Class A, by Robert Muchamore
James Choke is 12 years old and expelled from school. Then his mum dies and he is forced into a children’s home by his menace of a stepfather, where he is recruited by CHERUB, a top secret government spy agency. But before he can begin work in the field, he must complete 100 days of basic training, where some of the toughest recruits don’t make it to the end…
5 stars
Reviewed by Rion from Cummings Park, 5 years old
Comic books, or graphic novels, are a new and very cool addition to our collection. We’ve got all your old favourites, like Asterix, Lucky Luke and Tintin, but there’s plenty for you if you’d like to try something a bit different. Superheroes are cool, but if you stick to reading about them you may miss out on some great reads! Here are a few of my favourites.
Hereville
Mirka is an eleven year old girl who lives with her family in a small Orthodox Jewish community. But, as the cover tells you, she’s not like most other girls. In first book, How Mirika got her sword, Mirka has to deal with the unruly pet pig of the local witch. In the second, Mirka meets a meteorite, a magical double gets her into all sorts of trouble. But it’s not just fantastic adventures; Mirka, who is hot tempered and reckless, gets into scrapes with her family and the rest of her community and learns a lot about herself . Her faith plays an important role in the story and you’ll learn a lot about how belief helps her when she’s feeling down. There are only two books at the moment, but a third one is on its way.
A lot of graphic novels for older readers talk about the author’s lives. A game for swallows is about a girl living in Beruit during the Civil War in Lebanon which lasted for 15 years. The city of Beruit was divided and it was very dangerous to try and travel between different parts of the city. One night, Zeina’s parents go out to visit her grandmother, who lives only a few streets away but don’t come back. The people who live in their apartment building rally around Zeina and her brother and try to keep their spirits up while they wait for news. Their neighbours are an interesting group of people who all have their own stories about how they came to be living there and how the war has affected them. This is book, though, is not just about sadness; it also shows how people can keep hope alive and have fun even in the hardest of times.
Spera follows two princesses, Lono and Pira, who go on the run after Lono’s father is killed. Pira’s mother is an evil Queen who uses black magic, and their only chance for survival is to run to the mythical land of Spera. With them they have a shape-shifting fire spirit called Yonder, who acts as their protector, although the girls gradually learn to defend themselves. Obviously, they have many different adventures on their way, and there are more books to come. Each different adventure is drawn by a different artist, so as well as being a good story the illustrations are amazing, matching the tone of each story being told. There’s also a second volume of Lono and Pira’s adventures.
Leah and Alan are a brother and sister who suddenly wake up in a strange world. This is nothing like you’ve ever seen before, with lions in suits, giant rabbits and talking buildings; everything’s drawn in black and white with lots of detail. Alone and without help, they must somehow find their way back home. If you liked Alice in Wonderland, you’ll love this book. It has the same feeling of everything being topsy-turvy and the wrong way round, and Alan and Leah have to work out the rules of this strange place, which is harder than it sounds.
Lio: there’s a monster in my socks
…and if there is, chances are Lio put it there himself. It’s fair to say that Lio’s not like other kids. He’s a mad scientist with a strange pets and a twisted sense of humour. Each of the comic shows Lio’s attempts to get even with his classmates, get by in class, or pull pranks on who ever is unlucky enough to be near him at the time. Most of the stories are only a page long, and told in four panels of black and white drawings. Short, easy to read, and pretty funny. Of course, Lio doesn’t always suceed in his plans to cause chaos…
Jack and Benny are on vacation. Not to Disney World, not to New York, but to Chowder Bay; a sleepy small town on the coast. There’s no TV, Jack’s gameboy has run out of batteries, and their Dad needs quiet to finish his book. They soon get dragged into a mystery (of course) and learn that Chowder Bay has all sorts of dark secrets and mysteries. But the book has its funny moments as well, and anyone who’s gone on a vanacation with just Mum and Dad and their annoying sibling (s) understand. In the first book, the boys meet an old fisherman and go off to search for a lake monster.
What would you do with almost unlimited power? This is the question that Emily must answer when she finds an amulet that gives her powers in a strange and magical world. She and her brother Navin set out to explore this world and rescue their mother from the grasp of the dark forces. This is a great adventure story, and once again, the first in a brilliant series. The illustrations are particularly amazing, as they are in colour and beautifully detailed.
The cover of this book is a bit misleading. It shows Hilda, the main character, standing among a cluster of small buildings. But Hilda isn’t the giant mentioned in the title…but to say more would ruin the story. It’s quite unique; Hilda takes the existence of creatures of elves and giants for granted. Instead of being taken to a fantasy world, she can recognise the fantastical elements of her own. The illustrations are fantastic (again) and beautiful, despite being quite simple. It’s a must read if you’re looking for a magical story that’s a bit different from all the others. There’s also another book about Hilda, called Hilda and the Bird parade.
Francis Sharp in the grip of the Uncanny
A vivid imagination helps Francis escape the realities of life; he doesn’t get on with his parents and life on the farm during the Great Depression is hard. Unfortunately, it also gets him into a lot of trouble. He finds himself in a strange town full of strange creatures with no idea how to get home again. He does find allies, but his arrival has been noticed. This is a great book, the first in a four part series. While you may take a while to warm up to Francis, you’ll want to keep reading to work out the mysteries the first book sets up.
