Bassingbourn Readers

Wolf Siren
A very enjoyable book; well-conceived and beautifully written. The world of the book was convincingly portrayed, and the plot was fast moving and entertaining, with nicely unpredictable twists and turns.

Miss Heath

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I thought this was a nice idea but found the book pretty boring. It just seemed to be an explanation of one character after another, and nothing really happened.

Miss Heath

The Boy I Love
What a fabulous book! Really interesting topic explored in a tender and insightful way. I loved the juxtaposition of the harsh reality of war and the beauty and excitement of the romance. I didn’t know which way it would go towards the end … and then the ending was excellent and very clever. Lovely to see more Historical Fiction on the shortlist – my favourite genre.

Miss Heath

Popcorn
Not the most gripping read. Covered a range of important topics with understanding and sensitivity and I liked how most of the huge cast of characters did not conform to stereotypes. But I found it quite repetitive and boring; it lacked emotional impact for me.

Miss Heath

Not Going To Plan
An excellent book! Somewhat unrealistic at times (for example the speed at which Marnie gets a group of close friends) but really likable, engaging characters and an enjoyable structure, hearing from two perspectives. For a while, I was concerned that I’d need to do some PSHCE about it (with my own children as well as my Carnegie group) but towards the end, Marnie’s Mum said what I’d been thinking – phew! A valuable read.

Miss Heath

Ghostlines 
An easy and enjoyable read. Less thought-provoking than some of Balen’s other books but still a good story written well. A lovely book!

Miss Heath

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
What was this doing on the Carnegie shortlist? The plot was infantile, the writing mediocre, the characters two dimensional and the world of the book ridiculous – it made no sense at all! I know I’m not the target audience for this book – but who is? The insane world seemed to cater for the under 5s, but the length and some themes probably make it unsuitable for that age group.

Miss Heath

Birdie
A really sweet book. Nice mix of characters, engaging plot and well written. Interesting context to learn about too. A pleasure to read!

Miss Heath

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is an absolutely beautiful read with heavy topics such as; mourning family and friends after death, menstruation in a non-negative light, denial, rejection, being an outcast from society and healing from trauma. I loved reading Wolf Siren, it was a beautiful read with moments that made me want to cry at points. I'm honestly condescending buying this for myself so I can read it whenever I want. Overall, this is a beautiful read and I would 100% recommend reading this book if you want something you can tell it was made from the heart.

Ala

The Boy I Love
I thought that 'The Boy I Love' was written phenomenally with so much detail and a narrative that kept me gripped throughout. The description of landscape and of characters was just so that I could perfectly picture every scene, and although I know that I can never properly understand the horror of the trenches during WW1, I think that Hussey did an excellent job of trying to replicate such an environment through printed word. I was impressed at how we were given just enough information about each character for them to be used effectively as plot devices but also not just to seem to be tools used to keep the storyline going. I thought that especially the protagonists of Stephen and Danny were well-described and made to seem like real people. Another particular thing that intrigued me about the story was that I couldn't genuinely tell how it was going to end like I can roughly predict with so many others. The author was careful not to drop enough hints for us to be able to tell if it would end happily or tragically, which I think must have taken some skill. One thing that I would change is to make the story less biased against the 'top brass' because it uses a lot of stereotypes to make them seem lazy and not-in-touch but in reality it wasn't like that for everybody. Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly congratulate the author on such a work of literature.

Matilda

Popcorn
A very realistic and empathetic book sharing Andrews experiences of anxiety and worry in a heartfelt and illustrated way, visiting problems featured in the modern world in an understanding way. This showed me emotions are not always easy to control and hiding them makes things more difficult. It has an easy story to warm up to but needs some more depth perhaps extending it to more than one day so that some portions were not rushed. Great writing, for me this is a 3.5 star book.

Alex

Birdie
This book is something that I would not normally pick but I loved it and would definitely read again. It really showed the impact of racism and it was lovely description that really made me feel like I lost mister Duke as well. Overall, it's a beautiful book that made me see Birdie's beautiful imaginary world (temporarily.)

Amelia

Wildful
I liked the drawings but I wish that there was more colour.

Sophie

The Boy I Love
I enjoyed this book very much, due to its incredibly moving story and well written characters. I found the LGBTQ+ representation was very good.

Richard

Birdie
A very catching book of which emphasises the racism and loss of the 19th century. This book really shows the affection of the main character (Birdie) towards her horse. However, I do find the ending quite abrupt especially with the return journey to the village. I feel considering the effort of writing during getting to the barn, the journey back is a bit...lacking. I would read this book again and for me it's a 3.5 star book. (1-5 stars)

Matthew

Popcorn
I enjoyed Popcorn because of how it presented anxiety. It showed the struggles and obstacles that Andrew overcame and what he did to cope with them. The book gave good examples of what - and what not - to do in these situations. In turn, it spread awareness whilst also maintaining a good storyline. Also, I enjoyed the cartoon strips after the chapters, it really helped me understand his emotions and what was going on.

