Norwich School Carnegie Shadowers

Popcorn
‘Popcorn’ is a heartfelt book following Andrew Yeager, a twelve-year-old boy navigating the pressures of modern-day school life. It explores the challenges of bullying, perfectionism and (of course) anxiety. Rob Harrell does an exceptional job of representing Andrew's experiences and helping the reader empathise with his struggles by using popcorn as an analogy of his building anxiety. Slowly turning the heat up until… BAM! He explodes! However, the slapstick humour, constant flem, bile or snot drawn on the pages and overly ‘relatable’ representation of Andrew who has the dialogue of a Gen X dad trying desperately to fit in with his son's friends. Although perhaps this is too harsh as Andrew also appears to suffer from social anxiety therefore are purposely cringe. Above all, ‘Popcorn’ covers an important topic that is extremely underrepresented in the media for boys so (despite the writing style being slightly disappointing) it is a memorable read.

Katherine

Stealing Happy
I really enjoyed reading Stealing Happy because it represented neurodiversity well and covered a variety of topics and showed them all well. It was a good book overall, but it had an extremely ambiguous ending. Firstly, it showed a variety of topics such as neurodiversity, poverty and many others. I enjoyed the development of Sonny, and it was written well from his perspective. It represented his situation really well. One problem I had with it though was that the ending was not clear. Despite Chick Lenon being arrested it did not show how or why. Although it could have been a good ending instead it just faded out. The robbery was not done well despite all the planning and could have been written better. Overall, I though it was a well written book which covered several topics and was an enjoyable book to read despite the ambiguous ending.

Max

Black Star
I liked how the book's racism part of history is true and how it effects black peoples lives. But I didn't like the story line. I liked how the character Charley was brave and had immense courage when playing against cool Willy Green in the finale. One part which made me sad was when Cool Willey Green betrayed Charley. The church was interesting to say the least with two separate people leading the service. The end was deeply depressing as both their fathers perished in the fire and them being forced migration to Canada. Overall the book was ok.

Macsen

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I really liked reading this book about a lizard called Zeke, who is constantly being threatened by his school’s bully - the pelican. The pelican perfectly fits to this role because of his advantages like being able to fly or being one of the strongest birds. Yet as Zeke grows taller then the pelican, one of his friends, Miel (surprisingly a bird as well!) - brings in the irony of ‘one tyrant being stronger then another’. This book is heart-warming and it shows how great it is when you have got friends. It has got a bit of fantasy to it as well- when towards the end, the pelican builds a giant robot thing and destroys the school; The concept of animals and birds going to school is itself, a fantasy! Also the pelican as a bully, he feels like he is not a natural bully because he just seems to be so childish. I think this story flows really well and the pictures match the words really nicely. Overall, I would rate this book 9.5/10.

Irynei

The Spick and the Span
I enjoyed reading The Spick and The Span. In the book, set in the imaginary, magic-filled, city of Helm, a young dwarf cleaner named Ward, attempts to join the league of cleaners. However, along the way he is faced with many tricky challenges such as an outbreak of world-eating monsters called Nix’s, and three near impossible tasks to complete. It is a fun and enjoyable book with a fairly clear plotline, although at some points it drifts a little. It dealt with a variety of real-world problems such as parental abandonment and displacement in an engaging and empathetic way. The world-building is excellent, and the characters are mostly well imagined, although they can at times be a little bland and uninteresting. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable book to read.

Owen

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander is a book about a young girl that wants to become the first female pitcher, it is a fast paced book because its written as a poem and there are loads of mini chapters, the pace slows sometimes because of nana Kofi’s story that take up many pages throughout the book. I find this book very inspiring because Charley doesn't give up on becoming a female pitcher even if she gets told she wont be one. It is also quite sad as Charley has to move away from her house because of a fight with the white boys, this slows down her dreams because of the threats that are made about her race but, this does not stop her from being determined to become a pitcher. The first pages make me want to keep reading because you are left with little information and you want to keep reading about her baseball career and see where she ends up because it seems she is very determined.

Charles

The Spick and the Span
I really enjoyed The Spick and The Span. A major event occurred quickly in the plot (Nessus being taken by the Nix). It frequently had interesting adventures and tricky problems that the team had to face. The magical fantasy genre of the book provided endless potential story lines and loads of creativity, like when magic starts to build up, creating new and interesting monsters or objects. I also like the world that it was set in. The different parts of the city demonstrated how the poor struggle compared to the rich when it comes to stopping the magical problems. This was also demonstrated by the differences between the cleaners and the magicians - the cleaners clearing up the magicians' mess. Friendship and teamwork was a strong theme in the book. The plot demonstrated what you can achieve when you work as a team. The characters rely on each other's attributes rather than using their own anti-magic repellents. The book is inclusive. It shows a big range of characters with different genders and sexual orientations, as well as neuro-diverse characters. The visual appearance of characters is also diverse and inclusive. This can help a LGBTQ+ reader feel more relatable to the characters and have a more comfortable read. I like Ward as a character as he has similar personality characteristics to me, so I can relate to his decisions and how he thinks. I also like his efficient style of cleaning up the magicians' mess which makes him an interesting character. I also like Magda because she faces all the struggles of being removed from her home, so she has an interesting back story and it is sad to see her struggle to return home.

Bruno

Black Star
The Black Star is a fantastic book written by Kwame Alexander. The book features aspects such as racism and discrimination towards Charley, which the story makes us aware about as we read more, the book also shows how resilient and hardworking Charley is throughout the book, due to her challenging her bully at a baseball game. I really enjoyed reading this book because of its short sentences and not to much dialogue which I liked. My favourite character would have to be her grandfather Kofi because of his imagination and stories he tells her, becasue he wants her to know the truth her parents have been protecting her from. The author makes the reader think that America in 1900’s was a very unfriendly and racist country, due to how the white people ignored and looked down at Charley because of her race and how they didn’t believe she would ever be a professional baseball player.

Edward

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
The book “When it’s your turn for Midnight” is a book that holds deep emotions and intensity. I feel as if that the characters were not introduced as well as they could have been. This is because often as I was reading, I found myself wondering who was who. Apart from that the book is really interesting thought provoking ideas and has lots of strong thoughts about “girl power.” Overall, I enjoyed this book and the themes tied into it too.

Bella

Popcorn
I found this book really interesting because it gave me a new view on how people with anxiety and who might have panic attacks experience life. I never truly knew how different is it for others to go through life and be reading this book I feel that I now have a much better understanding. My favourite part in the book is when Andrew is talking to his teacher about what makes life difficult for him at home and how he finally meets someone who understands him and who can help him.

Ruan

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I enjoyed the Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody however I found it a bit confusing other than this it was quite an easy, nice read with morals and lessons. Zeke learns to stand up for himself and shows courage. It's a book about friendship and overcoming obstacles.

Freddie

Popcorn
I thought the book “Popcorn” started off quite funny although it was a bit slow to begin with as well. I thought the storyline became more tense and serious, as it went along. The story is about a boy called Andrew who watched horror movies and is nervous about school picture day. At the beginning, everything felt normal and quite light, but things quickly went wrong and the situation became quite stressful for Andrew. Andrew has a lot to deal with in the book and I found him to be is a believable character because he reacted in a realistic way when things got difficult. He felt scared and confused, which made it easy to understand him. The other characters also added to the tension and helped show how quickly events can get out of control. I also found the illustrations added extra detail and helped to show the emotions of the characters.

Freddie

Wolf Siren
I liked the book Wolf Siren because in the beginning of the book I liked how the grandmother was kind of mysterious and disappeared and also how the forest is made as dangerous. I also like how she has wolves alongside her and she gets abilities. But the key part I really enjoyed was when Red was trying to protect her sister so she doesn't reveal their hidden powers. I also found the ending quite interesting because even though Red's sister died, she ends up revealing the mayor's lies and the truth about wolves and changes the village.

Gabriel

Stealing Happy
Stealing Happy was a very interesting book with many ups and downs, cleverly crafted by the author, who uses humour to pull the reader out of a pit, though it can also put the reader back in one as the story progresses. The character development was great as he had to overcome struggles such as his dad having long Covid and his mom being in debt. The story highlights real world struggles like long Covid and neurodiversity very well. The trio of friends decide to rob a loan shark. Sonny's motivation is to pull his parents out of debt, showing how poverty can force good people to make bad choices to survive.

Thor

Popcorn
Popcorn starts by introducing the main character, a shy and anxious boy called Andrew, Andrew’s grandma has dementia so she is beginning to lose her memories and Andrew is finding this hard to take. It is school picture day so Andrew only has 1 job, keep clean for the photo, however a series of events such as a ketchup bomb, a experiment gone wrong and a chance encounter with a basketball, makes Andrew anything but clean. To add to the pressure Andrews grandma goes missing so Andrew gets incredibly anxious and has a anxiety attack because he is worried about his grandma. I think this is a really good book and a nice quick read, I like the way the author seems to know what all the pressures of school feel like and the use of a anxiety scale with popcorn makes the book light hearted and very funny.

Billy

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span was a delight to read full of spellbinding plots, and a real action packed read. The character of Magda was a personal favourite showing talent and hard work despite being from another realm. Although I thought it was a great read, I found the introduction of certain concepts not fully explained, this is demonstrated at the start by something called a nix which on that moment puzzled me of what was happening. I found the outcome of the book rather imaginative which was a common trend shown throughout the whole book. I was also rather fond of the pace of the book moving swiftly and as I have said I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it for younger readers who prefer slightly more mature reading. Thank you for reading.

Emi

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a fantastic book about a monitor lizard who is categorised into being a hall monitor because he is a MONITOR lizard, and his daily life at school, as he faces having to deal with an evil pelican as a bully and having the whole of France on his knee! The book goes through what it’s like to be seen as someone who isn’t treated with enough respect and also a little bit of approval which is needed for the main character, Zeke. Zeke also is seen as a good character because he is friends with another monitor lizard who has ADHD, and he deals with his friends differences in a very understanding way, helping to guide others on how to react to his actions in appropriate ways. Zeke also has a friend who is blind and Zeke helps him through school life as well. I would recommend this book for beginner readers because it has a decent amount of writing but also pictures to keep the reader intrigued and laughing all the way through.

Ben

Wolf Siren
I actually quite enjoyed Wolf Siren, it wasn’t my all time favourite book and I did think at times that it lacked a bit of excitement for my taste as even though there was a great plot I love a really strong plot twist. Admittedly there were a few like when it’s revealed to Red that her grandmother can turn into a wolf, but even something like that just seemed a bit predictable to me. I would have enjoyed the book if there was a bit more pizzaz or excitement or more use of the magic that allows Red to communicate with the trees. However despite these drawbacks I did still enjoy the book enough for me to want to read the rest of it to see how it ends, which to me means it was a good book. The only thing it lacked was plot twists and a bit more excitability, otherwise it was a good book with good characters, a nice story and a pretty good plot.

Rafferty

Wolf Siren
I enjoyed Wolf Siren, it was an interesting plot and I felt Red's loss when Aerona was shot by a crossbow. It was sad when she was thought to be a witch. I was surprised when Red turned into a wolf the first time. I was also angry with the mayor when he punished Red's family; this was unjust. The gothic fantasy that is based of red riding hood is a interesting theme. The author, who is visually impaired, makes Red visually impaired so that she would be independent. It is interesting that the author uses a visually impaired teenager to break the rules of the village and release special powers which she uses to protect her loved ones and the environment. To improve the reader's experience I would like to see more information on the characters in the story. For example, why is Red such a rule breaker? Is her personality driven by trauma in her past or is she influenced more by her mother? I would recommend this text to boys and girls around the age of 12 to 16 as it examines rebellion in an interesting way.

Reuben

Popcorn
Popcorn- Rob Harrell Popcorn was a very easy book to read however it wasn’t really my style of book or what I would normally pickup of the shelf, but the book was very good! Popcorn is all about a boy called Andrew and about his anxiety and how he tries manage it, in the book it shows you his anxiety level picture and his tips on how to keep relaxed like breathing techniques. This book is all packed into one wild day at school. All he needs is a good school photo but everything is going wrong for him! This book was very good but also realistic at times. I thought it was really good!

alice

Popcorn
The book Popcorn is about a boy named Andrew who quite bad anxiety, which he calls his popcorn anxiety. The story is only one crazy day at school where everything goes wrong. I like Andrew because he feels like a real person. The drawings are really funny and they help make the book easier to read. It has a lot of drama but it also made me laugh in my head. There wasn't really anything I disliked, but it does wrap up pretty fast at the end. I would recommend it to people maybe aged 10-12 as it had some serious contents but also lots of comedy. It was worth the time it took to read in my opinion.

Ryan

Stealing Happy
For my second book I read Stealing Happy. Personally I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I felt that it took a long time to actually get the book going, which meant that it was quite a boring read. I also think that a lot of the chapters weren’t really relevant to the story's plot and it took a while to introduce the characters. I felt like I couldn’t really connect to the characters and the writing didn’t really make me feel anything to the characters, but I did like how Carolina was portrayed as the smart one in the story; how the book introduced themes like poverty and disabilities like Tourette’s syndrome; how the ending ended on a happy note and how his family was well and happy. At some points, it was funny when Sonny shouted out some things like “ ROB CHICK LENNON” but also felt sorry for him. Overall, I felt like although there were some good bits about the book it wasn’t very memorable and the characters also weren’t well described to make me connect with them.

Bea

The Spick and the Span
I thought that the book Spick and the Span, by Pil Van Martin was quite a good read. This is because it is funny and faced paced, which definitely makes it appeal to readers who like a light hearted book. However, I found that the plot of the story is quite average, and a little boring in parts. I think the author also created some good characters, and some good friendships that develop throughout the book, for example between Ward and Magda. I think the subtle use of identities that are less often written about, for example transgender characters, in this book like Jezebel, worked well in this story, and the author did not make it a main factor of the book. The fact that the book was a bit childish did not appeal to me very much, however I can see how people that are younger than me, or enjoy a lighter read could certainly love this book. So overall, I thought the book was a good read, but not necessarily one of my favourites.

Lucy

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Lizard Nobody is a thoughtful and engaging book, with certain themes such as identity and belonging. At first I would say the lizard is overlooked, which is making the readers sympathise with his emotions. As time goes on in the book, the character gradually that to be different is not bad, but great. This book is so enjoyable, by this message being presented so powerfully. I would say this book is amazing for a younger audience, with some of the certain themes within it. The writer effectively uses the lizards experiences to teach important lessons about determination and kindness, with the book being quite easy to read it can be read by a wide range of readers. My overall opinion on the book is I think it is great how inspiring and encouraging the book is teaching young people great lessons on determination and being different is not a weakness but a strength.The only downfall of this book to me was sometimes in certain areas it was not as engaging, I thought the book was great to read and I really like the layout and the writing style. I would really recommend this book.

