Helkats & Hardbacks
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is completely different from the types of books I usually choose to read, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. At first, I definitely jugged the book by its cover, but I am officially apologising to this book, because the inside was so funny and entertaining that it made me laugh a lot. Even though a few of the plot twists were a bit predictable, the book is incredibly well-written, with clever dialogue and great pacing that kept me interested the entire time. It balances ridiculous humour with actual, meaningful situations in a way that surprised me, proving that going for a book I would not normally read was worth it.
Alexandra
Birdie
This book is honestly so good and it hooks you right from the very first page. The story has so much emotional energy that it is completely impossible to put down once you start reading. Every single chapter is full of intense moments and stressful situations that keep you on the edge of your seat, and you cannot help but root for the main character. The author does an amazing job of balancing the really sad, difficult parts with hopeful moments, which makes the plot move really fast. It is a powerful and unforgettable story that completely takes over your attention, and you will definitely want to stay up late just to finish it.
Alexandra
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
The novel Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds breaks away from typical young romance books, in that it presents its teenage male characters as a real person rather than as stereotypical figures. It is told using an innovative countdown format, which begins when the main character Neon experiences extreme anxiety in a bathroom as he is at the 24-second mark to take a big step forward in his relationship with his girlfriend, and then he goes on to show the last two years as the story of their communication and decision-making. It is awesome that the main character, Neon, chooses not to come off as tough but instead shares thoughts and concerns regarding relationships and consent with his parents and sister, the family dynamics are incredibly authentic and funny. It is a quick and engaging read, full of emotions, yet not boring at all, and I would recommend.
Alexandra
Ghostlines
‘Ghostlines’ was an interesting read, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as other books. It is about a girl named Tilda, who lives on the island of Ayrie. One day, a boy named Albie moves to the island and Tilda desperately wants to show him her home that she loves so much. Albie doesn’t seem interested, so Tilda promises to show him the forbidden island that is supposed to be haunted. It follows them as they discover the island and realise that it isn't what it seems to be. This story is focused on friendship and accepting change. I thought the ending was quite underwhelming and some bits of the plot was kind of random but I would recommend this book to readers who like to read touching stories with nature.
Hailey
Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brian. I thought the book was really exciting and I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
It follows the story of a girl called Red, who lives in a village where the woods are forbidden, and the wolves are a threat. But when she makes a big discovery about her and her family, she and her sister Aerona, have to make a plan to protect themselves and the woods.
I liked the varying range of characters, because they are all very different and my favourite character was Red’s sister Aerona, because she wasn’t really a main character at the beginning, but developed into one by the end. The book was really interesting to read, as it was set a while back, when there was still rationing. I would recommend this book to an age range of around 10-15.
If I could change one thing about the book, I would take out the really sad bits. I think that the ending wasn’t as I might have expected and I would definitely change some things about it, but I think that this book was still really good and would I highly recommend it.
Gaia
Ghostlines
Ghostlines is by Katya Balen and a is a really good book. I thought the book was really fun and I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars, as it is perfect length of book and a book that can be enjoyed by a variety of different people.
It follows the story of a girl - Tilda - living on a remote island called Ayrie. Her life is seemingly perfect, except for one name that brings back many painful memories to her – Rowan. When a new boy arrives on the island, she is desperate to show him everything, however, he doesn’t seem to be interested. But Tilda is sure that even he can’t resist a forbidden haunted island.
I liked the way that the book compels you to keep reading and it is impossible to put down. My favourite character was Tilda, because she is always so optimistic and fun, and the book was serious in some parts but funny in others. I enjoyed the fact that it had a happy ending, and I would recommend this book to an age range of about 9-14.
If I could change one thing about the book, I would change the amount of punctuation, because there weren’t many commas, exclamation marks, colons, and no speech marks. I think it would make some parts a bit clearer if there was more punctuation, but overall, I extremely enjoyed the book and would recommend it to all readers.
