Tuesday 29 December 2009

The War Over Treasure


Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a great book if you like adventure. It is packed full with adventure, mystery and excitement. I never knew exactly what was coming next.
This story is about a boy called Jim. Jim and his mother (only his mother) owns an inn when Blind Pew and Black Dog come and try to get a treasure map. Jim snatches some papers which he later finds out to be the map, and then sets sail with Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney on an adventure and a quest to find the treasure.
Unfortunately for Jim in his crew he includes a one-legged man called Long John Silver. Jim hides in a barrel and hears Long John Silver and his pirates talk about their plan to find the treaure before them. Jim warns his comrades. Then there is a battle to see who can find the trasure first. It is exciting.
The question remains: Will he find the treasure before Long John Silver or will the pirates come away rich?
I learned historical things from this book such as what a parrot would say like 'Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight'.
This is a very good book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is slightly old-fashioned in the language but my dad told me the words that I didn't understand. He sort of translated it to modern. It's best if someone reads it to you because you can concentrate more on the plot and they can do funny voices.
My star rating is five out of five. I recommend this book for 8 plus.

Sunday 13 December 2009

Ritchie the Roach


Toonhead by Fiona Dunbar is a book which is really clever because it feels so realistic, because that's what can happen to people.
In the book this boy named Pablo has a not very nice life in a place where the only important thing was art. His mum and dad were artists and they wanted him to be like them too. But he wasn't especially good at art.
One day he meets a person whose very friendly to him and lets him watch television in his house. He never gets to do this in his house because the only important thing is art, so there is no television.
He starts watching cartoons at their house and then starts drawing them. He then finds out that he can predict the future through his cartoons.
One day he predicts the result of a football match and then him and his friend go to the betting shop but they reject him, so a man says 'I'm over 18 shall I go in for you?' and then they say no, and then he gets detention and then he gets kidnapped!
When he's held prisoner he makes friend with a little cockroach named Ritchie the Roach, which is a cartoon he used to watch with his friend. Ritchie helps him to try and escape.
This is a very clever book because I think it's sort of a realistic plot but then there's fantasy as well. Some bits made me laugh and some bits I was dreading what was going to happen next.
I give this book five out of five stars. A really good book for seven plus.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

A voice in the head


Street Heroes by Joe Layburn is a book which is going to be published in May 2010. I got an copy from the publicity person at the publishing company because they are also going to publish my mum's book and they know I have a blog. If other publishers want to send me books I am very happy, and I will give them very honest reviews.
This book is very interesting because it's coming from lots of people's point of view. One thing bad about it is that it's quite confusing because there are so many people involved. The main sides represented are Fatima, who is Muslim and black and Georgie who has a father who has extreme fascist views.
It also shows how everybody's different because Georgie's dad wants him to be the same as him, but which side will he take? Fatima's or his father's?
This story is about one boy who has a dad who's very extreme and one person who's trying to help Muslims and stop racism. Everyone thinks Georgie has the same views as his father, but he doesn't want everyone to think that.
I liked that it was about politics and you don't get many children's books about politics.
Why the title is 'A voice in the head' is because Fatima can communicate by making her voice go into other people's heads which is a way of helping them.
My star rating is five because I really liked it. I think it's good for seven plus and if seven year olds read it or even similar age groups would have to have some help with it.