Tag Archives: fiction

McRoarrrrrrrr!

The Rampage is a strange book with an unusual twist of events. Written by Ann Evans and part of a sequel it follows on from other books. Despite this, it is an easy to follow, intriguing read! I found the whole aspect and idea of the novel clever and descriptive. And even better, it is set in Scotland!

I like the way the writer makes you feel part of the bone shaking experience, and the story really touches on old prehistoric animals which is nice. This makes the book very unique and definitely not boring. Overall I would approve this read to all ages and would absolutely recommend the author to anyone.

Garrett S2

Falling for a good read

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THE BOY WHO FELL DOWN EXIT 43 by Harriet Goodwin
In this book, a boy called Finn’s dad died and he was really upset about it. The dad had been teaching him to drive. Finn took the car and started driving it, but when he was driving the rain got really bad and Finn ended up crashing. As he crashed he fell into a place called the underworld, this is where the people who have died end up. His was Dad was not there as instead of going into the underworld he became a star.
When Finn got there no-one could believe a human was in the underworld. At the same time someone called Jessie from the underworld was stuck on earth. Once Jessie got back it caused water to come through. Water kills people from the underworld. Jessie and Finn end up saving the underworld by completing a very tough challenge.
I think this book fitted really well with the fantasy theme as there was strange characters and lots of potions. I think this was a good fantasy book and I wasn’t expecting it to be very good as I don’t usually like fantasy books.

Jessica S2

I’ll name that in 4

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It’s got pink on the front it’s got black on the front – must be for Goth girls…and well it kinda sorta is.
Girl with name shortened to boys name Rory (to make her funky and cool and hip I’m sure) comes alllllll the way from America to London to go to a posh school- happens all the time – hello Gossip Girl are you listening? And for the first 120 pages I was getting in to it… new school, quirky girl, potentially handsome but smart ( phew!) boyfriend, jolly hockeysticks and someone pretending to the Jack the Ripper – good work Maureen I thought so far so… oh oh and then the book goes all Buffy the Ghostieslayer and I, like a little library balloon, began to deflate.
Sure, the writing was still quirky and sometimes laugh out loud (or LOL for those under 21) but not quite for me. There are two more to this series and the ending did have a little amusing crackle to it BUT the books (my little library owl tells me) have been delayed twice; never a good sign and not sure if I am overly bothered by this.
HOWEVER, don’t just take my word on this quote from a pupil “I loved this – it was so cool can’t wait for the next ones”.
So, why not try it for yourself and see who you agree with OR even dun dun dun have your own opinion. Please let mw know I would really like to hear it.
Mrs B

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 day we went BZRK!

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There are a few things that make a school trip a great trip. One is great sandwiches and two is a great experience.

Unfortunately, there were no sandwiches at the Mitchell, well it is a library after all but what there was was (oh a double was!) an outstanding afternoon.

Fresh from the sunny beaches of California came Michael Grant author of the outstanding Gone series and the new BZRK! Series (which to be honest makes the Die Hard movies look like Tinkerbelle!).

Strategically placed beside where we though he would sign books (but later found out was only a publishers display … Bah!) we clung to the edge of our seats as Michael took us through his roller-coaster thrill ride of fiction.

“Do you base your characters on real people?” he was asked, “Nah,” he said is his U.S. drawl “real people are too limiting!”

One of the highlights was when he asked 2 pupils to come on to stage – “Imagine you are in a town with no food, none at all and you have not eaten for weeks.” Then he gave one pupil a mars bar and another a baseball bat and just grinned…eek!

Luckily no mars bars were damaged in the production.

All about thinking and provoking reaction Michael told us he wanted us to read what we had never read before and above all THINK!

“I am not a role model”, he continued “I am just a writer.”

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

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For me Patrick Ness is Jekyll and Hyde ; not in the drinks a potions and turns evil type way (though I am really not sure what he gets up to in his spare time!) but more in the like him but don’t really like his books category.
His last series – the Chaos Walking trilogy won awards left right and centre but left me cold and I know a certain English teacher who visibly cringes at his name she dislikes his books so much!
But he does such nice things – he runs marathons for charity and with this latest book he is taking an idea from a lovely author; Siobhan Dowd, who died of cancer a couple of years ago and created a fascinating book; the proceeds of which will go to a charity in her honour.

So, now we come to the book. It is a curious mix of story, illustration and fantasy. We follow Conor’s journey of discovery and loss on learning of his mother’s illness.
It is an emotional book which will have you laughing and crying in the same page. – the book itself says it is “darkly mischevious and painfully funny”.
My problem with it was the main character who I could not connect with. I could empathise with his pain and reactions to the situation he found himself in but I could not warm to him as a character – perhaps we are not supposed to?

The book, as I mentioned, is illustrated and please do not think that just because a book has pictures in it it is a children’s book; this is definately a young adult fiction title. The pictures and dark and brooding and draw you in to the tale. (I actually wish more books made use of images in as clever a way as A Monster Calls.)
I shall leave it up to you to find out who or what the monster actually is or even if there is more than one.
What I would say is please get yourself a hankie or two as you will need it.
Mrs B

Teacher’s Dead by Benjamin Zephaniah

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“Teacher’s Dead” is a book that as soon as you read the title, makes you want to read it. In my opinion, it is one of the most interesting and exciting books I have read in a while through the many twists and turns in the storyline. It wasn’t what I expected it to be as in the first paragraph the reader is told, who the murderers are and who has been killed but we are not told why. The reader then follows a teenage boy named Jackson, who was a witness, putting all the pieces together to try and find out why Mr Joseph was murdered. The author illustrates Jackson as the average teenager caught in a complicated situation. I think that the author has done this very well as there are very few authors that can accomplish this. I would recommend this book for both boys and girls that like detective books which are also quite humorous.
Sarah S3

Bunker 10 by J.A.Henderson

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a thrilling read

In this exciting book the story begins with the dramatic destruction of all the main characters, the main characters, a group of teenagers, are residents of the top secret and isolated Pinewood Military Base.
Jimmy Hicks, a 15 year old boy, unintentionally sets off a chain of unpredictable events involving time travel, genetic mutations, computer simulations, undercover operations, and violent explosions. With snappy dialogue, short chapters, and video-game-like action, this book will be a good match for many readers.
Boys will likely find the violence brilliant, and girls should appreciate the tragic love story and romantic conclusion. The author’s plot twists and surprise revelations will appeal to readers who like to be tricked. This book is one of the best I have ever read.
You feel sympathy for many of the characters, and the discovering the truth about Pinegrove was one of the biggest plot twists I have ever seen, in text and film.
I thought this book was the perfect example of a Thriller Novel because of its wonderful plot and fast-paced action. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Thriller or Action books or to anyone who hasn’t yet read a Thriller Book.
Dean S2