Sebastian

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I loved the book. It was all about a lizard trying to stop a pelican and the lizards being hall monitors. It is for all audiences and it has very nice illustrations and I think it is very creative when the writer put France on Zeki’s knee and it makes its funny. Overall I love the book and its is great read for all.

Jacob

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander Overall, I thought this book was very good. I thought the way the author used the themes was extremely clever (themes include family, history and racism) and it helped me to understand what went on in the past regarding racism. I really enjoyed the writing style of it being poetry, although sometimes this made it hard to tell what was going on in moments. This would be one of the things I would change and improve but most of all, it was clear what was going on, which I found very impressive. The author used a range of poetry styles, for example a haiku. I would really recommend this book to people who are keen to learn about the past without feeling like they are going to get bored. My favourite character was Charley as no matter what, she kept trying which was very motivating.

Florence

Popcorn
I think that it is a really good book to show challenges when having anxiety but shows the collaboration that can be used to overcome the problems. with anxiety and if someone did have it that it shows methods to help which I find a very useful thing having the different perspectives and different levels that can be experienced with anxiety. I think if somebody has that perspective and you can see somebody facing similar conditions then you kind feel for them and then you can help them overcome their struggles making it a pointer for what people with anxiety go with with a plot twist with the grandma going missing also showing the problems with memory loss. Overall a great book and has a light pointer to show about anxiety.

Harry

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span review The Spick and the Span is a very enjoyable and fun book that keeps your attention throughout the book. The book follows a young character named ward and his team of trainee cleaners. As the book goes on they have to deal with weird creatures and magical problems. Phil van Martin makes the character easy to remember by giving them completely different backgrounds and personalities which helps to make the book better and more enjoyable to read. The only thing that I think could be improved it how the book is a bit confusing as a the story gets a bit cramped.

William

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Zeke and his friends are hall monitors until Pelicarnassus the antagonist in the story provoked Zeke causing a fight between them. Unfortunately principle Wombat saw the fight costing Zeke his hall monitor sash. Zeke was very upset after that although Zeke saw a new kid called Miel he was a blind hawk. Daniel , Alicia and Zeke wanted to befriend him to help defeat the school bully Pelicarnassus. Pelicarnassus was a wannabe supervillain and he wanted to invade France in Zeke' s knee for revenge after Zeke hit him. The next day Pelicarnassus brought a giant robot to school to try to destroy Zeke and his friends. Carelessly, Pelicarnassus destroyed the whole school to try to kill Zeke. Fortunately the monitor sashes had powers and Alicia and Daniel defeated Pelicarnassus. I loved that the characters were animals because it made the book more different and interesting also more enjoyable to read. I didn't like that the book was short because this book is one of my top 10 favourites. In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone to read because it is interesting and family friendly.

karol

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I was first drawn to the book Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness because of its front cover. The colours of the cover were bold, the illustrations looked chaotic and funny which gave me the impression that the story was going to be silly, full of mischief and bonkers. I was not proven wrong. We are introduced early on to its main characters, our heroes; Zeke, (who has the country France on his leg, yes the actual country) Alicia, Daniel (who are all lizards) and a supervillain named Pelicarnassus, who would you believe is a Pelican! The story begins with the three heroes becoming hall monitors for their school. This is a great privilege and one the heroes have been working towards. It is when the three heroes become hall monitors that we are introduced to the school bully Pelicarnassus. Our hall monitors, the heroes, work together to confront Pelicarnassus. The book suggests that friends can help you find your voice and stand up for what’s right and that when friends support each other, bullies lose their power. Which draws me on to my favourite part of the story, when Zeke stands up to Pelicarnassus. The story shows that courage doesn’t mean not being scared, it means doing the right thing even when you are. In my opinion, I thought the book was funny and adventurous. The illustrations really supported this. I would recommend this book to my friends.

William

Popcorn
This was not a very appealing book for me because of the way how it keeps on repeating anxiety constantly when there are some more important factors in this book. I also did not like how it explains anxiety and how it does this multiple times so the repetition of this can be frustrating for the reader. The overall plot of popcorn was good and how he comes across multiple obstacles through his day at school while he is trying to keep himself smart for picture day. In summary I would not recommend this book to my friends because the repetition resulted it in being boring.

sienna

Popcorn
My Book Review On Pop Corn By Rob Harrell I think the book is very intriguing when you first see the front cover. The front cover is very bright and colourful and that can be sometimes quite intriguing. I really like the style of the book as some of the pages has some illustrations and that can help paint more of a picture in the readers head. I think Andrew opens up in the book and tells the reader a lot about himself which is really nice. I also think the Popcorn Metaphor is really interesting because Andrew struggles with anxiety and with anxiety you can sometimes get this feeling in you stomach and it is a bit of a different feeling and the metaphor popcorn is a bit like is the popcorn going to not pop or is the popcorn going to pop.

Annabelle

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody. It is relatable and sometimes a bit emotional . The main character is Zeke, a lizard who feels like a nobody at school. I think lots of people can relate to that because everyone feels left out sometimes. My favourite thing about the book was the characters. Zeke is kind and I wanted him to succeed and my favourite character was Miel. It had a few funny moments that made me smile like the moment when Zeke stood up to Pellicinarsus. Even though the characters are animals, they act like real people and have real problems. I also liked how easy of a read it was as I am a very busy person and don’t have the time or energy to read a book. I also liked the red side of the book so it looked appealing. However I thought it would be better than it is as the actual story is not exciting as not much happens at all really. It drew my eye but you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Toby

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I found this book a really easy read for someone like me who doesn’t really read a lot but also gets a really clear point across in the fact that bullying is everywhere no matter how big or small. And what it can have on a person's life, like Zeke. Whose life is already hard enough by his mum basically been trapped by this big, black dog and him having to care for her while balancing school and Pelacarniccus, a big pelican bully who is only there to make people’s life miserable. However, I thought it got a little bit chaotic at the end with all the mechs and laser satchels. But overall a really clear but ridiculous and easy read.

Charlie

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a captivating fantasy novel that reimagines elements of Little Red Riding Hood in a fresh and meaningful way. The story follows Red, a visually impaired girl who feels a deep connection to the mysterious forest surrounding her village, even though she is not allowed in there because of an incident that killed many men, and because of that happening, the mayor of the town won't let anyone, including women, even though the women are safe in the forest because it apparently shows off that women are allowed in the forest and won’t be in danger. As secrets about her family and the woods begin to emerge, she is forced to confront both her fears and her identity. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The forest is shown as being alive, creating a sense of surprise and danger throughout the story. Red is also a fantastic main character because she is very brave, determined, and easy to cheer for. Her visual impairment is handled thoughtfully and adds depth to her character without defining who she is. The novel explores important themes such as fear, freedom, and self-discovery. While the beginning can feel quite slow, the story quickly becomes more engaging as the mystery develops and the stakes rise. Beth O’Brien balances magical elements with emotional depth, making the novel both exciting and thought-provoking. Overall, Wolf Siren is a beautifully written and imaginative story that offers a unique take on a classic fairy tale. With its strong characters, rich world-building, and powerful themes, it is a memorable read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and fairy-tale retellings. If I had to rate it, then I would rate it a 9.5/10. The way that Beth O’Brien presents the characters to the atmosphere and the whole story in general is wonderful, and I would definitely recommend this book to other people who have never read it before.

nicky

Popcorn
I really enjoyed reading Popcorn. It is a funny and entertaining read that kept me interested throughout the story. The main character Andrew I think was one of my favourites and the book was made interesting to see how all the problems were faced and the stuff he has to go through with anxiety and my favourite character helped him a lot . My favourite character was Jonesey because she is a great friend who always supported Andrew when he was struggling. She was kind, caring and helps him stay calm when things start to go wrong which is how people should treat and help people with anxiety who face troubles like Andrew. I liked how she never gives up on her friends and always tries to do the right thing. One thing I liked most about the book was the humour. Even though the story deals with serious topics like anxiety, there are lots of funny moments and I liked the illustrations. The pictures helped bring the story to life and made it even more enjoyable to read. Overall, Popcorn is an excellent read which shows an important message about what it’s like for people with anxiety and how to help very well. I would definitely recommend.

Praneel

Black Star
It was written like a poem which was cool and unique there was a lot of sensitive topics like racism and sexism, it was a interesting more realistic book. I felt very bad for Charley throughout the book but it did a good job of portraying the trouble black people went through and sometimes they still do which is saddening.

Yaseen

Popcorn
The book Popcorn is in my opinion a really good book. The plot is about a boy with anxiety who is trying to get through the day to finally take his school photo at the end, which in the process his day doesn’t go as planned. Andrew (the boy) also struggles with anxiety which also may hook the reader to find out how Andrew experiences things through a pop corn kernel meter, showing when he’s calm and when he’s going to ‘pop’. Throughout the book I found that there were quite a few thing happening, and I believe the book wasn’t slow, so that was also very good. Popcorn also had a few surprises throughout it, some expected some not. The book Popcorn was also quite funny at some points, and that was really good. Overall I definitely recommend the book Popcorn as it doesn’t get boring, and you also lean a lot from it.

ophelia

Stealing Happy
It was a really funny book it mixed humour with sad real life stuff like Tourette’s syndrome which sonny the main character has and also long covid which his dad has. Sonny’s family is very broke so they took a loan from someone called Chick Lennon who’s a super evil gangster. They owed him over five thousand pounds which they couldn’t afford to pay so most the book is about them planning to rob him and steal money from Archie Burns. The author managed to make quite a depressing real life scenario, since the story is quite literally about a mentally troubled boy with a super ill dad and a poor family facing eviction, into something quite humorous and the plot moved quite fast it was pretty cool to read.

Yaseen

Black Star
The Black Star is a great story / poetry read as you can either read it as one long poem split up into a story or just like a normal book. The story follows a girl who loves to play cricket but her family doesn't approve as it’s a boy sport . It dives deep into their heritage and her friends Willie Green who also plays cricket. I highly recommend this book.

Alice

Black Star
Overall, I found the book interesting, compelling, and a good quick read. I found the plot a bit slow at the start, but very quickly in the last hundred pages, and I feel it would be better if it were spread out more. The ending was sad with their fathers being killed and the house being burnt. So, they had to move to Canada. The theme was about Racism in America and baseball. Where I enjoyed the sport aspect. The main character Charley is interesting because of her obsession of baseball despite being a girl and I loved her determination to become a professional baseball player. Cool Willey Green I think was a well written character but him switching teams without telling Charley I feel was a plot hole because they were very good friends for a long time and to switch sides without at least telling Charley was a very disrespectful thing to Charley and their entire friendship. The use of sentences in different ways like descending like a staircase made the book a very interesting read especially paired with the short sentences. The dialogue use was the perfect amount for me because it was spaced out and used only when needed. To conclude a very nice book for a short read. Highly recommend for 11–14-year-olds.

William

The Spick and the Span
I thought The Spick and the Span was a really interesting book. It is about a boy called Ward who lives in a city called Helm where magic causes loads of problems. Things like houses turning into gingerbread and random magical things happen all the time. Ward wants to join the League of Cleaners, who clean up after magicians polluting the place with their magic. The story gets a lot more exciting when Ward’s friend goes missing and weird creatures start eating magic and causing chaos around the city. My favourite part was all the crazy magic because you never knew what would happen next like the twist when Alba Sauba turns out to be the bad person. The book was exciting and full of action. Some bits were a little boring as some unimportant parts were quite long, but overall I really liked it and would recommend it to people who enjoy fanatsy and adventure fiction.

Jake

The Spick and the Span
THE SPICK AND THE SPAN The book I am reviewing is The Spick and The Span. The Spick and The Span had me hooked from the start and always had me eager to turn the page. It was a fast-moving book that carried with it themes of mystery, adventure and most importantly magic. The book contained an array of diverse characters all with unique qualities, appearances and morals, coming together to make a community filled with everything from giant snails to vampires. The leader of this community was Ward, my favourite character, who learned the hard way, never to put ambition before family. My only criticism of the book is that I found the plot to lack depth and structure. The story line felt a little haphazard, often containing too much dialogue and not enough story telling. In conclusion, I absolutely loved this book and reflect that it has taught me many things that only a book can. So, I will continue to keep an eye out for more books by Pil Van Martin as they are fabulous, despite some structural errors.

Georgina

Popcorn
The book Popcorn is an exciting and highly recommended book. I really like the plot because it was kind of adventurous and a little weird. The theme was amazing. A boy who has panic attack and gets anxious at everything. It a cool book. I like the character Jonesy because she is popular and sporty, the opposite of the main character. They could have used a few more short sentences but the long sentences were really good.

Archie

Popcorn
Popcorn-Rob Harrell Popcorn by Rob Harrell is a book about a boy in an American school who suffers from anxiety and OCD. The story is depicting the main character Andrew on school photo day and how he wants to look pristine for his school photo. However this day couldn’t have gone any worse for Andrew some of the things including bullying, a rogue basket ball and a sauce rocket across the refectory. During the day he gets worrying newsabout his Grandmother getting lost. The book compares Andrews anxiety to popcorn kernel as his anxiety rises he feels closer to “popping”. I also like the style of some pictures to help portray the image of how Andrew is feeling. Overall it a book that explains the protected characteristic of mental health issues such as anxiety and OCD. As well as everyday problems people face with anxiety.

Freddie

Popcorn
Popcorn is a really funny but also emotional book that I enjoyed a lot. The story is about a boy called Andrew who is trying to survive middle school while dealing with embarrassing moments, friendship problems, and family struggles. I liked how the book mixed comedy with more serious topics because it made the characters feel real. Some parts made me laugh, especially the awkward school scenes, but other parts were actually quite sad and thoughtful too. Rob Harrell’s drawings were awesome and added loads of personality to the story. The pictures made it easier to imagine what was happening and helped make the jokes even funnier. I also liked that the book showed how people can hide their feelings even when they seem okay on the outside. Overall, I think this book is great for kids around my age because it is funny, relatable, and meaningful at the same time.

Freddie

Black Star
I enjoyed reading Black Star a lot as it was such an emotional roller coaster. The plot started quite slowly with Nana Kofi sharing stories to the main character Charley about his home back in Africa. The story was mainly about Charley (who is a black girl as a main character) wanting to become a professional baseball player in America. The plot twist was that Charley’s best friend, Cool Willie Green joining Cecil the third’s team without telling Charley and it was really unexpected for me. The ending was really sad for me because their dads were killed and the house being burnt down. I liked the main character because she was very determined to reach her goal. Overall, I thought that Black Star was a really interesting, powerful and exciting read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone aged between 10-16 for a quick read.

