Albert Park's September reviews

Boy overboard by Morris Gleitzman - reviewed by Ambrose

We had to read this book for Literacy Circle at school but I quite like it. It is about Jamal who lives in Afghanistan and loves playing soccer. Girls cannot play outside without a parent and have to be covered up. Jamal's sister ignores this and plays soccer and the ball lands in an area full of mines. Jamal's mum is doing 'illegal schools' because kids - especially girls - aren't allowed to get an education. Because of this they decide that they need to move away to the city. His mother gets captured by soldiers and their house is blown up. Jamal's dad rescues his mother and they decide to leave Afghanistan and make their way to Australia.

Rated:  4/5 - "I like the book so far, it has two of my favourite things in it - soccer and a journey."

How to twist a dragon's tale : bk. 5, How to train your dragon by Cressida Cowell - reviewed by Leticia

The exterminator dragons have woken up because the firestones have been stolen. Hiccup (who is a viking) realises that it was his dad who has stolen it. There is also a competition in which the Vikings have to tell the best stories. Hiccup enters the competition and predicts that the volcano will explode and everyone panics and evacuates.

Rated:  5/5 - "The book has mythical creatures and adventure which I like."

The ersatz elevator : bk. 6, A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snickett - reviewed by Alex

I read the first book in the series ages ago and forgot about them, and now I've come back to it. It is about the three Baudelaire orphans who are sent to a big, dark apartment building (which has 84 flights of stairs) to meet their new guardian Esme and Jerome. Jerome is nice but Esme is not. They meet two other children there called the Quagmire triplets but 1 of them died as well as their parents. Count Olaf who was after the Baudelaire orphans in the first book is also after the Quagmire children because they have the Quagmire Sapphires.

Rated:  4½/5 - "It's really good except a read them really fast. I recommend this book for 9+."

The land of stories : the wishing spell by Chris Colfer - reviewed by Tiana

The main characters are twins, a boy named Connor and a girl Alex. They are very different - Alex is a loner while Connor is very popular. Their father died in a car accident. On their birthday their grandma gives them a book called ‘The Land of Stories’. The book makes a humming noise and when Connor opens it a light glows and a bird flies out.

When they ‘fall’ into the book they meet a frogman and escape a forest which is the most dangerous part of the land they are in. This land is inhabited by characters from fairytales. There is a riddle which they need to work out how to make a wishing spell.

Rated:  5/5 – "Very intriguing … I stayed up until 2 in the morning to read it!"

The Magic Folk collection by Enid Blyton - reviewed by Zoe

I’m reviewing 'The Prisoner of the Dobbadies'. It’s about two people (a girl and a boy) who are playing a ball game. The ball goes behind the tree and the boy goes to get the ball and he disappears, the girl looks for him and vanishes as well. They both end up in a place called Dreamland and the Dobaddies hate it there.

Rated:  4½/5 - "Interesting!"

September reviews from St Kilda

52 storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton - reviewed by Gus & Jack

There’s this caterpillar who eats everything. He ate... a flying fried egg cup, a big bird, 2 speeding steamrollers, 3 angry rhinoceroses, 4 inflatable arm waving tube men, etc.

So, they go on an epic quest to wake up Jill. There have been 13 new storeys added, including a watermelon-smashing level.

Rated:  5 reallys

The maze runner by James Dashner - reviewed by Jack

It's about a boy called Thomas, where the outside world has been savaged by a plague called the 'Flare'. It's like a virus. In 28 days it makes people go insane. Thomas doesn’t know that he has it, he’s forgotten so much and doesn’t know personal details. He looks about 16, he knows his name is Thomas. The first moment he can remember is being in a lift. The lift comes out in a place called the 'Glade', that is in the middle of a maze which is pretty much unsolvable. There are only boys there. The Glade has been around for 7 years. When Thomas comes there are about 60 people. It is like a farm with animals, farmyards, cows, sheep, pigs – they have a town and a prison. 

Around the Glade is the maze. Every night the walls move around. The Glade has doors which allow access to the maze. They open at 8 in the morning and close at 6 at night. There are a group of people called 'runners', they are known as 'the maze runners'. Thomas does something brilliant – he survives a night in the maze. No-one has ever done it before. He has discovered the trick of surviving the night in the Glade and he saves the elder of the Glade. Something happens that sends the whole glade into shock. A girl comes and this changes everything – it’s a bit scary.

Rated:  4.5 reallys

The school for good and evil by Soman Chainani - reviewed by Sylvie

It’s about 2 girls, they are best friends. One is called Agatha, she’s like a witch and one is called Sophie, she’s like a princess and she dreams of a prince. Every 4 years 2 children are kidnapped, 1 good and 1 evil, and taken to who knows where. There is a mix up with Sophie and Agatha – Sophie gets taken to the School for Evil, and Agatha gets taken to the school for good. In the School for Evil there are three girls. Agatha, at the School for Good, can’t believe it, she’s surrounded by all this princess stuff. Another character comes in, it is a prince.

Rated:  5 reallys

The longest whale song by Jacqueline Wilson - reviewed by Louise

It’s about this girl whose mum and dad have split up. The mum gets another husband. She has to live with the step-dad, she doesn’t like him. The mum gets pregnant, she goes into hospital and the baby is born but the mum goes into a coma. The girl gets bullied at school but eventually she makes new friends.

Rated:  5 reallys

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows by J.K. Rowling - reviewed by Rosa

Harry Potter is trying to find Voldemort with the help of Hermione and Ron. They have to find all of the Horcruxes which are little bits of Voldemort’s soul. If they can find them all they will kill Voldemort.

Rated:  4.99999999 reallys

The ivory rose by Belinda Murrell - reviewed by Lola

 

It’s about this girl called Jemma. She gets her first babysitting job in a house called Rosethorn. The little kid says there is a girl sitting on her chair but Jemma can’t see her. Jemma goes into a coma and goes back in time. Here there is a little sick girl called Georgiana, then it gets mysterious.

Rated:  4.5 reallys

The crimson thread by Suzanne Weyn - reviewed by Olivia

It’s about a girl who moves from Ireland to the U.K. They have a little apartment, they’re quite poor. She goes to get food from the market and sees a crimson thread but she can’t buy it. A guy sees that and buys it for her. Later she gets a job sewing, making waistcoats but doesn’t get much for them. She has to look after her little sister – her dad gets a new job as a carriage driver and she gets a new job and makes dresses for her sisters. She meets a guy called James, they’re going to get married.

Rated:  4.5 reallys

Horrid Henry gets rich quick by Francesca Simon - reviewed by Yuanquan

 

Horrid Henry is a really horrid guy, his parents are mean. He only gets 50 pence pocket money. He has a brother called Perfect Peter. To me he is just a bit too perfect. Horrid Henry sets up a shop and tries to sell things. The way Henry tricks Peter into doing it is he will get 10 pence for being sold as a slave, 3 pounds and 12 pence would buy him a lot of chocolate. Henry uses all things belonging to his parents for his shop, for instance his mum's perfume and his dad's tennis racquet. Henry gets told off for selling Peter by his mum. He has to go and buy him back. Moody Margaret, the girl who bought Peter, has to be bargained down.

Rated:  4 reallys