Forest Hill Library

Birdie
this book was set in an interesting setting but the plot itself lacked anything to make me feel emotion. The racism themes were quite in depth but I felt using a pony as a plot drive was a bit strange.

Thomas

Popcorn
Popcorn tells the story of a boy named Andrew Yaeger who has anxiety problems and whose grandmother named G suffers from Alzheimer’s. Andrew’s main mission throughout the book is to get a good school photo for his mum without anything going badly, but all sorts of things go amiss, from a violent bully to science experiments gone wrong and a full-on panic attack. I found one of the most interesting things in the book is the “Anxiety Files” that make understanding the problems of anxiety and how to deal with them much easier. There are also drawings in the book that visualise his anxiety, for example, the sliding “Kernel Scale” which shows his anxiety levels as a kernel of popcorn from chillin’(fine) to poppin’(panic attack); and Tense Kid, who is a human expression of Andrew’s anxiety. I felt that I could relate to Andrew because, like many people, I sometimes suffer from anxiety. I felt reassured at the end of the book when Andrew, with his art teacher’s help, manages to control his anxiety. I understood that if he could deal with his anxiety, other people could too.

Theo

Not Going To Plan
I felt this book was a powerful and moving piece of text. While the verse structure was confusing at first I soon got used to it. However, I felt it skimmed over too much details on some bits like the LBTQ+ club and the relationship between zed and Lucas. But I felt this book covered some really important topics and shouldn't be overlooked as a moving drama.

Thomas

Wildful
The book is a graphic novel about a young girl called Poppy, her dog, Pepper, and her bereaved mum, who is too sad to leave the house after Poppy’s gran passed away. During a morning walk with Pepper, Poppy finds a long-lost patch of woodland in her neighbourhood that contains all sorts of plants and animals. She also befriends a young boy called Rob who she was led to by Pepper and who helps Poppy in curing her mum of her sadness. I liked the book because it’s a delightful insight into the beauty of nature, how it “soothes the heart” and of nature’s importance in our day-to-day lives. One of the things that makes the story compelling is how it is told almost entirely with pictures, which shows how you don’t need words to talk to nature. Overall, it was a beautiful story with a valuable message.

Theo

Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel
I adored this amazing book! it was filled with character and I could really imagine I was on the island. I felt it respected the original book while adding in more emotion with the illustrations.

Thomas

Popcorn
I felt this book was filled with character. The doodles were very funny and the content was very deep and emotional. I myself don't have anxiety but I can imagine that someone who does would find this book more relatable than me. I still enjoyed this book though.

Thomas

Not Going To Plan
I thought the writing style was very very creative it made reading just that bit more entertaining. At first I thought it was odd and would be irritating but after getting into the book I started to like it. The language and word choice was very thought out it captured how each person would think feel and react to the things happening. I really enjoyed the story it was a great representation of going to school and the troubles of the people and situations in and out stop school. I would recommend this book to people in Year 9 or older and especially to people who like to get deep into a book and star to empathise and understand the characters and how they feel. Overall, I thought the book was entertaining not only in the story but also regarding how you read the book definitely a 8 or 9 out of 10.

Lucas

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
While this book seemed childish from the cover, I found it a very fast paced and jolly read. The themes of school made it very relatable and I really enjoyed this book. This book flew past my expectations!

Thomas