Jonas

Black Star
Black Star is an interesting book about a black girl called Charlene, but she prefers to be called Charley, who challenges the local bully to a baseball game. Her family comes from Africa and speaks Twi in their home village. The plot of this book was quite slow until the end when it got very hectic, but I would prefer if the plot was spaced more evenly as the start is extremely slow. Many of the themes in the book are related to racism and rights. This idea of constant racism is not great to read about but I do understand that in the past and in today's world, black people have been and are treated differently. This is very wrong. I felt that some of the characters were not very original. For example, Charley and Cecil the Third, the bully in the book, because they perfectly fit the stereotypes of a girl who wants to be a sports star but can't because of sexism and neighbourhood bully who has no personality other than being mean. The book is quite blunt in what it wants to convey about the main themes. Overall, it is quite a good read.

Sam

Black Star
I enjoyed reading Black Star a lot as it was such an emotional roller coaster. The plot started quite slowly with Nana Kofi sharing stories to the main character Charley about his home back in Africa. The story was mainly about Charley (who is a black girl as a main character) wanting to become a professional baseball player in America. The plot twist was that Charley’s best friend, Cool Willie Green joining Cecil the third’s team without telling Charley and it was really unexpected for me. The ending was really sad for me because their dads were killed and the house being burnt down. I liked the main character because she was very determined to reach her goal. Overall, I thought that Black Star was a really interesting, powerful and exciting read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone aged between 10-16 for a quick read.

Jonas

Wolf Siren
I think this book was amazing! A really fast paced interesting book, and I love that she was not allowed to go to the woods, and then went anyway! I like how it all connects in a way it’s easy to understand and follow along and I love the way it explains the fear between the villagers when the wolfs were the wolfs where spotted close to the village. I would definitely recommend this story

Honor

Popcorn
Popcorn by Rob Harrell This book is about a boy called Andrew who has severe anxiety and OCD. The book is helping us see how it is like to live with these disorders and how hard it can be in a chid friendly way. It’s mostly about friendship, bulling and expecting yourself for who you are. Popcorn makes you interesting at the start because it starts with a bit of humour and relatable problems to really life and cool characters. The story’s pace is steady but still interesting the book never feels too fast when going through difficult situations and also not too slow. Its told form the first-person point of view, these means the main character Is telling the story so in this case Andrew. The author wrote it like this, so you feel more connected to the main character. Since its from Andrew’s point of view you can hear about all his feelings and thoughts. Rob Harrell developers Andrew throughout the book. The themes going throughout the book have an impact on the reader because he deals with real life issues. So, over all I think it’s a good novel for young reader and I think it’s a good meaningful story and I think it will be helpful to people going through the same thing as Andrew.

lydia

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
A Lizard Nobody is a really fun and emotional book about trying to fit in and be accepted. The main character is a lizard who feels different from everyone else, which makes him easy to relate to. I liked how the story mixed funny moments with serious feelings about friendship and confidence. The writing was simple to understand but still interesting the whole way through. Some parts were a little slow, but the story stayed meaningful and enjoyable. The characters were interesting and made the story more enjoyable to read. Overall, it is a creative and heartwarming book that teaches important lessons without feeling boring or too serious for younger readers.

Bertie

Stealing Happy
I liked the book Stealing Happy. It was funny and easy to read. I also like how it spreads awareness about Tourette’s. The main character, Sony, goes through many difficult moments that many could relate to. This makes it stand out to others as it's actually relatable rather than perfect book characters. The book took a while to get into but I really liked it once I was reading. It was an easy read after that and that’s why I liked it so much. I would definitely recommend this book to others,

Beatrix

Popcorn
Popcorn written by Rob Harrell is an entertaining story with loads of fun events and funny moments. The book follows Andrew, a boy who is trying to survive picture day for his mum and grandma ‘G.’ However his day could not turn out to be worse. Science experiment that exploded in his face, Kendrick’s ketchup bottle and a full day of such events making Andrew have a panic attack. The author talks of friendship, responsibility, and self-confidence, showing them with unusual situations. The character of Andrew is interesting and relatable – he is worried, caring, and works hard. The Popcorn corn scale in my opinion is a great way to show anxiety. Andrew is best friends with a girl called Jonesy who is an amazing basketballer and his favourite teacher is the only one who could bring him out of a panic attack that day. Rob Harrell's writing is quite funny, with fun illustrations to. The book is easy to read and easy to understand. And all thanks to funny descriptions and cool illustrations.

Tom

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Lizard Nobody is a great book. Patrick Ness does a great job at showing each characters personality and feelings throughout the book. I like how in the book each character personality depends on the type of animal, for instance the pandas are kind and the birds are a bit mean . The book also shows how everyone is loved and special even if you are blind for instance . The book also shows awareness of bullying and that it doesn’t always matter what bullies think . The book is fun to read and the plot with the giant pelican at then end is great. The book deserves its place as a Carnegie shortlisted book . The book shows how a young lizard gets bullied and overcomes it while having a whole county on his knee.

Oliver

Black Star
I enjoyed Black Star a lot and I think it has a unique layout and story. It was easy to read as even though there are a lot of pages there aren't many words on each page. I like how this story goes into depth of nana Kofi's old life and it connects with the context from this time really well. I think I now understand more about that period of time after reading this book and it was really interesting. I think that this book does sacrifice a lot of the pages building up to the ending which I thought was quite rushed as so much happened in the space of 20 pages. I wish that there was also more to the story as when I finished the book I wasn't that satisfied with what happened. Overall, I think that it is a good book, but, I thought that everything was quite rushed and I think I would have liked it more if it was longer. I think it is a 7/10.

Arthur

Wolf Siren
I would give this book 3.5 stars. I think the description of the scenes were as detailed as a picture, with an excellent forest scene. Also, I really enjoyed the tense moments, like at the end of chapter five, where it finishes with the wolf siren going off. However, I must put it lightly that I wasn't such a fan of the potentially unnecessary feminist side of the story, for example, the periods that Red has, or the fact that most of the boys in the story misbehave in a way. I just would prefer puberty areas not to be in the books I read.

Rupert

The Boy I Love
Review of: The Boy I Love I found the intro of the book enticing, the story starts slowly but the build-up is worth it, the “world” created in this book is created carefully making this book easy to become emersed in. The plot is well constructed as it leads to a satisfying end of the book. When reading the book there isn’t much chance to explore the characters, it feels like you’re being led through the story in real time. There is protected characteristics but although the book focuses on it doesn’t block the story from moving on. The book covers difficult situations of being homosexual during the first world war, but it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable as such. The story follows a battled hardened “hero”, he is choses as the narrator because he has been through the conflict which gives him a different point of view compared to the other new soldiers. The characters are portrayed realistically; the dialogue is very believable. I think the book is worth rereading.

sam

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody features a big lizard named Zeke and his friends Daniel and Alicia. They are made hall monitors of their high school. Until the high school bully and son of a supervillain Pelicanarrsus picks on Zeke. Zeke then hits back and pelicinarsuss tries to overthrow the entire school. The theme is that a person that is being picked on overpowers a bully. The story is coming from a perspective of a viewer of Zeke’s life. The style of writing is short, snappy and adds a quick pace to the book. There are also illustrations featuring the important parts of the story.

Hugo

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Lizard Nobody is an incredible book - my favourite one of the Carnegie books. I liked how they waited towards the end to when they explained the story of France to try and drag the reader in to it. When the Pelicans robot attacked Zecho I fought all hope was lost. Until the monitor lizard's bands gave them special powers which allowed them to beat Pelicans. I like how there is a wide variety of characters like the bird who shouts a lot but is nice. Then there is Zecho who learns that he is being bullied because he is bigger than Pelicans. He realises Pelicans fear him not the other way round and learns to stand up for him self. Then I liked the ending where his mum is immensely proud of him. I think that only could be better if this book was a bit longer like another a hundred pages to make it better and more exciting.

Esah

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a good book about a girl called Red. She would love to explore in the woods but her mother would not let her as it was dangerous and that her father died because he was a woodcutter and never came back because of wolves and strange magic. I like this book because it is very interesting and showed me how passionate Red was about exploring in the woods. Her mum was too protective because of what happened to the woodcutter and does not want that to happen to her. It also has one sad bit where it says that Red's father never came back from the woods. Her mother would not mention her father too much in front of her too often. Red also has a sister who liked to make things positive and doesn't like anyone getting in to a fight. Aerona ( Red's younger sister) is my favorite character because she liked to keep things positive. Overall I would recommend this book because it has some magic and positivity inside it.

Yusra

Stealing Happy
This book is very funny, wholesome and tells people the dangers of loaning from people you can't trust. As well as this is shows how hard work and pushing your self even if you find it difficult can give you wonderful results. I really liked this book and would recommend it to people my age.

Niall

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander is powerful book full of emotion showcasing 1920s America’s and the racism towards people of different skin colour. It was a compelling book that had a slow start however, it sped up towards the end. Charley is the main character who amazing at baseball and dreams to become a pro baseballer one day. The problem is she does not get the same opportunities as others. The characters are portrayed well especially Charley and Cool Willie Green’s determination and resilience. Readers must prepare for a heartbreaking ending though where Charley Willie Green and her family are forced to flee, where they leave their father behind with nothing but a burning house. The slow build up makes the ending more impactful. The dialogue was in perfect amounts mixing talking with action. The book is written in poetry form and overall, I think it was a nice read.

Alfred

Black Star
Overall, I found the book interesting, compelling, and a good quick read. I found the plot a bit slow at the start, but very quickly in the last hundred pages, and I feel it would be better if it were spread out more. The ending was sad with their fathers being killed and the house being burnt. So, they had to move to Canada. The theme was about Racism in America and baseball. I enjoyed the sports aspect. The main character, Charley, is interesting because of her obsession with baseball despite being a girl, and I loved her determination to become a professional baseball player. Cool Willey Green, I think, was a well-written character but him switching teams without telling Charley, I feel, was a plot hole because they were very good friends for a long time and to switch sides without at least telling Charley was a very disrespectful thing to Charley and their entire friendship. The use of sentences in different ways like descending like a staircase, made the book a very interesting read especially paired with the short sentences. The dialogue use was the perfect amount for me because it was spaced out and used only when needed. To conclude, a very nice book for a short read. Highly recommend for 11–14-year-olds.

William

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien follows a main character called Red who is partly blind. She is brought up in an isolated village at the edge of a wood that is forbidden but red is drawn to the forest and she doesn't know why... Overall, I really enjoyed reading Wolf siren as it was set in a setting that is unusual and not that relatable to other books. I found the start a bit messy as I felt like not much had been explained but by the start of the middle of the book I was hooked. It uses a range of sentence length and vocabulary to keep it interesting and I feel like I learned a lot by reading this type of book that I don't normally.

George

Stealing Happy
I thought Stealing Happy was a reasonable book, with some good literature in it and a good balance of action and description. As an avid reader, I feel that it could have had some more formality, for example the chapter names are things like “the bit about archie burns” and although I appreciate this is the style of the book, I think it could be more concise - just “Archie Burns” or something alike. Other than this and some of the descriptive language, I really liked how Brian Conaghan portrays Sonny as a very strong figure countering his Tourette’s in a variety of ways throughout finding ways to re-pay his parents’ debts.

Timothy

Black Star
Overall, I liked the book “Black Star.”It was easy to read and interestingly structured in poems. I found the story powerful and inspirational. The main character, Charley goes through real-life issues, and we see her dreams of the future throughout the book. At some points of the book, I was a bit confused by the storyline, near the end a few parts did not make sense. It was nice to listen about other cultures of family gatherings and going to church. It was a good book but I think it would have benefited with a bit more explanation at the start about the characters and in some scenes

Sarah

Popcorn
Popcorn by Rob Harrell was an emotional and suprising book that I enjoyed reading. This book is about one day in a boy ,called Andrew Yaeger’s, life who suffers from anxiety and little tics that he just can’t help, for instance, he somtimes feels like he needs to tap 5 times or ‘the world would end.’ At the start of his day Andrew is ready for his school picture later in the day with a new shirt that his mum had bought him. This makes me feel positive at first. During the book Andrew says that his anxiety levels is just like a popcorn kernel and as the the day goes the kernel gets hotter and hotter until it pops giving him an anxiety attack. As the book goes on his anxiety levels get worse so, I start to feel much more sympathetic a saddened by the challenges he faces for instance his grandma has Alzheimer disease. Because of this his grandma often forgets who Andrew is and shouts at him a lot. He also faces many other challenges such as: getting hit in the face with a ball, pushing his only friend (Jonsey) away, a bully ripping his new shirt, a ketchup rocket going into his hair and a science experiment exploding in his face. All of this affects him through-out the day and eventually he goes into a state a panic. Once he had a panic attack a teacher helped to calm down using methods that help him calm down when he has panic attacks. Overall I would highly recommend this book to mainly kids (but I still think it can be read by adults too) because of the clever way it talks about anxiety and panic attacks so even children can understand how bad anxiety can get.

Kailash

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span was a great book. Usually in books like this, it takes almost half of the book to actually get into the action, but this was different. It went straight into the action with the live action of the Cleaner's League, which unfortunately resulted in Nessus being lost to the void. Also, while competing, Ward and Magda discovered a Nix, which is a creature from the void. Nixes can be good or bad. As a result of Nessus being lost, they then had to find a magician to rescue the elf. Therefore, they met Jago, the frog magician, who is a rather full of himself. Over the course of the novel, he becomes much nicer. The plot is very entertaining and makes more people of different sexualities normal. It is a quality book.

Caleb

Popcorn
Popcorn is a brilliant book. There is a lot to say about it so lets get started with the plot. It takes a while to get going but once it is you just can't stop reading. I love how the characters are so relatable. All that is relevant in why I like the book but the main reason is Andrew; the main character. I love how he has anxiety and I think it is showing/ teaching young children what anxiety feels like and how they should be more aware of this big issue. This is why I think Popcorn is a brilliant book and I would happily suggest it to any single person.

Henry

Popcorn
The book Popcorn was a lively and exciting book, which makes other people aware of the difficulties people (children especially) diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and O.C.D. face when doing everyday tasks, while making this book fun and engaging! One of the things that I like best about this book is Rob Harrel’s inclusion of metaphors that help illustrate Andrew’s anxiety, described it as a popcorn kernel getting hotter and hotter until it reaches a point and then pops. I found that he integrated this feeling into the book well by having this book set on picture day, a day where he needs and wants everything to be perfect, although that ends up not being the case, as a result of all the awful things happening to him throughout the day. This meant that he was able to explore his anxiety more and look at his feelings and worries. In my opinion, one thing I don’t like about this book is that the writing and literature wasn’t very sophisticated or advanced, so it did not suit me, although I am sure this book is perfect for a younger audience. In conclusion, this book is great for younger readers or people with anxiety or O.C.D. as it is an enjoyable book which also raises awareness for children and adults with O.C.D. and anxiety. However, for people who want to read something more challenging in a literary sense, this book isn’t the best.

