Good+reads

Read anything brilliant lately? Let us know about it here. Just write the title, author and a couple of sentences about why you liked it and why we should read it.

Let's make the titles and authors in red. If you know a bit about ths sort of thing, you might even be able to bung in a picture of the cover.

I'll start:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas John Boyne This is easy to read, but it's subject is so powerful. In that sense it is a rewarding book. At times it is deeply moving and sad, although I must admit, the little German boy did seem a little too naive to be credible to me. ~Mr Mitchell

The Shapeshifter by Ali Sparkes

Sorry I couldn't get a picture - I don't know how on earth I can. Anyways, I liked this book because it gives a sort of confusing image; clever and interesting all at once. Well. . . look it up on Images. There are four sequels! ~Josh

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riodan



May be seen as either one of these. I like this book because I'm a big mythology reader and particulary like the ancient greek myths. this is one version of what could happen if they were TRUE!!!!!(as in now, not back in ancient times, that is) This has been made into a movie, not sure how close to the book it is, but looks like it will be good. There are 4 sequels to this one too!

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

This book is really good - as it runs through the children's lives as they work through all the troubles mutant bird kids would have. ~Josh

I'd like to add more about this... Maximum Ride is a fascinating read, but I think that the kids keep on developing and losing all sorts of unbelievable powers. Isn't flying and a very own Voice-inside-your-head, accelerated healing powers etcetera etcetera enough? Do you really need to be able to shapeshift, or sense the past of things you touch? Or breathe underwater? Up until 'The Final Warning', they were brilliant. From then on, the quality of the books has deteriorated. ~Mehrbano yeah, they weren't as good after saving the world and other extreme sports. max wasn't bad, fang was kinda... weird, but maybe the next one will be better... ~katie f

Warriors by Erin hunter Some people say these are kids books. This is not true! they are really good, although they can get a bit repetitive. I mean, there are only so many exciting things wild cats can do. but still, they're great. there are 4 mini-series: Warriors, The new Prophesy, Power of three, and the newest: Omen of the stars. There are also heaps of other books aside from the main series. ~Katie F

I'd like to add more to this... Whilst Warriors may have been labelled 'Cat books' by my wonderful classmates, they are actually pretty interesting. After all, sure, they are about cats, but there is so much about loyalty. The whole theme of the series is about loyalty - to your Clan, your heritage, StarClan (i.e. your ancestors), your leader, your kin, your lover, the warrior code, and (perhaps most importantly), your ambitions. All the series are interlinked. Each series is generally about a different generation, but Power of Three and Omen of the Stars are about pretty much the same characters. There are two new series/books coming out. Crookedstar's Promise (superedition) and Back to the Beginning (series on how the Clans formed). ~Mehrbano

i must agree with that. my origional description was a bit... lacking, wasn't it? ~katie f

Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce A series of books about 4 young mages just learning about their powers. These are good reads and the characters and places are really well described. Thre is also a second series The Circle Opens, a last book, The Will of the Empress and another about a secondary character from The Circle Opens, called Melting Stones. Again, I can't be bothered with pics for all 10 books ~Katie F

__Juno of Taris__ by Fleur Beale This is a great book. Taris is an island protected by a giant dome, so that if the rest of the human race was to perish the Tarisians would still survive. It follows Juno a young Tarisian, trying to find answers about the Tarisian practices and about life on the Outside. She soon discovers nothing is what it seemed. The story is kind of a mystery and action story. The start of the story is a bit slow but is REALLY interesting once it gets going. -Rachel

__Noughts and Crosses series__ by Malorie Blackman This series of books consists of Noughts and Crosses, Knife Edge,Checkmate(which follow Sephy) and Double Cross (which follow Sephy's daughter Callie-Rose). The books are about racial discrimination, but with a reversal of roles, Noughts (white people) are the people mistreated just because of their race and the Crosses (black people) are the leaders and aristocrats. The first book (Noughts and Crosses) is about Sephy (cross) and Callum (nought) and about their struggle to remain close friends as society pushes them apart. The next two books follow on from that and the forth book follows Callum and Sephy's daughter Callie-Rose as society begins to change. They are a gripping series of books that are full of action and really make you think. It is often easy to forget that the book is set in the present day. -Rachel