Gaia
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
A truly unique and bonkers tale of school, injustice, tackling sterotypes and monitor lizards! Zeke is a smart, loyal and brave young lizard whose anger gets the better of him. Him and his pals, Alicia and Daniel, take on the role of hall monitors in a school of weird and whacky animals, but there's one thing in their way… Pelicarnassus, the cruel school bully is out to get Zeke. Will Zeke and his friends keep their hall Monitor sashes? Will Zeke learn how to control his temper? Will the lizards defeat Pelicarnassus once and for all?
Amy
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a lizard nobody, by Patrick Ness is a really good book. Personally, I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars because it is enjoyable and well written but could do with a bit more explaining at some points in the story to make everything a bit clearer.
The book is about a school for animals, mainly focusing on three young monitor lizards – Zeke and his friends Daniel and Alicia – who must work together to defeat the school bully, Pelicarnassus. With the help of their new friend Miel (a hawk), they make a valiant effort to save the school and its inhabitants from a wannabe supervillain pelican.
I really liked the storyline of this book and the facts that some parts are a bit weird and whacky, like the part when the Principal Wombat shields the lizards with his armoured bottom! I like the style that the author writes it in, as there are bits where there are hidden meanings under the words the author had written, so there are lots of different ways of interpreting it. My favourite character was Alicia, because she is always just there in the background, but still manages to do something epic in the awesome parts! The book was very well written, as it incorporated lots of different elements, as there were sad bits, happy bits, and hilarious bits, too. I would recommend this to an age range of around 5-10.
If I could change one thing about this book, I would put a bit more detail into the lives of the main characters, too, like a bit of background so we can understand their actions a bit better, but overall, I thought it was a really good book and would definetly recommend it to all readers.
Gaia
The Boy I Love
‘The Boy I Love’ was an interesting read and very likeable. It follows Stephen, a soldier who returns to the front lines of World War I after an injury. Stephen is Lieutenant and he meets Danny, who he first doesn’t get along with, but eventually likes. It explores Stephen and Danny’s forbidden relationship in the 1900s and the fragile but tender love between them. We see Stephen’s past and how it has brought him to where he is now. It shows the horror of war and the brutal casualties at the front lines. The ending was very moving and emotional after the highlighted danger of their relationship and the cost of the war. I would recommend this book to readers that want to read a story of love and explore historical events.
Hailey
Wolf Siren
‘Wolf Siren’ was such a powerful story. It follows a girl named Red while she navigates through her life, facing challenges such as the discrimination against wolfwomen and the woods. Red’s village thinks that the woods are extremely dangerous but Red has a different point of view. She loves the woods and the wolves that live there. The wolves are said to only attack men and leave women alone. We follow Red as she discovers things about herself, her family and her village. This was an empowering story about feminism and standing up for what Red thinks is right. The ending was quite emotional and made me cry. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a strong and inspirational story.
Hailey
Wolf Siren
I loved this book-it had an enthralling plot line and I never wanted to put it down. It’s about a girl called red who isn’t allowed to go into the woods as they are dangerous, but red is drawn to them and wants to investigate the area where her grandma went missing 3 years ago. I would definitely recommend this book as I think it was written extremely well. I would recommend it to age 9-13 . I rate this book an 8.5/10.
Elsa
Birdie
This book is about an orphan called birdie who after living in an orphanage since she was a baby, goes through a massive change and the one thing keeping her going is Mr duke, a horse she found in an old mine. I found this book good but I lost interest towards the end of the book as the plot didn’t go anywhere for ages and it only picked up again in the last chapter. I wouldn’t recommend this book unless someone has asked me especially for recommendations on books such as this. I would rate this book an 8+ as it doesn’t explore any adult themes and has a relatively easy plot line to follow. However I do love the friendship birdie formed with her pony.
