April 2017 |
Fizz and the police dog tryouts by Lesley Gibbes |
Freddy Tangles: Legend or Loser by Jack Brand |
This is the first book in a new series about a very adventurous dog, Fizz. Fizz has dreams of being a police dog, unlike the rest of his family who are show and pedigree dogs. Although his parents discourage him, he decides to go to the police dog tryouts. While going through 3 different tests: the bark test, the scare test and the chase and catch test, he befriends another dog, Benny, and meets the bully dog, Amadeus. Will Fizz be able to beat out Amadeus to become the police dog? Read to find out. This series is aimed at 7-9 year olds.
Star Rating: 4/5 Review by Andrea |
Freddy Tangles has to deal with more than his fair share of bullying. "Freddy Deadee", school bully, Sid Malone, threatens regularly. On top of that, Freddy's classmates realise that his initials spell: FART and tease him continuously. Freddy doesn't know how to stand up for himself. He believes that his "superpower" will save him. If he stares long enough at someone, his eyes will shoot laser beams and destroy the enemy, but actually this doesn't work and just causes more problems for him. Thank goodness he has one real friend, Blocker, a boy who has strange advice but stands by his side. How will Freddy manage to survive the year with so much trouble? This book is the first in the Freddy Tangles series aimed at 7-10 year olds.
Star Rating: 4/5 Review by Andrea |
May 2017
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon |
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs |
Subhi, a refugee, who has lived in a detention centre his whole life and Jimmi, a girl who longs for her dead mother, are the central characters in this heartwrenching yet hopeful novel. Subhi believes his father, whom he has never met, will be coming soon to Australia. At first, Eli, another young refugee, brings Subhi hope and comfort in this cruel environment and then Jimmi enters the picture, arriving at the detention centre with her mother's journals. These two young and brave souls happen to reach each other just in time. If you enjoy reading books about friendship, family, and social justice, then this is highly recommended. Shortlisted for the Book of the year.
Recommended for 11-14 years. Star Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Andrea |
Ben Ripley, 12, is suddenly recruited to spy school. Quite frankly, he can't believe his luck. As soon as he gets there, trouble starts. An assassin tries to kill him and a fellow student threatens him, believing he is the one who know how to hack into the school's system to change his grades. Things start to look up for Ben when he pairs up with an older student, Erica, in an attempt to sniff out the mole at spy school. This, he learns, is why he was recruited, as a decoy. Spy School starts out as a page turner but starts to disappoint as the plot becomes less believable. If you are a fan of mysteries and the spy genre, you will probably enjoy this read.
Recommended for 9-12 year olds. Star Rating: 3/5 Review by Andrea |
June 2017
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson |
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee |
This is the first book in a new series aimed at 8-12 year olds who like humorous short reads. It is Chase Cooper's first day in his new school and the only person he knows is his cousin, Zoe. She wants to help him out by joining the school ninja group with him. Little do Zoe and Chase know that this group is bad news. In order to become a ninja, they are both asked to do things that go against their values, but Chase is desperate to fit in. How will Zoe and Chase deal with this peer pressure?
Recommended for 8-12 year olds Star Rating: 4/5 Review by Andrea |
Annabel Grey, a prim and proper Victorian girl, has assumed her whole life that she is an ordinary girl until her mother leaves her with her two great aunts, She doesn't understand why she has been left with these two unpleasant relatives she hasn't known up until now. She soon learns that she isn't so ordinary and is actually a magical witch who is the only one who can save London from being taken over by the villain, Mr. Angel. She must go on a dangerous mission into under London where she and her companion, Kitty, a wild sort of girl who is magical in her own right, must face all sorts of danger to get the Moreover Wand, the wand of good magic. This must be done before Mr. Angel and his evil shadowlings, capture Annabel and feed her to his Dark-Magic Extracting Machine.
Recommended for 9- 13 year olds Star Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Andrea |
August 2017
|
Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers Third Grade
by Jol and Kate Temple |
|
Jimmy Cook is a year 3 narrator who provides any reader with a lot of humour. It is history week at school and Jimmy decides to find out all he can on his namesake, Captain Cook. So he takes us along with him, proudly wearing his tricorn hat. Jimmy is determined to get to Hawaii to see just where Captain Cook died and restore order. His grand plan is to eat lots of Wheatblocks (aka Wheatbix), and make sure his friends do too, to increase his chance of winning the Wheatblocks family holiday to Hawaii. Jimmy starts an explorer club with anyone interested, except girls, especially Alice Toolie, his arch enemy.
Recommended for 7-10 year olds. Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea September 2017 |
The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler
|
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
|
Henry Hoobler worries a LOT. He and his family have gone camping for the holidays with family friends. Henry is one of the younger children and doesn't have a friend, that is until he meets Cassie. At first, his fears get in the way and there are so many fears: snakes, spiders, sharks and most of all his bike without training wheels. Cassie's confidence and acceptance of Henry help him to find the bravery he needs to get on his bike and face his fears. This book is fun to read and celebrates friendship and family.