Sébastien

Black Star
'Black Star' is a book that showcases the talent of the author and effort put into making the book memorable and interesting to read. The characters are relatable, though slightly unrealistic at times, and is enjoyable for those wanting a slow read. Its plot is well thought through and contained, perfectly matching the atmosphere or idea of what it would have been like in 20s America. The main character is easy to get invested in due to the first person narrative, guiding us through her view of the world in a way that expresses her emotions and thoughts very clearly and puts us in her shoes to see what it would have been like. Finally, its representation of racism and sexism is watered down and able to be appreciated as a small yet important topic to the books main points and discussions. It is a comedic and cosy book packed with hard-hitting subjects.

Ren

Popcorn
'Popcorn' is a book that may seem to me a harmless comic at first, until you read into it and it displays its true colours as a book about anxiety and panic attacks. Although it may sound like a stressful topic, they way it is depicted (in the Anxiety Files for instance, Andrew's personal collection of discussing his state of mind) commits to an almost graphic novel-like style that presents it in a way that can be seen as juvenile or fun, balancing the heavy topics. Its depiction of a panic attack is most definitely the highlight of the book, drawing the most attention as the climax of the story and fitting that role perfectly. I am sure many can relate to Andrew's struggles throughout the book, as the author took inspiration from real disorders and that allows people with those disorders to connect with the anxious persona, bringing this cartoon character out of the page.

Santiago

Black Star
I would not read this book again. Here's why, most of the book is extremely boring. It is a girl who likes baseball and a family. That's it for most of the of book. There is also a huge build up to a small base ball game after church, its just not very exciting. I also don't like how the book is written in poems because I found it was hard to follow the story so I ended up just reading it as a normal book. However, the end is not boring at all. Charley decides to play base ball on a 'white people only field' and ends up getting her family in great danger and ends having to move away. This part o the book represent the racism in the south of America in the 1950s. That's very interesting.

billy

Popcorn
This book was very very good. I could not stop reading it for about a week. What I really enjoyed about this book was how well the main character (Andrew) is portrayed to make the reader feel bad for him, especially in the way how life just feels so unfair at times like when his new shirt got ripped by the horrible school bully Gene. One thing that I didn’t find very clear though was if Andrew had a neurological disability or if he was just a very anxious kid. I think the author could of had a bit where he was diognosed if that was the case because it left the reader pondering a lot. In the end it is good to see that Andrew over comes his fear and just gets the picture even though he looks like an utter rag doll. The illustrations are a great addition to the book (they made me laugh quite a few times!) overall it was a really good book.

Sam

Black Star
Black Star Kwame Alexander I think Black Star by Kwame Alexander was actually a really good book even though at first I thought it was gonna be boring. The story was interesting and had loads of action and emotional bits that made me want to keep reading. The characters felt real and some of the things that happened to them were sad but also inspiring. I liked how the author used poetry and different writing styles because it made the book feel faster and more exciting instead of just loads of long paragraphs that make your brain hurt. One of the best things about the book was how it talked about important stuff like family, identity, and trying to survive difficult situations. Sometimes the language was a bit confusing and I had to reread parts, but mostly it was easy to understand. The ending was also really powerful and made me think about the characters after I finished the book. Overall, I would give this book like an 8/10 because it was emotional, exciting, and not as boring as some books we read in school. I would recommend it to people who like stories that are serious but still entertaining.

Ben

Wolf Siren
The book Wolf Siren is a very thought provoking emotional novel. The main character Red is a rebel in her ways a dose t care if she disobeys the villages expectations. Her sister Aerona is thoughtful and under stand Red in a way that no one else quite does. The plot follows Red and how she is pulled to the woods even though she is not allowed. When one of the village wood cutters goes missg she and her friend Dilana are the people who find her. Dead. The style is nothing like I have read before and really does make me think. I am very sad when Aerona is killed unjustly at only 12 years old put as all the good books go there has to be one main character goes. All together I think that wolf Siren is an amazing book and should be study in schools as it is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.

Edie

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span was entertaining book overall. The plot was extremely fast throughout the whole book, and with the plot diverging into different emotional stories for each character. The main character, Ward was a bit annoying and irritating at the start of the book but gradually got kinder and more pleasant throughout. This was to show how all the things Ward went through changed who he was as a person. The themes in this book were adventure and fantasy but also the misbalance of power that some people had. With the Wizards and the Cleaners each have a different amount of influence. I believe this was to represent the spread of power in the world. The ending was unexpected and interesting with plot twists I never saw coming. The ‘good’ character became the villain, and the villain became the ‘ok’ character. I think this was to show us that you should never take anything by face value. The book was quite funny with a few jokes here and there, but there were also a few serious moments, where the characters experienced loss and heartbreak. This added to the book quite a lot, making it a more well-rounded book. The other character side characters were well developed and talked about in a lot of detail. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an interesting adventure story.

Richa

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span’s plot is fast and fun. As the story moves quickly and lots of new problem happens. The main theme of the Spick and the Span was about taking care of the environment matters which you can tell a little bit based on the front book cover which is two people holding cleaning supplies. In the book we also learn that they cant fix everything alone which you can guess is teamwork. I quite like how the girl, who is called Magda, is brave and goes first and isn’t scared while the blue skinned boy, called Ward Kyanite, is building his courage which is the complete different of stereotypes towards boys and girls. I also like Jago the frog’s humour as he makes clever comments quickly when things get tense. Overall I quite like this book as they make the girl brave and different, and not small and quiet.

Cindy

Stealing Happy
I found Stealing Happy to be a well-paced and fun book to read. In this novel by Bryan Conaghan, a teenage boy with Tourette’s, named Sonny, attempts to rescue his family from debt by stealing back the required amount of money from the loan shark Chick Lennon (although he actually steals it from Archie Burns, who works for Chick Lennon). It highlights the struggles of life with long covid, Tourette’s, and the cost-of-living crisis. I found that this book was well written with a clear plotline. It was fun to read but, in some places, I felt like things happened too quickly, and without enough explanation. The book educates well about Tourette’s, and it is interesting to learn more about the subject.

Owen

The Spick and the Span
I have just finished reading Spick and Span by Phil Van Martin. This book is really good. It starts with Nessus disappearing by a nix which gets the story going and the rest of the story is full of surprises. I was curious to see what would happen next. The author does a good job of making you want to keep reading. One thing that really stood out to me about Spick and Span is the characters. The author makes each character in Spick and Span very different. They all have their personalities. I liked the character Magda in Spick and Span a lot. Because she’s talented but also keeps ward in line as well as being very smart. The author writes parts of Spick and Span very welI because sometimes it felt like I was there. The author makes you feel like something is about to happen. I really liked reading Spick and Span. If you like books that are exciting and fun to read then you should read Spick and Span. I also really like it because I love Harry Potter and this was a great alternative because it had that fun magic theme would definitely recommend.

Bow

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody had a really good plot as it showed some struggles that people can actually face in real life while still having some really funny completely nonsense bits . The characters are so well thought out as they can relate to people while still being lizards . It celebrates the underdog (Zeke) who struggles to fit in with social standards and throughout his story he faces challenges and triumphs through it all ultimately facing his enemy at the end and winning . Overall the book was very good and written amazingly to fit in to normal standards in life.

alice

Popcorn
The book "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell is a funny story with illustrations. It follows a boy named Andrew who struggles with anxiety and OCD. The plot details his day, including science experiments, school photos, and dealing with a bully. Andrew’s anxiety increases as the day goes on. I enjoyed the easy reading level and the fact that the story is set over one day, with interludes showing Andrew at his therapist. However, I found the plot predictable and unexciting, I probably wouldn’t have read it if it hadn’t been on the Carnegie list, as it’s not something I would usually pick. However what I thought the book did well is illustrate anxiety and OCD from a child’s point of view. It reveals how Andrew thinks and how his mind thinks, which I found quite interesting . The book has a light and silly tone, but without the illustrations and writing style it wouldn’t feel as cheerful. The plot was quite quick and changed throughout scenes frequently, the main character was likeable and interesting however the side characters weren’t really memorable. Overall I enjoyed this book but the plot wasn’t that interesting .

Constance

Stealing Happy
This book is really moving and awe-inspiring. It starts off with the main character, Sonny Glimour introducing himself, and that he has Tourette's, a condition where he is unable to control some of the things he says, which is mainly screamed out. Then, we are introduced to this person called Chick Lennon, who is wanting Sonny’s mum to pay rent for their apartment. However, she doesn’t have enough money to pay him, so he gives them a week to get over £2000. Still, this isn’t much time to get that much money in a short space of time, as well as Sonny’s dad being ill from long Covid. So, Sonny asks his friend Jonah and a quiet girl called Carolina to help him get money. Jonah comes up with the idea of robbing Chick Lennon. This seems like a good idea, until Sonny’s Tourette’s makes him scream “ROB CHICK LENNON” at the top of his voice whenever things get dicey. Thankfully, they managed to get the money in the end, and Chick Lennon is imprisoned.

Joshua

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I really liked this book. It was super fun to read and I really enjoyed the layout of the book. The opening of the book made me want to carry on reading it and really dragged me in to the story because it left some things unanswered at the start but finished them later, but some things could have been answered a bit more like the black dog as they didn't really develop it that much but the rest was good. It also did all make sense by the end even though I did get a little lost in the big fight scene between the pelican and Zeke but by the end everything worked out and it all made sense. I really liked reading this book all topics were really interesting and fun.

Albie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The book was great! I loved the creativeness and how the story is always exiting. My favorite part was when Zeki punched the bully. I thought the illustrations were simple and cartoonlike which was good. I also liked how the layout was set , and the characters. The plot was fairly fast. Overall, I recommend this book!

max

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I really enjoyed this book this book I thought it was very well written. I thought that it wasn't confusing at all and the layout was good as well. I thought that the pictures gave a really fun and engaging spin to it! But the main that made me enjoy this book so much was the realistic problems such as bullying and abuse ( I think ) but even if it was meant for slightly a younger audience it still works for our age group as it highlights major problems in our society in a nice way! I think this book even made me laugh out load which is very rare for a book so I really really enjoyed this one, would definitely recommend! I also really enjoyed the artwork in this book and I think it was clever in the way that it explained and showed discrimination and bullying through the drawings which was very clever and enjoyed it.

Joel

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Lizard nobody: The book lizard nobody by Patrick ness has made me feel like I want to face my fears. This is Because in the book, zeke (the lizard hall monitor) feels like he doesn’t matter or that he isn’t as important as some of the other, louder animals. Suddenly there are all these dangers putting the school in jepardy which forces him to go on an adventure. On the adventure he is forced to confront his fears. Along the way of this journey he learns that bravery isn’t about being all that it’s about doing what’s right in the situation even if it makes you feel like a nobody. In the end I feel like this books message is about self worth and finding your place even though you may not be in it right now.

Zach

Popcorn
Popcorn: The book Popcorn by Rob Harry made me realize what anxiety can be like. It can be (as described in the book) like a popcorn kernel you can cook it and cook it but at some point it will pop. But you don’t have to deal with the anxiety or pop corn kernel alone. Like in the book Andrew seeks help from his school counsellor, friends and family and he finds it and they make him understand that you don’t have to do it alone or care about what others think about you and you should just be yourself. Overall this book was making a better understanding of facing anxiety and it could probably help future people who read it.

Zach

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I enjoy this funny crazy book a lot, I like the fact that you get to see all the different animals at school. At school they have do deal with a bully called Pelicrnassus who likes to make people look small and powerless, and he sees the lizards as an easy target because they are different. Meanwhile Zeke is trying to protect his friends and figure out how to be a good friend and how to stand up for himself. And even though this book looks all happy it can show how hard it is to not fit into society and this story shows that being different isn’t always the worst because there is someone out there who feeels the exact same. But overall this book was great and had good drawings and it was quite easy to read I would definitely recommend reading this book because it would probably make you laugh.

george

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander This book isn’t one I would pick up straight away and it wasn’t easy to start but as you got into it you wanted to know more about how Charley started her baseball career. In some parts of the book I got a bit bored and wanted to put it down but just when I wanted to put the book down I got caught up with it again. This book is very inspirational as Charley is making her baseball journey to going pro. And she faces challenges being the first black female baseball player so that wasn’t easy for her. The book felt real too because there where people supporting Charley all the way and somewhere putting her down. In conclusion I really enjoyed this book and it was very inspirational.

alice

Stealing Happy
The book is interestingly written in that it is does not have “fixed” chapter names. For example, one of the chapters is, ‘the bit where I go to school, shaking like a leaf’. In terms of the events that happen, it does not feel like total reality, mostly because, of one of the main villains - somebody called Chick Lennon, who gives somebody money and takes 40% every month or so. Overall, the book is interestingly written in that it helps people to understand people with Tourette’s.

Irynei

Popcorn
I read Popcorn, it’s about a boy called Andrew who has anxiety and things throughout the day make him feel worse such as the school picture day and his granny having dementia and constantly forgetting his name he suspects she’s getting worse. I really liked the book because it had morals while also being a child friendly book containing emotions, and overcoming difficult events. It was a good read but slightly easy and it had very few words which I didn’t already know. The book also has this thing called the kernel scale which added a sense of excitement and drama to the book making the reader want to read on and find out what happens in the end. Right before the photo shoot he has a panic attack and a teacher comes and helps him. This is another moral of friendship and perseverance which makes you feel better.

Freddie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness was a very interesting story and I personally enjoyed it even as a guy who isn’t a large fan of reading. I thought that the book had an amazing imagination and it was almost like every idea possible was all rolled up and put into this story which I really like. However this was also a bit of a problem as I sometimes felt a bit overwhelmed with what was going on mainly due to too much information going on. However this did not stop the story from having amazing plot points like Daniel saving Zeke after Zeke was picked up and dropped by Pelicarnassus which I felt was quite cool but sometimes I thought that maybe there was too much or not enough of something like I enjoyed the scene where Sharon the panda stands on a pillar and the pillar breaks and she falls i like the idea but I didn’t then feel we had enough of those moments with Sharon the panda, another example is when they have friendly conversations to me it just feels like to many conversations are happening in the same conversation and maybe it’s just me who feels this way but I felt like it was very packed with stuff like that. Overall I would rate highly of Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody because it’s those occasional moments that make me want to keep reading just to see if this leads somewhere and in the end I felt it did.

Rafferty

Black Star
My Review On Black Star By Kwame Alexander The start of the book encouraged me to read on because it is not a style of book that I would normally read so it intrigued me. I think the pace of the book is quite hard to follow as it changes quite a lot. I think the world has created a compelling and conceivable place and yes I could immerse myself in this book because it has different writing styles and techniques which are interesting to read and to learn about. I also think that Kwame Alexander adds character to his writing for example ‘and he always leaves me hanging on the edge of a cliff’ in the book the words are placed in a cliff shape. I also think some of the book is quite sexiest because in the book Charley is set on to become the first female pitcher in professional baseball and some of her family and friends don’t believe she can as she is a black girl.