Elsa
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds from now
I think this book was really well written and it is probably in my top 3 books! I loved the style and thought it was a great plot! I did think there were some bits of it that were written for a bit too long (eg when Neon is talking to his sister 24 hours before) but overall I loved how it was written and the little side plots! I would rate this a 12+ because although it is based on more adult topics, the book doesn’t talk about them too much. The book begins when Neon and his girlfriend, Arya, are about to have a big milestone in their relationship of two years and Neon is in the bathroom preparing himself. It then goes to 24 minutes before where Neon is getting ready to leave work for Arya’s house. It then rewinds to 24 hours before, 24 weeks before and then finally 24 months earlier, when Arya and Neon first met.
Naomi
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I liked this book a lot and the way it was written was very clever, however I think the end didn’t reach up to my expectations as the way it was written implied a big plot twist at the end however there wasn’t one which I found quite disappointing. I loved all the characters especially Gammy. I might recommend this book to someone who I know and therefore know their reading style but not to someone who doesn’t like complicated plot lines. I would give this book a 7/10
Elsa
Popcorn
I really enjoyed this book. And I think it explored some serious topics but it was really fun to read. I think Andrew is a very relatable character and I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family. It has a plot line that is relatively easy to follow so is an easier read for younger readers but it was still a very enthralling. I would say it is aimed for around 9-13 year olds. I liked the short chapters as I felt it made it easier to read. The main plot line is about a school boy called Andrew he struggles from OCD and anxiety, I think this would be relatable for people also going through that and I would rate it an 8/10.
Elsa
Birdie
This is one of the most recent books I have read and I would say that while I thought that some bits were good, I think that the book as a whole has definitely not been my favourite one yet. I thought it got a lot better towards the end, especially in the last 75 pages or so as I thought the plot got more exciting, but it took quite a while for me to start enjoying the book properly. I would recommend this book to children 6+. The plot follows a girl called birdie who had just left an orphanage to go and live with her aunt and uncle, the Winterbottoms, but soon begins to think that she is not wanted there because of her skin colour. One day she goes down a coal mine and meets a horse, Mr Duke. She becomes emotionally attached to him and promises to never leave him. However, she goes home and is heartbroken to find that the coal mines are dangerous and she is not allowed back down there. This plot then continues around this and develops throughout the book.
Naomi
Not Going To Plan
I thought this was a great book. I think it explored both serious matters but also contained humor as well, I really enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend it to friends. It moved at a good pace and I liked how it was written, especially the verse. Although I didn’t like reading about the topic of teenage pregnancy,I think for someone who was interested in that topic, it would be very informative. I would recommend this for ages 12-16 but for advanced 11 year olds as well.
Elsa
Ghostlines
I found that Ghostlines was a bit difficult to get gripped to, and it was quite easy to predict what was going to happen. Although the characters were interesting and there was a sweet friendship, in parts of the story, I felt confused whether the main character’s, Tilda’s, brother had died or had left them and some events that took place felt boring and not connected to the plot. Perhaps if there was a deeper dive into Tilda’s brother or more of a backstory for the characters, they would feel easier to relate to. I also disliked how the description seemed to not have any grammar - some sentences were too long and you wouldn’t be able to say them out loud in one breath because there were no commas - and the dialogue was all in italics, like the whole story was just in Tilda’s head. So, I rate Ghostlines a 5/10.
Mae
Not Going To Plan
Not going to plan – By Tia fisher
This book most certainly does what it says on the cover as Marnie and Zed’s lives are definitely NOT going to plan! These teens could not be more different but in an unlikely meeting, the nerdy boy with Pikachu earmuffs and the rebellious girl getting expelled form a deep and powerful friendship. Written in verse, the novel conveys the pairs friendship whilst also diving into deeper issues like consent, harassment and respect. With all the drama and buzz at Downham high will Marnie and Zed find their place and finally get things going to plan?