Recommended for 8-11 year olds. Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea |
Edward is a toy rabbit, cherished by everyone who owns him. In the beginning of the book, we find him loved by a young girl, Abilene. Her grandmother is disappointed because Edward does not love Abilene the way she loves him because he only thinks of himself. This sets him up for many unfortunate adventures with a series of different owners. First, he is thrown overboard when on a ship with Abilene and her family. Another time he ends up in the rubbish bin, thrown there by a nasty relative of his new owner. Poor Edward has many difficult adventures but learns a very important lesson along the way. The reader hears all of Edwards thoughts but he cannot talk or move. An enjoyable read by a very talented children's author.
Recommended for 8-12 year olds. Star Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Andrea |
Undead Pets: Revenge of the Phantom Furball
|
Loot: How to steal a fortune
|
At the start of the book, the reader discovers that 10 year old Joe is the protector of undead pets; pets that haven't quite made it to the afterlife but are no longer alive. He is the only one who can see or hear them. In each book, a different pet goes to Joe for help so it can peacefully be a dead pet. In Revenge of the Phantom Furball, Pickles, an undead cat, has come to seek help from Joe. Pickles is very concerned that his cat sister is being bullied by his ex-owner's dog. Pickles died running away from this dog. He doesn't want the same fate for Pebbles. Joe is desperate to help Pickles so he can stop being bothered and get on with his life. And along the way Joe just happens to make a new friend.
Recommended for 7-11 year olds. Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea |
Alfie McQuin is a jewel thief and his son, March, has followed in his father’s footsteps. In fact, they are a team that carries out jewel heists around the world. Early on in the book, Alfie falls off a roof in the middle of a heist and dies right before March’s eyes. Alfie’s last dying words are to "find jewels" and he hands a moonstone to March. Little does March know the importance of this moonstone and the curse it holds. The police catch up with March and he is sent to an orphanage. On his way there he meets the long lost twin sister he never knew he had. Her name just happens to be Jules. At the orphanage they form a bond with two other orphans and plan an escape. The 4 of them begin a jewel thieving adventure, involving clues left by Alphie, to find 7 moonstones for a $7 million reward. Finding all 7 jewels will put a stop to the curse, the deaths of both March and Jules by the time they turn 13 (in one week!). Quick paced thriller. Recommended for 9-13 year olds.
Star Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Andrea |
October 2017
|
Beyond the Bright Sea
By Dianne Wolk |
Funny Kid for President
By Matt Stanton |
Crow and Osh’s father/daughter relationship is as loving as any but it got its start in a very unique way. Osh found Crow as a newborn baby washed up onto land in a makeshift boat. Although Osh and neighbour, Miss Maggie, adore Crow and love her as their own, the other locals on the Island of Cuttyhunk keep clear of her. As Crow gets older, she figures it must be because they suspect she comes from Penikese Island, where the leprosy hospital is, now defunct. Twelve year old Crow is determined to find out where she is from and who her parents are. Maggie and Osh support Crow on her life changing journey and help her get to Penikese. It is there that the adventure begins. Crow discovers secrets she could have never imagined: secrets of an orphanage, secrets of a graveyard where an unidentified baby is buried and secrets of a dangerous man who is slowly digging up Penikese.
This is a novel that will have you captured from the very beginning and wanting to know just who Crow is and the circumstances that led to her abandoned beginning. Recommended for 10-14 year olds. Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea |
At the start of the book, Mr. Armstrong, the sports teacher, finds a poo in his storeroom and he is not happy. He blames Max for this because, quite frankly, he doesn't like Max. Mr. A demands that Max cleans up this disgrace. Max insists on his innocence and with his best friend, Hugo, who isn't very bright, shares his plan of revenge. Max's arch enemy, Abbey, overhears his plan and sabatoges it by telling Mr. Armstrong. The principal overhears Mr. A.'s aggressive reaction to Max and decides the class needs a president to watch over their teacher's behaviour. Who will run for class president and who will win? Does Max have a chance? You will need to read this hilarious book to find out.
Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea |
December 2017
Masterminds
By Gordon Korman
By Gordon Korman
|
If you like mystery and adventure mixed together, then this is the book for you. The books centres around 5- 12 year olds kids in Serenity, New Mexico. They, along with all other children in Serenity, have never left the borders of this town. Everyone in Serenity, well nearly everyone, thinks their life is wonderful. There is no crime, poverty or dangerous behaviour. It isn't until Felix's best friend, Randy, is forced to mysteriously leave Serenity that these 5 kids begin to question their life as they've always known it. The note Randy leaves hidden saying, "there's something screwy going on in this town," propels Felix and 2 other friends into action. The problem is they don't know what is going on in this idyllic town they've grown up in nor how to escape it, if needed. They slowly uncover secrets that no one is supposed to know and it rocks their world to the core. A must read! Recommended for 10-14 year olds.
Star Rating: 5/5 Review by Andrea |