Annabelle

Wolf Siren
The opening of Wolf Siren is immediately intriguing and effective at drawing the reader in. It shows mystery and tension that makes you want to keep reading. The author shows us just enough detail to make you curious without giving it away immediately. The tone and signs of danger draw the reader in, making it clear that something interesting is about to happen. The story pacing moves at a steady pace and has many moments for thought. There is a of build-up, as it gradually reveals more about the characters personalities and the world their set in. Wolf Siren does well by taking its time, the book allows tension to simmer, which makes key moments feel more impact full. This steadied pace helps immerse the reader into the story. The world created in Wolf Siren is compelling and believable. The author has realistic elements combined with imaginative aspects. This creates a base that feels natural, allowing readers to immerse themselves. The setting and atmosphere are easy to picture, and the events are consistent with the world, making it easy to picture and engage with even after finishing the book. The plot is well-constructed and makes sense. Events follow logically, and the story comes together in a way that makes sense by the end and is satisfactory. Finally, the ending is satisfying and thought-provoking. It provides a sense of closure leaving the reader to reflect on its themes. It was not predictable or simple; the conclusion leaves an impression and pushes deeper thought about the characters’ overall choices. Overall, Wolf Siren is a well-paced and engaging book with an eye-catching opening, an immersive world mixed with fantasy, and a meaningful ending that really sticks with you even after the final page.

Tristan

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander is honestly one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. It’s got lots of energy and adventure, but is also very heartfelt. The main character, Charley (or whoever it is in your version), is just trying to get into a baseball team but can't mainly because she is a black woman and ,at the time of the book being set, it would’ve been very hard to do as racism and sexism were a lot more common back in the time that this book is set . The way Kwame Alexander writes just pulls you in, like you’re actually with the characters. His writing has this musical vibe, which makes sense because he’s a poet. In my opinion,one of the best parts is how real the characters are made to feel. For example, they talk and act like teenagers and not some weird version of a teenager that adults make up. The friendships and family parts feel real, and some of the emotional moments hit hard without getting weird with action. It makes you think, but you’re never bored. Another thing I loved was the writing style. The short chapters and fast pace keep the story moving, so it never gets boring. I read a lot of the book in one sitting because every chapter made me want to know what happened next . The language is creative and full of rhythm—sometimes it almost feels like rap or spoken word poetry. That makes it stand out from most books. If I had to say what could be better, I think some parts felt a little rushed. There were scenes that I wished had more depth or more time to explain what the characters were thinking. Also, some of the poetry was kind of confusing at first, like I had to reread a few lines to properly understand it. And I think the ending could’ve lasted a little longer, because it felt like everything wrapped up too fast. Overall, I’d rate Black Star an 8 out of 10. It’s exciting, emotional, and really powerful. Kwame Alexander has a way of writing that makes reading feel alive. Anyone who likes books with strong characters and cool writing styles should really check it out.

nicky

Black Star
‘Black Star’ is a poetic story with a darker undertone of segregation, violence and sexism. Set in the 1920’s deep south of America, the story immers you in the hopes and dreams of Charlie, an African American girl who is set making history as the first professional female baseball player. Kwame Alexander wrote and presented ‘Black Star’ in an evocative, atmospheric and fluid style that made it a compelling and unique read. Nana Kofi’s wisdom and magnetic storytelling are a vital part of ‘Black Star’ and contribute to the generally warm feeling of the book. However, as the book gains pace the tension builds a sense of foreboding leading up to the ending crescendo, which was a dramatic twist full of uncertainty. However, the ending felt inconclusive as many of the key storylines of seeking education, friendship/romance and family are left unresolved. In conclusion ‘Black Star’ succeeds due to the relevant and important story it tells and the playful yet powerful style it is written in.

Katherine

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book is written by the author Patrick Ness and the Illustrator Tim Miller. It is about some monitor lizards who get jobs in their school to monitor the halls to see if anyone who is in the hall who shouldn’t be in there. But it goes wrong when the school bully, Pelicarnassus, makes them so angry that Zeke, one of the lizards, punches him. This gets him expelled from school for a day, and had to apologize to Pelicarnassus. But then he developed a strong grudge against Zeke that gets completely out of hand. We are also told about the country France ending up on Zeke’s knee, which was a curse passed down from one of his ancestors. At the end of the book, Pelicarnassus gets a harsh telling off from his parents for holding such a grudge, and Zeke is a hall monitor again. In my opinion, it is a funny book that inspires kids to stand up to bullies, and shows that even if you don’t seem like a hero, you still can be one.

Joshua

Stealing Happy
Stealing happy is an interesting and anticipating book with the main character having Tourette’s. I think this book has lots of good examples on how to treat somebody who is neurodiverse like Sonny, but it also has some bad examples which people should not be learning from. In my opinion, there is a lot of anticipation for the robbery that Sonny and his friends are going to commit to end Sonny’s family’s poverty and it is only in the last paragraph that they actually carry it out. Otherwise, the storyline is perfect for my kind of personal interest of book. It has a lovely, slow-paced narrative and the sessions Sonny goes to in the middle of school seem quite relatable to what a real person with Tourette’s might do, but also Sonny’s tics get him into some trouble and some people don’t know about his neurodiversity so they mistake his tics for actual words that he meant and intended to say and from Sonny’s perspective, that can seem quite scary. But I would definitely recommend this for intermediate readers.

Ben

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
CHRONICALS OF A LIZARD NOBODY BY PATRICK NESS This book is quite funny and very interesting from beginning to end. There are lots of funny moments that really make you laugh, and it’s very enjoyable to read. The story is easy to follow, but it still keeps you interested the whole way through. I found myself wanting to keep reading to see what would happen next. There are some sad parts in the story too. For example it is quite upsetting when one of the monitor lizards loses his job and you really feel sorry for him at that point. However, the story does not stay sad for long and overall it feels positive and uplifting. My favourite part is when the monitor lizard earns his job back. I really liked how this part of the story was written because it made me feel happy and satisfied. It showed that things can get better even after something goes wrong. I would recommend this book to children who enjoy stories with problems and solutions. It has a very good plot from start to finish and I liked the way everything came together. The illustrations are also cool!

Benjamin

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is an inspirational book in which a Monitor lizard and his Monitor lizard friends try and defeat the ultimate school bully, a pelican that has a thing for hats, whose mum is a criminal mastermind, and his cronies (two storkes). In doing so he saves France from being invaded by a squadron of fighter jets sent by his arch enemy, his mum from a black dog that follows her around and his school from destruction. It is an exciting book that explores important subjects that are sometimes overlooked, forgotten and brushed aside, including: friendship, trust, responsibility, poverty and disabilities. With a plot twist at the end and funny characters throughout such as a Principal wombat and an angry pony, it is a great book that has a deeper meaning to it and helps explain life’s problems in a much lighter way. I would highly recommend it as a good read for all ages and abilities. A truly well written piece by Patrick Ness!

Rosie

Popcorn
I really liked Popcorn because of the plot. Andrew Yaeger is a 7th grader that has anxiety and OCD starts his day badly by getting bullied but it made me smile when his teacher who also has anxiety helped him out as well as his classmates supporting him. My favourite part of this book has to be the ending where they had picture day because he just stops worrying about himself and puts on a smile for the camera. I also enjoyed the part where his friend help Andrew with his anxiety problems and I think she impacted Andrew a lot and without her it would be hard for him. And these parts of the book make me enjoy reading Popcorn and I would read it again.

Gabriel

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a very well-written book, in my opinion. The book follows the story of a monitor lizard named Zeke, who gets promoted to a hall monitor at his school, along with his friends, Daniel and Alicia. With this promotion, they are given special red sashes (this will be important later). After this promotion, he gets bullied by a supervillain pelican named Pelicarnassus. Then, he retaliates. Due to this sudden retribution, Zeke gets demoted from his hall monitor role. He consults Daniel and Alicia on how to get his revenge on Pelicarnassus. Meanwhile, Pelicarnassus formulates a plan to destroy the school. He creates a giant pelican suit equipped with powerful lasers to eradicate the school. When Pelicarnassus finally gets around to executing his plan, Zeke and his friends wield the special red sashes, which secretly held the power to destroy the mech pelican suit. Overall, I would say the book was enjoyable and easy to read. 8/10.

Arthur

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
It was a good book, about hard truths and family. I liked how most chapters were relatively short, this made it easier to read and understand. I liked the book but at times I did find it boring. It was hard to get into but once you got into it, it became easier read. The title also made me want to read it.Although I would not read it normally, it was not bad. I liked it because it showed strong family bonds. The book demonstrates reslicnce and that there is always light at the end on the tunnel. I liked it because it had a happy ending. However, I would probably not read something like it as it was boring sometimes. Overall it was a good book but it wasn’t really my type of thing.

Bea

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I really really liked the book 'Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody' because of it's amazing story, it starts with Zeke and his friends becoming Hall Monitors which is made funny because Zeke and his friends are the only Hall Monitors but they are also monitor lizards and every time Zeke tries to bring up this point with the principal (called Principal Wombat) she always says that it has nothing to do with them being monitor lizards but on Zeke's first day on the job a pelican called Pelicarnassus, a wannabe super villain, starts a fight by calling Zeke fat which causes Zeke to lose his job as an Hall Monitor and in the middle of the story we learn a bit more about Zeke (he literally has France on his knee) but near the end of the story Pelicarnassus attacks Zeke and his friends with a giant robot pelican but after Pelicarnassus is defeated everything ends well as the last time we see Zeke in this book he is hugging his mum.

Hendrix

Popcorn
I loved this book it is a fast paced book all about a young boy with anxiety and working through his worries. the main character is called Andrew Yaeger and his grandmother has a bad disease that makes her wonder off. His best friend helps him a lot. My favourite part of the book was when he stood up to the bully. It was also a very quick and fun read. It is suitable for everyone I loved it. Overall I'd give it a 9 stars out of 10.

Jacob

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody make me want to keep reading after the first chapter because it starts off with Zeke and his friend getting assigned as hall monitors so you want to keep reading to get to read the section where they actually are hall monitors. It is a fast paced book and it build up when Zeke has confrontations with the school bullies and every time he meets someone new their plans are more wild but sometimes there are sideplots suck as Zeke helping his grieving mum. The plot does not really make sense at the end as it is a bit wild and the topic changes massively quickly over the course of the book. The story is in third person and I think that's good because Zeke and his friends all talk around the same amount in the book so its reasonable. Zeke’s stories are being told more because he is the main character. The book doesn’t stand up to re-reading because it’s easy to remember and you notice all of the little details when you first read it.

Charles

Stealing Happy
I thought this book really expresses the challenges of having multiple things you need to do. Having Sonny’s dad having long Covid and nearly being taken to court. How he trie to get money in a non violent manner. In the end he still had to rob money from Archie burns but also trying to hide having Tourette’s. Trying not to tic whist about to go the bad in which he can help out his family’s debt to loan shark Chick Lennon. Also highlighting that you can recover from injuries by his dad slowly going one block further everyday and fully recovering and getting back to full fitness. Overall I thought it was a really well thought out book and would happily read again!

Harry

The Spick and the Span
I really enjoyed this book but at times it went a bit off track and confused me a little there were some parts where I know entirely what was going on and others where I was basically clueless, but that was only in parts of the book so on that take it was good. I felt the plot twist of the main good sympathetic character turned to evil mastermind was not developed to its full extent they just kind of left it, therefore I found the ending a little bit lacking for my taste. The main thing that confused me about the story was the fact I didn't from which characters perspective I was on. If the characters perspective did in fact switch around then I would like this idea very much but just because I am unsure about it I don't think it hit the right spot. Overall, I really enjoyed the book some parts such as the plot at the end and the perspectives. But this isn't really my age of book, but still really enjoyed it!

Joel

Wolf Siren
Wolf siren review Wolf siren, by Beth o Brien, engages the reader straight from the prologue leaving a sense of mystery as to what will happen. The book follows a character named red and tells her story. As the book goes on red learns her family history and how wolfs were misunderstood and were hunted for sport. During the book red faces many different emotions such as extreme sadness, anger and fear And she also faces discrimination as she is partially blind. The book is written so that the reader is always engaged in what is happening as the book is always intense and mysterious making the reader want to find out more. Beth o brien also writes her sentences clearly and describes the setting very well and leaves readers being able to picture the scene in their head. To improve the book I would develop the side characters more as when I read it, I felt like I didn't know who some of them were. Overall this was a very well written book

William

The Boy I Love
The Boy I Love book review The book starts of with Stephen in a train compartment waiting to go to Etaples were he is stationed before he goes to the front. When Stephen is sitting in a compartment a boy called Danny enters. From this small part of the book you can already tell what sort of characters they might be by the way they speak and act. When they get to the encampment at Etaples . The two are split up and Stephen goes to briefed and that he will be getting a knew troop to be in command of after his old one was all killed. Stephen is also given the chance to select a soldier servant. Stephen chooses Danny from the train because of his kindness and cheekiness. Danny is then transferred. They spend time talking and you get the gist the Stephen is attracted to Danny. They set of to the front but the train has a hold up and they have to march the rest of the way. The troop arrives at a town and rest, the two continue to talk and Stephen tells us that he is attracted to Danny. When they get to the trenches in the troop is involved in the battle of the Somme, it was one of the bloodiest battle of WW1 and this book portrays it very well. Stephen tries to protect Danny and from the superiors and Stephen risks his position. In the end they both fall in love but realise they cant be together in the world they live in.

billy

Black Star
Black Star-Kwame Alexander The book is set in the early 20th century in The United States Of America. It follows a young girl called Charley who loves baseball and dreams of one day playing in the professional league. The book dives deep into the protected characteristic of race and the racial segregation she and her family and friends experience. This is shown by the main sub story of the book which is about Charley and her friends playing against the bullies in a baseball match at mosquito park (where they usually play) which is where the church picnic is happening so they dare to cross into the “white” section of the town where they play the match at the much better maintained “white people field” and they get caught by some white boys who call the police. The book also dives into the relationship she has with her Nana. The ending is very sad as they have to run away to another city, but it sets the plot up perfectly to send you into a sequel book.

Freddie

The Spick and the Span
I really found the opening of the book was really well written and did not go of track at any point this made me want to keep reading due to sudden character entrances that really helped make the book more entertaining. I felt there wasn’t really a build up to when Nessus got trapped in the void but there was when they got him out. I especially enjoyed this part because you could see they worked together using their talents and team work skills to get Nessus out of the void. At points in the book I felt empathetic towards Ward, one of the main reasons was because of his best friend getting lost in the void, but as I came closer to the end of the book all the effort and hard work had paid of for Ward and I felt happy for him. I like how the writer did not put a gender on some characters, and how some of the words the author made up where at the bottom of the page. I think the author picked Ward to be the narrator of his book because he is ambitious and energetic and he stands up for what is right, I think he makes the book more engaging and believable due to those reasons. I was really immersed in this book due to the author using many techniques to engage you with the characters. I think Spick and Span is a great easy read it has a bouncy feel to it and some mystery to it. I would recommend it if you are into the nonfiction genre.

