July reviews from Albert Park

The stranger next door by Peg Kehret - reviewed by Che

Alex and Pete the cat live in a new housing estate and Alex is feeling lonely. When a new boy moves in things look up. But the new boy is not very friendly, then fires start around the area and Pete the cat decides to investigate what is going on. It was pretty good, even though Pete the cat can’t talk but is still clever enough to solve mysteries.

Rated:  5(potato chips)/5

The silver door by Emily Rodda - reviewed by Vincent

Rye with his friend Sonia enter the silver door to try and rescue his brother Sholto. They encounter birdlike creatures that try to kill them and strange guards that attack them. Rye has some magical powers that he uses to escape from all these situations. It’s a good book! I love fantasy. I think this is much better than the other books she’s written and I can’t wait for the third book in this series to be released in October.

Rated:  5(Potato Chips)/5

Secret Seven mystery by Enid Blyton - reviewed by Alex G.

There is a report in the newspaper about a girl that has gone missing. The Secret Seven decide they will investigate her disappearance, because they love mysteries. They split up and try to find as many clues as possible. They come back and discuss what they find and solve the mystery. I didn’t think that the story was that good – it was actually a bit boring. It wasn’t very exciting.

Rated:  3/5

Danny the champion of the world by Roald Dahl - reviewed by Laetitia

It has mystery, adventure and a problem - all of my favourite things. Danny lives alone with his father, his mother died when he was 4 months old.  He works in a petrol station wht his dad and lives in a cabin on land owned by a horrible man called Mr William Hazell.  Mr Hazell threatens Danny when he is working at the petrol station for no reason. Danny and his dad start poaching pheasants on Mr Hazell’s land, so he can’t shoot at them with his hunting party. I really like this book, and Roald Dahl.

Rated:  5/5

Dragon’s nest (Deltora Quest 3, bk. 1) by Emily Rodda - reviewed by Alex W.

The Shadowlord has been banished but famine is still plaguing the land because of the 4 Sisters (death seeds).  Leif, Barda and Jasmine are still on their journey. As they go through an orchard they steal some forbidden fruit and become paralysed and are attacked. I like this series and I think it is very interesting.

Rated:  5/5

July reviews from St Kilda

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - reviewed by Jack

There are 7 in the series and the 8^th one is coming out in 13 days!

The main character is a girl called Stephanie Edgley and she is 12 years old. She meets Skulduggery Pleasant who is a skeleton and magician. Stephanie has a friend called Ghastly Bespoke. He is currently a stone – that is, a statue. Stephanie and Skulduggery Pleasant go on a big quest to defeat the really bad guy Nefarine Serpine. Nefarine Serpine has a right hand that he just has to point at you and you would die an agonizing death.

Rated:  5 reallys

Seven symphonies crescendo - reviewed by Georgia

Georgia is reading a book that her teacher is writing but it isn’t published yet.  It’s the first book in a planned series.

It’s about a guy called Beau, his sister Billie, and a guy called Marley. Music is banned from the world. Before that happened the world was run by a guy called ‘The Voice’, then a guy called ‘The Idol’ took over and banned all music except his own. They go on a quest to save the world from The Idol. Beau’s father gives him a diary which they have to follow. Billie gets captured but Beau saves her.

Rated:  4.5 reallys

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery - reviewed by Netta

This is a series of 8 books from Anne of Green Gables.

Anne is born but her parents die. A woman agrees to take her but she has 3 lots of twins that she has to look after, then the father is run over by a train so Anne is sent back to the orphanage for 4 months. Anne is then taken by a sister and brother who get to like her. Anne has red hair, freckles and is very thin. She is always getting into scrapes. She is always getting teased for her red hair and so one day she dyes it green. In some ways it’s a tragic book in parts. It’s about her life. The names of the couple that take her are Marylla and Matthew. Marylla seems cross and stern on the outside and she doesn’t show how much she loves Anne. Matthew is very shy and sensitive. Gilbert Blythe is Anne’s enemy. One day at school she is punished and she is made to sit next to him. He teases her and calls her 'carrot-head'.

Rated:  5 reallys

Awesome stuff by Richard Tulloch - reviewed by Charlotte

It’s about a boy named Brian Hobbles. He likes a girl called Cassie Wyman and he has his brain talking to him and he does what it says and he gets into lots of trouble. It is mainly a funny book. He goes to DAGS (Drama At Garunga School) and they are doing a concert, a play, and he wants to be the superhero. He ends up being Cyberno, a poet, because he is also a good poem writer. I chose this from the library, it was a random choice.

His other two books are "Freaky stuff" and "Weird stuff".

Rated: 4.5 reallys