Book reviews
Read about books other Club members have enjoyed.
Book name: With You and Without You
Review : Liza is a happy 12 year old girl who loves life. When her father is given 6 months to live, Liza struggles to see the happiness in life and finally when he dies, Liza struggles to make ends meet. Pattie, 12
Book name: Olivia Forms a Band
Review : Thank you for letting me read the book. This story is about a girl and she has two brothers. One brother always wants to do what Olivia wants to do. He always messes her about and always annoys Olivia. Claire, 4
Book name: Rainbow Magic (series)
Review : The girls Kirsty and Rachel are friends and they have a mission from the Rainbow Magic girls - they have to find their magic pets and magic because they have lost it and Jack Frost has sent his gobblins. Shani, 8
Book name: Deltora Quest 8
Review : The book is inspiring and full of secrets revealed and true courage shown as Lief, Barda and Jasmine go through their final journey to defeat the Shadowlord!
I recommend this book to adventure lovers! Grace, 10
Book name: The Sisters Grimm - Fairytale Detectives
Review : Sabrina and Daphne are sent to their grandmother's house. There they experience mystery and adventure while solving a fairytale crime. Gracie, 11
Book name: The Deltora Quest 3
Review : I like all the dragons and the characters and their personalities fit. Alexandra, 9
Book name: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Review : I like this book because it's got a lot of colours and it's got some of my favourite food in it. Serena, 6
Book name: Dragon Keeper
Review : if you like mythical things such as dragons and mermaids you will surely love this book. There's interesting facts to learn about the Chinease culture as a young girl and her dragon friend have many adventures. Jascinta, 12
Book name: Guiness Book of Records
Review : I like the Guiness Book of Records because it has horrible facts like the stretchiest skin on the body. Bailey, 9
Book name: Captain Underpants
Review : Captain Underpants is a funny book about a mean principal who is mean and gets hypnotised and becomes Captain Underpants. Alexander, 10
Book name: The Mean Screaming Machine
Review : It is about a girl that is going to a theme park but dosen't have the guts to go on the rollercoaster. She got on it and she wants to go on it over and over. Jonty, 10
Book name: Merry Christmas Geronimo
Review : Geronimo's Christmas party.A terrible day it has been for him - first was when he slipped over a chocolate there were so many bad injuries, then the old mouse trying to cross the road. Adele, 11
Book name: Go Girl series
Review : Read one book of the 'Go Girl series and you'll never stop. Kara, 10
Book name: Doubting Thomas
Review : Doubting Thomas is about a boy with itchy nipples that are lie detectors - people like that are call doubters. Doubters mostly die at the age of 11 or 12. Thomas is 11. Will he die or not??? Tracie, 11
Book name: Garden of the Purple Dragon
Review : This story really gets to your heart. It's about a girl, Ping, that has been chosen to be a dragon keeper after being taken away from her family by Master Lan, then becoming a slave. It sad and heart warming. Tori, 12
Book name: Geronimo Stilton - Christmas Catastrophe
Review : Geronimo Stilton went skiing and he crashed into Speedy Daremouse (he's a great skier). Geronimo Stilton broke every bone in his body. I thought it was a funny book because there were lots of jokes in it. Caitlin, 6
Book name: Closer than ever
Review : Mary-Kate and Ashlee have never been roomates at White Oak until now. Mary-Kate can't wait to share a room with her sister but when she moves in Ashlee takes over the wardrobe. Tayla, 10
Book name: Surprise Surprise
Review : The good news - Mary-Kate made the White Oak Winter Sports team!! The bad news is she has no money to buy her own snowboard. She asks Ashlee to help her but Ashlee's trying to get a job at a magazine. Tayla, 10
Book name: Teachers Pet
Review : If you like books that are funny and exciting pick this book up or get into the series of 'Go Girl' - it's great. After you start reading you will never stop... Tayla, 10
Book name: Dragon Ball, Volume 3
Review : I thought the book was really awesome! Andrew, 15
Book name: The Bad Book
Review : The Bad Book is about bad things that happen to bad people - pretty funny to lots of crazy things like monster trucks, bombs, funny riddles, short stories, poems and they're all really funny (well sort of). Jordan, 11
Book name: Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa
Review : Charlie Bone, a boy with powers from the Red King, returns to his school Bloors Academy with his uncle Paton missing. Charlie has his suspicions that his Yewbeam aunts have something to do with it.... Grace, 10
Book name: Looking for Alibrandi
Review : Looking for Alibrandi is a book about friendship, trust and lots more. I think this book is a really good book for young adults to read (11-16). If you like sad novels that turn out happy this is for you. Elizabeth, 11
