Watford Girls

Popcorn
Popcorn by Rob Harrell is a heart-warming book which explores themes like anxiety, bullying and friendships. The main character Andrew lives with his mum and his grandma (G according to Andrew). G has a disease called Alzheimers. This distorts her from a normal life, and she thinks differently, sometimes isn't in the present and forgets things frequently. G has a passion for school photos, as she used to teach at Andrew's school, with a strong love for her previous students - like the current headmaster! Andrew goes to school with a crisp, new, clean shirt - his mum said to keep his shirt clean, and even gave him a spare in case. What was the worst that could happen? This book explores Andrew's unfortunate disasters from ketchup rockets, the bully Gene the Mean to stray basketballs, followed by what felt like thousands of visits to the nurse's office. Andrew Yaeger has mental health problems, with frequent cases of panic attacks - the name Popcorn fits perfectly with the story, with problems coming, and popping out like kernels bursting very quickly, like his anger exploding inside him. With his disastrous day and G going missing, Andrew feels like he's overwhelmed and just can't take it all, with G's annoying antics and Gene the Mean's constant bullying. It's an exciting book with lots of elements of humour throughout the retelling of Andrew's eventful day. I would definitely recommend it to ages 9-12 and rate it an 8/10 for its endless comedy and exhilarant adventures throughout the entire book.

Heer

Popcorn
Popcorn is about a chaotic day for a boy called Andrew, who just wants one good photo to make his mum happy. Instead, everything goes wrong: he gets a black eye from a basketball, breaks his glasses, and gets messy during a science class. On top of that, he is scared because his grandma gets lost and is missing! And he has to deal with a mean bully at school that ruined his shirt. Throughout the day, Andrew feels his worry growing like a popcorn kernel getting too hot. He uses funny drawings and help from his best friend to try and stay calm so he doesn't have a big panic attack. I really like this book because it's very entertaining and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I would rate it 8/10

Ka hei

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a very interesting twist on the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. I won’t give too much away, but the main idea in the book is that Red feels very drawn to the woods, and the wolves who live there. There are a lot of twists and turns, and it can be quite emotional in parts. The ideas in the book include sexism, inequality, poverty, disabilities, and losing someone. They are very interesting themes, causing the reader to think about the book, the characters, and comparing that world to the world we live in. The characters have quite interesting personalities. For example, Red is quite adventurous, whereas other characters including her mother tend to do what they are told and try to fit in. My favourite character is Aerona, Red’s sister, as she is brave and kind like Red, but also really creative. The writing style is also intriguing and enjoyable. I would rate this book 8.5/10 and would recommend it to anyone aged 10-14 who likes stories about fairy tales, growing up, and learning who you are.

Lauren

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is about a lizard called Zeke, and his life both at home, and at school. He encounters several situations and problems, but he gets through it all in the end. The book is quite interesting as all the characters are animals. The themes include bullying, friendship, and stereotypes. I felt that stereotypes were quite prominent throughout the book. For example, Zeke has two other lizard friends, and a lot of people at his school expect them to all behave the same, but they don’t, as they are all unique. The story has some quite strange bits though. For example, Zeke has France (Yes, the country France) on his knee! (If you want to know how it got there, you will have to read the book yourself!) My favourite moment in the book was when Zeke and his friends defeated Pelicarnassus (Zeke’s bully) as it was a really happy moment for Zeke as he had been having a really bad time before that, and something good had finally happened to him. The writing style is very enjoyable, and easy-going, but I would say that it was a bit young for me. I recommended it to my younger brother (he’s 10) and he really enjoyed it. I would rate the book 7/10, but people younger than me may rate it higher as it is more suitable for them.

