Book Club Reviews #4

Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson

Reviewed by Caitlin L in Grade 7

Little Hetty Feather is not really Hetty Feather...well that's what she thinks. Hetty is a orphan at the Foundling Hospital. But until she's old enough to learn she has gone to live with a foster family.  Her brothers and sisters suddenly start disappearing and for weeks after that Mother is in tears. Before Hetty and her brother Gideon know it, they are swept away to the Foundling Hospital. 'I promise I will look after you Gideon' Hetty thinks but when she is separated from her only friend every thing that seems normal and loving is taken away forever. As Hetty is on the search for her real mom she is swept away on a whirlwind of adventures.

Caitlin says: This was a funny, sad and exciting tale. One minute I would be in tears but the other I would be laughing my head off.

The Magic Puffin by Sue Bentley

Review by  Gina  in Grade 5

The  magic  puffin  is  a  magical   adventure  about  a  little  girl  who  goes  to  visit  her  uncle  and  cousin  on  an  island  where  they  live. She  has  to  live  with  them  while  her  parents   are  at  a  tennis  tournament. She  really  does  not  like  her  cousin  but  in  the  end  it  turns  out  just  fine.  A  little  puffin  gets  blown  off  course  on  his way home from a special mission and lands on their stoop while the little girl was outside getting away from her cousin. The rest of her stay with her uncle and cousin was not so bad because she has her new best friend to keep her company.

Gina says: If you like magical adventures then you will really like this book. I really, really loved this book because it was just so cool. I really could not put it down.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Reviewed by Cassidy in Grade 6

This book is about a bratty girl who moves from her home in India. She moves to England to be with her uncle. She is only allowed to go in certain places but she finds a secret garden. She plants seeds and she tries to make it beautiful again. Then one night she hears crying so she walks down the passage, she gets closer and closer, finally she walks in one of  the rooms and she sees a boy. She finds out that her uncle has a son who is kept hidden because he is thought to be ill. She showed him the secret garden he could not believe his eyes. His father was so happy to see him standing up again. 

Cassidy says : I loved the book it was the best book I've ever read! 

Coming Soon and.... a Wimpalicious Competition!

Not a day goes by in the library without Miss Saaiman being asked whether there are any copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid in. In fact, our library now has four copies of each Wimpy Kid book! 

The good news is that Jeff Kinney is treating us all to another installment in the popular series. The even better news is that it's coming out next month! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is out on the 15th of November and you can be sure the library will get it hot off the bookstore shelves.

Here's a what we can expect Greg to be getting up to:

"Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?"

                                 From Amazon



Competition Time

While you're waiting for the 15th of November, why not go over to Wimp Yourself and turn yourself into a Wimpy Kid character! Here is a Wimpified version of Miss Saaiman! 

To enter to stand a chance to win a Do-It-Yourself Wimpy Kid book...

1. Create a Wimp Yourself character

2. Print it out and write your name on it.

3. Bring it to Miss Saaiman 

4. Cross your fingers and wait to hear if you're a winner on the 15th of  November

Holiday Reads

Since October holidays are almost near, we've gathered together a few books we think you might enjoy reading on your week-long break. 


For Younger Readers...

Horrible Harry's Secret by Suzy Kline

When Song Lee brings her water frog to school and feeds it liver in front of Room 2B, Harry falls in love. His best friend, Doug, can't stand all the mush - love notes in class, secret glances across the room, and even a gift wrapped in red foil. Doug wants Harry to be his old, horrible self again. Harry is even being nice to Sidney! But something is bothering Harry. Is it love or is it something horrible? (Be sure to check out the other wonderful books in the Horrible Harry series)

Pony Pals: A Pony for Keeps by Jeanne Betancourt

Anna loves her pony, Acorn. But her parents think Acorn is the reason that she's doing badly at school. If she doesn't get better marks, they'll take him away. Pam, Lulu, her Pony Pals, want to help. Can they find a way to make sure Acorn is a pony for keeps? (Be sure to check out the other wonderful books in the Pony Pals series)

Jack Stalwart - The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur: USA

by Elizabeth Singer Hunt

An eager young scientist has brought to life a dangerous flesh eating dinosaur by crossing its DNA with that of his pet dog, Freddie. Can Secret Agent Jack Stalwart capture the dinosaur before it destroys New York City? (Be sure to check out the other wonderful books in the Secret Agent Jack Stalwart series)

Let's Do the Pharaoh by Jeremy Strong

Ben and Carrie live at 27 Templeton Drive with their mum, dad and a 4,00-year-old pharaoh! That's right - an ancient Egyptian ruler who wears make up (WEIRD!) and dances! And when he struts his stuff at a modelling competition and WINS, Ben and Carrie can't believe it! Suddenly everyone's wearing designer mummy bandages and doing the strangest dance.

