ARCTIC ADVENTURE

ARCTIC ADVENTURE
By Willard Price.
272 pp. Red Fox. £7.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9780099482277

Rating: 5 Stars


    I got this book from my school library when I was looking for a book to read. This is the second book I have ever read by this author. I really like this author's books because they make you want to save endangered species from becoming extinct. However, I do not agree that it is good for animals to all be in zoos because then animals don't learn how to live in the wild. I personally think this is a good book to read around this time of the year because I finished it yesterday, and as it just snowed it looks as if your in the Arctic today.
    This book is about two brothers, Hal and Roger, who go to Greenland and Alaska to pick up animals that their father sells to zoos. While they were in Greenland they made very good friends with Olrik and a polar bear that they named Nanook. Nanook saved them when they were at the point of death and was always there for them. In both Greenland and Alaska, Hal and Roger captured and saw some very interesting animals that I wish I could see in the wild sometime as most people never do.
    I think ages nine and up should read this book because if you are younger it will just be an adventure and you will not get the real point, even some nine year olds will get only the adventure from the story. I think this book definitely deserves five out of five stars.

THE GRIM GROTTO

THE GRIM GROTTO
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the 11th.
By Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist.
352 pp. Egmont Books Ltd. £6.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9781405266161

Rating: 5 Stars


    Even though this is "Book the Eleventh" you can still read it on its own because it explains the rest of the series in the beginning. That said, this book was very interesting to me because it revealed a lot of secrets. For example I was very surprised to find out that their friend Fiona's stepbrother had joined Count Olaf's troupe. I felt extremely sorry for Fiona that she had to be the one in the middle: the one both sides wanted.
    This book is about the Baudelaires and their extremely unfortunate events underwater. I myself think that the most unfortunate and frightening event that they encounter is when Sunny is poisoned by the Medusiod Mycelium. Even though the events that occur after that are still very frightening, I hope I have not frightened you so much that you won't read the book.
    Ages nine and over should read this book because it is brilliant for EVERYONE who can read. This book definitely deserves five stars and would go on my favourite books list. Even so, there are other books in the series that are as good as this book.

LILY ALONE

LILY ALONE
By Jacqueline Wilson
Illustrated by Nick Sharratt.
320 pp. Doubleday Children's Books. £12.99. (Ages 10 and up)

ISBN
9780385618649

Rating: 4 Stars


    I read this book because my friend recommended it to me. I am honoured to say that her mom knows Jacqueline Wilson. I myself actually sometimes feel like Lily.
    This book is about a girl called Lily. One day her mom goes off with their may be future dad on holiday so they are left home alone. Poor Lily has to somehow get the house together before their mom comes back. Sadly with Baxter, Pixie, and Bliss always on the move that is nearly impossible. Just to make it worse they have a secret to hide: their mom has left them home alone.
    I think ages nine to twelve should read this book because the language is for older readers but adults and teenagers would probably think the story was a bit childish. This book definitely deserves four stars because it was brilliant but could have been a tiny bit better.

SAFARI ADVENTURE

SAFARI ADVENTURE
By Willard Price
240 pp. Red Fox. £5.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9780099482284

Rating: ? Stars


    This book was kindly sent to me to review by the Guardian because my cousin enjoyed reading this series. I finally read it after Michelle Paver recommended it. When I first got it I thought it would be full of drama and was concerned that it would be like 'Running Wild' by Michael Morpurgo. It turned out completely different and brilliant.
    'Safari Adventure' is about two brothers called Hal and Roger who fly to an African park to help get rid of the poachers and especially Blackbeard. On the way there the pilot is shot by a poison arrow. When they get to the camp a suspicious judge tries to cure him, but while doing so he nearly kills him. The brothers suspect the judge to be bad, but he could be someone they would never imagine him to be...
    Even though it was a brilliant book I didn't understand why the whole series had to be called 'Adventure Stories for Boys'. In my mind girls can read the series too because my friends and I (who are girls) read many books that are similar to this series. I think boys and girls aged nine to seventeen who like wildlife adventure stories should read this series.

also on Guardian Children's Books Site

THE AUSTERE ACADEMY

THE AUSTERE ACADEMY
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the 5th.
By Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist.
224 pp. Egmont Books Ltd. £6.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9781405266116

Rating: ? Stars


    I have actually read this book before, but back then I didn't review it. I have read it again and I am now reviewing it. I have decided to read this book again because Snicket is completely absurd - a word which here means he says contradictory things in a clever way. Lemony Snicket is a very interesting writer because Lemony Snicket isn't his name, it's a pseudonym. No one knows who he is as he keeps that a secret. I don't blame him as I would probably do the same if I had all that fame.
    This book is about the three Baudelaire children when they go to boarding school. Because they didn't have parents or a guardian they had to live in the orphan shack. Inside the shack, fungus dripped from the walls, crabs crawled around and they slept on hay. This wasn't the worst of their problems though, for Count Olaf, their nemesis, had followed them disguised as a PE teacher!
    I think ages nine to fifteen should read this book. Even clever adults can read it! This whole series is brilliant and this book definitely deserves five stars.

MY STORY: TITANIC

MY STORY: TITANIC
By Ellen Emerson White
176 pp. Scholastic. £6.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9781407131412

Rating: ? Stars


    I haven't read or reviewed one of these books for a while but don't worry around twenty of them are still coming. I decided to read the 'Titanic' in particular because of a girl called Lily who I played with for a while in my old school. She always wanted to play act the Titanic and after pretending to be on a giant boat with her I wanted to read the book.
    This book is about a girl called Margaret who is an orphan at an orphanage. One day she is lucky enough to be chosen as a rich american lady's companion on the Titanic. While on the Titanic she makes friends with her steward Robert. Sadly on the way to New York they hit an iceberg and the impossible happens. The Titanic sinks. Luckily Margaret is saved on a lifeboat, but sadly her friend Robert drowns.
    Ages 9 and up should read this book because it would be brilliant for all ages that can read very well. It is set in 1912 on the Titanic and a little bit in London and America. It is very interesting to read the history bit so I would advise no one to skip it.

THE WINDVALE SPRITES

THE WINDVALE SPRITES
By Mackenzie Crook
224 pp. Faber and Faber. £6.99. (Ages 9 and up)

ISBN
9780571240722

Rating: ? Stars


    I read this book because I found it interesting that someone who is best known as a bad pirate that is always pulling his eye out and eating it could be a respectable writer. It would surprise you to see what completely different people he could be.
    This book is about a boy called Asa, who after a huge storm finds a sprite (fairy) in his garden. Determined to find out if anyone else knows about these sprites he looks through old books in the library. While looking through books he finds one about a madman called Benjamin Tooth who said he saw sprites. It also tells him about a trunk and a lost key. While going outside he trips over a bird case and finds the lost key inside the bird. Then he gets himself locked inside the trunk and looks through it until he finds out that the sprites live in the Windvale Moor. This book reminds me of how people kill endangered species for no reason. The boy in the book is like Jane Goodall because he cares about animals. I think many children aged nine to twelve should read this book because they would enjoy it and it has parallels in the real world.
also on Guardian Children's Books Site

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.