Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl - Mr Bartlett and his 7K1 class

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl has been one of my favourite books since I was a small boy.  I have wonderful memories of having it read to me by my Mum & Dad.  This is my favourite book because it captures all the joy and excitement of growing up and I am now lucky enough to read it to my own children as they grow up.  I hope they (and you) love it as much as I do!

Danny is a small boy growing up with his father after his mother died when he was a baby.  They live in an old fashioned gypsy caravan deep in the countryside. Danny’s earliest memories are of playing amongst the tools and grease of his father’s garage but his life is soon to change as he discovers his father’s deep dark secret.

Danny loves his Dad more than anything but one day finds out he has a dark and dangerous secret!  Danny doesn't really approve of his Dad's actions but needs to leap into action in a daring rescue mission when his Dad disappears in the middle of the night!  It is only then that Danny decides to take his revenge on the cruel Mr Victor Hazell by hatching a cunning plan to rob him of the things most precious to him on the day of the Great Shoot.

With a range of fantastic characters from Sergeant Samways to Doc Spencer and red faced rotter Mr Hazell, this book has moments that will have you on the edge of your seat, ready to cry one minute and laugh out loud the next!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be crawling through a dark wood with someone waiting to shoot you with a shotgun?   If so, and you want to know if his plan pays off and Danny truly becomes Champion of the World, you will have to read this wonderful book!

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore - Charlie Bignall 7SG

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading the famous novel; I am number four, by Pittacus Lore. This novel is unique and imaginative; far better than other so said “imaginative” books. What is best about it is the fact that it is totally unreal, yet you can still imagine in your head what is going on, due to the amount of description on every subject of the book.

In the first part of the book, you meet John Smith, the main character in the novel. As of the picture, you could probably guess that he is no ordinary teenager; he has magical powers, yet to be revealed. 

Therefore, of course there are the usual bad guys trying to kill him and all that jazz, but will they be able to find him? The Mogodorians have come to Earth, and are trying to find all that is left of John Smith’s race. Three are dead; therefore he is next in line. Will he survive? Or maybe will teamwork be the key? 

Personally, I think that the whole story groups together perfectly, and do not have a favourite part. The whole story is amazing and unlike any other book I have read. I think all the characters used come together perfectly and also help set all the scenes very well. My favourite character is Mark, the school bully. He really helps grip you into the book, and you will not want to let go of it. The way that Pittacus Lore has made his character is ingenious, and I couldn’t have done a better job myself.

The age group should really be about 12+ but I would certainly recommend this book to others of the age group. My overall feelings for this book are amazed and I would give it a 10 out of 10 no question. So if you want to read this book, please go ahead and I can guarantee that you will not get bored reading.

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - James Farrell 8JO

The book I have reviewed is diary of a wimpy kid because it was funny and adventurous.

I think the age should be 8 and upwards. It was a good story line about a child who had two brothers that were always annoying. The child started at a school for older kids so I think you should read it as it is funny as well.

Guardians of Ga'hoole: The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky - Bobbie-Lee Gover 8WE

Guardians of Ga'hoole: The Outcast was the eighth book of the series and it sounded great. I had read a little in a sneak preview in a previous book, and I was dying to read more. 

It is set in future where humans are extinct, and owls write books and fight with metal and fire. It follows the story of a young Barn Owl, Coryn, hunted by his creul mother, Nyra, and her army, 'The Pure Ones'. He is sent on a quest to a wasteland of direwolves and outcasts like himself - and he has to retrieve a magical coal, 'The Ember of Hoole' from a Volcano to ever be accepted into a Great Tree full of noble owls in the middle of the sea. It is a mixture of emotions as his friends die for him but he is finally accepted by other owls and when he reaches the tree in the end, and made king. 

My favourite part was when Coryn dove into the Volcano for the ember. It was cleverly described and he deserved it after all he had been through. 

I enjoyed it very much. It was brilliant, and I would reccomend it but you would have to start from the first book to fully understand it.

Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson - Georgia Burchell 8MP

I have recently read "sleepovers" by Jacqueline Wilson and I loved it! I've always read Jaqueline Wilson books but this one really got me.

It is written in the first person and the main character that is telling the story is called Daisy. She has a sister that is in a wheelchair and can't walk or talk. Daisy is in the alphabet gang with 4 other girls: Amy, Bella, Chloe and Emily. All the girls are nice, except Chloe, who is horrible to Daisy.

All the girls have sleepovers but Chloe is horrible to Daisy at all of them. But at Daisy's, Chloe wets herself, after Daisy's sister starts crying at night and tells all the other girls at school that Daisy's sleepover was the worst sleepover ever but the girls in the alphabet gang tells everyone that Chloe wet herself and they kick her out the alphabet gang. Daisy and Emily then become best friends.

I love this book because I felt everything that Daisy was feeling and wanted the book to go on!!!!!!!!!!!!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - Miss Robertson (English)

Having seen that this book was nominated for the Carnegie Award last year, I thought it was time to see what it was about!

*Not to be confused with another book of a similar title!

