GODS AND WARRIORS

GODS AND WARRIORS
By Michelle Paver
304 pp. Puffin. £12.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9780141343082

Rating: ? Stars

    Because I was going to be a young reporter at Michelle Paver's book talk, I thought it would be a good idea to read this book before going. This is a book written for older children, about nine all the way up to thirteen or fourteen years old. Even though this book was specifically written for children, adults can still read it because it has some quite grown up parts.
    This book is about a boy called Hylas whose sister and dog get attacked by black warriors. He and his sister escaped but his dog was killed. Even though his sister escaped he still did not know if she lived or not because he went the opposite direction to her. After the black warriors lost him, he immediately set off in search for his sister. While looking for her, he met a dying Keftian who told him that his answers were at the sea. When he arrived at the sea he found a raft and sailed across the sea. While on the sea he befriended a dolphin named Spirit. With the dolphin's help he found an island and on that island he befriended the high priestess's daughter Pirra. Together the three manage to kill the black warrior's leader turning the old leader's nephew (Hylas's best friend) into a leader.
    The book talk itself was brilliant, and explained the book and its Bronze Age characters well. I was fascinated to hear about Michelle Paver's research experiences which taught her that dolphins' stomachs feel like marble, and that Bronze Age Greeks used to make purple dye from millions of sea snails. I was very interested to find out that they either ate animal eyes or turned them into glue. And I found it inspiring that she wrote a story when she was five about a mouse goddess.

A HERO FOR WONDLA

A HERO FOR WONDLA
By Tony DiTerlizzi
464 pp. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. £12.99. (Ages 10 and up)

ISBN
9780857073013

Rating: ? Stars


  A while ago, I read a brilliant book called A Search for Wondla, written and illustrated by the same person who created and illustrated The Spiderwick Chronicles. Then about a week ago I found this book in the library while looking for a book to read. I immediately checked it out. I have actually met the writer of this book and had the first book signed. The writer is quite interesting and if I ever become a writer I will probably write books like him as I like drawing and writing. I shall not give away too much about the book, but what I shall say is that it is definitely not the end of the series. I think children aged eight to twelve should read this book. However you should read the first book in the series before you read this book.
  This book was about a twelve year old girl called Eva Nine, who was found by a pilot that brought her to New Attica. She was very excited because she would be able to meet other humans like herself, but it was a bit suspicious because she found out that in return for delivering her the pilot got the plane pieces he wanted. Even though everyone was very kind to her and she was with her own kind, could it be that New Attica was not the right place for her? I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
also on Guardian Children's Books Site

GHOST KNIGHT

GHOST KNIGHT
By Cornelia Funk
352 pp. Orion Books. £6.99. (Ages 8 and up)

ISBN
9781444008494

Rating: ? Stars


  As I am a child magic books normally appeal to me the most, so of course I thought this was a brilliant book. I get excited by a book not because of the social emotions you feel but because I like to feel like I am on an adventure.
  It wasn't just the magic that caught my eye though. Cornelia Funk doesn't just copy some boring old writer, but she really thinks of her own ideas and entertains you with a new story every time. This was a brilliant book and I recommend it to everyone.
  This book is about a boy called Jon Hartgill, who is sent to a boarding school in Salisbury. On his second night sleeping there he is woken up by the sound of trotting hooves and out of his window see's three hideous ghosts on horses. For a few nights he is haunted by them until he makes friends with a girl called Ella who tells him about a ghost called William Longspee who helps them fight off the ghosts. They think that the ghosts are gone forever, but are they really?
  The moral of this book is quite a small and hidden moral but it is still a moral. It is to never trust a person (in the book it is a ghost) that claim's your hero or friend is a murderer and definitely don't let yourself nearly get killed because you think your hero or friend is a murderer.