Amy
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
‘Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody’ was an enjoyable read and I really liked it. It follows Zeke, a monitor lizard, as he is forced to face his fears, including a bully that was a pelican, named Pelicarnassus. It is especially quirky as all the characters are animals, which makes it wacky and fun. This book never failed to make me laugh, especially with its eccentric plotlines, like France being on Zeke’s knee. Although it is slightly bonkers, it dives into mental health and other themes, such as friendship and bullying. It explores violence and intimidation and how Zeke deals with it among other things. The metaphor of the black dog is particularly useful, representing depression. Zeke also has wonderful friends, Daniel and Alicia. They stand up for him against the bullies and stay by his side until the end. The end of the book is especially hectic and total chaos, which was an exciting and hilarious read. I would recommend this book if you want a good laugh and an imaginative story.
Hailey
Popcorn
Popcorn
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was very well written and engaging and was definitely one of my favourites I have read so far. I really learnt to connect with the main character, Andrew, and definitely felt extremely sorry for him more than I would like to say. I thought it was a very good idea of the author (Rob Harrell) to integrate the real world ideas and truths of anxiety and mental health, as it made you think more about it but you didn’t really realise it was written to explore subjects like these instead of just a fun book that could be enjoyed by many which I thought made it even better as a book. I would recommend it to people age ranged 7-14. The plot line follows Andrew on his journey through school picture day where everything seems to go wrong, integrating bits of other plot lines ie his therapy sessions, until eventually at the end where he finally gets his school photo. It is very well written and I loved reading it, overall an amazing book.
Naomi
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The first thing to say is that the storyline of The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody may not be for everyone. I read this book and personally thought that it was an excellent choice for a Carnegie, however it may be better in a younger age category. I thought the plot line was a bit far-fetched but if you decided to just go along with it you realise it is actually quite enjoyable. I think there may have been some bits that confused me such as France on Zeke’s knee but that did get explained to me eventually in the book so I understand that well now! The plot follows three monitor lizards Zeke, Daniel and Alicia who have recently become hall monitors until Zeke punches the school bully and gets his responsibilities revoked. The book then follows how they befriend a hawk and escape the bully’s evil plans to ruin them. Overall I would say that this is an enjoyable book but definitely one to be read with an open mind!
Naomi
Popcorn
Although Popcorn was fun and included illustrations, it explored anxiety and bullying which adds some depth. However, I didn’t really understand if the plot of making sure Andrew’s, the main character’s, photo for picture day was perfect was very clear. Nonetheless, the events that took place in his day were quite dramatic and kept you wanting to read more. I found how Andrew described anxiety as a corn kernel heating up to popcorn quite interesting, and his ‘Anxiety Files’ were another intriguing way of him expressing his mental health in a “funny-ish” way, as he said himself. I liked the character profiles at the start of some of the chapters, too, as it gave a picture of the people described which was helpful. I did enjoy lots of this book, but I feel like the plot wasn’t very strong and how his shirt kept getting ruined a bit repetitive, so I rate Popcorn a 6/10.
Mae
Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien is a powerful novel set in a small village surrounded by a forest. It follows Red, a girl who loves the forest and everything inside it. It includes many of the same themes and significant things as Little Red Riding Hood.
The Village got famous for hunting the wolves inside the forest, but then they fought back. Wolf attacks kept happening to the point where they had to stop going into the forest altogether. They only attacked men though, this meant that women had to be the village woodchopper and the person standing watch in the watchtower. Red goes into the forest all the time, but is told by her mother that because men couldn’t go into the forest girls and women had to pretend they couldn’t either. Despite this, Red kept going in and she met her grandmother who had dissapeared when Red’s mother was just older then Red. Meeting her grandmother revealed something Red’s mother never wanted her to know.
I really enjoyed this book because along with it being a great story, it is also a very powerful feminine novel. In the village, girls are expected to hide their period and not go into the woods because men think that womens’ problems are impolite at best and disgusting at worst.
The main themes shown in this book are identity and connection to the environment. Througout the whole book, it hints at little red riding hood.
I would recomend this book to anyone ages ten to fifteen, especialy to girls. I think everyone who reads it will enjoy it.
