Winter Holiday Good Reads

What's the best thing to do while the rain is pouring these winter holidays? You guessed it! Curl up under blankets and read on the couch. Here a few interesting reads for you to check out these holidays...

For Younger Readers....

Sapphire Battersea by Jacqueline Wilson

A fascinating, funny and moving Victorian-era novel featuring Hetty Feather. Hetty Feather is a Foundling Hospital girl and was given her name when she was left there as a baby by her mother. But she always longed to be called Sapphire, after her sapphire-blue eyes. When she is reunited with her mother, she hopes her new name, Sapphire Battersea, will also mean a new life! But life doesn't always go as planned...Follow the twists and turns of Hetty's adventure as she goes out to work as a maid for a wealthy man. She longs to be reunited with her childhood sweetheart Jem - but also finds a new sweetheart, Bertie the butcher's boy, who whisks her away from her household chores to experience the delights of the funfair! But Hetty's life may also take a darker path. Can she cope with the trials ahead?

The Story of the Olympics by Richard Brassey

The quirkiest guide you will ever read to the history of the world's most famous celebration of sport. From the story of how ethos of the games of ancient Greece has been carried down and into the twenty-first century, to the individual tales of heroes and heroines, this is a lively, witty and entertaining guide for young readers everywhere. As always with Richard Brassey's popular books, there are comic strips, fact boxes, hilarious captions and speech bubbles, in a book that's packed with amazing information and entertaining insight.

My Sister The Vampire: Stake Out by Sienna Mercer

This is a funny, super-girly story with a vampire bite to it. Sink your teeth into Olivia and Ivy's twelfth fright-time adventure. 'We're on a mission'! Ivy and Olivia are together again - and not a moment too soon. The whole vampire community is in a flap. Can the twins discover the identity of the mystery blogger who's determined to expose Franklin Grove's biggest secret? Hold on to your fangs, vamp fans. It's time to go undercover! This is a killer story to sink your teeth into.

For Older Readers...

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian by Eion Colfer

This is the final thrilling Artemis Fowl adventure in Eoin Colfer's globally bestselling series. Let the misadventure begin - for the last time. The thrilling climax to this globally bestselling series - but will it all end happily ever after? 

Starcrossed: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

In the second book of the Starcrossed Trilogy, Helen is tasked with descending to the underworld and killing the Furies, she must endure hellish torture whenever she goes to sleep -- she wanders around the various levels of hell with no idea how to complete her task, and she's beginning to suffer from extreme exhaustion. Although she still trains with the Delos clan, Helen and Lucas are coming to terms with the fact that they cannot be together. Lucas believes that the only way Helen will complete her quest is if he leaves her alone completely, so he tells her he doesn't want to see her again and that he never loved her. Distraught, Helen carries on with her mission, and for the first time meets another person down in the shadowy underworld: Orion, descended from Adonis and with the power to control desire, he is the heir to the house of Rome and an outcast. He's also kind of hot. Confused by her conflicting emotions but glad to have an ally in hell, Helen begins to realize the enormity of her task 

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrisson

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend is the secret diary of Jenny Cooper, Jane Austen's teenage friend and confidante. Their evenings are a blur of beautiful dresses, balls, gossip and romance; their days are spent writing about them - Jenny in her diary, Jane in her first attempts at fiction. When Jenny falls utterly in love with a handsome naval officer, obstacles stand in their way. Who better to help her than Jane herself, who already considers herself an expert in love and relationships?

*All blurbs borrowed from here.

The Book People Visit Again!

The Book People will be selling their lovely, reasonably priced books in our school hall on Monday and Tuesday (all through Parentline). Don't forget to bring your wallet to come and buy something good to read!

A Wartime Childhood

The Grade Seven learners spent their library lessons in Term One and Two investigating what life was like for a child growing up in Britain during World War Two. They examined specific topics and worked in groups to compile the necessary information, using books and the internet. They then presented the information in a digital magazine format.  Have a browse through their well-researched and well-designed magazines...

Grade Seven Du Toit

Grade Seven Skippers

Grade 7 Keller

Grade 7 Nuttall

Book Reviews #8

The Book Club have been reading loads of wonderful books and have reviewed them here for you. See a book reviewed that you may be interested in reading? Come done to the library and ask Miss Saaiman if it's in. 