Edward

Stealing Happy
Overall, I really liked the book "Stealing Happy".  It's funny and light hearted as well as serious about important topics. Throughout the book I become more aware of Tourette's and how it can hugely effect somebody's life. The main character Sonny goes through many real life difficulties, issues and is a character that many will be able to relate with and empathise to. I like how the pages and words are laid out. The book is easy to read, and interesting. So much so that I almost read the whole book in one sitting! The plot had many ups and downs which I found nice, my favourite parts were the parts with the "bad people" like chick Lennon and archie burns most gripping parts. It was also fascinating to see life through the eyes of someone with Tourette's. Overall I really liked this book.

Sarah

The Spick and the Span
My Book Review: The Spick and the Span by Pil van Martin The Spick and the Span is a fun and enjoyable book about three very different characters named Nessus, Ward a dwarf and Magda a warrior girl. This story takes place in Helm a world where magicians use magic for everything, creating havoc and opening portals to other worlds. It's the cleaners who are left to deal with the mess left by the magicians. Ward, wants nothing more than to belong to the League of Cleaners. But in order to be accepted he must complete a number of tests with a team of characters he doesn’t trust. Soon tragedy strikes to one of his friends leaving him to ask for help from some unlikely friends. I recommend this book if you are the type of reader who wants to be sucked into a magical and fascinating world where the story and missions unfold quickly. If you enjoy books that explore themes like teamwork, responsibility and kindness. This is the book for you.

William

Black Star
The book Black Star written by Kwame Alexander is a book about a girl, Charlie who wants to pursue her dreams of becoming a pro baseball player despite facing racism in America. One day Charlie secretly went to play on a baseball pitch that was restricted to “white only” with her friends as she made a deal with a bully named Cecil that if he won, he gets Charlie’ s Baltimore black Sox hat and if Charlene won Cecil would have to give her a quarter. Unfortunately, after the game when only Charlene and Willie green were left some white boys came over and said that they were not supposed to be there and threatened them. They settled it with a game of baseball and if Charlene striked the white boy Paul out they can leave but if not, Paul gets Willie Green's bat. Unintentionally, Charlene hit Paul in the chest and Paul threatened that he will get his dad on them… What I liked about this book was that this book doesn’t have long paragraphs but instead it has a poem like structure, this book also educated me about how dreadful racism was in America. Overall, the read was short, and I would recommend to read this book if you are a person who enjoys sport stories, and is interested in history especially racism and segregation.

Karol

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span by Pil Van Martin is a brilliant book, that shows how true friends are the most important thing in life and that ambition must be balanced out with care, affection and friendship. With a spell binding storyline that is gripping till the end, The Spick and the Span is a great book that brings out characteristics that aren’t usually showcased in other writings. The main character is a loving and open boy – which is unusual and should be seen more often in books - that uses his kindness as a strength although he does make a few mistakes along the way he also faces adversity throughout his adventure while, making new friends and rescuing old ones. He has three best friends and finds his hero may not be all she seems. This book is a funny and easy read and I would recommend it if you want a break from the world and to get away from reality. So the only question is, is cleaning the most noble profession or will magicians take it all?

Rosie

Wolf Siren
This book definitely brings out thought provoking themes (I.e. feminism or identity and belonging) that shows that it is more than just a fantasy book. Its main character “Red” is strong and brave, and her being visually impaired makes it have a feel of inclusivity. But the lows to this book are that there is some quite dark theme tied into it as well. And especially in the first chapter i found it quite hard to continue reading as ( in my opinion) the chapters are quite long and not much happened. It overall a good book though.

Bella

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
At the beginning of the book, it seemed rather overwhelming for the main character Chianti, due to her mama revealing that her father (Baba) is not her biological father. Since she is in this positions she decides to flee to Mutare (Zimbabwe) to see her Gogo’s. I especially liked the roles of Gogo Stella and Gogo Tapera because of their light hearted and care free demeanor. Although, I found the character of Gogo Ropa rather mysterious and unpredictable which is shown later in the book. A prime example if this is when Chianti finds her vast board of information in her bedroom as well as finding Gogo Ropa in an unstable state in her garden. This appears to be an ultimate low because after attempting to seek help and run Chianti runs headlong into a tree and gains a head injury from this. However, things seem to pick up as she continues to recover and her family comes to visit. This amends relationships and Chianti is called ‘a truly wonderful’ daughter by her baba. This book was not my favorite as it went at a slower pace and did not have so many gripping plots as to keep me immersed in the book. On the other hand, I believe this book is admirable for how informative it is about having lifelong experiences and memories from war. Thank you for reading this!

Emi

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
This is a good book - I would recommend it. I enjoyed the supporting characters, especially the Gogos because they have interesting backgrounds and their characters are well formed. I particularly liked their interaction and the way that their emotions transitioned. At times they were serious, and at times amusing and relaxed. During important conversations in the book - such as when Chianti was asking her Grandmother about her Grandfather's past - the author balanced dialogue with description of how Chianti was feeling. I found the plot engaging. At times it was intense, like when they were trying to prevent the robbers from stealing the goods. At other times the pace was slow, but that worked with the narrative. The plot twists were exciting and unexpected. The themes in the novel consisted of crime, mystery, family relations and connections. The overriding message of the story is to keep your family close and don't keep secrets as they can cause divisions.

Bruno

Black Star
I really enjoyed reading this book and leaning about how differently people treated each other based on their gender and race it was really interesting to read all the short storied inside this book too as it told a completely different story story inside the cover of one single book, my favourite part of this book was reading the stories about how her nana was living in Africa and how in 3 generations things had changed so much for them

Ruan

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien is a modern take on little red riding hood with a twist of some mysterious magic. The plot hooks you straight into the story as in the opening the main character (Red) finds her lost grandmother, only for her to abandon her all before chapter 1. The plot was fast as it quickly dropped you into a tense opening and throughout the book it’s a build up towards an unexpected ending with an epic sacrifice. Red, who is visually impaired talks to herself a lot to show she is curious and a good thinker contrasting other characters. The author’s style is immersive because they focus on sounds and textures not just what things look like making the atmosphere more real. One of the themes in this book shows how fear can be controlling, this is showed as the mayor of the village uses fear to his advantage to keep people in order.

Alfred

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The book Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is actually really fun and kind of different from other books I’ve read. It’s about this lizard who feels like he doesn’t really belong anywhere, which I think a lot of people can relate to, even if they’re not a lizard obviously. I liked it because it’s a bit silly sometimes but also has some deeper parts about friendship and figuring out who you are. The main character changes over time and gets more confident, which made me like him more. Some parts were kind of slow, and I got a bit bored once or twice, but overall I still wanted to keep reading. I would recommend it if you like weird but meaningful stories. Also I think the ending was pretty good and not too confusing, which is nice because sometimes books like this can be hard to understand.

Freddie

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
In When It's Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri, the opening immediately catches the eye of the reader through Chianti’s shocking discovery about her father not being related to her making curiosity and encourage you to find out. The story moves at a steady pace reflecting on life lessons, building up to a point where she can used to life with her grandmother and gradually discovers secrets about her family and the women around her. The world is realistic and opens your eyes to a Zimbabwean community of former fighters, allowing the readers to feel empathy for the veterans. The plot is well-constructed, with events happening logically and coming together in a satisfying ending. This book showed Chianti’s personal growth to understand through the chaos who she really is. The ending isn't complete but, it feels plausible and realistic, leaving the reader to fully immerse themselves allowing them to think and ponder what it would be like in Chianti's shoes .

Tristan

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is an interesting book about a lizard called Zeke who feels like he doesn’t fit in at school. He thinks he is a nobody and doesn’t fit in. So he tries to pretend like he is someone he’s not. I liked this book because it shows how it feels to be left out, which is something a lot of people can relate to. The characters are animals, which makes it fun to read, but it also talks about serious things like friendship and being yourself. Zeke changes a lot during the story, which made it more enjoyable. In conclusion, I think this is a good book with an important message about being yourself and not worrying too much about what others think. I would recommend it for young people to have as a light read.

Ryan

The Spick and the Span
My Book Review: The Spick and the Span by Pil van Martin The Spick and the Span is an exciting and funny story about two very different kids who are forced to work together when their school launches a huge clean up challenge. The plot follows their mission to turn the messiest classroom into the tidiest, but things quickly get chaotic as they uncover secrets, rivalries, and unexpected friendships. The book explores themes like teamwork, responsibility, and how people can surprise you when you give them a chance. Pil van Martin’s writing style is fast and fun to read, so you never feel bored or lost. There is lots of humour, especially when the characters argue or mess things up, and the dialogue feels sharp and real, like the way people actually talk at school. The story keeps moving with all the competitions, disasters, and surprises, which makes it easy to stay hooked. If you like books about school challenges, funny moments, and characters who learn to get along even when they are total opposites, this one is definitely worth reading.

William

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book is about a lizard called Zeke who’s basically a “nobody” at school and works as a hall monitor. His job sounds boring, but loads of weird and funny stuff keeps happening around him. The story is really random in a good way, with lots of jokes and strange situations that make it entertaining. Patrick Ness writes it in a super funny and easy way to read, so it doesn’t feel like a long or hard book. It’s quite silly but also shows what it’s like to feel unnoticed or not important sometimes.

George

Wolf Siren
Carnegie book review: Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien Wolf Siren follows a girl on a dangerous journey of self-discovery, though its slow opening makes it hard to engage at first. While there are occasional moments of action, much of the story moves at a calmer pace to explain events and character development. The plot becomes clearer toward the end, though some loose ends remain; overall, the ending is fairly satisfying. The characters are interesting and somewhat realistic, especially the narrator, who resembles Little Red Riding Hood. However, some characters’ actions feel unclear, and the focus on the protagonist’s visual impairment and physical changes may not appeal to all readers. As a fantasy, the characters can feel less believable, making immersion difficult, though their interactions are convincing and reflect a patriarchal society. Themes of identity and self-discovery are central, alongside representation of disability. The writing is clear and descriptive, but not especially impactful, making the book engaging at times but not memorable.

sam

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Lizard Nobody is a fun book which is easy to read and has illustrations that can guide the reader if they are having trouble understanding the book or what is happening. However in the first chapter I found it somewhat hard to understand who is who and to find a difference between the 3 moniter lizards until chapter 3. But I believe that it is a great book and deserves this award.

Niall

Popcorn
The story follows Andrew Yaeger, a boy who struggles with anxiety and OCD well that’s my guess . It all happens over one chaotic school day .It’s picture day, which is really important to him because he wants a nice photo for his mum. At the start, Andrew is already worried, and things quickly go wrong. A bully targets him called Gene the mean, his clothes get ruined, including the new nice shirt his mum got him and embarrassing accidents keep happening (like getting hit in the face and messy spills from a ketchup rocket ). Each problem makes his anxiety build upclike a kernel of popcorn heating up,from chiilin to popping which is how he describes his panic. Things get much worse when he hears that his grandmother, G who has Alzheimer’s, has gone missing. This pushes his anxiety to the limit, and eventually he has a panic attack at school, which is his biggest fear. After this, his teachers and friends help him calm down and support him. His grandmother is found safe, and Andrew realises that even though the day went terribly, he got through it. By the end, he feels more confident and accepts that it’s okay to need help. I think that the storyline of the book was quite fast and the book on the whole is fascinating to see what people feel with problems like this normal people take for granted. It’s a nice and easy read which can be read by younger and older people because understanding mental problems for adults and just the pictures and the understandability for kids. I think this is a great book but annoys me a bit because of how much exaggeration is used.

Toby

Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander tells the story of the challenges facing 12-year-old Charley Cuffy growing up in southern America in the 1920s. The story is written in verse making it short and snappy helping to get across the characters’ voices and emotions so you get to feel the impact of racial discrimination that Charley and her family must face. The story follows Charley who dreams of becoming the first black female pitcher in baseball, and the style of writing gives the reader an insight into her struggles by being direct and focusing on short sentences so you are almost hearing and feeling Charley’s thoughts. The vivid description of racial discrimination – the fact that that Charley isn’t allowed to play on the new baseball pitch – helps to keep the reader engaged. I loved how the stories from Charley’s grandfather, Kofi, and the bravery of his ancestors, helped inspire her to fight the injustices she faced.

Berti

Popcorn
POP CORN review - Rupert 4 stars overall This book started off by introducing characters well, such as Jonesy and Gene (The Mean). It made me think of possible scenarios that would happen later in the book. The pace of the story started slow, like most books, but it got more intense throughout the book. A build-up was very clear, even showing a popcorn anxiety meter (lower was chill, higher was popping!) that increased when situations were rough. The world was believable, as it was a first-person story of a boy called Andrew with anxiety having a picture day in school, however some of the parts of this book seem unrealistic. I would give the PLOT of the book 3 stars. I have already mentioned the plot loosely earlier in this review, but I found that shifts through scenes were hard to follow, for example, one chapter Andrew is at school, the next he's at therapy and the next he's back at the same school day. The end does satisfy me, as Andrew meets someone who also had anxiety and that person manages to calm Andrew down. The themes would go into comedy since it made me laugh a lot while also being [a word for dealing with stress]. The characters were all different and equally good, and I found myself getting annoyed at one of the bad people! This must've been on purpose and it did emotionally sway me in some areas. I would not re-read this book but it was enjoyable (books I re-read must be top-tier).

Rupert

Black Star
Black Star is a powerful book with themes like identity, family and finding your place. This book is written in a poetic style which gives it a stronger feeling to it. In Black Star, the story is told by a third-person narrator focused on Kofi. I believe that Kwame Alexander chose this narrative to present Kofi’s thoughts and to give a wider view of everything happening, and to give the readers a better understanding of the historical significates of what Kwame Alexander is writing about. The characters in this book are shown as brave but also scared and venerable at times, they show a lot of strength and bravery but there are times were they have to face their fears which makes them vulnerable at times during the book. We can understand the way they act, speak or think because this is shaped by their culture, relationships and even trauma. In this book we often see their thoughts, so this shows us why they make the decision they do even if there the wrong or difficult ones to make. The characters are engaging because the characters feel real witch makes the readers able to connect with them with there on strugglers. Overall, with this is helps make the readers feel involved in the story.