Freya

Ghostlines 
I would give this book a 3/5 because I like the idea but I found that the book was really slow passed and that it was not really exited and that it was not very action packed as that is what I enjoy.

Sophie

Ghostlines 
I think it is a good book because it had a good ending and it was very engaging.

Raya

The Boy I Love
I like the characters but I feel like the LGBTQIA+ aspect was a little bit poorly written and it seems a little bit rushed and I feel their story is not very developed.

Ashe

The Paper Bridge
I really liked the detail and how the pictures looked like it was coming out the page and was very realistic and I loved how all the people were in an outfit similar to a kimono.

Hollie

Popcorn
I liked how the book was written from the perspective of someone who is anxious, this helped me understand what it is like to be someone who gets worried at school. I also liked the cartoon-style artwork and the way anxiety is described so you can understand the meaning of the book. Overall it was an interesting book and I would give it 3.5 stars.

Olivia

Ghostlines 
This was a lovely heartfelt book filled with lovely description that really made me feel like I was there. I definitely enjoyed this book, however, I just thought that it took too long for the action to happen and when it did it just sort of let me down as I was expecting a bit more. Overall, this was a lovely book but it felt more like daily life to me then something out of the ordinary.

Amelia

Ghostlines 
I really liked ghostlines because of the detail and I loved how it showed that Tilda was very curious and adventurous and wanted to meet new people and was able to adapt to change.

Hollie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
It was good.

Mary-Ann

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I like the simple writing style. I find it very easy to follow and I like the overall goofiness of the plot and I like the silly illustrations and how they don't take away from the story and add character without being boring :D

Ashe

The Paper Bridge
This was the book that I voted for, as I think that it was very well designed. The author made each page of the story from paper or cardboard, before illuminating it with something that looked similar to candlelight, and photographing the scene. We then thought that they drew on the characters to help them to stand out. It must have taken a long time, and the story itself is heartwarming and lovely. Overall, a very good book, and my favourite from the ones I read.

Clara

The Boy I Love
I love the character development and relationship building as the story progressed. It was laid out well.

luke

The Boy I Love
I enjoyed this because it was an incredibly moving story! My favourite character is definitely Private Danny.

levi

Ghostlines 
This book was a very good read and it kept me engaged throughout. I think the ending was bit too happy and unrealistic, and whilst ghostlines do feature, they do not play a big part in the book and so the title could have been a different one. It is a cheerful book and is about finding your place. I really enjoyed it.

Mark

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I think this book was very childish and poorly written, with little to no detail. As well as that, it drove me mad as it had no logic especially to why you would have France on your knee. It just wasn't really my cup of tea with the storyline either as it just took too long to get to the action in my opinion and when it did it was sort of just a let down and I was expecting more.

Amelia

Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed this book as it had so many plot twists always keeping you on your toes wondering what might happen next.. and I got so engrossed in it because of the detail that I really felt that I was there with the characters in there village, facing their troubles and when my favourite character died it just moved me to tears because of how vivid it all seemed.

Amelia

Wolf Siren
This is my favourite book alongside Ghostlines. I really loved it. I also loved how there were some bits in the book that seemed like they were metaphors but they weren’t actually. I love the storyline and the character. I really like how the author based the disability of the main character on her own disability. It’s really great book with some great twists and it really makes you seem to keep reading.

Sophie

Birdie
This was hard to get into it first, but it was a pretty good book. I loved the ending. I would give it about four or three out of five stars.

Sophie

Popcorn
This was pretty good, not my favourite book though. If I was rating it, I would give it 3 out of five stars.

Sophie

Ghostlines 
This was a really good book. I love the storyline and the artwork on the cover. If I was rating this, I would give it 5 out of five stars! BTW, I ship Albie and the main character😏

Sophie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This would be ok for younger readers and alright if it were separate stories but in my opinion it just seems like a bunch of weird different stories all stuck together. I don’t know how this managed to get into the shortlist. If I was rating it, I would give it one star. In my opinion, it is not very good and my friends think so too. The plot is very confusing and strange.

Sophie

Wolf Siren
I give wolf siren a 5/5 because I like how the story was based on a fairytale and how it goes into the life of Red and why she didn’t recognise the wolf.I like the use of words and description in the book and the way it creates the sense of mystery and the unknown and it explores the unknown and what happened if.

