another chance to win a book voucher!

SORRY, THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED!




WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED ON AUGUST 17 - WINNING ENTRIES TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE BLOG SO STAY TUNED!

3 x $50.00  &  3 x $30.00 book vouchers to be won!!!

Take a STONE, an INVITATION, a BOOK, a KEY and a PARROT and create your story! You are the writer!

Your story can be funny, sad, full of mystery, fantasy or adventure. The challenge is that you need to use these FIVE WORDS somewhere in your story!

Stories need to be a minimum 50 words and maximum 500 words and entries close on Friday 5 August at 5pm!

There are 3 age categories:  

• Category 1 - 7-10 years 
• Category 2 - 11-13 years
• Category 3 - 14-16 years

Send your entry with your name, phone number & date of birth to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au or drop it into your nearest library branch. Enquiries to Linda Todd, Ph: 9209-6526.

We will publish the winning entries on our website and on the Lightning Readers blog.

Winners will be notified Wednesday 17 August.

June reviews from Albert Park

Silver brumbies of the South - The Silver Brumby, bk. 3 (there are 15 in the series!) by Elyne Mitchell - reviewed by Emma, aged 10 (Happy Birthday for Friday Emma!!!!)

Emma loves horses, however she said that the quality of the writing was strong and gave real personality to the horse.  She liked the way it was not rushed in any way, includes maps and diagrams so that you are not losing the storyline.

Emma felt that anyone would like reading it.  She thought that the length matches the age.  She still finds it an exciting story now that she is onto her 3^rd book.  The other reason she liked it so much was that is was located in Australia.

Rated:  4.9 ... recommended for those aged 9+ (suitable for both genders!)

Austere Academy - a series of unfortunate events, bk. 5 by Lemony Snicket - reviewed by Annabelle, aged 9

Annabelle loves that fact that the children are always facing these horrible events, and just when you think things are looking good for them, another unfortunate event falls on them.  Annabelle loves the humour throughout the series.

Rated 4.8 ... recommended for those 8-13 years

Annabelle  is also reading the Harry Potter series for  the second time and says she is getting more out of it.  Her second choice is:

Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban : Harry Potter, bk 3.  Really enjoys it and just loves the twists and turns

Not recommended for younger readers ... go for 9-15 years 

The Lake of Tears by Emily Rodda  - Deltora Quest, bk. 2 - reviewed by Alex, who turned 8 yesterday, 13/6!)

This has appeal because Alex loves magic and fantasy.  She particularly liked the active characters in the book and the good font.

Rated 5 out of 5 ... recommended for those aged  7- 11 years

Trixie Belden (this series consists of 39 books by various authors - first written in 1948!) - reviewed by Caitlin, aged 7

A mystery about 2 girls who solve crimes, something like a private detective agency, who like to follow up on matters and then divulge them to their friends and the authorities.

Rated 5 ... recommended for those aged 5 plus

Emma also recommended other titles that kids might like:

 Any books by Dianna Wynne Jones
  

Changeling (part of the Wicca series) by Cate Tiernan

The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy


 

Caitlin recommends all the Harry Potter books 

Annabelle recommends the Warrior series by Erin Hunter (see Did you know...? in the sidebar)

Reviews for June from the St Kilda club

Blood fever by Charlie Higson - reviewed by Sam

It’s part of the Young Bond series (book 2). I thought it was really good. I just really liked it. It has action and adventure.

4 reallys

The adventures of Ook & Gluk : Kung-fu cavemen from the future by Dav Pilkey - reviewed by Noah

It’s a comic about 2 cavemen who go on adventures together. They are best friends and they live in Caveland, Ohio. The chief of Caveland is called Gobnopper. He is an ancestor of an evil mastermind.

The mastermind Gobnopper has a time machine and he is coming back to Caveland time to take all the natural resources to the future. The future becomes like caveman time and caveman time becomes like the future.

“I loved it!” 5 reallys – it was really funny, it has romance, action, comedy and cruddy jokes – at the end it teaches you how to speak caveman.

Rubies in the snow by Kate Hubbard - reviewed by Oliver

I read it for the literary circle at school. It’s about a Russian royal family – it’s supposed to be the diary of Anastasia. She is talking about her life, from being famous and rich until the war begins and they have to hide.

It was a bit slow to start with but it gets interesting.

3 ½ reallys

Ally has reviewed 2 Marcus Sedgwick books:

Lunatics and luck

It’s about 2 children who don’t get teachers or anything. One day a teacher comes to the door who says he wants to work for them. The children thought he was a werewolf because he was really hairy. He had a dog with him.

4 reallys

Ghosts and gadgets

This is more interesting because you really want to turn the next page. One of the children has a crow who usually saves the day. They  live in a castle called Castle Otherhand and there are ghosts that they think that they have. Their mum calls the ghost Buster

5 reallys

These two books are connected by characters.

Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson - reviewed by Charlie

Another of the Young Bond series (book 4). Young James Bond goes to Mexico for a holiday where there is a bad guy called El Hurricane and Mrs Glass. Other characters there are called Whatzat, Manny, Stritaker, Strabo.

He gets captured with a girl called Precious and a boy called JJ by Mrs Glass.

It’s exciting, adventurous, cool but only gets 3 reallys because it is too predictable. Not as good as the others.

Squire by Tamora Pierce - reviewed by Oriana

The main character is a girl called Kel, whose full name is Keladry of Mindelan. She became a squire to the most famous person in Tortall. The story is about her quest to become a squire.