Tag Archives: book

Irish trouble

‘The Guns Of Easter’ written by Gerard Whelan. In my opinion it was a very enjoyable book. The genre is war and conflict.

The story begins in Dublin, Ireland where a boy called Jimmy and is family live in the slums. He goes through a journey which leads him all over Dublin. Although this is at a time where war has broken out and the Irish rebels are fighting the British for independency. Jimmy however has to go and get money from his Auntie who lives on the other side of Dublin. Jimmy makes many friends on the way both on the Irish side and British side. There are various themes in this book such as friendship and war. Will Jimmy be able to get of the streets in time before the British put a curfew in place to shoot on sight anyone who is seen outside?

Matthew S2

Unforgettable

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Some books are like chewing gum – you chew ‘em up and spit them out and instantly forget them. Others are like bad kebab and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Very few are like Ben and Jerry’s chunky monkey ice –cream; you want more and more and once tasted you can’t even remember what life was like before you sampled it!

Such is the way with the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (please Google this man and find out how a librarian changed his life).

Brian’s parents have divorced and his summer is to be split between them. In order to get from one to the other he has to take a shortish ride on a plane, or so he thinks. When an accident occurs on the plane our hero finds himself lost and alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet to make the difference between survival and well err the other thing.

I love this character he is brave, he is funny, he is weak and vulnerable; he is us and more.

Try to get hold of a copy of this little gem and you won’t forget it.

Wake up!

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The book I read was The Sleeping Sword by Michael Morpurgo. The beginning of the story was good but it got event better as the story went on! It was about a boy called Michael who goes blind and he and his father find a strange shield and sword on their farm grounds. He has a visit from a ghost who says he has to go give King Arthur his sword back, Michael doesn’t understand how he can do this as the king is dead but he does what he is told. He finds King Arthur with his best friend’s sister who he has a mad crush on! And is cured of his blindness!!!

In this book you find out that Michael is an adventurous boy. It is not too long and is quite easy to read and you could follow along with the story no problem. The description throughout the book is good. The book was good and I would recommend it too anyone who likes short fantasy books.

Eve S2

Fantasy as it should be

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The book I read was The Wind Singer and it was a really good example of fantasy because there was lots of magic and made up people. It started in a city called Aramanth where Kestrel and Bowman live in a district called Orange. Endless exams and ratings are the only way forward after the Morah took over. However Kestrel wasn’t having any of it and runs away from everything and ends up at the top of the highest tower in Aramanth its self. She bangs on the door and a small grey-haired, old man answers the door, wearing a blue cloak (the only person who can wear blue is the emperor.)

So he tells Kestrel to go on a quest to destroy the Zars. She does so with the help of her twin brother Bowman and their school mate- Mumpo – and eventually the wind singer sings again.

I enjoyed this book because it was a good example of fantasy and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Luke S2

An emotional journey.

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To be frank I would not have picked this book up if it had not bee on the Carnegie long list – I am quite glad I did because it is now on the short-list.

My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher tells the story of 10 year old Jamie (please do not let the age of the main character put you off) who, much to his father’s frustration has not cried since the death of his sister; the girl on the mantelpiece.

Jamie is a silly, funny heart-warming little boy that you can not help liking/feeling frustrated with/laughing at/with and the core themes of the book or loss and acceptance and growing up are delicately portrayed by his character.Big issue are not flinched from such as racism, divorce and terrorism but it is to the credit of the author that they never become preachy or overpowering.This book may not take you too long to read but it just might stay with you once you have closed the last page.

Colourful Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice (Graphic Adaptation) By Jane Austen

I enjoyed reading the graphic adaptation of the Jane Austen classic ‘Pride and Prejudice’ because I’d heard about it and I wanted to read it. The story was full of tense twists and turns that were always unexpected. The pictures were bright and colourful and the shadows made the characters jump out of the page. The speech bubbles were brief and summed up the story but still gave the reader enough information to follow the storyline easily.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who liked classic, old-fashioned novels but without the excessive reading!

Paula S2

Everyone deserves to have something good in their life.

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Once by Morris Gleitzman

It is set in Poland in World War 2 and is about a young boy called Felix. He was sent to an orphanage because he was a Jew and his parents were called to a death camp. This novel gives us a better insight into how young Jews during the war coped with it all. I think inside he knew what was going on but couldn’t bring himself to believe it. He ran away and soon found him self in a ghetto with a young friend called Zelda he had found along the way. He and Zelda struggled through the Ghetto and met many friends along the was until at the very end of the book when he and his friends were getting deported to a death camp, he makes a small hole in the side of the train and decides to risk it and jump.

When he asks who would want to come with him and risk it only two say they do, little Zelda and another 12 year old girl called Chaya who he met at the ghetto. They jump and then run for their lives, Felix and Zelda make it but unfortunately Chaya does not. This book is written in the first person and uses all types of punctuation, it is the kind of book that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you realise that this all happened and even today some people are still suffering. The author also found useful ways to slip in little bits of information and facts so I learned a lot from this book. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Frances S2

How it should be done!

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Calling all authors who have rotten web sites – check out the Cherub site.

www.cherubcampus.com/

Full of information and videos and links and pics and blurbs and competition and sneaky bits and secrets and shop and sometimes even freebies. I e-mailed him directly and the lovely chappie or one of his cherubic minions sent me out some posters, now that I like!

Right from when our first adventure started with The Recruit this web site was all singing and dancing and even if you are not a fan of the books you will still find this to be an enjoyable way to pass an hour or two or three or…

So, authors who think they can get away with some limp little facebook page that tells us how many cups of tea you drink a day- put down the cup and pick up some web tools otherwise you could be left waaaaaaay behind.

Elementary reading

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Ever wondered what the wimpy kid was like as a baby or Katniss Everdeen got to be so pushy? Well in the Andrew Lane Young Sherlock series we get to explore the origins of one of the world’s best loved fictional characters.

In this tale; the first of many, Sherlock begins his life-long obsession with logic, crime and bees. We meet the distant but super smart Mycroft Holmes as well as a very brief sneaky peek into the lives of his mother and father and sister! And it is to a Holmes home that Sherlock is sent for the summer – not his parent’s but his aunt and uncle.

Where dastardly deeds are afoot and Sherlock with a motley crew of friends – remember he does not meet Watson till much later- aims to solve the puzzle of the Death Cloud.

This is a proper Sherlockian adventure that anyone could enjoy but with some lovely little touches that true Sherlock fans will love spotting.

A great read for boys and girls and the first book I have ever read on a Kindle – though paper copies are available from the library as well.

The Great Death by John E. Smelcer

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The Great Death

I found this book to very enjoyable, I felt it emphasised the hardship that the native Alaskans’ faced and enlightened me on their extraordinary way of live.

This book is about a small Alaskan village that is ravished by a terrible disease. Millie and Maura are the only survivors from their village. Along with their two dogs, Millie and Maura try to travel down river to find a trading settlement where hopefully they will find other people. However, during this epic journey almost nothing goes to plan and lives are lost.

This book is great because it’s full of courage and family loyalty and you really feel the author portrays the emotions excellently. Moreover, Smelcer manages to capture the overwhelming beauty of the harsh but beautiful Alaskan landscape and makes it rise vividly from the page.

Lastly, Smelcer manages to tell us in an underlying theme about how a peaceful and enduring culture destroyed by ignorance and greed. Furthermore, I found this to be a real eye-opener because it really does make you think that it was completely wrong for us to go and destroy an entire culture just for money.

Mathew S3