Book name: Teachers Pest
Review : There is a mean teacher and his worst student saves him from falling off the house. Rebecca, 9
Book name: Lucky Lips (from 'Unreal')
Review : This book is all about a teenager that wants to get a kiss. He wants to be popular. So he went to a creepy lady and she gave him some clear lipstick to make all the girls kiss him, and that worked. Rebecca, 9
Book name: No Place For Grubbs
Review : This book is all about one family that lives in tidy town. They are different from all the group because they're messy. The towns inspections coming up and the mayor wants to get them in order!!!!!!!!!! Kayla, 11
Book name: Worm Story
Review : If you love worms, microbes, and parasites you will love the Worm Story! I absolutely loved this book and you would too. Kayla, 11
Book name: Dusk
Review : Dusk is a girl with hawk genes - part of a military experiment, until one night when a lab assistant stumbles upon her. Two years later the lab assistant's son comes to visit. Julia, 10
Book name: High School Musical 2
Review : It's summer time but for the wildcats this vacation is no walk in the park. They started their summer job at a country club and things are heating up! With Sharpay boss can Tory and Gabriella survive. Chloe, 10
Book name: The Queen of the Dying Light
Review : What would you do? You're accused of helping a witch, your grandmother's dying and most of the villagers want to kill you. Would you go the a mean but dying queen Elizibeth Tudor and beg for a pardon? Eva, 10
Book name: Nancy Drew - A novelisation Of the hit movie
Review : If you like books about mystery you'll love Nancy Drew. Nancy is a teenage sleuth who is up for any case. But this is the best yet. She's now investigating a murder and things are about to get scary. Chloe, 10
Book name: Bridge to Terabithia
Review : A new girl walks into your class. What do you do? You stare. Then you become friends with her. But little did you know you were her inspiration to a magical land. Then something happens to Leslie.... Sarah, 11
Book name: Secret Seven Series
Review : I reckon that the Secret Seven Series is a great series full of adventure and fun. It develops the mind and by reading just one Secret Seven book my brain contained a lot of imagination. Jacob, 8
Book name: Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
Review : Friends are people who stick together in loss, pain and happiness. Four friends who have been together all their life discover that even though they are all different shapes, 1 pair of pants fits them all. Sarah, 11
Book name: Skeleton Key
Review : Skeleton Key is about a boy called Alex whose parents have been killed in a car crash and his uncle was shot while doing a mission with M16. Alex is then forced into the world of M16. Mackenzie Plath, 9
Book name: Superfudge by Judy Blume
Review : Farley Drexel Hatcher mostly called Fudge is Peter Hatcher's little brother. Fudge thinks he is a Super hero and he can fly!! Peter's parents decide to move to New Jersey for a year. But there is worst yet ... India, 11
Book name: The Diamond Girls
Review : My Book review is on a book called “The Diamond Girls”. It is written by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharrat. Some of the main characters in the story are Dixie, Jude, Rochelle, Martine and Sue Diamond.
The story begins off with a family living in a council unit and Sue is about to have her 5th child and she believes in star charts .She believes that her next child will be a boy and there will be a great new aspect in their life. So she decides to move to an estate called the Planet Estate a few towns away.
When they arrive at the Planet Estate, they relise that this estate is a complete dump!! The photos that the council showed Sue are when the units where first built, which would have at least been 10 years ago! When they look around the house, there is old fish and chip papers and beer cans on the living room floor, in the kitchen, someone had been sick in the sink and all the carpet is ripped and torn. Sue is very disappointed about the units and says that this unit is unsuitable to have a young child in and at that moment, she starts to have contractions. The man that let them borrow the van, Bruce, had to haul all the Diamond's belongings and furniture out of the back of the van and drive Sue to the local hospital. Sue arrives home the next day with the new baby and doesn’t let the girls hold the new baby boy.
The thing is that Sue ran away from the hospital after having the baby because Bruce had to go back his business and Sue has to look after 4 girls while being very groggy after having a baby. Martine has to help Sue wash that night and Dixie has to hold the baby. When she holds the baby for the very first time she finds out that the baby has not been changed. So Dixie goes to change her baby brother and Dixie discovers that her baby brother, Sundance, is actully a girl!!!!! Her mother had been pretending - her baby brother is a girl.