It turned out to be a fairly harrowing account of a fifteen year old girl who is forced to leave her home to go to a Siberian work camp in the 1940s. Despite the terrible conditions that are described, the writing is easy to read and the book is filled with poignant moments. It shows the strength that you can gain from having hope and from caring about others.

This book was upsetting but I did enjoy reading it as I could really empathise with the main character, Lina. It made me think about the freedoms which we take for granted and I learnt a lot as well about what life was like for people in Lithuania at this time, something which I did not know much about before.

I would recommend this for readers over 13 years old. I hope you enjoy it and I challenge you not to cry!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Mrs Elliott (LRC)

It is always a bit of a worry when you have read and enjoyed the first two books in a trilogy; will the third book be as good? Will the ending be disappointing?

Having finished ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Catching Fire’, I picked up ‘Mockingjay’ with some trepidation. The characters in the series were firmly established in my mind, but I had no real idea of how the story would conclude. As I sped through the first couple of chapters, I knew very quickly that this book was going to be a great read. At this point I tried to read more slowly, to ‘ration’ my reading with the hope of making the book last a bit longer!!

The thing I have loved about all three books is the description, through which a strange and different world can be imagined. As I read ‘Mockingjay’, I was transported to Panem, I tasted strange and delicious foods and I hid in the fur shop with the characters.  

Mockingjay is the most violent of the three books, something I would not usually enjoy, however, even the goriest scenes were written in a way that made you feel the violence was not gratuitous, but a real and necessary part of the story.

The ending (I won’t reveal what happens) did not disappoint, which was a relief. My next dilemma was whether or not to watch the film of the Hunger Games? Would it spoil my own interpretation of the book? Would the characters look and sound as I imagined them? In the end I did watch the film and, as is often the case, it was good, but not as good as the book!

I can highly recommend the Hunger Games trilogy and especially Mockingjay; you will love it!

The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams - Mrs McBride (English)

Despite living in an ordinary house, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary town, Dennis, is anything but ordinary.  In fact this twelve-year old boy is extraordinary in many ways, and not just for his cross-dressing tendencies. 

 

This charming novel tells the story of Dennis, who lives with his Dad and brother, after his mum left suddenly.  Dennis tries his best to cope but misses his mum terribly.  Unfortunately, his dad and brother are less than sympathetic.  Indeed, Dennis’s brother John, would rather sit on Dennis’s face and fart, than extend any form of emotional support.  As for Dennis’s father, his message was clear: “No talking about mum.  No crying.  And worst of all – no hugging.”  

 

Poor Dennis’s only comfort is watching Trisha, which he loves nearly as much as playing football, and his friend Darvesh. 

But when Dennis makes friends with amateur dress-designer, Lisa and they discover a mutual love of fashion-magazine Vogue, Dennis’s life takes an unexpected turn.  Suddenly, Dennis can indulge his passion for beauty, creativity and fashion, as he and Lisa – who is utterly gorgeous, and fancied by everyone at school – embark on a dressing up project, involving Dennis in a short, electric-blue, sequined dress and matching clutch, masquerading as Denise, Lisa’s French pen-pal.  

Can Dennis pull it off and convince the children at school that he is a French exchange student?  What about the French teacher, Madame Windsor: can he fool her too?  And if not, what might the punishment be for attending one’s school dressed up in sequins, posing as a French student?  For Dennis this is only the beginning of his problems!

Whether you are young or old, a boy or girl, a cross-dresser or fashionista: you will laugh out loud as you read this hilarious and poignant tale about a boy, who lives in an ordinary house, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary town – who is anything but ordinary.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - Mr Thompson (Learning Support)

I remember a time not so long ago when I was seeing Diary of a Wimpy Kid books absolutely everywhere - in lessons, in the homework club… I remember walking into a lesson one time, and during silent reading, almost the entire class were reading a book from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. 

Wondering to myself what is so special about these books, I stood behind one of my students and peaked over his shoulder to glance at what he was reading. The well-drawn comic-like pictures caught my eye at first, followed by the desirable font the story is told in - it really made me want to read on. The concept of a story being told through notes in the form of a diary is brilliant and is different from your average book.

Greg Heffley (The Wimpy Kid), a lazy, selfish, witty yet creative young student, writes about his first year of high school on a day-to-day basis and often exaggerates how “bad” it is in his diary - I mean “journal”! Greg finds himself facing the challenges and dilemmas that every student at high school faces. However, Greg is never satisfied - his teachers are boring, his lessons more so, his classmates are ‘morons’ and his best friend is simply ‘not cool enough’. Trouble and sticky situations often find Greg, but don’t be fooled - Greg knows how to play the game, and certainly knows how to get into - and out of - any mischievous situations and avoid taking any blame for his actions. Afterall, it’s never his fault, right?

I was so disappointed when the ten minutes silent reading was up - I wanted to read on and on! But since then I have bought the book, finished reading about Greg’s interesting, wild, never-normal and often just plain ridiculous days at school, and I am looking forward to reading how his journey through high school progresses. This funny, adventurous and hard-to-put-down book is awesome and though I would recommend it to absolutely anyone, I would especially recommend it for students in Year 7 or Year 8, particularly if you think that “all books are boring!”