Brentwood Carnegies

Popcorn
Dear Rob Harrell, We are writing to you about your book, Popcorn. We have thoroughly read the first chapter and enjoyed the story so far. We have many friends that can be anxious and have a lot in their life and that they are not in a good financial position. This book would be nice to read and some people may relate to the boy. I like how the characters seem interesting but also a bit mysterious. You don’t tell us everything about them straight away, which makes me want to keep reading to find out more. Some of the things they say feel like they have a hidden meaning, and I’m curious to see if I’m right about what they’re really thinking. This would make us want to read more of the book. I would have thought that the book is aimed at people who may have anxiety and who are teenagers, as the boy in the story is also a teenager. Even though I’m only at the start of the book, it’s already grabbed my attention. The way you describe the scenes makes it really easy to picture what’s happening, almost like I’m watching a movie in my head. I also think the first chapter hints at some big themes. It feels like the story might explore ideas about fame, morality, and how the media can influence people’s behaviour. That’s something I find really interesting, because it’s still such a big topic today. Even though this book was written a while ago, it already feels like it could be talking about the world we live in now. Once I’ve finished the book, I’d love to write to you again with my full thoughts. For now, I just wanted to say thank you for creating a story that has already pulled me in from the very first chapter. I’m excited to keep reading and to discover all the twists and surprises you have in store. Regards, Ronov and Neil

Ronav and Neil

Popcorn
The story of Popcorn follows the intriguing tale of a middle schooler with OCD and anxiety on a normal school day… Except it isn’t! Today is school photo day, and everything that can go wrong, is going wrong. A science experiment takes an unexpected turn, a surprise encounter with a bottle of exploding ketchup, a ferocious bully and the disappearance of his grandma (aka G) who is suffering from Alzheimer's! Can Andrew control his anxiety? Will he have a panic attack? Read it to find out!

Sishan

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
I enjoyed reading this book however I found it a bit challenging to follow. It is about a girl called Chianti who found out that the father who she had grown up with was not her biological father. After hearing this news her father takes her two sisters to go see one of their grandmothers whilst Chianti runs away from home to visit their other grandmother. The story explains her living there with other relatives and learning more about her history and the war her grandmother and many others had to face. I really enjoyed how even though Chianti and her sisters were separated the sibling bond stayed strong and they still had a lot of love for each other.

Ela

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
It’s was from one persons perspective, which I love about most books, but I felt as if there was not a lot a time to realise others thoughts. In the meeting with family I believe it was a great thing for the author to do to write other characters feelings as it’s easy just to look from one perspective especially if something bad has happened. I did really enjoy that part as the view-point of the character can be very chaotic. That calm time was exactly what was needed.

Eliana

Black Star
I found this book very good. It was about a young girl named Charley who fell in love with baseball. She enjoyed playing it with her two friends Willie Green and “Socks”. After being challenged to a bet by Cecil the third, Charley struggles to find a team to play against his team. During the match it comes to a 2-2 tie when Cecil and his team declare that they had been cheating and quit. Charley and Willie Green then get approached by two boys who live around that area who are looking for trouble. Overall, I think that this book showed a true display of friendship and also mixing her personal dreams with historical issues that she faces. I also liked seeing her relationship with her grandfather and how his love of telling stories reflects on her life. It was a vey heartbreaking yet inspiring book that I would recommend.

Erin C

Popcorn
I really enjoyed this book, 'Popcorn'. It is a funny, relatable story and really good if you have known someone in the same or similar state to the boy in the book. It is about a boy who has anxiety attacks, ADHD and autism. He has 'picture day' one day, his mum has a very important interview and his grandma, who is the most precious thing to him, is at home with care. The day takes a horrible turn.

Samuel

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is about a girl named Tilda who lives on a very small island named Ayrie. Barely anyone comes and goes and the last person that did broke her heart. This story gets revealed throughout the book. Finally, a boy named Albie comes from the mainland and does not like it there so Tilda tries to impress him by taking him to a forbidden ghost island in Ayrie. What they discover there changes both of their minds.

Anaiya

When It's Your Turn for Midnight
The book is very interesting but starts off quite vague and drops us right into the middle of action right at the start. We are introduced to a girl named Chiante who lives in a nuclear family with two sisters, Taren and Tisha. But after an accident, a long-hidden secret is revealed, where ‘Baba’ or Tinashe turns out not to be her father. She runs away to her grandmother, who she calls Ambuya, who lives with a group of older women and a man (Mr Kinsley Pfupajena who makes her do TikTok’s with him). They all fought in the liberation war in Zimbabwe. Chiante joins their textile business and learns the ins and outs of the business and while living with Ambuya finds a picturebook which she tries to use to find out more about their lives during the war. She also assists the women in deterring some thieves. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story!

Fuad

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines by the Carnegie award-winning Katya Balen is a vivid and heartwarming story about Tilda, a young girl living on the wild and isolated island of Ayrie with her family. Tilda adores the cold sea air, the taste of salt and seaweed on her tongue, and the sound of gulls and puffins that fly over the island. When a new boy named Albie moves to Ayrie, Tilda tries to show him how amazing the island is, despite Albie being uninterested. Later on, she takes Albie to a forbidden island where it is rumoured to be haunted. This book focuses on themes of friendship, belonging, and courage, which makes this a good read for anyone looking for a short and uplifting story. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anybody wishing to read a vivid and heartfelt book without it being too long. I think I will most remember how sweet and heartwarming the book was, and how it really touched me.

Elizabeth

Traumaland
This book was incredible! The twists and turns were thoroughly thought out, and it was incredibly detailed. The author created tension in unexpected places, and the story flowed impeccably. The character's emotion was portrayed expertly, and I was not able to put the book down! In this book, the author makes the reader feel as if the characters were real, and made the story feel like it was beyond the pages of the book. Overall, this book was amazing, and I would love to read it again. I will remember the cliff hanger at the end! I would recommend it to those who like sci-fi books.

Freya

Popcorn
POP CORN is a great book to read for you to understand how people with anxiety see the world, and how they feel in certain places. It’s a book about a boy who has anxiety and has to overcome many challenges e.g he has a grandma who is known for wandering around and one day she was just gone, but they later find her safe and sound. When you get further into the book you can see how much his anxiety has grown and how worried he can get. I would recommend this book to Year 7, and maybe Year 8.

Darcy