I think I have given away too much of the story!!! You really have to read the book for the real juicy details. I would recommend this book to anybody. I would recommend ANY Jacqueline Wilson book because she writes about real life situations that happen to real life kids. Charlene, 11
Book name: Book of Earth (Diadem Worlds of Magic)
Review : Diadem series is a great series for girls and boys who like action, magic, worlds and kids. My favorite is Diadem: Book of Earth. It's when Score if forced to come back to Earth because he is dying. Mei-Ling, 11
Book name: Stardust (Believe in Magic)
Review : If you believe in faries and magic then you'll love this book. It's about a girl named Lucy who is a magic 'stardust spirit'. At night she flies through the woods. Can Lucy's summer get even more magical? Sarah, 11
Book name: Butterfly Ball (Tiara Club)
Review : It´s a great book. The princess and her friends are always having fun at summer camp. Sabrina, 6
Book name: Grandad Pot
Review : There was a girl named Polly. She was staying at her grandads. He was baking her a cake. Then she kept ringing and asked if her friends could come and bake their food. He thought they were real. They weren't. Tamieka, 10
Book name: The Mugged Pug
Review : Shuffles the pug loses his collar and so does Red and Foxie and a lot of other dogs. A man is stealing collars from different towns and selling them from a different town he stole them from! Georgie, 11
Book name: The Pinhoe Egg
Review : I have always enjoyed Diana Wynne Jones’ books and “The Pinhoe Egg” was no exception. In the past I have read the other six books in the Chrestomanci series and was ecstatic when I saw this one.
I love the way that characters introduced in previous books in the series are still there. Plus I like how in “The Pinhoe Egg” everyone seems to be related or connected to each other in some way.
The whole mystery of it really draws you in and you feel like you’re actually there. It’s as if I’m standing alongside the characters and that is what I love best about Jones’ books.
The fact that everything circles around these two feuding clans as well as Chrestomanci, his castle and all within make it a really good book. I had no idea what to expect at the end and when I thought I had a vague idea, the twist and turns throughout the book continually threw me.
Overall I give “The Pinhoe Egg” 5 out of 5 stars because it is another thrilling read from Diana Wynne Jones. It should be shared with all kids aged 7 and up. Gabrielle, 14
Book name: Promises by Karen Tayleur
Review : Rose Thornton and class captain would be horrible so David decides he will go as class captain but it isn't what it is all shaped up to be and he never knew it would be so competitve. Will he win? Thomas, 13
Book name: Dashing Around the World by Monica Brzezinski
Review : The thing I like about this book was all the different countries and all the new words. I liked the part where Rudolph hid in Santa's sack and also the part where the reindeer were doing the haka! Julia, 7
Book name: Fuzz the Famous Fly by Emily Rodda
Review : The thing I liked was when Fuzz was seen in the paper by other flies. I wished I was that fly. He's a good fly. I liked everything especially when he travelled all over the town, just for a little fly! Julia, 7
Book name: The Castle Awakes by Paeony Lewis
Review : The bit I liked was when the princess and the prince fell in love and got married. I felt a little bit blushy. The thing I didn't like was when the spiders got all over the food and made the people scream. Julia, 7
Book name: What was the War like Grandma?
Review : The thing that made me feel sad was when Lola's mum began to cry when she heard about the war. I liked in when the children put on a concert for the neighbours. Movies were shown of the soldiers at war. Julia, 7
Book name: The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter
Review : The first bit was funny because the dolls didn't have to cook as the food was plastic! I didn't like it when the mice started breaking and stealing stuff. Julia, 7
Book name: Tomodachi, the Edge of the World
Review : Daniel, a white boy, is shipwrecked in Japan, 1543. He meets Kenji, a young samurai. But they are both seeking something. When they find it, it will lead them to their key to freedom. But Japan is torn by civil war. They will encounter more then just, armies and other samurais. Something so powerful, it will tear them apart. Tomodachi, friend. Cassandra, 11
Book name: 2 Weeks in Grade Six
Review : This is a good book for girls and boys in grade six. I have read this book myself and my grade six teacher also read it to me. Holly, 11
Book name: Ginger and Pickles by Beatrix Potter
Review : This story is about a cat (Ginger) and a dog (Pickles) who close down their store and have to leave. It was interesting that the other animals used credit instead of paying the money. Julia, 7
Book name: Pig in Love by Vivian French and Tim Archbold
Review : The thing I liked about this book was Pig falling in love with Piggy! This made me feel a little bit blushy. However Pig's dad would not let him get married until pigs could fly!!! Julia, 7
Book name: Where's Julius? by John Burningham
Review : No one knows where Julius is. He digs a hole in the back garden and ends up in other countries until Julius tells his father. An amazing story - a must read! Julia, 7
Book name: Mrs Wobble the Waitress by Alan And Jan Ahlberg