Greta
The Boy I Love
The boy I Love by William Hussey is set in World War 1 where a boy called Stephen finds love in the horrors of the trenches and must keep his feelings hidden from his fellow soldiers.
Stephen never wanted to go to war but was sent by his father to make him stop loving other boys and to be more manly. The boy he loves, Michael follows him into war because of his love and loyalty to him. Tragedy strikes when Michael dies in the war. When Stephen is sent back out to the Somme he meets a boy called Danny and falls in love with him. He must hide his feelings from his fellow soldiers while also working hard to keep Danny safe in the long and tiring war.
The main themes in this book are World War 1 and the difficulties gay people faced in those days. It is about finding love in the horrors of the trenches and hiding it from everybody else.
I enjoyed this book not only because it is an amazing story but because it also told me about some of the things that happened in World War 1. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a bit of history and some romance. Overall, I think The Boy I Love is a brilliant book that is informing about how much gay people in the olden days had to hide but also about World War 1 and what happened in France and the Battle of the Somme.
Greta
Not Going To Plan
Not going to plan by Tia Fisher is a book about a teenage girl facing difficult decisions in life. She needs to learn who to trust and who to turn to for support and ultimately to have the confidence to choose for herself.
Marnie is doing her GCSEs when she gets kicked out of her private school and must go to a local public school where she meets Zed. Zed is brilliant at physics so makes a deal with Marnie to teach her physics if she teaches him Spanish. When an unlikely friendship forms, Marnie convinces Zed to go to Harry’s party. She ends up having sex with Harry, who assures her he is wearing a condom. This turns out to be not true and Marnie ends up pregnant. She now faces a difficult choice and finds out who will be by her side whatever happens.
This book covers difficult themes including abortion, consent and a person’s right to make decisions for themselves about their own body. There is also true friendship and the unquestioning love of a mother.
The book is written in verse and the first-person changes from Zed to Marnie showing their different views on what is happening. I liked this style of writing, and it helped me to understand the characters better.
I found some of the themes challenging but I enjoyed reading the book. I would recommend this book to teenagers who want to consider these issues.
Greta
Not Going To Plan
Not going to plan: Tia Fisher
Not going to plan is a powerful young adult book written in verse and focuses on serious teenage issues but in a very clear and appropriate way.
The story focuses on Marnie, a girl who is forced to leave her private school due to her rebellious personality. She stars afresh at a new school and meets Zed. A complete opposite of Marnie; he is clever and sensible. They begin to help each other with school work but after a party, everything changes for Marnie. She is left alone to deal with her consequences. Or is she? No she isn’t. Zed and her friends help her through tough times and sad times. The book is filled with different topics such as relationships and responsibility. Overall, Not Going to Plan is an engaging and important read, especially for older teens. It raises awareness of serious issues while still telling a compelling story about friendship and growing up. This book left me with the message that great friends will always be there to help no matter the circumstances.
Maggie
Birdie
Birdie by J.P Rose is a fascinating historic novel evolving around the life in a mining village and delves deep into animal use in the mines. The story comes from the point of view of Birdie Bagshaw , a trailblazer of a girl who moves to her aunts house after living in a children’s home most of her life. She hopes for a new start but instead faces unkind behaviour because of how she looks. Birdie doesn’t initially understand why people treat her differently, which makes the discrimination she faces even more upsetting for the reader. However, the novel balances these difficult themes with hope and resilience. She is brave, kindhearted and pure joy. After venturing into the old mine shaft, she comes across the most extraordinary thing. A beautiful horse. A pit pony She develops a close friendship with him and names him Mr Duke. Their relationship is filled with beautiful mischief. Their connection grows stronger and is a source of comfort even when Mr Dukes future is threatened. The book is written very clearly and the historical writing is really well written. I loved this book because I believe it really centres on that you can find friendship and kindness anywhere, even in the most unusual places. The story is a very memorable one and leaves happy lasting impacts.
