Gibraltar Carnegie Scholars

Popcorn
The blurb was captivating and initially sounded more childish than the book's content itself, the cover did not evoke anything to me; it seemed like the standard middle-grade fiction cover. It took me 3 days to read the book. It followed a young boy as he went about his school picture day; he is a victim of mishap and worries, making his day feel to be turbulent - eventually leading to an anxiety attack where his peers and teachers help him. The main themes covered are anxiety, emotional honesty, humour, friendship and bullying. I think this appeals to 9-12 year olds, the book is not specifically gendered which is a strength of the format. As the themes can be quite topical it may be hard for a younger audience to understand the euphemism of popcorn as anxiety however I would find that anyone over the age of 12 would find the plot itself too immature. I liked how the boy noticed his mother's struggles as well as spoke about his grandmother’s Alzheimer's, this created a realistic lens to themes that are cmmonly ignored in children’s literature yet are things that children notice in real life. Them being written down as a part of the plot makes the book feel more insightful. The ending was comical and served as a nice moment. I did not like the sequence of events, the book felt oversaturated with plots that became too fast-paced and played on too many stereotypes, this prevented Harrell from exploring one theme in depth and creating something meaningful from it. I would rate this book a 7/10. I would recommend it to other readers and I think it deserves a Carnegie medal.

Faye

Birdie
The book cover was well designed, I feel like the illustration of the character correctly portrayed her attitude throughout the book. It took me 2 weeks to read the book. The main plot is about an orphaned girl who gets adopted by her aunt and has to move to a forign area and face unexpected racial discrimination. The main themes are racial discrimination, community, nature, and identity/belonging. I thought the most memorable moment was when aunt Mabel opens up about how she was effected by the death of her son, and apologises for the unfair way that she treated Birdie when they first met. I found this scene memorable because it avoided the cliche of the cold and caloused great-aunt who is stuck in her ways and past the point of change. Through this moment the author acknowledges that people are always capable of apologising and changing thier behaviour. I think that the book is suitable for both genders, but targeted towards girls. I think that the ideal reading age is between 10-14. I don't think children under this age would understand many of the deeper themes. Since the book explores ideas about racisim, it may be targeted towards people of color, but I belive that it would still be enjoyable for all children. However, the plot of the book itself was sometimes hard to follow, and it wasn't really made clear how much time was passing between different events. The author assumes that the reader has at least a minimal understanding of historical events (such as the world wars) this may be an issue for younger readers. I would give this book an 8/10. I would reccomend it for other readers and think it deserves a carnegie medal.

Erin

Wolf Siren
I was drawn into the book due to the blurb. The cover portrays the story effectively with another small phrase embedded into it which does also sum up the book. It took me 12 days to read this book. The main plot was about how Red goes against her mothers wishes and ventures into the forest, connecting with the wolves when told not to. The most memorable moment was when Grandma showed Red that the wolves are harmless. The main themes are Feminism, supernatural elements, adventure and secrecy. I think this book is suited to pre-teens, especially females. I enjoyed how the book is very feminist and highlights the struggles that women face emotionally and physically (the main character constantly challenges her mother’s views and orders given to stay within her line). It teaches young girls to challenge gender stereotypes and express themselves freely. However, it being a direct reference to the story of little red riding hood may put off some people from reading it as it could appear childish. I would rate this book 7/10. I would reccomend it to other readers and think it deserves a Carnegie medal.

Amanda D'cunha

Ghostlines 
I originally liked the blurb because it buildup my curiosity before actually reading the book as it was mysterious. It took me 3 weeks to read the book. Tilda explores a forbidden island with a boy to befriend him. Dangerous adventures, fear and loss but they both confront it. The story explores adventures, friendship. Dealing with change and learning to understand. The most memorable moment was when they reached the island and realize how dangerous it is instead of being an “exiting adventure". I think the book is suited to younger kids of any gender. I like how their characters had a strong personality and some strong flaws that some kids might feel reflected by. As an older reader, I did not enjoy how it was written for a younger audience but this is not a flaw in the book itself. I would rate the book a 7/10 and would reccomend it to younger readers. I think it deserves a carnegie medal.

Evan Puyol