Good Reads: St Mary’s and St Peter’s Church of England Primary School

Chosen by Year 4 and 5 (8-10 year-old) pupils from St Mary’s and St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Teddington, Middlesex.

Thanks to Lorna Collins, Librarian.

Lessons for Lucy

Antonia Barber, Puffin, 978 0 14 038681 3, o/p

The first of a series of 12 books called ‘Dancing Shoes’. Lucy wishes that she can go to ballet classes at the Maple School, but her mother cannot afford it. Luckily for her, Mrs Dillon, the elderly lady who stays on the top floor in her flat, used to be part of the Bolshoi Ballet Company in Russia. She teaches Lucy to dance. Lucy lies to her new best friend Emma by telling her that she goes to the Maple Ballet School. Mrs Dillon helps Lucy and asks the lady who runs the ballet school if Lucy can have a scholarship. Lucy and Emma start the Maple Ballet School together and soon become pretty good dancers.

My favourite character is Lucy (Lou to her friends). I like her because she is a cheerful character, but her troubles are expressed really well. I also like Emma because she is very friendly to Lucy.

I really enjoyed Lessons for Lucy because I enjoy ballet and liked the way that Lucy lived in a flat next to a retired ballerina. I recommend this book and hope that Antonia Barber will write more than the 12 ballet books in this series.

Imogen Cummings, aged 10

The Stolen

Alex Shearer, Macmillan, 978 0 330 39892 3, £5.99 pbk

The book is about someone who tricks a girl into thinking that an old lady’s body is actually a girl. Then it happens to her! She gets turned into an old lady. She goes to an old people’s home and meets someone else who has had the same thing happen. The book is a little bit scary, but I really enjoyed it.

My favourite characters were Meredith and Carly and I would definitely recommend the book to others.

Rebecca Mackenzie, aged 8

Anne of Green Gables

L M Montgomery, Puffin Classics, 978 0 14 036741 6, £4.99 pbk

Anne of Green Gables is about a girl called Anne and each chapter is a story about what happens during her stay at Green Gables.

She meets a friend called Diana and they get up to all sorts of adventures. In one chapter Anne has Diana over to tea and offers her some raspberry cordial and Diana likes it so much she drinks the whole bottle but in fact it was currant wine!!!! Diana’s mother is not pleased when her daughter comes back home drunk. Anne’s friendship with Diana is hanging on a single thread when Anne plucks up enough courage to apologise and their friendship is renewed.

I really enjoyed this book because I like the style it is written in and the characters interact with each other well. I give this book 10 out of 10 – read it, you won’t regret it.

Eva Carroll, aged 10

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Philippa Pearce, Oxford, 978 0 19 279242 6, £5.99 pbk

Tom’s Midnight Garden was written by Philippa Pearce in 1958, just over ten years after the Second World War ended. It is about a boy with the ability to travel through time from the present to the past. In Tom’s enchanted adventures in the garden he befriends a girl called Hatty and through time they become best friends.

This book tells the story of Tom Long’s adventures with Hatty Melbourne and sees her develop from child to young woman.

When I read the book I found it hard to put down because Philippa Pearce was so descriptive in her choice of words. I hope this book will be read by children for years to come and will still be enjoyed as much as I’ve enjoyed it.

Millie Assemakis, aged 9