny and unique in their own weird but wonderful way. I especially like BRIAN WONG because he thinks that he is the smartest kid in the world but when his teacher asks him if you can count to infinity he said yes, thinking that he could, so he spent the rest of his life trying to count to infinity when it really is possible . I really do not recommend trying to count to infinity [really don’t , please don’t]. Tony Ross has really stepped up his game with his imagery techniques. I really recommend this book
Rating: 4.5/5
Foul Football England reviewed by Spencer in 6S
I have recently read an amazing book `Foul Football’ by Michael Coleman. This is a 173 page story that has just under 25,000 words so if you read this your 10,000 words will be achieved if you haven’t earnt it already. If you think you know a lot about England football history then this book will surely put you to the test. This book took me around two weeks to read and it was two weeks of reading well spent!