Sophie

The Paper Bridge
I would give this book a 5/5 for illustration because I like how the pictures were created and the time put into making all the pictures and I like how the shadows created this sense of realism and that is why I rate this book so high.

Sophie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I would give this book a 1star out of 10 because I found that it didn’t flow and I didn’t like the way the story is written and that I found that the pictures didn’t match with the way I imagined it.

Sophie

Ghostlines 
I enjoyed Ghostlines because of the detail when all of the beautiful scenery of the island Ayrie was described so you feel like you are there yourself. I like how the whole story is from Tilda's point of view because she tells you a lot about herself and where she lives so you can really understand and enjoy the book Ghostlines. It is interesting to learn that even when Tilda and Albie are complete opposites in personalities at the start of the book they learn new ideas and ways of thinking from each other and this makes them become even better friends. An amazing story about friendship and adventure.

Olivia

Popcorn
I really enjoyed reading Popcorn, and to be honest I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this book at first. I like how it shows what having anxiety actually looks like and that in the end it’ll be okay. I think that the thing that threw me off at first was most likely the pacing of the first few chapters but after reading more of the book it got better. I think my 2 favourite characters in this book are the Nurse, because of how funny yet kind she was, and the main character Andrew, because of how well his character is written. This book also covers heavy topics such as Alzheimer, bottling up emotions and divorce. Overall, I would really recommend this book if you want a funny yet reassuring read, then “Popcorn” is for you.

Ala

Wolf Siren
I enjoyed Wolf Siren because it had an interesting plot and characters. I also like how you learn what it is like to have a disability and that it has themes of injustice and sexism and that everyone can make a difference and that everyone can stand up for what they think is right. I also liked the twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood story because it shows you that maybe the evil wolf wasn't evil it was just misunderstood.

Olivia

Wolf Siren
An interesting adaptation on little red riding hood though it does stray away from the original story and is for an older audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twist to this tale. A good book with characters with complicated pasts which slowly are revealed to the reader.

Mark

Popcorn
It was a very fast paced book, probably too much so. I think that the real life coping tips was a good touch. The ending was enjoyable. Overall, a decent read.

Mark

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines was really enjoyable for me because I felt like the storyline flowed quite nicely and was easy to dive back into compared to some of the other denser Carnegie reads. One thing in particular I loved was that although the island of Ayrie seems like quite a faraway world to me (I'm very jealous of it, from the friendly bonfires to the puffins to the sea kayaks to the fairy pools to the community pub nights to the rolling mountains), the way in which the story was written from Tilda's point of view made it seem realistic, while also having an adventure and climax that were exciting and nerve-building while also completely plausible. I think this also comes from how the book is written as if Tilda is actually talking to you, using very long sentences with lots of conjunctions and not many full stops, a technique not often used in literature but very common in conversation, making the story seem more intimate, somehow. Another thing I liked was the description, and how this didn't come too heavily so it didn't feel like a lot to take in, and instead was doled out in such a way that I could picture the scenes perfectly in my head without feeling overwhelmed by how the author wants me too see things, if you understand what I mean. I was intrigued by the different people, who once again were each given just the right amount of explanation as to their character and were referenced in such a way that we gained enough information that we needed to know about them at the same time as it not feeling like Tilda was actually telling somebody else about them and in comparison it felt like she was our friend and talking about those familiar to the both of us. I would absolutely recommend this story to anyone of around 8 to 14 years old who likes to feel the sea breeze blowing across their face whilst getting immersed in an amazing read!

Matilda

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I like this book's ending , the characters and the representation of important subjects such as depression. My top 2 favourite characters were Miel and Alicia because of their personalities and how they treated others, but I liked every character each in a different way. My only bit of criticism is the pacing, before the final battle I felt like we weren't getting anywhere but when it started it only lasted for a couple short chapters. In the end however , it did make me smile seeing Zeke hug his Mum after all that happened. I really recommend this book if you want a book that give you good laugh but can also pull at your heartstrings. If that is what you're looking for then read "Chronicles of a lizard nobody" .

Ala

Ghostlines 
I quite liked this book, it reminded me of books I read when I was younger. The emotional journey is very heartwarming and the atmosphere is clear. I did debate though, over where Ayrie is. I imagined it to be somewhere in the islands of Scotland due to the language used, where puffins are found, and considering the size of the island. I didn't like how the speech was in italics; it confused me at times where it could have been thoughts, exaggerated text, or speech. Overall though, very good book. 4 Stars

Clara

Wolf Siren
I think Wolf Siren is the best book I have read so far because of it's strong storyline and well-thought-of characters. It is set in a village near a wood; nearly every one is scared of the woods because of wolves; every accept Red. This story explores ideas like sexisim, disability and injustice. I like how the magic of the woods guides Red, and the mysterious powers of the wolfs. I loved reading it! 10/10!