​ Abomination by robert swindells although the cover suggests this is a ghost story,it's not. This book is written in two peoples perspective,one of whoms family is keeping a secret in their basement.What is this great secrets name?Abomination.Who is abomination?__what is__ abomination? I won't tell you anymore because it will spoil the story. -Jessica

I am not Esther - Flear Beales -sorry the other one was taken of the internet so I changed it

Kirby's mother is going away,and leaves her in the care of her"mad relitives" in Wellington (yes,Nz), who are religious and impose all sorts of new rules and regulations on her,even a new name!she must be called Esther,must cover ger hair in public,attend church,braid her hair at all times,wear long skirts,only take classes chosen for her.How will she get away? -Jessica

losing it-Sandy Mckay Jo goes to hospital cause she has anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is when you won't eat because you think you are fat, bulimia is when you eat you purposly throw up so you won't get fat. The book is set in a series of letters to her friend,often very personal and fascinating.I found this book very touching and interesting. -jessica

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

This was one of my favorite books (applause please).

Maddy has always been the outsider. Her father and her sister don't love her, and her mother died when she was born. Maddy is an oddity in Malbry village. She has a rusty mark on her hand, what the elders of Malbry call a ruinmark. Then, when she is seven, she meets One-Eye, an outlander. He tells her that there is no such thing as a ruinmark, she has a runemark, a sign of magic, and the old gods. On a hill, not far from Malbry, a huge horse is carved into the ground. Now One-Eye wants her to venture down into the World Below to retrieve something left from the age of the old gods. Maddy had no idea what was going to happen... This book is suspenseful and fun, with a little swearing (nothing over the top). Magic and gods are represented in ways which I have never encountered before, making this a fascinating read. ~Mehrbano~

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee I know that most of us do not like "classics". But this book once hit second favourite in my book list.

This is a book set in America when there was great racism against blacks. It is told by "Scout" (Jeanne), who is totally ignorant of racism. All she knows is they have a black cook, and she is nice, but very stern. Her father is a lawyer, and he is fighting for justice for a black man. The poor black man was accused of something terrible, a dreadful crime. But will racism or justice win out? Brilliant book. ~Mehrbano~

How to train your dragon by (hiccup horreddous haddock the third, translated from old norse by) cressida cowell (may be found in COWE)



This is a book about hiccup, a norse pirate in training. he is the son of the chief, but faces constant competition (in EVERYTHING) from Snotlout, his cousin. Can he train toothless(his dragon) AND save the day? read to find out! this has been made into a movie. The shorts show it to be very different to the book( for example, toothless is big enough to ride on, purple and has lots of teeth.apparently hiccup's best friend has also been replaced.) i haven't read the last one yet, but i will! some people say these are younger kids books, but they are great for some relief from heavy-duty or food-for-thought texts. This does not mean they are not good, though.

I have now seen the movie, and although this is not the film review page, I would like to add a note: If you pretend that the hiccup in the movie is not hiccup h.h.III but hiccup II or even I,and that all the matching names of characters is coincidence, then the movie makes a good prequel to the books! -Katie F

Stealing heaven-Elizabeth Scott



18 year old dani goes by different names in every town she visits,and is not allowed to let anyone get too close to her.She has been trained by "the very best" (a.k.a. her mother),in her fine art of...stealing.Every town she visits they take silver and valuables.But when they come to a town called heaven(strange name,I know)she starts to think about her values.Will she choose what she has grown up as or to be someone else? -Jessica

I read this book too. It's sad, but quite interesting. It was interesting reading it from the point of view of a girl who has been stealing all her life. ~Mehrbano

