Review: Into the Storm

There is something undeniably compelling about a story where the greatest danger isn’t just the wilderness surrounding the characters, but the secrets and regrets they carry within themselves. In Into the Storm, Hayley Lawrence delivers another heart-racing adventure following the success of Into the Wild. This time, she takes readers into the unforgiving landscapes of Tasmania, where every step forward could be a fight for survival.

Silas and Eve are both running—from mistakes, from grief and from the parts of their past they would rather leave behind. After previously crossing paths during a trekking competition that Eve’s team won, the two went their separate ways. But when Eve reaches out to Silas with an invitation to undertake an even more challenging trek, he accepts, seeing it as a chance to escape his own troubles. However, the wilderness has a way of stripping away pretense, and the journey soon becomes far more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.

Review: Don't Forget to Smile

Behind the elegance, discipline and applause of the ballet world lies a demanding culture of perfection, and Ariane Beeston's Don't Forget to Smile offers an honest and compelling glimpse behind the curtain.

Told through the alternating perspectives of Clara, Elle and Ben, three talented young dancers competing for a coveted place at the International Ballet Grand Prix, the novel explores what it truly costs to pursue excellence. Each protagonist faces their own personal battle: Clara struggles with the expectations of fitting the traditional ballet mould, while Elle and Ben challenge outdated attitudes and entrenched power structures within the dance world. As their individual journeys unfold, an unexpected scandal draws the trio together in surprising ways.

Review: One Knight Stand

One Knight Stand by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner returns readers to the wonderfully chaotic world first introduced in Lady's Knight—and it is every bit as clever, witty and delightfully entertaining as fans will hope.

Packed with sword fights, schemes, banter and a healthy dose of absurdity, One Knight Stand embraces all the fun of fantasy while simultaneously poking fun at it. Kaufman and Spooner clearly know the genre inside out, and the novel is filled with glorious intertextuality and knowing little winks to the reader. From playful nods to classic fantasy tropes through to the hilariously clever chapter titles—which each appear somewhere within their respective chapters—there is a sense that the authors are inviting readers in on the joke.

Junior Review: The Susie K Files Life of the Party

Susie K likes science instead of netball and has the class goldfish for a best friend. 

But Susie’s mum finds it hard to believe that she’s happy that way. She’s constantly trying to push Susie (with the best of intentions of course!) to be something she’s not. And the last thing Susie wants is to disappoint her mum.

In this fresh new series find out how Susie’s unconventional problem solving skills and mum’s optimistically high expectations impacts Susie’s life!

Junior Review: The Shadow Keeper

The Shadow Keeper is the follow up novel to The Dream Snatcher and is a great book about a girl called Molly Pecksniff and her friends Alfie and  Siddy and her wildcat Gryff. 

They need to find the second amulet and hold back the dark magic from the Shadowmasks. Will the old magic help Mole defeat the Shadowmasks or will it only hold them back for a short while? 

With Alfie’s secrets and allies that turn out to be bad, Mole can’t trust anyone except the one’s she knows are her true friends.

Junior Review: The Dream Snatcher

In this book, The Dream Snatcher, twelve-year-old Moll Pecksniff has been cursed by the Dream Snatch. 

She keeps hearing rattles and drums whenever she goes to sleep each night. The only way she can defeat Skull, the one behind the curse, is to follow the Bone Murmur’s readings. 

It will not be easy, but with the help of her friends, family and her wildcat, she might have a chance, however small it may seem, to fore fill the Bone Murmur’s prophecy.

This book is full of twists and turns and how friends always stick together no matter the task. I recommend The Dream Snatcher to girls who love mystery and magic aged 11+ as there are some scary parts.

Junior Review: Middle School Just My Rotten Luck

The humorous book from James Patterson, is about a teenager called Rafe and his inexperience with fitting in. 

He tries several times to impress a girl, but she is always telling him that there is someone else out there. Rafe is an artist and he secretly put’s pictures of his artwork around the school. 

The bully called Miller the Killer has made a deal with Rafe that if he joins the football team he will stop bullying him. 

Join Rafe on an adventure through his time in middle school and help him fit in with the cool kids.

