The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
The Anniversary Legends Series #1: Race at the Rock by Michael Panckridge
An awesome sports series from Michael Panckridge, the books follow a competition-crazed school called Sandhurst. The main rivalry is Mitchell against Travis. Each book centres around a different sport and I would recommend it to anyone who is sport frenzied. 4 stars.
Review by Samuel
CHERUB Series: The Killing by Robert Muchamore
Conspiracy 365 #1: January by Gabrielle Lord
Accused of shooting his uncle, and putting his younger sister into a coma, innocent teen fugitve Callum Ormond’s life is spinning out of control! Ever since his dad went to Ireland, bad things keep happening to Cal. Chased by two power hungry criminal gangs, sleeping in drains, and with only two friends whom he can rely on, Cal really knows what life is like on the run. A great book for reading ages 10-13. Peace Out. 5 stars.
Review by Samuel of Karori
If you enjoyed the Grey Griffins Trilogy – The Revenge of the Shadow King, The Rise of the Black Wolf and The fall of the Templar then take a look at the Grey Griffins new adventures starting with The Brimstone Key – book 1 of the Clockwork Chronicles.
Max, Natalia, Ernie and Harley are in for a new adventure when they enrol at the Iron Bridge Academy, a school were they are trained in the fight against the forces of evil. In this book they meet the Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, who is set to complete his plan that he made decades ago – to make an army of clockwork machines.
Get ready for another action packed exciting ride.
Nightmare Academy #1: Monster Hunters by Dean Lorey and Brandon Dorman
Boy vs Beast: Battle of the Borders #8: Volcan by Mac Park
Review by Aaryan of Karori
Here’s what’s hot at the beginning of term 4.
Artemis stays on top, the Wimpy Kid gains ground, our favourite skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant, debuts, Percy Jackson is toppled from the list all together, and we have our first Non Fiction entry into the kids top 10. No Most wanted would be complete without a Geronimo Stilton, and his latest caper is just in time for Halloween.
1 ) Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis complex / Eoin Colfer. (no change)
2 ) Diary of a Wimpy Kid : The Ugly Truth. (NEW)
3= )Diary of a wimpy kid : Greg Heffley’s journal / by Jeff Kinney. (no change)
3= ) Mortal coil / Derek Landy. (NEW)
5 ) Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Night Whispers ( up 6)
6= ) Storm warning / Linda Sue Park. (down 1)
6= ) Divine madness / Robert Muchamore. (back again)
7 ) The karate mouse / Geronimo Stilton (down 2)
8 ) Diary of a wimpy kid : Rodrick rules / by Jeff Kinney. (back again)
9 ) Star Wars Lego : visual dictionary / written by Simon Beecroft NEW
10 ) The peculiar pumpkin thief / [text by] Geronimo Stilton (NEW)
1 ) Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex Eoin Colfer (up 9)
2 ) Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan (down 1)
3 ) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal Jeff Kinney (up 6)
4 ) Storm Warning Linda Sue Park (NEW)
5= )Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse Rick Riordan (no change)
5= )Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian Rick Riordan (down 2)
5= )The Karate Mouse Geronimo Stilton (up 3)
8 ) Field Trip to Niagara Falls Geronimo Stilton (back again)
9= )Now Morris Gleitzman (down 2)
9=)Percy Jackson Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (down 4)
9= )Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Night Whispers by Erin Hunter (NEW)
Last Friday, the library hosted a Secret Spy Spectacular. My favourite spy (by far) is Harriet the Spy, aka Harriet M. Welsch. Harriet is a busy body who lives with her far-too-busy parents and her never-too-busy nanny. When I say “busy body”, I mean “snoop”. Harriet likes nothing more than an afternoon spent spying on the people in her neighbourhood then heading home with a notebook full of observations for a tomato sandwich. I think books are better when the people aren’t perfect. None of the people in Louise Fitzhugh’s books are perfect: not the kids, not the teachers, not the neighbours and definitely not the parents: this is what makes her books so appealing.
Harriet the Spy is the story of a lonely girl who desperately wants to reveal something – something disturbing or astonishing or radical, just something – to break the façade of her boring and controlled life. Like lots of the more remarkable and angry characters in books, Harriet does not abide by phoneys and she is (unfortunately) not afraid to hurt feelings (including her own) if it means her life becomes more interesting, raw and real.
Lots of people have read Harriet the Spy and loved it, but not so many know about the two follow up books. Harriet returns in The Long Secret, which is a wonderful summer holiday story. The long Secret begins with a nasty (but sort-of funny) secret note and Harriet’s burning desire to find out who sent it. She enlists her mousy friend Beth Allen to reluctantly help her, and they have lots of odd encounters along the way. I like the peculiar characters – like the family who are trying to get rich making toe medicine (EW), and Bunny (COOL NAME) the pyjama-wearing piano player. The Long Secret is two books in one really: on one hand it is a riveting mystery that involves a funny holiday township, but on the other hand it is a story about feeling left out and friendship and growing up and stuff. (That leaves no hands to hold biscuits, but it’s a summer book so maybe you could just slurp a milkshake instead?).
Harriet only plays a guest role in the third book which is set back in New York. Sport focuses on Harriet’s friend Simon who is nicknamed Sport, and lives with his really nice but really hopeless Dad. There is not so much mystery in this one, but a lot of action. Poor Sport is really put through the wringer as his evil mother (no, not evil stepmother – just plain old evil mother) tries to gain custody of him so she can get her greedy mitts on his inheritance. This book is intense! Heaps of yelling and cussing and hiding and running and worrying and laughing. (Lots of laughing from me actually, especially when Sport and his friends get their own back against rich ladies and cops -ha-ha).
I would strongly recommend these books to anyone who is sick of children’s stories that are all sweet and fluffy and nice. Louise Fitzhugh died at a young age and it’s a real shame because she is one of the few authors that seems to “get” kids. She doesn’t write about kids the way adults like to see kids: boring, stupid and polite – she writes about kids the way kids are: interesting, thoughtful and really cool.