This is a collection of short stories. I’ve enjoyed reading them all in the past, but there are only a few I have liked re-reading. One of them is The Little Candy House which tells the story of two sisters who are very different. One is kind hearted (Rosemary) and the other is mean. It is baking day, but their mother has to go out. Rosemary tries to help by baking, but her sister is very mean and pinches and pulls her and throws the baked apple pudding on the floor! Rosemary later gets lost in the wood and finds a candy house and eats it. A witch woman invites her into the house, where she bakes a lovely tart. The witch gives her a "good" magic brooch and cloak as a present. Her mother is angry on her return, and doesn’t believe where she has been. She cries and a lovely voice comes out when she starts to sing. A prince hears it and asks her to marry him. Rosemary’s sister (the mean one), also comes across the witch’s house in the woods. However, she bakes "burnt" tarts and the witch gives her a "bad" brooch and cloak. When she starts to sing a "frog" voice comes out…and she only gets to marry a farmer’s boy and not a prince.
Rated: 5/5 - "I recommend it for all ages, but not too young as the words are old-fashioned and hard. I thought this was a really interesting book."
There are two mysteries combined in the one story. Nancy helps her best friend’s aunt to solve the mystery of the ghost haunting their old mansion. Her dad Mr Drew has been kidnapped and leads to the discovery of a hidden staircase.
Rated: 4/5 - "I recommend it to 8-12 year olds. I liked that the language was not too easy or too hard. The part I liked the best was how the mystery was solved. She finds the hidden staircase and her kidnapped dad in the staircase!."
Mark is a kid who has cancer. He got over it but it has reappeared. He is fed up with the treatment. He runs away with his dog Beau and plans to climb Mount Rainier. He likes to write Haiku poems in his diary (which we get to see). He leaves a clue for his best friend Jessie about where he is going, but says not to tell anyone...it is their little secret. He gets to Mount Rainier and wants to die, but I won’t tell you the ending and spoil it. I will just say I cried at the end.
Rated: 4½/5 - "I would recommend it to 11+ year olds. I liked how touching it was... it pulled at the heart strings. It was astounding, even though at times it got a bit boring, like when he was on the bus talking to an 8 year old girl."
The cat on the mat is flat by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton - reviewed by Hannah
This book is a collection of short, easy-to-read, funny stories with rhyming and tongue twisters. It gets funnier as you read it. Terry Denton is in the story.
Rated: 3/5 - "The illustrations are violent, but in a funny way. A younger child wouldn’t get it, so I would recommend it to 6-10 year olds. I liked the first story the best."
Little house in the big woods (bk. 1 in the Little House series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder - reviewed by Leticia
It is based on the memories of Laura’s early childhood in the Big Woods in the 1800’s. It is about two little girls (Laura and her sister Mary), their family (Ma and Pa) and their lives on the homestead. It is often hard work, but they also seem to have fun. The house in the big woods was made by Pa. They hunt a lot and in the summer they look out for bears, who have woken from hibernation. The whole family go to visit Grandma Ingalls for the Maple Syrup Ceremony and the story also talks about the Wheat Ploughing Festival, where they have to hoe all the wheat before the rain comes. There is a bit which talks about the eldest cousin, who is spoilt and doesn’t help with any chores. He is at the edge of the field and starts screaming. He does this three times and by the third time the others don’t believe him anymore and don’t come over to help. This time it is real and he is really screaming, as he has jumped on a wasp hive and is being stung! He is wrapped in linen sheets and can see very little.
Rated: 4/5 - "I recommend it to 8+ year olds. It is a good story and as it’s set in the olden time, all ages can learn lessons from it. If you are naughty or not good, you will suffer the consequences."
Clementine Rose and the perfect present by Jacqueline Harvey - reviewed by Julia
This is a series of books. In this story, Aunt Violet is staying with Clementine Rose and her mother in Penberthy House. There is to be a wedding, which is what her mother needs to pay for the new roof at the hotel run by her. But during the excitement, her Uncle has a heart attack and goes to hospital, which leaves her Aunt in charge. She’s not friendly. The wedding goes well in the end, even though her Aunt gets mad when someone mistakenly sleeps in her bed! Clementine Rose is also invited to a birthday party, but the invitation gets lost and she thinks she’s not invited. At the last minute she has to find a present for her friend and he kisses her on the cheek.
Rated: 3/5 - "I would recommend this book for 6-8 year olds. I liked it when her Aunt Violet went to the bathroom and a man went to her bed by mistake. She screamed... it was funny!"
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