April reviews from Albert Park

White boots by Noel Streatfeild - reviewed by Emma B. 

Harriet has been very ill and decides to take up ice-skating to get physically better. Through this she meets Lalla, who has been practicing since she was 3 years old. Harriet and Lalla become best friends. However, as Harriet gets better it becomes clear that she is a tallented skater - this makes Lalla jealous... I haven't finished yet! I found some parts of the book difficult because some words are tricky.

Rated:  5 out of 5

Prince Caspian : chronicles of Narnia, bk. 4 by C.S. Lewis - reviewed by Alex G.

Caspian's parents have died and he is raised by an 'uncle'. Caspian finds out about old Narnia through his nurse. He also finds out that his uncle is not really his uncle and that he is evil and wants to kill Caspian. Prince Caspian has to leave straight away.

I really like it so will give it 5 out of 5!

Ruins of Gorlan : Ranger's apprentice, bk. 1 by John Flanagan - reviewed by Ben

Will is a ward who lives in a castle because his parents have died.  Halt is a Ranger who wants to take on Will as his apprentice.  They go to a Ranger Village, where Halt finds out that the evil Lord Morgethorn wants to attack them. It’s exciting when you first read it.

Rated:  5 out of 5

The last dragon chronicles : the fire ascending by Chris D’Lacey - reviewed by Annabel

The Fire Ascending takes us on a journey through time.  Before we set off we have to remember this rule: Don’t interfere! But the rule has been broken and at the dawn of time history is changing … and the dragons and their enemies are locked in a battle and David Rain needs to save those around him and the dragons and the people he loves.  I love this book!

Rated:  5 out of 5

and don't forget - there's still time to enter the library writing competition - you've got until April 27 to get your entry in! Read more here.

April reviews from St Kilda

Wake - Fade - Gone - a series of three books by Lisa McMann - reviewed by Oriana

I’ve just finished reading Gone. It's about this girl who can’t sleep, except when other people are sleeping. She can go into other people's dreams. Miss Stubbin – an old woman she knows – was also a dreamcatcher. Miss Stubbin made her a green notebook to help with the dreams. She can pause, rewind, help change a dream from a nightmare to a good dream because she’s a dreamcatcher. Janie confronts a difficult choice. Being a dreamcatcher is a heritage thing, it has passed down from her father, whose brain exploded!

Rated: 5 reallys

Hands up! by Paul Magrs - reviewed by Cassidy

This is about a puppet called Tolstoy. It’s a bat and he can talk and he hates other puppets. He can tell peoples' minds. He uses his power on a friend, Jason, and gets him to kill all the puppets. His first victim is Josephine. Creepy!

Rated: 4.5 reallys

The lost hero - Heroes of Olympus series - reviewed by Jack

About 3 kids – Jason, Piper and Leo. Jason, son of Jupiter, the Roman god - Leo, son of Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and fire, so he is fireproof - Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love.

Bk 1… they go on a big quest with the mechanical dragon Festus. They need to find and help Hera to escape from her cave. The giant Porphyrion rescues Piper’s dad – they do really cool stuff. They battle King Midas and Medea. It’s quite thick – 500 and something pages – I think it was really cool. 

Rated: 4.5 reallys - The third one is coming out this year.

The looking glass wars by Frank Beddor - reviewed by Linus

It’s about the true story of Wonderland. Tells at start Alyss actually came from Wonderland. Her dad is stabbed straight through the heart by her aunt. Blood comes through his lips. Lots of description. Her mother is killed by roses, strangling, suffocating and stabbing her and then she, Alyss, goes through a looking glass. As she goes through the glass smashes into little pieces. One of her people called Cat gets through the glass and has to jump into the Lake of Tears which teleports her to this world and she meets Louis Carroll. Really good!

Rated: 5 reallys  - There are 3 in the series.

Nails (a short story) from Paul Jennings' Trickiest stories - reviewed by Will

About this boy called Nails. His mum and dad got sunk in a shipwreck but somehow his father brings him to a desert island. His father goes looking every morning on the beach for something and the boy sees something in the water.

Rated: 5 reallys

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield - reviewed by Max

It’s about a boy who is going to be the emperor. He runs away to the mountains, finds a castle and has heaps of food. He meets a girl, who gets on a thing that can fly, and she’s blown away but ends up on a whale ship that gets shot down near where the boy is. Fast paced, exciting, imaginative.

Rated: 4.99 reallys

Because of Winn-Dixie by Cate diCamillo - reviewed by Bella

About a girl who moves houses, finds a dog and keeps it. She is lonely in this new place but the dog helps her find friends because everyone likes a dog. Well written.

Rated: 5 reallys

 

and from Lily W, who couldn't make it to the meeting but left her review online: 

 

The suitcase kid by Jacqueline Wilson

This book is about a girl called Andrea (known as Andy Pandy by her stepsister) and like many other Jacqueline Wilson books she has a problem. Her problem is that her parents are split up... her mum lives with Bill the Baboon and his three kids. But her dad on the other hand lives with Carrie and her twins (with a new one on the way). One week with her mum,one with her dad. But all she wants is to be back at their old house, Mulberry Cottage.

Holiday movies seen so far...

Hoodwinked too!

Puss in boots

Hugo

Best exotic Marigold Hotel

and don't forget - there's still time to enter the library writing competition - you've got until April 27 to get your entry in! Read more here.