THE PEARL

THE PEARL
By John Steinbeck
96 pp. Penguin Books. $10.00. (Ages 18 and up)

ISBN
9780140177374

Rating: ? Stars


  I found this book when rummaging through the old books of my grandfather's house. Even though it was quite a good book and I managed to understand the main point of the story, it was still quite hard for me to understand it because I am only nine and it was a book written for adults.
  Readers of all ages should read this book but younger readers should have an adult at hand to explain it. When you read the book you should not just flip through the pages for the story but you should really think about what your reading and most of all what it means to you.
  As usual I am going to tell you the story of this book which is… Once upon a time there lived a poor man, his wife and their little baby. One day a scorpion crawled down their wall and stung the baby. Because they were poor they could not pay for treatment for their baby so the mother prayed that they should find a giant pearl that they could use to pay for the baby's treatment. They did find this pearl but it did not necessarily do them any good for riches come with jealousy, war and death. It has quite a sad ending but I will leave that for you to find out.
  This book probably has about one hundred morals in it, as it does have a good story but almost every page has at least one moral in it. Even though this book does have loads of morals they are all joined up to create one big moral, and this is the moral I shall tell you. Riches stand for death, sadness, jealousy and war. Riches do not stand for happiness.

THE VALLEY OF ADVENTURE

THE VALLEY OF ADVENTURE
By Enid Blyton
208 pp. Macmillan Children's Books. £4.99. (Ages 8 and up)

ISBN
9780330448352

Rating: ? Stars


   I like the book because its about adventure. These children like adventure very much.I can learn a lot from adventure because it brings you to different places and to learn more about the places. Adventure sometimes scary, sad, happy, and cool. the thing about adventure is about finding something like treasure.

   My favorite part of the book is when the children found the caves.The caves were so strange caves that they keep looking at the caves and wondering what is the caves called. the first cave is so beautiful that they were like glittering icicles in the cave. Then the second cave was very cool because it was like night time and the stars are glittering on the sky. At last the cave of treasure.

   My favorite character is Jack . Jack is Lucy - Ann brother. Jack is brave ,strong ,kind and the only one who can help to go home and find the treasure.He is the main character. He helps people who needs help.

   the part that i don't like is when Jack shoot those men in the treasure room because i don't like shooting or guns.Shooting is part of war that is why i don't like shooting or guns.Its not good killing people ether!! i know he want to help but its not good killing or shooting and killing end people lives!!

   The exiting part is when they came to the valley . it was amazing because they went on a plane to a weird valley.The valley was beautiful then people burn down the houses and some of the people too. It was a little sad about that. they found the waterfall too in that valley.it was an amazing valley ever.

   My favorite setting was the valley.the valley is a beautiful place ever . it has a waterfall , caves and beautiful mountain and there is a beautiful treasure ever too.its a wonderful place because there is forest and and animals

HARRIET TUBMAN, SECRET AGENT

HARRIET TUBMAN, SECRET AGENT
By Thomas B. Allen
192 pp. National Geographic Society. $5.95. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9781426304019

Rating: ? Stars


            My dad got me this book last year. For a long time it just sat sadly on my shelf as I am not a big fan of non fiction, but finally I took it down one day and began to read it. Unlike other non fiction books this one was so adventurous, surprising and amazing that it seemed more like a fiction book then a non fiction book, and kept me happy for a while.
            This book is about Harriet Tubman and her amazing life full of heroic adventures. This all really happened one hundred and fifty years ago back in America, when black people where still slaves to the white people. Even though most of the white people were bad not all of them were and some extra nice white people like Elizabeth Van Lew even tried their best to help the blacks.
            I think people of all ages should definitely read this book. The reason I think this is because it has the adventurous story that most little children like, but the kind of writing grown ups like.
            This book has millions of morals but I have decided only to tell you the most important and easy to see one so that I don't give to much away. The most important moral is that it's not fair to treat people differently depending on the colour of there skin, and that as long as you always try your best and keep going that things will always end up all right.