The Travelling Restaurant : Jasper’s voyage in three parts, by Barbara Else
I think this was a great and interesting book.It was really detailed and was really fun to read. I love all of her books, but this is by far my favourite. I liked this book so much, that when she visited my advanced writing group, I wrote a poem about my experience reading this book.=-)
4 stars
Reviewed by Charlotte from Cummings Park, 11 years old
Big Brother, by Susannah McFarlane
I thought that this was a great book because there was a bit of action and a bit where there was care about the animals in this story
4 stars
Reviewed by Rhona from Johnsonville, 11 years old
Here are the most popular fiction books for May:
1. Diary of a wimpy kid series by Jeff Kinney
2. Dirty Bertie series by Alan MacDonald
3. Conspiracy 365 series by Gabrielle Lord
4. Captain Underpants and the big, bad battle of the Bionic Booger Boy by Dav Pilkey
5. Where’s Wally? series by Martin handford
6. Judy Moody & Stink series by Megan McDonald
7. Captain Underpants and the revolting revenge of the radioactive robo-boxers by Dav Pilkey
8. Puzzle pirates by Susannah Leigh
9. Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald dahl
10. James and the giant peach by Roald Dahl
(special mention to The Hobbit, which continues to be in the top 15 most popular books for children!)
Jaws of death, by Paul Adam (1958-)
the whole book is really interesting, like for example at the start how the act goes wrong and the whole house was bugged by special devices. It was a really really nice book.:)::):):):):):)
5 stars
Reviewed by Max from Cummings Park, 5 years old
Flaymar the scorched blaze, by Adam Blade
Its a good book.In fact,its a really really good book.It is related to some other books i have reveiwed.I love the beast quest series so this one was really good.HORRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 stars
Reviewed by Max from Cummings Park, 8 years old
Mission survival : sands of the scorpion, by Bear Grylls
AMAZING! this is the best book ever!!!!!!!!I could have read this interesting book a 1,000,000 times (Though I didn’t have time and it would have got a bit boring!).The way they (Beck and Peter) were foiling diamond smugglers was breathtaking.
5 stars
Reviewed by Max from Cummings Park, 8 years old
Did you have some exciting adventures over your holidays? Maybe not as thrilling as what happens in these books… Check this out!
We dine with Cannibals : an accidental adventure, by C. Alexander London
Oliver and Celia Navel suffered through a whole summer exploring with their father’s nemesis, Sir Edmund, and are ready to begin a new school year glued to the TV. But when their mother vanishes (again) in search of the Lost City of Gold, El Dorado, the twins must trek from the ruins of ancient temples through the shadowy forests of the Amazon. This time they will need all their reality-TV survival skills to brave raging river rapids, furious fire ants and a most unusual jungle feast.
This is the kind of adventure that you will love to read about, making sure it never happens to you!
Age 9+
Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome
The Walker children – also known as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able Seaman Titty, and Ship’s Boy Roger- set sail on the Swallow and head for Wild Cat Island. There they camp under open skies, swim in clear water and go fishing for their dinner. But their days are disturbed by the Blackett sisters, the fierce Amazon pirates. The Swallows and Amazons decide to wage war and so begins a summer of unforgettable discoveries and incredible adventures.
Get ready for a new adventure if you are a fan of Pirates, Treasure Hunts or Shark Fishing !
Age 9+
Phantom of Terawhiti, by Des Hunt
It’s the school holidays and Zac thinks he might go crazy with boredom. He’s living in exile with his disgraced father on the remote Terawhiti Station on Wellington’s wild southwest coast.
Then Zac and his dad witness a boat sink off the coast during a storm. Investigating further, Zac finds a set of unusual animal prints on the beach. Whose boat is it? And what creature could have made the prints? Soon armed men are prowling the coast, and threatening Zac, his friends and his family. He must do all he can to protect the Phantom of Terawhiti from those intent on hunting it down.
This startling adventure happens just next to where you live! It might happen to you next time you go around one of the Wellington beaches…
Age 8 +
The empty city, by Erin Hunter
Lucky is a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. He has always been a Lone Dog, relying on his instincts to get by. Other dogs have Packs, but Lucky stands alone. Then the Big Growl strikes. Suddenly, the ground is split wide open. The Trap House is destroyed. And all the longpaws have disappeared.
Now Lucky is trapped in a strange and desolate new world with no food, foul water, and enemies at every turn. He falls in with others left behind, including his littermate Bella, a Leashed Dog. Relying on other dogs – and having them depend on him- brings new dangers that Lucky isn’t prepared for, but he may not be able to survive on his own. Can Lucky ever be true Pack Dog?
Did you like the Bear’s journey in Seekers, the Cat’s quest in Warriors? Then you might be ready for this Dog’s adventure in the very new Survivors series…
Age 9 +
The neverending story, by Michael Ende
A action packed book , full of enchanted and perilous pages. When Bastian steals a book and hides away to read it he finds in a dyeing world. Age 10 or over.
4 stars
Reviewed by georgia from Island Bay, 7 years old
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