Review : The thing I liked was when the Wobble family built a new cafe. Mrs Wobble always dropped food but the children would catch it in a net. The customers thought it was clever! Julia, 7
Book name: Alexander the Great by Burny Bos Hans de Beer
Review : Alexander is a mouse who dresses in a bear suit. The cat thought he was one of her kittens and put Alexander in the basket with the others. Alexander got to be loved by the cats and the mice! Julia, 7
Book name: Let Him Live
Review : This book is an extremely touching story about a boy who is waiting for a liver transplant and receives a gift of money to use as he wishes. He orchestrates his wish through the help of a candystriper. Julia, 10
Book name: The Tiara Club at Pearl Palace Princess Sarah
Review : There were once 14 little princesses. They all visited Pearl Palace. There were a couple of girls in a room called Lilly Room. One day there was a Silver Swan coming. All of the girls had to write a poem. Tayla, 8
Book name: Polly Jean Pyjama Queen
Review : There once was a girl named Polly. She was having a wild pyjama party. She invited Lion, Penguin, Crocodile, Giraffe, Octopus, Monkey and Bear. While she had the party she won the big prize (a crown). Georgia, 5
Book name: On Freedom's Wings
Review : Anna is a brave girl in this story. She is faced with losing her grandmother who is also her best friend but she realises in the end that best friends never really go away. Jessica, 12
Book name: Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman
Review: This is a great book set in 1964 in the times of the Beatles and Martin Luther King. It's written from the point of an eleven year old girl called Alice who dislikes the prejudice against coloured people. Renee, 13
Book name: Heartland
Review: It's about a girl called Amy whose boyfriends name is Ty. He almost dies in the series. Amy works at a horse stable. Rebecca, 9
Book name: Duty Free by Hazel Edwards
Review: Sam and her mum and other adults are on a trip to China. They are not just there for a holiday and tour but they are there to steal maps of where atomic bombs are hidden and smuggle them back to Australia. Thomas, 13
Book name: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Review : Alex Rider's uncle has just passed away but there was secret about his uncle that he was going to find out. His uncle was a spy. Alex finds out that he is a spy and now he is on a mission to save the world. Thomas, 13
Book name: Inkheart
Review: It's a book about a girl named Meggie and her father Mo. Meggie and Mo go on an adventure and Meggie finds out that her father Mo can read story charactors in and out of books. Paris, 10
Book name: The Secret Club
Review: It's exciting when Tamsin starts a new school. She makes lots of new friends, even though she misses her old ones. But what she really wants is to be a member of Ivy's secret club with her friends. Amy, 11
Book name: The Long Walk
Review: This book shows the bravery of one girl whose mother's last wish was to keep her family together. From Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road the kids amazing trip is an exciting adventure. (ages 10-12) Evangeline, 10
Book name: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Review: The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing-if they can. But how can he fulfil the momentous task that is left for him? Monique, 10
Book name: Artemis Fowl
Review: The boook artemis fowl is a great book you really have to think about whats comming next.it shows what fairies can do with guns .this is a good book for both boys and girls ages 10-13 (FULL ON COMEDY!) Eva, 10
Book name: Bridge to Teribithia
Review: It is about bullying and stuff like that. Two kids make their own imaginary land called Teribithia. Later in the book Leslie drowns in the creek. Sarah, 14
Book name: Bad Dog and Those Crazee Martians Review
Review: Bad Dog goes on a mission to space and goes with two rats and a monkey called Dexter. Later in the book Bad Dog and his gang meets the crazee martian cats and nearly gets turned into a cat himself! Georgie, 11
Book name: Jodies Journey
Review: After winning the Greenvale Juinor Show Jumping Championship, Jodie Carpenter felt on top of the world.That was until she found out that she had arthritis. If you love horses this is the book for you!!!
Pattie, age 12
Book name: Ella Mental and the Good Sense Guide, Tara, age 10
Book name: The 'Girl' series by Sue Limb is AMAZING. The trio of books follow Jess Jordan's hilarious journey through her mid-teens. A must read for all girls. Lilo, age 11
Book name: The Worst Band In The Universe by Graeme Base
Review: Searching for the Spotted Glurch was cool. It came with a music CD which I liked to listen to. I would give this book 10 out of 10! Darian, age 5
Book name: Space Explorers (Magic School Bus) by Eva Moore
Review: I learnt about sun power and the planets. Carlos had a cool robot dog called Rocco, it was a fun book to read. Tristan, age 6
Book name: Mrs Frisby and the rats of Nimh
Review: Time is running out for Mrs. Frisby, who must move her family of mice before the farmer destroys their home. But her son is so ill she is convinced he won't survive the move. Indiana, age 9
Book name: Animal Ark Treasury
Review: If you are an animal fan you will love this book. Heaps of short stories about animal problems and facts. Also there is a full book inside: Beagle in a Basket. Georgie, age 11