__The Memory Keepers Daughter__. Kim Edwards. This is a sad story about a man and father who did what he believed was right and how it tore apart his family. WARNING: Has a rude scene in it. This is a touching story. i would rate it 7 out of 10. -Katie M

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book is set in the future in North America. The country of Panem has a Capitol, surrounded by 12 Districts. Each District has a specialty: District 11's is agriculture, District 2's is fishing etc.16 year old Katniss Everdeen is in District 12, coal mining. Her father was killed in an explosion, and she is the head of her family: her little sister Primrose and her mother. The Hunger Games. Every year, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each District are selected randomly. They are all put in a huge arena with a special environment like a forest, a desert, with cameras watching their every move. The purpose: to fight to the death. Last one alive wins. When Katniss's little sister is selected, she volunteers to go in her sister's place. No on dares to object at the taking of the boy and girl from their District, or they will all be destroyed like District 13 was. Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. Kill or be killed. There is only one winner. //Let the Games begin.// These books are like a slightly younger version of the 'Chaos Walking' series by Patrick Ness. It has many meanings and can be interpreted in different ways. ~Mehrbano

Ohh Mehrbano I was just about to do one on the hunger games i think this is also a good book. But not a very good ending ( By Caleb)

Personally, I thought that the ending was fine. It left a couple of cliff hangers, but it was great for the next books (it is a trilogy). Hey, Caleb, have you read the sequels? I've finished all of them now! :D ~Mehrbano

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (pronounced foon-KAY) This used to be my favourite book. Meggie and her father move house every so often. Her mother is apparently dead. Her father is a book binder. One night, a mysterious stranger, Dustfinger, appears. He calls her father 'Silvertongue', and tells of danger from a person called 'Capricorn'. Meggie and her father are thrown into a terrifying adventure, along with Meggie's Great Aunt Elinor and an author called Fenoglio. Her father has a talent that he never told his daughter about. Meggie has inherited that talent. This could be the end. . . The adjective usage is somewhat unusual in Inkheart, as it is translated from German. I really like Funke's books. Inkheart has two sequels, Inkspell and Inkdeath. I personally think that is by far the best. The other two pretty much spoilt the first book. ~Mehrbano

A mango shaped space by wendy mass

Mia has synesthesia.For her this means she sees colours when she sees things like numbers and letters, and when she hears sounds.sometimes these colours are wonderful,and sometimes they are sharp daggers that attack her.It starts rather slow but gets incresingly interesting as it goes along.Even though I don't have synesthesia I could relate to some of the experiences she has in really abstract weird ways and it made me sad.by jessica

Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison

Really funny series for girls about a 15 year old from england and her friends(The Ace gang) some of the terms are a bit random and the titles are even randomer there are 10 books in the series and 5 other books to do with the series
 * 1) //[|Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging]//
 * 2) //[|It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers]//
 * 3) //Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas//
 * 4) //[|Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants]//
 * 5) //...And That's When It Fell Off in My Hand//
 * 6) //...Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers//
 * 7) //...Startled by His Furry Shorts//
 * 8) //[|Luuurve is a Many Trousered Thing]//
 * 9) //Stop in the Name of Pants!//
 * 10) //Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?//

this is a small cut out from angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging Dad had Uncle Eddie round so naturally they had to come and nose around and see what I was up to. If Uncle Eddie (who is bald as a coot - too coots, in fact) says to me one more time, 'Should bald heads be buttered?' I may kill myself. He doesn't seem to realise that I no longer wear romper-suits. I feel like yelling at him. 'I am fourteen years old, Uncle Eddie! I am bursting with womanhood, I wear a bra! OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus... but the womanly potential is there, you bald coot!'