Lydia

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
This book is about a young girl called Chianti living in Zimbabwe who suddenly discovers a family secret. While having a row with her mother, she finds out that the man she thought was her Dad isn’t her real father. So, she decides to run away to live with her Grandmother. There she meets her Gogo’s and looks through old photos and papers and discovers things about their past and the Zimbabwean war. My favourite character in this book is Chianti, the main character, because I really like the way she is presented by the author. She depicts her to be strong and describes her words to be like ‘lava’ which gives us a ruthless feel and that she really fights for what she believes in. She has a difficult relationship with her family, particularly her mother throughout the book but at the end she will do anything to stay with her sisters and I admire this in her. For me, the best moment in the story is when her sisters arrive and surprise Chianti as she hasn’t seen them in a while. She thought this was going to be the worst thing that could happen to her, but it actually turns out to be the greatest thing as it leads to her making up with her parents and family. Personally, this isn’t the sort of themes I would choose to read about but it was interesting to read something different and branch out. I would recommend this to someone who is looking to try something new especially as its quite a short read.

Florence

Wolf Siren
I think that Wolf Siren was a complicated read. I don’t think that it was complicated grammatically or how it was worded but the characters were written amazingly and the majority of them were complicated, which I think is a good thing because personally it made me connect with them more. The actual book was written beautifully. Although in the beginning I found it a bit slow but that might have been me because I like reading book with quite also of mystery and action in! But I’ve realised that it was important to include detail about the characters but also with the woods and the wolfs because it makes you appreciate the ending a bit more. I really felt close with the characters such as Red and her sister (who were my favourite characters) and I also felt angry with the less likeable characters which shows how well the book was written. Overall I have enjoyed this book even though it’s not usually the type of book I would typically read!

Beatrice

The Spick and the Span
I thought "The Spick and the Span" was a good book that grew on me the more I read it. At first it was totally insane and did not enjoy reading it but as I kept reading it became more interesting. It covered a wide variety of themes such as grief, poverty and refugees and was very interesting. It had brilliant character development and despite being totally unreal it began to relate more and more to real life. It had a good plot and very good world building. The use of language used by the writer and the tools they used to make it worked well and coherently. Its plot was easy to keep track of in some parts and the climax was very exciting. It created smaller side plots to distract from the main problem which helped make it a more unpredictable plot. It hooked me in places but in some it felt like it was going nowhere meaningful. Overall I thought it wasn't the best read ever but I somewhat enjoyed it.

Max

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren was a very enjoyable book to read, it had a nice amount of pages, the plot was exciting and the characters had great personalities. One thing that I really liked about this book was that the main character Red is half blind but she still shows characteristics of being strong and just as capable as everyone else. One thing that could've been better in this book was the pacing, as I found myself getting lost in the great amount of detail this book has. But at the end every piece of this books comes together and makes a lot of sense and I though this was quite clever. The book is also written in 1st person so I got to know the main character Red quite well, and it is set in this small village surrounded by magical woods. In the woods there are wolves, but everyone but Red and a few other people think that the woods are dangerous, so Red has to try and defend the wolves and the woods. I thought it was a bit unexpected that the ending wasn't what I thought it would be and that felt better than me knowing what's going to happen. Overall I like the characters, I like where its set, but the pacing could've been better in my opinion.

Arthur

Stealing Happy
Stealing Happy is a unique book which shows how members of the community deal with things like Tourette’s. The book shows how people deal with poverty and greedy loan sharks. With an entertaining and fast paced plot. The book uses an authentic Scottish accent to bring 13-year-old Sonny to life showing his trouble with OCD and Tourette’s making it an intense and read while the Robin Hood inspired plan to rob Archie Burns is a thrilling and intriguing part of the story. The story starts in a flat; everything seems fine to start until Sonny’s Mom reveal the piles of debt the family is in after Sonny’s dad got long covid and his Mom struggles to find houses to clean to make income and the post office isn’t giving them any money for a while. The story is an enjoyable easy read that I would recommend.

Oliver

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a story about a girl named Red, who is visually impaired, that loves going to the woods and feels a connection towards wolves and nature. The main theme about this book is feminism and fantasy as the story revolves mostly around heroines and magic. The plot varies in speed throughout the book but generally gets quicker the closer to the end you go. As mentioned before, most of the characters in the book are women and most of the men are portrayed in a negative light, one of them being a boy called Zac, who goes through a character arc. He starts off bullying Red but becoming likable at the end. The story ends with the destruction of the village walls, and the fleeing of the cruel mayor. Personally I think some sections of the story just need more explaining or just don't make sense, but I would say Wolf Siren is a decent book.

Sam

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a funny and fast-moving story that feels like a rollercoaster, with lots of surprising and silly moments. The plot is a bit random at times, but that actually made it more exciting and it kept me interested. There isn’t a boring part, and something strange or funny was always happening. I enjoyed the themes of friendship, teamwork, and trying to fit in, which were easy to understand and relate to. The characters are weird but very funny. Zeke and Daniel are easy to like, and their friendship felt real to me. The other characters are more crazy but that added to the humour and made the story more entertaining. There are lots of conversations in the story which helped me to understand the different personalities of the characters. Overall, it’s a fun, silly, and enjoyable book, which I enjoyed reading.

Freddie

The Spick and the Span
I think the book was great. I love the exiting adventures there was along the way. It was a bit confusing and a bit of a roller coaster but the further I read on the more of a understanding I got. I really liked the main character Ward. I like his leadership and I liked the other characters like Jago and Magda. They were all very different but great I was all about cleaning and magic and there was some good use of humour. Overall I think it was one of my favourite books. I recommend it.

Albie

The Boy I Love
In the book The Boy I Love written by William Hussey, the plot features Stephen Wraxall, a 19 year old second lieutenant. In the book he is returning to the front line, after recovering from the death of his first love. This book features a forbidden bond as in 1916 it was unfairly said that being gay was a crime. Stephen and Danny, his new recruit and love are sent to do a very dangerous mission which had seemed to be underestimated. They come back scarred and wounded trying to tell their superiors how much they had underestimated them. This raises the tension because so many people’s lives rest in their hands. The main themes in the book are the forbidden love of Stephen and Danny and trying to hide their LGBTQ+ identity, this brings to light the regularly ignored being of queer people in history. It also brings to light the brutality of the war, and the countless loss of lives. The characterisation of the book mainly focuses of the wide contrast between the dark war and the bright, hope of a young couple. The style of the writing is a balance between smooth and flowing and the dark and gritty part of the war. It makes it a very interesting read. And would recommend to anyone else.

Hugo

Wolf Siren
I thought the book was an average read, because I found it quite slow, and the themes didn’t really interest me. I found there were big areas in the book where not a lot happened, which made me less enthusiastic about reading it. However, I did like how the main character Red was visually impaired, and I thought it was good to have a disabled main character. It was also interesting to see how she saw the world in comparison to someone who wasn’t visually impaired, and how she picked up on things that others might not have. I also liked how the author described the forest, making it seem mystical, but also creepy from the perspective of some of the characters in the book, like Red’s mum. On the other hand, especially in the middle of the book, the pace was very slow, and it focused on Red’s thoughts, and not much action. So overall, I thought the book was average, but for people like me who like fast paced and action-based books, I would not recommend it.

Lucy

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span is a very good book in my opinion overall. As with many books, it has its highs and lows and although it isn’t a complete page - turner, I thought it was a pleasant read which was enjoyable, and although it was a little confusing at the start, it picked up with the twist at the end. It could have had a little more of an underlying plot, however for children who don’t often read, I think this book would be a positive start to their reading journey. The themes are fitting for the style and the social hierarchy was different but interesting too, with magicians, young magicians, cleaners and so on. I think that the book could be even better if it had some deeper substance around the plot. Other than that, I thought it was an interesting read.

Timothy

Popcorn
Over the last week I was reading the book Popcorn. The plot followed a boy call Andrew and his day at school on picture day, you see Andrew has anxiety as he makes it through the day the popping scale get closer and closer to the end. All he wants is a good photo for his mum, though that becomes increasingly harder throughout the day as he get bullied, bad news about his grandma and exploded on by a school experiment gone wrong. The main characters are Andrew, Jonesy (Andrew's best friend), and his Grandma. I would say that the style of the book is humorous and cartoonish as we see 'The Anxiety Files' describe how Andrew feels all through the book. The theme of the book mostly centres around OCD, anxiety and how stressful a normal day at school can be. Overall I think that Popcorn is a great book for anyone who struggles with OCD/anxiety or if you just want a fun read.

Edie

Popcorn
I loved the book, it allowed readers to easily immerse themselves in the book and it shows the struggle in school with anxiety and OCD. I loved how it wasn’t unrealistic and not everyone will be accommodating to others' disabilities. What I also liked in the book was that the characters helped him get through his panic attacks. What I also thought was good in the book was the idea of a scale with a popcorn kernel that pops when Andrew has a panic attack. It allows readers to learn what small things could trigger a panic attack and how they could be more accommodating, This book relates to a lot of people, even if they do not have anxiety or OCD. Everyone can relate to feeling overwhelmed and fear of being judged by others. This is what makes the book so good, it allows readers to have an emotional connection to the book.

Junaid

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The opening of the book caused me to read on due to the immediate pull into a conversation. I felt interested into how the book would turn out. They later quickly had to overcome their first issue as hall monitors as everyone ignores them as they ask for hall passes, this sets a hectic start on their journey keeping the reader pulled into the book as this makes them wanting to find out how they will overcome new issues that arise. The pace feels fast and chaotic as problems start quickly which is very good for a younger person reading the book. The ending of the book has "boss fight" feel as Pelicarnassus builds a robot to attack the school. Its a great over the top ending of the book. Though the ending was not just all fighting as Zeke 's growth is also shown through the hardships that happen throughout the book.

Thor

Black Star
The book Black Star is a well layed out book for someone with patience. The pages themselves are written in a kind of poem form, with not too much writing on them, and also around 370 pages. The book is about a twelve year old girl called Charly who likes baseball. She spends time with her grandfather as he talks to her about their families past, as they lived when the world wasn’t fair. People thought a girl, especially a black girl, couldn’t play baseball. Charlie kept dreaming and believing in herself despite all of the hate and discourage she got from people, keeping the courage from those in her family and who care next to her. I think the book was alright, but I found that nothing really happened in a way I could remember, only a few details have stuck to me. Overall the book was heartwarming, but not my favourite kind of book.

ophelia

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren was a fantastic book with drama, murder and great use of vocab. I especially. Liked the wolf siren alarm because in this chapter it happened in the middle of the night and made such a dramatic kind of dramatic feeling. Towards the end it very dramatic with red and her sister running away and transforming into wolves. I felt quite sad when the woodcutter was killed by Will who wanted to frame Red and the wolves. There were lots of plot twists towards the end which I really quite liked. I got really sad when Will and Zack kill the wolves including Red's sister. Towards the start it was quite slow and calm to being very dramatic to the end. My favourite thing about this book is the amount of mystery in it from when the woodcutter died to the veins appearing very good. Overall a great book with a wonderful story.

Esah

Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed reading Wolf Siren. The plot was pretty slow to begin with but then it suddenly became really fast as the main character (Red) was told that she could transform into a wolfwoman. After this, the story became more and more interesting, with the death of the woodcutter, the vines that appeared, Red and the others escaping the village, Red finding out that Wilson killed the woodcutter and Red’s sister (Aerona) saving Red but dying in the process. The ending was quite sad in my opinion as it was Aerona’s funeral and Red’s grandma leaving her forever and leaving hints that she was going to pass away of old age soon. I liked the theme of wolfwomen and a female main character, I liked the way she was portrayed and how she acted in the book. Overall, I really enjoyed reading Wolf Siren and will recommend it.

Jonas

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
The book, When it’s your turn for midnight, by Blessing Musariri was very good, I would definitely recommend! It was fast paced and very intriguing. My favourite part of the book was when she moved because it’s sounds very positive with a lovely community and things that make a community a family. This is one of my favourite books I have read because it made me feel happy and I wanted to keep reading. Overall it is a lovely book to read and I would definitely recommend it!

Honor

The Spick and the Span
It was a great book, I loved the plot and the character development. It was well thought out and allows the reader to immerse themselves in to the book. I especially loved the first part of the storyline where Nessus is lost to the void and they have to team up with a magician. I also loved the diversity in the book, not just different roles such as vampires, magicians and cleaners but having completely different people work together like a transgender vampire and a non-binary giant. This provides insight in relationships in real life between family and friends. This book doesn’t have just one big storyline but many short ones such as Magda trying to find her own home, Alba Sauber turning evil and the bad and good nixes. This is what makes the story so capturing and keeps the reader engaged all the time. All of these elements together is what makes the book a hit.

Junaid

Stealing Happy
The book Stealing Happy is an emotional book about a teenage boy named Sonny. He is dealing with a lot of things in life. His father has covid and his mum can barley hold things together. He is trying to go forward in life though. The book is so simple but somehow written in a very powerful way that makes the reader actually feel the characters emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Even though the book is supposed to be serious, it still includes some light and funny moments. Overall Stealing Happy is a meaningful book that shows that if you're not happy about something, you will still find hope someday.

Yusra

Wolf Siren
The book Wolf Siren was a slow read I found. I wasn’t properly enjoying it until nearer the end, when it started introducing plot twists, other ideas of fantasies and I felt it became a lot faster. The theme of magic was continued throughout the book, in the narrator's village, magic being a burden. I enjoyed learning about the main character, Red, struggle with fitting in and conforming to all rules. I enjoyed feeling like I might have related to Red, as a young person who’s not even really discovered who she is, trying to find answers, I know I’m not solving a murder or a crime, but Red also solved smaller, deeper mysteries; like properly feeling and understanding grief. I liked the style of writing, with small details like shorter chapters, engaging readers and making you feel like you are getting somewhere. As I said, I preferred the style nearer the end, when it became more serious and about solving and understanding answers. The plot twists really hooked me, as instead of being quite obvious from the beginning, they were surprises that just made me want to find out more, leading the book to grow on me as it neared the end.

Ren

Black Star
The ‘Black Star’ novel, shortlisted for the Carnegies, is a very strong contender for the award. Its hard-hitting themes blend well with the down-to-earth protagonist, connecting us with Charlie in quite an intimate way as she navigates the uneven world the story is set in. Its use of poetic verse to illustrate stresses and pauses perfectly aligns with the book's short plot and structure; being told in first person is the choice that connects this point most. The many interludes of shifts in writing style throughout the book flow extremely well with the overall tone of the story; the writer of the account simply believes it will convey their meaning more effectively. All of the characters had great potential for chemistry, and you definitely get to witness that taking place on many occasions, and I believe it is the part of the book which shines the most. The way the characters interact with each other, especially between Charlie and everyone else, takes the book to a whole other level of understanding of human relations.