THE DEADLY DESPERADOS

THE DEADLY DESPERADOS
By Caroline Lawrence
288 pp. Orion. £9.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9781444001693

Rating: ? Stars


            I got this book along with two others and because it looked like the best one I decided to read it last. Just as I had predicted this was the best one.
            When I first started reading this book the author foreshadowed that the main character was going to die, but did he really? Well for most of the book it seemed like the main character was definitely going to die. However this didn't happen in most books so I doubted what the author had foreshadowed a bit.
            This book is about a boy called PK Pinkerton whose foster parents were killed by the most deadly desperados. His foster mother tells him to take her medicine bag with him when he runs away as she lay dying. The rest of the book is about all the problems caused by what is inside the medicine bag. I took a deep breath when Belle Donne (a soil dove he met) threatened him with a gun if he didn’t give her what was inside his medicine bag. Although then I breathed out a sigh of relief when he wasn’t shot.
            One of the things I really liked about this book was that it was my favourite kind of story an ADVENTURE story. This book is also a historical fiction book, it is set in Virginia City when girls wore corsets and you could trust no one.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

THE WIZARD OF OZ

By L. Frank Baum
Illustrations by David McKee
246 pp. Galaxy. $16.95. (Ages 8 and up)

ISBN
9781405660747

  They take place in places like the Munchkin country,the Winkie country ,the Quadling country,Emerald city and   
 more places that Dorothy explored in  Wizard Of Oz.These places are very amazing places ever.

    The character that I like is Dorothy because she is the main character in the book.She is very brave and kind to everybody and try  to help everyone when they need help.She just want one thing from Oz to help her go back to Kansas and see aunt Em and and uncle Henry.

   The amazing part was when they killed the Wicked witch of the west.Dorothy was very brave to kill the wicked witch of the west by throwing water on the wicked witch of the west body.It was a little bit scary but it was amazing for a child killing a witch.

   The fun part was when they found friends in the way to Emerald city.Dorothy found the scarecrow,the tin woodman and the lion.They were so kind to Dorothy and try to help her.Its like a party to Emerald city.

   The sad part is when Dorothy was late for the hot air balloon with Oz because she needed to find her dog Toto.Now she is sad because she will never go back home to Kansas.

   My favorite part was when Dorothy came back home by the silver shoes.Its very powerful shoes.

THE TREASURE HOUSE

THE TREASURE HOUSE
By Linda Newbery
224 pp. Orion. £8.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9781444003437

Rating: ? Stars


            This book had an eye-catching front cover, and an alluring story summary and title, which is appropriate because it was actually a really good book. This book has a really good mix of mystery, excitement, and adventure that makes you tell your parents "I have to finish this book today" and "just one more page" (although you end up reading ten more pages, then one hundred more, until it's finished).
            Meanwhile this book is actually about a girl called Nina whose mum goes off without telling anyone, only leaving a note behind. This causes her dad to go off in search of her so Nina is left alone and slowly she uncovers the mystery of where her mum is and why.
            Reader, I think that after you have read this book you will agree with me that ages eight to twelve will enjoy reading this book. The reason I think this is because most little kids like the story to happen more quickly, and most grown ups and teenagers like longer, more boring books where you fall asleep while reading them.
            This book has a lot of very good morals and I shall tell you about my favourite one in my next sentence. My favourite one is that you shouldn't go off in search of someone and leave your child at home with their aunts, because it is likely that your child will find out where that person is before you do.

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY
By Trenton Lee Stewart
512 pp. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. $6.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9780316003957

Rating: 5 Stars

      I am not sure if this book would appeal to everyone but it certainly appealed to me! I must say that when it says (behind the front cover) that this book is like Lemony Snicket’s books, the Harry Potter series and Roald Dahl’s books, it is definitely true.
      Meanwhile I really like how the writer blends clues with adventure and fantasy. However this story isn’t exactly all fantasy. First of all it is true that most teachers are treated badly by parents if their children don’t get a perfect grade. Last of all TV does actually control your brain because of COMMERCIALS. Have you ever noticed that after seeing TV you run to the shop and buy something? Well if you have it’s because of commercials.
      Anyways the actual story in this book is about four children called Kate, Reynie, Constanse and Sticky. These four children do the same contest and all of them win. They then must go on an adventure to try and destroy the whisperer which is controlling everyone's minds, but I shall leave the rest for you to find out.
      Whether or not you would like this book depends on what type of person you are. For example if you like those books I mentioned at the beginning and you are six then you should read this book, and if you like those books and you are eighteen you should still read this book. I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope they will publish the rest of the series in England.