-Paige

Believe it or not, I've read a few of these! The first one was so-so... I didn't read the other ones... I read the plots, though. They were very light reading, and (totally my opinion!) not very well written. They didn't really have a plot other than a huge love thing going on. Teenagerish stuff, if you like that genre. I found that the main character (Georgia) was incredibly rude to her parents, and is the most indecisive person on the face of this Earth. ~Mehrbano

I personally LOVE the series, yes they are very light reading, i once read two in one day, but they are super funny. In my opinion the book didnt need to be written perfectly as it was the diary of a teenage girl. Georgia's rudeness towards her parents continues throughout the series but it's part of her character. But the book is a comedy and should definatley not be taken seriously,but i do like the books :) -Katie M Juicy Writing by Brigid Lowry

If you are an aspiring author, this is the best book I have found which gives technical advice as lots of encouragement and writing exercises. I do not like Lowry's other books (they are teenagerish), but this is wonderful. Her short story book 'Tomorrow, All Will be Beautiful' is awesome too! ~Mehrbano

mates dates series-cathy hopkins



altough the books can be a bit rude at times, this series is great if you want something light too read and its really easy to follow,and as an extra bonus they are really quick to read!I also promise these are not as rude as some of the titles may suggest.some of them are also on cd so thats what I did instead of reading some of them.Here is the wikipedia address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mates,_Dates_series

note :after the pictures there are: tempting trouble,great escapes,chocolate cheats,diamond destiny,sizzling summers and there are companion books

strawberry marshmallow-barasui (the pictures aren't in order-you should read them in order because I got confused when I tried to start with the 4th one) although these are manga and not technically books, they have words and are fun to read :D you will learn also to read manga style -back to front.they are lighthearted comedy books and at times are very funny.it follows Nobue,her younger sister chicka and their friends Miu, Matsuri and anna(although anna doesn't appear until the second book).they live fairly ordinary lives but keep doing very weird things at school, home, and around and about.Miu is my personal favourite characters.-Jessica

here is the wikipedia adress: [|__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Marshmallow__]

= [|Goodnight Mister Tom-] = Michelle Magorian




 * Young Willie Beech is evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War.**

A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the care of old Tom Oakley - but his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother back in London. ..

Winner of the Guardian children's fiction prize.

[|This is a great book, I found it really sad, but I've read it so many times.]

= The Cherub series - = =** Robert Muchamore **=



guardians of ga'hoole by kathryn lasky

if you wnat to put up pics, you ar welcome. i am still too lazy to do it

areally awesome series of books, about owls! set in the future (i presume, as there are old remaints that are from human times) and about the owls from the great ga'hoole tree. Main characters are Soren, Gylfie, Digger and Twilight. The series doesn't have a slow start, and is really good up until the 14th book. i can't tell you about the 15th, as i haven't read it yet :( this is going to be made into a movie! not sure when it's coming out, though. i can't describe the plot very well, as there are several different story arcs. the main one is from books 1-6, books 9-11 are about hoole(a different owl, the one the tree is named after) and the others involve Nyra ,and a new character is added in about book 7-8 : Nyroc/Coryn. ~Katie F

The Amulet of Samarkand This is the first book of the Bartimaeus trilogy. Young magician's apprentice Nathaniel summons the great djinn Bartimaeus one day, to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from a magician he hates: Simon Lovelace. Nathaniel had no idea what he was in for... This was once my favourite book. It's really interesting, and I especially enjoy reading Bartimaeus's point of view as he is satirical and sarcastic. The Amulet of Samarkand is a great book, and I would recommend it strongly. There are two other parts (The Golem's Eye and Ptolemy's Gate). All ages will enjoy these books, from 12 year olds to 44 year olds. Even my father liked it! ^^Mehrbano~

**__The CHERUB series- by Robert Muchamore__**

This series is an 11 book series with a twelve (final) book coming soon. The books follow James Adams a CHERUB agent as he goes through basic training and several missions as a spy. The storyline sounds REALLY cheesy but the story itself is definitely NOT. It is set in the present and unlike most spy novels it is extremely realistic and quite funny. They books not only tell the story of James Adams and other CHERUB agents on missions but also about their lives as normalish teenagers living on the CHERUB campus. I think it's enjoyable to read as you can relate to the characters. If you havn't read you definately should. I give it a definite 10 out of 10. these are the books in their order... 1. The Recruit 2. Class A 3. Maximum Security 4. The Killing 5. Divine Madness 6. Man vs Beast 7. The Fall 8. Mad Dogs 9. The Sleepwalker 9 1/2. Dark Sun (Mini book) 10. The General 11. Brigands MC 12. Shadow Wave (coming soon)

