I was reading this book called Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. It is a good book that is quite easy to read. It is a funny book that is about a boy called Greg who has two brothers. The oldest brother is called Rodrick and he likes to hurt Greg and he has a little brother called Manny who is always getting him in to trouble.
I think this is a good book that I would recommend to other people and there is a whole collection.
By Declan Bryce
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a gripping book by John Boyne. The story is told by nine year old Bruno,who is unhappy about moving away from his home and friends in Berlin because of his father’s new job.
Bruno is bored one day and decides to explore the huge camp surrounded by a tall wire fence. Bruno has been looking at the camp for months now from his bedroom window. It is there that Bruno meets Shmuel,a young boy around Bruno's age. Shmuel wears striped pyjamas like all the other people in the camp.
The boys’ friendship develops and they continue speaking to each other everyday. The fence around the camp separates them. Bruno questions a lot of things that separates him and Shmuel but he easily brushes them off. You see Bruno is young and knows nothing of concentration camps. He is innocent to the terrible cruelties going on in Shmuel's camp.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a fantastic book that explores the close friendship between Bruno and Shmuel. They are the best of friends even though they are from two different worlds.
I would highly recommend this book but be warned there is a tragic ending. However, I do not think any other ending would have given the book justice.
By Rebecca Carey
The Thirty Nine Steps is a great classic by John Buchan. It is a story of a man who has come back from an African war to London. He feels that he is almost bored to death in London and he would like to go back to Africa and then suddenly an adventure of national importance springs on him...
This story is great for the the people who want a challenging book and it is
full of adventure and misery. My rating for such a well written book is 100% and I hope you enjoy it.
By Finlay Brown
This book gripped me from the start. It isn’t just a book; it shows us how people can be controlled by fear and how the state can manipulate the truth. It is so realistic but chilling at the same time -the way the world is split in to three which are always at war with each other. It was realistic in that it showed us that we all have a breaking point.
The book is about a man: Winston, who works for the ministry of truth. There are several ministries: the ministry of love, the ministry of peace, and the ministry of plenty. All ironic in their names because of the slogan:
“War is peace;
freedom is slavery;
ignorance is strength.”
The people of Oceania are ruled by one party Big Brother. He looks out from every poster, and the thought police uncover every act of betrayal. The thought police are there to monitor all thoughts because Big Brother doesn’t only want to control actions and speech but he also want to control the mind as well. Winston says in one of his diary entry’s that “Thoughtcrime does not entail death: Thoughtcrime is death.”
when Winston falls for Julia he realises that there is more to life than Big Brother and working. Together Winston and Julia begin to question Big Brother. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent. For those who do they invented room 101 . . .
The book creates a horrible image of what humans and the state are capable of. This book is not happy, but it is not meant to be as it shows us the extent of what humans will do for power. For those of you who prefer a light read this book may not be for you but give it a go, you may like it.
by Lamorna Brown
Hacking Timbuktu is a very good book if you enjoy action and spy stories!
A long time ago in South Africa, there was £1,000,000 worth of gold stolen from Timbuktu and was never found, until teenage hacker Danny Temple, goes to solve where this missing gold is with his good friend Omars. They find this South African manuscript which has code on it and they try to figure out what it all means. They are then chased by all sorts of people who are trying to also get the gold and this manuscript. They have to climb over houses, hide in trees and climb high steep cliffs. His journey then leads him to Africa somewhere. But if you want to find out more, you need to get this book quick - before anyone beats you to it!
This book was a good read and makes you feel you're with Danny and Omar yourself.
By Chloe Neilson
If you crave stories set in World War 2 which have a really brave and gutsy character, then " The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo" is your cup of tea.
The book takes the form of a diary sandwiched between a prologue and an epilogue. The diary was given to young boy called Michael by his Grandma which tells us of her young life during a very important time in the Second World War.
It's wartime in 1943 and Lily Tregenza, a small girl, whose life is surrounded by the war, lives in the quiet seaside village of Slapton with her Mum, Grandpa and her adorable cat, Tips. Everything seems happy and jolly in Lily's life until her family are forced to move out of Slapton so that American Troops can practice for the D-Day landings in Normandy. Slapton is transformed from a quiet, peaceful village into a battlefield where only the bravest of souls would dare to enter.
The family settle in at Uncle George's farmhouse with no big fuss, but wait, Tips has gone missing! Lily decides that she will summon up the courage to go into the battlefield to search for Tips only to be caught and thrown out by American Soldiers. Time after time she ventures into the battlefield. The courage and bravery displayed by Lily beggars belief and all for one little cat.
She meets and makes friends with an American Soldier called Adie, who helps her look for Tips and his real name is Adolphus, so when Adie goes to fight, in honour of him, she renames the cat Adolphus Tips.
You will need to read this extraordinary book to find out what happens to Lily, Adie, Michael and of course, Adolphus Tips.
Be careful, once you start, you won't be able to stop!
By Ian Keir
This is a great book to read when it's stormy outside, and you're comfortably seated next to the fire ! It isn't a happy, cheerful read - the author tells a story of loss and grief, but I found it interesting, although It wasn't a real page turner.
Twelve year old Nicky Turner moved from New York two years ago, mainly because her father wanted to escape the clutter and noise of city life, to take a break from it all. Both Nicky and her father are still recovering from the death of her mother, and baby sister who died in New York due to a car crash.
One day, Nicky and her father take a walk through the forest, and hear a baby crying. They find a baby left in a bundle of blankets, freezing in the snow. They immediately take the baby to hospital, and begin to wonder about its mysterious past. Nicky and her dad go home and become heroes in their small village. A week later, a woman turns up at their doorstep, calling herself Charlotte. She claims that she is looking for a piece of furniture, as Nicky's dad is a carpenter. However, she later reveals she is the abandoned baby's mother... And begins to tell the shocking story of how her baby ended up stranded in an isolated forest with nobody to claim her.
This is a casual read, that should keep you interested throughout the book, but you will have to read the book to find out what happens next !
By Beth Miller