Eleanor

The Boy I Love
I found this book very worth reading, and enjoyed the descriptions especially; they made me feel as if I were in the trench. My great-grandfather died in the Battle of the Somme, so this story feels quite meaningful in that sense. However, I sort of missed the storyline a little in some parts, and it was quite a heavy read. Nonetheless this book is definitely one of my favourites so far.

Clara

Ghostlines 
I really enjoyed Ghostlines, as I found that I can relate with the charaters very easily. The only bit of criticism I can give is that it's a bit all over the place but in the end it came together really nicely and I think this book will stick with me for a very long time.

Ala

Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed reading Wolf Siren because it explores fairy tale conventionality, disability, family, prejudice and many other interesting topics. In the author's note at the end, I think that O'Brien made a valid point about how hardly any fairy tales feature disabled characters, although then again I suppose that most fairy tales are more meant to relay the adventure than delve into the characters themselves. Wolf Siren does both beautifully: the characters felt real and the plot was engaging. To talk more about the characters, I think that there was a good mixture of those whose situations and relative opinion on the society that they lived in were explored well and those that were also needed as plot devices to move the story along. In terms of the plot, I found Red's discovery of her unique ability and the prejudice that she faced due to the people's fear of the wolves to be a good and meaningful parallel to real life: no matter who it is that is actually opressing you, you will always fear most those who you are taught to fear, unless others stand by you in challenge of corrupt authority. If there were one thing that I could change about the book, it would be not to spend too long making a few characters into the 'villains', as such, because I think that although they are essential to the overall storyline, it would have suited the narrative well to keep most people in that grey area between good and bad, especially when it comes to how you act as a community towards other communities or individuals.

Matilda

Birdie
This was an excellent book, 5/5. During the book Birdie has to overcome many challenges and being treated badly by the people around her.

Mark

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
There was a good amount of humour in this book however I thought the fact that Zeke had France on his knee was very weird. Overall, I would recommend it as a good read for younger audience around 9 years old. Rating 3/5.

Mark

Popcorn
I think Popcorn by Rob Harrell was a very good book; I liked how the story unfolded and how almost everyone can relate to the main character. The story is about how life has it's ups and downs and is sometimes stressful and that you need to just overcome the obstacles as there will be brighter days; It also includes tips on how to handle stress and anxiety.

Eleanor

Birdie
I enjoyed reading Birdie because the main character Birdie is very courageous even when she is isolated by the rest of the people living in Barrington Dale just because she doesn't look like them. I also admire her kindness towards other people and her ability to forgive people who have upset her. She also had faith in her new friend Mr Duke the pit pony , even when they bad to overcome difficult challenges. However I did not like how at first her Great Aunt refused to accept her even when Birdie had done nothing wrong. Overall I also liked that you learn from the book what life was like at the Yorkshire Dales in the 1950's and how racism had a massive effect on the rules of how you were supposed to live and behave at the time .

Olivia

Popcorn
I expected this book to be a lot better than it was, and I will say I am a little disappointed by it. I didn't expect there to be pictures, and, again, I feel as if this book is aimed at children younger than me. However, I learned a lot about Alzheimer's Disease while reading this book (a topic I am quite new to) and that was a concept I felt was elaborated on enough.

Clara

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I have to be honest, I didn't really like this book. I found it childish, and aimed at readers younger than me. However, I thought Ness' use of the black dog metaphor was very clever, and I congratulate him on that, but not much else in this book.

Clara

Ghostlines 
Good book but changes from one subject to another quickly but well recommended book. Well enjoyed book.

Sophie

Birdie
I enjoyed this book. It gave me an insight to the coal mining industry of Leeds, and, having not known much about the pit ponies before, I feel I learnt a lot about their lives. I also enjoyed how the author has incorporated black history into this, and I felt the racism of the 1950s brought to life by the characters in the novel. My favourite character, however was Birdie’s great-uncle. I loved his commitment, but also his sorrow and heartbreak of before. 4 Stars. Thank you

Clara

Wolf Siren
I very much enjoyed this book. It was well-written, and the font was a good, readable size. I enjoy fairy-tale retellings, and this was a lovely interpretation. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the village, and learning about their culture in the world of the novel. However, I found the ending a bit rushed, although that might have just been me not wanting the book to end! Also, I personally think Red jumped to conclusions a little bit at the end when discovering who the 'murderer' was. That being said, it was a very good book. 5 Stars. Thank you

Clara