To see th e covers and find out more about them go to [] -Rachel

__ Cinnamon Girl- Cathy Hopkins __



This is another series by one of my favourite authors, Cathy Hopkins (she also did the mates, dates one).India Jane goes on holidy in greece,where she meets a nice boy called Joe.She then moves into her auntys house and begins to settle in.She then meets to other nice boys and has to decide between them and Joe,She picks Joe in the end, while geting stressed bout he A levels.that pretty much covers them, not much of a plot but they are well written and fun to read, they are also quite short (I like short books- I actually get them back to the library on time :D ).

__ Truth,Dare,Kiss,Promise- Cathy Hopkins __ This is another series by Cathy Hopkins.Okay so I haven't actually finished it yet,but its pretty good and it was good enough to get a reveiw in Creme.This one is about a group of friends who play a game (truth,dare,kiss,promise)and get into random situations because of it.

__ The Princess Diaries- Meg Cabot __

Okay so you most probably have sen the movies,but have you read the books?They are totally different to the movies.The author sometimes even talks about how 'certain film companies like to take liberties' on mias life, and createstories based on her ,including events that didn't happen in the books. "me and micheal will never.ever.break up.we are perfect together' (she then goes on to be dumped/and the dumpee -its onfusing who dumps who-in the eighth book,and then get back together with micheal in the last one.)In the last books she actually becomes friends with Lana!Lily also turns against her,and makes a hate website about her, but then they become friends again in the last book.

how to ditch your fairy by Justine Larbalestier



ok, i read this last term, but didn't get around to putting it up. set in the future, in a new city called 'New Avalon' EVERYONE has their own, personal fairy. not a fluttery magic-user, but...i guess luck is the best word. the main character, charlie has a parking fairy, which means that every car she's in gets THE perfect park. since she doesn't drive, and has no use for her fairy, Charlie wants to ditch it.

-Katie F

Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Fading Echoes. By Erin Hunter

2nd book in the fourth series of Warriors.

OK, folks, I know you're thinking "Mehrbano's crazy, we don't read warriors and she's doing a review on a book." Maybe I am crazy. But I think this is the BEST BOOK IN ALL OF THE WARRIORS SO FAR!!! (Feel free to differ, Katie F and Sarah)

Dovepaw begins to use her power to help the Clan - she is a spectacular hunter, and almost single-handedly feeds the elders. Ivypaw soon becomes jealous. Why does Firestar keep wanting to see her sister? Why does Dovepaw always have her ears pricked. How did she know that a tree was falling on the camp? Soon, Ivypaw's jealousy begins to get the better of her, and a mysterious stranger starts walking in her dreams. ..

As afore mentioned, this is the best book in the WHOLE WARRIORS SERIES!! I think it's because things start to get a bit more interesting. Like in 'Sunrise', loyalties are tested and the whole atmosphere is tense. Everything begins to build up to the final battle against the Dark Forest... There is a new injury, too! There hasn't been a cat with a broken spine before! Hmm... Everyone thought it would be Brambleclaw who got injured, and died, so he couldn't become leader... A really good read, but I reccommend first reading the other plots. ~Mehrbano

the race for the lost keystone.

There is a copy of this book in the library. I read it ages ago. It just keeps going until it ends and I found the world fascinating. Probably worth reading. Question: How do I put an image up. By James.D.Fraser

Replying to your question, James, just find something on GoogleImages, and copy/paste it :) I'm not sure whether Wikispaces lets you upload pics from your computer. I know wetpaint does. ~Mehrbano