Lauren

Ghostlines 
Ghostlines is about a boy called Albie and a girl called Tilda. Albie is from the mainland, whereas Tilda is from Ayrie, an island. When Albie moves to Ayrie, he originally misses home, but then realises that Ayrie isn’t so bad after all. The plot is relatively interesting. It’s quite slow towards the beginning, but it gradually picks up pace and tension, ending in a very dramatic moment near the end. The plot is quite realistic, so this story could have almost happened in real life. The themes in the book include friend and sibling relationships, and moving to a new place. The themes are quite simple and suitable for a younger audience, which is why I would recommend the book to children aged 8-12 (as I’m 13, I thought it was a bit young for me). The main characters are probably Albie and Tilda. There is a big contrast between them; Albie hates the island at first, but Tilda has loved it all her life. However, it was quite obvious at the start that although they had very opposing ideas about the island, they would be good friends by the end of the book. My favourite character is Tilda, as she is kind, and brave. However, one thing I would be interested to find out more about would be why Albie moved to the island, as I don’t think his mum’s reason was very well explained. Overall, I would rate the book 7/10, though people younger than me may rate it higher as it is more suitable for them.

Lauren

The Boy I Love
This was such a heart-warming read and I enjoyed it a lot! The writing was eloquent and created imagery that allowed me to immerse myself in the characters' battlefield both on the front and behind lines. The exploration of internal conflict between military ranks and the humanisation of both killers and the killed was really refreshing to read. Not only was the plot evenly paced and the perfect amount of intense, it also introduces the reader to the setting and sets the characters up effectively. Following the journey of Stephen and Danny is at first intriguing, but slowly reels you in for certain well-timed heart-wrenching moments. That being said, I do think their characterisation could have been developed further, as I would have loved to learn more about them as people outside of their backstories and the war itself. Additionally, their love, for me, was not the driving force of the book, but rather the harrowing descriptions of the war around them. For a historical fiction, it contains a good balance between the romance and conflict, but for a book that advertises itself on their love story, I was personally more moved by the conflict itself. Lastly, I wish events mentioned in the epilogue were expanded on and made a continuation of the previous chapters instead. This lead it to feel somewhat abrupt and unrealistic. Had they been extended into the story, the ending would feel more gratifying in my opinion. Nonetheless, this book is a solid 9/10 given its intensity and the emotions it easily evokes.

Claire

Birdie
Birdie is a book about a girl called Birdie Bagshaw, who is living in an orphanage in around the 20th century. She has never known her parents and struggles to fit in. She is sent to her great-aunt's in the Yorkshire Dales where she faces bullying and exclusion. One day, she is driven by bullies into a coal mine, she discovers the last pit-pony in the village and builds a strong relationship with him (Mr Duke). When Mr Duke's future is unfortunately threatened, she creates a plan to save him. It explores themes like friendship, racism, family and courage as well as portraying her difficulties in being an outsider. It's a very heart-warming and gripping book, a good read for 9 years and up.

Heer

Wolf Siren
I personally really enjoyed Wolf Siren and I would definitely recommend to read this compelling book for children, ages 10-14. The main character is Red, a curious girl with a visual impairment who is forbidden from entering the woods yet disobeys her village. It’s interesting reading from the perspective of a girl with a disability as we get a different view on how she sees the world. It’s loosely based on the fairytale of Red Riding Hood and explores multiple themes. Based in a strict, patriarchal village, it explores the injustices in the previous times with a powerful message on the oppression on women and how people were treated unfairly as well as how important it is to really connect with nature but more importantly ourselves. In this book, characters play different roles than you imagine and the adventure, fantasy, mystery & twists and turns engages you, encouraging you to read more of Wolf Siren.

Heer

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a fantasy where many of the people in society live in fear of the wolves and the forest where the wolves live. The main character Red discovers that she is a wolfwoman and becomes friendly with some of the wolves, however this is forbidden, and she and her family will suffer if the Mayor finds out. Red decides that it is very unfair that some women in this patriarchal society are treated so badly, especially after the woodcutter is killed, so she comes up with a plan to show the people in her town that there is a better way to live. Red wants to show how people could live in harmony with the wolves, rather than hunt and kill them. She also wants everyone to take more care of the environment they live in, and replant trees rather than just chop them down for fuel. And she wants to show them how to be kinder to one another and not shun those who are different. But her plan involves confrontation between wolves and people, and this could all go wrong. There are lots of very powerful messages in this story, it’s definitely worth reading.

Mrs Small