Maggie
Popcorn
‘Popcorn’ by Rob Harrell is revolved around Andrew and the growing ‘kernel’ in his stomach. Picture Day has arrived and Andrew desperately wants to take a good picture for his mum. The book follows Andrew as he navigates through the day, with disasters happening left and right, and his anxiety growing. This book represents a lot of deep themes, including OCD, bullying and panic attacks. I especially liked the clever way Rob Harrell used to portray anxiety, with the ‘kernel’ in Andrew’s stomach and the way it grew closer to popping every time something dreadful happened. The representation of the themes in this book is immensely accurate: how panic attacks feel, the coping strategies and how challenging it can be to deal with Alzheimer’s. Despite these deep themes, the book manages to be funny and entertaining. The combination of the humour and mature themes balance the story really well and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about deep themes in a relatable and funny way.
Hailey
Birdie
If you like stories about heroines challenging racism, untold truths and the hidden resilience of pit-ponies and an old English setting (that also includes old language like "thee" or "thou") to fascinate your imagination with, then Birdie is definitely your cup of tea with a slice of parkin cake. I love how Birdie, the protagonist, fights the stereotypes of her forced new life in the fictional 'Barrington Dale' and has to persevere when she is treated with disrespect for how she looks, for example when a group of boys bully her in only her first few days of arrival, saying, "look at the state of thy hair" or "does your colour wash off?" And other racist comments like these which made me so furious at the characters, sometimes I didn’t even want to read any more! This is such an empowering book about a topic that also links to schoolwork, and it is good to find an interesting story that delves into untold details about England's coal mining history. Furthermore, I adore how J.P. Rose included an extra 'History Note' at the end to show how the book Birdie was based off of true stories, including some of her own. So, I rate Birdie 8/10!
Mae
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Although The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody might be aimed at a younger age group and is a funny story including animal characters (for example, a pelican bully with egret sidekicks!) and cartoon illustrations, there is a hidden subtext which elevates the whole story into a deeper meaning. Some parts of this book are really quite strange and definitely fictional - like how the main character, Zeke, has the actual country of France located on his knee! - but other sections of the story can relate to thousands of people across the world. An example of this is how Zeke gets on the bus to school from the ‘poorer part of town’ leading to many students picking on him because of his economic background, or how he is socially separated from other groups because he is a monitor lizard (shown in the first few chapters when he comments on his principal’s choosing of the Hall Monitors, “I still think it’s because we’re monitor lizards”). Overall, I really enjoyed this book and like how the author, Ness, has crafted it, making it suitable for young children and older readers. I rate The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody 6/10!
Mae
Birdie
Birdie by J. P. Rose is a wholesome and sad story that follows an orphan girl left by her Mother in a patch of turnips. She grew up in a children’s home in Leeds before moving to Barrington Dale to live with her great aunt Mabel.
Birdie was left outside a church when she was a baby in a patch of turnips. She lived in a children’s home and went to school there. One day her great aunt said she wanted her so she moved to the Yorkshire dales to live with her. Her aunt is surprised by something about her but she won't tell Birdie what it is. She even refuses to let Birdie call her aunt. Birdie goes to school there, but is unfairly treated by the teacher, Miss Hartley, so she runs away. Birdie finds herself in the nearby coal mine and lost, when she meets a kind and gentle pit pony, who leads her back to the lift where she goes back up to the top. Despite her aunt’s warnings, Birdie finds herself coming back to see the pony in the mine and feeding him grass from the surface.
Some themes in this book are, family and racism. This is shown when the whole Village of Barrington Dale doesn’t accept Birdie because of her race. She has many hardships because of what she looked like even though she is a kind hearted and loving girl. Even her family didn’t accept her as their relative when Mrs Winterbottom refused to let Birdie call her aunt Mabel. Reverend Hepplewaite and her uncle Walter were friendly and welcoming to her and were kind when others were mean.
