Good Reads 108: Hitchin Boys’ School

Good Reads – Hitchin Boys’ School

Chosen by Year 7 students of Hitchin Boys’ School, Hertfordshire

Thanks to Pat Thornhill, School Librarian

If your students would like to review their ‘good reads’, apply to the Editor of BfK.

Wings

Terry Pratchett, Corgi, 0 552 52649 5, £3.99 pbk

Terry Pratchett is best known for his famous Discworld novels. Discworld was written for adults but there are younger readers who enjoy them. He writes hilarious and funny stories for younger readers. He is one of the best-selling authors for most age groups. Wings is the third in the young people’s trilogy of Truckers, Diggers and Wings.

In all the books there are nomes who live extremely fast lives, to them one human year is ten nomish years but they do not know this, to them their life seems long enough. Guided by the ‘Thing’, a tiny black box that speaks, they go on adventures. They get a lift on Concorde to Florida, fly geese and eventually fly in a craft to the mother space ship that has been waiting for hundreds or even thousands of years. It is an amusing book. For example here is a quotation from the book that I found funny.

‘There was a polite beeping from the Thing.

“You may be interested to know,” it said, “That we have just broken the sound barrier.”

Masklin turned wearily to the others.

“All right, own up,” he said, “Who broke it?”

“Don’t look at me,” said Angalo. “I didn’t touch anything …”’

Wings is a thoroughly good book to read and I found it very enjoyable. I recommend it for children and adults looking for a good read. I found it more satisfying reading the whole trilogy but it would also be enjoyable when read on its own. It is a good book for all fantasy lovers.

Robert Spanton

The Lost World

Michael Crichton, Arrow, 0 09 924062 9, £5.99 pbk

Main characters: Malcolm, Sarah, Levine, Eddie, Kelly, Arby

Storyline: Six years after the disaster at the dinosaur tourist attraction, Jurassic Park, Ian Malcolm has more or less fallen back into his normal lifestyle, apart from an injured leg from the previous incident. During one of his debates Richard Levine starts getting interested in what had happened to him, though Malcolm tried to keep him from the truth. When an island is discovered to have living dinosaurs on it, Levine goes in search of some answers to extinction and dinosaur behaviour, without telling anyone which island it is. Malcolm, Field Biologist Sarah Harding and Technician Eddie, together with 11-year-old Arby and 13-year-old Kelly, try to rescue him when they receive a distress call, but the dinosaurs roam free, and things have a habit of going wrong …

Recommendation: I thought this book was the most intellectual book I have ever read, and it was full of scientific theories and debates. Don’t be put off by the beginning as, once you get into it, it is very fast-moving and exciting – difficult to put down. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who doesn’t enjoy reading, but if you enjoy books and want a challenge, this is the book for you, for it isn’t boring like some adult books.

Justyn Butler

Men in Black

Steve Perry, Penguin, 0 14 026890 1, £5.99 pbk

This book is based on the screen story and screenplay by Ed Solomon. The story is about a secret agent for Men in Black, a secret agency that no one knows about, his name is Kay. He is getting too old for the job and needs someone to replace him. Kay’s job is to protect Earth from the ‘scum of the Universe’, aliens. Kay needs someone young, fit, and who knows what’s going on. So he finds out about a NYPD cop that fits this description, his name is James Edwards. Edwards ran down some form of alien. Kay recruits Edwards for MiB where his identity is erased so he never existed. Now his name is Jay.

During the book Kay takes Jay to all different places where he meets all different aliens with human disguises. Jay’s first case was to stop an evil alien bug that steals a galaxy the size of a marble. Jay has to blow up the alien to get the galaxy inside it, with a little help from Kay. They get the galaxy and give it to the aliens that are about to blow up the earth.

Kay resigns and his memory of being a part of the MiB is erased. Jay finds a woman partner that found out about the aliens and the MiB after being kidnapped by the bug. So the story ends.

I like this book because the action never stopped. I know the story isn’t true but the author made it sound realistic. I have seen the film too and I would recommend it for persons of twelve and up.

This book is excellent and I would give it 9/10.

Matthew Dickenson