I recommend this book to boys and girls aged around 10 – 13. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Junior Review: The Ugg Boot War

In this book, The Ugg Boot War, the main character, Jake is forced to go shopping with his parents and this means his Dad. 

Now, you might be thinking, so???? But the problem with Jake’s Dad is he is constantly wearing his Ugg boots. Ugh! It is so embarrassing! This means war! 

First, Jake and his friend, Max try to take the Ugg boots while Max’s Dad is in the shower and hide them under the lounge. But Max’s Mum finds them! So, Max tries to slowly take them at night time when his parents are sleeping. But when Max comes home from school the next day, his Dad is wearing them! Banjo the dog had found them! 

Junior Review: Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot

This is the last book from Dav Pilkey called Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-lot. 

In this book, we meet George and Harold again and this time they must save the children of the planet from their gym teacher Mr Meaner, who is turning them into slaves. They time travel to the future, find their older selves and the four of them travel back in time to get help from Captain Underpants.

This book is an easy read because it has lots of pictures and easy words, therefore I recommend this book for girls and boys aged 8-12.

Junior Review: Ghosts

In the book Ghosts, Catrina has just moved to a new town called Bahia de la Luna in California because her little sister, Maya, has breathing problems and the doctor said that the wind could help with that. 

One gloomy day they set out to explore the town and meet this crazy boy called Carlos. He tells them that there are ghosts in the area and that, if you give a bit of yourself, then you might be able to talk to them. He totally creeps Catrina out, but Maya just wants to go and find them.

This story really inspired me that you don’t have to see something to believe its real. The book really moved me, and I thought that it was one of the best books I’ve ever read! I would recommend Ghosts to girls aged 8 – 12.

Title: Ghosts

Author: Raina Telgemeier                         

Publisher: Scholastic US

Publication Date: 13 September 2015, $12.59

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0545540623

For Ages: 8 - 12

Type: Graphic Novel

Junior Review: Hollow City

Hollow City is the sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which is an excellent read but I think Hollow City is much better. 

Ransom Riggs has really outdone himself this time! Join all the peculiar children and other surprises on an exciting and moving miracle adventure to save Miss Peregrine, while fighting off hollows and wights.

Reading this book really improved my reading skills because of Ransom Riggs’s incredible choice of words. 

I got extremely involved in this book which I absolutely love. I recommend this book to boys and girls aged 10-14 and who love action-packed adventure stories with a little bit of love and romance.

Title: Hollow City                                                  

Author: Ransom Riggs                                       

Publisher: Quirk Books, $19.99

Publication Date: 14^th January 2014

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781594747359

For Ages: 10 - 14

Type: Middle Fiction

Junior Review: Bad Mermaids

Beattie and the twins, Zelda and Mimi, are mermaids. Beattie is enjoying a nice summer on the beach with her new legs, when she gets a letter. There are bad mermaids on the loose and Beattie is the only mermaid in the lagoon who can stop them! Zelda and Mimi too, of course. 

  

Join Beattie and her friends on an epic journey through the lagoon, trying to catch the mysterious Swan and not get eaten by piranhas on the way.

 

I thought that the best part of the book was when Beattie figured out the secret identity of The Swan which wasn’t who I expected it to be. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. 

I really enjoyed this lovely tale about some fish in the sea, and I recommend this intriguing book for girls aged 9 – 13.

Title: Bad Mermaids

Author: Sibeal Pounder

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, $11.99

Publication Date: 1June 2017

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781408877128

For Ages: 9 - 13

Type: Fiction

Junior Review: The Name of This Book is Secret

The Name of This Book is Secret is a very mysterious book recommended for ages 8 - 12. It has an exciting, old vibe to it and I was immediately attached to it as soon as I read the first sentence.

The main characters, Cassandra and Max-Ernest, go on an epic journey to find out what the symphony of smells is and explore a missing magician’s diary and a Secret. Then they meet their match. 

Evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais are the only people who stand in their way of figuring out what this mystery all means. However, they are not going down without a fight! 

At the spa, the Midnight Sun Cass and Max-Ernest find themselves in the one place they did not want to be - trapped in a luxurious spa. Help Cass and Max-Ernest defeat the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais in a thrilling mystery adventure.