Good Reads: Lauriston Primary School

Chosen by Year 5 Brown Class (9/10 year olds) and Nursery pupils at Lauriston Primary School, London E9

Thanks to Sue Dobbing, literacy coordinator, Pete Sanders, class teacher and Catherine Johnson, parent.

Water Wings

Morris Gleitzman, Macmillan, 0 330 35014 5, £3.99 pbk

This story is about a girl whose parents have split up and so she lives with her mum. She gets really bored because her mum is always working so her best friend is her pet guinea pig Winsted. She takes him everywhere with her but what she really wants is a grandma. One day the girl took Winsted to her parents evening in her bag but a teacher spotted him and took him away but Winsted bit the teacher and the teacher dropped him. Winsted died and she was really upset and she didn’t have anyone to talk to so she wrote to her grandma and asked her to come and see her. In the end her grandma dies.

I thought this book was sad and funny but sometimes could get a bit boring. This book would probably be good for 8-year-olds and over. I would give it 7/10.

Phoebe Platman

2001 A Space Odyssey

Arthur C. Clarke, Arrow, 0 09 06610 6, o/p

This book is the first in a four book series.

This book is about a Space Ship going to Jupiter but the on-board computer goes crazy. So all the people who had been put in hibernation die and the main character’s (David Bowman) shipmate (Frank Poole) dies because the computer (H.A.L) cuts his air supply off when he is doing a space walk.

My favourite character is David Bowman because he is brave and smart. I recommend this book for 11 to 13 year olds because it has a lot of complex words and I give it 9 out of 10 but in some parts I would give it 6 out of 10.

Harry Richman

Groosham Grange

Anthony Horowitz, Walker, 0 7445 4712 1, £3.99 pbk

Groosham Grange is not in a series but Anthony Horowitz has written many other great books that I have read.

The main part of the book is when David and Jill escape from the school and C. Bloodbath chases them. (I won’t say any more or I’ll give it away.)

My favourite character is Mr Frith and Mr Teale the head teacher because he has two heads and does some very funny things.

I recommend that ages eight and up should read this book. I also recommend adults to read it because all of Anthony H’s books are hilariously funny and amusing. I’d give it 10 out of 10.

Finbar Cullinan

The Blob That Ate Everyone

R.L. Stine, Scholastic ‘Goosebumps’, 0 590 11251 1, £3.99 pbk

I love the story. I think it is the best one because there is a boy who loves typewriting scary stories then he finds an old typewriter and the typewriter makes his story come true, the blob that ate everyone! The blob comes to life and trashes the whole neighbourhood. He trashes gardens, eats the cars, eats the roofs of all the houses, every single one.

Selcuk Akkerman

Handa’s Surprise

Eileen Browne, Walker, 0 7445 3634 0, £4.99 pbk

This story is about a girl called Handa who lives in Kenya. She takes a fruit basket to her friend, Akeyo. She walks to her friend’s village carrying her basket on her head. On the way some animals come and pinch the fruit. We all like the bright pictures. Nathan likes the page where the giraffe puts out his long grey tongue and pinches the pineapple. Hana and Matthew think it’s funny when the goat gets away from the tree, bumps into the other tree and the tangerines fall into the basket. Danielle, Joshua and Kester think it’s a funny book because the animals take all the fruit away and Handa gets such a surprise when the tangerines are in the basket.

Reviewed by the full-time children in Red Class (Nursery) aged 3½ to 4½ yearsvar