I loved this book and it is my favourite book so far! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves wholesome stories and who likes to be challenged by the books they read
Greta
Ghostlines
Ghostlines by katya balen is set on a small island called Ayrie. No one ever moves to Ayrie so when two people stepped off the boat and on to the island, the news spread fast. Tilda tries to help the new boy settle in but it doesn’t work, she has to try something else.
Every year when it’s puffin season, loads of visitors come to Ayrie. One day, at the end of puffin season, two people step off the boat instead of getting on the boat with the other visitors. They are a mother and a son. The boy is called Albie and he has a lot of trouble thinking of the island as home. A inslander called Tilda tries her best to show Albie around and to help him settle in, but he doesn’t want to. Albie misses his friends on the mainland so he refuses to settle in on the island. Tilda has an idea that her parents wouldn’t agree with, but it’s the only way to help Albie think of the island as home, she takes him to the haunted island that no one has been to in years.
The main themes shown in this are friendship, nature and home. This is shown when Tilda tries her best to make Albie feel at home, even when Albie isn’t interested. Tilda doesn’t give up on Albie and that is what a real friend would do. Tilda also did all this when she didn’t know Albie that well. After Albie had been there for a while, Ayrie formed three mini football teams because Albie missed the football on the mainland. This shows how much the island changed for and because of Albie. Another idea formed in the book Ghostlines is family. This is because even though he left for the mainland for a job and never looked back, Rowan came back when it mattered most for his family and to save his sister.
I liked the book because it was an adventure book that included the idea of home and settling into a new place. I would recommend this book to anyone ages nine to fourteen who like adventure stories.
Greta
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
An amazing book! Filled with laughter and fun this is the perfect book. Follow the story of Zeke and friends -Daniel and Alicia- through their highs and lows. In the end will Zeke be able to defeat Pelicarnassus?
Melissa
Popcorn
Popcorn is a book about a middle school boy in America facing challenges including anxiety, a grandma with Alzheimer's and a bully. It describes his emotions, thoughts and tells us how he is really feeling about the problems he faces.
Rob Harrel starts the book by introducing us to Andrew Yaeger; a boy struggling with anxiety, Susan; Andrew’s hard working mother intent on not losing her brand new job, and his grandma called G who has had Alzheimer's for a year and a half. These characters face various problems throughout the book like financial difficulties. G often forgets who Andrew and his mum are and Andrew has to sleep in the kitchen because G sleeps in his room.
The day the book describes is school photo day and Andrew is trying to keep as neat as possible for his mum. Unfortunately, after a bully rips the collar off his shirt, he gets hit in the face with a basketball and a science experiment explodes in his face, Andrew doesn’t think the day can get any worse. That’s when he gets a call saying that G has gone missing.
The book focuses on Andrew’s difficulties with anxiety and how he accepts help from the adults around him. This is a theme that many children will relate to today.
I really enjoyed this book because it tackles important themes in a relatable way. It made me laugh and cry at different times. I also liked the layout of the book where some pages would be handwritten extracts from his diary. I would recommend this book to anyone 10 or over who likes to be challenged by what they read but in an enjoyable way.
Greta
Wolf Siren
If you like adventures, forests and nature, girl power and mysteries then Wolf Siren is definitely for you. I found this book very inspiring because there are often wise words in some of the dialogue, for example when the main character’s (Red’s) grandmother says, “We do not need to be frightened of something working so hard to survive.” This shows that we don’t always need to intervene or attack if something seems to scare us but simply let it defend itself if necessary. I also like how this amazingly reimagined story of the fairytale ‘Red Riding Hood’ has a visually impaired teenage girl who is based on the wonderful author as the protagonist who just wants to be herself, protect her family and friends and find peace in the enchanting wood beyond her village. Another thing that I love about Wolf Siren is that it includes many genres and characters with lots of detail and backstories, helping to keep the reader always engaged. I would say that this book is aimed at readers aged 10-13 because it includes some violent or emotional scenes, but it’s also interesting to read about Red transforming into her wolf self, which really makes you think about animal welfare when characters try to hurt her. I rate Wolf Siren 10/10!
Mae
Greta