Write a review - win a prize!!!!

Write a review of a book and email it to library@portphillip.vic.gov.au and your name will go in to the draw to win one of three $50:00 book vouchers.

A good book review will tell us:

• what it is about the book you liked or didn't like
• what type of book it was - adventure, fantasy, real life, funny, historical, etc.
• something about the characters
• a little about the plot (don't give it all away!)
• maybe something about the writing

It should be no more than 300 words though - don't re-write the book!

Entries close Friday March 25, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday April 6.

The library reserves the right to publish your review on the blog along with your first name - no other personal details will be published but will need to be supplied in your email so we can contact the winners.

So, it's time to get reading and writing!!

December reviews

from the Albert Park club:

The hidden monastery by Gabrielle Wang 

It is about a boy who has a birthmark in the shape of a monster and he needs to find out what it means.  On his journey he comes across a monastery in a forest.  While in there an evil cloud comes closer threatening to destroy him and the monastery.  I liked the book but not the best book I’ve read.  For an older reader 10+

Reviewed by Ava  -  4.5 stars

Ava and Simone also recommend The garden of Empress Cassia by Gabrielle Wang.  It is about a girl who starts at a new school and is picked on from a Chinese background but finds that she loves drawing especially with a special box of crayons.  One of the girls is jealous and steals them from her.  This book is really good even though we had to read it for school. 

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 

It is about 3 angels who go to earth to stop evil forces from taking over a town.  Bethany falls in love with a boy, which angels shouldn't do as their identities will be revealed.  There is also a demon in the town disguised as a boy - Jake Thorn.  Has a bit of a weird ending.  Part 2 not available until late next year.  For 12 – 16 year olds as it is more of a teenage book.

Reviewed by Simone  -  3.9 stars

Tashi by Anna Fienberg

Tashi is sold by his parents to a warlord because they are very poor.  A swan finds Tashi while he is crying and saves him.  The swan flies him to Australia where he meets a boy named Jack.  I like the book but I don’t think I will read any other Tashi books.

Reviewed by Alex  -  4 stars

Playing with fire : Skulduggery Pleasant, bk. 2 by Derek Landy

It is about a girl named Stephanie whose uncle, who was a writer, dies.  She goes with her family and Skulduggery Pleasant to the reading of his will.  Skulduggery later reveals himself as a skeleton.  At first this scares Stephanie but later they go on adventures together trying to stop an evil character called Nefarian Serpine from taking over the world.  It’s pretty good but no book will ever be 100% perfect.  For those 10+ - "it's a bit scary!"

Reviewed by Emma  -  4.999 stars!

The changeling by Sean Williams

This is about a boy named Ros who lives on an isolated farm with his family.  The family are in difficulty as there have been years of drought.  He becomes convinced that his parents want to sacrifice him to try to bring rain and makes his escape.  With his new invisible friend Escher he goes on an adventure and discovers he has magic powers called ‘the change’.  But who is Escher and can he trust the people and creatures he meets?  This is a really exciting book with action and mystery. I couldn't put it down and I can’t wait to read the next book in this 3 part series.  It is fantasy fiction but should appeal to everyone.

Reviewed by Kerstin  -  5 out of 5 stars!!

The magician's elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Peter Augustus Duchene, an orphan, goes to a fortune teller and is told that an elephant will help him find his sister. He is stunned.  Firstly there is no elephant in town and he believes he is all alone in the world.  When a magician’s trick goes wrong and instead of a bunch of flowers an elephant comes crashing through the roof of the opera house his whole life as he knew it is turned upside down.  I just wanted to keep on reading this book even when I had other things to do.  Kate DiCamillo's description of the town and the people in it really draws you in, I could really visualise what everything looked like and how it felt.  I loved this book!

Reviewed by Kerstin  -  5 out of 5 stars again!!






and from the St Kilda club:

True stories of the strange & unknown by John Pinkney

A few stories about psychic people and UFO’s, strange stuff, and even a Yeti. A lot of good stories.

Reviewed by Jonathan  -  4.9 reallys

The Heaven shop by Deborah Ellis

This is about a girl who’s father runs a coffin shop called "the coffin shop". Her father dies from AIDS. She becomes an orphan along with her brother and sister. They are separated by their very mean uncle and aunties.

This was a very good book when you thought about it afterwards. You realised that actually quite a lot was happening after all.

Reviewed by Daniel  -  3.9 reallys

Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets by J. K. Rowling

"This is the second time I've read it - and I'm halfway through it again!"

About a boy who goes to a school called Hogwarts where there are frightening messages on the walls, and a potion called polyjuice.

Reviewed by Georgia  -  5 reallys

Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a normal kid who finds out his mythology teacher is a centaur. His maths teacher who is filling in is a Fury (winged monster).

Reviewed by Liam  -  5 reallys

Clean break by Jacqueline Wilson

It’s about a girl called Emily (or Em). It's Christmas day and her father buys her an emerald ring and her brother Max an artists set and felt tipped pens. Her stepfather gives her a puppet called Dancer. On New Years eve Em asks her stepdad to not go away and he says “your wish is my command” - but on New Years eve he gets a phone call from Sara (who has very  short hair). On New Years day he has already gone. After a few days of school dad picks all the children up, but he hasn’t asked the mother. He takes them to fun parks. The story goes over a whole year.

Reviewed by Lilly  -  4.9 reallys

Hit list by Jack Heath

Two people go searching for things – a guy gives them a list of 100 things they have to steal. The guy gets 10% and they get 80% of sales. A ghost tries to steal one person. "Murderously good".

Reviewed by Max  -  5 reallys

The talent thief by Alex Williams

"Of course, the parents die and they become orphans." This is about an 11 year old boy, Adam, and his big sister Cressida, or Cress. She’s a great singer and gets invited to a talent show. Youth come from all around the world. The trip is about 53 hours - 24 hrs on a seaplane, 24 hours on a train, 5’ish hours in a car to get to Hotel Peretus and when they get there Cressida’s room is really good, leather armchairs larger than a king size bed – massive, humungous room. Adam’s room is on the roof in a shed. The bed has sticking out spokes. The window looks out on a nuclear plant so there is just smoke for a view. It is just a small cube. When you go downstairs for dinner in the dining room a person spies Adam and gives him the evil eye. Adam had not really been invited.

Reviewed by Noah  -  5 reallys

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

This is the story about 2 children who are orphans. They’ve been sent to lots of foster parents but they run away because the parents are really mean. Finally they get to go to their grandmother where they are fed strange food like green meatballs and black spaghetti made of octopus ink.

Reviewed by Oriana  -  5 reallys