Saving Marty, by Paul Griffin
I thought this book was great. It’s about a boy called Lorenzo whose family doesn’t have that much money. His dog Bella gives birth to a few pups but one of them isn’t a pup, it’s a pig. A pig who acts like a dog. And that pig is Marty.
What will happen next? What will happen to Marty? Read the book to find out!
I would recommend this book to people who love a touching story. I found it quite exciting but emotional as I read each page of this lovely book, I think that ages 10+ or animal lovers should read this awesome book.
5 stars
Reviewed by Genevye from Johnsonville and , 9 years old
Hazel and the snails, Nan Blanchard ; illustrations by Giselle Clarkson
Hazel likes to care for her snails, all 10 of them because it makes her happy. They aren’t pink-crazy and they don’t speak French all the time like her best friend, Meg. And they don’t skulk about like her brother, Henry. But it’s all a bit strange and sad at home, her father passed away and she accidentally crushed a tiny snail.
I personally think this is a great, touching storybook. It’s set in New Zealand (I think?) and includes New Zealand things like WeetBix and Lilybee wraps. I would recommend this book to kids who are ages 7 or 8 because it’s not too complicated. Nan Blanchard is an awesome author and I look forward to getting more of her books out.
3 stars
Reviewed by Genevye from Johnsonville and , 9 years old
The Keeper of the Isis Light, Monica Hughes
Olwen has been living with Guardian (a robot that Olwen’s parents programmed to take care of her before their death) on Isis since her parents’ death. They have been living there peacefully until settlers come. Olwen is ready to welcome them, but are they ready to meet her too?
At school, we had to choose 1 book out of 10 to read for our ‘book club’. I chose this book and I absolutely loved reading it! Although it only has 232 pages, it’s so interesting because this book is set in the future, and the way Monica Hughes has written it gives you mixed emotions. I definitely recommend this book for ages 10 and above.
4 stars
Reviewed by Genevye from Johnsonville and , 9 years old
The day has finally come! Five of our libraries (Johnsonville, Cummings Park (Ngaio), Karori, Newtown, and Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie)) are back open to the public, with two more (Arapaki Manners and Wadestown) opening on Monday. Check here for all the details! Although we’re back, things might look a little bit different. Here’s what you can expect to see when you visit one of our libraries during Level 2:
- A security guard or librarian checking people off as they enter. Because we have to be careful about how many people can be in the library at once, we have to tick you off and take your details as you come in. Sometimes this will mean you’ll need to wait a little while to get in — don’t worry, everything we’re doing is to try to keep you and your family safe.
- People keeping far apart. When you’re in the library, you’ll see people trying to keep 2m apart as they make their way through the building picking up books. Please remember to keep inside your bubble at all times, and be patient if you need to wait for someone to leave a shelf before you can leap in and grab the book you want!
- Lots of hand sanitiser! We’re providing a whole bunch of hand sanitiser so everyone can keep clean and safe. Remember, washing your hands often is the best way to kill germs, so make sure you remember to sanitise your hands after touching your face, and before you enter or leave the library.
- No comfy chairs to sit and read in. We want you to keep your visit as short as possible — pop in, grab your books, and head back home so the next person can enter the library. We know it’s very tempting to find somewhere cosy at the library to curl up and read a book, but to help keep everyone safe and happy, please save the reading for when you get home.
- No storytimes or other library activities. During Level 2 of the lockdown, we won’t be able to run any of our regular programmes and activities, like Preschool Storytime, Baby Rock and Rhyme, Let’s Go LEGO, Code Club, or CRAFTerschool in person at the library. We’re still running a bunch of these activities online, so be sure to check out our Facebook page and Family Lockdown Challenge blog posts to join in!
- No big family groups visiting together. Generally, we want to keep groups of people entering the library as small as possible. If you can, look at the library catalogue online, decide what you want, reserve it if you’d like, and send one person from your bubble to the library to collect it. That might not always be possible, which is fine, but just remember to stick inside your bubble if you are visiting the library in a group.
Our librarians are very excited to see you back again — here’s a photo of the staff at Johnsonville Library at Waitohi giving you a wave and a smile! Make sure to give the librarians a big smile and wave back when you see them as well — it will make them very happy!
Come and visit us! We’re happy to be back online.
Smile, Raina Telgemeier
I like it because I know Raina and also because it has lots of drama. And the art is awesome. My favourite part is when she gets her braces removed. I think other kids will like this because it teaches kids to take care of their teeth.
5 stars
Reviewed by Finn from Johnsonville and , 11 years old
Once / Gleitzman, Morris
Every book you read in the ‘Once’ collection has different emotions – that’s what I like about it.
I gave this book 5 stars because once you read Once, you want to keep reading on and on, luckily there is a collection!
I recommend 11-13 year-olds to read this collection because there is some violence because this book is based in the olden days when Hitler demanded to kill all the Jewish – which is extremely awful.
I won’t give too much of the book away – so you can read it yourself!
Enjoy reading!
5 stars
Reviewed by Genevye from Johnsonville and , 9 years old
Wonderstruck : a novel in words and pictures, Brian Selznick
It all starts when Ben’s mum gets in a car crash and he has to live in his cousin’s house.
He decides to run away and look through his mother’s things – that’s when he discovers that he has a dad, which his mum has never spoken about. He decides to look for him.
I thought this novel was extremely fascinating because it includes black & white pictures too.
I also found out that there’s a film about Wonderstruck – which I found out from the internet, is entirely different from the book.
I rate this 5 stars, and I look forward to reading more of Brian Selznick’s books.
5 stars
Reviewed by Genevye from Johnsonville and , 9 years old
The worst book ever, Elise Gravel
This book was just too kids it turns out that this book is a simple story. So really don’t judge this book by its cover. I think that this book is hard for five and six-year-olds to read and can’t be in this competition. This book finishes just before it starts and is not even too funny.
2 stars
Reviewed by Gaurav from Johnsonville and Raroa Normal Intermediate , 11 years old
Wonder, R.J. Palacio
This is book is just out of the stage for this type of competition. I just don’t have any words to describe it. The wonderful writing by RJ Palacio just made it even better. I recommend anyone to read it as is just a normal book to read.
5 stars
Reviewed by Gaurav from Johnsonville and Raroa Normal Intermediate , 11 years old
STEM lab : 25 super cool projects : build, invent, create, discover / Jack Challoner.
STEM Lab was a good book if you like experimenting with stuff. I made the Spaghetti Tower which stayed up for a while. There are other things I would like to try in this book. I would recommend it to people who like trying new things, and if it seems too difficult, get an adult to help you.
3 stars
Reviewed by Lauren from Johnsonville and Churton Park School , 9 years old