Judy Moody - Girl Detective by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody is in a mood. A sleuthing, Nancy Drew kind of mood. So what's a WBMS (world's best mystery solver) to do? Go find a mystery, that's what! And she doesn't have to snoop for long: when Mr. Chips, a beloved crime-dog-in-training, goes missing, Judy Drewdy and her chums, Agents Dills Pickle (Frank), Spuds Houdini (Rocky) and James Madagascar (Stink) find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a real-life, scare-your-pants-off whodunit. Was Mr Chips stolen by dirty dognappers? And why are chocolate chip cookies disappearing all over town? 




For Older Readers




The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is a second nature.

My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson
When their parents get new jobs at the Melchester College, Pearl and Jodie are suddenly thrust into a new life. In their new home things seems different. Jodie has always been the leader but now it's Pearl who's making new friends. Jodie doesn't fit in with the snooty teenagers in her class and just seems to be getting into more and more trouble...Maybe Pearl doesn't need Jodie anymore but Jodie needs her. And when the school Fireworks night comes around and a tragic event occurs, Pearl realizes how much she does need her big sister.





I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing. But "they" know. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next. 


How To Be Popular by Meg Cabot

Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier. Does being popular matter? It matters a lot--to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called--what else?--"How to Be Popular." All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the popular kids. But don't forget the most important thing about popularity! It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
'I guess it started the night our dad blew up the british museum...' Carter and Sadie Kane's dad is a brilliant Egyptologist with a secret plan that goes horribly wrong. An explosion shatters the ancient Rosetta stone and unleashes Set, the evil god of chaos ...Set imprisons Dr Kane in a golden coffin and Carter and Sadie must run for their lives. To save their dad, they embark on a terrifying quest from Cairo to Paris to the American South-west and discover the truth about their family's connection to the House of Life: an Egyptian temple of magic that has existed for thousands of years. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt are far from dead and buried. And so, unfortunately, are their gods ...

The Hunger Games

Here is a sneak peek of what we can expect from The Hunger Games movie, based on the thrilling trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. The movie will be released early next year but the good news is that these books have just been added to our senior fiction shelves! Miss Saaiman has just finished reading the first book and was hooked from page one. Come in and ask if you'd like to take them out. If you'd like to know a bit more about The Hunger Games, read  this.

Peach Party Pictures

Much fun was to be had in the library on Roald Dahl Day! Everyone who came had so much fun but the highlight was definitely seeing Mr Minye dressed up as Aunt Sponge. Below are a few pictures from the day. If you would like to see more got to the gallery on our schools website here.

50 Scrumdiddlyumptious Ways To Celebrate Roald Dahl Day

It's Roald Dahl day tomorrow and we can't wait to celebrate it in the library tomorrow! We're having a Peach Party filled with fun and games (and sweets!) for 32 lucky boys and girls whose names were drawn out of our peach.

If you're not coming to the library's party tomorrow then here are some other ways in which you can celebrate Roald Dahl Day....Which way is your favourite?

(Click this link to see a larger version)

Book Club Reviews #3

The Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
Reviewed by Gina T

Nikky Maxwell is a new student at WCD Middle School. Nikky has  been  dying  for  a  new  iphone but  instead  her  mom  gets  her  a  new  diary. Nikky  said  she  would  not  write  in  her  diary. But  the  next  day  she  writes  everything. Nikky  has  just  found  out  that  she  has  a  locker  right  next  to  the  most  popular  girl  in  school. Her  name  is Mackenzie she  is  the  meanest  girl  in  school  but  only  to  Nikky. Will things  look  up  for  Nikky  or  will  everything  stay  the  same?

Gina says: "I really  loved  this  book  and I really think all girls would love it as well. But I think all boys would hate it."

Melly, Mrs Ho and Me by Edith Bulbring
Reviewed by Caitlin L

April-May February lives with her dad, Fluffy in Josi . All of a sudden she is given a scholarship to a 'good school' called Trinity College. There she has to deal with her horrible teacher Mrs Ho. She also meets a crazy down to earth girl, Melly,  who is trying very hard to be April's best friend. But as hard as she tried April falls into a bad crowd. But does it really have to take a horrific accident to show April that her best friend is the one who is going to help April survive this uninviting school?

Caitlin says: This book is a fairly comprehensible book. I don't recommend this book to younger readers. But I really enjoyed it.



Lily Alone by Jacqueline Wilson
Reviewed by Siobhan C
 
Lily is an 11 year old girl who has 2 sisters and one brother. The youngest sibling is Pixie and she is 3 years old and there are twins, Bliss and Baxter, who are 6 years old. Their mother is very depressed because all the children have different fathers and all of them have abused her so she left them. Baxter is the only boy in the house and always talks about how much he is like his dad, Mikey. Kate, the mother, found a kind man whose name is Gordon. He works in Spain and took Kate with him for a while and Kate left a message on Mikey's answering machine. Kate leaves the children alone until Mikey comes to look after them. Lily phones Mikey to ask where he is and he says he is on a buisness trip and can't come and look after them which leaves Lily and her siblings alone. Lily could not find anything to do with her siblings so she decided to take them to the park. Bliss found a big hollow tree and they stayed in the tree until something happened to Bliss. Find out what happens in the book...
 
Siobhan says: It was an adventure.