Santiago

Black Star
The book is based around a girl who wants to be a professional baseball player but finds it extremely difficult because of the bias against women in sport. The plot is engaging because it is life like; the writer allows you to experience empathy with the main character. The opening page made me want to read on because I wanted to find out more about the girl that could throw so fast that her arm was a cannon. The pace at the opening was really fast and the action made me want to read quickly and scan ahead. However things slowed down in the middle of the story and I would have liked the author to involve more characters to give the plot greater depth and interest. There wasn't a particular sense of build up but I can very much imagine myself in the American South and in the life of Charlene. It is life like and written in a way that isn't magical, fantasy or far fetched. Themes that are explored include racial biases based around women in baseball and more generalised sexism issues. There is sufficient exploring of the difficulties Charlene faced and I had good space to take on board her difficulties. The story is told by Charlene. For example, Charlene writes, 'Nana showed me ........' The language transports me to the time and place of the events; Charlene, the main character speaks to the reader directly and the language is very accessible. The language is poetic and contains many similes and metaphors and is in poetic stanzas. Unusually however, it carries the plot well.

Reuben

The Spick and the Span
The books main character is called Ward who works with his friends in Helm. Helm is a city where careless magicians cause magic to constantly build up, changing reality. Only children (who are resistant to magic) can remove magic build ups. When the Spick and Span agency (Ward and his friends Nessus and Magda) try to join the League of Cleaners, he and his friends face impossible challenges, unstable magic and strange monsters that eat magic called nix’s. Alongside Magda, Jago the talking frog (who used to be a magician but is cursed) , and a strange group of ghosts and vampires, Ward finds something that could destroy the city. With fast paced action (which at times is difficult to follow), the story has themes of friendship, teamwork, discrimination, and the necessity of kindness. When Ward learns to trust his chosen family, he finds that courage and cooperation – not ego– is what actually is needed.

tom

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The book was an interesting read with a fast-moving plot that kept me reading it which doesn’t normally happen as I don’t read often. It felt a bit overwhelming or crazy because so much was happening, although at times it was slightly confusing to follow everything. The story didn’t slow down much, which made it exciting but also a little hard to fully understand in parts. The themes in the book included I personally found them a bit too silly and over-humoured for my liking. It sometimes felt like it wasn’t taking itself seriously. The characters were one of the best parts. I liked the main characters, and the side characters, such as the loyal friend, the strange inventor, and the grumpy leader, were also enjoyable and added to the story well. I also liked the writing style. The short sentences made it easy to read, and the humour helped keep it fun.

Praneel

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The book was an interesting read with a fast-moving plot that kept me reading it which doesn’t normally happen as I don’t read often. It felt a bit overwhelming or crazy because so much was happening, although at times it was slightly confusing to follow everything. The story didn’t slow down much, which made it exciting but also a little hard to fully understand in parts. The themes in the book included I personally found them a bit too silly and over-humoured for my liking. It sometimes felt like it wasn’t taking itself seriously. The characters were one of the best parts. I liked the main characters, and the side characters, such as the loyal friend, the strange inventor, and the grumpy leader, were also enjoyable and added to the story well. I also liked the writing style. The short sentences made it easy to read, and the humour helped keep it fun.

Praneel

The Spick and the Span
This fiction book was a dedicated fantasy book, which really suited me as I love all kinds of fantasy. What I enjoyed about this book is that its plot and theme was based on fairytales, but with an interesting twist to keep the reader engaged, this being the overflow of magic leading to random changes and transformations occurring within Helm. One aspect about the book that I was unsure of was the pace of the plot. I found it did not give enough time for me to explore the world of helm as much as I wanted to, especially in comparison to another book I have read recently that is a little longer but takes the time to delve deep into the ways of its world. I did enjoy the extra information given though, which aided me at the least in my need to understand Helm a bit more. The characters, in my opinion, were well thought out in the way that they all have their own personal experiences and problems revealed later on in the book (such as the revealing of Magda's mother and the struggles between Magda and her), which they work through together, strengthening their bonds and making them closer. I usually deeply dislike when authors write 'factfiles' about the characters in the book, as I feel that the information should be gained about them over the course of reading the book, but in this instance, not too much vital information was released to the reader, although I would prefer the author omit the supposed 'factfiles' entirely. In conclusion, the entirety of the book was really creatively made, and the emotional development of the characters extremely cleverly thought out, but I believe this book could be improved by lengthening the book in order to add more detail and make way for further exploration of Helm.

Sébastien

Wolf Siren
The book, Wolf Siren was an enjoyable book overall. Although it started with a slow plot, it built up getting more exciting. The ending was perfect even though it was sad, it was an ideal ending to the story. The themes of sexism and hierarchy in society were explored in this book. I think these themes are important to talk about especially in the current day as talking about things the women go through is often not seen as important. The main character Red, goes through large changes in her life during this book. I believe this is to reference what young girls often go through. I think this was very interesting and different because often authors don’t talk about things that young girls go through, but rather things that relate to less people. Although I enjoyed this book, I did not like the characterisation of Red, (the main character) as I felt there were too many layers and problems happening. I did like the side characters, because they had less going on with them and more chance to think about the characters as people rather than all the issues going on with them, like Aerona or Delana who had more personality too them. There wasn’t much humour in this book which I thought was fitting as the book had more serious atmosphere. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a more serious book and explore the different things that people go through.

Richa

Black Star
Charley at 12 years old is trying to become the first ever female pitcher to play in the 1920s as a professional. People tell her it’s a great dream to have but never take her seriously, whilst her being a black girl in South America. Charley kept believing and trying with her grandfather’s encouraging stories, this was the reason Charley always dreams big. American people did not treat Charley and her family as equal individuals, with Charley and her grandfather being shouted racial comments on the sidelines of the field. Charley showed perseverance and equality and keeps on going, even though society treats her and her family unfairly. I’m my opinion, this book made me quite inspired, but on the other hand very emotional by the book giving a strong message about always keep going and don’t give up. The writer really made you feel if you were there in the moment. I found it slightly more challenging to read due to how the book was laid out. Overall I enjoyed and would recommend this book.

Sebastian

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I was completely surprised by this book, I was expecting it to be an average children's book with no real story line. How wrong I was. The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody expressed key morals which helps the reader to feel in on the story, like standing up for people that matter or anyone can be a hero. At points when Zeke, the main character, was not being treated well, I felt the emotional hurt inside me, which the Author got spot on. The main bad guy was portrayed as a big, buff bad guy but secretly, after Zeke saves him, turns out to be nicer than anyone expected. It starts off well with lots of comedy including puns etc. The rhetorical questions for me struck me right in the thick of it as they made you feel like you were in the shoes of the characters. The main moral for me which stood out was the fact that the school's oddballs, who everyone would have expected the least from, could do anything they wanted and had the power to stand up to people who may not be the nicest. This empowerment really struck me to think that anyone could do anything, whereas before that may not have been the case.

Caleb

Black Star
The Black Star. What an interesting way to write a book. I like how it is written in poem but I feel there could be more words in each line as I feel the chapters end in a breeze. Apart from that it is a brilliant read. I love how it just hooks me in to reading it and once I started I just couldn't stop! It was like I needed to find out more about the the dad, Nana's stories and I just found that as a brilliant way to write a book as it hooks the reader into wanting to find out more. the plot was like a water slide! Without spoiling too much I can say parts of it were fast and other parts (the parts that hooked you in) were an angering slowness (in a good way) as you just wanted to find out more. As the book progressed I felt it started to get a bit repetitive with what they did but I also felt my understanding of the characters grew more and more which was nice but it meant I started to loose the urge to read so much. If I had to choose one thing to deeply criticise it would be the ending. In this type of book I would expect a happy, not so rushed ending, but I can expect away as it was quite the opposite. It made me sad that it ended so bleakly but that would have been fine if not for how quickly it ended. It just felt like a rollercoaster that started really fun, then started to make you wonder when it would end as the roller coaster started to repeat itself, and then once it finally started to change back up again and you star to enjoy it, it suddenly stopped. All in all it was an amazing read that I would happily recommend to someone who used for a recommendation. I would give it a rating of 4.2 stars.

Henry Drew

Wolf Siren
The plot was somewhat fast-paced, featuring numerous twists and a tragic ending in which Aerona died from Wilson's crossbow. I liked the theme with magic, and despite Red being somewhat disabled, she still perceives. The main characters are definitely interesting, especially the mayor who controls the village through fear, and Red's grandmother, who can be very mysterious when returning to the village after disappearing. I also admire how the wolves aren't mindless, murderous, but rather more intelligent, only killing for the wood's sake. There was a lot of description and dialogue, which was very good in places like at the end. I also think that the use of short, sharp sentences was perfect, where there were not too many but enough to hold the suspense. The long descriptive sentences were also useful to build a picture of the words in my mind. There was not much humour, though primarily because the book is about darker fantasy like the deaths and the mayor controlling the entire village through fear of the woods and wolves.

William

The Spick and the Span
The Spick and the Span was an amazing read for me. Once I started it, I could barely put it down. I felt like the author built characters that I could feel connected to and felt sorry for their loss. The plot was one of the best plots I have ever experienced in a book! All the way through the book I thought that Juno was the one causing all of the issues in Helm but in the second to last chapter I found out the it was the person who I thought was good the whole time. In the book I could really relate it to problems that our world faces even though it is in a fantasy world. It was that all of the magic seeping out and causing problems is very like climate change that we have. One thing that I think could have been better was a little bit more humor through out the book. But overall it was really good!

Sam

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
Your Turn to Midnight is a quite interesting book, but I found parts of it a bit boring. The plot is mostly fast-paced. It starts quickly and gets interesting straight away. Sometimes it slows down to build suspense, but those parts felt a bit slow to me. The theme is about fear, survival, and trust. It shows how people act when they are scared and under pressure. The characters are interesting and feel quite real. Some are brave, but others make bad decisions. This makes the story more dramatic. They don’t always think things through, which feels realistic. The dialogue is good and sounds natural. It helps you understand their feelings. I did find it a bit boring in places, but it was still good enough to keep reading. It’s not too long, and the short chapters make it easier to finish. Overall, it was okay to me personally.

Archie

Wolf Siren
I just finished reading Wolf Siren and it was sort of like a roller coaster because some parts felt really intense and fast, especially when there was action or danger, but other parts slowed down and made you think, which I didn't mind. The plot was mostly about survival, power, and a bit of war between different groups, and how people use others, which was interesting even if it got a bit confusing sometimes. There wasn't really anything about technology or drugs, it felt more like an older, harsher world where strength mattered more. The main character, Red, was someone I liked but also got annoyed at because she didn't always understand her power, and that annoyed me a bit. The ending was a bit sad but also a little hopeful. The writing was easy to follow and not too complicated, and I liked that it focused more on her thoughts. Overall I think it was a good book, maybe a bit heavy, but still worth reading.

Jake

Wolf Siren
WOLF SIREN The book I am reviewing is Wolf Siren. Wolf Siren is a book that once started is difficult to put down. It is so irresistibly magical, that I feel it could draw in anyone from any background into the same mysterious world Red shares with her family, village and most importantly wolves. It is a fast-moving book, which I love, each chapter unfolding into its own mini story, all featuring themes of magic and nature alongside a mystery filled with twists and turns. However, I did not connect very well with the main character, Red, a girl of thirteen who is partially sighted, but has the incredible ability of being able to change from woman to wolf and vice versa at will. The reason for our incompatibility was that I often struggled with her childish behaviour and naivety impacting the story in what I thought was a negative way. It polluted and confused the story line and left it feeling a little unfinished. However, I did bond well with the other characters in the book, especially with Red’s sister Aerona, and I particularly enjoyed the style of writing used in the book - short charismatic sentences. So, in conclusion, an enthralling book despite being a little rough around the edges in some respects.

Georgina

Stealing Happy
Stealing Happy dives deep into emotions. The novel is set on a realistic stage but the events are more surreal than real. The story follows a teenager navigating strong emotions and difficulties that the teenager has to manage so they don't get caught in one of the most exciting scenes. Conaghan’s very energetic writing really helps us under stand the teenager's feelings. What stands out most is the book’s exploration of happiness not as something easily found, but something that can feel lost, stolen, or rebuilt. The unique narrative voice may take a little getting used to, but it ultimately adds depth and authenticity. Overall, the book was a thriller to read and I didn't want to stop reading it. The book uses neurodiversity like someone writing it had experience. They should keep in mind that Tourette's Is now classified under the Autism umbrella and isn't its own thing, just a trait of Autism.

George

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I thought that this book was a very interesting and light hearted read with quite a quick and easy pace to follow as well as having some emotional scenes and parts that made you laugh. I especially enjoyed this book because it had a good plot that took and drastic turn and overall made the story more interesting to read. And very good characters that made the story more interesting to read as well creating a certain feeling when reading the books because certain actions from certain people changed the dynamics of the book make it no feel dull at all. I especially liked Miel who I thought was a very funny and odd character who turned out to became one Zekes friends at the end and helping them in the end battle between them and Pelicarnassus . I would highly recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading easy and light hearted books and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Jack

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness is an interesting yet also ridiculous book which I enjoyed reading! This book is about a lizard called Zeke, who doesn’t feel like he is somebody that matters or belongs, except for when he is surrounded by his friends at school. In the beginning, this makes me feel sad and sorry for him because there are also a lot of other difficult challenges in his life, such as being bullied and his mum being ill. The silly parts of the book did well to combat the sadness of these topics. I really like how the author, despite tackling some very serious issues such as bullying, has made these feelings easy to relate to and understand. This makes me have empathy for Zeke and towards the end of the book, it made me happy to see him find his persona and feel more confident about himself. Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to others and I think it is actually suitable for all age groups (even adults!) because Ness keeps it light with jokes and silliness to tackle serious subjects in a lighthearted manner.

Kal

Black Star
In my opinion I really enjoyed reading this book, Black Star. The plot was very fast and easy to get hooked onto with a quite sad ending. What I really liked about this book was how easy to read it was. The book switches up between dialogue, the storyline and events really frequently and they’re all labeled. Another thing I liked was the way the book was written and the uses of different sentence types, such as short lines that feel like verse or poetry. This made parts of the story more interesting and emotional to read, and it helped show the main characters emotions more clearly. This made the novel more unique compared to other books I have read. I also enjoyed the characters in this book, although I think some of them should have been developed more. The main character of this book was very strong and determined, which makes her easy to admire and like. The main themes of this book are racism inequality and perseverance. The story shows a girl who tries to pursue her dreams in baseball while facing racism and fights to prove herself. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was a very easy read, the characters were all very likeable and inspiring however I do wish some plots and characters were explained further.

Constance

Wolf Siren
I really liked the book 'Wolf Siren' because the setting is in a village surrounded by a magic forest. There have been wolf attacks there before but the girls and women have never been killed by any wolves and are the only ones who are allowed into the forest. The main character Red has always been drawn to the forest but when she is 13 she finds out that she is a wolf-woman, meaning that she has the ability to transform into a wolf. As she is realising this, her sister Aerona transforms into a wolf right in front of the entire town and is eventually killed. When Red plants an acorn from the forest on her sister's grave inside the village the forest tears down the walls surrounding the village and the fear of the forest is finally put to rest.

Hendrix