Jinx on the Divide by Elizabeth Kay

Reviewed by Hannah A in Gr 5

Betony, the tangle girl, comes to stay in Felix’s world for Christmas but Rhino, a boy from school, finds out about magic and gets trapped in a magical lamp. The magic lamp goes across the divide and so Felix and Betony must go and get it. They go into the other world and they meet up with all their old friends and together they all look for Rhino. But even though they make a very big mistake by bringing a jinx box along, it still ends well.

Hannah says: "I like this book because it’s magical and mysterious and you can’t put it down. I rate it 5 Stars!" 

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The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

Reviewed by Luke S in Gr 7

The Hobbit is about a young hobbit called Bilbo Baggins. He goes on an adventure with the wizard Gandalf and 13 dwarves to the lonely mountain to take back the gold that was taken by the dragon Smaug. On the way they encounter trolls, giants, goblins, elves, a dragon, giant spiders and Gollum. Along the way Bilbo finds a ring that can make you invisible which comes in handy. He helps his friends out of sticky situations and surprises even himself with his skills as a burglar. 

Luke says: "I would recommend this book because it isn't complicated (like the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and you are never confused by what is going on."  

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Pony Pals: Pony for Sale by Jeanne Betancourt

Reviewed by Indigo C in Gr 5

Pony for Sale is about three best friends (Pony Pals) who meet Maggie the Magician and her pony, Cloud. Pam hates how Maggie treats Cloud so they help the poor pony out. Every story ends with a happy ending so his old owner becomes Cloud's owner again when the Pony Pals find him. 

Indigo says: "I think this book is a great book. I would definitely recommend this book to people."

The Author Writes a Books

On a Friday morning the Sunbirdies visit the library to listen to stories and choose a book to take back to their class with them. They have also been learning all about books and the library. Here are Stella's class singing a song about what an author does....

Book Reviews #7

Are you wondering what to read next? Well, maybe after reading the reviews below you may be interested in reading one the these interesting books...

Iggie's House by Judy Blume

Reviewed by Safiya M in Grade 3 La

Winnie's best friend, Iggie, moves to Tokyo. The neighbourhood will never be the same again and Winnie is miserable. Then the first coloured people in the area move into Iggie's house. At first Winnie is shy and thinks that they may be different. The Garber family are lonely because there are many racist people who don't want to accept them. Winnie does and soon becomes best friends with Tina Garber. 

Safiya said: " I liked this story because after apartheid in this county Winnie's story is a good lesson to all the children who want to make a rainbow nation."

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Lionboy by Zizou Corder

Reviewed by Cleopatra K in Grade 6 Wi

Charlie Ashanti is the son of Professor Magladen Start and Dr. Aneba Shanti. And he can speak cat. When Charlie's parents get kidnapped, it's up to Charlie to save them. When Rafi Sadler tries to kidnap Charlie, he hops aboard a ship which leads onto a circus ship called the Cire. Along with the jelp of six lions, Charlie has to save his parents. 

Cleo says " I thought it was brilliant. I love the cub called Elsina as well. She is so cute (that's how she was described in the story)."

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My Sister the Vampire by Sienna Mercer

Reviewed by Caitlin H in Grade 6 La

This book is about a teenage girl who goes to a new school. Somehow she bumps into a girl that looks just like her. They both discover they are actually adopted. Are Ivy and Olivia twins? Find out for yourself.

Caitlin says: "I really like the book because when they meet Ivy says they should switch so Olivia could help Ivy by going to a meeting dressed like her. Ivy then goes to Olivia's cheer leading practice. This book is cool and funny and I hope you enjoy it too." 

Sun Valley Primary Grandparents Rocks!

Last Thursday was Grandparents' Day at our school and the library had a book donation table in the foyer. We've decided that Sun Valley Primary has the best grandparents because they donated over 130 wonderful new books to our school library. Miss Saaiman and Aunty M are working hard to make sure that these new books are accessed and ready to take out as soon as possible. And remember, if your grandparent donated a book you'll be the first person to read it!